County Line Orchard

Grab some fall family fun with a day of apple picking at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. Apple picking is a Midwest fall tradition, with orchards offering sweet delights in Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. For Chicago families like mine, County Line Orchard in charming Hobart, Indiana, supplies the closest orchard, at about a 40 minute drive from the city. What I love most about County Line is that it’s located in a small farming community that draws families from both Indiana and Illinois. Pick up trucks, corn fields and livestock surround the area for a quick country escape for city slickers.

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Are you looking for ideas for your next vacation?  Want to go somewhere, but can’t decide exactly where?

Perhaps you should check out one of the Top 10 US Cities to Visit.  Of course, whether or not a city is the best is a subjective opinion – but Conde Nast Traveler has taken a poll of its readers collective subjective opinions and come up with 10 American Cities that you’re most likely to enjoy visiting.  With cities from across the country highlighted, there should be a great vacation destination for everyone.

Top 10 Best Places To Visit In The Us

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge - Best US City to Visit

1.  San Francisco, California

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of San Francisco, California is The Golden Gate Bridge.  Residents rave about the culture and the year round mild weather that’s never too hot or too cold.  Visitors to San Francisco can stay in some of the country’s most eco-friendly hotels and enjoy organic dining.  UpTake’s own Cat Lincoln shares insider information on San Francisco via podcast.

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Orbitz Worldwide hosted their first annual Blogger’s Day early this week at their headquarters in the beautiful city of Chicago.

Orbitz was an incredibly gracious host and really went out of their way to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all their guests, which included some of the biggest travel blogs on the web today (yes, even us!).

There are a lot of big things on the horizon for Orbitz and they were kind enough to share them with us, unfortunately they made us pinky swear not to cover all of it.  Something about swimming and cement shoes.

What we can discuss is the excitement and passion that is Orbitz and how it runs throughout the entire company.  They are generally giddy over the news regarding their change in Orbitz fee policy.  They are obsessed with hotels and customer service.  Technology drives them.  Also, coffee. Read More »

Chicago's Navy Pier

Do you have a family?  Is Chicago your kind of town?  Well, you’re in luck.

The Navy Pier, pictured here, is free to the public.  That’s FREE.  It’s Chicago’s most visited tourist attraction and has all kinds of activities and events for travelers of all ages.

The Ferris wheel, a carousel and swing ride bring the boardwalk to life.  The miniature golf course, the Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze and Chicago Children’s Museum give the area a taste that is strictly Chicago.  Also, stuff to eat.

Visit Chicago.  Take the kids.

UPDATE: Sorry about the Olympics, Chicago.  We still dig you.

Photo courtesy of the City of Chicago

For more family-friendly travel photos visit DeliciousBaby’s Photo Fridays.

American Gothic Statue - Chicago, IL

Technically, this is a Wordless Wednesday post.  Pretend you don’t see these words.  Also, pretend you don’t see all of the information below.  Thank you. Read More »

The Bean at Millennium Park in Chicago

Free art on display at Millenium Park in Chicago, Illinois.

The scoreboard at Wrigley Field

Personally, I’m not an avid baseball fan. I like the game pretty well, but not well enough to follow any particular team, even my local Diamondbacks (though I sure was proud when they won the World Series several years back). I like going to the games and watching them live – I like to crowd-watch and nosh on ballpark hot dogs and eight dollar cups of beer. Watching games on TV is just, well, kind of boring to me. The beer’s cheaper, though.

I wrote in my last blog post that I recently visited my friend Heather in Northwestern Indiana. Now, Heather is verging on OBSESSED, she’s such a Cubs fan. She watches any game she doesn’t go to on TV, while simultaneously listening to the game on the radio to get every angle. She goes to as many of their games as she can; even – GASP – driving all the way to Milwaukee to watch the Brewers at home against the visiting Cubs. She risked life and limb on that little jaunt – there’s quite a rivalry going on between the teams. I don’t pretend to understand all the why’s and wherefore’s and history behind said rivalry. There’s something about a curse and a goat and… I got lost after that.

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I would never suggest that you visit an airport with your children just for fun.  However, if you are stranded at an airport on your way home from holiday travel, let it be known that some of them have incredibly cool features that will help you kill the time and burn off the kids’ energy so they will pass out on the airplane.  Just don’t let them visit the ubiquitous airport candy store.

My holiday gift to you is a list, below, of links to the major US airlines and their hub airports.  Chances are, if you are traveling across the country, you may have to set foot in one of them, and you may even have to spend many of your precious hours there.  To all of our delight, I am sure, the city editors of Being Savvy, a guide for parents of preschoolers, have found interesting ways to kill time with children of all ages at many of these airports.

Do not be intimidated by the links.  Find your airline, then find the airport you where you will be sleeping changing planes.

Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines (AS) uses Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) where Being Savvy helps you locate the children’s play area, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Portland International Airport (PDX).

Music scape at the American Airlines terminal at Dallas/Ft. Worth

American Airlines: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – (check out the terminal’s many cool larger-than-life sculptures), Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) (check out Being Savvy’s guide to O’Hare), Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport (STL), Miami International Airport (MIA).

Continental Airlines:  Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).

Delta Air Lines:  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) (here’s Being Savvy’s guide ),Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) with fully equipped children’s play areas on three concourses, Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Frontier Airlines:  Denver International Airport (DEN) where Being Savvy found five fun frolics.  Until December 31st, 2008, kids under 12 fly, ski, and stay free in Aspen.

Jet Blue :  John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) where Being Savvy visits the Kidport – Also, if you get a chance, show the older kids Logan’s 9/11 memorial.

The Kidport at Logan

Midwest Airlines:  Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI).

Northwest Airlines:  Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) where Being Savvy locates the family services and hits you with family travel tips, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Memphis International Airport (MEM).

Southwest Airlines:  technically does not have hubs, but has main activities at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport (LAS), Houston Hobby Airport (HOU), and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

Spirit Airlines:  calls their hubs “bases” which are at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) where Being Savvy finds you kid-friendly activities, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

United Airlines (UA) uses Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with its in-house aquarium!, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) – (check out the Being Savvy layover lifesaver ), Denver International Airport (DEN), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

US Airways (US) uses Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT), and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

[Photos courtesy of Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport and Logan International Airport]