Vacations Blog

Like any good fish story, this one got away.  That’s right, you just missed Salmon Days in Issaquah, WA and you should be ashamed of yourself.  Go ahead and cry it out.  I’ll wait.

Okay, enough.  You brought it upon yourself.  Now sit still and let me tell you what you missed, aka, rub it in.

Every year about this time the salmon leave the deep, salty waters of Seattle’s Puget Sound and they start swimming.  They swim through lakes and streams and wind their way to Issaquah Creek, where the water is shallow and clear.  They swim all the way to the hatchery in which they were born, they do their thing with the eggs and the stuff and then they die.  Needless to say the salmon don’t find the occasion as festive as we do.  I watched them for hours and never saw a single party hat. Read More »

This weekend the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be honored and celebrated across America.  There are most likely events happening in your area, but should you decide to take advantage of the long weekend and leave home here are some ways to remember Dr. King around the country.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Seattle

In Seattle you can visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park.  It is (from the website): “a four-and-a-half acre City of Seattle park on the east side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, between South Walker and South Bayview Streets. The park is designed around a black granite ‘mountain’ — a dramatic, thirty-foot sculpture inspired by the civil rights leader’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, made the day before he was assassinated in 1968.”  (Photo from ArtToday.com) More Seattle events honoring Dr. King are available here.

In the greater Detroit area there are a number of activities scheduled, from luncheons and lectures to walks and concerts.  A list of events is available here.

Los Angeles hosts its 24th Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.  More L.A. area events can be found here.

Phoenix will observe the holiday with a parade, a march and various other events ranging from sports tournaments to unity and multi-cultural celebrations.

Raleigh, North Carolina offers its annual King Celebration: Three days of dialogue, tribute and celebration.  Visit the website here.

There will be a lot going on in Washington D.C. with the inauguration on Tuesday and many of the annual King events adopting the presidential ceremony into the celebration.  Among the highlights will be a concert hosted by the Kennedy Center and Georgetown University “in a free Millennium Stage event featuring Aretha Franklin, Nuttin’ but Stringz, and the Let Freedom Ring Choir.”  Other events in Washington D.C. can be found here.  By the way, the National Memorial is still a work in progress.

The University of Chicago celebrates MLK Week.  The city of Chicago offers many choices, among them a series of events held in parks around the area.  The schedule is available here.

Atlanta will be busy with many tributes to Martin Luther King, Jr., among them a screening of the animated film Our Friend Martin.

In San Francisco the Yerba Buena Gardens has a beautiful memorial to Dr. King and events are scheduled around the Bay Area.

Across the country communities will also be participating in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service making the holiday “a day on, not a day off… where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned.”

Obviously this list is just a very small sampling of what is available.  More places to remember Dr. King can be found here. Check your local newspaper for events in your area.  If you are using the internet to search further please consider adding this toolbar that donates to the MLK National Memorial fund every time you use it.

However you plan to celebrate the holiday please be safe.

When you plan your next vacation you may want to include a local sporting event.  My girls love to spend a day at the stadium and spending a few hours with some of the areas die-hard fans is never boring.  Remind me to tell you about the time we were in Boston during the World Series.  Virginia doesn’t host any pro teams but with Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland nearby we have our fair share of local pro teams. Unfortunately decent seats are hard to come by and my wallet doesn’t like the price of pro-sport tickets.  Don’t get me started on the price of refreshments.  Luckily there are many other sports teams in the area.    If you’re looking for affordable sporting events here are a few minor league teams that might fit the bill without compromising on the fun.

Baseball (May-August or September)

Bristol Sox
Danville Braves
Lynchburg HillCats
Norfolk Tides
Pulaski Rangers
Richmond Braves
Salem Red Sox
Potomac Nationals (Woodbridge)

NAFL Football (June – September or October)

Virginia Crimson Cardinals
Virginia Beach Destroyers
Virginia Kings
Virginia Wolfpack

Hockey (October – March or April)

Norfolk Admirals
Richmond Renegades

We’ve generally had good luck when visiting minor league venues with the kids.  They tend to be very family friendly and many sports clubs encourage families to visit with discounts and various promotions. The down side is, if you are in a college town, you may also end up in a group of drunken college kids.  Just ask the usher if you can move to more family friendly seats.  He’ll point you in the right direction.

Logos designs from team sites

Snow for Sleeping Beauty

When most people think of Disneyland Resort (that being the area containing the original Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the three Disney hotels) they tend to think of a summer destination for their family vacation.  Here’s something to consider, Disney for the holidays.

The entire area is transformed.

The hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier and Grand Californian) each have their own Christmas trees and holiday decorations, respectively, as well as daily winter-based activities for guests of all ages, including crafts, tours and workshops.

Downtown Disney takes on the festive feel of the season, complete with themed displays and a constant soundtrack of holiday tunes provided by live musicians, wandering carolers or piped through the speakers.

Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) sticks with its California motif and embraces Santa in a more relaxed mindset.  Here you will find sand instead of snow and the reindeer games consist of beach activities- even Santa opts for bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt rather than his traditional garb.

Winter in the 100 Acre Woods

Disneyland goes a more traditional route with its decorating.  The entire park is a holiday, evoking the likes of Norman Rockwell, Bing Crosby and Burl Ives.  There are special shows, parades, treats and merchandise (including a fantastic and large assortment of holiday decor and clothing).

The Disney characters are often dressed accordingly, especially Goofy that spends his days in Toon Town dressed as Santa and posing for pictures.

Mickey for the Holidays

Each night snow falls throughout Disneyland, from Main Street, U.S.A. to New Orleans Square.

The Small World and Haunted Mansion attractions have special holiday themes which are so well done that many, including my family, prefer the seasonal overlay to the original.

The winter weather in Anaheim is typically sunny with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s.  The nights cool down quite a bit and you should pack accordingly- especially since it can become chilly and wet without much warning.

If at all possible, try to arrange your vacation during the week to offset the crowds, but keep in mind that the closer you get to the holidays the more likely that local schools will be on break.

The Holiday festivities run from November 21, 2008 through January 4, 2009.

Photos by Whit Honea