This is what you won't see at airports this holiday season.

The good folks at Orbitz were nice enough to send along a list of the U.S. airports with the heaviest amount of holiday travel. They also offered up some words of wisdom.

Their travel advice falls along the lines of flexibility, utilizing technology and staying in the know. It’s fairly straightforward common sense, but you know what a lot of people forget to pack for when traveling? Common sense. It’s true.

The list and links are provided below. Read More »

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.

Read More »

I recently posted on this blog about first-time air travel with a toddler. As I mentioned in the previous post, we encountered some successes as well as some genuine teeth clenching moments associated with our 20-month-old’s first airline travel to San Francisco. This post is outlines our actual weekend in that fair city.

Accomodations- Queen Anne Hotel. An historic Victorian 4-story hotel in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, the Queen Anne is very romantic with charming rooms and fireplaces in the downstairs common areas. It was walking distance to the trolley line and a few parks – perfect for those with kids in tow. And, while the Queen Anne doesn’t market itself specifically to families, so we were pleasantly surprised by a number of child-friendly amenities. These included a travel crib, high chairs in the dining area, a full breakfast and cookies (with brandy or the adults) in the evening. The staff, with one exception, was wonderful! If you are traveling with children, we would recommend you book a suite, which includes a sitting/living room area with fridge, sink coffeemaker and a separate bedroom with door.

Queen Anne Hotel

The down-sides to staying at the Queen Anne were few: the travel crib was older and needed repairs (which the staff saw to only after we insisted) and a few of the antiques in the room were not toddler-friendly. We didn’t break anything, but it was definitely a learning curve for a child whose own home has few hands-off zones. And, while the website says the hotel offers childcare, it doesn’t. So, don’t book thinking this service will be available and you will be able to have a “date night” in San Francisco. Overall, the hotel was very nice. We would recommend it to friends, even those with toddlers, because the location is excellent, the staff is friendly, and the few disappointments did not make a difference in our stay.

Day 1 – After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we became typical San Francisco tourists. We loaded our son onto his mother’s back and we set out for the nearest cable car stop. It was a beautiful day, so the 5 minute walk to the beginning of the California Trolley line was refreshing. We checked out the unique San Francisco architecture dotted with turn of the century row houses and, to these Seattleites, surprisingly few trees. Our son loves trains, so the California trolley line was a little slice of heaven. We rode the entire cable-car loop through the business district, to the waterfront, and back to where we started. Our son learned to yell “ding, ding” as we rode through town.

Cable Car at Fisherman's Warf

We spent ample time at the waterfront browsing gift shops, watching the ferries come and go, and snacking on the local fare, before boarding the F-train along the Embarcadero towards Pier 39. Pier 39 bills itself as “San Francisco’s Premier Bay Attraction, a festival marketplace with more than 110 stores, 12 bay view restaurants, and a variety of fun-filled attractions for all ages including world renowned sea lions, street performers and live daily entertainment.” We spent the rest of our afternoon wandering around, eating lunch, people watching, and riding on the double-decker carousel – which was a bit hit with our son. After leaving Pier 39 we completed the trolley loop by boarding the Powell-Hyde line at Fisherman’s Warf and riding the cable car back up the hill to where we started. Our son fell asleep on the way back, so after a late nap we had an early dinner and walk in the nearby Filmore district. We then returned to the Queen Anne for a nightcap and bed.

TIP - If you plan to go on more than one trolley ride in a day, purchase a day pass for the cable cars, trains and buses. We got ours at the gift shop of the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway Hotel on Van Ness steps from the beginning of theCalifornia line, as well as good advice on the optimal sightseeing plan from the friendly local staff.

Day 2 – This was a day for family to visit us in the city and our last before heading east to continue that visit. After a few planning calls, breakfast and checking out of our hotel, we decided to head over to Golden Gate Park to visit the California Academy of Sciences and more specifically the Steinhart Aquarium. We had heard rumors about tickets to the Academy selling out and since this was a Saturday we got there early and explored the grounds near the Academy and the de Young Museum while we waited for family to arrive. The grounds were open, spacious, and pleasant and deserved to be explored much more than we had the time or ability to do with a little one along.

Soon the crowds started to arrive in droves. Once our party of 9, including many young children, finally arrived the Academy was absolutely swarming with people. We proceeded in and attempted to enjoy the visit, however the sheer number of visitors made it nearly impossible to enjoy the quality exhibits on display throughout the Academy and the Aquarium. After a couple hours we decided to picnick out on the park grounds where we could enjoy some fresh air. After lunch a few of the party braved another trip in but the results were similar to those before lunch, so we decided to call it a day. We left the city shortly thereafter with a scenic drive across the Golden Gate Bridge , which was itself an awe inspiring experience and left us wanting to return as soon as our situation would allow.

TIP - Academy of Science tickets will run you $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids 12-17, and $14.95 for kids 7-11. Parking will set you back another $20.00, so come with a fat wallet, and elbow pads.

Beware of Ghosts at the Queen Anne Hotel

Things We Wished We Had Time For:

As I mentioned this was our first trip with our son.  It was aslo a far cry from the types of trips we are used to taking, where we could cram the maximum amount of touring pleasure into even a long weekend.  Yes, it was a different speed, but it was also still a lot of fun.  I think the key for us was to not plan too much, but rather to enjoy the the sights we could comfortably see without over-taxing our little guy.  With that in mind, here are a couple of things we didn’t get to this time but look forward to on our next trip to the Bay area.

San Francisco Ghost Hunt- If your children are older, you might check out this haunted tour of the Pacific Heights neighborhood that meets each evening in the lobby of the Queen Anne! Apparently several ghosts reside in the Queen Anne, as well as other neighborhood haunts. We didn’t take the tour but did see the tour guide, Jim Fassbinder, in his cape, tophat and lantern. We stayed on the third floor, apparently the most haunted on the hotel, and did see one ghost – but he seemed to be pretty friendly!

Golden Gate Bridge

 Bicycle Tour of the Golden Gate Bridge - We saw many advertisements for this during our short tour of the city and would have attempted this if we had more time. Baring that, at least a walk across the bridge would have been preferrable to the drive. The bridge was packed with walking tourists and that is also an option we will explore on our next visit.

Cable Car an Queen Anne Hotel Photos from Uptake.com
Golden Gate Bridge Photo by Rodefeld
Ghost photo miraculously snapped by the author

Air travel with a small child doesn't have to be stressful

Airplane travel with a small child is a challenge that, if handled incorrectly, can turn what is intended to be a relaxing vacation into nothing short of a ‘memorable’ travel experience for all the wrong reasons.  The mere thought of traveling, especially for the first time, with an active toddler was enough to cause some serious anxiety for this first-time dad.  However, after a recent trip to San Francisco, I have now experienced planes, trains, automobiles, trolleys and hotel rooms with my 20-month-old and survived with my sanity intact.  So, I thought it would be a good idea to pass on some of my observations of what worked in air travel and what didn’t to other rookie parents who may be stressing ever so slightly about traveling with their little ones.

Here are my 10 observations.  Please feel free to add your own by leaving a comment to this post.

1.  Airline Tickets for Kids – My young son rarely sits still for more than a couple of minutes at a time, much less in our laps.  Although domestic airlines no longer offer discounted children’s fares, we thought a dedicated seat in which to put his car seat would be the best way to go.  You can’t count anymore on a “free” seat being available on a flight – airlines are fully booking most flights.  So, we perused recent airline sales and bought him his own ticket at a great rate. 

2.  Car Seat or No Car Seat – We chose to use an FAA approved car seat for the flight.  The good thing was that he was safely restrained in a familiar place.  The biggest downside was that our son’s feet then easily reached the seat in front of him, which he felt compelled to kick repeatedly.  Thankfully, the occupants in the seat on both flights were very understanding.  We also bought a car seat rolling attachment, which allowed us to wheel it through the airport.  This worked great once it was attached, but was extremely cumbersome to attach and detach.  With a fidgety toddler to entertain, this was a bit of a pain.  However, the car seat became necessary because, although we rented a car from Thrifty car rental and they do have car seats available, they could not guarantee one would be available when we arrived.  What is the point of that?

Airport Security can be cumbersome with a little one in tow

3.  Airport Security/Gestapo - It was a new experience navigating airport security with a toddler.  We actually had to take the size 6 ½ shoes off of our 20 month old and try to coax him to walk himself through metal detector.  We also had to have the car-seat and stroller personally inspected since they wouldn’t fit onto the conveyor.  Lastly, we had a sippy cup of milk which we were instructed to run through the x-ray machine, then once it came through it was subjected to another test to make sure it was actually milk.  Remember to add enough extra time for all these inconveniences when planning when to arrive at the airport.

4.  Airport as Playground – It is was a great idea to arrive early at the airport so that we could find the children’s play area.  This allowed our little guy to get plenty of exercise and wear himself out for the flight.  Another success was finding a large window at the gate area so that he could watch the airplanes taking off and landing.  He absolutely loved that – this was a plan that worked!

5.  Avoid Late Night Flights – Scheduling one leg of the flight for our son’s mid-day nap time was great.  He played at the airport, ate some lunch, visited with the other travelers, conked out just as the plane took off, and woke up when the plane landed 2 hours later with a smile on his face.  In contrast, the return flight at 10:30 p.m. was excruciating.  All the things that made the airport fascinating to our toddler on the flight out were the exact same things that kept him from going to sleep on the return flight.  So, he was overtired and over-stimulated by the time we boarded the plane and crying in misery as the plane lifted off.  It might have worked better had the return flight been at his bedtime – 7:30 p.m. – rather than three hours later.

6.  Air Flight and Ear Pain – The cabin pressure only bothered our son during the decent of the return flight.  Unfortunately, this happened while he was sleeping and caused him to wake screaming.  He wasn’t interested in sucking on a sippy cup to pop his ears, so this was one time we wish we had a bought a binky to give to him for those few minutes (for the record, he hasn’t used a binky since he was 5 months old).  Consider ear pain a reality when you travel with kids and plan for how you will relieve it – sippy, binky, bottle or breast.

7.  Keep the Child Busy – Since they have to be strapped into the seat for long periods of time, it is a great idea to bring plenty of small, unfamiliar things to distract their attention.  Our approach was to have a small backpack filled with interesting new items to discover.  Once that had been exhausted, we had loaded a couple of kids videos (educational, of course) on my video i-pod and bought him some child-sized headphones with tiger ears.  This worked great and since he normally doesn’t get to watch television he was transfixed.

Arrive at the airport early and explore

8.  Snacks, Snacks and More Snacks – We packed a little travel bento box for our son and kept it crammed with healthy snacks.  He could eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, and we didn’t have to worry about a hungry toddler meltdown.  This plan worked out great – no drawbacks!

9.   Travel Lightly, But With a Big Baby Bag – I normally travel pretty light.  However, this time was a whole new experience as we ended up packing so much extra stuff, including the full sized stroller (which worked great to gate-check) and car seat on wheels that it actually seemed well worth the $4.00 to rent one of those luggage carts to schlep it from the car to the security check in.  The rest of the time I ended up being a glorified Sherpa.  We used most of the kid stuff, including the new toys we packed to keep him occupied in the hotel room, but could have packed less for ourselves and him.

10.  RELAX! – The airport staff, flight crew and most travelers are more understanding than we expected.  We got lots of smiles and assistance on both legs of our journey, and no one complained about our screaming toddler on the flight home (at least not to us).  People are much nicer than we often give them credit for.  Don’t forget to ask for your child’s first “wings” or a TSA sticker – both fun things to add to your kid’s scrap book.

Now, sit back and enjoy the flight!

Photo credits: Airliner by two stout monks; Security by Chicagoeye; Child by Stephen Witherden

Flagship Steam Beer

I love the rich history of my home called San Francisco. That history brings lots of tourists every year to walk and eat their way through historic Chinatown, see the Golden Gate Bridge and have a drink at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel. But what I really love about my home is its underbelly, its darker side.

Besides an infamous earthquake in 1906, San Francisco’s history includes men being shanghaied, a wild Barbary Coast and Alcatraz Island. It shouldn’t surprise you then that one of my favorite things to recommend for visitors is the Anchor Steam Brewery Tour.

Anchor is the last operating brewery in San Francisco. Andrew, a guide who gives the morning tour explains to about thirty people daily, that in 1896 dozens of breweries were in the city.  I imagine this contributed to the creation of the Barbary Coast District don’t you?

Proud to be still standing...

After Prohibition ended in 1933 only Anchor Steam returned to San Francisco.

Andrew our guide

During the 1960’s Fritz Maytag, heir to the appliance company (the one with the Maytag Repairman commercials), took sole ownership of Anchor Steam. Soon after an unknown Janis Joplin flew into town to join her new band, and came on the tour. It was at the start of her career in 1966 and you’d hardly recognize her.  I’m only showing this sign rather than her image they have up because of copyright laws.

Young Janis Joplin liked the tour too!

Today Anchor Brewing has 50 employees. They produce 100,000 bottles of beer a day. You are not allowed to take photographs inside but they have a bottling area that is straight out of Laverne and Shirley, and Shotz Brewery. The tour is great for kids to learn about old school American industry. You need to call a month ahead for a reservation but the tour is free of charge. Your guide will walk you over three floors before you return to the tasting room for about 30 minutes of sampling, which is also free.

Fun facts: In case you ever wondered, the recipe for their Christmas ale is their only secret, and they change it slightly every year. “Steam” beer is an old nickname for beer brewed along the West Coast under primitive conditions and without ice.

Only steam beer made in the US

Photo credits to my iPhone…

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]

Ice Skating in Walnut Creek

When was the last time you went ice skating?  If you’re like most Californians it’s probably been awhile. Well if you happen to find yourself in the vicinity of Walnut Creek, CA any time between now and January 29, 2009, be sure to check out Walnut Creek on Ice.

Located in Walnut Creek’s Civic Park , WCOI offers skate rentals, gift certificates, skating lessons and field trip specials. Looking for an out of the ordinary idea for a birthday or corporate party?  Walnut Creek on Ice offers private rink rentals and the ability to customize everything from music to catering.

We visited the rink last year and the wife and kids had a blast. Granted, my wife is an ex-professional ice skater and relishes any chance to hit the ice, while the boy just relishes any chance to move quickly on a slippery surface. I, on the other hand, am a danger to myself and others so after the obligatory lap or two I’ll typically grab some hot chocolate and find an out of the way corner to read my book.

The rink is open 7 days a week. Hours of operation are 10 am – 10 pm Monday – Thursday; 11 pm Friday and Saturday, and 11 am – 8 pm on Sundays. Cost is $15 per skater for a 1.5 hour session. Price includes skate rental.  If you go during the “off-peak” hours (*Monday through Thursday, AND Friday until 5pm with the exception of Holiday Weeks (Nov. 24 – Nov. 30 & Dec. 22 – Jan. 1) the cost is just $11 per skater.

Still not convinced? Maybe you’re thinking “Well, it sounds nice but maybe it’s really a dump.” Well put those fears to rest with a quick gaze through the WCOI webcam. Seriously now, doesn’t that look like fun? What are you waiting for, let’s hit the ice!

Photos by Lisa Romano

With its upscale restaurants, landmark buildings, beautiful bridges and breathtaking views, San Francisco always tops the lists of favorite US cities and tourist destinations.  Many people come to visit during the summer months and get disappointed by the cold fog and damp weather. However you would be pleasantly surprised if you made a trip to the city during this time of year.  The winter months often bring cold temperatures but very blue skies during the day and nights full of stars.

San Francisco is almost more beautiful at night during the holidays than any other time of year – and that is saying something.

During the holidays living in the City is such a gift: the bright lights on the Embarcadero Center row of buildings, outlined to look like giant present boxes; the beautiful window displays in high-end stores like Gump’s and multi-colored lights adorning neighborhood parks and homes. Walk through any of these areas of the city and you can’t help but smile and get a little more into the holiday spirit.

If you are visiting the City or planning to in the future and want to experience a uniquely San Francisco evening, I have the perfect recipe for you. The itinerary will need a little planning but should only require one phone call for the dinner reservation.  This evening is a local favorite for a romantic date but it can be adjusted for just a great night out with friends or family.

First thing you want to do is plan on wearing some warm layers of clothing, especially a scarf and gloves.  San Francisco at night, during this time of year, can be very cold. Wear some nice holiday clothes and comfortable shoes and you will be set for the evening.

Begin the evening with a drink at the beautiful Big Four Restaurant on Nob Hill. Located inside the Huntington Hotel, this secret spot doesn’t have the view that you can get from the Top of the Mark, but this is the place locals go. Filled with beautiful dark wood, the bar area is rich and a historic reminder of the robber barons that built San Francisco.

After a glass of wine or cold cocktail, walk slowly across California Street, watching out for the cable cars and taxi drivers heading across town. Criss-cross the street and stroll through Huntington Park, a wonderful small city park situated between Grace Cathedral and The Fairmont Hotel.  It is one of my favorite parks to visit at night during the holidays because the neighborhood association installs beautiful old-fashion lights in the trees.

Walk through the park towards your dinner reservations, at Venticello Ristorante on Taylor Street. This wonderful Italian restaurant has a warm intimate setting that reminds you of San Francisco society pages from the 1920s. I have had dinners where I have watched patrons walk in that could have been related to Grace Kelly or Kim Novak, in their style of dress and manner. The food is classic Italian with homemade pastas, risotto and roasted meats. The fireplace and wood oven add warmth to your dinner setting along with a backdrop of cable cars going up and down California Street.

After your dinner walk down Taylor Street to Jackson Street and catch the Powell-Hyde Cable Car, with its maroon colored sign, to head towards the waterfront and Hyde Street Pier.  The cable car ride will be very chilly but you can cuddle up inside the center of the car or wrap your scarf tighter and hang onto the outer poles like a local.

Your ride will take you up past Nob Hill and across Russian Hill until you head down Hyde Street to the end of the line. Hop off and turning your back to the bay, walk into The Buena Vista Cafe – home of the perfect Irish Coffee!

Irish Coffee

The recipe of this famous drink was created in 1952 when the restaurant owner and a well known travel writer worked to re-create a highly touted “Irish Coffee” served at Shannon Airport in Ireland.

The Irish Coffee served here at the Buena Vista is the perfect night cap any night of the year, but especially in winter.  How and when you decide to end your evening is up to you, but after all the lights, rich foods, fresh air and drinks – I recommend taking a cab home. Enjoy!

If you’re planning a trip, check out flights to San Francisco.

Photo credits to bill lim, tinou, shayne kaye and rick