Vacations Blog

Stylin' girls at the mall.

There are twenty-five days until Black Friday, my friends! Time to get your gameplan together!

Black Friday, that traditional chaotic Christmas shopping day that qualifies as a quasi-holiday all on its own, is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. every year. This year, plan your Arizona shopping to visit these fine establishments:

The Scottsdale Fashion Square- 7014-7590 East Camelback Road – Phoenix, Arizona. Swank shops and boutiques mingle with great dining and people watching near the heart of Scottsdale.

The Chandler Fashion Center – 3111 West Chandler Boulevard – Chandler, Arizona. Indoor and outdoor shopping, dining, movies, and much more.

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A perfectly prepared holiday meal. A flawlessly set table. A smiling family patiently admiring the Thanksgiving turkey as Mother carries it to be carved. This isn’t my house at Thanksgiving and it may not be yours either. It may not even exist except in some illustration of Norman Rockwell, because Rockwell’s Thanksgiving in Freedom from Want is exactly what I was describing.

Freedom from Want is one of four works Rockwell painted in 1943 in his Four Freedoms series. During World War II, posters of the paintings raised $132 million for the war. That amount would equal over $1.5 billion today.

The Norman Rockwell Museum

Four Freedoms and more than 570 additional Rockwell paintings are in the collection of the Normal Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, along with more than 100,000 photographs, letters and other items originally belonging to one of America’s greatest artists and illustrators of the twentieth century. Among these are several of the 321 covers that Rockwell painted for the Saturday Evening Post between 1916 and 1963. Best known for these magazine covers and other depictions of idealistic American life, Rockwell was also commissioned to paint portraits of presidents, international leaders, and entertainers. Rockwell also used his art to depict historic and political events, such as racial integration in Southern schools in 1964’s The Problem We All Live With which was based on the first day of Kindergarten of Ruby Bridges in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1960.

Norman Rockwell's Studio

Located on 136 acres, the museum grounds also include Rockwell’s studio, which was moved to this location from downtown Stockbridge. The studio is arranged exactly as it was when Rockwell worked there.

In addition to exhibitions and programs dedicated to Rockwell, the museum displays works of modern illustrators and other masters of the twentieth century. Like any art museum, young kids’ attention may not be held. For older kids though, especially those interested in illustration and commercial art, Rockwell is a great introduction.

Stockbridge itself, in the Massachusetts Berkshires, is a popular vacation destination any time of year. Hotels and inns, including the famous Red Lion Inn, are often crowded as are area restaurants. For fans of sculpture, another nearby attraction is Chesterwood, home of Daniel Chester French who created the Lincoln Memorial as well as other famous works.

The Norman Rockwell Museum is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $14 for adults, $12.50 for seniors, $10 for college students, and free for kids 18 and under. Further information concerning hours and admission packages is available at the museum website.

Photos courtesy of Rmrfstar under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

Clifton, Ohio

I can think of countless ways to usher in the Holiday Season, but none better than a Christmas Lighting Extravaganza.  Couple over 3.5 million lights with the gorgeous backdrop of Clifton Gorge and the Little Miami River at Clifton Mill and your Holiday Season can officially be declared as having begun.  Clifton Mill has been celebrating the Christmas season for almost 20 years with an extraordinary lighting display that takes a crew of six roughly 3 months to set up.

The Mill is located at 75 Water St. in Clifton, Ohio just 9 miles south of Springfield.  Follow OH-72 south (Exit 54) off of Interstate 70 and you can’t miss the Mill on your right.  Parking is free.  Gates open daily at 5pm.  Admission is $8 (children 6 and younger are free).

The weekends are definitely the busiest time, so you may want to keep that in mind when visiting.  Loosely translated, you will have a much more relaxed and leisurely visit if you can swing a trip during the week.  This is really important when you travel, as I do, with a horde of small children.  The area is accessible to strollers but they are not allowed in some of the buildings.

Clifton Mill Lighted for Christmas

The lights go on at 6:00 pm with the flip of a single switch.  It’s absolutely amazing to see the darkened gorge and mill come to life with the brilliant lights.  A definite, “Ooh” and “Ahhh” moment.  My kids often prefer to just scream, “WOW!!!”  There’s even a synchronized light show set to music.  Each hour the lights go out leaving visitors standing in the darkness and slowly they dance back to life as music echoes through the gorge.  It’s captivating, really!

While at the Mill you’ll want to check out the Santa Claus museum, home to over 3000 Santas and Santa memorabilia, the Miniature Village and the spectacular views from the Covered Bridge which spans the gorge and river below.  Concession style meals are served (soups, hot dogs, hot chocolate, cookies) during the evening.

Hours of operation for the lighting display are from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm.  The display starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs every night until January 1st, closing at 8pm on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years Eve.

The Waterfall at Clifton Mill

I suggest, though, that a trip to Clifton Mill should encompass the whole day.  The Millrace Restaurant located inside of the Mill is open for breakfast and lunch 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.  There’s no better way to start your day than with a stack of fresh pancakes.  The flour, of course, was milled fresh on the premises probably just hours earlier. (Normally closing at 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm on weekends, the restaurant observes abbreviated hours during the Christmas lighting season.)  Afterward, you may wish to tour the mill, which boasts itself as the largest water powered grist mill still in operation in America, for a firsthand look at one of America’s earliest industries.

You’ll have plenty of time in the afternoon to do some antiquing at Weber’s Antique Mall in Clifton or maybe just a leisurely hike at nearby Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve.  It offers incredible views of the gorge from several bridges and platforms.  If you’re looking for a truly unique gift idea or collectible check out The Fish Decoy Company on the corner of Dayton St. and OH-72.

Clifton Mill Overlooking the Gorge

After having explored Clifton’s charm you’ll have plenty of time to make it back to the Mill, grab a cup of hot chocolate and welcome the Christmas Season with the Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill.

Photos courtesy of Clifton Mill website and Bret Arnett (creative commons).

The Radio City Music Hall Marquee

Halloween just passed.  Thanksgiving hasn’t even come yet, but the malls and department stores are decked with boughs of holly and other Christmas decorations and ‘Tis the Season is already playing on the public address systems.

Where else has Christmas arrived already?  At Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  Performances of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes began this past weekend.  Whether you like to get in the mood early or you wait to see Christmas shows until just before the holiday, the time to buy tickets—for Radio City Music Hall or any Christmas event—is now.

Some families go to the Christmas Spectacular every year.  Others go less often.  For others, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.  As for us, my wife and I have taken our seven year-old daughter twice in the past few years.  My daughter loves everything about New York and everything about seeing a show.  To be honest, when we were first going to the Christmas Spectacular I would have preferred seeing something on Broadway.  But, after going to the Christmas show—and seeing how much my daughter loved it—I was so glad we chose it.  Her favorite part of the show, she said, was “the Santas.”  There were a few dozen dancing Santas on stage (with more descending into a screen behind them while Santa explained that he had “helpers” to be in so many places at once.)  My wife and I loved when it actually snowed on the audience—and not just fake foam or plastic but wet snow that actually melted on us.  The second time we all saw the show, my daughter said that her favorite part was the life-size teddy bears dancing The Nutcracker.  She also loved the Rockettes dancing as rag dolls and soldiers.

Several parts of the Christmas Spectacular are repeated each year and new scenes are added as well while others are phased out.  Traditions like the Rockettes’ Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and a Living Nativity have been included every year since the show first opened in 1933.  Appearances by Santa, more from the Rockettes, scenes of Christmas in New York, and other songs and dances fill out a usual ninety-minute performance.  The show isn’t even the only attraction there.  Radio City Music Hall itself is a 1932 art deco movie palace that underwent a $70 million renovation 1999.  Some of its highlights include the original five-ton thirty-two foot high Wurlitzer organ, the largest theatrical curtain on earth, and a twenty-four carat goldleaf ceiling.

Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center

One of the best things about seeing the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall is that there’s also so much else to see during the holidays in midtown Manhattan.  Radio City Music Hall itself is part of Rockefeller Center—home to one of the country’s most famous Christmas trees and a great ice skating rink.  Other attractions within just a few blocks are St. Patrick’s Cathedral, FAO Schwarz toy store, and the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue.  For hotels and dining, options in New York City are endless.  (Seriously, before I could name them all I bet at least one more would open.)  For eating in midtown though, kids would probably love the American Girl Café, Mars 2112 or the Hard Rock Café.  The food is good to mediocre at these restaurants, but it’s not the main attraction—it comes in second to the surroundings.

There’s no denying that New York City is loud and crowded.  During heavy tourist months like December, it’s even more loud and crowded.  But there’s a reason that so many people still love going into the City for the holidays.  With the entertainment, the excitement, the stores and the sights, it’s a pretty magical place to be.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular plays through December 30, 2008.  See the Radio City Music Hall website for detailed performance times and ticket prices. VIP Packages are also available which include priority seating, a pre-show reception, and deluxe gift bags and souvenir books.

After Gudrun’s post about seeing the lights in the Bay Area, I thought I would share my family’s favorites just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We especially like the holiday boat parades. Our favorite is the Sausalito Lighted Yacht Parade on December 8, 2007 starting at 6:00 p.m. I like it because it is near my home, not crowded and is quite spectacular. It lasts about an hour, just enough time to keep the kids entertained and to get chilled enough to justify copious amounts of hot chocolate. There is great viewing from inside the Spinnaker restaurant or you can bring your own warm beverage and see the show from the dock just to the north of the restaurant.

My friends from Petaluma have invited us to view the Petaluma Holiday Lighted Boat Parade on December 1, 2007 from their architectural office overlooking the river. As the Petaluma Post described it, “a flotilla of vessels decked in lights will glide into the Petaluma River Turning Basin beginning about 6 PM.” If you miss the parade, don’t worry, boats leave their lights on for a few hours after the parade. There are many restaurants to visit near the river if you want to make it more of an evening. Read More »

Flying to see loved ones over Thanksgiving weekend? You are both a loyal and brave soul. But the prospect of the flight is daunting. You already know the horror stories about how 2007 has been the worst in history for flight delays and that the busiest days of the year at airports are near Thanksgiving.

Here are our recommendations on surviving – maybe even enjoying! – your family flight home.

Check in from home
Start your trip by eliminating one hassle. If you have an e-ticket, check in for your flight from the comfort of your home at your airline’s web site. Most airlines allow you to check-in online up to 24 hours ahead of your flight. Instead of arriving at the airport and waiting in line to check-in, you can move straight to security.

Confirm your seat early in the day to reduce your chances of getting bumped. Did we already mention that these are the busiest days of the year for airlines? The Air Transport Association said it expects roughly 27 million passengers to fly over 12 days beginning Nov. 16, with planes about 90 percent full.

Check your flight status before you leave for the airport, especially if you are not flying first thing in the morning because flight delays tend to snowball. You can do this at your airline’s site or type in your airline’s abbreviation (e.g. “UA” for United) and your flight number into a Google or Yahoo search box (e.g. “UA 565” or “AA 845”).

Arrive early – really early
Yes, it means having to find ways to amuse the children at the airport and it might mean spending a ridiculous amount of money on mediocre airport food, but the security lines are going to be huge. Based on historical data, the three busiest days of the year at airports will be Sunday, Nov. 25; Monday, Nov. 26; and Wednesday, Nov. 21, respectively.

Even if you have checked in from home, arrive early. Really early. Not just earlier than you ever do for your regular flights, but early in the day. The security lines will be epic. The general guideline is to arrive 90-120 minutes before your flight, which on a typical day travelers’ slice in half. It’s worth considering thinking about arriving two to three hours ahead if you are traveling on one of these busy days.

Divide and conquer
It will be a better family experience if the little folks aren’t subjected to the full rigors of Thanksgiving travel. We recommend four key places to divide and conquer. First, if you are driving to the airport, drop one of the parents at luggage check-in or at the start of the security line for the arduous wait.

Second, if you have baggage to check (this is an excellent weekend to try to avoid checking bags), you may still have to wait in line to check-in. But check to see your airline doesn’t have a sky cap who will take your bags from you at the sidewalk, or a “check luggage only (for those with boarding passes already)” line. If you do have to wait, this is another good place to divide and conquer.

Third, have only one parent wait in the security line. The other can take the little people to do something more interesting. Elevators, escalators, book stores, getting a snack, watching the paint dry are generally all more interesting then edging forward at ½ mph in a security line.

The final place to divide and conquer is after you have passed through security. If you have a long flight ahead of you, consider giving one parent an “official” break to nap, read the paper, enjoy a glass of wine whatever. The other parent goes off to entertain…Caveat: for these last two divide and conquer tactics to work, both parents must have their cell phones recharged, on and immediately accessible! Just in case something changes…

Be entertaining
John Candy, Mike Meyers and Robin Williams you may not be, but fortunately our children don’t need us to be that entertaining. But if you are planning to arrive early to minimize the stress of rushing, it’ll stretch your children’s limits.

Min wrote up 7 Tips to Entertain Your Kids on a Long Flight. In addition, for Thanksgiving, given the potential extra wait time before your flight and (shudder) potential flight delays, you may also want to consider these additional 7 recommendations:

1. Use the magic screen: Save the DVDs for two critical time slots. Either once you are through security and are settled in, but with a long stretch before boarding, or later in the flight for when they have gone through the toys/books and everyone is tired. In both cases, you may consider using them as a reward for good behavior through the prior tricky periods (yes, that is what might be considered a bribe ) And bring extra batteries on your carry-on!
2. Prepare the kids. Give the little people an honest but upbeat idea of how the day is going to go, and how long it could potentially be. Not to scare them, but to prepare them for the length of the flight, the need to take a nap at some point, the size of the crowds, that the DVD is being saved for ‘special’ moments…
3. Let the kids pack. If they are old enough, get your little folks a back pack of their own and allow them to pack their favorite toys.
4. Bring snacks. Bring lots of healthy snacks and water in your carry-on – and a few less healthy snacks that you know your children love (ah, that “bribe” word again). You can also entertain them by letting them choose their own snack at the airport. Bring extra just-in-case – through September, 24% of flights in 2007 have been delayed.
5. Retire toys early. Unlike home, where your children have access to all their favorite toys and books, you have to keep the limited selection you bring in your carry-on “fresh” and entertaining. So, take the books/toys out of circulation when they are still happily playing with them. That way there is latent demand for them later!
6. Take pictures. If they are old enough, it is truly amazing how long children can play with a digital camera. Taking photos, looking at the (generally bizarre) angles and cut off limbs and objects is fascinating for little people. So, if you have an old digital camera, charge it up and bring it along.
7. Pal up. There are millions (literally) of other children traveling. If the children are willing, set them up in ad hoc play groups right there at the airport. Bring along a few guaranteed toys that work for your child’s respective age group (Playdoh, slinkys, crayons and paper…). Ad hoc play dates can work very well on the plane too.

Dress (and pack) for success
Comfort trumps fashion on these, the busiest and longest travel days of the year. For the parents:

• Remember to recharge your cell phones and turn them on
• Dress in layers
• Bring a good (small) book
• Wear cargo pants. If you are comfortable enough with the (un) fashion (able) statement and you have small children, cargo pants are fantastic. All those pockets for all that junk and for a few extra toys (I have a friend who stuffs a small battery operated train in his pocket, he swears by it)…
• Dump the handbag. One less bag is one less bag is one more hand free…

The fine print via Air Transportation Association and Homeland Security: “If (you are) carrying any liquids or gels in carry-on baggage, they must be in containers of three ounces or less. Pack them in a one-quart zip-top bag and place it separately in a security bin for screening. Only one zip-top bag is allowed per passenger, so what doesn’t fit must be packed in checked luggage. Note that larger quantities of medications and baby formula can be carried onboard.”

For the family:

• Batteries for the electronics
• Snacks and water handy (purchased on the other side of security)
• Disposable wipes in resealable bags
• At least one change of clothes for pre-schoolers (more if potty training)
• Chewing gum to alleviate the pain with take off and landing
• Deck of cards – for kids of any age, there is some game they can be used for. The cards may never be usable again, but there is plenty of time to get a new pack as it will be 365 days before you have to plan for a family flight like this again…

Share your tips and secrets.
Please let me know your tips for surviving Thanksgiving. I would like to hear your travel stories, adventures and ideas.

Related Posts:
General reminders about Thanksgiving flights

Travel tips to simplify your Thanksgiving trip

(For next year) Planning when and how to fly on Thanksgiving

Airlines Committed to Improving Customer’s Thanksgiving Flight Experience

Avoiding Holiday Hell – avoid the angst and enjoy the holiday