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"Sandy, the aurora's rising behind us, the pier lights our carnival life on the water." ----Bruce Springsteen, Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) For years, we’ve been hearing the news: Asbury...
Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....
When we travel thoughts of disasters are far from our mind. But with the news of natural disasters, especially numerous tornadoes in Oklahoma and the Midwest -- as well as...
Moms are good at a lot of things, but making time for themselves isn’t typically one of them. Think about it -- when is the last time you prioritized yourself...
Ahh, the beach. The perfect place for summertime family fun - and exercise. Yes, exercise! While I love to find a quiet spot on the sand, lie back and pretend...
Martinique Beach Provincial Park is a treasure of the Eastern Shore in Nova Scotia, and is one of many delightful discoveries I made during a road trip along Marine Drive...
Who says you can’t surf in the desert? The Kierland FlowRider opened last year at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s the first of its kind in Arizona...
How do you keep the kids -- and yourself -- healthy and happy when traveling? Do you look for hotels that provide special activities that keep your kids active and...
Context Travel is a Rome-based tour company that offers educational walking tours for a number of European destinations. What makes Context Travel unique is its intellectual and educational focus, with...
Theme park trips with kids change over time; you move from the kiddie rides to the thrill rides, you can’t wake your teens up to get to the park early – in fact, when my kids were little and knew they were going to a theme park, they used to wake us up, and there might be tears.
> The last was a w [ ... ]
Billing itself as “The Best Free Show on Broadway,” n’s Stardust Dineras been open since the 80’s, but it’s décor, memorabilia and food will take you back to the 50’s. However, what are you really going to see at this popular tourist destination in the heart of Times Square? [ ... ]
Relax at the Qua Bath and Spa, play the slots and dress to the nines to party at the Pool After Dark. This is just part of a Caesers Atlantic City girlfriend getaway. Located on the Boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean, Caesers offers entertainment and fabulous dining.
Reserve a room, depending on the [ ... ]
Cozy is the word my son used to describe our room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Not the first word that usually comes to mind when you describe a 22-acre property with 3,500 rooms. It’s a testament to Hilton’s commitment to creating a family friendly environment at their enormous p [ ... ]
Disney makes the magic look easy, but there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. I am always inspired by the team of people who create the masterful new Disney experiences. One of the pleasures of my job is getting to spend time talking with and learning from these incredibly creative [ ... ]
Most of us have a memory of getting lost as a young child. I remember the first time I couldn’t find my parents. I was probably about six years old and I was playing in the Barbie section at K-Mart. My mom kept telling me it was time to go but obviously, as a five-year-old child, I was too b [ ... ]
My image of Disney is evolving. In general the mention of Disney would evoke visions of tired parents and squealing little kids.
As my kids enter the teen years I am learning that there is still so much for them to enjoy at Disney -- from resort pools to scary rides to embracing the inde [ ... ]
House-swapping second time around's a charm. This year, it’s really only a half a house swap. We were invited to use the same house as last year's house swap even though the family would be traveling to another location for their vacation. Luckily, they are still enamoured by NYC and the East coast in general; that trip just didn’t fit in with their plans this year.
This visit was a more relaxed, family focused (vs. visitor) vacation. We did not bring our new au pair and we did not call every single person we knew in LA to let them know we were visiting. We spent a lot of time at the beach, just the five of us and those who wanted to see us met us there. Not having our au pair was not a big deal b/c we knew there were pre-screened babysitters in the neighborhood.
We knew the house and the area and were welcomed at the weekly neighborhood pizza party and got to meet several neighbors. And, they got to check out the Swappers. Everyone was very curious about our set-up and what we were like.
On this trip, we did make it to one of the town-sponsored outdoor concerts (Billy and the Beaters), which was packed but not crowded since there was plenty of beach to park a chair on.
If you feel the need to taste authentic California culture, check out the list of surf camps near Hermosa Beach. My 8 year old daughter, Sophia, and I enrolled in the Chevron surf camp and we both loved it. The instructor was kind enough to let me take my daughter’s class, which made it more fun. Plus, very soon, she will be growing out of the age where having me around is cool.
Sophia had a great first day – got right up. After that, she got hammered by a few waves and wanted to quit. To get her back, the instructors had her practice balancing on her board on the sand. She loved that and eventually made it back in to the water.
The only down side to learning with a gaggle of 9-12 year olds is that you might feel the age pinch. Where the kids were begging to get in the cold ocean water already, I was content to stretch a bit more and go in a little later. Where the kids motto for waves was ‘the bigger the better’, I got clobbered by so many I preferred smaller, more manageable waves. Luckily the instructors really knew what they were doing – they had years and years of experience among them and, unusual for LA, they had all worked at Chevron Surf Camp for many years. The lead instructor, Vince Ray, had been there for 17 years and Glenn, 10. Four out of the six instructors are school teachers and 3 are lifeguards.
In addition to teaching us how to “pop up,” on our boards, “turtle” when a humongous wave was headed for us, they also taught beach safety and etiquette. Number one beach rule: don’t litter! “Who owns this beach?” Yelled the instructor. “I do!!” the kids yelled back. Then he went on to talk about keeping the beach clean and we all picked up trash for 5 minutes. Their motto is to be positive and encouraging to all campers. Two kids who forgot that rule had their boards taken away for a while. After many tries, I was kindly lead to a wave that I caught…for 3 seconds but that was enough to make me want to do it one more time.
My 10 year old son, Dario, and I biked The Path (a paved trail that runs from Torrance up to Will Rogers State Park - about 45 miles round trip. There was one area in Marina Del Rey that got a little dicey because the trail detours onto a busy road for a little under a mile. Once we reached Will Rogers State Park my son wanted to call someone for a ride home. I would have acquiesced but he somehow got a second wind and we pedaled back. He was really proud of himself and we both told everyone how far we biked. The guy at Hermosa Cyclery was most impressed, having done it himself a few times.
A few places we will return to every trip:
Hermosa Beach – boogie boarding is a must do for adults and kids. We always park our gear near a lifeguard station.
Manhattan Beach Volleyball Tournament – Halloween volleyball – all players have a costumed theme and there are thousands of players. Most are 25 and under but it’s great fun to watch.
The Bike Path – any distance. If you feel inspired, there are bike rentals at just about every beach entrance. I especially like Hermosa Cyclery because they are experienced in fitting bikes, they’re reasonably priced and above all, they are friendly.
Hollywood and Highland Center (on Hollywood and Highland!). This area was such a dump 15 years ago. I still can’t get over the change. It is completely renovated with great shops, people watching and restaurants. Live music on Fridays @ lunchtime, tours of the Kodak Theatre and a fantastic view of the Hollywood sign. (www.hollywoodandhighland.com)
Good Stuff Restaurant in Hermosa Beach. I love the always available chicken lime soup and the kids love the buckwheat pancakes. It is right on The Strand, with great healthy food choices and people watching. Kid and sand-friendly. You can even check out a picture of yourself from their webcam at www.eatgoodstuff.com.
Next trip: hiking at Paramount Malibu Ranch.
Blue Star Museums is returning this year for the 4th summer in a row to offer military families free admission to museums all across the country. Starting Memorial Day May 27, [ ... ]
As the price to fly continues to rise, and the inconveniences rise, more and more people, and especially families, are turning back to the good, old-fashioned road trip.
My pa [ ... ]
I may be a bit biased, but I think Texas has the most beautiful Capitol building in the country. Built almost entirely out of Texas Hill Country red granite and sitting taller [ ... ]
