great takes on family travel in the U.S.

Kim Kavin is a freelance writer, photographer and published author based out of Long Valley, NJ. She was formerly the Executive Editor of Yachting Magazine. Her writings have appeared in media publications like Elite Traveler and Traveler Overseas. She has visited more than two dozen countries, and she writes prolifically, literally about ‘everything’. Another one of her books - Everything Family Travel Guide to Northern California and Lake Tahoe - is set for a launch in November 2008. So I asked her a few questions about the book and her career as a travel writer.

Question: Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself, and how you got into travel writing?
Ans: I’ve always been good at writing and editing. In first grade, I found some typos in a textbook, and my teacher helped me write a note about them to the publisher. It was a natural that I’d become the high school newspaper editor, a journalism school graduate, and then a professional journalist.
I actually started out professionally as an editor working in newspapers, but decided I wanted to work regular hours and write about more than crime and politics. I answered an ad in Editor & Publisher for an “outdoor magazine editor” near where I lived. It turned out to be Yachting magazine, and I got the job as executive editor. After a few years there, I realized that the writers were having all the fun, so I quit and went freelance. I started out writing about travel onboard yachts, and the books about general travel were a natural outgrowth of all my reporting experiences around the world.

Question: You have written books about everything from cruise vacations to a kid’s guide and timeshares, not to mention about writing for magazines itself. For 2008, you have two books, one which is a travel guide for the New York area, while the second one is a guide for Northern California and Lake Tahoe. I understand you live in New Jersey, so the first book would come naturally to you. How about the California guide? Why choose Northern California? How long did it take you to go around this area?
Ans: The Northern California idea actually came from the publisher. My editor at Adams Media asked me if I’d done any traveling there, and I had, because my husband and I have good friends who lived in Santa Cruz at the time. So I knew a fair amount about the area before even beginning the research for that book.
I don’t think a travel writer’s home base has anything to do with the areas she can cover. I travel so much for assignments that I know some Caribbean islands and Mediterranean ports better than the towns a few miles away from my own bedroom.

Question: Related question - Could you describe the California guide for our readers? I understand it has 432 pages. What is it about? Which are the major locations, what kind of travel tips? Is it a travelogue with restaurants and shops and stuff or do you focus on the natural beauty of the region, or both, or something else?
Ans: The Northern California book follows the standard Everything Guide format, which means straight how-to and general information that will help with planning a vacation. There are chapters on everything from San Francisco to Wine Country to Gold Country, as well as tips for places to visit whether you’re traveling as a couple or with children. There are extensive listings of restaurants and hotels in each chapter, too, so that no matter which part of Northern California interests you, you will be able to plan your vacation soup to nuts.

Question: The title of your book contains San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey and Lake Tahoe. Which part of Northern California do you like the best?
Ans: I’m personally a fan of Napa and Sonoma, which is California Wine Country. My husband and I love wine and food, and Northern California labels are a big part of our life out in New Jersey. I think anyone who drinks California chardonnays or pinot noirs regularly would enjoy touring the wineries, learning about food pairings, and such.

Question: People in Socal might feel a bit depressed that you chose to ignore them. Any plans to do Southern California? And how does California compare with the East Coast?Ans: If the Everything Guide editors want a book about Southern California, I’d be happy to write it. I have friends and family from Los Angeles to San Diego, and it’s beautiful out there.
As for California versus the East Coast, I would simply say that they’re different. They’re both great in their own way. I live out East because that’s where most of my family is located. If somebody told me we were all up and moving to San Francisco, I’d go along without a single complaint.

Question: You were a copy editor and have been in other editorial positions for mainstream magazines before you got into the travel sector. Is it any different, or do you just do the same thing?
Ans: I get to leave my desk now. That’s certainly a lot more fun. And instead of interviewing police officers and politicians in fluorescent-lighted offices, I get to hang out with tour guides and restaurant owners on beaches and mountainsides.
Being a full-time freelancer also means I get to pick and choose my projects instead of doing whatever the new corporate boss wants on any given day. I must say that’s pretty great, too.

Question: You have any other passions or hobbies, other than writing?
Ans: I like to hike, which I do most every day with our two dogs. They’re probably my biggest passion. I’m one of those weirdos who treats the dogs like kids. They sit on the couch and eat better food than most people.
I’m also a fan of scuba diving, which I do every chance I get. And my husband and I both like to cook, so that’s a bit of a hobby as well.

Question: Are you currently writing any new books, or have plans for one? If so, what is it about?
Ans: I’m currently finishing the Everything Guide to Las Vegas, after which I will immediately start writing the Everything Guide to Italy.

Question: Any advice, tips or suggestions for travel writers?
Ans: Fill up your notebook and take lots of pictures. I find that I always return home from an assignment with vastly more information than I need for whatever book or article I was sent there to collect. I can almost always use the “leftover” content in other magazines, on websites, or as the basis for new book proposals.

From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom

Here is my Thursday Thirteen list, a suggestion of things to do with tweens in L.A. I thought up most of it at the mall last week, as I was waiting outside a store for my two tween girls to emerge with their purchases. It’s amazing what you can get accomplished in seven hours.

1. Hot Topic - This could really cover items 1 – 13 on this list, since as far as my two girls are concerned there isn’t any need to venture anywhere else. Give them a backpack full of snacks and a fully-charged cell phone and they could probably stay in there for weeks spending my hard earned cash on Juno t-shirts and black glitter nail polish.

2. Art Museums – We’ve been taking our kids to art museums since they were babies, but it’s gotten particularly entertaining lately to hear their expert commentary. It’s always amusing to hear things like, “OMG – naked!” when standing before a majestic sculpture by Rodin, or “I TOTALLY want that for my new bunk bed comforter” while contemplating a canvas by Jackson Pollack.

3. Soup Kitchen –I’ve never actually visited a soup kitchen with my tweens, but it’s something all the PC parenting guides say you should do in order to teach your kids to be grateful for what they have. In all honesty, I’m not sure how my two girls would fare – I’d really be embarrassed if they sat down at a table, waited for a menu and then asked the homeless guy sitting next to them if he recommends the buffalo wings or the grilled cheese.

4. The movies – Any movie will do. Just sitting in a nice cool theater chowing down on hot buttered popcorn and Junior Mints is enough to keep them happy. The 9 – 12 year old set aren’t very discerning moviegoers; In fact, it may be the only time you’ll hear “Garfield: The Movie” and “awesome” in the same sentence.

5. Target – Maybe this is only applicable to tween girls, but mine love the aisles filled with cheap loot, cds and video games. Also, lots of eco t-shirts that say things like ‘Tree Hugger’ which is apparently all the rage now. You might just get them to listen to your Hendrix albums after all.

6. Yogurt shop – Yogurt is the new black. Menchies is our favorite, but Pinkberry or any other one will do. But try and take them to Baskin-Robbins and be prepared for much eye-rolling as they’re forced to mingle with the four-year-olds enjoying a scoop of Shrek Swirl with their grandpas.

7. Starbucks – This is the new version of sneaking a sip of your mom’s wine when you were seven. Tweens like the idea of sipping a grown-up coffee drink (I order decaf for mine) and it’s great for coffee addicts like me who can get their daily fix guilt-free. You know, it’s for the children.

8. Bowling Alley – They may last for one game of bowling, but what they really want to do is head to the arcade for some DDR (Dance Dance Revolution for you total squares.) Bring a bat or rolled-up newspaper if you have girls, though – the last time I was there a small crowd of teen boys gathered to watch my daughters and their friends bouncing around to the music until I shooed them away.

9. California Pizza Kitchen –According to the highly scientific poll I conducted with my girls and their friends while driving back from the mall in my van last week, this is the sanctioned eatery to dine with your parents. Added bonus – it’s the only place they don’t feel embarrassed about ordering from the kids menu since “the macaroni and cheese, like, rules.”

10. The Library – Believe it or not, tweens are rediscovering the library, mainly for the treasure trove of manga books they have there. At $9.99 each, it gets expensive to keep buying them at Barnes & Noble. However, do not even suggest they try out any of the library-sponsored teen events such as cupcake making or scrapbooking - you may as well tell them to invite their crowd over for a rousing game of rummy.

11. The beach – The beach is ideal for tweens and their unpredictable moods. They can indulge both their sloth-ly instincts by laying on their towels all day, or burn off energy by hitting the waves for some boogie-boarding. Also, the close proximity of a snack bar serving pizza and every variety of greasy, deep fried food will make them think they’ve died and gone to heaven

12. The park – My girls are just starting to notice boys, and members of the opposite sex are in abundance here, especially during soccer season. Bring along that bat that you took to the bowling alley

13. At home, with their parents – They’re not going to want to be seen with their dad and me for long, so we’re savoring all these days just hanging out together. So what if they roll their eyes when I suggest the fifth game of CandyLand?

Here is my Thursday Thirteen list of items I always pack when traveling with my kids, things I have found useful when taking my kids on the road. My two are 6 and 7, so our packing list has certainly evolved from when they were babies. And as they grow older, we look forward to even more changes. The list skews a little more towards airplane trips, but I think the list is also valid for car adventures too. Our most exciting packing achievement? For our trip in March to London and Paris, we took only carry on luggage - each of us had a roll-on suitcase and backpack!

In Letterman style, I will do my list backwards, saving the best for last:

13. Travel backpack with games, books and toys to keep them busy (check out the $1 bin at Michaels)
12. Refillable water bottles
11. Small first aid kit with band aids
10. Digital Camera (one for the adults and one for the kids)
9. Flip video recorder (so small it fits in my pocket) see more »

This weeks ”local perspective” is about the charming coastal town of Halmstad in southern Sweden.  Erica Johansson is a freelance writer and photographer from Sweden who shares these passions on her popular blog, Blissfull Travel. I enjoyed reading Erica’s answers about Halmstad….a city that is totally foreign to me (and probably most Americans) and which sounds quite delightful! I love the idea of spending a day by the coast during the summer, eating fresh seafood and experiencing the laid-back friendly culture.

1. Give 5 adjectives that you would use to describe the “feel” of your town and its residents.

Fun, friendly, sporty, laid back, and down-to-earth.

2. What is your favorite neighborhood in your town?

I love Frösakull, located about 10km from the center of Halmstad, because that’s where I grew up. The neighborhood has a mix of modern design houses and cozy small summer cottages. During the summers, we lived only 200m from Frösakull Beach. A great beach for families, snorkelers, windsurfers, and those who like beach volleyball. It’s not as crowded as Tylösand Beach to the west and not as quiet as Ringenäs Beach to the east. 

3. Which cuisine do you think your town does best? What is the runner-up?

I think the gourmet cuisine is terrific. Taste the sea food at Restaurant SALT  on Tylösand Beach (only a couple of meters from the sea!), book a table at Restaurant Akvarell in Tylösand, where you have sea view as well, or drive to Heagårds Skafferi located near Steninge 2km after Halmstad Airport. They didn’t have any vegetarian dishes on the menu, but were happy to prepare something special when I asked.

Runner-up is a tough choice between sushi (at Takenaka Sushi Bar ) or pizza (in particular Stanton’s Pizza ).

4. What is the best free thing to do?

Spending time at the beach and in the water (especially when the waves are high). Although if you’re visiting at the end of July, or in August, watch out for jellyfish!

I would also recommend cycling along the river Nissan, a picnic in Norre Katts park or, during rainy days, go to Halmstad Library to catch up on some reading. And I’m sure hikers will love “Prins Bertils stig”, an 18km long
hiking path along the coast.  

5. What is your favorite type of entertainment?

I enjoy Hotel Tylösand’s Solgården, where they have concerts with famous artists and free After Beach each day in July. Since I’m a real film buff, I’ll have to say the cinema as well.

Outdoor activities are never wrong either. If I could do anything I would love to learn kitesurfing with Kiteskolan.

6. List the best family friendly activity.

Tropikcenter, where you can see more than 140 species of tropical animals in natural environments. It almost feels like you’re in the Amazon. 

I’m also sure most kids would enjoy go-carting at Gokarthallen Halmstad. They have go-carts for everyone above 7 years of age.

7. What spot would you send a couple, looking for a romantic weekend?

I would send them to a luxurious suite with sea view at Hotel Tylösand. Then, they can choose if they want to relax with couple treatments in the Spa, eat gourmet dinners in one of the hotel’s restaurants, spend the days on the beach, make fun excursions in the area, or - if the weather is bad - just stay inside and order room service.

8. Describe a perfect day.one that captures what your area/city is all about.In 3 sentences or less. 

Wake up early and take a jog along the beach, make a fun excursion somewhere (depending on your interests), and spend the evening with your closest friends at one of the open-air restaurants on Little Square.

9. Tell us about a place that you love to go, whether it is in the guidebooks or not.

There’s this quiet spot on a cliff overlooking the sea, along the cycle path towards Grötvik, where we used to go and eat take-away pizza when I was a kid. I haven’t actually been there in years now, but that’s a place I will always love and never forget.

10. What should we have asked, but didn’t?

You could have asked “When is the best time to visit Halmstad?” and I would have said “The summer, without a doubt”. Halmstad truly is a summer city and attracts people from all over Sweden, as well as other European countries.

Have a city that you would like to share with everyone? Then e-mail us or comment on this post…maybe you can be our next local expert!

According to a recent AAA survey, New York City is the 2nd most costly destination for travelers, averaging $606 per night for meals and lodging for two adults. Another survey of popular free attractions across the U.S. shows Central Park as the only place in New York which makes the list. That got me thinking about all the summer fun things to do in New York, which can be done without having to flash a card. I mean, it kinda takes the fun out of a fun holiday if you have to pay for it. So unless you have a rich uncle who enjoys underwriting your holidays, you might be needing this list of upcoming attractions and summer holiday themed events in and around New York.

Museum Mile Festival, 5th Avenue: On June 3rd 2008, from 6-9 pm, Fifth Ave transforms into New York’s biggest block party for the 30th annual Museum Mile Festival. This festival is unique because nine of NYC’s best museums throw open their doors to the public and allow full and free access. Photo credit -Project for Public Spaces

The entire mile between the nine museums, 23 blocks on Fifth Ave between 82nd and 105th, is traffic free and filled with street performers, music shows and informal street art exhibitions. The museums taking part include the MET and the Guggenheim Museum. You can see the full list of participating museums and performances here.

Staten Island Ferry: It’s free, and takes you on a cruise between Battery Park and Staten Island, with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and New York Harbor. More details here.

Free Walking Tours: Some of you may not consider walking to be a fun thing to do in summer, but how about if the walking tour takes you through the delights of Central Park or the magnificient Grand Central or the quaint food shops and heritage buildings in Greenwich Village, or a Times Square ‘expose’ (Fridays at noon. Meetup at Times Square Visitor Information Center: 7th Ave between 46th and 47th).

Gold Vault Tour of Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Now this is one tour that offers money for value. Or, to be precise, gold bars - Over 750,000 gold bars valued at more than $100 billion - More gold than you ever saw or will hope to see in one place. Photo credit - Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

A 10 ft passageway carved out of a 90 ton solid steel cylinder guards the entrance to the NY Fed’s gold vault, 5 floors and 80 feet below ground. The 60 minute tours are free, Mon-Fri. Reservations need to be made at least a month in advance. More details and contact info here.

Personally speaking, I prefer all this, and things like the 5th annual Loving Day celebrations at Solar One on June 8th 2008, which commemorates Loving vs. Virginia (1967), the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage in the United States. Free BBQ, free beer, free ice cream, games and prizes, with DJ Spooky to keep things happening. Photo credit - Loving Day

But if you prefer a complete ‘getaway vacation’, per se, and you want it free, then what you want to do is head for the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George with camping gear. There’s 6 million acres of park and forest area waiting for you with RV parks, white water rafting and kayaking, lake side BBQ’s and bonfires, log cabins and tent sites, nature trails, fishing and get togethers. More details here.

If you have no idea how to go about setting up a tent, you might want to consider the not-so-free, but still cheap Camping Village which takes care of all the messy stuff like cooking and bath-rooms and beds, leaving you free to play the intrepid nature explorer.

This is a post written by Lois from the Home Exchange blog. A family is seeking to a home near Cedar Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills because the mother needs treatment for leukemia for a two month period. Lois has asked us to spread the word in the blogosphere and try to help the family.

“This is a special appeal to anyone, Home Base Holidays members, members or agents from other home exchange clubs, or anyone who lives near Cedars Sinai Hospital, Beverly Hills, who might be able to either do a non-simultaneous exchange or offer accommodation close to the hospital, to please get in touch. Here’s the story behind this appeal and I hope that through spreading the word as widely as possible, we can draw on the resources of the whole home exchange community and find someone able to offer help:

Dear Lois,

I am writing because I was just diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia a week ago and I’m 25 weeks pregnant with a girl. (We already have a 3 year old boy, Daxton, so we’re very excited). The best treatment I can get in the area is at Cedars Sinai in Beverly Hills, but that is about an hour’s drive away without traffic and can be 2 or more hours….plus I have to go there every couple of days for treatment.

I thought I might find someone who lives close to Cedars who would be willing to let us use their home for a couple of months during my treatment, but haven’t had any luck so far. I just wanted to see if you know of any members in the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, West LA, Brentwood, or any of the surrounding areas close to Cedars Sinai Hospital? Or if you know anyone personally or have any ideas for me. I realize you may not know how to help me, but I thought it was worth the inquiry.

Thanks so much and I hope you are well. By the way - my Leukemia is treatable and curable, I just need to get the baby out first and then I can start treatment! I also may have a surgery next week to remove my spleen.

Best,

Leslie”

If you can help, please contact me or Lois and we will put you in touch with Leslie.

Thanks,

Pat Jenkins

The suggestions keep coming in for travel toys lately. Here are two more travel toy ideas created by real moms. The first is an award winning toy, the other a travel site about toys for little ones. I always think the companies and ideas created by parents are the best–the inventors are usually creating from necessity and a sense of reality of what it is really like to travel with kids.

I like the creativity of Think-a-Lot Toys Think-ets. It was chosen by iParenting’s parent judges as one of the Best Products of 2008 and only costs $9.99 for ages 8+ . “Think-ets is the world’s first little game in a pouch containing tiny treasures from all over the world.

Think-ets has an assortment of 15 collectible miniature trinkets that can be used to create games and provide hours of entertainment or anywhere!” They collected the items from all over the world from people working in humane conditions and who also get paid enough to earn a living wage in their country. It is also, of course “green.” The packaging is also the carrying case. No plastic to toss into the landfill. Wow, could it be possible, a toy that is fun and politically correct? Worth a try, don’t you think?

If you want more suggestions, you may want to check littlejetset-they offer a variety of unusual and functional travel items for kids. I like the Find It Games for $20.95. My 8 year old likes a treasure hunt of any kind and this one is self contained-good for planes and cars.

Finally, if you like to read to your kids in the car, I suggest the book, Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen. Beautifully written, hilarious and touching. I have given about five copies to my friends and it is straying into my own personal top ten favorite books. Truly a great read for kids 8+. It does have a few swear words in it that only added to the excitement for my family. My kids were begging me to keep reading. Now, that is bliss.

I just found out about a new card game to improve family communication on long vacation drives and a kid’s seat harness for airline flights to improve safety.

Family Talk-Improved

This weekend our family is driving three hours to visit friends in Clear Lake, CA. We always let our kids watch a movie in the car but that only keeps their interest for part of the drive. They have moved beyond “I Spy” and I have forbidden them from their all-time favorite game, “slug bug” as they think it is fun to slug harder with each turn. No, I didn’t teach them that game, a 28 year old cousin did…(thanks, cuz.) As I contemplated the journey, I was pleased to get a few ideas for improving the car ride from a new company, Around The Table.

Around The Table has created three card decks for promoting family communication. I plan on taking Family Talk. I like the concept because the game looks fun, I think it will create interesting conversation and it is portable. Each card has a question you ask your kids to get beyond the “how was school? it was fine.” daily routine. The question that captured my interest was “what is your favorite stuffed animal.” My ten year old daughter loves her stuffed animals, she brings about a thousand with her all the time and I would like to understand this, well, obsession. For my 8 year old son, I want to ask him, “What would he change about school?” I won’t let him say cancel all classes. Both ideas are from the pack.

Each deck of 100 cards is attached to a carabineer clip you can clip to a backpack or purse. The manufacturer promises, “Anticipating a long wait at the airport? Whip out these questions and the time will fly. Stuck in traffic with the kids? Family Talk, will encourage the kids to ask anything but “are we there yet?”

And I am all about that. For more information about the other games, go here.

Hate schlepping that car seat onto the plane? see more »