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Travel ’ Category
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
When Hurricane Sandy blasted the Jersey Shore last fall, my thoughts immediately went to Cape May. I took a family vacation there the summer before and was completely charmed by the town. After seeing news footage and Facebook photos of the devastation of the New Jersey coast, I had assumed the worst had happened. Fast-forward three months: I’m researching a Parents magazine story on the 10 Best Beach Towns for Families. I’ve narrowed my picks to a “short list” of a hundred or so towns that have great water quality. Cape May is on the list. So I made a call to find out what shape the town is in now. And much to my delight, I learned that Sandy largely spared Cape May, taking a last-minute turn in the other direction.
Cape May stayed in the running to be included in the story, and when other factors—like inland family fun and nature activities—were considered, it ended up being number five on Parents best list. Here are a couple of highlights from my family’s long weekend in Cape May, and you’ll find many more family-friendly activities in my story on the town.
My daughter’s favorite memory from the trip was an inexpensive program we signed up for at the Nature Center of Cape May. Staff cast a net in the ocean to see what creatures they could find, and then told the kids about them. The kids got to touch the little critters before safely returning them to the water. By the looks of it, all the kids in the program that day had a blast and learned quite a bit from this hands-on experience.
We went to the beach that was across the street from Congress Hall, where we stayed. Even though we were there in mid-August (peak season!), it didn’t feel crowded. And it was very clean!
At night, we checked out the shops at Washington Street Mall, a three-block outdoor promenade filled with adorable, independent shops like Bath Time (where we bought custom-blend bubble bath). For a treat, we ended up enjoying egg creams (a combo of chocolate syrup and seltzer) from Dellas 5 & 10.
Thursday, March 21st, 2013
Who doesn’t love Little Critter? We read the books all the time (see my son Joe with our favorite, about going into the city with Mom, down below) and I was thrilled to talk with the author and illustrator, Mercer Mayer, also shown, on the eve of his launch of the Little Critter app for iOS, Android, Nook and Kindle devices. 
Q: First, what is Little Critter?
Mercer Mayer: “He technically is identifiable, but I don’t tell anybody what it is.”
Q: Is he based on you as a child? Or your own children?
MM: “Everything you do as an author is from that well of your own childhood. I got some advice many years ago from a publisher to ‘Just start with your childhood and lie like hell.’ Little Critter is full of things that happened to me as a child and then I exaggerate when I imagine what a kid might go through.” 
Q: You have kids of your own, right?
MM: “Three boys and a girl, and now grandkids. They just added to the whole pastiche. I would love to find a way to get this into a book: When my eldest boy was 9 years old, he would never go to bed. I would throw him up in the top bunk and he’d scream that he was hungry, or had to go to the bathroom. Then one night he said he was sick. I didn’t believe him…and then he threw up all over me.”
Q: Eeek!
MM: “I write about situations that kids get into that can be overwhelming. But now my books are getting an extra kick in the pants with the apps! There are more possibilities with them.”
Q: The apps sound like they’d be good for Spring break and Summer travel.
MM: “The games are simple for 3- to 7-year-olds. There’s animation and the story pops out. So there’s reading, and it’s educational, but also games, such as a hidden alphabet and color-by-number. The GamePak includes DigiStix, which are interactive stickers that a kid can move around. I know some apps are just for reading, but these two create a whole little world of adventure, and it’s a lot of fun.” 
Q: Are you still writing new books?
MM: “Yes, I’m working on Just a Kite now and finished up Just a Little Love. I write about three a year. I’m still doing it. I guess I don’t know how to stop!”
You can get The Trip-Little Critter Reading Adventure for $3.99 at all the usual channels (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Barnes & Noble). And for the first 30 days of the launch, you can buy the additional The Trip-Little Critter GamePak for $2.99 (after that it goes up to $3.99). The GamePack is the one that includes more than 175 cool DigiStix digital stickers.
Want the chance to win both the apps and also a signed giclee print from Mercer Mayer? It’s this collage of Little Critter and his baby brother with their toys, and would look great in a kid’s room! It’s officially worth is $75 but I think it’s fairly priceless. Leave a comment below, up to one a day between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, March 27th. After that we’ll pick one person at random to win both the print and a code for the apps, worth about $83 all together. 
You can click here to read our official rules. Goody luck! 
Monday, November 12th, 2012
Kids (my kids), don’t read this. Because if you do, you’re going to want to go to Palm Beach, Florida, where your mom and I escaped for a rare and well-deserved getaway. Yes, we framed it as a business trip, and there was some “research” involved. But truth be told, it was the type you both love—infinity-edge swimming pools, white-sand beaches, expansive ocean views, fancy restaurant meals. Okay, really. Stop reading.
Our visit took us to two of the nicest resorts in the area. First was The Ritz-Carlton (pool and ocean view pictured to the right), a Spanish-style low-rise that’s quietly elegant, with intimate service (the waiters knew my name by the second evening at Temple Orange, which features local grouper and a wonderful Friday night seafood buffet), terraces so close to the ocean you can sit out and listen to the surf (we did—often), and one of the coolest spas I’ve ever seen. At Eau Spa we were treated to a couples massage and dry float, after which we relaxed in hanging chairs that were reminiscent of baby swings—and just as comforting. The kids wouldn’t have liked our abandoning them to be personally pampered, but they would have been in good hands: Their stay in the kids club, Aquanuts, for ages 5 and up, is complimentary while you’re having your spa treatment. And it looks like a blast: During our visit the kids’ indoor room was decorated like a Halloween fun house, so the little ones could trick or treat when they’re weren’t swimming or playing games. This resort definitely likes families: It recently started a special meal plan for guests 12 and under, including fun-but-healthy choices for $35 a day. And while it’s not cheap, low-season rates start for a relatively modest $199 per night.
To my surprise our second stop, The Breakers (pictured to the right), was equally child-friendly. I had images that this grand dame, built by Henry Flagler in 1896, might be stodgy. But the owners have invested $250 million during the past decade to ensure that it is the very model of a modern luxury resort, with a spa, four pools (some designed for families, some for quiet), yoga and Zumba classes (my wife raved about them), snorkeling right off shore, paddleboarding (it’s a lot harder than it looks!), two golf courses, and 10 tennis courts (I got rained out—frown). But it also has mosaics and tapestries straight out of the gilded age. Our Sunday brunch at The Circle, a gorgeous room with sweeping ocean views, featured a chilled seafood bar with Maine lobster and a dessert bar to die for. It was truly among our most amazing dining experiences ever. Since this wonderful extravagance might have been wasted on our kids (or at least an extra drain on our wallet), we likely would’ve put them in the Coconut Crew Camp (for ages 3 and up). But The Breakers has plenty else to keep young children busy and happy (we saw many of them during our visit). The Family Entertainment Center has a game room, craft room, arcade, movie room, playground, and outdoor sports court. If you eat at the adjacent Italian Restaurant, the kids can run off and play (fully monitored) for no extra charge while you enjoy your meal in peace. While undeniably a splurge, The Breakers is worth it, especially during low season, when rates start at $289 per night, including continental breakfast and kids meals and day camp.
For us, though, it was romantic, and a reminder of how relaxed vacations used to be before kids (sigh). Still, we would have liked them to be there for two off-site activities: Lion Country Safari, a drive-through zoo and safari-themed amusement park; and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (pictured to the right), where injured sea turtles (which nest by the thousands on the adjacent Juno Beach) are rescued and rehabilitated. My daughter fell in love with Winter the dolphin when we got to meet her a couple of years ago, and I have no doubt that she would have an instant crush on these cute creatures too. Next time we’ll have to bring Matthew and Isabella along. Maybe.
Photo 1: The Ritz Carlton
Photo 2: The Breakers
Photo 3: Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
If you’re looking for a last minute holiday get away, check out the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico – the queen bee of family stays. Located on 500 acres of a 73,000-acre Native-American reservation, the resort hosts unbeatable views of the Sandia Mountains and Rio Grande and an even more unbeatable lineup of activities for the holiday season.
The Tamaya Resort and Spa has an assortment of family-friendly excursions year round, ranging from hot air balloon rides to tribal dancing performances. But when you go in November, you can take part in hay ride tours, landscape painting classes, treasure hunts, and a pueblo-style Thanksgiving celebration. Or enter a New Mexico-style winter wonderland in December, for ornament making, gingerbread house decorating, and stories and s’mores under the stars. The best part? Most of the activities are either free for guests or super affordable.
Don’t miss out on booking one of the 350 pueblo-style rooms from now until February 28 for the awesome $155 per-room winter rate that includes 20 percent off trail rides, spa and salon treatments, and green fees at the Twin Warriors Golf Club. It’s definitely a steal for the gorgeous setting and one-of-a-kind amenities, but more so for the peace of mind that even though Albuquerque and Santa Fe are less than 50 miles away, there’s enough excitement at the resort to keep your kiddies entertained from check-in to check-out.
Friday, August 10th, 2012
It’s pretty shameful. Nearly every Sunday night this summer, I’ve seen that my young daughters have way too much color, especially on their face, where they keep getting slight burns on their nose and under their eyes. I am completely vigilant about sunscreen, and thanks to this job, I have an endless supply of it. But something’s not working, whether it’s me or the SPF I’m using.
I was recently at the beach with my sister, who used a sunscreen wipe on her 2-year-old daughter just as I was about to embark on my usual routine of spraying my girls’ bodies, putting lotion on their faces, and using a stick SPF on their nose and ears and under their eyes. My daughters looked wistfully over at their cousin–who was finished getting ‘screened up in about 30 seconds–and asked if they could use the wipe, too. My sister swiftly rubbed their faces and told me how much she swears by the towelettes, which are from a company called MD Moms and developed by two pediatricians who themselves have children. Even with that pedigree, I confess I was slightly skeptical …
… Until we got home that afternoon and I saw that for once, my children’s faces were the same shade they were when we arrived at the beach. Hallelujah! And now that I’ve done a little digging online, I see that basically everyone who uses these wipes (official name: Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes) is a devotee. They are a must-have as I head to the beach tomorrow for a week’s vacation.
Now, the wipes aren’t cheap–$26 for 20–but think of the pros: They’re foolproof. They’re great for babies. They can get in kids’ eyes without irritating them. You can bring them on your carry-on luggage, unlike any other sunscreen. And they work.
Categories: Babies, GoodyBlog, Health & Safety, Shopping & Gear, Solutions, Travel, Your Child | Tags: Baby Silk, MD Moms, spf, sunscreen, sunscreen wipes
Thursday, August 9th, 2012
With such a big, fantastic country to travel, why would anyone keep taking Disney trips? That’s what I ask myself every time I start fantasizing about our next Disney vacation, which is pretty much daily. Here’s my answer: I don’t much care, because I want to go back to Disney.
Four reasons I keep giving my vacation dollars to the mouse:
#1 Disney employees are so nice to my kids. I really got that when I began traveling with babies. If your kid is freaking out, which he’s going to do at some point each day of his young life, someone offers a sticker, or an “awww,” or at least shoots you a sympathetic look. It’s such relief from other places, where kids have to be shushed and hustled out of site. I relax on a Disney vacay (I’m talking about DisneyWorld in Florida, and Disneyland in California, and the Disney Cruise ships) because my kids are going to “have moments” but thank goodness everyone understands. The hotels expect kids. The restaurants are ready for kids. It’s all good. 
#2 My husband and I get alone time. We joke that we have to go on a Disney Cruise to have a date, but that’s not really far off. The kids are so occupied with the kids’ clubs-doing the stuff of kid fantasies, like like joining a band of pirates-that we never fail to sneak off to an adult-only bar during some afternoon and an adult-only restaurant for a dinner. The kids are close and happy but we get some couple time too. And can I just point out that when the kids are in camp, the cabin is blissfully kid-free? It’s not hard to get my husband to go on one of the ships. 
#3 You can never see it all. The Florida parks are so vast. The cruise ships have so much going on every hour. And even the California park, with its manageable size, keeps upgrading. There is always something new to see. When I heard that previews of the new FantasyLand in DisneyWorld begin November 19th, it was all I could do to keep from immediately buying plane tickets. (Breathe in, breathe out.)
#4 We always have a good time. I’ve been in Florida when it’s too hot (avoid June!) and I’ve been in DisneyLand during rain (we wore ponchos and made extra trips back to our room). It’s still a blast. We love the food, we love the characters, we love the parades and the swimming pools and the rides. Sigh. 
I am not rich. I have to save and plan like everyone else. (Even if I get sent to Disney for work, I pay to take the family along.) I have a coworker and a couple of Facebook friends who also keep getting drawn back to Disney, which makes me feel like less of a freak. Here in New York City, it’s much more chic to spend vacations in Europe, or at a cottage in Vermont. But I’ll take a Disney trip over anything else. Who’s with me?! 
Friday, July 27th, 2012
My husband and I were lucky enough to celebrate his birthday with a long-weekend getaway to the low-key Caneel Bay resort in St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was the first time we’d gone anywhere alone together on a plane since our 7-year-old daughter was born, and happily, she was excited to spend the weekend at her grandparents’ house.
Summer might not seem like the ideal time to visit an island in the Caribbean. Yet while it was swelteringly hot and humid at home, the ocean breezes blew on St. John, and the calm turquoise water was just steps from our room. There were plenty of chairs under shady trees on the beach, and even hammocks. After you arrive at Caneel Bay (via ferry from nearby St. Thomas, which has an airport) and are welcomed with a cold washcloth, you can get your own set of snorkeling gear to keep for the duration of your stay. The resort, once home to the Rockefeller family, is built on a private peninsula that has seven separate beach coves. We easily snorkeled on five of them—seeing colorful fish and coral, millions of tiny minnows (which reminded me of the children’s book Swimmy, by Leo Leoni) and even a stingray. I watched a 2-year-old boy sitting by the edge of the water with his grandmother try a snorkeling mask on for the first time. He was too young to swim, but he held his breath, stuck his face in the water, and was amazed to see fish swimming right next to him.
No doubt, this is a idyllic location for honeymooners, babymooners, or couples like us who deserve some time alone. But there were also lots of families there with young children, who were happy to unplug (no TVs or even phones in the rooms), chill out, and dig in the sand. There are 11 tennis courts, and complimentary use of sea kayaks and Sunfish sailboats. The outdoor breakfast buffet is an easy way for families to start the day, and Rose Bud, the free kids club (for toilet-trained children) is staffed by a team of warm women who organize art projects indoors and take the kids for walks to collect shells or see the donkeys who roam all over the property. Private babysitting is also available during the day or evening. Even though the resort was 80% full, it never seemed crowded because it is so spread out. 
We were only gone for two nights, but came back totally relaxed and recharged—and our daughter couldn’t wait to show us the snail that she’d found in the backyard and adopted.
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
When you think of celebrity vacations, exotic resorts and spas may come to mind. But our celeb correspondent Nancy O’Dell found out that many famous parents like to have a low-key summer with the kids. Some of their favorite getaway spots may even be in your neck of the woods. Check out the celebs and their destinations of choice by clicking here for the full story from the July issue of Parents. And don’t forget to catch Nancy weeknights on Entertainment Tonight–or chat with her directly at facebook.com/nancyodellspage.
Image courtesy of Ulrica Wihlborg
