Tips for Traveling with Young Children!

Summer is here...and it's time to start thinking about your next Summer Vacation! If you have children, then you are no doubt looking for some family-friendly places that will not only be fun for you, but ideal for entertaining the kiddies! Before you go away, I wanted to offer some helpful and useful tips that have helped me so much. Planning and preparation is key, so that you can enjoy as close to a "hassle-free" vacation as you can for you and your little ones. Here are my Top Tips for Traveling with Young Children!

HAVE CAR WILL TRAVEL:

• Drive to your favorite destination. So many great vacation destinations are within 1-2 hours away from you home, while others are 3-5 hours, such as Vermont, New York and Montreal, Canada. I have friends who make the 8 hour drive to Washington, DC each year, or some crazier (haha!) friends who plan cross-country family vacations to Yosemite National Park or the Grand Canyon in a big RV or Winnebago.  
• Driving is not only budget-concious, but convenient. You have the freedom to come and go as you please and you can pack your car to the rim with all of your luggage, baby gear, food and supplies. It's a great feeling to have all of your belongings at your finger tips. (Just be sure to lock all of your luggage and valuables in the trunk when parking, as to not attract thieves.)
• Day Trips are great fun! And, they are a quick and inexpensive way to get out of town for the day.

FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES:

• Fly Non-Stop to your destination. Fly direct whenever possible...it will save your sanity! 
• Try to book seats close to the bathroom to avoid long trips to the bathroom. 
• Pack your carry-on bags with some of your child's favorite toys, a mini DVD player, snacks, bottles of milk or formula, extra diapers, baby pain reliever, and anything else you can think of to keep your little guy/gal entertained!
• Get through security faster. Most TSA agents will let families with young children move to the front of the security line...talk about VIP Service! 
• Once you are at the gate, families often can board ahead of the other passengers as well. So, be sure to take advantage of these great perks while you can! 
• Also, they typically don't charge you to check your car seat and/or strollers at the gate, which is a good plus.

RENT-A-CAR:

• Book a Rental Car when traveling to another city. That way you will be in control of where and when you go, and you can secure your child safely in the car. With young children, it would be very tricky or even unsafe to travel in a taxi cab, as you can't properly secure your car seat.
• Reserve car seats and/or booster seats for your rental car. That way, you don't have to lug your heavy car or booster seats with you. (If you have an infant, then you will most likely carry her in the carseat...so remember to pack the base as well.)
• Check AAA, Orbitz, Hertz, Expedia or your favorite travel site for the best rental car deals.

BOOK A HOTEL or RESORT:

• Always Do Your Research to find a family-friendly hotel or resort. You don't want to travel all the way to your vacation, only to find out it's an "adults only" hotel (which many boutique hotels are these days), or there are no amenities for children. 
• Reserve a crib or pack 'n' play for your baby, cots or rollaway beds for your young children, at the time of your booking. And, always follow up with a phone call a few days before you arrive, to be sure it will be in your room when you arrive. 
• Find out if there are any Kids Eat Free or other specials for the children's meals.
• See if there are Kids Clubs or babysitting services at your hotel or resort, if you are interested.
• Check Expedia, Orbitz, TripAdvisor or your favorite travel sites for the best recommendations for family-friendly hotels.

RENT A COTTAGE or CONDO:

• I have always enjoyed renting a cottage or condo when on vacation. That way, you have privacy, more space and freedom on your vacation. And, it is usually quite a bit cheaper than staying at a resort or hotel. We've rented cottages in Cape Cod, Florida, Maine and even an apartment in Amsterdam...just do your homework, rent from an owner that you trust, read reviews and read the contracts very carefully before signing and paying your deposit.
• Cottages are wonderful, as you have all the amenities of home, you can cook your own meals, have a porch or yard, walk to the beach, or even your own hot tub or swimming pool. 
• You will have multiple bedrooms, so you, the kids, grandparents or friends can all vacation together.
• Save money by cooking at home, BBQing or having a lobster boil in your own backyard. Buying your own groceries, alcohol and other snacks to eat at your leisure is so convenient.
• Visit VRBO, HomeAway or any other popular vacation rental sites to book your vacation. Be sure the condo or cottage allows children and/or pets, if bringing along the family dog. 

Most of all, no matter where you go...near or far...just remember to enjoy this special time with your family on your vacation! Just spending time together is is the most important thing...time is precious, enjoy every moment...and have a wonderful time! Here are some of our most recent, and most successful vacations!

Bon Voyage!

Mel :)

Provincetown - Cape Cod's Hip, Cool & Delicious Getaway!

Provincetown is Cape Cod's northern-most town, sitting proudly on the very tip of Massachusetts, jutting out into the beautiful blue Atlantic Ocean. P-Town is known for it's bustling gay community, great beaches, shopping, art galleries, history, bars and restaurants...this seaside getaway and is a slice of heaven everyone with an adventurous spirit. In a nutshell, Provincetown is gorgeous, sunny and fun by day...delicious and wild by night! Whatever your speed, whatever your persuasion...P-Town is the ultimate summertime getway for the wild at heart!

Every summer it has been a tradition for my amazing husband Andrew and I to rent a condo in P-Town either with friends or on our own. In summer 2007, we rented a 2-bedroom condo just off of Commercial Street with Jaap and Danielle, our Dutch friends who came over from Amsterdam for their summer holiday! We had the BEST time with them, really bonded and got to know the quirky, welcoming, gourmet and wild side of P-Town first hand. The following summer, we rented a cute & modern 1-bedroom right on Commercial Street across from Lorraine's mexican and tequila restaurant (highly recommended!). We relished in being in our own little place, renting bikes and kayaks, finding cute hideaways, climbing the Pilgrim Monument and meeting locals for drinks and oysters. As a rule, I suggest renting a condo or house rather than getting a hotel room when I travel. You have the freedom of having your own place...to cook, relax and sit on your own private deck. Check out HomeAway.com and VRBO.com for the best in vacation rentals around the world.

Last summer, we stayed in Brewster, MA in Cape Cod (mid-Cape) with my sister Sara and her fiance Dan at Ocean's Edge Village. His aunt has an amazing condo with pool and beach access. It was a gorgeous sunny weekend and we spend the days on the beach, and the nights eating lobster and clams, and singing along to the cover band at local dive bar, The Woodshed in Brewster. We had such a blast with them! On Saturday afternoon we hit Cape Cod hotspot The Wellfleet Beachcomber for much needed raw bar fix - Wellfleet oysters and gigantic shrimp cocktail. Goombay Smash rum drinks and Bud Lite Limes were happily consumed...and we had a blast!

Andrew and I snuck up to P-Town for brunch one day (the lobster eggs benedict at Cafe Edwige is highly recommend!) and did some people watching on our way back (ok, it was backwards) to Boston! We wanted to stay longer but had to drive back home after a wonderful weekend on the Cape.


Getting There:

There are 2 ways to get to P-town, by car its about a 3 hours drive from Boston...or a 90 minute ride by ferry from Boston Harbor ($70 one way).

Getting Around:

The two best ways to see P-Town are on FOOT or by BIKE. I highly recommend renting bikes for your stay. Not only can you ride to the beaches, but you can get a crazy, intense workout the bike paths, and at dusk, take in a leisurely cruise down Commercial Street for the best people watching you will ever see! Drag queens strutting their stuff to promote their shows (Thirsty Burlington is a dead-on Cher) , foreign tourists from Japan, Germany and England, couples holding hands, families with strollers, locals, bikers, freaks of all kinds, good-looking sun-kissed people, and celebrity sightings galore (i.e.: Marc Jacobs, Lily Taylor, John Waters, Jennifer Coolidge aka "Stiffler's Mom," and many, many more) many who are in town for one-man or one-women shows.

Site-seeing:

• Whale Watch/Harbor Tour - we saw a lot of whales!
• Fishing Trip - go catch your dinner :)
• Rent Kayaks - cruise around the harbor
• Rent Bikes - go to the beaches
• Pilgrim Monument - climb up the stairs for great view of town
• Dune Buggy Tour - unique way of seeing P-Town's beaches
• Gallery Walks - many have wine & cheese at night
• People Watching
• Nightlife - Comedy, Dancing, Drag Shows, live bands
• Shopping
  

Dining (and cocktails):

-The outside patio at Bubala's by the Bay is great food, drink and peepin' time. (across from Marc Jacobs). http://www.bubalas.com/ We loved the clam rolls, huge burgers with brie and onions, great bloody mary's and fruity rum drinks too. Awesome peep watching place too.

-Next to Bubala's is Jimmy's Hideaway, down the stairs...amazing! Sit at the little bar and chat up the friendly bartender. It's a cute, upscale haven with amazing martinis, steamed mussels with white wine broth and their Bouillabaisse of Scallops, Shrimp, Mussels, Local Littlenecks, and Fish Over Basamati Rice is to die for. 179 Commercial St. http://jimmyshideaway.com/

-Lorraine's is amazing Mexican...all the way down past Bubala's on Commercial. They have 20 kinds of tequila...we stayed in a condo right across the street last summer! We had the best time...delicous food and great convos with the staff and barthenders. 133 Commercial St. http://www.lorrainesrestaurant.com/

-Café Edwige is a restaurant that is upstairs, really cozy and romantic, great food! Go for brunch on Saturday (Sunday they can't serve booze til noon...the horror! lol) and get the LOBSTER eggs benedict with mustard sauce and home fries...a decadent meal! Friendly friendly staff and lovely decor. 333 Commercial St. http://edwigeatnight.com/

-The restaurant at the Crown & Anchor (Central House Bar & Grill) is really good too...its on the outdoor porch. We really liked sitting on the airy porch and watching people walk by. We had a wonderfully romantic dinner with wine, great salads and apps, yummy fish dishes (Grilled Swordfish and Pistachio Crusted Scallops), did I say Lobster Mac n Cheese?! Check it out. http://www.onlyatthecrown.com/centralhouse/

-Sal's Place - awesome italian food...legendary spot, but quite far down on Commercial towards the very West End...but worth it! You must get a table on the deck and dine on the water. We loved our colorful waiter with tales of his winters living in a village in Indonesia and Thailand and summers in P-Town. Anything you order from Sal's is divine. Get the cheap house chianti and get ready to indulge.. We ordered a variety of pasta dishes including Pasta Fra Diavolo with Shrimp and Scallops, spaghetti with Lemon & garlic, and their traditional lschian pasta dish of raisins, pinenuts, walnuts, anchovies. The Veal Saltimbocca was out of this world. Don't forget dessert! 99 Commercial http://www.salsplaceofprovincetown.com/ (At press time, I'm afraid that Sal's may have closed down! I hope not...I will find out for sure and post.)

Nightlife:

When in P-Town, you must catch one of their world famous drag comedy shows. All the best entertainers and comedians come to P-town for the summer to do a show. We usually check out Ryan Landry's latest musical-spoof-tacular. One summer we saw his hilarous take on Cinderella, another time it was The Wizard of Oz...and better still..."Willy Wanker and the Chocolate Highway" HAHA! How amazing is that!? Our friends Julie and Adam love to head up to Provincetown to catch world famous Drag Diva...Varla Jean Merman. So many drag shows, so little time. :)

If you like to sing, or at least enjoy singingvery badly in public while drunk (lol)...you MUST go to Drag Karaoke with Dana Danzel at the Governor Bradford on Commerical St. I don't know HOW she does it, but the show starts at 9:30 every single night. Andrew and I went 3 nights in a row and sang a different song each time! OK, we had a few tequila shots to get warmed up...but once you get up on stage..all the fear goes away and you just sing your heart out! (He sang a great cover of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash and i belted out "Goldfinger" by Eartha Kitt and an Amy Winehouse tune!) Everyone is welcome and friendly there...and you can be a star for the night! (NOTE: It's especially popular for Bachelorette parties...so beware of the wasted bride-to-be from Somerville in the dime store veil and "kiss the bride" tank top.

Shop til you Drop:

Be sure to hit the Marc Jacobs store -- I love all the fun accessories they have for $5-10 bucks! This is about the only time you will be able to afford a Marc Jacobs original, seeing as his bags run upwards of $500-1000. We usually go in for a cool t-shirt, flipflops, umbrella or some funky jewelry.



Provincia - one of my favorite stores. Owned by Portuguese artist Manuel and his partner John. He designs and imports the most gorgeous ceramics in bright traditional colors. The prices are really reasonable too in the $10-50 range and up. Last year we bought a few of his signature olive dishes and some "good luck" rooster wine toppers for family and friends. http://www.provinciagifts.com/

Toko Indo - I just discovered this cool, Balinese jewelry shop. Beaded necklaces and bracelets with bits of stone, shell or metal in bright colors. I picked up a necklace for myself and braclets for Mom and Sara. :) http://www.shoptokoindo.com

The Army-Navy Store - It has everything under the sun, from nautical-themed housewares and novelties for cheap, to the typical army fatigue pants, sailor shirts and canvas hats.

Happy Thanksgiving - Gobble Gobble!

As a Boston native, I thought I would share some ideas for Thanksgiving in my beloved home state of Massachusetts, and beyond. Happy Thanksgiving!

Plimouth Plantation: You just can't get any more "Thanksgiving" than Plymouth, MA! Why not take a lovely autumn drive to see where the the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared their very first Thanksgiving dinner. They ate turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and even seafood and lobster at this first of many Thanksgiving meals. You can even make reservations to eat your turkey dinner at Plimouth Plantation! (One of these days we've got to do that...I hear you have to reserve months in advance though.) Visit the authentic village and Wampanoag Home Site to see traditional Native American Wampanoag and Colonial Englishmen and women "actors" living as they did back in the 17th century. A wonderful, historical place for adults and children of all ages.

Cook some great Thanksgiving recipes: I posted a few recipes earlier, but I suggest you go to Epicurious.com to find all the best recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet and many others.

Go out for Dinner: Not in the mood to cook this year? I don't blame you! Visit OpenTable.com to find restaurants hosting seatings on Thanksgiving Day!

Volunteer in a Soup Kitchen: While many of us are warm and comfortable at home eating turkey, sadly, there are many people who go without. Volunteer serving dinner at Rosie's Place or the Pine Street Inn. Or, help packing and preparing meals for those who are sick or hungry.

Buy a Pie for Charity: One of my favorite charitable organizations is Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, which delivers weekly meals to those suffering from AIDS or other life-threatening diseases. Every year their "Pie in the Sky" program sells pies online via their donated from hundreds of restaurants, bakeries and hotel to generate funds for the program. I have helped behind the scenes putting together boxes and delivering pies with this group for many years. In addition, you can contact them to bring a group of friends or co-workers to lend a hand during the week or on weekends to prepare and package meals. It is a great way to give back to the community.

Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Always a tradition in our house, watching those gigantic floats and balloons in the sky coming down Broadway in New York City. My favorites include Snoopy, Tom the Turkey and of course, Santa Claus!

Go see a movie: Every Thanksgiving, great movies come out. I am looking forward to the vampire book turned movie "Twilight" and "Australia" with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Come Christmas time, we can't wait to see "Marley & Me" starring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and the beloved yellow lab Marley. If you love dogs, you must read the book and see this movie!

Go Shopping! Shopaholics know that "Black Friday" is the kick-off for the holiday shopping season. If you are a bargain hunter and thrive on chaotic department stores and long lines, go for it! If you fear the mall (like I do!), then stay away on Friday, November 28th! You have been warned!