Trippin': Break Out For Spring Break

Alas, spring break is upon us! But what to do? Here are a couple of travel tidbits that might spur you to hit the open road:

An American Girl in Chicago: Head to the Affinia Chicago hotel for its American Girl Place Package ($229 standard, $289 deluxe) that includes a doll-sized bed, pillow and blankie so your child's American Girl can sleep in comfort. The package also includes a turn-down treat for the child and the doll and a custom welcome note. The deluxe package includes an AG keepsake, Affinia Chicago rubber duckie, breakfast for a child in C-House, dining discounts and other fun stuff. The hotel's concierge staff can help make reservations at the American Girl Cafe. The packages are available through December.

Special Menu: Kids and food allergies make for difficult traveling companions, which is why Jim Lindfors, executive chef at Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa's BIN189 restaurant, is willing to create special menus for special appetites. Simply contact the resort two days prior to your arrival with your dietary needs, and Chef Lindfors will create a menu with your child's name that suits his dietary needs. Lindfors, whose son is on a restricted diet, says he creates the menus "to make these kids feel special, not different." Call the restaurant directly at 909-337-4189 to set up a menu for your stay at the resort, which is situated on the shore of Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino National Forest. The luxury lodge, located about 90 miles east of L.A., offers 173 guestrooms, a spa and other amenities.


Travel to Trees: Doubletree Hotels have partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to bring a 2,500-square-foot traveling Exploring Trees Inside & Out exhibit in which kids can crawl around the logs, listen to the sounds of the forest and even become a forest creature through the wonders of technology. The exhibit will travel to the California Science Center June 1-Sept. 6. Or see it at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia through May 2 and enjoy the hotel chain's new Bed and Breakfast package (free full breakfast buffet for two adults and two children!).

Rooting for a Tree

Students at the Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge received a valuable message in tree hugging last month when a mulberry tree that was blocking the construction of a new theater building was moved rather than tossed to the chipper-shredder.

The specimen in question was no sapling. It topped out at 40 feet and weighed nearly 35,000 pounds – so transplanting the tree was no small feat. But the tree has played an important role in the school's 43-year history. Its leafy canopy provides a shady meeting spot for the gardening class, and the community often feasted on its abundant mulberries in the spring.

"Many students are here from preschool through high school and have grown up with the tree," says Highland Hall gardening teacher Juanita Gilmore.

So kids and parents raised the necessary funds, and a crane was brought in to carefully lift the tree, place it in the back of a truck, drive it to its new location 125 feet away and plant it with the same orientation as it had in its original spot.

Will it survive the big move? Parents, teachers and community members who came out to watch the big move hope so.

"The students were very intrigued about the process," Gilmore says. "They enjoyed watching what the workers did each day. Some were very excited, some were worried about the tree. Many of them were sending it magic through their fingers (their idea!) as they watched it being moved. I think the general feeling was that they were grateful that it was being saved."

Mulberry trees are known to be hardy, and this one is already sporting buds and "doing great," reports Martina Turner, who's in charge of communication and outreach at Highland Hall. Gilmore adds that it's even putting on mulberry flowers.

Now that's an Earth Day lesson for us all!

Choosing Cruising

Today's post is courtesy of veteran family travel writer and Santa Clarita mom of three Mimi Slawoff. You often see her byline in L.A. Parent as our go-to writer for the magazine's Let's Go section, where she covers everything from dude ranch getaways to theme park excursions. Here she reports on her latest Carnival cruise outing.

Our family vacation last summer was among the best we’ve had. Not because it was the most exotic or action filled. But because it was relaxing, budget-friendly, and our family of five enjoyed every minute together. In fact, it was smooth sailing from start to finish.

We spent five fabulous nights onboard the Carnival Elation ship sailing through Baja, enjoying a fun cruise with good food, entertainment and activities. Every few years or so, we choose a cruise for our summer vacation. For us, cruising is a hassle-free, value-priced vacation that offers a plethora of activities we can do together or individually.

It's dress-up night for Bruce (from left), Michael, Megan, Mimi and Christina.

Last July, we gathered our brood, ages 14, 18 and 20, and sailed off into the sunset from San Diego. The 14-deck Elation had just begun operating a series of three-, four- and five-day cruises with two itineraries departing from San Diego. The five-day cruises departing Saturdays feature two full days in Cabo San Lucas; the five-day cruises departing Mondays include both Cabo and Ensenada. In addition, Carnival’s Elation has cruises departing Thursdays that visit Cabo. (These itineraries are valid through April 2010.) Baja trips, starting at $184 per person, are also available from Long Beach.

On our itinerary, we visited Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. When our kids were young, they always went with the flow. With teens, it’s more like riding out a riptide. So we agreed early on that on this trip we would be spontaneous and flexible. Translation: easy on the rules and plans. My kids rallied for sleeping in, eating at all hours and simply enjoying the ship’s amenities.

Shortly after boarding, we explored the Elation and enjoyed beautiful views of the San Diego skyline as we left the port around 5 p.m. We signed up our 14-year-old daughter, Megan, in the Circle C program, for ages 12-14. The cruise line’s popular children’s programs include Camp Carnival for ages 2-11, and Club 02 for ages 15-17.

“Carnival carries more kids than any other cruise line, and we expect to host 650,000 this year alone,” says Carnival spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz.

Megan floated in and out of the young teen club, choosing from a myriad of activities such as dances, video games, karaoke, parties and games. Onboard deals offered Teen Spa Specials and Ice Cream Teen Menu; shore excursions included parasailing. Meanwhile, our older kids found plenty to do – and not do. Christina was content to read a book poolside, while Michael joined in frequent pick-up basketball games with young guys his age.

With the luxury of time on our hands, Bruce and I indulged in grown-up fun, such as wine tasting with the maître d’ in the dining room. About 20 people showed up in shorts and sundresses to sample domestic and international wines.

Mealtimes were always a pleasure. For breakfast, we alternated between Tiffany’s, a large cafeteria that serves full breakfast and lunch buffets, and the dining room’s more formal sit-down breakfast. Dinners were the best. We had arranged for an early dinner seating, 6 p.m., and were pleased to find we had a private table in the Inspiration dining room, one of two formal restaurants. Our head waiter, Erich, and assistant server, Putu, were wonderful and indulged our son Michael’s appetite for three nightly entrées (he’s tall and thin, and I don’t know where he puts all that food). Erich and Putu quickly learned our names, as well as our food and beverage preferences. They were so friendly that by the end of the week, my husband Bruce sang a duet (“That’s Amore”) with Erich during an Italian-themed dinner.

Compared to newer, larger ships outfitted with onboard theme parks, the Elation is simple although more than sufficient. It has three pools (one equipped with a waterslide), a 12,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, a library where you can check out books and games, a casino, and several lounges with bars. Daily and nightly shows take place in the Japanese-themed Mikado Lounge, a multilevel, 1,200-seat theater.

Bright and early on the third day, the ship glided slowly into Cabo San Lucas, located at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula. We stood on the outside deck for better views of Los Arcos, the famous rock formations and arch that are situated where the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez merge. The beach beckoned and our kids couldn’t wait to explore Cabo. The ship dropped anchor and we boarded tenders to reach the shore.

Our plan was to swim and lounge at a nearby beach, followed by lunch (per Michael’s request) at Cabo Wabo Cantina, owned by musician Sammy Hagar. We were approached by a slew of taxi operators but chose one who agreed to a private ride for $12. After swimming in the warm, gentle surf, we hailed a cab (about $5) from the closest luxury hotel to bring us to nearby Cabo Wabo. We lingered over tacos, enchiladas and margaritas before walking back to the ship. Along the way we browsed through shops for small souvenirs. The heat was stifling and by the time we reached the ship, we were exhausted. But we all agreed it was a great day.

When the ship pulled into port in Ensenada at the end of the week, the kids chose to stay onboard. Bruce and I took a short walk about town but returned to the ship to join the kids for mini golf and ping pong. As the ship departed for San Diego in the late afternoon, we lounged on chairs at the back of the ship, tanned, relaxed and content.

Baja cruises are also available from Long Beach. If you’re looking for a longer cruise, consider the Carnival Splendor, which offers year-round, seven-day Mexican Riviera service from Long Beach. For more information, visit www.carnival.com.

Clawed Logic

Musical theater is not my first love. In truth, it's not even on my top 10. The words that have to be sung instead of just spoken, the over-dramatic dance gestures, the gratuitously glittery costumes ... it's all wasted on my unsophisticated-West Coast-let's-just-go-to-the-movies-centric hapless brain.

So why did I attend last night's premiere of CATS, arguably one of the most argued about Broadway imports to land (on its feet, of course) at the Pantages on Hollywood Boulevard? Three reasons:

1. I feel that exposure to these things might help me beef up the "love" part of the love/hate relationship I have with musicals. It's my version of immersion therapy.


2. Attending these performances is part of my cultural education. At the next cocktail party, I want to make sure I can comment on the obvious comparisons between feline ethos and our own humble and decidedly less refined human existence.


3. Kate LOVES musical theater.

I've written about Kate's adoration of the theater before (see my previous post on Riverdance), and I feel very strongly about the fact that I need to ensure that she is as familiar with T.S. Eliot's role in CATS as she is with Zack Efron's associations with basketball. While she embraces the "boards," I am equally motivated to deliver her to an L.A. Sparks game or a Ziggy Marley concert.

And as her escort in the manner of these affairs, I'm not always going to be the rabid (sorry, "cats") fan of them that she is (and vice-versa, of course). To wit, at last night's performance, her uncouth mother could not understand that despite our third-row view of CATS in all their feline finery, she needed a booster seat for a better view.

Me: Kate, what are you doing? We're almost the same size, and I can see each whisker on those cats' faces.

Kate: But I can't see their feet. That's the important part.

Oh. Yeah. OK.

So as we add Broadway musicals to the cultural dance card, I've had to, shall we say, devise some survival strategies. Perhaps if you have a similar dynamic in your home, you might find these tips helpful. Here goes:

• About every 15-20 minutes, look over at the unadulterated joy on your child's face. All the "Why are the lyrics so strange?" and "Is that cat going to heaven?" questions (from me) just melt away.
  
  That's MY favorite kitty in the center. Photo credit: © 2008, G CREATIVE


• Make it a bonding experience. Kate and I rode the Metro Red Line, giving us time to chat about her school life. She even confessed to having her first "crush" as we giggled together on the subway.


• Have treats! Intermission should be all about the chocolate chip cookies. Oh, and the Pantages has a bar.


• Enjoy the crowd-watching. At the previous musical, Joanne Worley entertained us with her signature laugh and shook hands with all of us in nearby rows.


• Pick a kitty. I favored the white lady cat, who had a beautiful "coat." And when she slinked into the audience she pawed at my shoe. We connected. She was a brilliant dancer, and I watched her reactions onstage and how deeply she stayed in character throughout the show. This method also worked for me during Riverdance. Just find a favorite and follow them.

Do that, and your child might look like this by nights' end:



Totally worth it, right?

Tickets for CATS, which runs through March 21, are $25-$78 (children under 5 are not admitted, so hold off on their Broadway education till they're old enough to appreciate the power of "Memory").

Oh, and please leave a comment below if you can tell me what CATS is about and how to better appreciate the performances.

A Ruff Hangout

A day in the life of Olive, the Graham Family dog:

• Wake up at the crack of dawn so I can wake everyone else up at the crack of dawn.


• Thoroughly sniff out wet lawn for wayward squirrels and birds.


• Track muddy footprints collected from wet lawn through house.


• Bark at UPS delivery person.


• Take a nap.


• Dig up musty rawhide and place in Carolyn's bed.


• Take a nap.


• Go get musty rawhide out of yard and return it to rightful place in Carolyn's bed.


• Stare forlornly at Carolyn in order to remind her that dinner should be served promptly at 6 p.m.

Hotel Indigo guests enjoy drinks with their dogs.

That makes for a long dog-day afternoon, so it stands to reason that she – and all other pups out there with similarly demanding agendas – would need to kick back and relax at their local watering hole. That's why you'll find Canine Cocktails at the Hotel Indigo San Diego, which this spring is bringing back its popular happy hour geared for the four-legged.

Hotel doggie ambassador Sandie dives into the reflecting pool with a pal.

Collies, poodles, labs and all manners of mutts are invited onto the hotel's ninth floor Phi Terrace Bar from 6:30-9 p.m. one Tuesday per month to enjoy some complimentary dog bones, snacks and bottled water  as well as the reflecting pool and green rooftop (the next event is March 16). Their people can sample the tapas from Phi Bar and Bistro and then feel good about ordering up one of the specialty cocktails – such as the signature Blue Indigo "Phi" martini – since a dollar of every drink sold is donated to the San Diego Humane Society. There's no cover charge for the Canine Cocktails, but dogs must be on a leash and keep their paws off tables and chairs (and no growling – remember, this is "happy" hour).

While you're there, be sure to introduce your pooch to Sandie (San Diego without the "go"), the hotel's Lab mix who was adopted from the San Diego Humane Society and who now serves as the hotel's mascot and ambassador.

During the summer, the Canine Cocktails will commence to every Tuesday. And dog-loving Angelenos don't have to worry about making the long drive just for the day – the 210-room property located in the Gaslamp District (and appropriately just one block from PETCO Park) welcomes pooches to stay overnight (nightly rates start at $199, with no extra charge or deposit for pets).