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!).

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.

Getting Our Kicks

Sometimes you just have to take time out to think about something you wouldn't ordinarily think about. So here's your tidbit for the day: The Santa Monica Pier has officially been named the western terminus of historic Route 66.

I have to admit, that fact mainly piqued my interest since I'm "fresh" from a long road trip from L.A. to Albuquerque. We took I-40, which roughly parallels and sometimes runs right over the famous old strip of striped asphalt. Because Jack is 5 and requires at least 37 stops an hour for every human function and necessity you can think of, we got to know every weed, truck stop and tourist trap that populates these often desolate stretches.

But rather than rolling my eyes and sighing loudly with each "I'm hungry!" we indulged in some of those touristy stops. Admittedly, we were mostly relegated to less attractive stretch of the "Mother Road," as John Steinbeck proclaimed it. Needles leaves a lot to be desired, but Barstow, with its signature railroad depot-themed McDonald's, was bustling with tourists. We paused at the Petrified Forest but since we actually started making some time, didn't get a chance to view the Meteor Crater (let's save something for next time). Jack got a coon-skin cap (or "raccoon hat," as he preferred to call it), and we all ate plenty of greasy food while admiring  Native American jewelry, moccasins and Route 66 collectibles.

Our ultimate destination was a friend's wedding in Albuquerque, and the stretch of 66 in Old Town there doesn't disappoint with its retro neon signs and old buildings and cafes that hark back to a time when seatbelts were just a gleam in the eyes of lawmakers.

The historic route rolls east all the way to Chicago, but there was no "official" western end ... it just sort of trailed off into a maze of streets in Santa Monica before disappearing at the Pacific Ocean. But today, a motorcade of vintage cars parked at a replica of the long-lost "End of the Trail" sign on the pier, finally bringing "closure" to those die-hard fans of Route 66 – which, thanks to Jack, we all got to know a little better.

Mouse Mania

"What's a 'mom blogger'?"

OK, so not everyone at Disneyland last weekend had heard of this up-and-coming media power player that's taking the internet by storm with its unyielding influence and buying power.

I was trying to catch up with my mom blogger group winding through the park toward Tom Sawyer Island and had lost my way. I asked a "cast member" where I might find those hard-working, iPhone hugging, Tweeting, social-network-savvy friends of mine, but all I received back was a blank stare.

"She's making that up," I heard the cast member remark as I moved through the crowd looking for a familiar face.

But believe me, there are not only cast members at Disney but folks at big and small companies (as well as Mrs. Claus, I found out) who do know what a mom blogger is. And they are hip to the fact that we are there to get the word out about parenting trends, products moms love and places they should be (or at least know about).

Hence, the Mom Bloggers Day at Disneyland this past weekend, where we were handed the keys to the Kingdom (and Disney's California Adventure, too). And what did I learn?

• I love Halloween Time at Disneyland. Even the air feels different as the pumpkins and giant candy corn start to pop up. There's a new fireworks show called Halloween Screams – A Villainous Surprise in the Skies featuring the "bad guys" such as Oogie Boogie and Ursula the Sea Witch projected big and loud over Sleeping Beauty Castle. Jack Skellington's ghost dog Zero replaces Tinkerbell, zooming through the skies amid the showers of sparks.


• My sweet little Jack can handle a dark roller coaster. He took to the newly redone Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, where even the giant "fire man" left him wanting to go again. Kate said she preferred the original, but she's a bit of a roller coaster snob.


• Disney villians need love, too. Kate and Jack met Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook and the Old Hag, and kids clamored for autographs at the special area just for them near the It's a Small World mall.


• Even if you're local, it's good to stay a night or two, if you can. You can find good deals at nearby hotels or splurge on either the classic Disneyland Hotel, the functional Paradise Pier Hotel or the grand old Disney's Grand California. We opted for the Paradise Pier (room packages are around $300 for two-night stay). We were able to check in before the room was ready, and then the front desk sent me a text message while we played at the park when our room was ready.


• There's a brand-new way to earn a free Disneyland ticket: Do a good deed. Disney just launched its "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program to inspire families to give a day of service in 2010. Starting on Jan. 1, folks can search for volunteer opportunities through the HandsOn Network at DisneyParks.com. Southwest Airlines in joining in, too, by providing transportation for the initiative.

Photos include: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Kate with an "ear" for candy, a little ghost hunting inside Sleeping Beauty Castle, Mrs. Claus addresses the mom bloggers, and both kids crashed out after the fireworks (thanks to fellow mom blogger Kathy Sena of Parent Talk Today for capturing that moment!):

Ah, Paradise

I'm stuffed with poke pupu platters and pineapple and Beard Papa's cream puffs. We've slithered down slides at the Paradise Pool, learned about deposed queens at the Iolani Palace, and toured the lovely Grand Waikikian, our home away from home this week.

We're all exhausted, overfed and filled with knowledge of things we didn't know, like the fact that 80% of Hawaii's population lives here on O'ahu.

Kate even took a turn as kid journalist, interviewing O'ahu representatives Rebecca Pang and Sonja Swenson and chatting about Hawaiian culture.

Here's a snippet of her interview: