Chasing the Amazing race
Part one: Chasing the Amazing Race
For 2 years in a row we’ve been chasing The Amazing Race. It’s not on purpose, but somehow our last two vacation destinations have corresponded with the final episodes of our favorite show.
Last year we enjoyed Tea on the Titanic in Belfast, where Amazing Race filmed a challenge featuring contestants as waiters. Held every Sunday, “Tea on the Titanic” is held in a historically accurate re-creation of the grand staircase of the Titanic. The Tea, which especially for kids is a good value, is enough food for two meals if you plan it right. The Deal Kids didn’t have any real understanding of what a “Tea” was and I can’t imagine a better introduction. Our kids felt like they were IN the race as extras being served!
I figured our luck was a one-off, so imagine my surprise when the finale this year was held in Las Vegas, where we’re headed in July! The final roadblock featured an illusion by David Copperfeld at the MGM Grand, so of course we just HAVE to stay there one night and see his show.
So this is just a quick note to the producers (who knows, maybe this should be titled “Chasing The Deal Mommy” 🙂 : 2015’s destination is Japan. We’ll see you there and be ready to “Eat the Wasabi”!
June 12, 2014
Part 2: Meeting her idol
Deal Girl’s been watching The Amazing Race since she was in utero and was DYING to meet Phil Keogan when he spoke at the DC Travel Show. To her great disappointment she was next in line to ask a question during the Q&A and missed her chance. We waited over an hour and upon reaching the front of the line heard “Phil’s gotta go, so he’s going to walk by and you can get a 5 second photo”.
9 year old Deal Girl was NOT going to take no for an answer! Phil had walked around the front of the table to leave and she marched up to him for an autograph while asking her first question (about how they recruit the local challenge judges and participants). He graciously stopped to answer it (basically they have an advance team) but she didn’t stop there. She then asked him about how far in advance the show is filmed to figure out if we were in Mexico City at the same time. (They were in Mexico Nov. 20 for a Feb. air date). She then kept chatting with him until he exclaimed “You need to be in PR!“
As if there was ever any question
Feb. 23, 2016
Travel lessons from first graders
hepherding 100 1st Graders through the wonders of Washington, DC. The entire field trip was a terrific lesson for what to do and what NOT to do when traveling, especially with your own kids.
- The bus left during rush hour, so what would have been a 30 minute drive at 10AM was a 90 minute drive at 9AM. Lesson: be aware of transit times when you plan your days.
- When we arrived at 10:30AM, we spent 15 minutes at the WWII memorial, which the kids enjoyed for reading off the state names and sticking their hands in the fountains. Lesson: be prepared for your kids to be interested in stuff they can relate to at attractions, which may have nothing to do with the point of the visit.
- We then walked 15 minutes to lunch on the grass just past it as the kids were already a half hour past their normal lunch time and grumbling loudly. We spent 20 minutes eating lunch and 5 minutes getting the kids back moving after ducks came by our picnic spot. Lesson: Carry snacks and water or be prepared for an early lunch! Kids need to eat more often than you do.
- By now it was 11:30 and the buses were leaving to return to the school at 12:45. We still had three monuments on the list! Lesson: Don’t overschedule!
- But before we could get to the Vietnam memorial, a bathroom stop was needed. The line to the ladies’ room was 20 people deep BEFORE our class arrived. Lesson: If you see a free bathroom and no line, make your kid use it whether they have to go or not. By the time they need to go, you’ll be faced with the line.
- At 12:00 we arrived at the Vietnam Veterans memorial, which took 5 minutes as the entire visit consisted of the kids marching through while being yelled at not to touch the flowers people had left for their own lost loved ones. Lesson: Think hard about what is REALLY appropriate for your kids to visit. Will they be a distraction to other people?
- At 12:10 we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial. This was a big hit with all of the kids, and was the first Memorial they connected with for reasons that were consistent to the attraction. From Lincoln being on the penny to his size to the step where MLK said “I have a dream”, the kids “got it”. However, we had to leave at 12:20, meaning we were at the Memorial itself for only 10 minutes, 5 of which were marching up and down the stairs. Lesson: Be willing to shuffle and/or drop an event if you find something that touches your kids.
- We dragged the kids away from Lincoln and marched them to the Korean War Memorial. This one they also enjoyed, the boys because the statues had guns and walkie-talkies and the girls because of the etchings. The girls were especially happy to see other women featured, although I had to explain that Amelia Earhart didn’t fly in Korea. Lesson: If you have a girl, try to find other women in history…even at this age the girls understood that they weren’t represented.
However I skipped the biggest lesson, which is in the photo above. It’s of an inchworm, although this specimen wasn’t even a half inch long. The kids found it during the bathroom stop climbing up a tree and marveled at how this tiny little guy just kept going higher and higher. One girl even called him “brave”.
Lesson: It’s the little things that make a trip special.
Vacation Mom
April at Adventure Wherever has a fun post harkening back to road trips of her childhood that reminded me of two things:
- I love Stuckey’s pecan logs.
- Pretty much all of the rules go out the window when I travel.
The two are actually related, in the sense that Stuckey’s pecan logs are basically bits of pecan held together by sugar and fat…NOT something you’d consume on a regular basis. But no road trip that passes a Stuckey’s is complete without one, and I’ve happily passed this tradition down to the Deal Kids.
Home Mom makes sure every meal has a protein, a grain, and a veg/fresh fruit. Travel mom gave her kids gogurt (protein), gogosqueez (fruit) and popchips (grain?) for breakfast on Memorial Day. True story.
Home Mom enforces 830 bedtime, 9PM lights out even on (most) weekends. TVs in their bedrooms? Are you nuts? Sunday night of Memorial Day weekend Deal Kid was up in bed watching “Good Luck Charlie” at 10:30PM when Deal Dad finally made him shut it off.
Needless to say, the kids like Travel Mom much better than Home Mom! The good news is that Travel Mom is only around for short bursts and the kids get that she’s a break from routine. The transition back to real life is usually pretty smooth.
Here’s my concern: we’re about to go away for a month. This is not only our longest trip, but also the one with the most transitions and the most “foreignness”-ie-the times when “Travel Mom” is most likely to let things slide to keep the peace and maximize the experience.
What happens when we get home? If you have any experience with adjustment to routines during and after a long trip, please share!
Original publish date May 29, 2013
Kennedy Space Center Rocket Garden: The coolest playground on Earth
We’re headed to Florida for Spring Break and I wanted to share one of my favorite spots: The Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center. I’m sure all of you are familiar with the space center, and many of you have probably visited. However, I’ll bet you didn’t know that kids (and grownups) can actually climb in and play around the spaceships moored in the Kennedy Space Center Rocket Garden.
And these just aren’t any spaceship structures.
These are actual spaceships that have been in space!
As it says on the Kennedy Center Website: “Here you can experience the very same Redstone, Atlas and Titan rockets that first put NASA astronauts in space, or climb aboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules – and get an idea of the cramped quarters America’s astronaut pioneers endured.”
What it doesn’t tell you is that the rocket garden is the coolest playground ever. We visited Kennedy Center on the first day of our last Florida vacation. We fully intended Kennedy to be a one day visit mixed with Disney/Universal. The Deal Kids had so much fun that we chucked all of our other plans and just bought the annual membership. We returned four days out of seven and none of us felt deprived. In fact, Deal Dad and I enjoyed the less frenetic pace.
Besides the standard tour (and awesome rocket garden) Kennedy has tons to do. Included with admission is a daily talk with an astronaut, which is must-do. No kid will forget asking an astronaut how he poops! (“Very carefully”, answers the astronaut, who clearly gets the question often). I also highly recommend “lunch with an astronaut” for a more in-depth experience if you have a real space kid.
If you’re buying annual membership, pricing is best through the Kennedy Center, I’d strongly recommend the annual membership if you think you’ll return for even one day over the next year.
Have you visited the Rocket Garden? Do you nominate any other cool playgrounds?
Original publish date March 4, 2013
The Two Word Travel Mantra You Need to Travel With Kids
‘m in the process of planning our 3rd extended International family trip. This one is to Japan, a place none of us has been and there’s SO MUCH we want to do! However, now that I’m booking day by day, I’m keeping my travel mantra in mind: minimize transitions.
When I recap our trips, I try to document the failures as well as the successes. Almost every failure I can remember involves the movement from location to another. We’ve missed the Eurostar, threw the kids and bags at top speed to make a 3 minute train connection, scrambled for flights and gotten lost in rental cars among other mishaps, and they always happen when we’re loaded with luggage and stressed to make a deadline. In Austria we made the firm check-in deadline for our castle only by the crazily efficient operations of Lufthansa at FRA.
So I go out of my way not to move once we’re set up in a location. This means I plan activities based on what’s a do-able daytrip from our home base, and I plan our home base based on what we want to do. It takes more work on the front end and some flexibility on what you see, but I find it’s definitely worth it.
For example, when we went to Guatemala the kids were 4 and 7. We made the decision to skip Tikal because we were based in Antigua. Instead we visited Iximche. Was it as tall as Tikal? No. But it was 90 minutes from Antigua and was almost entirely deserted. Deserted except for the actual Mayans who still used the site for their holy rituals. And we didn’t have to pack up and board a plane.
The only real fail in our Guatemala trip? Taking an overnight to the beach. We didn’t have to unpack entirely, but between the 3 hour drive each way and our hotel being a far cry from our “home” 2 bedroom condo in Antigua it just didn’t measure up to the rest of the trip.
So in Japan we want to see Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima, but we’re staying in none of the above. Instead, I’m picking a hotel in Osaka which is an easy train ride from all three. We can stay there the entire six nights instead of jumping around, and it’s 1/2 the cost. Yes, we’ll have longer transit times each day, but I’ll take that over moving our entire caravan.
The Meltdown Day: My #1 Tip for Happy Family Travel
I often get asked advice about Camp Mom and how I keep family travel happy. My #1 answer is simple: schedule a Meltdown Day.
Meltdown days can be due to sickness, exhaustion, or just the plain old bad mood. By building lots of breaks into our travels I can pull the plug whenever tummy bugs strike (as one did for Deal Kid in Paris) or just plain old bad moods reign (as one did for both kids last week in Florida). I learned early that I paid the price for over-scheduling.
So last week in Florida the Deal Kids spent a couple of hours with Jessie (in separate rooms-thanks to our oceanfront suite) and I read on the balcony guilt free thanks to the Meltdown day. In Ireland, after 10 days on the road, an Adrenalini Brothers marathon and some outside play with local kids was just the ticket. One more castle and we all would have lost it!
When Your Kids Get Sick Overseas: Three Lessons Learned the Hard Way
A topic came up on the Saverocity Podcast at FT4RL: what you wish you knew before traveling with kids.
I volunteered one I’ve learned the hard way and realized I’ve never shared before on the blog: pack more kids’ medicines than you need because you might not be able to get them at your destination, even in developed countries. I’ve found Chewable Advil Junior Strength Tablets are an absolute life-saver.
I came across this twice in Europe during Camp Mom:
- Deal Girl got a rash after sunburn in Austria. In the states I would have grabbed some Cortaid, but Austrian pharmacies won’t sell steroid cream to kids. I had to go with the stuff above, which helped but not nearly as quickly as cortisone cream could have.
- Deal Kid came down with a tummy bug in Paris and I wanted kid’s Pepto or Immodium. No dice: turns out the standard treatment in France is a pricey “probiotique”. The probiotics did the trick in 1/2 day, so kudos to the French!
This leads me to lesson #2: daily probiotics for kids on the road. At home I’m pretty much a Flinstones gal but now when we travel I give the kids a daily probiotic to ward off the nasties. It took me a while to find one in the states that the kids would take without gagging. Luckily, I recently received a sample of BioGaia to review and they did the trick. At a buck a tablet they’re not cheap, but compared to missing a day of vacation I’ll take it.
And lesson #3 I’ve mentioned before but is worth re-stating: Travel Insurance. I just bought a policy that covers all medical and $2000 of travel expenses (basically what I would need to pay to redeposit miles and non-refundable hotel) for a month for $26/person through Allianz Travel Insurance. Total no-brainer, especially after I had to file a claim and they paid out right away.
Hotel Status Matters Less for Families. Here’s Why.
Greetings from Chicago! I’m here with Deal Girl on a whirlwind STEM/STEAM weekend. More on that later. I’m typing this post from the sofa at the Hyatt Place Downtown/The Loop while Deal Girl sleeps. Being here reminds me that hotel status matters less when you travel as a family.
Let me explain.
The layout of this room includes a partition that shades the beds from the sofa. I’ve been up for over an hour sipping coffee and catching up and Deal Girl is still sleeping like a rock. Any of you parents out there know what a gift this is. In most standard hotel rooms if you turn on a light, the entire family awakens. I’ve heard many tales of parents camping out in the bathroom so the kids won’t wake up.
Hyatt Place, Residence Inn, and the like take the bathroom campout out of the equation. I’ve changed my view of what makes a hotel room luxurious over the years. Now space matters as much or more as traditional amenities. Only a hotel that has a unique feature such as a robot valet tips the scales over the ability to be awake while the Deal Kids sleep.
Which brings me back to hotel status.
Status doesn’t matter at all at Hyatt Place. Sure, you might get a view or a slightly larger room, but the basic experience will be the same whether you are a Globalist or bought the room on Priceline. You’ll still get free breakfast and plenty of room to spread out.
For this weekend I considered this Hyatt Place at 12,000 points a night and the nearby Hyatt Regency at 15,000 points. I could have had a Globalist register me as a guest of honor. However, the entire city is hosting a convention this weekend so it’s likely I would not have earned an upgrade.
So I had to compare the experience in a standard Hyatt Regency room with a club to the Hyatt Place. The extra 3,000 points would have basically gotten us evening snacks. However, we’re in Chicago, one of the great food cities on earth. As Deal Girl put it, it’s like the world’s best state fair at every meal. Even a hot dog is art.
Even if you don’t want to leave the hotel, UBEREats brings the best of Chicago to your door. Last night we crashed hard after two solid museum days. We ordered Mart Anthony’s for delivery and for under $30 enjoyed some of the best Italian food we’ve ever tasted. Hmmm…warmed over club chicken tenders or lasagna and meatballs? No contest.
And that’s when you can get a room.
Joe and Trevor recently hosted me on the Saverocity podcast. One running theme of the conversation was how difficult it was to find family sized rooms in South America. We ran straight into occupancy limits everywhere we visited.
So the next time you read about how it’s “only” sixty nights of choosing a specific brand to get amazing benefits? Make sure you remember to do your own math. What makes hotel status matter is what makes it matter to you.
Which hotel status has mattered to me?
I completed the Marriott Platinum Challenge in March. That status has had major benefits…on United Airlines. I’ve barely used it at Marriott or Starwood. But on United? I’ve flown seven flights and received upgrades on three. One of those upgrades was on a transcontinental red-eye. On the others I received economy plus. This was a game changer flying to and from Hawaii.
In other words, $467 for the Platinum Challenge was extremely well spent.
I’d love to hear your hotel status strategy for 2018 in the comments.
UPDATE: My buddy Ed over at Pizza in Motion has provided a counterpoint.
Rebuttal: I think Ed sunk his own argument. 2 kids under 10 in a separate room with any risk that they don’t connect? No way. Ed replied that his family often goes one kid and one adult per room to which I also reply NO WAY.
Rebuttal: I think Ed sunk his own argument. 2 kids under 10 in a separate room with any risk that they don’t connect? No way. Ed replied that his family often goes one kid and one adult per room to which I also reply NO WAY. The entry of AirBnb and EVR into the market changed the equation. The financial argument Ed uses just make no sense anymore. Break free of the chain chains and you’ll have a better experience for less money.
An example: 2nd room at 2 X points vs. 3 bedroom historic house at $100/night in Buenos Aires?Say it with me: No. Brainer.
Ed closed by saying my argument was too broad and that status has benefit for some families. I suppose I can concede that point. However, I find the need to paint in such bold strokes because I am a solo artist. Points and status are the currency in which points bloggers trade. I’m just asking you to taste the Kool-Aid before you drink it.
My Miracle Cure for Kids Travel Woes
Jet lag. Bad night’s sleep. Homesickness. Sudden rainstorm. Sibling fight. Too many Temple-itis.
Every little skirmish can blow up into a catastrophe when you’re 12 times zones away from home. Fortunately, I’ve discovered the cure for every complaint the kids can throw at me on the road: ice cream.
I’ve yet to visit a place that doesn’t sell it, and a few minutes sitting down with a frozen treat does the trick with most travel maladies. It may be more the forced reset than the actual ice cream itself, but either way I’ll take it.
(And I don’t just use this trick overseas. At home sugar-free Slurpees are my go-to for tummyaches, sore throats, bumps and bruises…)
First Time Uber with Kids: Four Lessons Learned
Thanks to everyone who chimed in with opinions/advice on my aversion to Uber last week. With your encouragement Deal Girl and I took the plunge this week and the results, while not perfect, were better than I feared.
We’re in Mexico City thanks to Southwest Airlines and reader Tim mentioned he had positive experiences here with Uber. Locals kept giving me advice not to take hired taxis for safety reasons and hotel called ones were exorbitant. App in hand, I gave Uber a try five times over three days and can share some four tips I learned, a couple the hard way.
- If you’re leery of uber like I was, consider uber black. It’s the deluxe version of uber with nicer cars (and presumably better off drivers). Uber has five levels from x (meaning just anybody?) to lux. However, availability varies from city to city. In Mexico City you went from x to deluxe, skipping the in-between taxi level. Fares for the black cars averaged 1.5 times the x cars- a premium I was happy to pay. Even the deluxe fares were cheaper than a hotel taxi: for instance a hotel taxi from the Hyatt to the Zocalo (main square) was 250 pesos ($15) and 2 uber blacks were 221 and 187.
- The GPS may not pinpoint you as well as you think. You are much better typing in an address, at least in Mexico City. The problems I had with uber were not with the drivers, but with the system. Because my location wasn’t input accurately (one Hyatt pickup put us in the middle of the street over a block away) the driver was destined to fail.
- After 5 minutes you’re charged a cancellation fee, whether it’s your fault or not. One uber black we called from Coyocan showed itself 6 minutes away when I ordered. That six went from six to eight to ten to five to seven etc until we just gave up. I still got dinged 100 pesos (6$) and was told when I complained “the driver waited for you”. It’s irrelevant how long someone waits for you if you have no idea when they’re going to show up!
- Any credits you have may not work overseas. They didn’t in Mexico City.
Now to the important part: how was the experience? In a word, great, when it worked. The four cars we did take were all newish, clean, and with drivers who were bilingual and courteous. We were offered water in all cabs, gum or candy in 3, and one even had English language magazines. Pickups were seamless three times and only a bit bumpy once (the location was near a pedestrian zone so it was hard for him to see us). Getting out without worrying about payment was a big plus, especially in a crowded area. None of the fares were out of the range I was quoted and one was lower.
I mentioned “with kids” in the post title because safety with Deal Girl in the back is more on my mind than if I were solo (although perhaps it shouldn’t be. At 8, Deal Girl no longer needs a carseat, but in very limited cities you can get an uberfamily with carseats. Obviously if you have an infant you’re going to want a bucket seat. Laws vary whether taxis are exempt from car seats: notably in California they are not.
So would I uber again? Yes, with qualifications. From public place a to public place b, in a taxi level or above, sure. From my home? Unsure. An uberX? Unlikely.
The obligatory plug: If you want to give uber a try, use invite code UBERTHEDEALMOMMY and get $20 off your first ride (in the US).
How I Get My Family Seated Together on Full Flights (For Free)
I was going to comment on Joe’s post about paying $30 to make sure he sat next to his 3 year old but then I remembered I have a blog! His post made me LOL because in twelve years of flying with two kids I’ve never paid a penny and have never been separated from them. I don’t have magic status and I don’t always fly Southwest (which is an easy way to solve this problem, BTW). I have one magic trip up my sleeve…
I do absolutely nothing.
And I mean nothing. If a flight looks at all full I don’t check in online at all. At the airport I just hand over my ID with the kids in tow and magically get handed three tickets together- about 3/4 of the time in economy plus.
I don’t just employ this now that they’re older- I’ve been doing this since Deal Kid was 2 and it has NEVER failed me. The bottom line is that the airlines don’t want you separated from your kids any more than you do and gate agents have latitude in seating individual passengers that were formerly in your disconnected seats in exit rows or giving them an upgrade. It’s just common sense for the airline.
Now I realize every rule has an exception and it’s possible I’m just the luckiest parent alive. However, I don’t think so. I think the lack of selecting seats works greatly in my favor. On the off chance it didn’t work, I have real trouble imagining anyone out there wanting to sit next to your three year old, especially if they can trade their middle seat for your aisle in the process. Joe, PLEASE don’t pay that seat fee again!
The Definitive Family Friendly Hotels in Europe Post, 2015
It’s a question I’m asked often and have answered piecemeal but never in just one post: how do I find family friendly hotels in Europe? I’ve decided to gather my top tips in one location for handy reference.
Before I start, I want to give you a basic rule: travel like Europeans do. You may now be thinking great, Deal Mommy, now what the heck does that mean?
Europeans have families, and they travel frequently, I assure you! After both living in Europe and extensively traveling there with the Deal Kids, I can tell you the European method of family travel is quite different than our own.
I’ll tell you what it DOESN’T mean:
American chain hotels. Now miles and points may be a handy tool in your kit, but I need you to chuck the notion that your European vacation will be 100% funded on points unless you want to severely limit your options.
Another thing it generally doesn’t mean: constant movement.Minimize Transitions is my travel mantra and I borrowed it from watching the relaxation European families achieved by settling in. Europeans get longer holidays than we do and even on shorter trips tend to concentrate on one location. None of the “cross off the list” mentality so many of us have when crossing the pond.
To me Europe is as much about “being” as it is about “doing”. It’s now been almost two years since Camp Mom Europe. You know what the Deal Kids talk about? The fireworks over the Eiffel Tower? No. (That’s what I talk about.) They talk about the playground we walked to everyday in Lofer, Austria. They talk about how on the way back one day they noticed a stream and asked if they could drink from it and how I told them to look for cows. Seeing no cows, meaning no cow poop, and running water from the mountain I told them it was safe to drink. They talk about drinking water they scooped from the Alps.
(and how I ordered ice cream for my Diet Coke)
Now, my top sources for family hotel rooms:
Endless Vacation Rentals
#1 on my go-to list for my own European travels. I used EVR twice Summer 2013 : for the East Clare Golf Club in Ireland ($87/night in a 2 bedroom condo) and at Schloss Grubhof (Yes, Schloss as in real live Castle) for $84/night in Austria. I’ve also rented in Southern Spain twice, Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and am now shopping for a return trip to Gran Canaria. In the past decade I’ve rented at least 15 condos worldwide and have had only 1 bad experience (for which I was promptly refunded).
Upsides: Full apartments with kitchens so you save a ton on food, lots of space, large company with thousands of locations, each location has multiple units so if there’s a problem with your individual unit you can switch.
Downsides: Weekly rentals only (you don’t have to stay a week, only rent a week), locations are limited in urban areas, no refunds.
Club Carlson Business Class Rooms
We had good success with Club Carlson (Radisson, Park Inn) in Europe, especially in urban locations. Business class rooms are large enough for 4 and can be rented with points for 1.5x the normal points price or are often competitively cash priced. Free breakfast is usually included. Don’t forget that the Club Carlson credit card comes with Gold status and the terrific weekend extend rates which give you a free night with one purchased on the weekends.
Accor/Best Western/Choice Hotels
The hotel chains we sleep on in the States are strong in Europe in the independent hotel market and as such often have quirky properties that contain family sized rooms. Last summer with Choice I saw rooms sleeping up to 6 booking at the same 10,000 points as rooms that slept 2. It will take a bit of work, but investigation of these three may turn up some gold, especially in cities.
Special note to Accor which has an entire chain of “adagio” apartments tailor made for families. Their ultra budget Ibis chain can sometimes price out so cheaply that two rooms make sense.
AirBnB/VRBO and HomeAway:
I’d be remiss not to mention these two for independent rentals. I tend to be a Homeaway girl over AirBnB (and have drifted more towards EVR lately) but friends swear by AirBnB, especially for cities. Like EVR, downside is no cancellations.
Booking.com
I actually have used Booking.com more recently in Asia than Europe, but they’re the leading source of all things independent. I especially like their ability to sort based on customer ratings.
Suite Upgrades
Worth mentioning if you have them or you have points to burn. Hyatt offers 4 Diamond Suite Upgrades per year to Diamond members that I put to good use in Paris at the Etoile. The Presidential Suite was bigger than my house and was quite literally the tallest hotel room in the entire city:
The other chains offer complimentary suite upgrades to top tier members as well, so if you’ve got em, spend em!
Call and Beg/Lose a Kid
Two strategies to try in a pinch if you’re desperate to use a specific chain. Search rooms for 2 people and find a room with two doubles or queens (queens work best). Then call the loyalty program or email the hotel directly and ask if the room will actually fit four even though the website says it won’t. Alternatively, check in with one less family member than you actually have. I’ve had luck the the call and beg, but the lose a kid goes outside my comfort zone. No judgements here, though: Deal Kid is 11 and he’s going to stay 11 for at least another year if 12 year olds are suddenly “adults”!
Is Sharing Caring When it Comes to Travel Hacking? 2015
Leana had a fun post about how much to tell your kids about “The Hobby”. I actually have the opposite problem with the Deal Kids, especially Deal Girl: she’s a blabbermouth and constantly gets me into awkward situations with all the “My Mom is The Deal Mommy and gets everything free” talk! It’s one reason I make sure to have a family dinner at #FT4RL. It’s the only time the Deal Kids will be in a room with other kids who have flown International First Class and who can knowledgeably compare Hyatt Club Lounges. As I’m sure many of you have learned- travel hacking can be a touchy subject.
One funny thing I’ve noticed over three FT4RLs- two of which have been local: none of my friends (as in IRL friends- I LOVE my Hobby friends! ) have ever bought a ticket. I’m not bringing this up to complain, rather to illustrate a stark divide I’ve noticed between those who have a passion for what we do and those who don’t.
Talking about travel has become uncomfortable in some of my social circles- almost like talking about how much you make or boxers vs. briefs. The part I find frustrating about the awkwardness is that how much we travel is not a result of HOW MUCH we make but of WHAT we do with the income we do have.
I also have to own up to my part of the problem: an inability to shut up if someone does ask “how do you do it?”. At least now I’ve learned to start with “Stop me when your eyes glaze over” or a similar warning, but I imagine some see me as they do a religious zealot asking if they’ve heard the Word. I’ve become an evangelist for The Hobby.
My First DYKWIA- and It’s a Doozy, 2016
True Deal Mommy Confession: I tag-teamed a DYKWIA on a ten year old.
I’m not proud of this story and I probably should explain. On a week long cruise, especially on a boat of only 500 people, we were bound to come across a Veruca Salt. (If you don’t know who Veruca Salt is, watch the original Gene Wilder version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, STAT.)
*I should start by letting you know I’m self aware enough to know there but the Veruca go I. On any given day it could have been my kid dishing it out- I’d like to think it’s not likely, but it’s certainly possible.
Our Veruca put all other Verucas to shame. A ten year old terror, she organized the girls on the boat into a four person queen team on day one. Nine year old Deal Girl was not included. Deal Girl really doesn’t care if she’s not in a clique (to her eternal credit) and had another friend on the boat. If that were the end of it, there would be no story.
However Veruca being Veruca, she needed to broadcast that her foursome was the ONLY place were cool kids resided and the rest of the girls on the ship were scum. She so commandeered the scavenger hunt that the cruise director changed the rules mid-game to suit her- even though ten other kids were already scavenging away. Veruca’s eye rolls struck fear in many kids (and apparently adults). At one point a fellow Mom felt the need to comfort a crushed girl (who she didn’t know) by telling her Veruca was being mean.
By day two I was over Veruca’s Mean Girl audition, but didn’t see the need to come to Deal Girl’s rescue. Deal Girl is just one of those people who knows she’s awesome so doesn’t feel the need to listen to others’ views if they disagree with her own on the matter. Her life will be so much better for having this skill.
I stood silently by as Veruca kicked kids out of the hot tub, announced that she was having a party (without inviting anyone nearby), bragged incessantly about how she had been on 12 Carnival and Disney cruises and just generally D-bagged it up in her loudest Veruca bluster. However, on day six she made a HUGE mistake: she directly went after my kid in front of me.
Fathom has a “Superhero” party the last night of the cruise. Deal Girl was beyond excited to show off her Superhero persona: “Gummy Girl: vanquishing the dreaded vegetable”. How could you not love this kid?
Well, Veruca found a way. We ran into her and her gaggle in the elevator and she interrogated Deal Girl: “What are YOU supposed to be? I don’t GET it. Who wants to be a candy superhero?”. The eyeroll accompanying Veruca’s taunt belongs in the eyeroll hall of fame.
At that point I snapped. Quickly remembering Veruca’s cruise one-upmanship I went for the jugular by sweetly asking Deal Girl, apropos of nothing, “Remember that time we slept in a Castle for a week?”.
Veruca’s mouth finally shut up. Even a ten year old knows a mic drop when she hears one.
Deal Girl, quickly seeing where I was going, didn’t miss a beat. As the elevator doors opened she turned to Veruca and smiled. “My Mom is a Traveling Mom. She’s kind of a big deal. Bye!”
I’d love to hear how you (better) handled a Veruca Salt coming after your kid on vacation. I’d prefer another way than encouraging my kid to out brag the braggart.
If The Hobby Leaves You Jaded, Do This, 2016
I’m writing this post at the indoor pool of the Hyatt Chesapeake watching Deal Girl and her BFF float on a raft while playing a game of their own invention. Spending the last 24 hours with a 9 year old unfamiliar with our travel habits is a breath of fresh air. The Deal Kids are accustomed to club access, in room robes, and killer views. Anything short of a private balcony jacuzzi (which we had in Gran Canaria) might get met with a yawn. The Hobby has jaded not only me, but them to a degree as the bar for “wow” gets raised a little higher with every hotel stay.
Not so with DGBFF. A machine that brews hot cocoa? A revelation. Bunk beds in our junior suite? Vendoming of the highest order. The bathrobe is a royal vestment and a bunk bed picnic of club snacks butler service. While Deal Girl and I would enjoy the amenities, for DGBFF it’s a whole new world.
It’s not the first time I’ve had a kid remind me what charmed air we breathe. A few years ago we brought an 8 year old friend along to Amish Country and she was wowed by the Park Inn in Harrisburg, PA. Let me repeat that: a Park inn in Harrisburg had her wondering if it was the place Cinderella lost her slipper.
So if you’ve been shrugging at a partial ocean view or rolling your eyes at an “average” club lately, bring a kid-not your own- on your next trip. One day watching her marvel at the little soaps will get your head on straight and remind you why “The Hobby” is worth the hype.
Ed. note: We amped this up in a BIG way by bringing three of my then 19-year-old son’s friends with us to France. Two of them had never even had passports before this trip.
Travel With Kids: The Joys of Travel Playdates, 2016
When you ask me or Deal Dad about the ways we travel with kids we’ll probably mention a view, a meal, or an attraction. Ask the Deal Kids about any given trip and you’ll hear about the kids. We’ve woven cultural excursions- or as the kids know them travel playdates- into our travel and we’re so much richer for it.
Two favorite excursions spring to mind when I think of travel playdates. The logistics were very different but both gave the kids a peek into how other kids live and the chance to bond and play.
Osaka, Japan
Last year we had the opportunity to hang out for a lovely weekend in Osaka with Kids Travel Japan. In fact, you might see some familiar faces on their website as we were their “test family”. Caleb and Cindy are English teachers in Osaka who had a simple, but brilliant, idea: kids learn best from other kids.
With that in mind Kids Travel Japan recruits native English speaking families to hang out with their students on fun outings. The experience is free for the English speakers and gives you Japanese speakers to help navigate your day in addition to the new friendships formed. The kids also participated in a short and fun English lesson each day- games, songs, and basic phrases.
I can’t say enough about the experience. For two days we explored the Osaka area with three different Japanese families with kids ranging in age from 3-9. I’ll always remember our visit to Nara- site of an impressive series of ancient monuments. Nara is also famous for the wild deer that range freely among the historic sites.
While the Buddhas were impressive what the Deal Kids talk about is our English lesson: “That’s a deer. That’s a deer poop.” “That’s a deer poop”- enunciated carefully- is now firmly implanted into our family shorthand. Nara would have been memorable without the family escorting us but having the kids playing together took the experience to an entirely different level.
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Our experience with Fathom Cruises in the Dominican Republic was different, but the same. We attended Creative Arts, Music, and Sports (CAMS) at a local school in Puerto Plata and shared our time with three girls ages 9-10 (which was perfect as Deal Girl is 9). We shared a short English lesson about animals then did what kids do best- played a game.
Our game was “baseball”. I use the term loosely as our balls were rolled up socks, our bats were our hands, and our pompoms (any game has to have cheerleaders) were newspaper. Did it matter that our equipment wasn’t exactly standard? Heck, no! The girls adopted Deal Girl right away (her limited Spanish certainly helped) and they were teaching her dances and those hand games only 9 year old girls know. Fathom was amazing on many levels but one of my main takeaways from the experience is “kids are kids”. They’ll always find a way to make it work.
Sometimes the travel playdates are just time set aside for the Deal Kids to enjoy a playground. The ones in Ireland earn high marks for equipment you’d never see in the states- stuff that would never pass liability insurance muster. The playgrounds opened up an interesting conversation about the US’s penchant for litigation. The Deal Kids’ favorite was the one at Malahide Castle just north of Dublin. It earned high marks for both the challenging equipment and the coolness of the other kids.
Pokemon Go is the Best Thing Ever, 2016
I was late to the party on Minecraft, but am telling you now: Pokemon Go is the Best. Thing. Ever. Sure, it’s great fun, but that’s not why. The reason is that it’s the middle of a loooooong summer week where I’ve been trying to work at home while plan a last minute trip in between whines of “Mom, he’s kicking me!” and “Mom, she’s hogging the TV!”.
But yesterday? Crickets. 3 hours of guilt-free silence because the Deal Kids are playing Pokemon Go. Together. Without conflict. Getting exercise in the process. Just occasional visits for popsicle refills and to update me on their progress: Squirtle, who was being evasive, was finally caught.
And this morning Deal Girl and I took Deal Dog on our normal 1 mile walk to the park. Except today we took Pokemon Go with us and found 29 (!) Pokestops along the way. We found so many because we ended up going almost 4 miles alongside our new rare Venemoth.
Sure, I see the downside potential. I’m fortunate enough to have unlimited data -the hunt for Pikachu would definitely add up otherwise. But as long as I keep the phone away from oncoming trains and Grandma’s funeral I think we’ll be fine.
My #1 Tip for Traveling With a Teenage Boy, 2017
I’ve been traveling with the Deal Kids since before Deal Kid was born. True story- Deal Kid would have earned BA status if we could have figured out how to get his flights credited in utero. Now Deal Girl is ten and Deal Kid is thirteen- a full blown teenager. Traveling with a teenage boy is in some ways more challenging than traveling with a toddler. Yes, there’s less poop, but there are just as many ways to step in it.
With younger kids my #1 tip is to minimize transitions. I offer this tip for both logistical and sanity-saving reasons. With older kids you don’t have to worry as much about moving around. There’s less stuff to haul and they’re more prepared for change. However, even if the kid is taller than you are (as Deal Kid is at thirteen), remember that you’re still dealing with a kid.
My #1 Tip for Traveling With a Teenage Boy
As I’m typing I realize there’s probably a listicle hidden in here but I’m not gonna give in. I have a number of examples from this past weekend to share but they all add up to one piece of advice: meet him where he is.
Meet him where he is? What on earth does that mean?
I’ll explain. This weekend Deal Kid and I took a Mother-Son press trip to The Condado Plaza Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The theme of the trip was “Family Fun at the Condado” and the hotel delivers in spades.
Snorkeling and Kayaking- both offered right there on property- are what I call “big fun”. So is ziplining at Toro Verde Nature park, especially when you do it horizontally like Superman. However, where Deal Kid was- and where I met him- was wrapped up in the “small fun”. Stuff like scratching the 8 ball at pool. Like taking a best of three Ping Pong tournament to 25 points.
Or destroying me in lawn chess. And of course enjoying a double scoop of coconut ice cream at 11PM at Cafe Caribe. So what that we were stuffed from flourless chocolate cake from dinner?
Fortunately the Condado excelled at the small fun, too.
While my first choice for a Saturday night in San Juan might not have been Pokemon Go hunting, I have to admit we had a lot of fun! PokeStop treasure collecting across the footbridge to Fort Geronimo’s ruins was just the right amount of exercise after our fresh sushi dinner.
What “meet him where he is” doesn’t mean
He doesn’t get to be a jerk! If “where he is” at the moment is torturing his sister and doing the human equivalent of flinging his feces I’ve still got to shut it down. That was one reason I really enjoyed this weekend with him- one on one the kids just aren’t tempted to stray from their best selves as much.
Since my kid is just entering the teenage years I’d love to hear from those of you who have graduated- does my advice track with most boys or just my boy? Is traveling with a teenage girl much different? Traveling with Deal Girl as a teen will be different but Deal Girl is a much different person.
Pie in the Sky Review: The Best Place to Eat in Chicago Is Not a Restaurant
Today I want to give a shout-out to an off-the-radar event in Chicago. I know many of you visit the Windy City for one frequent flyer conference or another. However, you will want to take time out for Pie in the Sky. It’s the best place to eat in Chicago, and it’s not even a restaurant.
Most people know about the Skydeck on top of the Willis, formerly Sears, Tower. It features a jaw-dropping view of Chicago from 103 floors up and walk-out ledges so you can virtually step onto the ground below you. The Skydeck is famous and therefore becomes packed during opening hours.
What if I told you that instead of waiting two to four hours in the general admission line you could enjoy a private two hour visit?
Pie in the Sky?
What people may not know is that the Skydeck offers Pie in the Sky, which is Giordano’s deep dish pizza (pie) served at a private table in the Sky (deck). The dining options hide on the Skydeck’s website so most tourists have no idea this is even possible. I reached out to the Skydeck and they invited Deal Girl and me to review the experience.
The $100 per person price tag for dinner may seem steep, but I actually think it’s great value. Consider that Fastpass admission to the Willis Tower is $49 and even general admission is $23. Neither experience can compare to the absolute VIP service of visiting after hours.
The three course meal includes a generous salad, Giordano’s famous deep dish with up to five toppings, either tiramisu or cannoli for dessert, and soda. You need to order three days before visiting as the meal is catered and delivered.
One thing that makes Pie in the Sky unique is that it’s not only a great venue, it’s great food. Many such offerings, such as Breakfast at the Vatican, offer standard fare at a premium price in a unique setting. Pie in the Sky takes what already is a memorable meal up a substantial notch.
Seatings are limited to nine tables, but the evening we visited only three groups dined: two families of six and me and Deal Girl. Each table stood out over one of the Skydeck glass lookouts, which meant we got fun photos like this one.
And this one.
You can also do breakfast or lunch, but to me dinner is the show-stopper. During October-February dinner starts at 8:30. The rest of the year it’s a later start but is worth the next day sleep-in.
