Janelle Diller's Blog, page 14

Long Layover in Chicago? 5 Things to Entertain Your Kids

Long airport layovers can be a hassle when you are traveling with kids inpatient to get to their destination. I’ve been stuck overnight in Atlanta with a baby due to a snowstorm in Colorado. I spent a weekend going through security over and over in London Heathrow trying to get to Dublin (again, due to snow – and never did get to Dublin for that meeting). I sat on the floor in Denver praying to get on a red-eye with my little flower girl so we could get to a wedding on time when our plane had a mechanical failure. And, luckily, I avoided the cots in O’Hare due to kindness of my Chicago-based American Airlines buddy, Cara. Missed flights, delayed flights, and cancelled flights are a fact of traveling life. Setting your expectations for this, and keeping a positive attitude can make all the difference between long hours of torture or finding the opportunity to build new memories.

To that end, Cara (seen in this picture with my kids at O’Hare) has given me a few ideas to entertain your kids if you’re ever stuck at Chicago O’Hare.

1. Visit the Kids on the Fly. This exhibit is located in Terminal 2 inside security. It is an interactive educational play area with an airplane, control tower, and helicopter. It is for kids of all ages. Open all day and night.

2. Take a tour of the “spaceship tunnel.”  Well, that’s just what I call it. Pass security in Terminal 1, walk through the underground walkway between Concourses B and C and look at the cool lights on the ceiling. “The Sky’s The Limit” is a 744-foot-long kinetic neon sculpture of light and sound designed by Michael Hayden.

3. Watch takeoffs and landings. At the end of every concourse you can see takeoffs and landings. Grab some food and head down to watch the planes. There are also some actual restaurants where you can eat with a view. Check out: 1) Berghoff Cafe – Terminal 1 near gate 26, 2) the food court in Terminal 1 near gate 26, and 3) Chili’s Too in Terminal 3 near gate G10. Many of the restaurants in the airport also have windows where you can see the airplanes on the ground. Ask the kids to spot different parts of the planes. Can they see the landing gear? The cockpit? The windows? Imagine who might be sitting on that plane and where it might be going. Even make up some goofy stories about them! Hey, wait – there’s an idea for another book!

4. Check out a hydroponics garden and some dinosaur bones. I have to admit, I had no idea the hydroponics garden even existed. For all of you plant lovers, gardeners, and healthy eaters, go to Terminal 3 upper lever near entrance to G concourse (inside security).  Many of the plants/herbs grown on the plant towers here at the O’Hare Urban Oasis are used at the restaurants in the airport. In Terminal 1, Concourse B, you will find one of the largest mounted dinosaurs in the world. The four-story high, 72-foot-long Brachiosaurus skeleton model is on loan from Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.

5. Take a ride on the Airport Transit System.  If you have a lot of time, you can travel between Terminals 1, 2, 3, 5 and remote parking on the airport transit. This offers a lot of different views of the airport. NOTE: This is outside security, so you need to go through security again to catch your flight, so plan accordingly and make sure you have enough time. There is usually one designated checkpoint to go through when traveling with kids. Ask the TSA where it is located in your terminal as it sometimes changes.

And a bonus tip critical for all family travelers: Know where the family bathrooms are!

Terminal 1 – near gates B4, B10, C20, baggage claim
Terminal 2 – across from Kids on the Fly , baggage claim
Terminal 3 – near gates G11, H14, H3, K1, L5, rotunda area, baggage claim
Terminal 5 – near security checkpoint , food court area

So, rather than sitting at the gate for hours on end with cranky kids before sitting on the plane for hours on end with crankier kids, get up and tour around. Put down the electronics and discover the experiences you can have at the airport. Turn a long layover into a lifetime memory!

-Lisa

Fun Pack-n-Go Girls News!

Please forgive us if we wave our arms for a moment and pat ourselves on the back. We’ve had an exciting week here and wanted to share the great news with our Pack-n-Go Girls friends.

Pack-n-Go Girls Wins Best Children’s Book Early Chapter Book Series for 2014

We are proud to announce that Pack-n-Go Girls was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Children’s Early Chapter Book Series at the 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. We are very excited about this honor!

The Moonbeam Awards are designed to bring increased recognition to the year’s best children’s books. The cause of promoting childhood literacy knows no boundaries, and the award winners illustrate that point well, coming not only from long-established publishers and university presses, but from small presses, foundations, museums, and self-published entrepreneurs. Judging panels of book reviewers, librarians, teachers, and students chose medalists in 42 subject and 6 ebook categories from over 1,300 entries. Medals will go to books representing 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, five Canadian provinces, and Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Scotland and Spain. The Moonbeam awards are dedicated to the notion that reading to and with your children will inspire them to become lifelong readers and learners. See the complete 2014 Moonbeam Awards results here.

 

The Midwest Book Review featured a review for the Pack-n-Go Girls Adventure Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost. We love what they had to say about our series:

September 2014

Pack-n-Go Girls presents a mystery series for girls ages 6-9 that includes travel to exotic locations, fun adventures with true blue friends, exploring new languages and cultures, and solving thrilling mysteries together, a fantastic formula for fun and travel-enriched adventure. “The Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost” is the first in this innovative new series of illustrated chapter mysteries, in which Brooke travels from Colorado to Austria to meet Eva, in Schloss Mueller, an ancient Austrian castle. The girls meet and develop a deepening friendship across continents and cultures, while struggling to solve the spooky mystery of the ballerina ghost, a mysterious presence in the castle. Swift moving chapters embellished with black and white illustrations make fun reading and excellent armchair exploration adventures. At the end of the mystery (satisfactorily solved by two clever girls together), informative pages tell What to Know Before You Go! (facts about Austria, traveling, weather to expect, Austrian foods plus a recipe for Kaiserschmarrn, and a list of common German expressions with meaning and pronunciation).

Altogether, “The Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost” offers an appealing invitation to celebrate and explore diverse cultures and countries with just a tantalizing touch of mysterious spice, the unknown horizon to entice further exploration and growth. Look for more titles from this innovative series soon. Exploring girls’ friendships and mysteries in Austria, Thailand, and Mexico are these other exciting Pack-n-Go Girls: “Mystery of the Secret Room (9781936376032, $5.99)” by Janelle Diller;,”Mystery of the Golden Temple (9781936376094, $5.99)” by Lisa Travis, and “Mystery of the Thief in the Night (9781936376063, $5.99) by Janelle Diller. – The Midwest Book Review

The Pack-n-Go Girls Adventure Series is available via our website at www.packngogirls.com, on Amazon.com, online at Barnes & Noble, or can be ordered from your local bookstore.

Thank you for being a Pack-n-Go Girl (or boy, or friend, or mom, or dad, or grandparent)!

- Lisa and Janelle

 

Know Your Lost Luggage Rights

I recently traveled to Austria for business. True to the season, my flights suffered weather delays that even included an unexpected detour to the lovely city of Green Bay, WI.  Fortunately, I still managed to catch my flight out of Chicago. Unfortunately, my luggage didn’t. I arrived in Munich, tired from the 9-hour flight, and then had to spend another hour and a half waiting in a long line to arrange for my suitcase to follow me should it ever arrive in Europe.

As much as I travel and in spite of having bag delays before, I realized I didn’t actually know what my rights were. With very little digging, here’s what I discovered about delayed luggage, as well as a couple of tips just in case.

Delayed bags: Airlines are required to provide you monetary compensation for even a delayed bag, but the compensation varies from airline to airline. Some pay an amount per day; others will reimburse (with receipts!) based on what was critical in the suitcase. Some will give you cash on the spot. Find out before you leave the airport what you are allowed. They’ll also give you a few essentials: toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, a one-size fits ALL t-shirt.  You’re on your own for everything else no matter how much you protest. One important note: you MUST submit a written report within four hours of the flight’s arrival, or the airline can deny your claim.

Lost bags: These are the ones that never show up again. For domestic flights, the maximum is $3,300. For international flights, it’s $1,742. And yes, I think those numbers should be reversed, too. Unfortunately, even for modest shoppers, it doesn’t take much to hit $1,700 when you add up a suitcase full of clothes, shoes, toiletries, the suitcase itself, and any valuables that you foolishly packed instead of carried with you. It will not be a moneymaker. Generally, you’ll need to keep receipts for anything you purchase and the airlines will reimburse you. Be aware that they do not volunteer this information! So ask what the amount is and what the process is for reimbursement. Trust me, this will require enormous persistence on your part to collect. In fact, some travelers find that taking the airlines to small claims court is the best recourse.

Bag fees: It’s sort of an unwritten understanding that if you have to pay to check your bag, it will arrive when and where it’s supposed to. If your bag doesn’t, you get the fees refunded—but only if it’s lost. If it’s delayed, they’re not obligated to reimburse you.

How to be prepared if the worst happens:

Take a photo of your bag: I have photos on my phone, so I don’t have to remember size, style, color, or brand. As intimate as I am with my suitcase, I’m not good with detail.

Tag it: Those little paper luggage slips at the ticket counter? They’re truly valuable. I always fill one out for my destination the first night, and I have my home address on a second one, just in case the bag keeps missing me.

Don’t check valuables: Never, ever, ever. Even if you never suffer from lost luggage, stuff gets stolen out of checked bags. Frankly, I’m always amazed that suitcases don’t disappear in baggage claim given that most airports never ask to see your baggage claim stub when you leave the baggage area. They’d get dirty laundry in mine, plus my favorite pink jacket.

Emergency essentials: I now always have an extra pair of clean underwear and a shirt to wear in my carryon bag. After my last lost bag fiasco, I’m also carrying my swimsuit and goggles since I truly missed my morning swim more than my makeup.

Be patient and be nice: I know this seems impossible when you’re exhausted and it feels like your vacation is now ruined. Just remember that the airline didn’t want to lose your bag anymore than you wanted them to. Every delayed bag costs the airline hundreds of dollars to track, ship, and deliver it to you again, and that’s without the monetary compensation.  Besides, the person helping you isn’t the one who lost the bag. And that person has some discretion on what to give you. Being human, they’re more likely to give the patient person the upper limits and the ranting person the lower limits.

Carry on your bag: I used to never check my bag because it slowed me down. The quantity of what I need for a business trip–and a bit of laziness–has changed that. If you have a choice, though, it’s still the safest way to travel. Just don’t forget your bag on the plane.

Good luck!

~Janelle

 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a Free eBook!

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are offering the Mystery of the Thief in the Night ebook for FREE for two days! From September 19-20, you can download the free ebook from Amazon. Tell all your friends!

Travel from Seattle to Mexico with Izzy. Meet Patti and help the two girls solve a mystery in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco.

Izzy’s family sails into a quiet lagoon in Mexico and drops their anchor. Izzy can’t wait to explore the pretty little village, eat yummy tacos, and practice her Spanish. When she meets nine-year-old Patti, Izzy’s thrilled. Now she can do all that and have a new friend to play with too. Life is perfect. At least it’s perfect until they realize there’s a midnight thief on the loose!

You can also check out the book trailer on YouYube!

Also, our first book in the Thailand series is now available on Amazon! Travel from Boston to Chiang Mai, Thailand, with Jess. Meet Nong May and solve the Mystery of the Golden Temple!

Nong May and her family have had a lot of bad luck lately. When nine-year-old Jess arrives in Thailand and accidentally breaks a special family treasure, it seems to only get worse. It turns out the treasure holds a secret that could change things forever!

Thanks for your interest in Pack-n-Go Girls!

-Lisa & Janelle

 

5 Memorable Things in Barcelona for Kids

Barcelona is one of the top travel destinations in Europe right now. When we were heading to Spain this summer with our kids, we started checking around to see what would be the most fun way to spend our time. We heard about the beach, and the zoo, and the theme parks. With a dad who isn’t one for crowds and amusement parks, we looked for the out of the ordinary instead: things that adults and kids alike would enjoy, things that would build memories for a lifetime. Here are five things that stuck out in our kids’ minds . . .

1. Sagrada Família

Yes, everyone goes here. Yes, it is the top tourist destination. And yes, we thought our kids would be bored, but we went anyway. It is, in fact, the number one thing our kids reminisce about from their trip to Spain. Because it is memorable. And fantastic. And amazing. And cool. After taking in the stunning architecture on the outside and inside, the icing on the cake for the kids was the tower tour. We chose the Nativity tower. After a quick elevator ride up, you can take in the amazing views of Barcelona, walk across a small bridge from one tower to another at a dizzying height, and then step all the way down a spiral staircase. A time-saving tip: Buy your tickets online before you go so you don’t have to wait in line.

2. Bike Tour of Barcelona

We have to thank Messar of Fat Tire Bike Tour for an amazing tour of Barcelona. Rather than dragging the kids on a long walking tour of Gaudy architecture, we opted for a bike ride. That way, we could get a little exercise mixed in with a little architecture, a little history, and a little adrenaline rush (dodging tourists and traffic through the streets of Barcelona). We rode through the narrow streets of the Barri Gòtic. We rode through the green parks. We rode in scary bike lanes in the middle of the road. We road all the way up to Sagrada Família. And the kids still remember the stories at each stop (which were history in disguise) and the wind in their faces as we rode all the way down to the beach front.

3. Happy Pills

I still can’t believe we do not have this franchised over here in the States yet. Incredible concept. My niece who studied abroad in Barcelona recommended we take the kids here. It’s a candy store. You choose a flat rate prescription bottle and get some plastic gloves. Then the kids stuff as much candy as they can into the bottle from the wall full of bins. Then you carefully pick out the right label to put on your bottle. Their unique labels offered sayings like Para Que Seas Happy! and To Ward Off Werewolves! This was a great afternoon energizer for the kids. And we got some unique souvenirs to take home to their friends!

4. Dining in Dungeons (or Tapas on the Sidewalk)

Okay, this was super fun, but not that easy to accomplish. We were, at first, unsuccessful in getting a table at the popular Cafe De L’Academia in Barri Gòtic. Aunt Marilyn saved the day (literally, since the kids were tired and hungry) and spoke to the maître d’ who kindly seated us through the back alley entrance behind bars at the only table down in their wine cellar. You could certainly inquire about this unique dining experience, although I think you might get quite the quizzical look. However, if you are hungry and cannot find a dungeon to dine in, there are plenty of street-side cafes with tapas. Tapas dining is an easy way for kids to sample a variety of Spanish food.

5. Churros con Chocolate

Who doesn’t like pastries and chocolate? Churros con chocolate was a chance to relax and, at the same time, get energized (from all the chocolate) for the next activity.  Thanks to an interesting Afar magazine article, we dined at the Granja M. Viader. We roamed the back alleys off La Rambla until we found the place. Then we indulged in churros dipped in pure heavenly chocolate. A lot of rich chocolate. The portions were very generous, but my kids didn’t seem to have a problem finishing. With chocolate all over our children’s faces, we departed full, happy, and ready to take on the world. Or at least see a little more of it.

-Lisa

Traveling Kids! Top 10 Travel Tips from a Pack-n-Go Girl

Plenty of adults have weighed in on tips for fun family travel from a parents’ perspective, including the ones we recently shared with you (5 Easy Tips for Traveling with Kids and 5 More Easy Tips for Traveling with Kids).  But what about from a kids’ perspective? Here are a few tips for traveling successfully from my very own nine-year-old Pack-n-Go Girl, Sarah. We spent a month on the road this summer, and she had a few things to share:

1. Be patient. It always goes quicker if you are patient and not complaining.

2. If you have a long plane ride, make sure you have some movies to watch and a comfy stuffed animal to lay your head on when you need to sleep. And sleep on your mom (or dad).

3. Don’t leave home without something you really think is amusing for a plane ride or car trip. Bring a favorite book, an electronic, or a toy. I brought some magazines, an iPad with books on it (all the Harry Potter books so I wouldn’t run out of reading), a notebook to draw in, and a bunch of other creative stuff.

4. Always bring a little snack in case you get hungry and you are not near any food place or they haven’t started the food service on the airplane. I like to bring Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, and Granola Bars for my snacks. I also always carry a water bottle with me. Make sure you check it before you go through security each time though. One time I forgot to check it and it still had water in it. I was really scared when they pulled my bag and had to call my mom over.

5. Make sure to take lots of pictures of the place you are going to. My dad gave me his phone to take some pictures at the Sagrada Familia. I took pictures from a different point of view than my parents did. Plus, it kept me really busy while my dad was reading every word on the tour displays.

6. When things start to bother you (like lots of noise in the airport or loud engines on the plane), think of something good. Or read a book and think about all the characters and what they might do next. Or listen to music.

7. When we were touring around Barcelona, there were some long days looking at all the sights. When I started to get bored, I tried to find all the differences from where I am from and where they are from. Ask yourself: What’s the same as back home? What’s different than back home?

8. To deal with jet lag, crazy schedules, and being tired, I tried to keep my mind off of thinking about it. I think exercising and walking around and not thinking about how tired I am helps. (And, bonus tip: ask for ice cream – parents will always cave in and get ice cream for us tired kids!)

9. At the airport, I accidentally walked too quickly ahead of my family one time. I learned that you can’t always expect that your family will be right behind you. You always have to know where they are and what to do if they are not right behind you or if you don’t see them. Luckily, I heard my dad’s whistle (and I was wearing my RoadID with my parents’ phone numbers on it). Also, don’t forget to bring your money to the airport. There are lots of good stores there, and if you have time, you can shop a little.

10. Always make sure you bring your Pack-n-Go Girls purse. I carry my money, a book, some dolls, a brush, a mirror, chapstick, gum, pen, notebook, headphones, and my chargers. And, if I could fit it, I would bring my trumpet! Not sure my mom would let me though. (NOTE: The Pack-n-Go Girls purse is still in prototype stage).

Sarah and I would love to hear your kids’ best travel tips!

-Lisa

The Great Divide: Some tips for driving the back roads with your kids

At 11,910 feet, Indiana Pass in Colorado is the highest point on the Great Divide trail. Photo by Dusty Diller.

I so love driving the back roads, and I discovered in the past several weeks that I can’t get enough of it. For the last two and a half weeks I’ve been driving the SAG (support and gear) vehicle for my husband and younger son who are riding the Great Divide from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, NM, on their motorcycles. It has given me a brand new appreciation for the back roads, which I’m traveling in a loose parallel to the narrow, rutted trails and the fire and range roads the guys are on. If you missed my post last week, you can catch up on it here. When I last wrote, I tried to describe the trip in bullet points.

What foolishness. The longer this trip goes, the more I know a bullet point and even a photo can never capture it. Yet here are a few more thoughts. I hope they inspire you to take out your own map and find a back road to travel this weekend.

The only thing missing from this photo is the incredibly blue sky. I love, love, love the Abiquiu Inn in Abiquiu, NM. It’s Georgia O’Keefe country. Need I say more?

Avoid the cookie cutter places. It will build unforgettable memories for your kids. And while they may love playing on the slide at one of those fast food places with an indoor playground, they won’t remember it if that’s standard fare for them. Instead, try a bed & breakfast place, a mom and pop motel, or local cafe. Among my highlights: I perused Cajun Self-Taught over lunch at The Shak in Whitefish, MT; tapped into my writing muse on my colorful yet tranquil patio at the Abiquiu Inn while I cooked up a mystery at an Austrian Christmas market; and watched not much of the world go by from the comfy front porch of the Inn on Broadway in Silver City, NM. Along the way, I ate the BEST Mexican food north of the Rio Grand at least three or four times—all in different locations, of course.

Know your map even if you use a GPS. And then hand the map to your kids. It builds interest and skills that a GPS will never do. In my own case, the GPS and I had a very rocky start, mostly because I hadn’t studied my map sufficiently. And I didn’t stop to ask someone when I questioned the route. (See last week’s post for the scary story.) After that first day, I changed the voice to the British guy so I could confidently talk back. Mostly, I said, “How could you possibly know Alberta? You’re from London. I’m going the way I want to go.”  By day 3, the GPS and I reconciled, mostly because my British friend redeemed himself and took me on magnificent empty roads, past rushing rivers and glorious lakes, wheat fields waiting to be harvested, and walls of pines that separated me from the mountains beyond. My heart soared. I maybe developed a small crush on the GPS guy, too. I don’t know. I did, however, insist on driving only asphalt roads–which I had studied in advance.

An old abandoned school on a back trail in New Mexico. Photo by Dusty Diller

Relish the beauty. I discovered that Wyoming is treeless. My husband had warned me, and I’d seen plenty of it myself, but somehow it had never registered. I drove almost 200 miles one day, and for about 180 of those miles I saw a total of twelve (12) trees. As you can imagine, the vistas were grand and empty since there was nothing to block the view. I saw more fly fisherman on the Hoback River alone than the number of trees on those following miles.

Slow down. Interstate driving lets you zone out, live in a mindset that speed is more important than experiences, and forget that real people exist beyond 100 yards from the asphalt. Start by going into the towns you pass instead of grabbing a hamburger from another fast food place at the exit. Yes, it’ll take longer. And yes, it’ll give you memories to talk about for years with your kids. My own experience: My husband and I have stopped for gas dozens of times in Las Vegas, NM. On our last trip past, we Googled for a good lunch spot that was so memorable we wanted to eat there again on this trip. And we tried—we just couldn’t find it. We meandered through town, past street after street of beautifully preserved historic buildings and a cool green plaza. We finally ended up at Maryann’s Famous Burritos. It wasn’t the place we were looking for, but myohmyohmyohmy. We’ll be back. This time we saved the location in our GPS. Even better? My perception of Las Vegas changed dramatically because I finally actually saw it.

Every state has gems on its back roads. Stunning though they are, you don’t have to travel through the Rockies to bring back an appreciation for the beauty close to you. Draw a 100-mile circle around your dot on the map. Use Yelp or TripAdvisor to find a cozy B&B or an untried café with prize-winning pies or a scenic byway that just begs to be driven. You’ll be surprised at how little it costs you and how much it restores your soul.

~Janelle

 

 

 

The Great Divide: From Banff, Alberta, to the end of the trees in Wyoming

Photo by Dusty Diller

My heart always sings on the back roads. I can blame it on my childhood. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, as the interstate system was still connecting dots on the map, we mostly had only those ribbons of two-lane blacktop roads in the Midwest and West. Sometimes we had shoulders. Sometimes we didn’t. Most towns had at least a one-pump gas station, with a mechanic clanking away in a garage nearby. You could always count on a mom and pop diner, which most of the time offered state fair worthy pies.

This summer, I found myself once again off the interstate system. My husband and our younger son embarked on a father-son adventure of grandiose proportions. They decided to ride motorcycles down the Great Divide from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, NM, which kisses the Mexican Border. The trail, the longest off pavement route in the world, is a well-defined journey through the Rocky Mountains. It sort of follows the Continental Divide, but it meanders well off the track as well. The map takes bicyclers and motorcyclists on dirt and gravel roads that double as range and fire roads, over some heart-stopping climbs on rocky and rutted trails, and through the most breathtaking scenery you can ever hope to come across in the Rocky Mountains.

I agreed to drive the SAG (support and gear) vehicle along the more civilized route. I didn’t know exactly what that meant. It turns out it committed me to less and gave me far more than I expected. And it reminded me once again of how vast and beautiful Canada and the US are. Here are a few of my lessons learned:

Question the GPS. On the first day, my GPS directed me onto a gravel road that led me into spectacular wilderness for an hour and then directed me on for another two hours of rutted gravel roads. A local saved me and sent me in another direction so I’d finally get to pavement again. He did warn me that the road I should take had a critically dangerous stretch—a very steep downhill section with a 1,000 foot drop off and no guardrails. He said he always drove that part of the road with his seatbelt unbuckled so he could jump out of his truck if he lost control. You can imagine how big my eyes were. The road was everything he promised. I’d include a photo, but my hands were gripping the steering wheel too tightly to take one.

Most days, the guys have the same kind of wild terrain, but they always finish the day dirty, tired, and grinning from ear to ear. I guess this is what the trip is all about.

Wise River, Montana. A great place to get truly disconnected from technology.

People talk on the backroads. Most people are in less of a rush than interstate travelers. I’ve found myself a number of times having to leave my cabin or motel room to find an internet spot—and believe me, it’s never a Starbucks. Usually, it’s the bench outside the café where I checked in. People stop to chat. I love the casual conversations which always include where are you from, where are you going, and what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? What a luxury it is to take the time to visit.

This is better than the zoo. Rich and varied wildlife is everywhere. The guys idled their engines within 50’ of a grizzly. We’ve seen bighorn sheep, wild goat herds, plenty of deer and antelope, lots of cows, and even wild horses and some buffalo. The guys also battled grasshopper plagues and swarms of flies. Even with full protection, it wasn’t fun.

Photo by Dusty Diller

Rain can be nasty. I’m fine in my truck. The guys on their motorcycles less so. It’s not because they get wet; that’s only uncomfortable. It’s that the trail can turn to a slick mess or a deep bog that stops them in their tracks. They watch the weather, not just because they don’t want to get caught in a disaster miles from where a truck could save them, but they need to know what the weather brought the day before so they can anticipate what the trail is like. Knowing this, I’m tuned into the weather far more than I’d be on a typical trip.

There’s plenty more to share, but I know how precious your time is, so I’ll pick this up again in a week. In the meantime, get out your map. Where can you go on a back road with your family this weekend? ~Janelle

5 More Easy Tips for Traveling with Kids

And we are still traveling . . . still wearing the same old clothes that we packed in our one international carry-on almost a month ago (although they are washed and clean), still swimming in the oceans we don’t have in Colorado, still arguing about all the arguing (and electronics), and still having lots of laughs! As promised, here are 5 more easy tips for traveling with kids.

1. Wear RoadID. One of my favorite things is my Road ID. I wear it when I bike and hike, and so do my kids. I threw them in our backpacks before we left in case we were planning to do any biking. While I was chasing after my daughter in Miami airport, I thought, hmmmm, maybe I should get that RoadID on her wrist! We always tried to set meeting places in case someone got lost/separated. But I was even more confident knowing that my kids had our cell numbers on their wrists when we ran through crowded airports, walked through the throngs of people in downtown Barcelona, and played on the packed beaches of Mallorca.

2. Learn how to navigate. When I was young, we had an RV. My parents gave me the Rand McNally roadmap and said, “Here you go, direct us.” It was a tall task for a young girl, or at least I remember feeling a whole lot of (self-imposed) pressure. But it was an important learning experience. To this day, I know how to read a map, navigate my way through any city, and not worry about getting lost. Give your kids the map. Let them navigate. If it takes an extra block (or two or three) to walk to where you are going, so be it. If you go around the rotary three times while your kid is deciding which road to take, so be it. If you end up in a hidden mountain town that you didn’t intend to, all the better! They will learn how to read a map, develop confidence in navigating in unfamiliar places, and not be afraid of getting lost. In our global economy, it’s a more than useful skill to have. Plus, it keeps them engaged on long walks or rides!

3. Plan kid-friendly activities and activities for you. We set the expectation from the beginning. We will do things that you like to do. We will do things that we like to do. And we will do things that we both like to do. And we stuck to it. We toured a cathedral – the Sagrada Familia (which we had in the “we like to do” column, but we added a tower tour for the “kids like to do” column). We took a tour of the Cuevas del Drach (a cave tour for the “kids like to do” column) and added some Majorica shopping (for the “me like to do” column). We took the scenic route (“we like to do” column) to the beach (“kids like to do” column). And we took a bike tour through Barcelona (“we both like to do” column). Funny thing though. All of them ended up in the “both like to do” column once we had done them! Set the right expectations and the right mix of things to do, and everyone can have fun!

4. Find a theme. There are always bound to be themes in a trip – quotes, songs, jokes, etc. Pick up on them. Kids love the familiar, and these themes bring the familiar to an unfamiliar place. They also break the ice when things get tense. This past trip to Spain, our theme inadvertently and most randomly was the “By the Seaside” ring tone on the iPhone. It started with my kids’ uncle dancing to each ring tone to entertain the kids while waiting for us to get our bags together for the day. They liked his interpretive dance of that one the best, so it stuck. For the rest of the trip, we found several great times and places to hum, dance, sing, and laugh. It is the song that will stick with the memories we built in Spain.

5. It’s different, not weird. It’s easy for kids to make snap judgements about new cultures, exclaiming, “that’s weird.” We find that a perfect teachable moment. “It’s different, not weird. It’s different than what you are used to, than what you are familiar with. But it’s not weird. It’s just different.” And, it’s okay to be different. In fact, that’s what makes life so interesting! We like to extend this conversation and ask our kids to reflect on the differences and the similarities of the places we visit. So we ask, “What’s different about what you saw today?” and “What’s similar about what you saw today?” It allows kids to learn about the culture and its differences, but also recognize that we are all essentially very similar.

As our month of travels comes to an end, I see that the kids have a bigger  idea of the world, but they are also starting to appreciate their own little place in the world. That’s what I had hoped for. To peek into another world . . . a bigger world. To pop open that “my little place in the world is the world” bubble. But to appreciate that little place when they come back.

-Lisa

5 Easy Tips for Traveling with Kids

This summer, I put my money where my mouth is in regards to travel adventure with kids. My two kids and I just returned from 10 days in Spain, and we are still on the road for another two weeks on the US east coast. So far, it’s been rewarding, tiring, hilarious, aggravating, mind-opening, headache-inducing, and just plain fun. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. And I have to say, the kids have done phenomenal with traveling around, living out of the suitcases, and adapting to new places. So, I thought I would share a few road-tested and plane-tested tips for traveling with kids.

1. Keep it simple. One bag. One backpack. Not packed full. Before we left, I gave my kids, ages 13 and 9, one 20″ international carry-on roller board each. I told them they had to fit all of their clothes into the roller board, and not pack it full. After all, if they wanted any souvenirs, they would need to leave some room in their suitcase. They laid out what they wanted to bring, and I weeded it down (for my daughter) and up (for my son) to 1 jacket, 5 shorts/skirts, 5 tops, 1 dress outfit, 2 pairs of shoes (sandals and sneakers), 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 pair zip off pants, 2 pairs of socks, 5 pairs of underwear, and a small mess kit in a security-ready clear quart-size bag. They also brought one small backpack for some items to keep them entertained on the plane rides. It’s so much easier on everyone when you are not weighed down by luggage you do not need. It just makes you tired and cranky. Roller boards and backpacks were easy-peasy.

2. Stay healthy. There is nothing worse than being sick on the road. I have been. And it is NOT fun. I started giving my kids some Vitamin C (or Airborne) before the trip and brought it along with us. We also carry 16 ounce Nalgene bottles with us to ensure we can always have water available. They are great because you can empty them before security, fill them after security, and then use a carabiner to secure them to your bag. Staying hydrated is key to feeling good. To help with the jetlag, we purchased some JetZone from the local health food grocery store. Sleep is critical to having a good time, and JetZone, a homeopathic remedy, helps. We all slept through the nights upon our arrival in Europe and when we got back to Boston.

3. Pack an organized day bag. Just to be sure you have what you need on hand, bring a collapsable day bag that you can use for day trips. I use a Longchamp collapsable tote. My husband uses a lightweight Eddie Bauer backpack – both work great. We packed bandaids (which we used), 1-2 of our Nalgene bottles with bottled water poured in (my daughter is always thirsty), snacks (familiar ones and interesting country-related ones), jackets, sunglasses, sunblock, hand sanitizer, kids chewable Advil, Zyrtec, and my iPad to use the maps feature to guide us (and I had the travel guides on my Kindle app as well).

4. Relate to their world. One of the best things we did was think about how to relate what we were doing/seeing to what’s going on in their world. Before we left, we had been watching Doctor Who marathon-style. I knew Spain would have some weeping angels. If you are not familiar with the show, weeping angels are aliens that are old angel statues when you look at them and nasty monsters when you blink or turn away. Our kids were on the look out for weeping angels throughout our bike tour of Barcelona. Scanning all the buildings for weeping angels was a super fun way for them to explore the Gothic and Gaudy architecture.

5. Set an expectation of flexibility. From the outset, we let the kids know that they would need to go with the flow. Some things would work as we planned. Some things would definitely NOT work as we planned. Some things we would not have a plan for. And some things would simply not be planned. We adopted two key phrases: 1) “Let it go, let it go . . . ” which I am sure everyone recognizes from Frozen; and 2) “It’s Europe,” meaning we are not in America anymore, so don’t expect it to be like America. Go with the flow. Let it go. Adopt the Spanish way of life for now. That’s what we were there to experience. If that meant eating dinner from 9-11:30 pm, then so be it. And so it was.

We also set our own expectations. We prepared ourselves to travel at a different pace. We wouldn’t be able see it all. But what we DID see was even better as we saw it through a whole new set of eyes – our children’s.

I’ve got 5 more tips to share next week . . .

-Lisa