Although the Family Travel blog is the “owner” of the Carnival of Cities (blog carnival) it’s always fun when the carnival is out and about, traveling the world with other guest carnival hosts.
If you’d like to host the May 21 (update - May 21 edition will now be hosted at Nerd’s Eye View) May 28 or June 4 version, email me at sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com.
My only frustration is that we never have enough posts from Asian, African or Middle Eastern cities, so send ‘em if you have ‘em, as long as they focus on a single city.
I am a U.S. traveler with multiple transportation options, and most of them are awful.
After a week spent flying from Texas to Virginia to Chicago back to Texas, my verdict is official - air travel is simply wretched. Unless you have the money to decamp to first class, which I do not, it is a soul-sucking, annoying, tiring disaster (and I was traveling alone, without having to worry about wrangling young children.)
I am not clueless about the current high price of fuel, so I understand why the airlines (except for Southwest, which actually planned for a fuel price increase) think they must nickel and dime passengers for every mangy pillow, blanket, sandwich, suitcase and inch of legroom, but I’d rather just pay for a somewhat higher-priced ticket and not be treated like a fee-ridden pest in coach.
I’m your customer, Mr. Airline.
I’m dealing with your dinky seats — I’m not obese nor am I tall, so I can handle crummy seat pitch although if you squeeze it much more, I won’t be able to fit.
I’m dealing with no food — I buy my own sandwich from some random nasty, unimaginative, overpriced food joint in your rat-filled airports.
I’m dealing with your rules about checked luggage and I refuse to let you lose my suitcase and have it end up in your Alabama warehouse — I traveled for a week with everything in my wheelie Travelpro carry-on.
I am not clueless about terrorism (co-Honor Graduate of my US Naval War College class should count for something) but I fail to understand uneven enforcement of various draconian TSA security rules that have dubious anti-terrorism benefit.
Example: the great 3 oz liquid flail, wherein my little baggie of appropriately-sized liquid toiletries sailed through checkpoints at Austin and Washington Dulles but TSA suddenly decides at Chicago O’Hare that the bag’s too big….except it was a quart-sized zip-top bag that I picked up from TSA last October when they were handing them out at the Albuquerque airport.
Here’s my beef: we don’t have any other significantly better travel options in the U.S.
Unlike Europe and many other continents, we don’t really have a viable passenger rail system in the U.S. that can provide an efficient, well-priced alternative that runs on time, other than a somewhat functional Amtrak grid in the Northeast. I did find a family who rode the rails roundtrip Tucson-Chicago, but don’t expect to adhere to any schedule. Hope springs eternal, since May 10 is National Train Day, for what that’s worth (and I’m the granddaughter of a railroad engineer, so the demise of U.S. rail is painful.)
Would you take your kids and “go Greyhound?” Bus systems are starting to respond better to the needs of budget travelers (check out Megabus and BoltBus) but how well do those funky downtown bus stations work with children in tow?
Gas is pushing $4/gallon, and it seems wasteful for individuals or families to each load up a car and hit the road, rather than use mass transportation.
Where does this leave the family traveler?
The best (but less planet-friendly and more expensive option, when you include hotels) is to drive yourself, and that’s what I plan to do with my family this summer.
To heck with it.
We will explore our own backyard near Austin, and perhaps take a few short road trips to East Texas and maybe to a Bandera family dude ranch (wish me luck convincing my city kid teen to do THAT one!)
I’m not paying another dime to the airlines until I can figure out how to fly with my kids fairly comfortably, without feeling like I’m in a game of cat-and-mouse to avoid tyrannical air travel policies and price structures.
I’m smarter than that, Mr. Airline. You lose.
(My post title is a riff on a favorite saying by Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Teddy’s daughter and a noted curmudgeon.)
(This is a product review; I do not actively solicit travel products to test, but will investigate items if I think I’d actually use them or my readers might be interested.)
The socks are also called “graduated compression legwear,” because they are woven in such a way that they are tighter in certain spots on your feet and legs in order to help reduce edema (swelling) and to help with proper blood flow during long periods of sitting. Benefits include improved circulation and better venous blood flow in the legs, even while scrunched up on increasingly-uncomfortable airplanes.
“Economy class syndrome” is another name for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) which is a blood clot (thrombosis) that can form in the deep vein system of the lower leg when a person sits for extended periods of time, like in an aircraft but also a long car journey.
The “economy class” term makes for good headlines, but in reality, anyone sitting for more than about an hour, even in business/first class, needs to get up, move and stretch periodically, and some argue that the medical evidence for DVT is rather scanty.
I’ve always made it a point to get an aisle seat and try to move around during long flights, and I encourage my kids to do the same, plus drink lots of water. It’s just a smart way to counteract flying’s stresses on the body.
In the spirit of comfort research, however, I wore my socks for two full days going and coming to Chicago from Texas, combined with black suede Rockport slip-on walking shoes (Aerosoles is another favorite brand of mine for comfy shoes that do not scream “dorky traveler in white running shoes with laces that hold up security screenings.”)
Plus, barefoot through security is rather gross, and I’m no hygiene freak, either.
The Ames Walker socks were very comfortable and my legs felt well-supported. After a long day of flying, then walking a bazillion miles through the O’Hare Airport upon arrival, then 45 minutes into downtown on the train, then walking some more blocks to my hotel, all while schlepping a purse, laptop bag and carry-on rolling suitcase, my legs felt good.
Or maybe I’m in better shape than I think I am.
On the return flight, however, the band at the top of the socks really cut into my legs. My feet and lower legs felt great, but the top of the socks were like a tight rubber band just below my knee.
I’m not sure why, since they were fine before, but I think part of the problem was that my sample pair were a Large and I’m more Medium. The sock band at the top needs to stretch flat at the top of the calf so that it isn’t constricting, and my band went all the way up onto the knee a bit, so it may not have been stretched out enough, and that caused over-compression. If I were Ames Walker, I’d make the band wider.
They’re easy to care for - I washed them with a bar of soap in the hotel room sink, and they dried quickly on a towel rack because they’re a synthetic microfiber.
Bottom line: since socks are a good idea anyway (and microfiber ones are smart because they’re easy to self-launder) I vote for packing compression socks on my next trip. Thanks to Ames Walker for the chance to review their product.
Travel guide Tim Leffel is much more of a travel product review guru - I highly recommend his excellent Practical Travel Gear blog for more info on travel-related gear, clothing and gizmos.
Now, I don’t leap out of bed in the morning in search of popcorn. It’s an OK food, but not one of my top favorites.
Still, I’d heard that Garrett in Chicago is special, so since I’m here in the Windy City for the SOBCon08 blogging conference, I headed out in search of the crunchy stuff.
My finger-licking scouting report: this is one bag of greasy, yummy, super-fabulous popcorn.
I couldn’t decide between the CaramelCrisp and the CheeseCorn, but I didn’t have to: Garrett’s sells “The Mix” with both of them mixed together.
Warning — you’ll need a serious pile of napkins to survive a buttery, well-lubed Garrett eating session.
There are several locations in Chicago (670 North Michigan Avenue plus some others) and two locations in New York City. The store locator page can help you find Garrett, or if you can’t make it to Chicago, just order online from their Web site.
I’ve found a new addiction.
Do you have a favorite local food or drink? Please share it down in the comments!
(This is a guest photo by Family Travel reader Nancy Sathre-Vogel from Family on Bikes. I’m traveling in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and Chicago this week.)
Look at the bottom of that huge cactus down in Baja, California — that’s part of the Vogel family.
Their triple bike is dwarfed by the size of that plant, isn’t it?
Says Mom Nancy:
“This photo was taken in Baja, California as we cycled the length of the peninsula with our 8-year-old twin boys. My husband and twins rode a bicycle build for three - an enormous bike - which was totally dwarfed by the majestic cardon cactus of the area.
You’re invited to take a look (and please leave a comment there if I missed anything.)
There are all sorts of interesting places and events throughout the state, which is divided into the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula and the more remote Upper Peninsula.
Here’s a sample:
Celebrate cherries – The western side of the Michigan Lower Peninsula harvests about 250 million pounds of cherries each year, so they celebrate with the National Cherry Festival every July in Traverse City. You can also tour cherry orchards on Leelanau Peninsula or find unique cherry products at Michigan’s American Spoon Foods or Cherry Republic.
Motown Historical Museum – Right here in Motor City (Detroit) is a museum dedicated to the groundbreaking musical artists of the Motown Record Corporation; names like Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5. Founder Berry Gordy envisioned a “hit factory” just like the Lincoln-Mercury assembly line where he worked, and his dream is a linchpin of Detroit and Michigan’s legacy.
The Soo Locks – Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest city in Michigan and home to one of the most important maritime trade transit points in the world, the “Soo Locks” that move tons of shipping between Lake Superior and the rest of the Lakes. Ask at the Locks Visitor Center about boat tours.
If you’d like to host on your blog after that, for 14 May, 21 May or 28 May, please email me: sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com.
Off we go….
** Cities in Europe **
Valencia, Spain Heather gets a new perspective at a bullfighting museum posted at Heather on her travels, saying, “Heather and her family visited the bullfighting museum, next to the bull-ring in Valencia. They saw the skintight matador costumes known as Traje de Luces or ’suit of lights,’ and a stuffed bull called Gitano. It gave them all a chance to consider their views on this traditional sport of Southern Spain (and to see things from the bull’s point of view.”)
Suzdal, Russia Antonia Malchik describes the colorful houses and onion domes of Suzdal, which she explored in the dead of a Russian winter. Antonia writes at the Perceptive Travel blog.
Canberra, Australia Steve Madsen finds a museum with exhibits of quintessentially Australian products in Australia’s Capital Treasures at his blog Exit Row Seat. It’s the first of a series.
** Cities in the Americas **
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada paulmct presents Tickets Please - Or Else posted at Bloggin’ Off, saying, “There’s a lot to like about Vancouver, but…” Don’t tase me, bro!
Hurley, Wisconsin, USA Rick Sincere gives an interesting peek into Hurley’s history and includes video from his visit to Hurley on his blog Rick Sincere News and Thoughts, saying, “Hurley, Wisconsin, is a small city (population less than 2,000) but it and its “twin city” of Ironwood, Michigan, are nonetheless legally designated as cities.”
St. Louis, Missouri, USA As the host, I thought I’d throw in a Family Travel blog post featuring the storied Gateway Arch, on the Mississippi river in downtown St. Louis.
The aquatically-themed SeaWorld San Antonio opened its doors in April 1988, and in April 2008 my son and I had a special invitation to visit the park and enjoy some of the 20th anniversary celebrations.
The public activities were held at the marine life park’s main entrance. Haley Scarnato, San Antonio’s American Idol finalist, performed the national anthem and local military personnel also participated — the Alamo City has a strong military presence because of nearby Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph Air Force bases and the Brooks medical center.
We joined the behind-the-scenes corporate celebration; a luncheon during which previous park managers were brought back to share stories with current employees (there have been more than 36 million park visitors since the 1988 opening day, so there were lots of stories.)
Having an eight-year-old boy sit still for that was a bit of a challenge, but he was happily distracted by the special 4,000 pound black and white custom Shamu cake made just for the occasion — “one whale of a cake.”
The baking and decorating effort was spearheaded by SeaWorld pastry chef David Rodriguez and took 10 gallons of vegetable oil, 800 egg yolks and nine hours to apply all of the black and white icing over the chocolate/buttercream/brownie cake combo.
One of the SeaWorld sea lions, Clyde, also made a short appearance at the corporate luncheon, so my son (aka Mr. Wiggles) had plenty of good distractions between cake and Clyde.
Once the adult activities were over, we enjoyed the rest of the day going on get-wet rides like Rio Loco and Texas Splashdown. I love rollercoasters, so was ready for the Journey to Atlantis and Steel Eel, but my son declared “no way!” Sure; just a few more years and he’ll be like his sister, going on the scariest rides first thing and then doing them over and over.
Our favorite up-close animal interaction was with the penguins. Visitors to the Penguin Encounter can get on a moving sidewalk and look through the glass walls at the cavorting penguins swimming underwater and waddling around their habitat. There is a raised platform where you can also just sit and watch, but no, we rode the sidewalk about 5 times.
Make time for the animal encounters with trainers and the feeding times, so the kids can learn more about their favorite sharks, sea lions, birds, etc. You can pick up a schedule of these events when you enter the park.
We wrapped up the day with Shamu at the “Believe” show. As you can see at the end of the short video below, I moved way back and up in the stands for the whale-tail-splash event, but Mr. Wiggles commandeered a front-row seat and got himself totally drenched. The orcas were truly spectacular; even though part of me squirms a bit when it comes to trained animals for human enjoyment, I could not deny being grateful for a chance to see a killer whale up close.
The park had a huge playscape area for younger kids, with a Shamu Express kiddie ride and a restaurant nearby overlooking a small harbor (where there’s also a waterski show several times a day.)
To the left of the main entrance is a small water park, so you could combine rides, animals and a water park in one visit. For more info, here’s an interactive park map. Wherever it says “prepare to be soaked,” believe it. There are lockers to stow your gear, or bring a waterproof camera, pack and/or rain parka.
Ask about AAA and military discounts for park admission and vacation packages. If you live close by and want to visit this or other Anheuser-Busch theme parks more than once, a season pass may make more sense for saving you money.
As always with theme parks, if your budget allows I recommend looking into special programs and guided tours including Dine with Shamu (pretty reasonably priced and kids under 3 are free) or even SeaWorld camps, for a more educational park experience.
To add value to your park pass purchase, also note that there may be special musical programs included in the cost of your ticket: in May 2008, SeaWorld San Antonio features Viva La Musica, a celebration of Latin food and music, plus Christian and country music artists later in the year.
As a nascent geek, I’ve also been interested in SeaWorld’s use of Web 2.0/social media in a recent campaign to open their Journey to Atlantis ride — see Shel Israel’s post and video about this experiment with Internet marketing that turned out well for the park.
** For my US readers who are considering blowing that tax refund on travel (I’m already seeing articles about where to visit to spend it) I offer a few spring/summer ideas….
** Finally, in honor of National Tire Safety Week (April 20-26), I encourage my road trippers to be “tire smart” to save money and energy (with better fuel economy from correctly inflated tires) and to save lives. The Pep Boys auto shops will be offering free tire pressure checks in all stores across the country April 20-26. Their PR folks say I’ve been named one of their Tire Safety Gurus (why, thank you….) so if you want to check your own pressure, just open the driver’s side door of your car and look at the door frame. A sticker there will tell you the proper cold temp pressure for your vehicle’s tires. Look carefully; the front and back tires may have different suggested pressures. That’s what you use, not the pressure on the actual tire sidewalls. Such a guru am I….:)
One of my favorite catalogs and Web sites is Brooklyn, NY-based Uncommon Goods; they always have the most interesting items, many hand-crafted.
In the current budget climate, I try to avoid temptation and not even open the catalog, but in a TGIF moment of weakness yesterday I decided to browse.
“Featuring an adorable print of the 50 states and a unique soak-proof lining inside (so that nothing leaks through onto clothing or surfaces) this lightweight yet durable mat will make perfect traveling companions for your little one.”
Although the Family Travel blog is the “owner” of the Carnival of Cities (blog carnival) it’s always fun when the carnival is out and about, traveling the world with other guest carnival hosts.
