Feeding grounds overlooking Mr. Lassen

I spent last weekend at the Wild Horse Sanctuary, a refuge for wild horses and burros near Lassen National Park in Northern California. Dianne Nelson has run the sanctuary as a non-profit for the past 30 years and uses weekend rides and pack trips to fund the program—most funds go towards feeding the +/- 300 wild horses that live there.

Dianne Nelson and I riding on the 5000 acre Wild Horse Sanctuary

I have to admit that the experience I thought I would have over my three days there was not reality—I imagined safari-style tracking in search of horses that would be galloping through an open field.  A bit of that may happen in the spring months when the landscape is green and lush, but in the late summer and fall the plants and natural water sources are parched and dry.  The majority of the wild horses choose to come to a large feeding ground where they are fed by Dianne and her volunteers.

Camp

Any disappointment over learning that we would not be chasing wild horses disappeared when we realized that our camp overlooked a herd of horses that like to congregate in front of the cabins over the summer months.

Junior the stallion

We had the pleasure of observing ‘Junior’ the stallion and his herd of mares for 48 hours. What a treat! I had no idea how horses socialize and breed in the wild. What makes the experience fascinating is that we think we know horses through our exposure to our domestic version; their behavior in the wild is something else entirely.  For me, the great ‘ah ha’ of the trip was when I realized that the essence of what Dianne is doing at the sanctuary is preserving the natural cycle of these magnificent animals. Clearly horses are not endangered, but the way they live and act in the wild is threatened.

One of Junior’s mares in camp

Given the long hours in the saddle and limited things to do in camp, at this point the sanctuary is not a great venue for young kids. That said, kids who are 10+ years old and love horses would be heaven.  Dianne is always in need of volunteers—the organization would be a phenomenal opportunity for a teenager that wants to learn about horses.

Plus, who doesn’t love baby animals?  This baby burro might be the cutest fuzzy creature I’ve ever seen.  For more Photo Friday fun, check out Delicious Baby.

L’Auberge Del Mar

Many people prefer the style, intimate atmosphere, and personalized service of a boutique hotel over a large chain-hotel with several hundred rooms.

I opt for boutique hotels too when excellent options are available; however, it’s much more difficult to identify smaller hotels that are kid-friendly since most have limited amenities and do not have the capacity for a long list of family-centric services.  There are an increasing number of exceptions like Kimpton Hotels’ KimptonKids program and Affinia Hotels has My Family programs (Chicago, New York, and DC).  We are working on getting more properties from each of these groups on Ciao Bambino.

Warning—boutique hotels may be the local hot spot at night and the scene may be distinctly un-kid-friendly.

I stayed at the Dana Hotel in Chicago this summer (without kids). The website doesn’t scream family-friendly in any way, but kids or no kids, I was intrigued by the flurry of articles and positive user reviews, so I decided to give it a go.  In line with the buzz, the rooms are indeed cool and comfortable—kudos to the designers for successfully merging fashion and function.  The room configurations and convenient location would work with kids, but when the sun went down, the volume of the music went up in every corner of the hotel. The atmosphere was definitely “party” vs. “social”.   It was time to scratch the property off the Ciao Bambino prospect list.

That said, it is possible to have an adult-oriented atmosphere at night in a property that is still kid-friendly.  We stayed at L’Auberge Del Mar in the San Diego area a few weeks ago with our 6-year-old.  Although the hotel also has a lively local bar scene (particularly during horse racing season), the music wasn’t blaring and the atmosphere was calm enough that we could talk and relax together without feeling like our son’s presence was inappropriate.

When it was bedtime, the lobby and restaurant were packed with adults (no kids), but it was a 30 and 40-something crowd vs. the 20-something crowd—I think that makes a difference.  We woke up the next morning and the pool at was filled with kids—clearly, many families are not put off by the active nightlife there (noting, we were there during the hotel’s busiest weekend).

We also stayed at The Four Seasons Aviara during this trip and the hotel was absolutely packed with families at all hours.  Does that make the Four Seasons more kid-friendly?  Perhaps, but I think it all comes down to the experience you want to have in a destination.  It’s hard to beat the laundry list of top-notch amenities and services at The Four Seasons Aviara, but it’s also hard to beat the ocean view, beachside location, and decidedly “San Diego” vibe of L’Auberge.  For me, one isn’t better than the other, just different.

If a hotel is not listed in a credible family hotel guides and you want to know if it’s kid-friendly, here’s a list of things to investigate:

1.    Do the room configurations support families? Are there rooms with 2 queen beds, connecting rooms, or suites that sleep 4-5 people?

2.    Does the hotel have any kid-focused amenities?  Even just a children’s menu at the restaurant at least indicates that management has thought about kids.

3.    Is there any messaging or photos on the website about kids?

4.    Check Trip Advisor and scan through the comments for any mention of kids or, conversely, comments about an intense party scene.

5.    Call the hotel and ask them if many families stay with them.

6.    Consider the value of the location.  Is it so convenient to the attractions you want to see that you are willing to overlook other features that may not be ideal with kids?

Photo by BradFranklin.net

One of our favorite family activities is picking fruit!  It is fun for any age and we all enjoy the rewards of our work.  As strawberry and blueberry picking comes to an end, we look forward to the apple and pumpkin picking in fall.  Silverman’s Farm in Easton, Connecticut is one of our old haunts.  They have tractor rides, apple picking, and an animal farm.  We let each of our children hold their own basket and fill it with as many apples as they can find.  Silvermans also has a pumpkin patch, so it’s a perfect spot for pre-Halloween fun!

Another option is White Post Farms, located on Long Island.  If you want to make a day trip, White Post has bouncy castles, an indoor and outdoor farm for iffy weather days, a playground, games, and karaoke. Charlotte and Lily adore their mini train which circles all around the indoor farm.  It’s not your traditional apple picking experience, but it sure is a crowd pleaser.

The fun continues when we get home and bake apple pie and cakes—here’s a link to a favorite apple pie recipe.

Today’s Photo Friday post is about a woman that takes travel photos that are quite possibly life changing for the people lucky enough to see them.

Alison Wright photographs people and places around the world.  I was introduced to her work last month at the Book Passage Travel Writers Conference.  Every blue moon I see photos that literally stop me in my tracks—images that enable me to powerfully experience a place or person from afar.  This is what happens when I look at Alison’s images.

Her photos of children are astounding—some make me smile, others are profoundly sad.  Her photos of ‘place’ make me want to pack my bags. Take a few minutes to go through at least the Documentary and Commercial Portfolio links on the Alison Wright website. Please come back and comment on what you see.

Visit Delicious Baby for more of this week’s Photo Friday posts.

This post is co-written by myself, with four traveling kids ages 10 and under, and Laura Robinson, who learned to keep her 2 and 4 year-olds happy on long flights while traveling alone with them to Europe.

The thought of being trapped with a screaming child on an airplane is enough to keep even the most avid travelers on the ground.  For others, it drives them to play Polly Pocket or to speak in an unnaturally high and sweet voice for hours on end. To spare you from this, we’ve come up with ideas that will help keep everyone sane on the plane.

Just like kids, parents come in all types of personalities—the planner and the non-planner, laid-back and uptight, etc. We’ve met them and possibly been them all.  Pick what fits you and your child’s personality the best, noting that many things on this list are geared towards younger children.  Once kids hit 6, they will more readily play and read on their own. Electronics are key—don’t miss the earphone recommendations at the end of the post!

1. Presents: Young children love presents. Keep them occupied on long flights by wrapping everything in your carry-on bag—small toys like dolls or cars, or even treats like jelly beans and candy will work.  They’ll love unwrapping each item and it keeps them busy for long periods of time.

2. Eating: This is one of our main sources of entertainment.  Think small, non-messy snacks that take a long time to consume.  Then pack them in small containers to extend consumption time.  Use what you know they like, as well as new things. Ideas: Goldfish, Pretzel Stix, shredded carrots, raisins, Trix (never consumed in my house, but a perfect treat to busy my toddler for an hour on this last flight).

3. Doctor’s Kit: Pack a kid-friendly doctor’s kit with a doll for kids to explore.  Load it with tons of band-aids, tape, and gauze to peel, pull and wrap for hours.

4. Fun Placemats: Print out drawings from the web and let them color their own placemats with icons they like from Disney or a favorite book.  Bring tape so it stays stable on their tray table.

5. Photos: My kids love photographs.  Before the trip, put together small albums for them to peruse with shots of friends or family you’re going to see while away.

6. Stretch and Wiggle Game: Derived from a book called “From Head to Toe,” see how many body parts you can turn, wiggle or stretch.

7. Books: There are a huge variety of children’s books written about almost every destination.  Before arrival the interest level might not be as high as you’d like, but one you’re there and afterwards, kids get really excited to see some of the sights from their trip.  Check out our Pre-trip Reading post for ideas.

8. Talk About Planes: Look at pictures of planes the night before leaving and read stories about transportation.  Not only will this get them excited about the experience, but you can also use this as an opportunity to discuss behavior expectations while flying.

9. Comfort Factor: Pack their favorite pajamas or most comfortable outfits, so they can easily sleep during long flights.  Also, don’t forget a change of clothes in case they spill or have an accident.  There’s nothing worse than sitting in wet clothes. I always pack a change for me as well.  Also, don’t forget to grab a few extra pacifiers, special blankets, etc. just in case one gets dirty or lost. This may sound simple, but it can be horrible when these “precious” items get lost or forgotten.

10.  MapQuest: Print out a map of your destination from the web and bring highlighters to let them map the route over land or across the ocean.  For the return flight, try to keep receipts, maps, ticket stubs, menus, etc. so to create a scrapbook on the plane ride home.

11. Arts and Crafts: Of course this varies with age, but here are some toys that can span a large age range.  Stickers and Sticker Mosaics (appeals to 2 and 10 year old alike), Wikki Stixs, Pipe Cleaners, and Scratch and Sketch books.  Check out more ideas on my Favorite Travel Toy list.

12. Little Characters: Pick a few of toy characters that your kids love—babies, Playmobile guys, Polly Pocket, little horses, whatever!  The important thing is to fill the bag with a variety of options. Forget about things that can roll away or really special items that will cause a fuss if lost.

13. Finger puppets: Small and endless entertainment. A little show is especially delightful for the 2-year-old crowd.

14. Coloring: Coloring is great, as long as it’s on paper and that’s not always easy to control; pens that don’t mark off the paper work very well like Crayola Color Wonder pads and pens.  Bring other pens as well, because the two-second delay that it takes for the color to show up is sometimes just too long for a toddler to wait.  In that case, make the pens washable and bring wipes to remove the out-of-bounds coloring. Another favorite is the Scratch and Sketch notebooks and Doodle Books for older kids.

We just discovered these non-toxic, natural art supplies called Clementine Art—they look great!

15. Emergency Tantrum Kit: This is the last resort bag.  Pack your child’s favorite special sweet or treat.  Lollipops (messy, which is why they’re a last resort), tic-tacs, ring-pops, whatever you know will help them settle down and avoid a full tantrum. Most of the time, this bag remains untouched. I don’t believe in rewarding bad behavior, but public humiliation will drive me to it.

16. Ready Made Travel Kits: If you’re traveling at a hectic time of year, consider a pre-made kit.  Both of these company’s offer terrific options: Custom Travel Activity Kit and Timeflies Kits.

17. Videos: This is a must—even if you limit screen time at home, embrace it on a plane!  Really this can start from age 2 and up.  The two key factors are comfortable earphones and age-appropriate shows.  Think Baby Einstein, Little Einsteins or Dora for younger kids.  Theme films with a sense of place like the Hunchback of Notre Dame for older children work well. Use a portable DVD player, laptop, or iPods.  iTunes offers many popular kids TV shows and movies to buy and rent.

We’ve learned that it is essential to test earphones at home before you leave.  For young children, you might want to try a Squishy Pillow or a travel pillow with speakers.

For long flights, pre-charge and bring back-up batteries. Also, even if the plane offers in-flight entertainment, be sure to have alternate activities.  We have been on a few flights were the entertainment system was not operating.

A note for kids ages 6 and up. Really, flying at this age is so much easier and preparation is a breeze.  While some of the tips above can apply, like making sure they are comfortable, older kids really just need a snack, well-charged electronics and a good book.  I still throw in some art supplies, in case they are inclined to draw and a game to play together like cards or TextTwist (iPhone Application).

Involve your children in the process of packing—let them pick a few items to put in their backpacks or mini-wheeled bags.

Entertaining kids on a plane is a popular topic that has been covered extensively on the web.  Feel free to comment with new ideas and/or a link to a post you’ve done on this subject and we’ll add a permanent link to your post in the article.

The Olive House, Greece

The title of this post is a bit misleading because it implies that every friend is a good candidate for sharing a vacation home. I’d argue this is not the case—just because you are great friends at home doesn’t mean you are a good match to share a rental.

When I organized villa rentals for families as part of our Italy trip planning service, there were several occasions when families didn’t get along on the road and it tarnished the vacation for everyone.  Going on holiday with a family and staying in adjacent hotel rooms is very different than sharing a home. The latter scenario means you are in close proximity to one another and travel preferences play a huge role in how things go.

Family Vacation Rentals

5 things to think about before committing to sharing a rental home with another family

1.  What are your respective travel personalities? i.e. Are you active and like to be sightseeing 24×7 or are your happier lounging by the pool?

2.  How regimented are you at home with meal and bedtime schedules and do you keep to those schedules on vacation?

3.  Are you a clean freak or do you like a bit of chaos?

4.  What is your travel budget? Do you like luxury accommodations and gourmet restaurants or do you prefer simple things on the road-this may be very different from how you live at home!

5.  How old are you kids and will they have things in common with the kids of the other family?

Just because the answers to these questions may be vastly different, it doesn’t mean that you should opt out of a trip with friends.  However, the less you have in common around these travel preferences, the more work you need to do at the front end with expectation setting and on the ground to ensure that things go smoothly.

La Cimes Des Arbres, France

If the answers are different, what can you do?

1.  If one family is very active when on vacation and another likes to lounge, the key is to set expectations ahead of time that you would love to stay together, but will most likely be on your own during the day.

2.  People that keep to strict meal and bedtime schedules at home may not do so on vacation. It is important to have a candid conversation around your mutual approach around this.  Bedtime is a tough one. It is very challenging to try and put your kids early if they are around other kids that stay up late.  This might be a deal breaker.

3.  People that are very neat at home are not suddenly messy on vacation and vice versa.  If you know you’re going to be in a bad place if you are in chaos for a week and/or will feel the need to clean up after everyone, this is a red flag.

4.  Travel budgets vary widely and even people that live grandly at home may prefer simple accommodations and meals when on vacation or again, vice versa! Assuming you can agree to accommodations that work for both of you, I think this is an issue you can work around with expectation setting and finding middle ground venues.

5. The reality is that kids that are friends at home will most likely get along on vacation.  Age differences can play a role in what you can and will choose to do each day. A rough sketch and discussion of general activity plans will help ensure that every family spends time doing what works for them.

Sugar Cookie Cabin, United States

Other important things to manage:

Room configuration. You absolutely need to understand how participating families will fit into the bedrooms of a rental home before committing to a property.  If kids are older and don’t need to sleep right next to their parents, this makes things easier.

Master bedrooms. Sometimes the person that researches and books the rental will have “first choice” of bedrooms.  That said, a week is a long time and if the bill is being split equally, then parents will want equivalent bedrooms.  We’ve overcome this issue in the past by trading rooms mid-week.

Bathroom-to-bedroom ratios and set-up. Renovated luxury properties usually have a one-to-one ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms.  Understand the set-up ahead of time and ensure it will work for all.

Housekeeping. Housekeeping policies vary widely. Some rentals only have final cleaning included.  A house full of kids at the beach, for example, can be a messy affair. Of course, families can pitch in to clean the house on their own, but know this is the plan and/or arrange additional housekeeping ahead of time.

Meals. Understand if budgets or preferences drive wanting to cook at home vs. eating out for each family.  If one family cooks in while the other eats out, this is not a big deal.   If the plan is for all to cook in for a number of nights, a general outline of what you want to cook is helpful.

During our recent trip to France we decided that we’d eat breakfast and some lunches at home, but didn’t want to eat the same old “stuff” we always cook for dinner (especially since we were in France of all places). We agreed to his plan ahead of time and it worked perfectly!

Note that multi-generational family trips have additional, complicated issues that I’m not addressing here.  Sharing a rental home can be a wonderful way to truly settle into a destination and live like a local.   Plus, it can be much more relaxing for the parents when the kids have the constant company of other kids.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino’s family-friendly villa agency list

VRBO Rentals, tips and advice for a vacation rental by owner

VRBO Rentals - experience notes

Top family-friendly hotel chains (US edition)

Value remains king in 2010

Toddler travel – where you stay matters

Finding family-friendly boutique hotels

Finding the best kids clubs

Finding the best Europe family hotels

Finding family-friendly ski resorts

How to choose the right ranch vacation

Things to consider before booking mega-resorts

Evaluating all-inclusive beach resorts

Vista Verde Guest Ranch

I recently interviewed a family that stayed at Vista Verde Guest Ranch outside of Steamboat Springs in Colorado for our family ranch vacation portfolio.  You know you’ve found a gem when the first statement about a property is, “Vista Verde is the greatest vacation experience we’ve ever had.”

I get that.  Our dude ranch experience at Smith Fork Ranch is one of my all-time favorite experiences too. What makes these ranch trips stand out is that you actually vacation.  For me, this means enjoying an absolute break from the schedule and demands of day-to-day life (with or without kids). The beauty of ranch vacations is that you are active (not just sitting by a pool), but someone else does all the planning and it’s logistics free. Heaven!

The family I interviewed about Vista Verde loved the service level at the property.  Dude ranches cater to groups at a time, so having a high service level is key to ensuring there is enough personalization that the experience meets your needs.

They also raved about the riding program.  Most “real” dude ranches focus on horseback riding.  A few things to note:  1) All programs have minimum age requirements.  Riding is a great activity with school age kids and up.  If you have younger children, ensure there are supervised activities for younger kids available or you won’t be riding either.  2) Horse quality is important.  In the absence of a review that mentions this, check Trip Advisor for comments related the horse feedback.

See my post on how to choose the best ranch vacation for more tips on things to evaluate before making a decision on where to stay.  Ranch vacations are not inexpensive—it’s worth doing an extra bit of homework to ensure you choose the right venue and destination.