Today’s Tip: California Academy of Sciences

Once upon a December, I tried to go to the California Academy of Sciences the week after Christmas. That story didn’t have a a fairytale ending: we didn’t get in, the scene outside the Academy was wicked, so we headed to some quieter places in Golden Gate Park. But I was determined to take my son for a visit, so we made a second attempt this last summer. This time, we came prepared with my plan of attack, and we had a great time. With only one trip under my sleeve, I am not an expert, but I did gain a few insights that I can pass on to you.

1. Buy your tickets online. On very crowded days, the Academy will stop selling tickets soon after it opens. Pre-purchase tickets to save yourself from the disappointment of being turned away or the possibility of standing in another line to purchase them there.

2. Queue up early. I don’t need to tell you that the early bird gets the worm. There will be a line at the entrance before the museum opens. You need to be in that line, so that you can be one of the first groups to get inside and enjoy some of the exhibits before it gets unbearably crowded.

3. Get your tickets for the shows as soon as you walk in. From the entrance, go left to the planetarium and snatch your tickets. You can choose which show time you prefer, so you don’t necessarily have to go to the first show. You will want to see the aquarium or the rainforest exhibit early, so opt for a later showtime. We were not able to see the 3-D Bug Show, but they do sell out of those tickets early as well.

4. The fishes don’t mind the crowds, but you might. After you get your tickets, head directly to the Steinhart aquarium. It is dark in that section and the design makes the crowds seem even more unbearable. This is the section where you want to especially hold on to your toddlers so that they don’t get lost. I know you want to enjoy some quality time with the jellyfish and not the museum security, so go to the aquarium early.

5. Ready, set, go: Rainforest. The rainforest exhibit opens an hour after the museum, and although museum employees discourage people from queueing up too early, people do anyway. For us, this was the highlight of the museum, so I don’t recommend you skip this. The butterflies are the main attraction, and they are more plentiful in the higher levels of the dome. They will land on you, so don’t go if you get queasy about insects. My son stood there for about ten minutes, waiting for the butterflies to land on him. One finally did.

6. Bring your own lunch and seat. The meals are pricey and the dining areas are small. It’s common to see families eating their lunch on the floor of the Academy Cafe. We bought a snack, and had a bigger meal outside the museum afterwards.

7. The penguins are as crowded as the people gawking at them. After you hit the three main areas, head over to Africa Hall for a stroll through a very quiet African savannah. This is the retro part of the museum and the home of the penguins. They are cute, even I’ll admit it.

8. Take a breath on the Living Roof. If you need a break, go up to the trademark plant-covered roof. It is a lesson in green design and offers some good views of the plaza.

Family Travel Tips
San Francisco

Today’s Tip: Disneyland for Halloween

My ongoing search for the Great Pumpkin brought me to Disneyland last October. I think I found it, and the Great Candycorn too. Disneyland has its Halloweentime celebration from September 25 to November 1. Here are some tips about what to expect and what not to miss.

1. Don’t pack your wool sweater. It’s Los Angeles, so fall is a bit more like well…summer. We went the third week of October and found ourselves in the middle of a heat wave. There’s nothing quite like rolling into Disneyland after a five-hour drive and finding yourself in 100-degree heat. Yes, that’s pretty extreme, but chances are the weather will be less blustery and more sweltering. Check the forecast. Although you will get the summer vacation weather, you won’t get the summer vacation crowds. That’s a good thing.

2. Check out the Haunted Mansion’s holiday make-over. My son deemed the ride too scary to go on, so I went on while he hung out with the grandparents. I did catch some video of it for him to watch later, since he really wanted to see what the gingerbread centerpiece in the ball room looked like that year. Those Disney chefs come up with a new giant gingerbread creation every year. Hint: Take a deep breath while you go through the ballroom.

3. Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Roundup is the place to have a picnic. If you have toddlers or preschoolers, this is also a place to relax, do some arts and crafts and catch a show featuring Woody and some other Toy Story characters. The whole area is decorated like a pumpkin patch so the photo opportunities are plentiful.

4. Candy Corn Acres in California Adventure just may give you a toothache. California Adventure is where to go for giant candy corn sightings, a plunge down the Tower of Terror, if you’re not too chicken, and Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party. Although it looked like a lot of fun, we opted to not attend the party. Separate admission is charged, check the Disneyland website for days and times.

A teeny bit of a heatstroke...

Family Travel Tips
Anaheim

Today’s Tip: Plan and Collaborate With Google Maps

Planning trips with a lot of other people can be as much fun as riding the bus at rush hour. You may be making out you itinerary, but so are your trip partners. You can wait to share the dueling plans a the airport, or you can use technology to help all of you get on the same page before the trip.

I like to use the collaboration tool on Google maps. I had already been using Google maps to help plan out my trips, but now, when I’m going on a trip with other people, I can use Google maps to help with my trip planning.

View Larger Map

One person creates the map initially and saves it.  For example, I created a map for my recent trip to Maui. Then, I clicked on the collaborate link on the sidebar of my map and invited my sister to join me in creating this map through an email. She then had access to the same map and we both edited it together. I was good at adding restaurants and attractions, my sister was the go-to girl when it came to finding the best snorkeling beaches and the directions to their parking lots. Together, we created one super map for our trip and found a convenient way to share any new trip research with each other.

The cool part is (yes, it gets better) that we can keep adding stuff to the map long after our trip has ended. We can add photos of places we visited and save the map as a reference for all our future trips to Maui. I foresee many more trips to Maui, so I know this map will just get more and more pins on it.

Today’s Tip: Snorkeling With Young Kids

This week I wrote about one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. Of course, it was with my son. When he was five-years old, I took him snorkeling in Hawaii. He had never been snorkeling before and was just learning to swim well. I was not confident it would work out, but it turned out a lot better than expected. With a little preparation, it is possible to take young kids snorkeling. Here’s how:

1. Buy your own snorkel equipment. If you can afford it, this is the best thing you can do when you’re taking young kids snorkeling. I don’t have anything against renting, it’s just so much easier to take your own equipment. We didn’t buy the fanciest mask either. We just went to a local sporting goods store to hunt one down. Remember, if it doesn’t fit in your luggage, you can always have your kids wear it onto the plane (well, maybe not the flippers).
2. Try out that equipment in the pool. We practice in grandma’s pool. My son has already requested that I take out his snorkel equipment, so that he can begin his practice sessions for our upcoming trip to Hawaii. We’ll keep practicing, without the pressure of being out in the ocean full of colorful-fishes-I-want-to-see-right-now. We’re both a whole lot more patient in grandma’s pool.
3. Take along a lifejacket for your kids. Even if they’re great swimmers, it’s just easier for them to float along and enjoy the fishy views. Besides, it’s just safer.
4. Rent a Boogie Board. It helps to have a floating platform to hold onto. You can also get yourself a flotation belt. I refused to rent one because I’m just to damn cool. But I’m going to rethink the whole cool-girl thing next time. It would have been much easier to adjust our snorkel masks without having to doggie paddle while doing it. I’m not that talented.
5. Keep the snorkeling sessions short. While my son enjoyed exploring the underwater world, it took a lot out of him (and me). He only wanted to do it five to ten minutes at a time. At that young age, he was happier making sand castles and playing in the waves. It also helps to research which beaches have the easiest and calmest access for beginner snorkelers.

In case you need a little more inspiration or tips on technique, I found a little video footage of one our snorkeling sessions in Maui. I offer me in my dorky snorkeling attire, for your viewing pleasure.

Today’s Tip: Recommendations From My Road Trip

We’re back from our road trip to Southern California and on the long way back home I had plenty of time to come up with a list of some important things to consider when planning a road trip in California. Lucky for you, I’m willing to share my top three recommendations:

1. Take some sunscreen and put it on your left arm. You’ll be spending so much time in the car, that you may begin to suffer from a driver’s tan, or worse, a sunburn. Add an extra layer for those driving hands.

3. Be beach bag-ready. It’s not over until there’s sand in your beach bag. Lots and lots of sand. I like to pack a beach bag with our swimsuits, sunscreen, travel towels, and even my beach book. So whenever we see a good beach, we pull over and make that our pit stop. Don’t be caught fishing in your luggage for your swimsuits.

4. Make the perfect California song playlist. This is a state that has gotten more than its fair share of songs written about it, so you’ll have plenty to choose from. When you’re driving through Los Angeles traffic, you’re going to want to be singing “Nobody Walks in L.A.”. You’ll want to break out into song, because the alternative is breaking out into tears. Trust me.

Today’s Tip: Cheap Date at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Ahh…sun, surf, and caramel apples can only mean one thing: it’s summertime at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This classic seaside amusement park advertises its free admission, but sometimes the best things in life aren’t free. You aren’t going to go all the way to the Boardwalk for your kids to just walk and watch all the other kids have fun. If you go on any ordinary day, you can expect to pay $2.25 to $4 for each ride, or if you’re staying for a while, you can get the unlimited rides wristband for $29.95. That’s not taking into account what you’ll pay for parking ($10 in the lot) and food.

Don’t throw in your beach towel just yet. There are some ways to make this California kid dream come true. During the summer, my favorite way to save money is to make this an evening affair by going on “1907 Nights” or “Pepsi Nights”. Every Monday and Tuesday after 5 p.m., you will pay only seventy five cents for each ride and also for hot dogs, Pepsi, and cotton candy. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings after 5 p.m. you can get an unlimited rides wrist band for $9.95 if you bring in a Pepsi can.

I save the most money when I go on “1907 Nights” because my young child can’t go (or won’t go) on over half the rides. It doesn’t make sense for me to buy the unlimited rides wristband when I’m going to be mostly hanging around at Bulgy the Whale or Cave Train Adventure. Besides, I can’t pass up 75 cent hot dogs.

As a bonus tip, I’m going to let you know that they only sell the specially priced hot dogs and Pepsis in certain lines of the dining areas. This always bugs me, because if you want anything else besides hot dogs (I just gotta have my fried artichoke hearts) you have to stand in two lines. This is so not what a tired mommy wants to do when dealing with whiny, hungry kids. I find that the best thing to do is be there right when the big hand hits the 5 on your watch. That way you’ll get shorter lines for the food, and still have time give those hot dogs in your tummy a spin on the rides.

Parking Tip: The parking is also cheaper or free in the evenings. You don’t have to pay the parking meters after 6 p.m.

Good to know: “1907 Nights” are from June 22 to September 1 and “Pepsi Nights” are from June 24 to September 3.

Today’s Tip: Be a Camping Pro, or Just Look Like One

Even if you’ve never been camping before, or your last camping trip is a distant memory, you can still plan a great family camping trip. I’ve made a handy list to help any of you camping newbies who are hesitant to embark on a camping adventure with kids. I’m not going to pretend camping is easy, but with a bit of planning and practice, you can take your kids out for a night under the starry skies. Read on, campers.

1. Camp close to home. I have found that when you camp with young kids it’s less stressful to keep the travel distances short. On our last trip, we drove for one short, blissful hour to our favorite campground by the beach. At this campground, I struck up a conversation with another mom in the bathroom who admitted that her family had only traveled forty minutes from their home. As she wisely put it: “It’s nice to know that if something happens, you can just go home.” We all hope that nothing will happen when we’re traveling with kids, but experience teaches us that the possibilities are endless: fever, poison-oak, or just plain ol’ anxiety. It’s good to know you have a quick escape route.

2. Pick your campground wisely. If you are a newcomer to the world of tent camping, then you will want to consider the campground’s amenities. Basically, you will want running water, showers, and a spot you can pull your car into. It may also be easier to camp somewhere without any bears, in other words, stay away from the mountains. There are beautiful campgrounds in those places, but you do have to work a bit harder to bear-proof everything. If you’re a beginner camper, you may not be ready for the additional hassle. Check out my list of great campgrounds along the coast of California.

3. Get to know your gear. I say this with love, because I’ve made this mistake: practice putting up your new tent at home. When you’re with young kids, you don’t have the luxury of swearing and ranting as you throw tent poles around. If you do practice putting up your tent at home, don’t forget to put everything back in the bag. Again, I speak from experience.

4. Lists are your friend. You will need to make a list and check it twice. Even then, you will probably forget something. That’s why you chose a campground near some sort of market, because it’s good to know you can run to town to get batteries, marshmallows, or ice.

5. Keep the menu simple. This is not the time to plan five-course dinners, but you don’t have to eat canned soup for three days. If you do want at least one fancy meal, you could prep some of the ingredients at home. Maybe you want to make stew, so just precut the veggies ahead of time. You can also bake muffins or other baked goodies, and feel like Martha Stewart when you unveil them at the campsite. But since you’re not going to Camp Martha, remember that kids love sandwiches, hot dogs, and spaghetti.

6. Timing is everything. It’s easier to plan for a camping trip that’s three nights or less. You will have to take less food, less firewood, and less pairs of socks. Our magic number is usually 3 days and 2 nights. It’s just enough to get a taste of the camping good life, but not so long that your kids will need any serious bathing. If you’ve ever tried to bathe a toddler in a coin-operated shower, you know that the less times you actually have to experience this, the better.

I’m still finding new tricks for doing things better every time I go on a camping trip, so I’ll keep updating list. If you have any great tips, please do share in the comments below.