• About Us Header

  
  

• About Us Text & Pix

  We're Traveling Mamas sharing our adventures with the world. We offer tips on great (and not so great) places to visit with children and how to have the best family vacations -- but it's not all about the kids, of course! Romantic escapes, girlfriend getaways, and solo trips are also important to us. Plus, we cover industry news and review travel gear, and we love to give things away!

  
  CajunMama MudslideMama

  
  
  

  DesertMama MountainMama

  
  
• 

•  Subscribe in a reader

  Subscribe by email

• Google 160 wide

• Wotif Exp: 12/21/2009

  
  Qantas
  Singapore Airlines
  Cathay Pacific Flights

• Vacations by the Sea Exp. 12/11/2009

  

• Wotif Exp: 12/21/2009

  Sydney Hotels Bali Hotels Bangkok Hotels

• Wotif Exp: 12/21/2009

  Last minute Brisbane Hotels Last Minute Sydney Hotels Last Minute Melbourne Hotels

Welcome!

By CajunMama

Thanks for visiting TravelingMamas.com where we have loads of content to help inspire and plan your travels. Feel free to browse our categories or use our nifty search bar, which is located on the right side of this page. Should you wish to contact one of the mamas individually, you can reach us through the About page.

Happy Travels!

Winning Wednesday: LUSH Unlucky for Dirt Soap

By CajunMama

This post was written by Mudslidemama:

Our most recent giveaway was for 13 bars of 13 Unlucky for Dirt soap. This LUSH natural antibiotic soap helps fight off germs’ a handy soap for both traveling and the beginning of a new school year. We asked people about the germiest place they’d been, and had some truly gross comments s a result (well, we asked for it)! We ran the numbers through random.com, and the LUSH contest giveaway winner, #98, is Jacque. Congratulations, Jacque! She wrote, “I had to use the bathroom at a laundry mat. It was so disgusting with toilet paper on the floor, dirty sink and the toilet didn’t look like it was ever cleaned. The smell was awful too! Thanks!”

Poor Jacque. We hope these 13 bars of LUSH 13 Unlucky for Dirt soap will help wash the memory of that nasty laundromat away. Get in touch with us, and we’ll get the soap mailed to you right away.

Hawaii Travel Gives Los Angeles a Taste of Aloha

By MudslideMama

Guess who came to town last week? Some of my favorite people in the travel and tourism industry, the Hawaii CVB. These are some of the friendliest, most down-to-earth folk you’ll find (wonder how they’ll survive in Los Angeles…), and they’re here to promote travel to the islands of Hawaii. There were a few local journos I’ve met before at this media event, as well as Jessica from the Big Island, and John, Nathan, Darlene and Michael from Oahu.

During the reception, we listened to Joan Namkoong discuss local cuisine and its many international influences – including Russian sturgeon, which surprised me. That explained the caviar that showed up later, at dinner. George Kahumoku, a Grammy-award winner, entertained us with music and hilarious tales if his life on Maui – including the time he flooded the top floors of the Westin Maui in Ka’anipali.

Most surprising guests of all? All four mayors of Hawaii! These four – mayors of Kauai, Oahu, Big Island, and Maui/Lanai/Molokai, were a blast. I sat with the mayor of Kauai, who led a couple tables in a rousing rendition of “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” Clearly, these are NOT shy politicians.

The purpose of this, and similar upcoming events in Portland and Seattle, is naturally to promote Hawaii tourism. Vacations usually get cut from personal budgets during recessions, and the ripple effect is obvious; travel dollars boost the Hawaiian economy and employ thousands of people. But a Hawaiian vacation does more than that. I got just a glimpse of the positive spirit of aloha during this dinner, but it brought back memories of the culture of camaraderie prevalent on the islands. Family vacations and romantic getaways to Hawaii may have different intentions, but they are similar in that the unpretentious, casual and friendly pull of the islands. Be it Maui, Big Island, Kauai or even quiet Lanai, a vacation in Hawaii creates happy memories to last a lifetime. Even in a worrisome economy, it’s an experience worth every penny.

Interview with iCarly Actor Jennette McCurdy

By MudslideMama

The Nickelodeon Family Cruise out of Los Angeles, on Royal Caribbean to ports in Mexico, is great and highly recommended for family vacation. There were plenty of child friendly activities every day, ranging from Dora the Explorer sing-alongs for young children, to the Club Nick Late Night Deck Party for teens.  Meeting the stars of Nickelodeon was absolutely one of the best highlights for my own kids, though: My younger daughter got to interview Nathan Kress, and later, when he sat down next to her and started up a conversation, that excited little girl could barely contain herself.  Now, Jennette McCurdy is another fantastic, well-grounded young actress on iCarly. We were able to grab her for a quick interview, and she answered my older kid’s questions very sweetly. Here’s the video:

Isn’t Jennette McCurdy a terrific young person? She generously talked about about the cruise, acting on iCarly, and favorite travel spots. She, Nathan Kress, and True Jackson VP’s Keke Palmer were all just wonderful  (and dealt with hundreds of adoring fans) for the entire Nickelodeon Family Cruise.  My children still talk about this vacation, and I’m sure they’ll keep the cruise memories alive for the rest of their lives. Thanks for the interview, Jennette!

Southern New Hampshire Vacation Home Rental – Cobb Hill Estate in Harrisville

By MountainMama

My college friends and I rented the best vacation house this summer: Cobb Hill Estate on 750 acres in the Mount Monadnock region of southern New Hampshire. Located less than two miles up a forested hill from the tiny town of Harrisville, this rental property was perfect for our large group of 10 adults and 10 small children. Trust me, we had a heck of a time searching HomeAway.com and VRBO.com to find a house or condominiums that would accommodate us all in a spot in southern New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts (one friend was two weeks from giving birth and needed to be within decent driving range to her hospital).

But in the Cobb Hill Estate, which we did end up finding through VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner), we had accommodations that were pretty close to ideal for our group. We were coming from as far away as Washington state to gather for a long weekend and simply “hang out.” We didn’t need a lot of bells and whistles or a ton of entertainment for the kids — who ranged in age from 2 months to 9 years.  Our reunion was about being together in a comfortable spot, laughing over silly college memories (we all went to Dartmouth together) and making new ones.

With Cobb Hill’s four bedrooms, one bonus room, a pull-out couch in the TV room and a nifty freestanding, un-insulated guest cabin with sleeping loft (at right) there was a ton of room for us all to spread out. The estate sits on 750 acres, so if any of us wanted to escape, it was easy to do just that! The house came with a GPS unit, with some pre-set locations (caves, the treehouse) to find on a hike on the property — unfortunately all the setpoints were about 100 feet off, so that didn’t work out so well (we did alert the owners to the faulty GPS; hopefully it’s fixed).

The kitchen was small and dated, but fully stocked with cooking utensils and service ware (except for a teapot for our tea drinkers). We cooked every single meal over the course of our three-night stay, having assigned a meal or two to each family. That worked out incredibly well; could you imagine taking 10 children out to a restaurant for every meal, had we stayed in a hotel? Instead, we sat the kids around a large dining room table or out on the big deck.

Speaking of, the deck was a great place for us to hang out in the evening until the mosquitoes descended as the sun set (the renters information booklet says mosquitoes aren’t a problem, but we beg to differ). A lower deck is outfitted with this totally high-tech, invisible, bug-repelling barrier — but we hated turning it on because it made such an awful buzzing sound.

We also hung out in the big living room, and made a fire in the wood-burning fireplace each night. The ping-pong table in the sunroom provided hours of entertainment for kids and adults alike. The children only watched one DVD in the cozy living room all weekend long, which we thought was pretty impressive, given there was a library of about 100 DVDs for guests to use! A large grassy area outside was the site of a whiffle ball game, and the little ones also played on a small swing set. The preschoolers rode trikes in the driveway.

In all, Cobb Hill Estate is an idyllic setting — as described, we had panoramic mountain views as the house is perched on the edge of the woods facing south. We were totally away from it all, given the winding dirt road we had to take to get to the estate, but we were able to get down to “town” within 10 minutes. Our drive to Keene and a local mini-golf and ice cream stand was less than a half hour.

I suppose our only gripes were the Internet connection going out a couple times (one of my buddies had work to do), and we felt bad asking the nearby caretaker to keep coming by to reset the modem. It’s behind locked doors, so we couldn’t do it ourselves. And we appreciated having staples in the kitchen cabinets, such as spices and sugar and cooking oil; but someone has to go through the pantry and throw out expired food. We found peanut butter from 2005.

Our summer stay at Cobb Hill Estate was really great; we’d rent the property again (I think the owner liked us; we got our $500 security deposit back, no problem). It rents all year round, and this fall, my guess is the views of the surrounding mountains will be utterly gorgeous with the changing leaves. I’d, frankly, be nervous about renting the estate in the winter; I would not want to make the uphill, dirt-road climb in snow.

But for folks who want to get away from it all, and who don’t mind dated furniture, non-fluffy guest towels and the occasional dated box of crackers, I’d recommend Cobb Hill vacation rental, which goes for $500 a night (three night minimum). After all, for communing in New Hampshire nature, it can’t be beat. And the sunsets are divine.

Best Luxury Resort in Colorado: The Broadmoor

By MountainMama

I’ve stayed at some phenomenal luxury hotels in Colorado — Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, RockResorts’ Osprey, Westin Riverfront, The Little Nell and St. Regis Aspen, in particular, come to mind. But no other Colorado property can truly compare to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Its sheer size, fascinating 90-year history, 54 holes of championship golf, brand-new spacious cottages, a million and one places to eat (okay, 18), a full-service spa,  swimming pools and a gorgeous setting on a lake at the base of a mountain are just a few of the reasons I think The Broadmoor is the best luxury resort in Colorado.

My family and I spent one night at The Broadmoor (courtesy of the resort) before we hopped on a plane at the Colorado Springs airport this summer. One night is by no means enough time to truly enjoy all of its amenities, but we packed in as much as we could into, oh, 18 hours there. Here are just a few of the highlights we enjoyed:

The Ambiance: I  felt as though I was dropped right into a scene from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The manicured grounds, rolling green golf courses and historic decor in the public spaces, to me, exude glamour. We pulled up to the property’s security gate, gave our name, and then continued on to the porte-cochere, where valets greeted us – by name – which gave us a clue to the incredible service we’d receive all weekend. Lots of “How is your stay Mrs. Williams?” and “Whatever we can do to help, Mrs. Williams.” I loved the intricately tiled mosaic floor in the entryway to the lobby, as well as the historic photos, marble staircase, ornate chandelier and brass escalators.

The Tavern: The steaks were excellent at this landmark restaurant at The Broadmoor, dating back to 1938. We ate in its enclosed “Garden Room,” filled with lush vegetation and twinkling lights overhead. No fusion foods or unusual entrees here; just favorite hand-cut prime steaks, chops, seafood, prime rib, plus shellfish appetizers, soups and salads. One must-see: Bottle Alley, where all the liquor and wine bottles that were consumed during Prohibition are displayed; check it out just not far from the entrance to The Tavern (also near the main lobby).

The Swimming Pools: We arrived on an unusually chilly and rainy day in July, so we took the kids to The Broadmoor’s indoor heated pool (near the spa, which I wish I had time to experience), with outdoor hot tub and heated lap pool. This is a huge boon for parents who like to be able to keep a close watch on their kids, as the indoor pool is not huge and there are plenty of lounge chairs if you don’t feel like going in yourself! The next day, just hours before we had to get on a plane, we hit the big, outdoor swimming pool, where we were greeted by one of about a dozen staff members whose sole job is to outfit you with fluffy beach towels and lead you to lounge chairs. The outdoor infinity pool is next to Cheyenne Lake, so matter where you are in the pool — or adjacent hot tub — you’ve got great views of the grounds. Two water slides entertained the kids — that is, until my son got sick (yes, puked) in the pool, and closed it down. While that’s an entire blog post in itself, let’s just say that a) it was hugely embarrassing and b) The Broadmoor staff responded quickly and with grace (not making us feel badly at all). And yes, we did make it to our flight and he traveled the rest of the day without incident.

The Cottages: We stayed in one of the brand-new (as of May 2009) two-bedroom, one-story cottages just off the 18th fairway of the east golf course. At the same time charming and elegant, these accommodations feature high ceilings, window doors that open to an expansive veranda, heated bathroom floors, and hand-crafted area rugs. We all appreciated the luxurious bedding and the mini fridge to store our drinks and snacks.

Of course all of this luxury does not come cheap. I found standard rooms starting at $270 a night this fall, and the rack rate for the smallest one-bedroom cottage is $1,400 a night. Do ask about summer specials that run through September 30, 2009, and otherwise check out the Specials & Packages page.

Top photo: Courtesy the Broadmoor; others by me!

LUSH Contest Giveaway – Natural Antibiotic Travel Soap

By MudslideMama

The Traveling Mamas love vacations, of course, and the joy of discovering new places in the world is only beat by sharing those discoveries with our kids (and readers). What we don’t love? Getting sick while on vacation. When a child gets sick on a trip, it’s no fun for anyone. But it’s hard to avoid all those nasty germs in new places (not to mention planes, trains, and cabs). I’ve been hesitant to use Purell too liberally with my children – some vague fear of those antibiotic-resistant superbugs is involved here, along with that stinky, stinging smell.  This Lush soap contest giveaway offers a nicer way to help keep us healthy on the road.

LUSH brand fresh, handmade soaps are fantastic. A new soap, 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt, takes the natural route to fighting off bacteria with the inclusion of oregano oil. Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic, and it’s a strong antifungal, antiviral oil as well.  This is no myth:  In fact, nurses have started using oregano oil to help prevent catching the antibiotic-resistant superbug staphylococus aureus (MRSA). Further, the Journal of Applied Microbiology reported (2000) that oregano oil fights off 25 different bacteria in lab tests.  LUSH created 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt to provide a natural alternative to other antibiotic soaps – and it smells better, too. Along with the oregano oil, there’s honey and rose petals for a floral scent (rather than, er, a pizza scent).

We’re giving away 13 bars of 13 soap to one LUCKY winner. Yes, in this case, 13 will be someone’s lucky number! That’s enough soap to keep yourself clean for many, many travel adventures. Just leave a comment below describing the most disgustingly germy place you’ve been (no need to get gross in your description if you don’t wanna). In other words, let’s hear about a place where having a bar of 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt would have really been useful. Enter until 11:59 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, September 8, 2009. We’ll choose a comment number at random, and annouce a winner Wednesday, September 9. (One entry per person; US mailing addresses only.) Have fun with this, and remember to wash your hands afterwards.

Help Send MountainMama to NYC, Win Money & Give to Charity

By MountainMama

I’m a sucker for entering contests where the prize is a fabulous travel experience. But unlike that “Best Job in the World” promotion sponsored by Queensland Tourism (where more than 34,000 people — including me — created clever videos to enter), I’m now up for a prize that I could actually win.

I’m one of 200 semi-finalists (out of about 900 entrants) in the Trazzler #NYCGO writing contest. If enough Trazzler.com members “wish list” my short article (aka “Trazzler trip”) about boating on Lake Powell, I could be one of 10 writers to reach round three, after which judges vote on a grand-prize winner.

The grand-prize? A fabulous $10,000 contract to write 30 more Trazzler trips about New York City. To write said trips, the winner also gets a 2-week trip to New York — courtesy of NYCGO.com, Jet Blue and AKA luxury hotel residences. Killer, right?

But I need your help. And it’s super easy.

Just click on this link, which should take you to my Lake Powell trip. If you are already a Trazzler.com member, all you have to do is sign in, click “add to wishlist” below the photo, and you’re done.

If you are not a Trazzler.com member, you will be guided to a “sign in/sign up,” page, where you can join by entering your username, password, email (you can opt out of receiving Trazzler emails). You can also sign in easily with your Facebook email/password.  Either way, once you sign in, you can click “add to wishlist” on my Lake Powell trip, no problem.

The 10 trips that are most often “wishlisted” by September 14 enter round three. If that happens to me, at the least I’ll earn $250 to write 10 more Trazzler trips, but I’m hoping my prose will wow the judges enough to send me to New York City!

Here’s the kicker: If I do win the grand prize, I’ll donate half of my $10,000 cash prize to charity. I figure I have so much to be thankful for these days, so I’d like to help out some organizations that have been helpful for me in recent weeks. I’ll give $1,000 each to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and my local Valley View Hospital Foundation; the remaining $3,000 I’ll spread among other other non-profit causes I support (nothing political or controversial — our family giving tends to be for charities that support needy children or educational efforts).

The remaining $5,000 from the cash prize (or “fee” for writing 30 NYC Trazzler trips) I’d use to pay taxes on the grand prize (in total it’s valued at nearly $20,000 with the accommodations and plane fare) and to buy off thank my husband and other family members who would step up with child-care duties to allow me to move to New York for two weeks. I suppose I’d need cash to eat and drink in NYC, too.

Thanks so much for helping me advance to the finals of this writing/social-media contest. Just let me know you wishlisted my trip, and I will happily join, click, Stumble, Digg anything for you in the future. I truly believe what goes around comes around. You scratch my back, I’ll absolutely scratch yours.

Any questions? Shoot me an email.

My Favorite Tucson Attractions And More

By DesertMama

It’s finally time to say good-bye to Tucson. I’ve lived here many years and have enjoyed every moment. There is so much to see and do in Southern Arizona and, let me tell you, there is nothing more breathtaking than a Sonoran Desert sunset (thank the dusty environment for those).  But before I head north to Minnesota  I’d like to share some of my favorite Tucson attractions and what I’ll miss most.

1. Mt. Lemmon. The stunning backdrop of Tucson is more than just scenery. On the east side of Tucson you can drive up Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon for  a day or weekend of seasonal activities: hiking, biking, fishing, skiing, sledding and even an upcoming Oktoberfest.

2. Delicious Eats. I dread leaving the marvelous Southwest cuisine. Mexican restaurants are found on every corner, many family owned. Some of my favorites are up near where I live on the northwest side of town: La Parilla Suiza, El Charro Cafe (did someone say margaritas?) and then there are the non-Mexican inspired choices like Zinburger (wine and burgers do pair well) and Harvest (talk about fresh ingredients – and right across from my neighborhood in Oro Valley).

3. The Wild West. Southern Arizona relishes its Wild West history, and there are plenty of places to get your fill. Old Tucson Studios, Tombstone and Trail Dust Town are all fun places to take the family to relive the Old West.

4. Saguaros. When I first moved to the desert I was completely enthralled by the miles of Saguaros – and the novelty never seemed to wear off.  These regal succulents help give Tucson its special ambiance.

5. Finally, what I will miss the most: The People. We’re leaving my stepsons here to continue their high school studies, of course they still have their mom, sister,  family and gazillion friends in Tucson – so they won’t be lonely – but we will miss them. And we can’t wait to welcome them to the Twin Cities and show them our new home.

I’ve made some wonderful friends over the years, from the Tucson Moms playgroup I joined as a new mom to the wonderful teachers and parents at St. Andrews Preschool and Manzanita Elementary to my supportive Toastmasters group and, finally, my wonderful writers group. I will miss them all dearly.

Speaking of Tucson writers… it seems appropirate to introduce you to some of them and their blogs – as they all have something special to share. If you’re looking to see Tucson on a budget, visit Kate Reynolds’ blog Tucson on the Cheap (she is always digging up free and cheap stuff to do). If you’re a pet lover, Edie Jarolim (also a travel writer) has a new book coming out: Am I Boring My Dog? Donna L. Hull writes travel for baby boomers at My Itchy Travel Feet and Vera Marie Badertscher is behind A Traveler’s Library (Love books? Love travel? This site is for you).

I hope you enjoyed hearing about some of my favorite Tucson attractions and the people I adore, there are plenty more I was unable to list.

While it’s difficult to say good-bye to a city I have grown to love, it’s also an exciting time. I’m always up for an adventure and there is certainly one on the horizon: new friends to make, restaurants to check out, attractions to discover and experiences to be had. I guess this also means I will no longer be DesertMama…

Good-bye, Tucson!

Winning Wednesday – SanDisk slotRadio Player

By MountainMama

Congrats go out to Bethany, commenter #84, whose number was drawn randomly by Random.org. She won the SanDisk slotRadio Player. I’m not sure if Bethany’s suggestion of “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega is on any of the music discs that SanDisk produces, but I think it’s a great suggestion. Haven’t listened to Suzanne Vega in years… but her songs bring back good memories for me!

Next Page »

• 
• Search for:
• 
  

• Categories

  • Adventure Travel
  • Budget Travel
  • Culinary Travel
  • Destinations
  • Eco Travel
  • Family Travel
  • Flying High
  • Girlfriend Getaways
  • Luxury Travel
  • Mama Interviews
  • Romantic Getaways
  • Spa Getaways
  • The Cookie Jar
  • Travel Gear
  • Travel News
  • Travel Tuesday
  • Videos

• Favorite Posts Header

  

• Text: Favorite Posts

  
  Girlfriend Getaway: RippleCove Inn and Spa
  
  Top Easy Green Travel Trips
  
  Beach Girlfriend Getaway: San Juan Marriott
  
  Hiking for Parents & Children in Hawaii
  
  

• OrlandoEsape.com 11/17/2009

  Book Orlando Hotels, Florida Hotels, and save 70% off on Hotel Reservations. Visit eGruve.com. 

• Silverado Exp 5/01/2010