Mexico Travel Warning

Main temple at Tulum, in Mexico (Wiki Commons)

The Traveling Mamas really enjoy vacations in Mexico; I know that for me, the Yucatan Peninsula is just heaven. I loved seeing the Mayan ruins like Tulum and Chichen Itza near Cancun. Cancun has many child-friendly all-inclusive resorts with resort day camps for kids - in case the little ones aren’t up for a day trip to see those pyramids. MountainMama loved her travels in the Riviera Maya, too. But Mexico’s a big, diverse country, and not all of it is so trip-worthy.

The US State Department has just put out an extended travel alert for Mexico. Specifically, border areas in the country are considered too dangerous to visit, what with scary increases in gang violence and drug trafficking. These Mexican border states include Chihuahua City, Juarez, and Tijuana. According to the State Department, dozens of US citizens were actually kidnapped or murdered in Tijuana last year. Yikes.

And wait, there’s more: The New York Times reports (April 29, 2008 ) that besides the enormous threat of kidnappings that are practically a business model in Mexico City, FAKE kidnapping rates are skyrocketing too. These so-called “virtual kidnappings” sound horrifying; one US citizen living in Mexico received a call from a young women purporting to be her daughter, and other parents get calls with the sounds of little children crying out for them (these are not their kids, in fact, but just imagine the panic). There’s no sign that US tourists are being targeted in and of themselves, but with very few arrests so far, the problem will only continue.

Fancy luxury resort hotels in and around popular tourist destinations have heightened security, of course,Chichen Itza, Mexico (Wiki Commons) and there’s almost no chance of gang members barging into the Ritz-Carton in Cancun. On the flip side, staying in an all-inclusive and not venturing outside of the hotel property doesn’t give travelers any real sense of the culture and history of the host country – you could be anywhere balmy if you don’t leave the resort grounds.

This is a tough issue. The travel and tourism industry definitely helps boost local and state economies of otherwise poor countries, and the experience of a family vacation somewhere outside of our own neighborhood (and mental safety zone) is mind-expanding. However, as with practically any family, us mamas’ and papas’ priorities are the health and safety of our children. Without travel package deals, the cost of many inclusive resorts is out of reach for a lot of us, too. Is the answer to simply take our family vacations in the safest parts of the world? Or is the answer to travel to faraway lands, but refuse to venture out of the safety of hotel grounds? What do you think?

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April 30, 2008 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel, Luxury Travel, The Cookie Jar, Travel News | 24 Comments 

Contest Giveaway - Win a LUSH Mother’s Day Box

Have you bought your mom a gift for Mother’s Day yet? (It’s Sunday, May 11, by the way.) If you haven’t, Traveling Mamas just might have you covered!

We’re giving away this super-cool, ultra-fabulous box of goodies from LUSH fresh handmade cosmetics. It’s the “Mum Gift Set” valued at $47.95 and filled with the following:

  • Comforter Bubble Bar Slice: Drop it in the bath for some fruity bubbles with a scent of cassis and cyprus oils.
  • Dream Cream: Amazingly silky body lotion that I’ve used all winter long to soothe my dry skin. I have peace of mind using it on my kids, too, since its made from all-natural ingredients — like all of the LUSH products.
  • Sakura Bath Bomb: Another bath product that fizzes and dissolves to release jasmine and orange-blossom scents.
  • Lily Savon Soap: Pretty flowery fragrance that has been making me smile in the shower all week.
  • Celestial Moisturizer: A very light cream for the face; my trial-size container has found a home in my travel toiletry bag. I’m thinking I need to buy a larger tub and make this my permanent facial moisturizer.
  • Each Peach (and Two’s a Pair) Massage Bar: My husband and I sampled this the other night. We really dig the LUSH massage bars: they’re easy to rub on each other for some insta-massage oil with less mess. However, this one was just too citrusy for us. We smelled like Lemon Pledge. That said, my skin felt silky smooth the next day.

How to win this fabulous prize? Just leave a comment telling us a) how you would spend your ideal Mother’s Day or b) how you plan to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mother or wife.

Leave your comments until 11:59 p.m. (EST), Monday, May 5. And I’ll draw a name randomly, and post the winner’s name on Tuesday morning, May 6. Giveaway open only to residents of the United States. Sorry, relatives of Traveling Mamas: you can’t enter either.

And if you haven’t entered our Tots on the Go giveaway, get on over there and leave a comment.

Good luck!

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April 30, 2008 | Filed Under The Cookie Jar | 323 Comments 

Q & A with a Traveling Mama - Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean

The Traveling Mamas feel really lucky today to have the award-winning, wine-writing goddess Natalie MacLean with us sharing her experiences as a traveling mama. Natalie is the author of the book Red, White and Drunk All Over. It doesn’t matter if you are new to the wine world or a seasoned wine drinker, you will likely enjoy Natalie’s entertaining book that takes readers on a fun journey “from grape to glass.” If you would like to learn more about wine, sign up for Natalie’s free newsletter Nat Decants (what a cute name!). I learn something every issue. Thank you for joining us, Natalie!

1. You travel throughout your fabulous book Red, White and Drunk All Over as a sommelier experiencing the world of wine. Have you always been a traveler?

Yes, I’ve always loved travel, something I inherited from my mother. As a child, we’d travel together every March break and summer vacation. She was a school teacher, and single parent, so we’d use our holidays to visit various places across North America and other countries.

2. How do you keep in touch with your son while you are on the road, especially with time changes?

I didn’t travel much until he turned four. Since then, in the last five years, I’ve taken two major trips a year and we keep in touch by phone and e-mail. (He now writes his own e-mails to me.) While I was away, my husband would show our son where on the globe I was and he’d get a kick out of asking me if I’d eaten breakfast yet and what time was it and were there many toy stores in the area.

3. Do you have any advice for other moms who travel for work?

I think it’s ideal when you can blend working from home, which is what I do most of the time when I’m writing, and occasional travel when your children are young. Even though I miss my son and husband when I’m away, it’s also a wonderful way to reinvigorate my own sense of self and independence, and then to come home to them refreshed.

4. What is your favorite family destination? How about romantic?

My favorite family destination is Turks and Caicos: beautiful beaches, warm, not too crowded. It has everything we want: quiet spaces to read and relax, and a pool and beach for my son Rian (plus an endless supply of chicken nuggets).

For most romantic, I think of particular restaurants rather than cities because for me, romance is linked to great food and wine. So I recall the wonderful, romantic meals I’ve shared with my husband in Napa, New York and our own backyard with the barbecue.

5. Finally, all four of us Traveling Mamas love wine so we have to ask, what is your favorite wine to drink when just hanging out with the girls?

I love wines that aren’t too alcoholic so that you can sip on a few glasses over the evening without getting tanked. German Riesling and Oregon pinot noir are among my favorites in this style: great conversation wine.

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April 29, 2008 | Filed Under Family Travel, Mama Interviews, Romantic Getaways, The Cookie Jar | 2 Comments 

Avoid Vacation Weight Gain

woman-eating-cotton-candy by FotoSearchWould you like to Avoid Vacation Weight Gain? Who wouldn’t. I think most people find themselves staring at the scale with an open jaw after a trip. “How could this happen? I didn’t eat that much. Well, I did have a few pinches of the kids’ cotton candy, then there was that Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cone and the all-you-can-eat buffet with those yummy little fried egg rolls. Did I really taste every dessert?” I won’t even mention those strawberry margaritas you had while lounging poolside while your husband and kids were off frolicking in the ocean.

This summer let’s avoid those chubby consequences of vacation eating and return home as hot mamas by watching how and what we eat. Who knows, you might even lose weight. Here are a few tips to keep us all on track:

1. Eat local. Part of traveling is enjoying the foods unique to the region, just don’t over-do it and order smart. Enjoy that bowl of clam chowder as your meal instead of eating it as a starter and order your shrimp grilled not fried. Try splitting your meal with your kids. Restaurant portions are so over-sized these days.

2. Don’t eat at the airport. I have spent enough time in airports to know there are very few healthy food options between gates. If you’re lucky, you might find a low-fat yogurt or piece of fresh fruit, but don’t count on it. Bring you own. By the way, those yummy Pecanbon Rolls by Cinnabon are a sin. They have 1100 calories and 56g of fat!

3. Know your “good” choices. Before I hit the road or air, when I know fast food is inevitable, I check out the fast food menus online and seek out the healthiest choices. Right now Taco Bell now has the new Fresco menu. None of the items are over 8 grams of fat or 350 calories.

4. Drink water. Not only does drinking water avoid extra calories (unlike soda or lemonade), it hydrates you. Playing in the sun and running between roller coasters means you need agua more than usual. Plus, water is great for the skin.

5. The healthy food really is there, you just have to know where to look and don’t think only you will benefit. On our last trip to Disneyland I was thrilled to find containers of fresh fruit, sticks of pineapple and trail mix at a tropical fruit stand by the Jungle Cruise in Adventure Land. My kids tossed their Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream for my grapes and strawberries. Next time, I’ll forget the ice cream and buy them their own fruit.

This summer, tackle your vacation with a healthy outlook (no pun intended) and try these tips, you might be be surprised how easily you avoid the dreaded vacation weight gain.

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April 28, 2008 | Filed Under Family Travel, The Cookie Jar | 3 Comments 

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Daytona International Speedway

In addition to skydiving and jetboat riding during my research trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, last week, I also got to ride along in a race car at 160 mph around the Daytona International Speedway. How cool is that?!

I’m not a race fan at all. (Unlike my travel-writing buddy Karon, pictured with me at right, who knows all sorts of encylopedic facts about racing and the sport’s major players!) Plus, I drive like a grandma (sorry Mom!). But I did get thrill from strapping in to a NASCAR-style stock car for three laps around the track, which features turns that bank at 31 degrees. (Though, honestly, after my absolutely incredible tandem-sky-diving experience, it was a little bit anti-climactic.)

I felt totally safe throughout the entire three-minute ride. Just a bit claustrophobic when I got buckled in, with this huge helmet on my head, plus a supportive head/neck brace attached to me and the back of my seat. I could barely move my head side to side (which I guess was a good thing). My heart only sped up a couple beats when the woman who helped get me situated told me to “pull the red straps in case of an emergency.”

I think if I were a true race fan, and I enjoyed driving fast, I’d pay the $399 to the Richard Petty Driving Experience to actually learn how to drive one of the cars a few times around the track. It’s a program that lasts 3 hours and includes training and eight laps around the track. For the ultimate racing experience, you can dish out $2,999 for personal instruction and a 40-lap driving program.

Or, if you’re more like me, you can always visit the simulated track at the Daytona 500 Experience’s Acceleration Alley. For $5, strap into a mock race car and compete against others on a video screen in front of you. If you wreck, you’ll feel it!

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April 27, 2008 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel, Luxury Travel, The Cookie Jar | 1 Comment 

Amuse-bouche

I grew up in a typical southern home, where most meals were the stick-to-your ribs comfort food, but every once in a while my mother would break out a cook book and try to make some exotic dish.

I liken my mother to Martha Stewart without the scandal. Yes, she’s crafty and into made from scratch meals, but there are some things my mama just couldn’t teach me: travel cuisine terms.

No, I didn’t grow up in a plantation home. Before marriage, my fine dining experiences were limited to Prom and a first date here and there. I wasn’t ever given etiquette lessons, although my English heritage tries to show itself. My freelance writing has allowed me to experience things that are out of the norm for where I live. As CajunMama, I will pass along little nuggets of info I’ve learned along the way, so that you other Mamas out there can impress your friends with your knowledge. You’ll never feel like Julia Roberts from that dining scene in Pretty Woman, ever again.

See the title up there….Amuse-bouche? Maybe you’ve heard the term, maybe not. Let’s pick it apart. Bouche means mouth. I knew that already from Frere Jaques and high-school French. Amuse? Helloooooo. So you can put those together and figure out something is going to entertain your mouth.

An amuse-bouche is a sample of what a chef can prepare. It isn’t an appetizer, which is something you’d order off the menu. It comes in one or two bites and everyone at the table gets the same thing. It is a little taste to get your tongue ready for the delights the chef has to offer, and the chef is usually creative and goes all out for these. The best part: they’re free!

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April 26, 2008 | Filed Under Luxury Travel, Romantic Getaways, The Cookie Jar | 2 Comments 

Six Tips: Surviving a Family Road Trip

Last week, while I was on my way to Lexington, Kentucky, my sweet husband did a pretty daring thing. He took my two preschoolers on a seven-hour road trip to Palm Desert, California to see his folks. The trip was a success. How did a dad survive such a challenge? In case you’re wondering, we do not have “perfect” kids. In fact, we are often “that” family - you know what I’m talking about.

With that said, here are the six secrets that helped DesertDaddy survive this long road trip with a two and three-year-old in the backseat:

1. DVD player. We scored some $7.99 DVDs at Wal-Mart and let’s just say the kids were as happy as the Berenstain Bears they were watching.

2. Zoobie Pets. Stay tuned for a rave review on these three-in-one critters. Zoobies are a travel-friendly plush animal, pillow, and blanket. The new Zoo Collection just came out this year. The kids don’t even want to take the short ride to the gym without them. Actually, my daughter is cuddled with hers on the couch as I type this.

3. Snacks. This one goes with out saying. But how can dad dish out snacks while he’s driving? I simply packed them each their own lunch box with their favorite snacks in Ziploc bags for easy access.

4. Water. Just say no to sugar on road trips, especially if you have a son like mine who will bounce on a trampoline for three hours after one M&M. Enough said.

5. VTech Tote N Go Laptop Plus is a terrific educational, interactive toy with an LCD screen that teaches the VTech Tote N Go Laptop Plus alphabet and numbers. Both of my children have their own “laptop” and it keeps the kids entertained for quite a while.

6. Finally, DesertDaddy was simply a good daddy. He stopped when the kids were hungry, required a potty break, or just needed to get out of the car. And that, my friends, is how my wonderful husband survived a seven-hour road trip with two preschoolers in tow.

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April 25, 2008 | Filed Under Family Travel, The Cookie Jar, Travel Gear | 12 Comments 

Hiking Los Angeles: The Temescal Canyon Loop Hike

Having the travel bug, yet living in a tourist destination, can be a weird phenomenon. For example, a few weeks ago my family and I took a road trip north of Los Angeles, and stayed at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito (well, its mailing address is Santa Barbara, but it’s really just south of that town, in Montecito - nothing to be ashamed of). I love hiking in the region, and on one of several hikes there, I noticed my spouse was cracking up. What? What’d I do this time?

Part of the Temescal Canyon loop trail in Topanga State Park, California (Jennifer Miner)He explained that I was amusing him because all the flowers and plants (and lizards) I was carefully photographing - as if they were rare specimens, rarely seen - were exactly the same types of flowers and plants that live back home in our neighborhood. It was only the act of being on vacation that made them seem special. And you know? He was right.

I just came back from a morning hike with two other moms, good friends of mine, and this hike is practically in our own backyard. It’s a solid trail called the Temescal Canyon loop trail, in Los Angeles, and it is a pretty scenic route through part of the Santa Monica Mountain Range. I drive right by the entranceway almost daily, seeing tourists and travelers with their maps and cameras, but my friends and IAlong the hike, Robin points at the Pacific Ocean (Jennifer Miner) have hardly ever availed of it personally…I guess that this is because it’s just part of the background scenery of our lives. It’s an easy, child-friendly hike with only moderate climbs and a well-defined path with trail markers. I recommend it for any able-bodied person ages 6 and up.

The trail head is in Temescal Canyon: Take the Pacific Coast Highway to Temescal Canyon Road, or Sunset Blvd. to where Sunset intersects with Temescal. Parking is free on Temescal Canyon Road, or five dollars in the state park. The Temescal Canyon ranger station of Topanga State Park, Santa Monica Mountain Range (Jennifer Miner)Topanga State Park provides trail maps. While the Temescal Canyon loop hike is not a special challenge, there are some other trails for experienced hikers who want a workout. After a slow climb, the views start to get pretty fantastic; mountain range on one side, Pacific Ocean on the other. Not to mention all the flowers, plants, and lizards that seemed so fascinating up in Montecito! We cut out early on this loop hike because a smaller, scrubby and underused trail (Rivas Canon) leads almost directly to our homes, but hikers who continue on the main path will loop around and end up back in Temescal Canyon. An well-defined alternate on your map will be to continue on to the Will Rogers State Park; this is a 2.8 mile hike, start to finish.

When people think of Los Angeles geography, they usually get images of smog, miles of ugly strip miles, andGirlfriends at the Rivas Canyon hiking trail (Jennifer Miner) untrammeled urban sprawl. Well, those things are here. But wide open spaces, state parks and mountain ranges are right here too; it’s nice to be reminded of that once in a while. A well-rounded family vacation in LA, California would be enhanced by a morning of easy hiking in this part of the Topanga State Park.

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April 24, 2008 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel, Girlfriend Getaways, Luxury Travel | 3 Comments 

Give Mom an Adventure for Mother’s Day

At the top of my list for any gift-giving occasion — birthday, Christmas, Mother’s Day — is a gift certificate for a massage. I love being rubbed. I’d much rather have an hour of bliss on a massage table than a new pair of earrings or a kitchen gadget.

I’ve also appreciated gift certificates to local restaurants and a nearby hotel for my wedding anniversary. My husband and I enjoy getting away for date night (or overnight!) without the kids. Again, I’m all about the “experience gift” rather than material things.

That’s why this website caught my eye. At Excitations, you can purchase all sorts of different adventures and activities for the loved ones in your life. A wide range of experiences includes hot air ballooning, personal fitness training, tandem skydiving, wine tasting, trapeze lessons, NASCAR ride-a-longs and, yes, spa treatments.

Granted, these “experiences” are currently only available in and around certain metropolitan areas of the United States, such as New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver. But if your summer travel plans call for vacations in any of the applicable cities, or you live nearby, what a super-cool Mother’s Day gift to either a) ask for or b) give your wife, mom, sister or best friend. I’m betting any mom you know would love opening her mailbox to one of these nifty turquoise, blue and white boxes with a super-special gift certificate inside!

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April 23, 2008 | Filed Under The Cookie Jar | 1 Comment 

Cruise Ship Rules: Three Basic Rules to Abide by During a Family Vacation on the Sea

Family cruise vacations are popularIt’s an unfortunately familiar scene: A family vacation on a cruise ship, ruined (or aggravated) by other passengers’ decidedly un-family friendly behavior. It’s probably happened to a bunch of us, and booking a Disney cruise offers only some protection. I’d wager that bad behavior on cruise ships can affect the quality of other peoples’ vacations more than on most other types of travel. We’re basically trapped with these people, after all.

Three Basic Cruise Ship Rules for Family Vacations

Watch Your Teenagers: Sure, teens may want to be left to their own devices, and will beg, plead, sulk and scream to be allowed to do their own thing. But this is a family vacation; they’re still our responsibility. There are many complaints about out of control teenagers on cruise trips, including at least one situation wherein the kids were drunk and urinating in the hallways (CruiseBruise, 2006). These teens were kicked off the ship, thus ending their travels - but imagine the affect all those loud, peeing, drunk kids had on other passengers. Not to mention how embarrassing it must be for the parents!

Watch Your Younger Kids, Too: Aw, isn’t it cute that little Timmy splashed that sunblock-covered napping lady by the side of the pool? Well, no, it isn’t. No matter how truly adorable we believe our children to be, other cruise passengers may disagree. This especially holds true when our little angel is running up and down the buffet line, or pushing all the elevator buttons, or any other behavior that normally would result in some discipline. Just because we’re on vacation WITH our children, doesn’t mean we’re on vacation FROM our children. Rules regarding respecting others and their personal space still apply. There’s a separate children’s pool on many cruise ships; let the chaos reign over there.

Watch Yourself: It’s tempting to just let it all out on a cruise vacation. We’re not getting in a car and driving anywhere anytime soon, so we’d think we don’t have to watch ourselves with all those delicious mixed drinks (and imported beer). However, the heady mix of sun and alcohol has led to parents engaging in rather unparentlike behavior in the past. I’ve seen tipsy dads brazenly flirting with and making serious passes at young women on trips. I’ve also seen moms get much louder than they usually are, saying pretty mean things to their confused children. Paternal embarrassment and maternal guilt trump the hangover in dictating the mood the next day.

This all adds up to personal and parental responsibility, of course. Unless we’re leaving the kids withCruise travel can be fun, but not a free-for-all grandma and booking a vacation on a Hedonism Nude Cruise, we can’t leave the fact that we’re grown-ups on the docks.

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April 22, 2008 | Filed Under Family Travel, Luxury Travel, The Cookie Jar | 6 Comments 

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