As aired on May 18, 2008 in Baton Rouge, LA on The Around Town Show.

Summer in the US is the time where most families head to the beach. These are my picks for the 2008 beach season. This list is based on personal experience, family friendly offerings, sand quality, and overall good times. Feel free to comment on the destinations included or add your own picks for Gulf Coast beach destinations.

5. Galveston Island, TX

Galveston is on the list because it is home to Moody Gardens and a new Schlitterbahn Waterpark. The boardwalk along the beach is a great place for families who like walking along the beach without getting all the sand in your shoes. Also, there is a lot of pirate history, with Galveston Island being home to Campeche, a settlement once inhabited by Jean Laffite and his crew.

4. Gulf Shores, AL and Orange Beach

These two are really separate, but when many people around where I live say they are going to Gulf Shores, they could be going to Orange Beach instead. The two are side by side and offer shopping for Mamas at nearby Foley, an abundance of golf courses for the dads, and so many family friendly activities. The beaches are really nice and clean with many restaurants overlooking the Gulf. I spend time there one summer with my family when the kids were very small. We were able to find an affordable 2 bedroom condo on the beach through Brett Robinson Rentals. Be careful though, as the Gulf Shores area has become a bit pricey.

3. Panama City Beach, FL

I know what you are thinking, isn’t this a Spring Break destination? Yes, it used to be and I almost fondly remember a high school trip there where we stayed at The Chateau. You remember that old place don’t you? We used to call it the S—hole. Anyways, I returned one summer with family in tow. It has definitely changed to a family friendly destination. Beware of the evening traffic along The Strip. It is perfect if you are a family with teenagers, as many activities include parasailing and those bungie drop things. If you have younger children, there are plenty of go-cart tracks and waterslides.

2. Destin, FL

Destin and the northwest coast of Florida offer some of the most gorgeous beaches I’ve ever seen. This place has the shopping, the golf, the activities, and even the spas. One thing that sets it above other beaches is the relaxation factor. Be sure though that when you book your lodging, make sure it is ON the beach, not near the beach. Many condos here are located across the highway from the beach. This isn’t the best when you have little ones. Destin does offer some fantastic seafood. I remember many childhood summers at the buffet! The sand here is so fine, it actually barks when you walk.

1. The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys is one of those places in the US that makes you feel as if you are on a tropical island somewhere. The Keys offers a variety of atmospheres, from Key West, which is a beach version of The French Quarter, to Islamorada, which is laid back and slow. If you don’t have the money to actually stay at the legendary Little Palm Island, you can still visit this hideaway for lunch. The same goes for Sunset Key. There are so many Keys to choose from with a variety of activities for families of all backgrounds.

Families can swim with the dolphins, visit a butterfly museum, learn about pirates at an interactive attraction, and see how turtles are taken care of at The Turtle Hospital. Families can’t go wrong when visiting The Keys.

So these are my picks for this year. Remember that a vacation is a time for travel, relationship renewal, and most importantly, fun. Be spontaneous and make the most of your time together this summer.

This happens every summer: I get a new pair of cute sandals that fit nicely in the store, and then the first day out - bam! Sore feet and blisters. This may sound familiar to fellow fans of soft adventure travel. Non-stressful hiking, plus walking tours, pretty much make up the kind of summer vacation (non-aquatic) exercise I get. That’s why, for me, the who-knows-what-technology-based stuff that goes into Gore-Tex fabric, makes their shoes a real plus. The Gore-Tex fabric is waterproof and wicks away heat, and feels kind of squishy in the sole (but it’s not a gel-based insert, so the TSA won’t make you surrender you shoes on the airport security line). My Ecco and Clark’s shoes have the Gore-Tex insignia, and Merrell, New Balance, and Timberland brands also use the special patented fabric. The company joined with the Adventure Travel Trade Association to suggest a Top 10 list of Summer Adventure Travel Vacation Destinations.

Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations, via Gore-Tex and the Adventure Travel Trade Association

• Australia - From the walkabouts to the rain forests of Queensland to the Great Barrier Reef, there’s adventure travel of almost all sorts here. If shopping is more your summer vacation speed, spend that cash in Sydney and Melbourne.
• Brazil - The jungles here are disappearing at a rapid clip; tourist dollars may show the government a viable alternate use of this great resource. And the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana are fantastic!
• British Columbia - start at my favorite airport hotel, and have fun in Vancouver, Victoria, and Granville Island for your summer vacation. Migratory marine mammals like whales spend their summers here too; they have the right idea!
• California - Even Los Angeles, with its sad reputation as a faceless city of strip malls, has some challenging hiking trails. I’d also suggest a drive north to Santa Barbara, my favorite spot along the Central Coast. There are also Napa Valley and other less famous “wine countries.”
• France - Can’t beat Paris as a cultural, historic walking city, but you might wear out your shoes trying to see it all. Then there’s Provence, Versailles, biking in the Pyrenees (bordering Spain), and the forests of Fontainebleau. Adventure travel and luxury vacations both fit together perfectly in France!
• Madagascar - The Malagasy, native to Madagasacar, could really use some tourism dollars. The forests of this unique island are disappearing at a pretty rapid clip, and ecotourism may help stem the loss. The lemurs, chameleons, and other interesting critters are endemic to Madagascar, and need their habitat to continue starring in all those nature specials.
• Nepal - Kathmandu is the star here, of course, though getting to Nepal is an adventure in itself. Nepal would be the right fit for someone seeking a special, unique cultural trip; if that’s you, visit Boudhanath Stupa, home to Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal.
• New York - New York City is hot, humid, and gross in the summer - I lived through too many summers there to be in denial. But the Hudson Valley, Niagara Falls, and Adirondacks region are all lovely.
• Norway - This one was included on the Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations list, presumably because it’s too dark and cold to vacation there in the winter. The gorgeous waterfalls and fjords can be toured via walking tours, or hiked and splashed in by more intrepid vacationers.
• Switzerland - An outdoor adventure vacation would feature a hike up the Alps, and possibly hang-gliding back down. Leisure travelers can explore Basel, Geneva, and Zurich.

These disparate vacation destinations were chosen by the quality of both adventure and leisure travel options. Factors considered include uniqueness and authenticity, adventure activity resources (bicycling, hiking, etc), need for sustainable tourism, and undiscovered or little known natural and cultural assets. I think this list represents a nice blend of very popular summer travel spots, and some that are less so.

And me? Well, I have 2 weeks of vacation travel in New York planned for this summer, one of which is in the humid stickiness of NYC. In August! Wish me luck.

My kids and I love Klutz products. The irreverent activity books, nifty crafts and entertaining games come in compact kits or books that are ideal for travel.

Many Klutz items have accompanied us on road trips and plane rides. In particular, Kids Travel: A Backseat Survival Kit is chock full of games, puzzles, mysteries, quizzes, trivia and art projects for ages 6 and up. My daughter has mastered all of the moves illustrated in Cat’s Cradle, a board book that comes with a colorful string for making the figures. Both kids have made pictures with the portable book Hand Art, from Klutz’s Chicken Socks imprint for ages 4 and up. And the Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes makes an awesome birthday gift.

I always look forward to spring when Klutz releases its new products. Even though Short Stuffs: Create Your Own No-Sew Stuffed Animals is designed for kids as young as 4, my 8-year-old daughter got such a kick out of it. She spent at least a half hour stuffing little tiny pillows into the two “animal bodies” and attaching different felt arms, legs, ears and tails with Velcro to create colorful animals, like “Munchie Mouse,” “Chirpy Birdie” and “Playful Pup.” She enjoyed the activity so much, she brought the Short Stuffs kit to school for show and tell!

The instructions are all pictorials, no reading required. I can see how preschoolers would enjoy making animals for pretend play on an airplane or while strapped in the car.

My only caveat is that the pieces are small, and could easily get lost in the seat of an airplane or car backseat. You’ll just need to do a reconnaissance of all the parts and pieces after when it’s time to pack them away in the handy packaging. But there’s a lesson in responsibility and counting — 2 animal bodies, 13 felt pieces and 7 stuffing pillows in all!

My family and I are heading off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for two weeks this summer. For one week we’re all attending Spanish-language school and staying in a downtown condominium. The other week we’ll be at a beachfront resort (think foofy drinks by the pool). We can’t wait! So, if any readers have any tips on what we should do and where we should eat when we’re there, I’m all ears!

In the meantime, here are my recommendations for accommodations and activities for families heading to Mazatlan, Mexico, also on the Pacific coast.

Consider staying at the El Cid Marina Beach Hotel. This property is a laid-back, low-rise Mediterranean-style hotel that’s far from the hustle and bustle of Mazatlan’s “Golden Zone,” where most of the touristy accommodations are found.

The El Cid Marina’s compact layout makes it safer for kids to wander around the property on their own. A basic playground and mini-golf course are also inviting for preschool and early elementary aged children. Older kids will get a kick out of the friendly staffers that organize activities all day long–from pool Olympics and bingo to basketball and ping-pong tournaments.

Families of four can fit comfortably in a one-bedroom suite here. This room configuration features a separate bedroom (with door) for mom and dad, a living area with two couches where the kids can sleep, plus a dining table, bathroom with shower, and kitchenette with stovetop, microwave, full refrigerator and freezer and cooking utensils.

Larger families, or those who just love appreciate extra space, can get a two-bedroom suite, which is a one-bedroom suite connected to a junior suite. Vaulted ceilings on the top floor of each of the eleven buildings give the illusion of even more room for spreading out.

The swimming pools here are esepcially inviting for kids. The heated pool has a zero-grade entry, making it easy for toddlers to splash around safely. The non-heated pool (adjacent to the largest hot tub in Mazatlan) has two water slides and nifty man-made caves for jumping off of into the pool (it’s nine feet deep).

If your children tire of the two on-site pools at the El Cid Marina, you can take a free shuttle to the other El Cid properties a mile and a half down the road. The pools at the El Cid Moro and the El Cid Castilla are larger with more water slides, waterfalls and cliffs.

Family-Friendly Activities in Mazatlan

One benefit of staying at the El Cid Marina is that the property has its own tour company on site. This group can help you book catamaran trip to Deer Island or a city sightseeing tour with a focus on Old Town. (Sit through the 90-minute El Cid Vacation Club presentation, and get these tours for free.)

A catamaran ride to Deer Island features an all-you-can drink bar (with plenty of juice, water or soda for the kids) plus a Mexican lunch once you reach the island. Here you can also paddle a kayak, get pulled on an inflatable “banana boat” and snorkel with borrowed equipment (taking part in these activities does cost extra).

The city sightseeing tour makes a stop in Old Town Mazatlan for visitors to watch the clavadistas jump from high atop a perch into the ocean below. If you don’t want to take the town tour (which is upwards of four hours), stop by the cliff-diving site around lunchtime or in the late afternoon, which is when the tour buses generally assemble and cliff divers can troll for tips before or after they make their leaps.

MazAgua, Mazatlan’s water park, is open from March to December, and gives kids lots of chances to cool off with giant water slides, tube rides and a wave pool.

Acuario Mazatlan features dozens of marine-life tanks, live dolphin shows, a small zoo for mammals and a botanical garden.

Horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, whale watching and golf are other family-friendly activities readily available in Mazatlan.

From the moment my kids hear we’re going on a trip they begin packing everything in sight: books, toys, pillows, favorite blankets, and three or four stuffed animals each.

When I heard about Zoobies Pets I knew there was a good chance a huge portion of my problem had been solved. And I was right. What exactly are Zoobie Pets? Zoobies are a brilliant three-in-one stuffed animal, pillow and blanket.

The new Zoo Line came out this year and let me tell you, they are adorable. My daughter is in love with her pink Hada the Hippo (in photos) and my son thinks his furry Bobo the Baboon is the coolest (he even has a pink bottom!). Some of the others are: Jafaru the Giraffe, Winda the Wildebeest, Cheche the Cheetah, Mashaka the Monkey, Kojo the Croc (I love this one), Gogo the Gorilla, Rhaxma the Rhino, and my personal favorite, Tama the Tortoise.

Are you curious how this fabulous innovation works? Let me explain:

The stuffed animal keeps its shape via two Velcro straps. When you undo the straps the animal transforms into to a pillow. On one side of the pillow there is a zipper opening where inside you will find the softest fleece blanket you have ever felt. The blanket attaches to the animal with a zipper. This makes for super easy washing. The best part: the blanket is huge!

I am seriously considering snagging one of my kids’ Zoobies for my long flights to and from Hawai’i with my fellow Traveling Mamas later this month. Seriously, the blanket really is big enough for an adult and oh so soft.

If you are traveling this summer this is one Traveling Mamas On The Move Approved item I highly recommend.

1. Because Zoobie Pets are all in one you won’t have to keep track of several items.

2. Did I mention the blanket is super soft?

3. Zoobies are easy to use. When my children are ready to pull out the blanket they can do it themselves. Hada and Bobo even helped make a successful road trip.

4. No more airplane pillows and blankets. In fact, the last plane I was on didn’t have blankets and it was freezing.

5. There is a wide assortment of Zoobies to match every child’s (and adult’s) personality.

6. On one final note, this Traveling Mama says,

Zoobie, Zoobie DO!

Happy Travels!

Carmel Mooney is a professional travel writer, but she wears many hats. While she teaches travel writing, and has an AM travel talk radio show as well, Carmel is also very involved in educating the public about autism and biomedical interventions for children on the Autism Spectrum. She also dabbles in real estate, and finds time for leading her daughter’s Brownie troop, gardening, cooking, and parenting her blended family of five kids. Seeing that I can barely make the time to nuke a TV dinner, I’m impressed (and a wee bit tired, just thinking about her schedule). Here’s what Carmel had to say about travel for work, and taking the kids along.

1. Do you get to take your kids with you often?

Yes. My kids are so fortunate to get to see so many things I never got to see as a kid. Our two youngest had both been to over 43 states and three countries before their third birthdays. I keep trying to convey to our 9-year old that it’s not “normal” to go on ten cruises before the age of nine. She even has a “Funship” game she made up, that she plays when the cruise bug is making her itch for another cruise. Up until this year, I homeschooled so my kids could experience the world as their classroom and could have flexibility to travel when opportunities came up.

2. What is your favorite place so far, and why?

I don’t have just one favorite because there are so many magic places. I especially love(d) a historic sailing resort in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I also adore the Mayan Coast and Tulum, Mexico with its jungles, cenotes, sparkling turquoise waters, wildlife and gracious people.
There are some very special off-the-beaten-path areas around Puerto Vallarta that are special to me for fond memories. And Mendocino and the North Coast of California are majestic with the redwoods and great uncrowded beaches. I really do have many favorites.

3. What special preparations do you do prior to traveling with your family?

Other than the usual like making arrangements for the pets and doing all the other last minute things that everyone does, I always start a packing and “to do” list about a week before we leave. Typically it keeps me really organized and it allows me time to think of and pick up anything else that comes to mind for our particular destination. So, far, I’ve never forgotten anything important this way. But I never seem to sleep much the night before a big trip. I always find myself hopping up out of bed to check the list or add to it.

4. What items do you absolutely need to take with you on a trip?

My kids. No, just kidding. For tropical and warm destinations I always pack a couple of pareos because they make great beach cover ups, blankets for chilly airplanes, and even picnic table clothes or sun shields. Sunblock—lots! And with my radio show I always take a small tape recorder. I encourage my kids to keep trip journals and we have a tradition on plane trips that my kids each get a small activity book of some kind for the plane, so they get excited to see what I’ve picked up for them on the way to the airport and it helps me keep my sanity on the plane. Oh, and my kids always take a small pair of binoculars everywhere we go—we’ve been glad we did so many times for spotting bald eagles or whales or bears or whatever is special to that area.

5. Finally, what are your plans for the future, professionally speaking?

I plan on doing a lot more of the same since it’s all what I love doing, but I have finished an exciting romance novel and will be working on finding an agent and/or getting that published.

Carmel Mooney can be contacted through her website.

Lenore Skenazy is an op-ed columnist at the New York Sun. When she wrote about allowing her nine-year-old son ride the New York City subway system alone, she made headlines in Newsweek, and answered critics on The Today Show and NPR’s All Things Considered. Naturally the blogosphere went nuts, too, with comments ranging from “she’s the world’s worst mother” to “kudos to you”!

Lenore explained her decision to allow her seemingly bright and independent grade-schooler take public transportation alone at her new blog Free Range Kids — “where we we believe in safe kids. We believe in helmets, car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time school age children go outside, they need a security detail. Most of us grew up Free Range and lived to tell the tale. Our kids deserve no less.”

Lenore is so right! I’m sure many of you rode your bikes, traveled down the street to play kickball, or explored the nearby forest with your friends from dawn to dusk in the summertime, and your parents didn’t know exactly where you were. You survived!

I admit, with my own kids, I’m a bit of a worry-wart — I wonder “what if?” a heck of a lot more than my husband. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being envelope them in bubble wrap and keep them in the house for the rest of their lives, and 10 being put a five-year-old on a cross-country Greyhound bus), I’m about a 5. My husband is closer to an 8.

When we travel, we try to instill some independence in them — and we’re teaching them how to read maps and directional signs in public places. My 8-year-old is put in charge of getting us to our airline gate at the now-familiar Denver international Airport. She’s old enough to figure out that B48 is not down the wing for B1-B15.

At the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas, the kids absolutely loved having their room keys embedded in their wristbands. They could trot down to our hotel room each night while my husband and I finished drinks at dinner. We felt perfectly safe in the family-friendly hotel letting them make their way on their own. (Okay, so I didn’t linger that long over drinks…)

On vacation, we tend to try new sports and activities that we just can’t do at home. My daughter rode her first zipline at age 6, sailing 275 above a river in Hawaii. On that same trip, this daredevil child jumped off the side of a cliff, 25 feet in the air on a rope swing, to land in a pool of water at the base of a waterfall. Did my heart catch in my throat as I watched her do these things? Of course! But what a sense of accomplishment she felt afterwards!

Lately, my husband and I have been talking about allowing our children to fly alone on a direct flight from Denver to Boston next year to visit their grandmother. They will be 7 and 9. Since my children have been traveling since they were only a few months old, I’m all for it. They know the whole flying routine and the airplane rules (no kicking the seat in front of them!). They’d be perfectly content watching DVDs or playing their hand-held video games for a couple hours, until Grammie meets them at the gate.

More importantly, flying by themselves will help instill some important traits, such as self-reliance, independence and self-confidence–all key for thriving as teenagers, college students and adults!

Keeping the kids entertained on the road is a lot easier than it used to be, what with portable DVD players and iPods. Plug ‘em in and keep ‘em quiet is sure a popular way to go. But it’s not the ONLY way to go, right? Some parents rightfully don’t want their children to watch that same stultifying Spongebob episode for the thousandth time. For those parents, here is a list of some recommended small toys to help keep your kids occupied on the family vacation road trip.

Recommended Children’s Toys to Help Survive the Road Trip

Hasbro makes The Littlest Pet Shop, which my younger daughter loves. All the little pieces keep her busy, using her imagination (which is great) and repeatedly dropping said little pieces (not so great). The Littlest Pet Shop is easy to pack and carry, though, as it’s self-contained and folds onto itself. And if a mini hairbrush gets lost somehow, there are plenty of other pieces to implement in the ongoing stories that will be created in imaginative play.

Hasbro also makes a pile of Star Wars toys - I guess the whole Star Wars phenomenon is part of the collective North American consciousness by now, since many little kids ask for Darth Vader action figures before they even know there’s a bunch of movies about the guy. Transformers action figures are also popular with the little dudes these days. Anything that helps spur on children’s imaginations is a good thing, in my book.

Tamagotchis are the little beeping doodads you see dangling from many school-age kids’ backpacks. Fortunately, they do come with mute buttons, or every parent would have tossed them in the incinerator by now. Tamagotchis have been around for a while; every few years a new crop of kids discover them and are enchanted. The idea is to raise a little pixelated critter from egg to infirmity, with games to play and points to earn along the way. These things are around 20 bucks, and worth it. Children can “befriend” each others Tamagotchis as well.

My kids get carsick when they read books on road trips. Nausea does NOT a fun car trip make! But, assuming that some children can read in moving vehicles, slim paperbacks are the way to go. They are flat, obviously, and take up less space. Toddlers may enjoy looking through Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, and slightly older children can work on their reading skills with any of the huge “Little Critter” library and later, the “Magic Tree House” series. My older kid has been reading the Spiderwick Chronicles lately, but really, pack a book in the genre your child likes, and chances are it’ll get read.

Time away with our families is increasingly rare. Make the most of a family road trip by helping your kids stay happy and entertained in the back seat. Happy children help the car ride go much more smoothly, after all.

Sometimes, travel writers take press trips. Also called familiarity trips, these involve a few professional travel journalists being ushered around a particular vacation destination by PR folks in the local community’s travel and tourism business. I, MudslideMama, have been in the midst of a southern California beach town press trip, and just learned a valuable lesson regarding keeping one’s guard up. I carelessly left my PDA in a hotel lobby, and someone walked off with it. Travel tip: Don’t leave your personal digital assistant laying around in hotels. Yes, I know, this is a lesson that should have been learned many years ago, but hey – I’ve been burned, so lesson learned!

Top 10 Vacation Loss and Theft Prevention Tips

1. Keep an eye on your stuff. It sounds simple, but the sights and stresses of travel can distract even the most inveterate travelers. For example, I had taken some things out of my purse when I was looking for my sunblock, which it turns out I had left in my room. Apparently, I left my Blackberry on the table in the lobby. When I got back downstairs, it was gone. Someone STOLE my new Blackberry – and all my contact info, photos, and favorite ringtones that were on it.

2. If someone does steal your PDA, or if it’s just plain lost, cancel your service with your service provider. While you may be able to get the police to trace any outgoing calls on it, you’ll be held responsible for any charges anyway. Even if you have unlimited calls, the thief could be downloading songs and videos and whatnot, incurring huge fees.

3. Leave your most valuable jewelry and prized possessions at home. If you must take objects of considerable worth or sentimental value, pack them in your carry-on bag instead of the luggage to be stowed. Luggage gets lost or rifled through more often than you’d think.

4. Put a TSA-approved lock on your checked luggage. These ensure that the TSA won’t have to cut open your lock if someone decides your suitcase needs a closer look. In fact, carry-on is safest, and you don’t have to wait at the baggage carousel after arriving at your vacation destination. When feasible, try to stick with carry-on bags.

5. Prescription medications should be clearly labeled, and in their original containers. The security guy at the airport is still going to need to inspect it, of course, but this makes his or her job easier, which makes your time spent on the security line also easier.

6. Most hotels these days have a safe in the closet. This is where to store your passport, credit cards, cash, and any jewelry you decided to bring on your vacation. It’s the most secure place in the room.

7. Don’t travel to part of any country that is considered dangerous. While “considered dangerous” is open for interpretation, the US State Department issues travel alerts for particularly unsafe parts of the world. It’s a big world with plenty of terrific vacation spots; why ruin a romantic getaway or family vacation in a dangerous travel destination if you don’t have to?

8. Try to scatter your passport, credit cards, cash and I.D. throughout different pockets while out and about, rather than putting them all in your wallet or purse. Use inside pockets if you have them.

9. Be aware of who’s around you. Pickpockets and thieves often have plans, such as working in teams to nudge or distract you. Most people are essentially good, I think, but it only takes a couple of people – sometimes little kids – to lift your wallet, steal your purse, or otherwise ruin a vacation experience.

10. Your personal property or home insurance may cover theft or loss. Check your policy before you go, but it goes without saying that, even if your covered, still keep an eye on your stuff. And me? I wasn’t covered for the loss of my Blackberry. This was my stupid mistake – remember, don’t leave personal items unattended outside your room, even in 4- and 5-star hotels.

Vacations, be they family trips, weekend getaways, or that luxury UK experience you’ve been saving up for, are meant to be enjoyed. Don’t lose your stuff! Please, employ these Top 10 safe travel tips, but don’t get so tense about potential crime that you can’t a great time. You can be smart and still relax for a fun, safe vacation.

Kayt Sukel’s son, Chet, has traveled to nearly 20 countries — and he’s only three years old! Kayt, a freelance writer, lives in Bedesbach, Germany, where her husband has been stationed with the U.S. Army since 2003.

While her main beat is information technology, Kayt also covers parenting and travel (natch!) for such publications as American Baby, the Christian Science Monitor, Parenting and the Washington Post.

Here’s what Kayt had to say about recent trips — mostly throughout Europe, but also to Africa and back to the States to visit family — and the importance of never forgetting beloved stuffed Grover:

1. What’s is your favorite destination you’ve traveled to with Chet?

I think my favorite would have to be Malta. It’s got everything. History, gorgeous landscapes and these fabulous little pastries called pastizzi that are filled with ricotta cheese. And those pastries are exactly what you need after running after a toddler all day.

2. What’s his favorite destination?

Chet really enjoyed a recent trip to Luxembourg. He had a blast running around the old fortress ramparts. But honestly, he seems to really enjoy just walking around and seeing new things.

3. Most memorable moment traveling together?

We call Chet our little ambassador because he really does open up people’s hearts and minds to us wherever we go. Our most memorable moment still has to be him being swarmed by school children in the Ayasofya in Istanbul. We didn’t even see them approach, but it was a class from a rural part of Turkey in the city to visit the museum there. They saw that we brought a baby and just came over and started kissing him. And though we worried it was too much, Chet just loved it. It was just so sweet to see him and these kids just connecting in this strange and beautiful way.

4. What’s one piece of travel gear you absolutely can’t live without when you travel with your preschooler?

We have very little in the way of gear these days. Chet won’t sit in a stroller or a backpack anymore. So really, as long as we have his Grover and a few toy cars to play with (and of course, a sturdy backpack to keep us in diapers and juice), we’re all pretty happy.

But when he was younger, the Baby Bjorn and then the Kelty stroller/backpack combo saved us. Until Chet turned about 10 months old, we carried him all around in the Bjorn. After that, the convertible stroller/backpack was a must have — especially for Europe. You never know where you’ll find nothing but stone steps or be asked to take your child “off” in a museum. They worry that you”ll turn and knock something or trip an alarm. Who knew?

5. Any tips for flying with a preschooler?

Don’t underestimate the allure of the mundane! We’ve kept Chet happy on flights with a few extra plastic cups from the beverage cart, coloring on the barf bag and counting the number of baseball hats in the rows. And if all else fails, nothing is more fun than wandering the aisles (again and again) once the captain turns off the “fasten seatbelt” sign.

6. What’s next on your family travel agenda?

My husband just deployed to Iraq a few weeks ago so Chet and I will be traveling on our own. We just got back from a whirlwind trip to the states complete with long road trips and we plan to go to Bruges next month and then Israel once the prices go down at the end of the summer. When my husband was here, we did about one trip a month. We’re hoping to keep that up even in his absence.

A few days ago in the post Avoid Vacation Weight Gain I talked about healthy vacation foods, but it’s not just the good-eats we need to worry about when we’re away from home. Staying active is also very important. You can whine it’s vacation, and getting up to run on the treadmill is the last thing you want to do, but I can tell you now that you can stay fit and active on vacation and never see the hotel gym.

1. Join the Kids. Remember when you were sitting pool side while the kids and hubby were off riding waves? This vacation it’s time to get off your duff and join them. Didn’t you know a boogie-boarding mama is a hot mama?

2. Walking Tours. Leave the car behind and check out some local sites. Carlsbad, land of Legoland, has a painted fire hydrant walking tour, while New Orleans has numerous ghost tours.

3. Forget the Car. This is a great way to really experience a city. Many destinations have attractions that are within walking distance from hotels and most cities have terrific public transportation if you happen to find you’re too tired to make the trek back to the hotel – plus you don’t have to worry about paying for parking and you’re being good to the environment.

4. Inline Skate. One of my favorite vacation memories was rollerblading along the Galveston, Texas beach. This could be another “hot mama” moment. But try and practice before you give it your all, it may not be pretty if it’s you first time, especially if you wander into traffic.

5. Rent Bikes. This is fun for the whole family. And it doesn’t even seem like exercise. Pretty much every vacation destination has bike rental shops and many hotels and resorts offer free bikes to guests.

6. Rise and Shine. Some of you might think vacations mean sleeping in, but one of my favorite things to do is sneak out while the rest of the family is still snoozing and walk or run along the beach or hike the mountain trails. Sometimes a little alone time on vacation is a good thing.

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, 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?

Have you ever gained weight while on vacation? Okay, I can hear you laughing. 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.

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!

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 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.

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?

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 I 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 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, and 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.

It’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 with grandma and booking a vacation on a Hedonism Nude Cruise, we can’t leave the fact that we’re grown-ups on the docks.

My first introduction to Stonehenge was in history books and television. Then came National Lampoon’s European Vacation. I had hopes and dreams of my dad driving my brother and I right up to monument, but not knocking it over like Clark Griswold. Alas, I had to wait until I was in my 30s to see this massive pile of rocks.

My freelance writing took me to London, on assignment, but I chose to hang around the UK a few days longer and take one of those soul-oh trips. I boarded a train to Salisbury (pronounced Sals-bury) to meet my friend and personal tour guide, Keith Kellett, a local travel writer. Keith resides in Amesbury, which is the nearest town to Stonehenge.

Our first stop was Old Sarum, the original settlement of the area. It was a perfect introduction to the history of town. The next stop was Woodhenge, which is believed to be the model for the actual layout of Stonehenge.

I spent time before leaving the US to research lodging choices in the area. Since the exchange rate from dollar to pound is HORRENDOUS, I was on a very tight budget. I found a quaint place to stay called The Antrobus Arms. Keith let me know that locals call the place “Old Auntie” right before he dropped me off for the night.

The place was actually a very cool place to stay. The gardens are right out of a Miss Marple episode, for all you BBC lovers out there. I was led upstairs to Room 20, which is where The Beatles stayed while filming HELP. I was tired from the journey, so I hopped into the shower. When I stepped out, I was startled to see Paul McCartney staring at me from the wall. No, I was not on any hallucinogenic. The walls were papered with The Beatles news clippings, handwritten lyrics, and pictures. My mother used to dream of marrying Macca. Of course, I had to call her and tell her where I was staying.

The next morning was Stonehenge. If anything, I was a bit disappointed. I think I had psyched myself up for a mother ship landing or some solar phenomenon to happen while I was standing there. What I wasn’t expecting was having to park across the street with all the tour busses, walk underground to get to Stonehenge Theme Park, and then stand in line with a bunch of Japanese picture-taking tourists waiting to walk through the turn stall. WHAT? A freaking turn stall?

Keith and I were given museum-style listening devices where visitors are able to pick their language to hear all about Stonehenge, if you pressed the proper numbers at the corresponding points. So, I walked slowly around the rocks, following all the other tourists in typical cattle style.

Even though I didn’t get to drive my car up to Stonehenge and back into the monument, I’m still glad that I was able to see the place in person. Well, that’s another thing to mark off my bucket list. I’m off to my next stop in life.

Poor San Mateo County. Once a year, it’s home to the Maverick’s Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, but other than that, it’s just not a hugely popular California tourist destination. Maybe the folk there prefer it that way – a sizable chunk of the county is still pretty agrarian – but the hotels and inns are relatively inexpensive, the food is often fresh and locally grown (agrarian, remember?), and kids can have a great time on an unscheduled, mellow vacation.

San Mateo County is actually a frequent travel spot, but most often for people traveling through it, not to it. The San Francisco Airport is here, so plenty of venture capitalists looking to invest in the latest web tech land here, rent a Mercedes, and drive right to Silicon Valley/Palo Alto. Honeymooners and couples celebrating other special occasions rent their cars, and make the trip to Napa Valley. This Traveling Mama got to San Mateo County, and stayed a while. Of course wine tours are great, you’ll get no argument from me there; sometimes, though, a quiet vacation in a small town makes for a perfect respite.

Children have a great time with hours of unstructured play on the beaches. The many independent, family owned restaurants in San Mateo County are a nice break from the standardized fare of fast food chains. There’s not much in terms of excitement around here, save the annual Maverick’s Surf Contest, but the small town, friendly attitude of its residents feels like a throwback to a more innocent age.

Once you get your kids off the beach, there are some year-round activities that – while not exactly thrilling or momentous – can entertain both children and adults.

Here’s my list of the top 5 child friendly activities and museums for families in San Mateo County:

• The San Mateo County History Museum - This museum, and its docents, proudly showcase exhibits spanning the major historical eras of the San Francisco Peninsula. From the gold rush and whaling ships, to modern technology and internet businesses (like Electronic Arts) in Palo Alto, the exhibits are interesting and well done.
• The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia - It’s exactly what it sounds like; a whole museum dedicated to the joys of Pez. It’s funny to see this, and with over 500 Pez dispensers on top of Pez toys and books, kids end up surprisingly fascinated. Not all children enjoy museums, of course, but they sure seem to get a kick out of this one!
• The Hiller Aviation Museum - This museum is great of fans of the history of air travel, with many models of early planes hanging from the ceiling like mobiles. The interactive displays are especially popular, but my favorite part of this large warehouse-style museum is the displays of man’s earliest attempts at flight.
• The Filoli Estate - Filoli stands for “fight, love, live,” and this grand mansion and gardens estate was built with lofty ideals in mind. It’s a Georgian Revival house, sitting on over 650 acres of well-loved and manicured gardens.
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse - This is one of the tallest lighthouses in North America. At 115 feet, it makes for a great “photo opportunity” as well. Right now, the interior is closed to the public (it’s considered hazardous), but the grounds are just gorgeous, with sea lions lazing around on offshore rocks, the waves crashing, and views of the surrounding area’s mountains, beaches, and ocean.

There are some other places to take your kids in San Mateo County; Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch comes to mind, but this farm of gigantic pumpkins mainly shines in late Fall. Main Street at Half Moon Bay, with its mix of small independently owned stores, bed and breakfasts, and art galleries, is beyond charming. The people that work here are happy to talk with visitors and describe their wares. Main Street isn’t very big; you can almost miss it if you’re not careful. Got a babysitter? If so, I’d recommend checking out La Nebbia Winery. This winery in Half Moon Bay has several yearly “bottle and cork your own wine” events. If you’re lucky to vacation in Half Moon Bay (in my opinion, the loveliest part of San Mateo County) during one of these events, don’t miss it! It’s fun to bottle your own wine, and designing the label is quite an experience as well. No matter the time of year, California’s San Mateo County makes for a quiet, slow paced family vacation.