Snapshot Chronicles Roadtrip

Family travel through a slightly twisted lens. Sense of humor required. Shoes optional.

Father’s Day Excursions

by

IMG_1712I have two Father’s Day excursions for you, one worth the drive if you are in the Boston area, and the other well worth a weekend getaway. Both are annual events; you go this year or you wait until next.

The Boston area – Stow MA

Every year on Father’s Day weekend — June 20 & 21 –  the Collings Foundation in Stow opens its doors to visitors for Wings and Wheels Weekend. It’s a great opportunity to see the Foundation’s collection of vintage aircraft and automobiles. You can also book a ride in one of the vintage aircraft, but this must be done in advance.  $10 adults, $5 kids.

Family eats in the Stow area: La Provence in Concord (review) and Nancy’s Airfield Cafe in Stow.

Central Vermont – Quechee

IMG_1969

The Quechee Balloon Festival in Quechee Vermont is well worth the trip North. Dave and I went years ago, and last year we finally made it back with Douglas. There are activities all day long, but the highlight is the balloon ascensions in the morning and early evening. This year, we are planning our weekend to attend the Balloon Glow on Friday at approximately 8:30 pm. Balloon rides are available, but should be booked in advance.

Local accommodations: There are motor inns nearby in Quechee and White River Junction, but I recommend going a bit further and staying at the Kedron Valley Inn in South Woodstock. If they are full up, try the Woodstock Inn, and if you like bed & breakfasts, the Inn at Chelsea Farm, our Vermont neighbor.

By the way, if you are looking to visit the Woodstock area, we also rent our house. Check it out on Cyberrentals. This year, we will be there on Balloon Fest weekend, but we have lots of other availability this summer as we have just started renting it.

Back to the balloon festival. Admission is $10 adults, $5 kids; tickets are good for the entire weekend and dads accompanied by a kid are 1/2 price on Sunday.

Family eats in the Woodstock/Quechee area: There are a lot of great restaurants in the area, but if the family has spent the day at the festival, you want something fast and friendly. For lunch, I recommend the Farmer’s Diner in Quechee and for dinner, Bentleys in Woodstock.

[geo_mashup_map]

Memories of Hong Kong May/June 1989

by

Twenty years ago this week, I was in Hong Kong visiting a college friend. I arrived late in the evening on Saturday May 27th and flew home Sunday June 11th.

Midway through my trip, on June 3rd & 4th, the Chinese government cracked down on the protesters in Tiananmen Square.

I had a decent 35mm SLR camera, and took a fair amount of pictures during my stay, but the only four I can find at the moment are the ones on display in the downstairs bathroom. I’m sure the photo album is buried somewhere deep in the basement. I looked, but could be down there all day and still never find it. I have a husband who likes to move things.

So, since I really should be writing a chapter for my marketing book, I decided to share some of the memories, and let you imagine the setting.

My first full day was Sunday June 28th. My college friend and I joined the 1.5 million people who paraded through downtown Hong Kong in a Democracy Demonstration. There was (and still is ) a strong democracy movement in Hong Kong focused on retaining as many of the colony’s freedoms as possible following 1997 reunification.

I still remember how to say “Down with Li Peng” (Premier of the PRC)  in Chinese although I wouldn’t even dare to try and spell it 🙂

The balance of the first week was spent exploring different parts of Hong Kong. I have small memories as well as big ones. Breaking a heel on the way to the top of Victoria Peak and having to find a cobbler (which we did). Wandering around the different neighborhoods when I was on my own; my friend could only take some days off. Having lunch at the Vocational Technical Center Hotel School. Man Mo Temple. Shopping in a street market. Taking the ferry from Lantau Island, where my friend lived, to Hong Kong proper. The Star Ferry. Playing Pictionary with a group of my friend’s neighbors and colleagues.

It was during that game of Pictionary that we saw the first news about the crackdown on CNN. And the world tilted just a little bit.

After the crackdown, my plans for the second week changed. We cancelled a planned day trip to the mainland. Instead,  I took a jetfoil to Macau on June 5th.  On Wednesday June 7th, there was a General Strike in Hong Kong, and I remember just walking around, observing.  I still have the scissors I bought to cut some cloth to make black armbands, but the armbands are long since gone. The week wrapped up with the Dragon Boat Festival (and I KNOW I took pictures of that) and souvenir shopping. Most of the rice bowls I bought have been broken, but I still have and use the chopsticks.

Fittingly and almost a reflection of the mood, toward the end of the week, a major tropical storm approached the island, with warnings ranging from Signal 1 to Signal 3.

And then I flew home — from the old Hong Kong airport. The one that was so close to the buildings you felt you could reach out and touch them as you landed.

I would love to go back some day. See what Hong Kong is like post-reunification. See what it is like in more normal times. Certainly, many of my experiences were no, or not much,  different than they would have been in quieter times.

Yet, I can tell you — nothing was the same either. The events in Tiananmen Square changed Hong Kong the two weeks I was there. Hopeful, exuberant, defiant the first week. Somber, saddened but still defiant the second.

That’s what I will remember the most about Hong Kong.

It endures.

Or maybe this year it’s a Staycation

by

Unless they’ve been saving for the trip of a lifetime this summer, many families are opting for staycations this year. They may also be cutting back on expensive summer camps, leaving more time for idle hands to get into trouble (or on your last nerve).

Here are some ideas for how to enjoy the summer, and your kids, without dipping into what’s left of your retirement savings.

If your work situation permits, don’t take all your vacation days in a single week. Instead, spread them out over the whole summer. This gives the kids something to look forward to, not to mention something you can use to motivate good behavior.

Consider taking some days off  in the middle of the week rather than bracketing a weekend. Popular attractions like amusement and water parks tend to be less crowded mid-week so you’ll get more for your admission dollars.

Check to see if the local swim/tennis/country club has a summer family membership. The chi chi swanky ones may not, but smaller health clubs rely on the extra income to pay for the outdoor pool and required lifeguard staff.  Even if you work full-time at an office, there are a few hours every night plus weekends, giving every day a little vacation feel.

Coordinate with the parents of your children’s friends to take a groups of kids someplace one day in exchange for them taking the kids another. This is harder to organize if you have more than a couple kids, as the group can get somewhat large, but if you work out of a home office, those extra days of peace are well worth the one or two harried days with a gaggle of kids at the science museum or aquarium.

Looking for ideas on where to go? Consider going back to the places the kids went on field trips during the school year. They’ll generally be within an one hour drive, and guaranteed, your kids did not see everything in the couple hours they had at the attraction unless it is very small. They’ll also enjoy showing you around a place they’ve already seen, plus getting to stop in the gift shop. Give them a budget in advance ($3-5). If they earn an allowance, tell them you’ll supplement with a few dollars but they are spending their own money. Otherwise you’ll be spending the end of a lovely day arguing about crummy souvenirs.

We’re spoiled, living in eastern Massachusetts.  Old Sturbridge Village, Plimoth Plantation, Fruitlands, Strawbery Banke, Concord and Lexington, Boston, Salem and the North Shore, Falmouth and the Upper Cape are all located within a 90 minute drive. Not to mention hiking and swimming, lakes, ponds, mountains and ocean.

But every region has its charms, history, activities. If you’ve already hit all the obvious ones in your area , dig around a bit. There’s bound to be something you haven’t discovered yet.

For example, recently I was a speaker at a local chamber event held at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts. Yes, you read that right. Museum of Russian Icons. Over the years and many trips to Russia, local businessman Gordon Lankton had acquired a large number of Russian icons. He considered donating them to established museums, but they would only exhibit a few at a time. So, he founded the Museum of Russian Icons. The collection includes about 340 Russian icons, the largest collection of its kind in North America and  one of the largest private collections outside of Russia. They offer kids’ activities of the scavenger hunt variety, so good for older kids,  but I would not recommend it for very young children. Local folks might want to combine it with a visit to the Davis Farmland Corn Maze in August/September.

Discounts & reciprocal admissions. If you are a member of AAA or other travel clubs, check for discounts at attractions (and hotels too). We saved money on our Gatorland tickets this spring due to our AAA membership. We’ve also saved money at places like the LaBrea Tarpits in LA and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh due to our memberships in home museums like the Museum of Science and Museum of Fine Arts. It never hurts to ask what discounts are available.

Overnights. Sometimes the place you want to go is just a little bit out of comfortable driving range. Do an overnight, but don’t skimp on the hotel. At a minimum, make sure it has a pool. Many attractions will have a two-day ticket that isn’t that much more expensive than the one-day admission. Drive down in the morning, spend a few hours at the attraction and then adjourn to the hotel pool. In the morning, you can swim and then sightsee, or just go right to the attraction. Drive home in the afternoon; you’ll be home for dinner.

Bottom line? It’s about spending time together as a family doing things you all enjoy. Your kids will remember a long weekend that everyone enjoyed with as much — perhaps more — joy than a forced march through Disney. Some of my best travel memories are of short trips taken with my mom and brother when I was a kid. Perhaps not the most luxurious (lawn furniture in the motel room) but good times.

That’s what we want to duplicate for our kids. Regardless of the economy. The good news? You can. You just have to be clever and flexible about your plans. Whether you take a vacation or staycation, there are lots of options for those who look.

What To Pack

by

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. On one hand, it’s a somber holiday during which we remember and celebrate those who’ve served in our nation’s military.

On the other, it’s the traditional start of summer, although the calendar doesn’t catch up for another three-four weeks. Backyard barbecues. The beach. Hiking in the mountains.

The family summer vacation.

After you’ve decided where to go and what to do, you still have the really tough decision ahead of you: What To Pack.

Here are some tips I’ve gathered over about 30 years of regular travel, including the last nine packing for my son as well as myself.

Make a list and pack early. This prevents last minute laundry because you (or your child) wore something you really wanted to bring. Lay out everything by category (underwear, pajamas, swim clothes, shoes, socks, dressy clothes if necessary, casual clothes, sports clothes, even jewelry). Then put about half of it back. Folks almost always pack too much, forgetting that unless you are going totally off the grid, you can probably find a place to do laundry or a store to pick up extra socks. And if you are totally off the grid, who cares if your clothes aren’t exactly… pristine. Just do us all a favor and pack extra underwear.

Exceptions to this rule:

  1. Packing the diaper bag for a baby or toddler if you are not going to have access to your luggage for more than a few hours. Add a couple extra outfits and more diapers/pull-ups than you think you could ever possibly need. I learned this lesson the hard way. When Douglas was one, we were flying home from Europe, starting in Paris, changing in Zurich and then home. I packed the carry-on with enough stuff for a full day. Then our Zurich to Boston flight was delayed by SIX hours. Douglas got sick to his stomach and blew through two outfits in an hour. Literally. At the time (don’t know about now), they did not sell baby clothes or diapers inside security at the Zurich airport. We were hanging on by a thread with only one diaper to spare when we finally landed in Boston.
  2. Short trips, especially business trips. Pack exactly what you plan to wear for every day and then add one business casual outfit in case the trip gets extended or someone dumps their soup on you.

Car trip versus plane trip: There’s a temptation to bring more when you are traveling by car versus flying to your destination. Resist! You still have to get it from the car into your accommodations.

If you are flying, try to keep everyone to one checked bag, a backpack and another small carry-on (purse, camera bag). Pack a spare bag for the inevitable souvenirs, but unless you are flying Southwest with free checked bags, consider mailing your souvenirs home. Costs about the same as that second bag on most domestic airlines, with the added convenience of not having to deal with it at the airport. We once shipped our hiking boots back from California. This was well before all the added bag fees; we did it because once we left Yosemite, we didn’t need all our hiking gear in Sacramento and San Francisco.

Sports gear: If you are driving, you can bring your own. If you are flying, consider renting when you get to your destination, especially if you don’t plan to do the activity every day. Typically, we’ll bring our ski boots and golf shoes/gloves, but rent skis and clubs at our destination. If you are going on a golf vacation where the entire time will be spent golfing, you probably want your own clubs, but for a family vacation where you might play once, maybe twice, renting at the course is fine. On a ski vacation, renting the skis lets you try the latest models, but you’ve got the comfort of your own boots.

Staying in a timeshare or rental with a kitchen? If you like to, and plan to, cook, on your vacation, bring some of your favorite spices in small jars or baggies. A lot easier than buying full size jars of everything.

Lifesavers:

DVD player, some favorite shows, and if budget permits, one new DVD just for the trip. Especially useful for younger children who can’t yet read or play video games. Be sure to road test the headphones before the trip. Kids can be picky about the headset and you don’t want to find this out at 30,000 feet. You can also get a splitter so two people, each with their own headset, can share the same screen.

For older kids, portable video game player of your choice. We’re a Nintendo family and Douglas just got a new Nintendo DSi. Be sure to get a spare charger and a car charger. Rocketfish has a combo pack that includes both, available at Best Buy.

A netbook. If you are driving to your destination, and plan to work (or blog), by all means bring the big ole laptop. Flying? Even only now and again. Get a netbook and a high capacity USB drive to transfer your work from home machine to netbook. There are lots of choices — I have an Acer AspireOne which I love, and my brother recently got an HP netbook.

At the moment I do not have a lot of domestic trips planned where I won’t have Internet access already (Vermont house, BlogHer) so I can’t justfy it, but if I were doing a lot of US travel, I also would definitely invest in a MiFi wireless router. Many US hotels charge you $10 per day for Internet. Do the math. Verizon’s MiFi plans are very affordable if you are on the road a lot, and doubly, triply so if you are with colleagues or family members who also need access.

Last words. You will forget something. Don’t sweat it. Even prescription medications can be dealt with remotely, though it can be a pain in the ass so try to NOT forget those. What do I tend to forget? My hairbrush. It’s always in the “other” suitcase, the one we didn’t bring on this trip. Luckily, you can buy hairbrushes almost everywhere in the world. Trust me. I have.

Snapshot Review: La Provence restaurant, Concord MA

by

Going to Concord Massachusetts to see the cradle of the American Revolution?

When hunger pangs strike, be sure to check out a little bit of La Belle France, La Provence restaurant at 105 Thoreau Street.

You order and pay at the counter, but they’ll bring your food to you. They also do take-out and catering.

Choices include a variety of quiche, sandwiches and salads, and of course yummy French pastries and bread.  There are plenty of seats, including a few tables outside in nice weather.

Much better than a sub shop or Mickey D’s.

[geo_mashup_map]

Copyright 2009-2018. All Rights Reserved. Photos copyright Susan Getgood unless otherwise noted.