Review: Demi Hugger for Luggage

Every year I go to a conference in New York, and wheeling my suitcase with a briefcase (holding my computer) on the handle. And every few minutes the briefcase slides off. It drives me nuts, but I've never figured out a solution.

Recently I got an email from Demi Hugger, showing me their product. It seemed like a problem solver. They sent me one to try, and I have to say it worked. I took it on a trip recently where I didn't have my briefcase, but rather my trusty backpack, pictured below.

How it works:
The Demi Hugger is like a big sash with velcro. The velcro strip can attach anywhere on the long neoprene strap. It can be wrapped horizontally or vertically. There's an opening so the Demi Hugger fits over the handle/pull, attaching it securely to the luggage. Actually, there's an opening each way to fit it on the handle. It weighs very little but feels quite strong.

The Art of Risk (and Family Travel) – a Q&A with Author Kayt Sukel

As a family travel writer, I often hear that going abroad with my kids is a risky proposition—and it’s always confused me a bit. Kayt Sukel, a fellow writer and travel blogger at Travel Savvy Mom, has been fed that line a time or two herself. Her new book, The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution and Chance, takes a hard look at “risk” – what it is, what it isn’t, and why we should, as parents and individuals, be encouraging more of it, at home and abroad. I’m excited to share this Q and A with her—and encourage you to pick up a copy of the book (I'll be posting a review myself soon)!

Frisco Kids: You’ve traveled with your son across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. What do you say to people who tell you that it’s too risky? 

Kayt: I usually start by quoting Mark Twain and say something about travel being fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness—and that I think it’s a bigger risk for my children not to explore and learn those important skills. For those who are terrified of travel, that usually ends the conversation. They think I’m nuts and we just agree to disagree. But for those who are honestly curious—and, often, I think, looking for permission to travel with their own kids—it usually leads to a wonderful discussion about how to best travel with kids. I usually learn a thing or two myself in the process.

Chicago: Willis (Sears) Tower with Kids

**This is part of our series on Chicago.**
I've been to Chicago many times, and finally made it to the top of the Willis Tower, the Sky Deck, better known to you probably as the Sears Tower. The view from the 110 floor top is amazing - as you'll see in my beautiful pictures below!

If you plan to go, make sure to read details at the bottom to save yourself some time and hassle. You will be in for a major wait most likely, so minimize that!

Chicago: Shedd Aquarium with Kids

This is first in a series of posts about taking the family to Chicago. There's still time to go this summer, and fall is a great time to visit too. One stop on the family list is the Shedd Aquarium. Situated on Lake Michigan, It's the world's largest indoor aquarium though we still like the Monterey Bay Aquarium better!

If you plan to go to the aquarium, plan ahead or you'll be waiting in the huge line like you see in the photo above. More info on strategies to get in quickly at the bottom - trust me, you'll need it!

Review: Boston Harbor Islands - Spectacle and George

 One of the hidden gems of Boston are the Boston Harbor Islands. If you have an extra day (or half day) on your trip, consider going. There are 34 islands in all, 24 with archeological activity on them. Not shockingly, Native Americans used these islands before we settlers did, for hunting, farming and other activities. You can visit 12 of the islands.

Even their recent history is interesting. The country's oldest lighthouse was first built here in 1716, though the British burned it down  in 1776 and rebuilt in 1783. That makes our own Sandy Hook lighthouse (built in 1764) the oldest working lighthouse in the United States. You can tour the lighthouse on Little Brewster Island on a different boat tour, along with two other lighthouses.

The popular Spectacle Island is only a 15 minute boat ride from Boston's Long Harbor. On the way, they gave us interesting information about the islands, which are a National Park area (though the boats are an outside vendor). If you flew into Boston, you'll likely have come into Logan Airport, also known as General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, named after a Spanish-American War officer who had obviously never been on a plane. More relevant, though, is that Logan takes landfill from three of the Boston Harbor islands: Governor's, Noddle's, and Apple Islands. Planes land on average every 30 seconds, and we saw quite a few overhead on our boat ride.

Tips for Kids Traveling Alone using the Unaccompanied Minor Airline Program

My kids do a lot of traveling, but they've never traveled on the plane alone. Until now. I just booked my daughter on a cross-country flight to stay with her best friend for a week.

If you're considering sending your child on a flight alone, here's where to start.

Kayak.com has a list of airline fees, which includes unaccompanied minor fees. You'll see that the fees vary a lot according to the airline, ranging from $25 on Alaskan Airlines (one way), to United's $150 fee one way. That's in addition to the airline ticket. Some charge by the kid, some charge by the family, and some change the rate depending on the flight length. Of course you'll want to confirm the rates with the airline as well.

When you start looking into flights you'll want to ask yourself these questions:

Disney World Primer

I grew up in Arizona (and later lived in California). Disneyland has always been my park. I finally made it to Disney World to check it out the differences. People on the East Coast have no clue what Disneyland is like, and I think many on the West Coast similarly have no clue about Disney World.

So here’s a primer.

PARKS

Disney World consists of four theme parks and two water parks. They’re based in Lake Buena Vista, FL (bordering Orlando), but in a much (MUCH) larger area of land – like 30,000 acres versus Disneyland’s 85 acres. Yes, you read that correctly. Disney World is basically its own city, and the resort opened in 1971 (versus Disneyland’s 1955 opening).

The theme parks are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The water parks are Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. These properties are spread around, and you need to take a bus to them, which means if you want to park hop, you need to plan the bus trip into the agenda.

Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Magic Kingdom is the basic equivalent of Disneyland. Don’t call Magic Kingdom “Disney World” because it’s not and people will get very confused. Magic Kingdom is very similar in rides and layout to Disneyland. Though the rides are mostly the same, it does not have

The Best Disney Park Apps (and where to charge your phone at Disneyland and Disney World)

This trip to a Disney park was the first I made with a smart phone. What a difference! I tested out four apps and review them here for you. If you have an extra phone battery, bring it with you! I had to switch batteries late in the day, and I didn’t use my phone for much more than checking line times. An iPad would be ideal – if you have a data plan. We also had my brother in law save his phone battery by not using it during the day (only leaving it on if the group split up for FastPass retrieval) so he’d have a fresh battery if mine died. If you go that route, turn off the data plan (use airplane mode) to save on battery drain.

FYI: Disneyland DOES now have official charging station lockers. It’s $2/hour. Here’s the scoop on charging stations at Disney. We didn’t check it out while there, but it’s nice to know it’s available. Here’s a list of outlets at Disneyland/California Adventure. 

It does not appear at present time that Disney World has the same charging systems. Here are some places to charge your phone at Disney World and here.

I’d recommend spending time on the apps before you get there so you know what you’ll need and where you’ll find it and won’t drain your battery looking. There are a lot of tips and good planning information you can find there as well, which can make time in line go faster as you share these with your fellow travelers.

TouringPlans.comLines app

If you’re not familiar with touringplans.com, it comes from the authors of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland (and the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World). It’s a fabulous book I recommend you buy. They have a touring plan that helps save you time by helping you avoid the lines by going to the attractions in a certain order. I’ve used it – it works.

Pros: You want this app mainly for the Lines feature.

Hidden Mickeys at Disneyland and California Adventure

To make the days at Disneyland and California Adventure even MORE fun, I bought the book Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: a Field Guide to Disneyland Resort's Best Kept Secrets.

Note that the book is a few years old so it's a bit outdated (Cars Land isn't in there and it covers the time before the renovation of Buena Vista street and the entrance). We had fun reading through the scavenger hunt and additional clues to find the Hidden Mickeys. We found the scavenger hunt way too difficult and preferred to just read the hints and look for them (we would have missed everything otherwise!). There's also a Hidden Mickeys book for Disney World.

Like in the book, I'll separate these out between actual Hidden Mickeys and mere decorative Mickeys. Unfamiliar with a Hidden Mickey? It's a representation of Mickey in a place you might not look for it or expect it. You can read more about it here and here.

Here are a few we saw at Disneyland and California Adventure.

This one is in the exit area of Astro Blasters, the Buzz Lightyear ride, on a larger picture.

How to use a FastPass at Disney Parks

Disney parks have the most awesome thing since all-inclusive tickets: the FastPass. While parks like Six Flags and Universal Studios charge for these “get to the front of the line” passes, everyone has access to FastPasses at Disney for no extra cost. Democracy!

(Please read at the bottom for changes to the FastPass system at Disney World - at this time there are no changes at Disneyland)

I always assumed that everyone knew about FastPasses and how to use them, but it turns out there are a lot of curious folks out there. So here's a primer.

What are they?

A FastPass is a timed ticket to get you into a special, faster line during a one hour period. Otherwise you ride “standby” which is Disney lingo for “huge long line.” The FastPass line sometimes get you in immediately, but more likely you have to wait a few minutes (though we’ve never waited more than 15-20 minutes unless the ride was broken down).

Whenever we walk through the FastPass line, which is usually empty – we look at the poor souls crowded and waiting in packed lines for long periods of time. We think “suckers!” and we high five each other when we’re out of eye sight of the losers in line. Occasionally we are those losers, and then we feel like suckers ourselves.

These people are in the "standby" line for Indiana Jones.

This was our FastPass line for Indiana Jones.

Disney Tips You Won't Read Elsewhere - Adventures in Disneyland and California Adventure

I did a lot of reading before heading to Disneyland and California Adventure. Some might say too much reading. But since it was going to be crowded (spring break) and I wanted to maximize our time there (and minimize lines), it was totally worthwhile. Here are some tips you likely won’t read in other Disney guides.

FYI – this is part of a Disneyland/CaliforniaAdventure series. See the bottom for links to other posts in the series.

Being nice pays off

Twice, being nice to the Disney cast member during a problem (a ticket purchase snafu, and a ride breakdown) caused the cast member to give us an extra “readmission pass”

What Happens When a Disney Ride Breaks Down

In my many years going to Disney parks, we’d never been on a ride when it broke down. Sure, we’d be in line when it broke down, but not actually on the ride. How did we get so lucky on this trip? Not only did we experience five ride breakdowns, but we were evacuated from Grizzly River Run. Do you get your FastPass back if you’re stuck on a ride? If you’re in line but it closes? If you’re evacuated? Read on for answers below:

Dedicated Post: UK with the Kids: Summer in Edinburgh

When you really want a sense of summer escape, whisking the children off to Edinburgh over the summer holidays will feel a million miles away from home.

Bargain hotelsin Edinburgh from Travelodge ensure you can spend longer in the city to make the most of your stay and visit an array of local attractions.

Edinburgh is unlike anywhere else in the UK - a break here is a cultural experience with all the elements of an extraordinary summer stint.

Educate the kids on the history of the area visiting sites such as Edinburgh Castle and lesser-known, medieval Craigmillar Castle.

Spring Break in Arizona - What to do with the Kids?

If you're heading to Arizona for spring break (like me!) I thought I'd pass along a few ideas:


BASEBALL
It's Cactus League Spring Training (okay, you already knew that). Phoenix (and surrounding areas) feature 15 MLB teams in 10 stadiums, incluidn ghte LA Angels, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, LA Dodger, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres, SF Giants, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks (who don't get to leave home for their training!). Tickets are as low as $5. More about Cactus League Spring Training here. And here's the Scottsdale CVB guide to spring training.

HOTELS

Lots of specials, deals and packages, including the ones below. I did a family-friendly Scottsdale area hotel round-up some time back - you can read it here.

-Westin Kierland Resort & Spa - visit during spring training and get special programs/activities like Kierland Kampfires, Phoenix Zoo presentations, Kids in the Kitchen, Digital Kid's Club and more. Plus, there's the Adventure Water Park (900 foot lazy river, 110 foot long waterslide), the OK Corral with lawn chess, basketball, game tables, car race tracks and more. Starwood Preferred Guests (you can sign up for free) can get a parent's night out with a free Kids Pajama Party (you eat out at their deseo restaurant, they get free activities/babysitting).

ACTIVITIES

Dude ranches are a popular option - read my review of Tanque Verde Dude Ranch in Tucson here. You can sign up for a la carte rides at many stables as well. A lot of hotels have horse stables/rides, even if you're not staying there. Book in advance, though because they're popular. Find a list of stables in the Valley of the Sun here.

If you're in Tucson, visit the Tucson Children's Museum.

In Phoenix, check out the Arizona Science Center downtown.

I love, love, love Bath Junkie. They just opened a new store in Gilbert, outside of Phoenix. At Bath Junkie, you can create your own scented and colored bath products, including shampoos, scrubs, lotions and more. My daughter and I went for a girls' afternoon and had a blast. With 200 scents, you can mix/match and spend time just smelling and guessing what they are. They also carry a big selection of cute soaps and other bath products (robes). 


We went to the Musical Instrument Museum last time we were in town - it's huge and very interesting - even for the kids.

A visit to the Valley of the Sun isn't complete without seeing the Desert Botanical Garden, where you'll learn all about the various plants that grow here.

Go for a hike! Head to Squaw Peak (aka Piestewa Peak) or Camelback Mountain. Bring water!

For other adventure outdoor activities, head to this Scottsdale website, with info on hiking, jeep tours, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, etc.

Review: Disney Cruise to Mexican Riviera Part 1

When we returned from our Disney Cruise, our friends had a lot of questions, the main one being, “should we book one too?” The answer to that question is of course, individual. In this 3-part series on the Disney Cruise, I’ll give an overview (here), then go into specifics about the cruise (activities, food, kids’ club, entertainment, etc.). Part 3 is special Hidden Mickey photos.

The Disney Wonder - copyright deborah abrams kaplan

Three Museums not to miss in Washington D.C.

This is part of a series on Washington D.C. with kids. Most of the attractions in Washington D.C. are free, making a trip like this much less expensive than trips elsewhere (after factoring in hotel costs!). Here are three free museums you shouldn’t miss (Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the National American History Museum and the Postal Museum):

Bureau of Engraving & Printing

During the tour, you’ll walk above the printing floor, watching the workers. They have a sense of humor, posting signs like “tomorrow only: free samples” and “just think how I feel – I printed my lifetime salary in a few minutes.” You’ll see the printers (which we saw getting jammed), sheets of bills then getting cut and trimmed, computers that inspected the currency (at ½ second per sheet), carousels/trays of money moving through the packaging process, $400,000 bricks of money (and $100 billion in one room alone). The exhibit before the tour is interesting as well, with the history of the bills and printing.

a million dollars in $10 notes. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

 Lots of interesting facts, like:

-the Bureau is the largest producer of currency and security documents in the world

-in 1962, President Lincoln signed the bill laying the foundation for printing money

-Texas was the first printing operation outside of D.C. Texas prints 38 million bank notes a day

-the Bureau has 2,500 employees, and they print 24 hours a day.

-the Federal Reserve’s order is placed yearly, and printing is divided evenly between D.C. and Texas

-currency designers work in D.C. and apprentice for years

-they can print 14 colors total (7 on each side) but currently print only 3 colors

-every scrap of paper there is accounted for, and they know where every single bill is shipped

money, money, money. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Kids’ Opinion: While I thought the Bureau was fascinating, the kids surprisingly didn’t. Maybe your kids will like it more. they can buy shredded money in the gift shop.

Funny: We liked that there was  an ATM outside the building. We also like the Bureau’s url: http://moneyfactory.gov/

Details: Since you can’t get tickets ahead of time, get there early and wait. Even in off season. Admission is free. Get Bureau of Engraving and Printing tour details here. You buy shredded money in the gift shop.

How tall are you in $100 notes? Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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National Museum of American History 

This is a huge museum and was probably our favorite.

Highlights:

SparkLab: The ground floor has several interactive galleries the kids loved, including the interactive SparkLab, where they did experiments, games and learned about invention.

The outside of SparkLab. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Julia Child’s kitchen – worth a peek through this recreation of her kitchen, with her original cookwear. You can also watch some of her shows, but that was boring for my kids.

Julia Child's Kitchen - copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Star Spangled Banner – This 30 x 34 foot flag from 1795-1828 flew at Fort McHenry. It inspired the Francis Scott Key song after a night battle. Learn the history at the exhibit and see the flag, which originally had 15 stars and 15 stripes. Mary Pickersgill was paid $405.90 to make it, which is more than most in Baltimore would earn in a year at that time. She had help: her daughter, two nieces and one indentured servant.Read all about the flag and its history (with quizzes!) here.

It's not easy being green. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

 Pop Culture – see Dorothy’s ruby red shoes (size 5, and one of several pairs worn in the Wizard of Oz) as well as Archie Bunker’s chair and Kermit the Frog, Farah Fawcett’s swimsuit, Michael Jackson’s hat, Apolo Ohno’s skates.

There's no place like home. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Carts – we learned how the cotton gin works through a traveling cart and educator. The kids got to separate seeds from cotton and take home what they did (okay, so I wasn’t so excited to have a loose bag of cotton in my purse, but it could be worse). Check out a list of daily events before you go.

Details: The museum is part of the Smithsonian and is free. Here’s a self-guided tour with kids for up to age 5. Tips on taking the kids to the museum. If you need a break in winter, the hot chocolate in the café was delicious ($3 for a 20 oz cup). They also serve ice cream.

——————–

National Postal Museum

We only went here because it was by Union Station where we were meeting someone. Turned out to be a fantastic museum that I’d like to return to, because it had so much to do with the development of the country. You wouldn’t think postal issues would be so important, but they have a lot to do with the spread of information and freedom (or lack of).

mailboxes from around the world. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

There was plenty for the kids to like, including the interactive computer program where they figured out the best postal routes overland. They also liked the hands-on fraud area, and the Wells Fargo Wagon. They could go on an early American postal route, which was experiential in its presentation.

Various methods of mail delivery. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Fun facts:

-zip codes were introduced in 1963

-in 1890, 65% of the population is rural; by 1990, about 75% population was urban

-1901 there were 76,845 post offices, which later decreases because of home delivery

-Since 1912, postal carriers have gone to the bottom of Grand Canyon for delivery. This is the last mule delivery route in the U.S. They also deliver eggs, fruit and Christmas trees there.

-early postal carriers were contractors with their own insurance and methods of transport.

-Benjamin Franklin was made postmaster by the British Crown in 1737

-postal issues caused huge debates in early American government, because of freedom of the press, personal privacy and national interests.

-delivery of newspapers and mail helped expand and develop the nation

The handcuffs used on the Unabomber, and a package mock-up that postmasters used to try to recognize his packages.

You can also see the handcuffs used on the Unabomber (sorry the photo is blurry). Also tied into our Newseum trip, where we saw his cabin where he lived for 20 years. As you probably remember, the Unabomber sent his bombs through the mail, in packages like the one pictured here.

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They had a fun exhibit of mailboxes. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Review: the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. with Kids

This is part of a series on Washington D.C. with kids. Most of the attractions in Washington D.C. are free, even if they’re not part of the Smithsonian complex. That said, here’s one museum that’s worth the money.

International Spy Museum

This high tech International Spy Museum was a lot of fun for the whole family. As you enter, you go up the elevator (there are some great videos playing as you wait), and then you to pick a “cover,” memorizing all the details about your new identity. After entering the gallery, look for the computers that question your identity (there were really long lines for the three computers), and get tested on what you know. You’ll also get more information to memorize and tested again at the end. That was fun!

Exhibit Highlights:

the School for Spies

School for Spies: There were a lot of exhibits, including the School for Spies about spy lingo and tricks of the trade (dead drops, covers, legends). This was our favorite exhibit by far. You’ll learn about the tools of the trade with lots of ingenious examples on display (button hole cameras, lock picks, bugging devices, tiny copiers, pigeon cameras, lipstick revolvers…). In addition to videos, there are interactive displays.

The Pigeon Camera

Also, the museum is “bugged” and you can hear what it sounds like in different parts of the museum with headphones. You can also crawl through the ducts and spy down on people below. Make sure to crawl quietly so they don’t notice you. The ducts aren’t good if you have bad knees or a lot of stuff with you.

The 1964 Aston Martin from Goldfinger

See the Bond car from Goldfinger, with machine guns near the headlights, a bullet shield trunk, a rotating license plate, oil jet shooter, tire slashers, ejector seat and more (every so often there’s a loud display showing what it does, though obviously not everything!).

The Secret History of Spying and Spy’s Eye View of the Civil War: Learn about ninjas (Zack loved this), codexes from ancient times and more. Not as interesting for the kids, so we had to hurry through.

A real Ninja

Spies Among Us: One of my favorite exhibits was reading about the different double agents and spies, and how they got caught. There’s video and a top spies gallery. A little less interesting for the kids, however. Some of what we learned here about American double agents Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen reinforced what we learned at Newseum in the special G-Men exhibit. At G-Men we saw a Sprite can that was used as a signal of a dead drop by Hanssen, whereas we learned all about dead drops (with photo examples) at the Spy Museum. At the Spy Museum we also saw the public mail box used as a signal by Aldrich Ames. At the Spy Museum we learned how much damage they caused the U.S. and the lives lost because of their spying.

Code Breaking: You can learn how to break some codes in this interactive area. The kids were tired by this point, but we checked it out a bit and Zack enjoyed trying to break the codes.

Recreation of the tunnels beneath Berlin

War of the Spies: This area on divided Berlin dovetailed nicely with what we learned at Newseum, and the kids found it interesting to walk through the tunnel recreation. It was also more of a Berlin war-time recreation, so we felt the ambiance (with wire fences and the cafe culture emphasized).

Spy Museum Downsides: It’s crowded and can feel claustrophobic at times. We didn’t see a coat check, which meant carrying around our coats and backpacks for a few hours inside the crowded galleries. You can’t take pictures inside. We never got a map, so we had no idea how many more galleries there were. That was a problem when the kids got bored halfway through. Plus, we had to wait in line to get into the museum. We expect that in the summer, but not in the off season. It was popular/crowded.

Experiences: If your kids are 12+ you can sign up for an optional (and additional fee) hands-on experience called Operation Spy where you become a spy yourself. This takes about an hour and is inside the museum. We didn’t do this, but friends said it was fun. There’s also a monthly interactive Spy at Night program at the museum, though I believe that’s geared more toward adults. Finally, you can do a GPS-based city outdoors spy experience for ages 10+. I’d like to do that on our next trip.

copyright deborah abrams kaplan

Details: Tickets are $18 for ages 12-64, $15 for ages 5-11. Goldstar has discounted Spy Museum tickets (as much as 50% off). You'll have to log-in to see the deal details.  Lines form early at this museum – if you get tickets ahead of time, you might be able to bypass the line (the very funny bouncer came out and led a group of us with advanced tickets to the front of the line). The gift shop is terrific – especially for books. They have a lot of spy toys as well, and my favorite “budget Ninja costume” t-shirt. There’s no café inside, but there’s a Spy Café outside, and a Gordon Biersch (felt like home! excellent microbrew but the garlic fries were not as garlicy as we expected) across the street.

We received press tickets to the International Spy Museum, but all opinions are my own.

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