How much do I love my iPhone apps?  Enough to try out most every iPhone travel app that comes along!

Check out Family Car Games, created by a family of four to help your family pass the time with instructions for 100 different games.  You can play the games in the car, on a long flight, or while waiting at the airport.  Or waiting anywhere for that matter.

I downloaded the app ($1.99) to check it out.  And hey – I like games, too!  There seemed to be a nice variety, hitting on a number of different themes, from words games to story telling to singing.  I recognized the names of some (so there are so classic car games here), but there were lots of titles that I didn’t recognize.  They claim that no additional equipment is needed, but I’d recommend a notepad and pen as many of them involve counting or keeping track.

You can select a game by various searches (name, degree of difficulty) or at random (a shaker/spinner much like is on Urban Spoon), and you have the ability to bookmark your favorites so you can play them again and again.  Each game is tagged with a degree of difficulty to help you choose age appropriate activity.

It looks like a lot of fun, and next time I’m spending time with a youngster, I’ll give it a more thorough testing out.  For $1.99, though, you can’t go wrong!

Download via iTunes or directly from your iPhone or iTouch.

Photo credit:  Family Car Games

Summer is a time of road trips, and when the nice folks at Reader’s Digest asked me to review what I think is the ultimate road trip book, Off the Beaten Path, I was very excited to do so.  I received the book last month, and have been able to spend a fun few weeks leafing through it, trying to locate the promised hidden gems, and comparing what I think is off the beaten path with what they do.

First of all, this is both a coffee table book, oversized and full of beautiful photos, as well as a practical road travel book, with entries by state giving you the where and why of what you should see. 

I started my review looking at what they had to saw about Washington, the state that I’m the most familiar with.  Washington has 23 entries, a respectable number for a state that has as much rural area as it does urban.  The expected places were there, in the San Juan’s, Olympic Peninsula, and much in the central part of the state.  While I take issue with Olympic Sculpture Park being classified as off the beaten path (it’s downtown for criminey sake!), it was a fair representation of nature, quirky, and charming.

Still, the book was off to a pretty good start!

Next, it’s time to call in some friends and have them take a look at the states that they’re familiar with.  It was a good way to get additional opinions and reviews, and we sat around having a class of wine playing the “have you been there?” game as we looked through the book.  We looked at Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, and Massachusetts.  The consensus was a big  THUMBS UP, and that there was a good job of indentifying the hidden gems of nature, science, art, culture, and the unexpected.

The book has 50 chapters, one for each state, with a total listing of over 1,000 sites.  That’s a whole lot of road tripping to do!  You’ll find lots of color photographs, detailed maps, vital details and information, and links to the attraction’s website.  Attractions come complete with a legend of visitor information (camping, swimming, hiking sightseeing, etc.),  and this year three new icons were included – pet-friendly, accessible, and wi-fi compatible.  I liked the “Did You Know” and Seasonal Events sidebars, as they packed in a little more personality about each of the states.

This book isn’t going to make it to my bookshelf; it’s one that I’m going to keep handy for regular reference.  In fact, I got a bunch of ideas for a road trip, along with spots that show great promise for future blog posts.  And I can just refer to that wi-fi compatible icon, and I’m all set!  It’s a great planner for an affordable family road trip.

Pick up a copy of Off the Beaten Path at your local bookstore.  It is also available through Amazon ($19.80).

Photo credit:  Amazon

I love offbeat and quirky kinds of places – for just the reasons that they are offbeat and quirky.  I’ve even been known to drive out of my way to see the “biggest,” “smallest,” “world’s only,” “oldest” thing or whatever.

Lucy the Elephant, a couple miles south of Atlantic City in Margate, New Jersey, is one of those quirky attractions that I’ve heard a lot about, but haven’t managed to see yet.

Lucy is a six story, 90 ton elephant made of wood and tin sheeting, and was erected in 1881 to attract tourism and development to the south Atlantic City area.  While architecturally unique at its time, she was only the first of several zoomorphic (elephant-shaped) buildings.  Zoomorphic architecture is apparently extinct, and Lucy is the only one to still exist. 

Lucy has been a restaurant, office building, and a tavern, before being moved, refurbished and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.  Yep, that’s right – this elephant is a historical landmark!

You can find Lucy at 9200 Atlantic Avenue, in Margate, New Jersey.  I’m hoping to get back to Atlantic City in the next few months, and visiting Lucy is on my to-do list.  Why?  Cause she’s just too quirky to pass up!

NOTE:  Interestingly, Lucy has tusks – found only in male Asian elephants – so feel free to draw whatever transgender elephant conclusions you wish.

Photo credit:  Flickr (head shot); (full elephant)

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Looking for a way to combine family travel with a little educational and cultural experience as well?

There are a number of cities that can fill those specifications, blending lots of fun things to do with a quality cultural experience.  If you can’t enjoy spending time in these US locations (in alphabetical order), you’re just not trying to have a good vacation!

Here are my Top 7 cities for educational and cultural family travel:

1. Boston:  History tops the chart in this city, with the Freedom Trail, a number of historical sites like Bunker Hill, museums, Harvard, MIT (and lots of other great schools), great architecture, shopping along the posh Newbury Street, and the always sold-out Red Sox at Fenway Park.  You can get along reasonably well with public transportation, but with a car you can venture a little further out to Salem and some of the smaller fishing towns.
2. Chicago:  The Windy City may have been home to stockyards, but it now posts some pretty wonderful museums, including the world renowned Art Institute of Chicago.  You’ll also find lots of entertainment, including music, the performing arts, the family atmosphere of Navy Pier, Second City comedy, great architecture, the Shedd Aquarium, fabulous shopping along the Magnificent Mile, and the history of baseball at Wrigley Field.
3. Los Angeles & Vicinity:  Best advice, get a car, as this is one spread out area, and public transportation is woefully inadequate.  From the Disney and theme park influences of Orange County, to the beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu, there much to do and see if this performing capital of the west coast.  Museums, art, television, the Adler Observatory, and lots of specialized educational institutions, add to making this a fun AND educational destination.
4. New York City:  Those who live in Manhattan claim that it’s the center of the universe with its business and entertainment focus.  You’ll find interesting architecture, old and new, and many iconic attractions.  The skyline is one of the most recognizable in the world.  World famous theaters and performances, world famous shopping, museums, and an interesting international community.  Plus the park, fabulous food, and the vibrancy of being in a city of this size.  You can get around easily using public transportation, even if you venture out into the other boroughs.
5. Orlando: Of course there’s a strong Disney presence, along with a multitude of other theme parks, but Orlando offers lots more.  Many of the theme parks offer educational programs, and young artists will love the performing classes.  You’re going to need a car to get around in this spread out city, and besides, you’ll want to drive out to the beaches (where you’ll find surfing), as well as to enjoy the attractions of the Space Coast.
6. Philadelphia:  Much of the history of the colonial times can be found in this city known as the Birthplace of America.  Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Constitutional Center help us learn where our country has come from and how we have evolved.  Great museums and art.  The city is walkable, and with a decent train system that you can take out to the Lancaster in the Amish country.  With a car you can expand your travels to Valley Forge. 
7. Washington DC:  The seat of our federal government, with the White House, the Capitol and the Supreme Court.  Lots of monuments, museums (many have free admission), art, performing arts, and the culture of an international community.  Many attractions are reachable via public transportation, but if you do have a car, venturing out to Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Bethesda, and some of the outlying areas are an easy day trip.

Reservations in many of these cities are getting hard to come by, but if it’s too late for this summer, keep these in mind for one of those other (and seemingly endless) school vacations.

Photo credit: SXC

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When you travel all the time, it becomes easy to take the whole process for granted.  Instead of being excited about heading off to the airport for a flight, you complain about having to go on “one more trip.”

It’s easy to understand how you feel when you’re traveling for business, but when it’s finally time to take the family on a vacation, it’s time to get your mind in a different space and make it fun for everyone.  Especially for the kids — who can all too easily pick up on any negative travel vibe.

Whether you’re traveling with the family, or sending the kids on a trip of their own, they are going to need something to do for those hours they are buckled into an airplane seat. 

So how about some good old fashioned games?  No whistles, no bells, no video screen.  Just some cards, mental and visual stimulation, and family interaction. 

Flying Rubberneckers is card game that you can use to make the plane trip fun, encouraging kids to look at the world around.  It’ll help pass the time, keep them occupied, and maybe even learn a thing or two.  The game consists of 70 cards, and is appropriate for reading levels for ages 4-8.  It retails for $12.95.

Additional Rubbernecker cards are available for car trips.

Get out of your grumpy travel blahs, and help the kids have the plane trip of their life!

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Traveling can frequently be difficult, but traveling with toddlers can always be difficult.  From managing the little one’s time to managing their “stuff,” there are added tasks to juggle when you have children with you.

Bringing a stroller with you when you travel allows you to get kids through the airport with minimum fuss.  It can keep the kids in one place and most allow you to stow a bit of “stuff” on it as well.

But since strollers frequently don’t fit in airplane overheads (depends on the specific aircraft and stroller type), and even if they do, they take up a lot of room, most strollers aren’t brought onboard as it is just one more thing to lug down the aisle.

What happens to the strollers?  Most are “gate checked.”  This is jargon for checking something directly at the departure gate (usually right at the aircraft door), rather than at the ticket counter.  This means that you can keep the kiddies in their stroller right up to the time you walk aboard the plane.

However, “gate checked” does not necessarily mean that you will be able to recover the stroller on the jetway when you get off the plane.  Most bags that are gate checked are sent to baggage claim.

If you want to get your stroller on the jetway upon arrival at your destination, you need to confirm that your airline offers a “claim at gate” option.  Most do, although not all.  And this option is not available for international flights into and out of the U.S.

Remember –

Gate check - you can check the bag at the gate

Claim at gate - you can claim the bag at the gate

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Well, not just ice any more. . . .  It’s more like Stonehenge, and sled dog teams, and other animals and scenic depictions. 

That’s what happens when you turn professional ice-sculptors loose on a huge block of ice. 

You can see the process, as well as the results, at the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks Alaska, February 27th ““ March 25th.   

The process all starts the same way, with large square blocks of solid ice.  The results are as varied as they are spectacular, and represent the efforts of over 100 sculptors from around the world.  By March 10th, all competition will be completed, with the sculptures lighted and on display.

To give you an idea of how much ice we’re talking about, teams (one or two persons) in the Single Block Classic competition starts with a 3 x 5 x 8 foot block of ice, weighing in at approximately 7,800 pounds.  In the Multi-Block event, teams of 4 persons each start with 10 blocks of ice measuring 4 x 4 x 3 feet, with each block weighting around 3,000.  That’s 30,000 pounds of ice! 

The Ice Park is now open from 10 am to 10 pm daily, and the Single Block competition is complete and on display.  You will also see an ice tribute to Susan Butcher, the famous Alaska dog musher and four-time winner of the Iditarod sled Dog Race. 

Admission to the Ice Park is $8 for adults, $4 for youth ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under.  A season pass is available for $25 for adults and $10 for youth.

Depending on when you visit the Ice Park, you’ll see various stages of the competition or the completion of sculptures.  You can find a full schedule here, but I wouldn’t get caught up in scheduling the “best” time to go.  I’ve been through the Park during the championships many times over the years, and it doesn’t really matter when you go ““ there’s always something amazing being created.  Although the weather in Fairbanks this time of year drops to ridiculously low temperatures at night, if you are able, dress warm, button up, and go through the exhibit at night.  The lighting of the sculptures and park make for truly dramatic displays.

For those who are unable to visit the Ice Park to see these beautiful creations, enjoy the Web Cams and get a look at some great ice sculptures.

Photo credit:  Ice Alaska

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Polly want a cracker?

At the World Parrot Refuge on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, winged residents get lots more than a mere cracker.

This non-profit, educational facility operated by FLOPRS (”For the Love of Parrots Refuge Society”) provides a “Home for Life” for previously owned pet parrots.  Parrots have a very long life span, so it is very likely that they will have a need for more than one owner over their lifetime.  Many parrot owners fail to foresee or plan for this, making it increasingly common to have parrots turn up in shelters.  The Refuge is a home for life for these parrots, and it does not adopt out.

The estimated cost to care for a parrot in a good quality sanctuary is approximately $10/week.  This amount covers a healthy diet, shelter, warmth, light, safety, free-flight enclosures, and skilled veterinary care.  That doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but with current residency at over 500 parrots, which, unfortunately, seems to increase daily, it is easy to see how the World Parrot Refuge has its work cut out for it. 

The Refuge is open to the public every day, from 10 am ““ 4 pm, and visitors have the opportunity to meet and learn about these amazing birds.  The Refuge is located at 2116 Alberni Highway in Coombs, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

Visitors to the Refuge are occasionally treated to up close and personal meetings with the avian residents, and many birds enjoy being cuddled and fussed over.  If you can’t visit in person, you can meet the residents online via the Parrot Gallery.  Parrot lovers can also support the work of the World Parrot Refuge through its Adopt a Parrot program.

Photo credit:  SXC

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Today is Admission Day for Florida, our 27th state, admitted to the Union on March 3rd, 1845.

Florida is located in the southeastern part of the country, with the Atlantic Ocean flanking one side, and the Gulf of Mexico the other.  Ponce de Leon named it, and many believe that it was in Florida that he claimed to have found his fountain of youth.

Before the formal declaration of Civil War, Florida seceded from the Union, and became a founding member of the Confederate States of America.  Full representation was restored in 1868.

For much of its existence, Florida was the least populated southern state.  By the mid-20th century, however, many residents were leaving the frigid weather of the northeastern US, looking for the temperate climes found in Florida.  Today, Florida is the second most populated of the southern states (behind Texas), and is the fourth most populated state in the country ““ quite a turnaround.

The capital city is Tallahassee, the largest city is Jacksonville, and the largest metropolitan area is Miami.  Other large cities include:  Tampa, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Orlando, and Ft. Lauderdale.

Tourism is the largest industry in the “Sunshine State,” as Florida is known, in large part due to its warm, tropical weather and hundred of miles of beaches.  There are scores of amusement parks, and supporting businesses, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and others.

For such a sunny state, however, Florida has its share of extreme and severe weather.  Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, the state has the highest average precipitation of any state in the country, and tornadoes and hurricanes have become an all to frequent occurrence.  On a brighter note, however, snow if very, very rare.

Trailing tourism in the state economy is agriculture, mainly citrus fruit (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines), but also sugarcane and celery.  Other Florida industries include phosphate mining, and the aerospace industry.  Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center (photo of launch pad at right) are both located in Florida.

While rich in many things, Florida has its share of poverty, too.  The 2002 Census revealed that Miami was the poorest city in the United States.  By the time of the 2004 Census, they had moved up a little, to the third poorest city.

I’ve been to Florida many, many times, primarily visiting the Miami and Orlando area.  In fact, I’ll be in Florida again this month, and am looking forward to the respite from the unseasonably cold Seattle weather.  Here are a couple of my favorite things to do when I’m in Florida:

• Tours of Kennedy Space Center
• Looking at memorabilia at the Astronaut Hall of Fame
• Shopping at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop
• Wading in the Atlantic Ocean and frolicking on the sand in Cocoa Beach (anyone else out there remember Cocoa Beach from the television show “I Dream of Jeanie?”)
• People watch along Ocean Drive in South Beach

Of course, there are still lots of things left on my list of things that I’d like to do or see:

• Take an airboat ride in the Everglades
• Spend some relaxing time in the Florida Keys
• Visit the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersurg

What are your favorite things to do in Florida?

Photo credit:  Launch pad, Miami Beach

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San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade, celebrating the Year of the Boar (Lunar Year 4705), will begin on Saturday, March 3rd at 5:30 pm.  The parade will start at 2nd & Market, ending in the heart of Chinatown.  This parade is one of the few remaining illuminated Parades in the country, and is consistently named as one of the Top Ten Parades in the World.

This year’s parade promised to be no less spectacular than years past, with over 100 entries that include floats, elaborate costumes, fierce lions, firecrackers, and the newly crowned Miss Chinatown and her court.   You won’t want to miss the Golden Dragon.  It is over 200 feet in length, and takes a crew of over 100 people to carry and parade the dragon throughout the streets.

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade started back in the 1860’s as a way for the Chinese community to share their culture with those unfamiliar with it.  Combining the Chinese culture with a strictly American tradition ““ a parade ““ it was an effort to become part of a new culture while maintain the traditions of a lifetime.

In 1959, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce took over the responsibility and direction of the Parade, moving it to the evening and making it a torchlight parade.  The Parade and accompanying two-week festival has grown to become the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia.

Reserved bleacher seating for this year’s parade has already sold out, so you’ll have to find a spot along the parade route to view the festivities.  The streets will be more crowded the closer you get to Chinatown.  Or, watch from the comfort of your home or hotel room on KTVU/Fox 2, or KTSF, Channel 28 (Chinese broadcast).  The parade lasts about two and a half hours.

I’ve been in the San Francisco area for most weekends the past couple months.  However, this weekend I’ll be in a different part of the country and will be missing the parade.  If anyone gets some great photos, please let me know!

Photo credit:  flickr

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