xmas with the relatives...in our neck of the woods!

Traveling home for Christmas has always been bittersweet. On the one hand, you get to see relatives and exchange gifts and stories. We see people that we only see once a year, and everyone is (for the most part) in a good mood. But on the other hand, it is stressful and expensive to travel during the holidays, requires that we take time off of work (that we often would prefer to take for an *actual* vacation), and the kids only come home with more useless toys to take up space back home.

We had already made up our minds not to visit for Christmas this year. We visited during the summer instead, and hoped that would be adequate. As the end of the summer nears, our relatives have been dropping the usual guilt bombs about us not coming home for the holidays. I think we're doing pretty good at deflecting their probing, though, since we can honestly say that we just can't afford it at this time.

Fortunately, my parents have taken their lemons and made lemonade. My father called me yesterday to inform me that he had traded one of his timeshares for a week in a condo near us. They'll be here during the week between Christmas and New Year's. So while they won't be here on Christmas Day, we'll get to see them during the holidays after all. Although I was a bit against the idea at first, I have begun to appreciate the fact that my father bought his timeshare in Vegas. With my parents' overall fascination with gambling, taking several Vegas vacations each year didn't seem like such a good idea. But I can't argue with the trades that he has gotten out of it. Last summer, he traded some of it for our trip to Disney World, and now he has swapped another week so that we can spend the holidays together.

So this holiday season should be much less stressful than the usual, thanks to the fact that my parents were willing to come to us. Now if I could just get my mother-in-law to do the same...

family visits are not vacations!

I'm writing this little post from the spare bedroom of my mother-in-law's place, which always smells like mothballs and farts. It also has tiny toilets that are not "man-friendly", if you know what I mean. She bought the place more than ten years ago, replaced the carpet and painted all the walls, and it still smells horrible. Maybe she needs her ducts cleaned. Maybe it is her.

I think this is the last trip to visit family that we will be making in a long time. The 900+ mile roadtrip across Kansas is anything but enjoyable, particularly with the children in tow. It takes twice as long to drive as it should, since the kids have to use the bathroom every half-hour. (When they are home, they poop once a day. While traveling, they go four or five times a day. I'm starting to think that they enjoy touring public restrooms or something.) Gas is now ridiculously expensive, and I'm tired of using up my free hotel nights (earned throughout the year with credit card purchases) on these hellish journeys. When we arrive here in Denver, the wind and dryness is absolute murder on my sinus cavities, and every time I blow my nose it looks like a kleenex full of blended raspberries. Yuck!

The kids also act horrible when we come here - a result of being overstimulated, exhausted, and spoiled rotten by their grandparents. Our family members fight over our time, and always feel cheated even if we plan outings specifically with each one of them. Regardless of how well we coordinate the visit, they are never satisfied. On top of all of that, my wife and I get zero time alone and the guest bedroom doesn't even have a lock. So no nookie! Honestly, this is it. No more traveling to visit family. If they want to see us, they can come visit us from now on.

packing light gets harder as you multiply

My wife and I used to think we were hip, light travelers - we even hoped to book ourselves a backpacking trip for Southern France at one point. We could survive on a few pairs of underwear and socks, a bar of soap, and some light, layered clothing. Traveling light makes for such an easier trip. There's less baggage to carry, less to pack and unpack, and you can usually skip the baggage claim altogether if your bags are small enough to be carried on a plane. We took many of these "light-footed" trips when we were younger and saw no reason to change our travel style.

Then we had kids and reality hit. At first, there was the baby furniture that we had to bring along - the playpen, the stroller, the carseat, etc. Sure, you can get a playpen at most hotels nowadays (with some other kid's vomit and urine stains all over it), but stroller and carseat rental is ridiculously expensive. Carseats can easily add an extra $5 or $10 per day to your auto rental, and there have been numerous reports about family vacation destinations like Disney World charging more for stroller rentals than one would pay for a car rental. Although kids clothes are smaller and don't take up much room in a suitcase, they tend to get dirtier more often so we find that we sometimes have to bring several changes of clothing for each day.

So it looks like we won't be traveling quite as light as we would have hoped this summer. And it probably means that we'll be waiting at the baggage claim like everyone else. Honestly, I can't stand waiting for my luggage. Somehow, our suitcases are always the last to come down the ramp, and there's always some moron who mistakes one of our bags for his own. Sometimes, I find that security left one of our suitcases partially unzipped. That's always fun! I can imagine my stray bikini briefs tangled up somewhere in the conveyor belt system...

Airport security has become a real headache. I understand the reasons behind it, but I wish that everything didn't have to be so slow and difficult. Trying to get through security while holding our shoes in our hands with the kids at our sides is a real hassle. Why couldn't they just add x-ray machines under the floor? The security personnel are usually in a bad mood, too. I'd also like to know how they can avoid being responsible for damaging people's luggage and other personal belongings. My laptop bag once got ripped going through the x-ray, and as I've already mentioned, they've managed to break the zippers on our luggage several times in the past. Let's just say that I am glad that we haven't yet splurged on an expensive set of Briggs and Riley or Andiamo luggage. It stings enough just to see our little American Tourister set tumble down the conveyor belt with duct-tap wrapped around it!

do my kids need to know their grandpa?

So my father-in-law recently hooked up with a new girlfriend and decided to retire and relocate to Arizona. We haven't seen him in several years, but would like the kids to know their grandfather. Unfortunately, the only time that we have for vacations seems to be in the middle of the summer, and I certainly don't feel like traveling in that kind of desert heat. So what are we supposed to do?

First, there's the obvious choice - try and convince "Grandpa" to take a trip and visit us instead. Seeing as I have already mentioned that we haven't seen him in several years, you can probably guess how well that plan is working for us thus far. Apparently, his new girlfriend wants nothing to do with his old life - hence the relocation and the fact that he only calls us when she isn't around. She prefers to pretend that his former marriage never existed, although my wife and our children are the inconvenient proof of it. So at this point, we have to make a decision. Do we bite the bullet, and sweat like pigs driving across the desert for him? Is it worth the expense? The last time we took a roadtrip through a desert area was on a trip to California and we had to stop in Nevada. The Reno hotels were very expensive. It was as if they were taking advantage of the fact that they were the first "oasis" of a city that we ran into for several hundred miles. Maybe we just visited at the wrong time of the year. I guess we should have planned ahead and booked online. Will our stay at an Arizona hotel be the same way? Normally we would cut our expenses by staying with relatives, but I don't think we are welcome to do that in this case. Most of all, do I feel like using up our limited vacation time and spending tons of cash on gas (or even more on airfare) for a trip that will probably be miserable and uncomfortable?

There comes a time when you have to make a decision about unhealthy family relationships. I know the old saying says that "family is forever", but isn't family also a two-sided street? If Grandpa wants a relationship with his grandchildren, he is going to have to stand up to his new wife-to-be. If not, well I hope he has fun with his new life/wife in the desert.

vegas sans gambling?

After reading my last blog post, you're probably thinking that I'm pretty depressed. Or that I am somehow feeling let down by my self-employment experience thus far. Maybe I just need a vacation - something inexpensive and stress free. We had taken the kids to Disney World a couple of months ago, but let's face it - that's hardly what I call a vacation. More like work. Very expensive labor that leaves you deep in debt. My parents have been trying to convince us to check out Las Vegas, but we've been reluctant to go, because we're not into that whole throw-away-money-for-fun form of amusement. However, I am particularly interested in themed spaces, so my wife and I have been discussing an atypical visit in the summer.

Our idea is to spend a few days there *without gambling at all*. From what I have heard, you can usually get a good deal on hotels because they expect you to drop a ton of cash at the slots. Plus, I'm sure that the Las Vegas hotel that we would end up staying in will have lots of entertainment that doesn't involve gambling. If not, there's always the option of taking a stroll down the strip to visit any of the other themed hotels. There's one that mimics Paris that looks promising. Even if we don't pay to see a single show, I'd still enjoy just walking around and reveling at the faux architectural achievements. I'm thinking of this potential trip as a Disney World for adults - something totally plastic, commercialized and unrealistic, but visually stimulating.

I'm sure that our friends and family will say that we're crazy for going to Vegas and not gambling, but I don't care. The only reason I would go would be to see the themed environments. I'd like to one day open up a theme park of my own, so I'm interested in studying what others have done - even in Vegas. I wonder if they offer any "backstage" tours to see how some of it done?

florida is calling to us

The winter weather has finally arrived, and although lows are only in the low 50s (for the most part), we are definitely feeling chilled to the bone. Perhaps I am no longer accustomed to the cold, like I was when we lived in Colorado and other colder climates. I remember going out in t-shirts when the weather was in the 50s and 60s, but now I feel like I have to wear a coat and cat. Either that, or this is just one of those effects that takes hold as you get older. Or maybe I'm not getting enough iron in my diet. LOL.

None-the-less, I am excited because our trip to Florida in January is only a little more than a month away. We've got everything scheduled and we are ready to go - all we'll need to do is pack our bags, drop off the dog at the kennel, and drive to the airport. We've got our airfare, hotel, travel insurance, Disney World park hopper tickets, rental car reservation - the whole kit and caboodle.

Although I used to enjoy taking unplanned trips, we find that it doesn't work out as great when traveling with young children. Their eating and sleeping schedules aren't as flexible. While we adults might get a little cranky waiting to eat lunch until 3 pm on any given day, the kids will get absolutely unruly. So we plan every trip in detail these days, and find that things go pretty smooth. It also allows me to use some of the free nights that I earn through various hotel frequent travel programs - most won't allow you to just drop in and use a free night. Either that, or they only have a limited number of free nights available for any given date, so if you wait until the last minute, those free rooms might be all booked up.

I'm wondering if this chilly winter weather has more to do with me, or if it a nationwide thing having to do with global warming in some way. Perhaps it is just more humid than usual for this time of the year, but I don't think that is the case, since my hands are feeling dry and I have noticed that lots of the kids in the area are getting those dry, chapped lips and runny noses.

None-the-less, we will hopefully be basking in some warmer weather in about six weeks.

trolley of the doomed

Here it is: the trolley of the doomed!



I knew I had seen this thing before. It was part of the "Ghost and Gravestones" tour offered in Savannah. As it turns out, the tour is run by a national tour company called Trusted Tours and Attractions. The tour includes tales of grisly crimes, ghosts and other paranormal phenomena. I've never actually been to Savannah before, but I had heard of these doom trolleys from a friend. It sounds like a lot of fun, and the ghost tour would give me the opportunity to feed my interest in the macabre, while brushing up on local history at the same time. Several historic "haunted" houses are included on the tour, as well as graveyards and the infamous Sorrel Weed House that was featured on Ghosthunters.

If you sign up for the Trusted Tours and Attractions newsletter, you'll be entered into a drawing for four free tickets and may be able to take the tour for free.

Savannah is sometimes referred to as America's "most haunted" city. I've also heard this designation applied to many other cities before though, like New Orleans and even Eureka Springs. Savannah has also been referred to as the "Hostess City of the South" for its notorious Southern charm and hospitality. It is chock full of architectural history, and has one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the country.

Sounds like a fun time to me.

jealous of travel bloggers

Sometimes I think I would enjoy being a travel blogger, lugging my laptop with me on planes, trains and automobiles, complaining about jetleg and food poisoning, pretending that I understand the culture of some town that I've only been visiting for a day or two. It sounds glamorous. It sounds like fun. It sounds like it would get old after a while, though.

Now I'm no travelpro, but I've had my fair share of auto excursions thanks to my last session of corporate employment. I didn't really like it, but primarily what I didn't like was the fact that I was traveling alone. Had my wife been with me, things would have been very different. Instead of zoning off in front of the hotel television, watching cable channels that I didn't get at home until I dozed off into the lair of the sandman, I could have been checking out the town and hanging out with my better half.

Nowadays, we've got the kids, though. And I'm not sure how travel bloggers that are parents manage to survive that balancing act. During the summer, the kids are out of school, so there are none of those scheduling conflicts to worry about, but I know how frustrated kids get when they've been in the car for long periods of time. Heck, even adults suffer from "cabin fever" while driving long trips, so it's only natural that a child would act more extreme.

And then there is sibling rivalry - something that scares me to death while on road trips. I remember how it was from when I was a kid, stuck in the back of the station wagon, fighting over who got to sit in the "big seat" by themselves, and who had to share the other one. I remember the smell, that feeling of one's hair being stuck to one's forehead and the cramped sensation in my neck and shoulders when I awoke from sleeping in the car. I remember that itchy synthetic carpet fuzz that would stick to your skin if you slept on it. I remember watching the powerlines dipping up and down, up and down, as we flew past them.

None of those exotic, high style "jet-setting" scenes come into play when you're traveling with children. So as much as I think I'd like to become a travel blogger, I can't see it happening in the near future. We'll just have to wait until the kids are a little older.

travel quota

When I was a kid, my father always planned a vacation for us each year. Even if he didn't have the cash, he broke out the credit cards and found something fun for my family to see. We had numerous station wagons and minivans throughout the years, and my father was not afraid to use them. He always told me that annual family vacations, no matter how frustrating they often end up, are an absolute must. Now that I am a father myself, I am starting to see the value in his philosophy.

Less than a year ago, I was racking up several dozen hotel nights a year traveling for work. It was a bit too much for a family man, and I am glad that I am out of that habit. Like anything in life, I suppose that it is best to partake in these types of activities "in moderation". Since I quit that job and we have moved, we haven't traveled at all, and I am starting to feel a little "cooped up". There are a number of natural attractions that I would like to see near our new hometown, but the cold weather limits the amount of time we'd like to spend outdoors. The last thing I need is for my kids to get sick - they get enough of that being in school.

It makes me wonder, though. Do people have a pre-conceived subconscious travel "quota" that they innately feel that they must meet each year? And if they don't, does their well-being suffer in some way? Is there an actual mental need for "new scenery" nourishment every so often, or is it just a cure for boredom and the winter time blues?

depressed and cold

Last week we received several inches of snow, a rare occasion for this part of the country. It has been cold enough outside that most of it is still there, melting a bit but not enough. As a result, it seems that the entire town is asleep. Normally, things slow down anyways around this time of the year, but in this case, the cold seems to have everyone locked up in their homes, with nothing to keep them company but the internet.

As much as we often feel the need to just "get away" to warmer climate, it is a shame because winter travel is often more stressful than other times of the year. Flights get canceled due to inclement weather, you have to bring more clothing and it takes longer getting through airport security.

I'd love to go someplace warmer and a little exotic during this time of year - not your typical tourist-laden Mexico beach vacation or cruise, but something a bit more exciting or real.