Archive for June, 2007

Farewell to Kid Trippin’

Date: June 1st, 2007 | 2 comments

Nobody said that the writer’s life is a secure one, but then neither is life in Corporate Land these days.

As of this month, my family travel blog Kid Trippin’ (for Disney’s Family.com Web site) is on indefinite hiatus.  I enjoyed working with my editors, who were professional enough to call me personally and explain that there was not a problem with me or my writing, just that the company is taking a pause to sort out where they want to take the site and the online presence that they want to …

How do you like your links?

Date: June 26th, 2007 | 6 comments

There is a lively post over on ProBlogger right now, asking blog readers whether links should open in a new window.

The question is this:  if you click on a link here on Family Travel, would you prefer to have a new window pop up that takes you to the link’s URL, or would you prefer to stay in the same window and then back-click to return to the original Family Travel post with the link in it?  As an example, the ProBlogger link above …

Update on travel with kids to London

Date: June 25th, 2007 | 4 comments

Maybe you’re being beaten bloody by your kids to go check out Harry Potter film locations since there’s a new Potter movie coming out this summer. Maybe you’d like to enjoy the Thames, exploring maritime heritage in a side trip to pretty …

Latest blog carnival action

Date: June 25th, 2007 | 1 comment

Family Travel’s post on fall travel planning is featured in this week’s Carnival of Family Life. Other posts include a tribute to Dads, plus yummy blueberry pancake recipe, from a blog about the Fish Creek House in Whitehall, Montana and tips on flying with kids. Check it out.

My post over on the Perceptive Travel blog about the Austin City Limits Music Festival …

New York City Update

Date: June 22nd, 2007 | 1 comment

I’m sure that a lot of families are planning to travel with the kids to New York City this summer, although you might have a better time in the fall or around Christmas/New Years, when I think the city is at its most lively.

NYC and the boroughs are pretty hot and muggy in summer, and lots of the …

Getting Ahead of the Game: Fall Family Travel

Date: June 20th, 2007 | 7 comments

Yes, I know it sounds painful, but right now is really the time to make plans, buy airline tickets and set up lodging for one or two fall getaways with your family.

Most of us don’t have the luxury of long stretches of time off, even in summer, and certainly not in the busy fall months.   Many parents are “doubling up” their work-related travel and taking kids on business trips; sometimes it’s great to have family around, and sometimes the work or conference schedule just doesn’t allow it.  Someone has to watch kids during …

It’s Carnival time again

Date: June 19th, 2007 | 1 comment

It’s been awhile since I’ve helped to host a fun gig — the Carnival of Cities over at Home Turf Media.

Stop by and visit when you have a chance; a blog carnival is just a roundup of different writer’s posts about a particular topic, hosted on one blog. The Carnival of Cities includes posts about specific cities. 

If you want to know more about carnivals, check out the …

Travel with kids to Amsterdam

Date: June 16th, 2007 | 9 comments

I’m a huge fan of the Netherlands, probably because I was lucky enough to live there for a few years.

Like most people in the U.S., however, I really didn’t know very much about the country beyond Hans Brinker’s silver skates and the whole wooden-shoe-and-tulip shtick, plus people apparently smoked weed whenever they wanted and lived in teensy houses. Doesn’t sound like much of a place for families, does it?

Actually, it’s …

Who is in my feed list?

Date: June 15th, 2007 | 1 comment

I met the irrepressible Lorelle van Fossen at the SOBCon 07 blogging conference and have started reading her advice and commentary posted at Lorelle on WordPress.  She does a weekly Blog Challenge, just to fire up the creative juices, and this week’s Challenge is to write about who is on my feed list.   

Lost you just now?  See my post called What’s the Heck’s an RSS feed and Why Do You Want One?”  

I’m not going to overwhelm you with my 95-100 feeds (it’s not that bad, I just skim the headlines …

I’m cookin’ with gas

Date: June 13th, 2007 | 1 comment

Actually, I have an electric stove, and the truth is that I don’t even like to cook. 

I’m such a perfectionist, I think that every meal has to be this gourmet, nutritionally-balanced extravaganza, so I just wig out.  Thank goodness that Sainted Husband not only can cook, but generally likes it.

I do like to make cookies and pies.  Dessert first, you know.

The good news is that just because I don’t like to do it doesn’t mean I can’t write about it.  The online food magazine CHOW is currently featuring my article ”…