Travel Day

Travel days are tough. Planning a trip is so much fun, I tend to forget the sacrifice of hours of packing, getting to the airport, then getting through security and customs so that we can be packed into a tin vessel miles above the earth for half a day. And that when we finally land, we're in a different time zone and we're motion woozy and hungry and have to pee and can't read the signs all at the same time, and when someone speaks to us in a foreign language, we want to admit that we can barely form our own names, much less conjugate French/Spanish/Italian/Catalan/East Texan...

I'm writing this on the second hop of our journey to Barcelona. On the first flight, I watched the final Twilight movie, played solitaire with Emme, and got chewed out by the pilot (don't ask). Thank god for the French, though - Charles de Gaulle has it's fair share of amazing "fast" food (picture of my bulgar and salt-cured tuna salad below). 

This flight is far shorter, which is great because we are far less energetic than when we left California. Emme is passed out next to me, sprawled on the tray table and her stuffed penguin; she was an ashy green color as we waited for this flight on our layover in Paris and I'm surprised she even made it onto the plane. Serena and Marlowe are laying across Raf, who is trying to catch some Zs in the small seat between them. I've slept a bunch today/yesterday... or am I now in tomorrow?... and I'm too out of it to get excited about being 30 minutes from Barcelona...

But... I have a feeling we'll get there.... And we won't want to leave...

Family Travel Tips for a Whirlwind European Vacation

London Calling: Mia stepping out in stylish accessories

  NOTE: In anticipation of my upcoming family vacation in Europe, this is a "guest" blog about my friend Mia's recent trip. I wanted to pick her brain about traveling with her family to four European cities in three countries over the course of 11 days... with only carry-on luggage! Here's what I learned...

My friend Mia is a stylish fashion blogger and well-traveled woman who puts my wanderlust to shame. Given the glorious combination of a few vacation days and incredible airfare and accommodation deals, she can assemble a whirlwind trip for her family of four (which includes husband Iñaki, son Lukas, 14, and daughter Noa, 11) on a reasonable budget.

Her latest trip, taken over Spring Break, spanned four cities in three countries over the course of 11 short days (not including travel time) for seven people (they traveled with Iñaki’s sister and her two kids). They visited London, Venice, Rome, Athens and Santorini…

Did I mention it was only 11 days?

And not only that, but they didn’t check any baggage!

In less than a month, we'll be embarking on our next European family vacation - BarceRoma 2013 - so I was dying to learn the secrets of her travel success, and Mia was more than willing to share.

First of all, she said they chose Spring Break because both airfare and lodging are less expensive at that time of year than in summer. Her family has been to Europe before and this was meant as a sort of “sampler” for the kids – choosing places they can revisit when they’re older, giving them just a taste of new cities. 

Noa and Lukas

 The Starting Point: Easter in Rome
It has been a lifelong dream of Mia’s to spend Easter at the Vatican, so that was the first destination on their list and Mia planned everything else around that event.  While researching flights, Mia found that it was cheaper to fly through London than to go straight to Rome, so she added two nights in London to the start of the trip. Rome is a quick train ride from Venice… and the kids had never been there… so clever Mia decided they should fly there to begin their Italian holiday and take the train to Rome the next day.

Next, because Lukas is an ancient history buff and Iñaki is an architect, Athens was a must-see. And since it’s not that far from the Greek isles… well, you know Mia had to sneak in some relaxation in Santorini before returning home to Southern California.

The Plan: 4 cities/3 countries/11 days

Gelati counts as a meal, right?

So the final trip looked like this:

London - 2 nights, then fly to...
Venice - 1 night, then train to...
Rome - 2 nights, then fly to...
Athens - 1 night, then fly to...
Santorini - 3 nights, then back to...
Athens - 1 night, then fly home

WHEW! Anyone else's head spinning?

The Secrets: Mia's Tips for Traveling with Kids
#1 - Carry-on luggage - "It's so liberating! Everyone carries their own bag and even on the plane, everything you need is in the overhead bin. You literally walk off the plane and into your destination. You will never want to wait for luggage again and whatever you forgot, you can buy there. If there's a language barrier, then it becomes part of the adventure." She also suggests buying the extra large ziploc bags to store clothes in and pushing out air to minimize the space they take up.

#2 - Black clothes - "I took all black clothes to make it easy, then changed up my look for pictures by adding scarves and a little bit of jewelry. I left my jeans at home because they're too heavy and I was traveling light!" At the last minute, she grabbed her down parka, and was grateful - they encountered a range of weather and London was downright cold! Packing lighter with her regular layers enabled her to bring along a bigger jacket.

#3 - Be open to unique accommodations - Mia chose various lodging options, including hotels (and an upgrade to a very posh suite in Venice), family-run pensiones and a B&B in Rome. This last one seemed questionable to me - it was a shared apartment with four large rooms with a common kitchen/living area and the "breakfast" was a sort of help-yourself-to-the fridge thing (meaning yogurt, cereal, fruit, etc.). While that doesn't appeal to me, Mia said her family liked the way they "lived" with different people from other cultures for a few days. Also, since they spent at least 10 hours a day touring the city, they only used the room for sleeping. If that's your M.O. - spending your time out in the city versus spending a lot of time at the hotel - this could be a good option.

#4 - Scan your documents and email them to yourself - Mia scanned their passports and the front and backs of credit cards, then emailed them to herself. It's a smart way to use the "cloud" to your advantage, just in case you lose them and need the info. She also advises using a money pouch - a thin pouch that fastens around your waist, inside your clothes, and holds passports, money and important tickets - to discourage pickpockets. She's never had any trouble with theft, but she says she's always watchful. As she says, "Not paranoid, but aware."

#5 - Buy a local SIM card or cell phone - They're available at any cell phone store in Europe and can save you a bundle on roaming fees if you're calling local numbers.

#6 - Rick Steves - Mia and I agree that Rick Steves' guidebooks are invaluable when traveling in Europe. His "Europe through the Back Door" approach offers easy advice for every location, as well as tours of most landmarks and museums. Mia downloaded several of Rick Steves' free audio tours before they left and felt like she had guided tours of the major sights. She also suggests printing out his maps to help you navigate the museums. (NOTE: I just downloaded his Rome guidebook for $9.99 on eBooks for my iPad; hard to believe it was only a few years ago that I had to rip pages out of his guidebook so I wouldn't have to carry an armload of books!)

The Notebook / London

The Notebook
Mia's best tip - I saved it for last - is her notebook. Small enough to fit in a purse, her "logistical notebook" holds their entire itinerary. It includes: 

* dates
* hotel info/phone number/address
* directions to sights and hotels
* transportation tips
* a hand-drawn calendar listing sights to see on each date
* admission hours of major sights and landmarks

She relies on it so much, as soon as her family landed in a new city, they would turn to her so she could guide them to the hotel and each sight. I asked why she didn't make it hi-tech and use a phone app, and she explained that everything is right there, when she needs it, no batteries or WiFi necessary. And when kids are tired and it's late and you're walking around Venice in the rain looking for a teeny tiny hotel, that's essential!

The Recap

Noa and Inaki in Santorini, enjoying the Aegean Sea

As with any trip, there were highlights as well as a few areas where Mia would have made adjustments. Spending Easter in Rome, within days of a new Pope being named, was an experience Mia said she would never forget. Even though it was cold, London charmed her more on this trip than it had in the past, too, with its funky street style and the ease of the iconic hop-on/hop-off double decker bus. Santorini, at the tail end of the trip, was a highlight because it was simply three days of relaxing, swimming in the gorgeous Aegean Sea and eating plates full of gyros, tzatziki and yogurt.  However, Venice was a disappointment this time, a result of the cold weather, rain, late night arrival and early departure the very next day. She said an extra day would have been nicer, but that'll be for another trip!

Thanks so much to Mia Villarin for her tips and tricks! Look for my next installments of The Traveling Circus in mid-June, coming from Barcelona and Rome!

Geocaching in Ojai

When I began writing my novel (a young adult adventure set in Italy, with mythological themes; I promise I will give more details when it's complete... which will hopefully be sooner than later!), I created a character who loves geocaching. 

Had I gone geocaching before? Heavens, no. 

And so I wrote this character and I imagined what geocaching would be like... and for the most part, I think I got it right. Geocaching is an elaborate game of hide and seek, in which 'cachers hide tiny treasures and logbooks in plain sight and list their locations by longitude and latitude so that other 'cachers can find them. 

But still I wondered... what's it like?

Finally, I got my chance to try it out with an experienced geocaching guide in Ojai in December. Jimmy Harvey (whose Geocaching.com handle is badfeet) is a longtime geocacher who offers customized geocaching adventures in the Ojai Valley through the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Jimmy is an affable, easy-to-like guy who proves the old adage You're only as young as you feel. And with his youthful spirit and enthusiasm for nature, Jimmy could easily be an adventurous 8-year-old trapped in a gray-haired guy's body. Not only that, but Jimmy is a former Navy SeaBee and was stationed in Bermuda in the 80s - which is only one of the things we had in common (my dad was NAS Bermuda's crash captain in the mid-80s). I won't digress, but it was truly a joy to reminisce about Bermuda as well as learn a new hobby.

Geocaching can be done anywhere in the world - I can imagine that clever 'cachers can find niches and hiding spots in urban areas as easily as in the woods - but I loved being in nature and hiking among the ancient oaks and citrus trees of Ojai. Using Jimmy's sophisticated GPS to find geocaches along our hike, we found dozens of tiny and not-so-tiny caches hidden on the trail. They were in trees and bushes and under rocks and hanging from trees! Some merely required standing still and looking at a usual sight with a new perspective. Jimmy kept saying, "Okay, Erin, now stop thinking and use your geocacher's instinct." Which meant, "If you were going to hide something cleverly, where would you hide it?" Often, it meant hiding the geocache in plain sight. Several times, I was STARING AT IT and couldn't see it.

(And wow, isn't that a great metaphor for life??)

I won't divulge the secret spots - it's too much fun to find them on your own and this is a fabulous activity for kids and families - but now that I've finally tried it, I'm hooked. I cannot wait to hide a few items on my trip to Europe this summer and maybe find a few surprises, too.

On Jimmy Harvey's business card, his official title is "Retired Guy" and it says, "Nothing to do and all day to do it..." Don't ya love him already? To reach him: 1badfeet@sbcglobal.net . 

Healthy Travel Tips via Kris Carr

I love Kris Carr. If you're not familiar with this saucy green goddess, do yourself a favor and follow the hyperlink (just click on her name, why don't ya?) to her incredible website and revolution. You will thank me later, I promise you. 

Anyway, this morning I trolled her site to see what she's up to and I found a GREAT video with her tips for staying healthy while traveling.  Watch it here. In it, she talks about the healthy snack mix she takes with her on road and plane trips, essential oils, and other great tips to keep you healthy and strong when you're away from home.

I haven't been posting here as frequently as I'd like, which doesn't mean I'm not traveling, but many of my trips lately have been retreads - to San Diego and to Ojai twice and back to the magical land of Texas. However, we have a big family trip coming up in June (Barcelona and Rome), so I am gearing up with travel tips and packing how-to's. One of my very good friends recently took a whirlwind (and when I say that, I mean 3 countries, 4 cities and lots of museums and sights in a week!) spring break trek with her family and I'm dying to ask for her advice, which I'll post here.

In the meantime, what are your plans? Let me know where you're going this summer and what travel tips have worked for you!

Riding the Rails, SoCal Style

The long and winding tracks...

For years, I've wanted to ride the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from LA to San Diego, but there's never been a reason. With three kids, strollers, car seats, luggage, frequent snack and potty breaks, weird schedules, etc., it seemed as though taking my well-stocked Suburban (our family "train") was a better choice. Now that the girls are older (ages 8 to 12), our traveling has changed to include other options.

For example, Raf has been wanting/needing some time alone to surf, sit on the waves and not talk (a rare thing in our household). When we discussed taking our kids to San Diego for Thanksgiving, it made perfect sense for him to go a day ahead with his truck and get some well-deserved surfing in.

"And," I mentioned casually, "the girls and I can take the train down and meet you..."

Waiting for our train

This turned out to be much, much easier than I expected. For one thing, with a AAA discount, the fares were super reasonable - I bought the e-tickets online for about $100 for the four of us (as I understood it - and I could be wrong - I had to buy an adult ticket for my oldest child because you can only purchase 2 child fares with 1 adult). This is about the same price as a tank and a half of gas for my Suburban, so I felt like it was a great deal. I printed out our ticket and tucked it in my purse with my wallet and was good to go. 

The train station in Ventura County was super clean, with lots of safe, free parking (but no restrooms). Our train was running about 10 minutes behind, but it was a beautiful, sunny morning on a holiday week, so everyone at the platform was in pretty decent spirits. When the train arrived, the conductor greeted us cheerfully and directed us to a 4-seater area right at the top of the stairs. The next time I go, I'll be sure to grab a seat on the EAST/NORTH side of the train in Ventura County because, after the train links up to the other cars at Union Station, it goes BACKWARDS out of L.A. and then you'll wind up on the WEST side (make sense?). 

And then, my friends, you'll have a perfect view of the gorgeous beach real estate of South Orange County, including my favorite beach town of all time: San Clemente. Surfers, swimmers, beachcombers, families BBQ-ing and picnicking under the pier-adjacent palapas... It was the next best thing to being right there on the beach... 

And all without the stress of traffic and driving. I read my Kindle, laughed with the girls, and just stared out the window. I drive so much, I'd all but forgotten the simple joys of just watching the world go by as a passenger.

I lived in Italy as a teenager and train travel is a way of life there. But in our car-obsessed society, I found a joy in traveling on the Pacific Surfliner that reminded me of the glee of riding on "California Soaring" at Disney's California Adventure. It celebrates the beauty and scenery of our state.  Truly, there is no place like home, and the Pacific Surfliner is the train equivalent of Dorothy's sparkling ruby slippers.

My girls crowding the window to take pictures of surfers at Trestles.

Pixie Delights in Ojai

image from ojaipixies.com

My favorite scent in the whole world is citrus.  I'm a rabid fan of orange blossoms, but I am also partial to the fresh sugar-citrus smell of Meyer lemon rinds, the green-grass fragrance of lemon leaves, the tart kiss of a satsuma. Blood oranges, lemonade, greyhound cocktails, lemon squares, lime-laden mojitos... I love 'em all. 

It follows, then, that one of my very most favorite places in the entire world is Ojai, just 45 minutes north of my house. Not only is it beautiful, but the valley is full of citrus trees.  Driving along Ojai Avenue, past the pin dot of the main drag, Libbey Park and the arcade, the streets become tiny thoroughfares, winding travelers through a fairy land of Pixie tangerine trees.  

The famous Ojai "pink moment"

I wanted to jump out of the car, run through the trees wildly, throw a picnic blanket on the rough ground and eat as many tangerines as I could pick with my bare hands, standing on tippy toes to reach as high up in the trees as possible.  And when I sated my citrus cravings - for the moment - I would lie on the blanket and fall asleep under the green canopy of glossy leaves, my chin and arms sticky with tangerine juice, my lap overflowing with discarded peels. 

They call Ojai "Shangri-La"... and I'm a believer.

For the record, we stayed at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, which is a magical dream of luxury and quiet.  We ate rich Italian food at Boccali's - ask for Starlet when you go, she's a doll of a waitress.  And if you're lucky enough to find yourself with time on your hands, I'd recommend a reflective hike at Meditation Mount, on the far east side of the valley, preferably at sunset so that you can witness the majesty of the famous Ojai "pink moment." Then cap off the day with a kuyam treatment at Ojai Valley Spa.  Bliss. 

Austin-tatious

Austin is one of those cities that you can fall in love with the moment you set foot on its soil.  We arrived around 10 pm on a Friday night and the airport was all but closed up, quiet and thoughtful, with pretty painted guitars flanking its baggage carousels in a bright and large, open room (rather than a stuffy, fluorescent basement-style warren like at most airports).  The street in front of the airport was wide open, too - no taxis trying to run us down, no shuttle buses pumping smoke into the air.  It was just us, Raf and me and the kids with Raf's younger brother Sky, all basking in the full moonlight of the Austin sky as we moseyed toward the parking garage.  I almost belted out "Deep in the Heart of Texas," but I refrained.  The quiet night sky was enough for all of us.

Our hotel was on the banks of Lady Bird Lake, just a block from the main parts of Austin.  Sky stayed a block south in a hipper area of Austin, near super-cool boutiques and bars and food truck parking lots.  We went to a UT game (versus Oklahoma State), passing blocks of tailgating parties to get to the stadium, and were bowled over by the Southern hospitality; despite a strong sense of school pride and an overwhelming turnout, the stands were civil and the crowds were kind.  The pre-game show was unlike anything I'd ever seen: an enormous marching band played "Deep in the Heart of Texas" (thank you kindly) while forming a giant UT, then a special club (dedicated strictly to this simple chore) unfurled the largest Texas state flag in the world, turning it round and round on the field to wild cheers from the stands.  The opposing team was also given an opportunity to play its fight song, respectfully.  The Jumbotron at the top of the stadium played an inspiring "Go Texas" video and then a cannon fired.  An honest-to-goodness cannon, plunked there on the corner of the field, intended solely for starting the game and for celebrating each touchdown.  Amazing.

I had hoped the visit would inspire my girls as students, seeing what a big ol' university town was like, but we saw so much more.  What a fantastic chunk of America.

A chicken-and-waffle truck - Emme's dream come true.

We took pedicabs to the stadium.

Stopped at the UT store to buy burnt orange gear.

Because we played OSU - whose colors are bright orange and white, the stadium was awash in orange - couldn't really tell who was supporting which team... until the "hook 'em horns" hands came out!

Threadgill's in Austin.