Destinations the whole family will love!

Ahhh, stuck in the car for days on end with whiny children, watching as the next layer of Nutter Butters gets ground into your floorboard (only to be sealed with a juice box). The joys of a family road trip are truly beyond compare.
In all actuality, road trips are still one of the best, and most fun, forms of the family vacation. Sure, things have changed— I certainly didn’t get to watch SpongeBob until my mind turned to mush. We looked out the window at nothing but highway and we liked it.
Okay, enough of my rambling, what I’m really here to say is to champion the road trip along with Lonely Planet. Now through Labor Day, they’re offering free downloadable road trip itineraries on their Facebook page in honor of the release of their upcoming book, USA’s Roadtrips: 99 Themed Itineraries Across America. I’ve downloaded several already and have been plotting the torture of my small children for many summers to come. They’re going to love the Wet & Wild West Coast trip. Even if takes them 20 years to realize it.

Start downloading your road trip itineraries HERE.
And while you’re at it, become a FAN of Kiddieuptravel.

Relaxing at Tranquility Bay, Florida. Just one of the Gulf area getaways you’ll find in Kiddieuptravel’s latest newsletter.

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite Gulf Area getaways in my late summer ‘10 newsletter. If for some crazy reason you haven’t subscribed to the kiddieuptravel newsletter, well, sign up below. And since you missed this one, you can read it here.

‘GIVE BACK TO THE GULF GETAWAYS’ NEWSLETTER

Heading to Europe? Then look no further than BABY FRIENDLY BOLTHOLES, a travel recommendation and booking site that has the absolute best options for family travel in the continent. Stylish, relaxing and kid-friendly chalets, B&Bs and cottages across the EU and the UK. Baby Friendly Boltholes features a  range of prices, countries and styles to meet every need. And I love the design, as well. Fantastic work, Sian!!!

BABY FRIENDLY BOLTHOLES WEBSITE

’cause kids so love hanging out in airports

FLIGHTCASTER

Using a very complicated matrix of news and feeds and data and maybe even a little bit of voodoo (it works that well), Flight Caster can alert you if your flight is going to be delayed waaaay before your airline. And as parents, that can be very helpful because you have enough variables to worry about, like lost ‘lovies’, spontaneous vomiting, sudden onset of car-seat phobia and my kids favorite, the mystery rash/possible ear infection combo. Why did we decide to go on this trip anyways?

FLIGHTCASTER

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photo credit: SPRING DEW

the family-friendly surf of Kauai’s Hanalei beach

Lonely Planet has released their top ten beachy-keen destinations for families. No surprise the Kauai made the cut. See the list, here:

LONELY PLANET’S TOP TEN BEACHES FOR FAMILIES 2009

And of course, Kiddieup’s Kauai recommendation HERE

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photo credit: Paul Riley

disclaimer: this isn’t a fancy, interactive map. you’ll find that at the npr website (just keep reading, you’re like .5 minutes away)

FAMILY VACATION IDEAS $100 AND UNDER!

Think you can’t entertain the family for under $100 a day? The smarties at NPR—with help from tuned-in travelers like you—saying, ‘think again!’. Their Cheap Thrills series features a summer’s worth of inexpensive entertainment ideas near and far.

Check out the interactive map and submit your own suggestion at the CHEAP THRILLS WEBSITE. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to map a roadtrip.

And see a suggestion you’d like kiddieuptravel to explore more indepth? Send me an email by clicking ‘contact me’ (on the right hand side), or reach me on twitter (kiddieuptravel).

this is how I imagine my childhood was

In case you all missed it, last month I was asked to write a little something for my friends at The Little Seed. I was of course extremely flattered because their store is one of my faves for shopping. And not just for kids, I mean, hands-down. Here’s where you can read the post:

kiddieuptravel on thelittleseed

Started by two amazing moms in Los Angeles, The Little Seed is the source for eco-friendly goods for the kiddos. If you can, visit their store in the Larchmont neighborhood of LA, a fantastic spot in and of itself. It’s so clean but warm and fuzzy. Upscale but also stocks lots of reasonably priced items. They lovely ladies who started it are kind of living my dream lives, so it’s always bittersweet for me to visit. Then I grab a tube of my favorite hand cream and an adorable stuffed Pear for my son, Merrit and *poof*, my envy just disappears. Funny how shopping can do that for you.

And if you can’t make it to the store in-person you can visit them, and shop, ‘natch, at TheLittleSeed.com or their new online storefront on Amazon.com.

P.S. Congrats again on the new storefront on Amazon, ladies!

IT’S HAPPY TRAILS THANKS TO THIS HANDY TRAIL FINDER WEBSITE 

Trail Finder 

TRAIL FINDER WEBSITE

Time to break out the GORP and get all back-to-nature this Columbus Day, (or “The Meeting of Two Cultures Day” as it’s referred to at my daughter’s daycare. I’m totally serious.)

In my opinion, this is one of the best times of the year to hike, what with the comfortably cool temps and beautiful foliage and all. And the National Wildlife Federation is making it especially easy for families to do so with their Trail Finder website. Just plug in a zip code or a city and it lists trails near you, including city trails as well.  

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photo credits: images taken furiousmadgeorge’s photo stream on flickr.com.