Destinations the whole family will love!

’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 ‘Grab Your Grandmaw’ deal at The Curtis Hotel (full write up below) is one you won’t want to miss out on this Labor Day:

Package includes:

• Two rooms for one rate
• Free Parking (2 car maximum)
• Kids eat free (up to $50 F&B)

Rates from: $199 taxes and gratuities not included

BOOK HERE

pop! goes the fun at Denver’s Curtis Hotel

STAY HAPPY IN THIS POP-CULTURE THEMED DOWNTOWN DENVER BOUTIQUE HOTEL

CURTIS HOTEL WEBSITE

The Curtis Hotel held it’s grand opening on Bart Simpson’s birthday in 2008 (April 19), a pop culture reference which is not at all lost on this bright and bubbly boutique hotel located in downtown Denver. The Curtis is all about unleashing your innerchild, which is perfect if your inner child is actually 3″ high and could care less about thread count, but does appreciate the Cartoon Network playing 24/7 on the big screen in the lobby.

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is this thing really soap?!?!

oooh, this is cool

Most parents have the emergency toilet paper cover covered (tissue does double-duty, or even that wadded up Starbuck’s napkin will do in a pinch), but faced with an empty soap container and a kid with sticky, grimy hands presents a whole other set of problems. (And with all the back and forth about the safety of hand sanitizers, maybe best to just stay away for a while.) But carrying around a leaky bottle of hand soap? And I won’t even waste space on the bar soap option.

Paper soap to the rescue! They’re lightweight, dry, perfectly safe and they are about as magical to kids as bubbles or expanding sponges. They’re an essential part of my travel-pack.

Flight 001 has this really cool version that looks like a leaf (click here). Double the magic, quadruple the excitement in lathering up. $7/10 soaps.

Oh wait…now they also have portable soap tubes (gotoob). I may have to reconsider that liquid soap option…

Flight 001

cozy up, Inger Jirby casitas, Taos, New Mexico

GATHER THE KIDS ‘ROUND THE KILN AT ARTIST INGER JIRBY’S HISTORIC, FAMILY-FRIENDLY CASITAS IN DOWNTOWN TAOS

INGER JIRBY’S CASITAS WEBSITE

One of my favorite things about New Mexico is New Mexican cuisine. It’s like Americanized Mexican dining, just without all the artery-clogging, flavor-obliterating coating of processed cheese. The art in New Mexico, however, is quite another story. Outside the traditional Native American and the whole O’Keefe/Stieglitz stuff, the art scene seems to be relegated to the wine-and-cheese-fair scene. Which does and does not bring us to the stylishly cozy Taos guest homes of Swedish-expat and resident Taos artist, Inger Jirby.

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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

The Rail Road Park Resort, set at the foothills of breathtaking Mt. Shasta 

RAIL ROAD PARK RESORT WEBSITE

SPEND THE NIGHT (OR GO FOR A LONGER HAUL) IN A CONVERTED RAILWAY CAR. YOUR THOMAS FAN WILL GO LOCO FOR IT. 

The golden age of the locomotive is alive and well at the Rail Road Park Resort. Located in the small town of Dunsmuir, California, 45 minutes north of Redding, the area was formerly called ‘Pusher’, as this was where extra engines would be added to the trains to power them up the steep slopes of Mt. Shasta. In 1968 the Murphy family started collecting the retired cars and converting them into a living museum where today visitors can dine, explore and even sleep in these historic converted railway cars.

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the homestead’s offering unlimited horseback riding, tennis, golf, falconry, shooting clays, mountain biking, carriage rides…but of course you’d probably find me here…

HOMESTEAD UNLIMITED ACTIVITIES PACKAGES $275/NIGHT

The historic Homestead Resort is offering an amazing package offering unlimited activities for only $275/night for two adults (children over 6 or additional adults $50 each). And considering the quality (and usual cost) of these activities, that’s saving quite a bundle. Set in the lush Allegheny Mountains of Virginia, this is one vacation that feels like a true blue blood affair. So dust off the cable knits and the polo shirts and bring the whole gang for a weekend (or more at these rates) of truly refined recreation like falconry, biking, hiking, golfing or even lounging at the spa.

a happy homestead guest with his feathered friend

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photos courtesy The Homestead, tripadvisor.com

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).

Here’s some multi-purpose snack bags that do the trick, at 30,000 feet or sea level. They’re reusable, adorable, organic and awesome. A great way to organize and make sure it’s easy to grab the pretzels and not the freeze dried peas. And when you’re stuck in that tiny cabin with a tiny tyrant, any little help matters!

GRAZE REUSABLE SNACK BAGS