Road Trip Tip: Plan A Picnic

Many families I know are deep in the preparations for spring break road trips. Even if you're not heading somewhere in the next few weeks, perhaps you're thinking about hitting the highway this summer.

One of the most challenging aspects of a long road trip is that young kids (and even adults!) start to feel awfully cooped up in such a tight space. There are no opportunities to move or get the wiggles out while strapped in a car seat. And yet you don't want to waste too much time stopping for play breaks, when you'd rather be forging ahead and arriving at your ultimate destination as soon as possible.

Here's where the picnic pitstop saves the day. You've probably got to stop and eat and take a potty break at some point along the way, right? (If not, kudos for being a robot!) Instead of forcing your kids to continue to sit still at a restaurant, pack a picnic. Then they can run around, play on a playground, etc., while eating lunch or dinner.

This is also great if you've got a baby in the mix. A picnic is a chance to spread a blanket and let the little one roll around, lay on their back, and get a change in scenery from their car seat, even if they're not mobile yet.

On our 7 hour ride to Pinconcinng, Michigan this summer, we were thrilled to learn that a fabulous state park was just off the exit near the halfway point of our drive. There, our oldest explored the playground while running back to the picnic for spoonfuls of yogurt and bites of sandwich. Our youngest, then 8 months, jumped all over daddy and rolled around on the picnic blanket, and then enjoyed drinking a bottle in the great outdoors on a bench instead of crammed in a restaurant booth. In total, we stopped for 45 minutes. It was the only stop we had to make because we accomplished three essential goals: bathroom, lunch, and play.

A few tips for the perfect picnic pitstop:

1. Pack your meal the night before. There are plenty of other things to do the morning you depart. You won't want to be making PB&Js, so do it the night before.
2. Choose foods that don't require utensils. Or pack plastic ones like we did for yogurt. And don't forget the paper plates and napkins. You'll want to just toss everything in the trash when you're done eating, and not clutter your car with dirty items.
3. Find a park if possible. Probably nicer than a rest stop, although that would work fine in a pinch. Research where you are likely to be a few hours into the trip, or where you anticipate being around a mealtime.
4. Once you're on the road, apps like Road Ninja tell you what you'll find at approaching exits on your route, in case you have to make a change in picnic location on the fly.
5. Get a waterproof blanket. Soft and cozy on one side, waterproof on the other. Perfect to spread if the grass is a little wet or muddy when you stop. It can then double as a beach blanket or fort-making device once you've arrived at your destination.
6. Have a rain plan. Picnics can be tricky in inclement weather, but with a little planning, still possible!

• Maybe there is an indoor play center along the way. My town has one, called The Commons, that's just a couple of miles from a major interstate exit.
• Or perhaps the park you've planned on visiting has shelters you could use. Your kids could still run around under the roof. (And maybe pack bubbles and sidewalk chalk as an activity to keep them out of the rain.) 
• Many museums let you bring in food. Even if it's not one you had on your must-see list, it likely has at least an exhibit or two that your kids could explore before or after eating.

We're embarking on another lengthy drive in a few weeks on our way to Lake of the Ozarks. I'm certain we'll be making another picnic pitstop, perhaps with the St. Louis arch as our backdrop!

This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Walking on Travels and Suitcases & Sippy Cups.

Morning Walks in Pinconning

As winter finally begins its slow relent to spring, I've been dreaming of warmer days, imagining more sunshine and reflecting back on last summer's adventures, anticipating what fun lies ahead for us this year.

One of our trips took us to little Pinconning, Michigan, where we spent the week of July 4 at my inlaws' cottage. Little Arrow was a very early riser as a baby. Meaning I saw the 5 a.m. hour daily for about a year. Thankfully, as a 1-year-old, he's beginning to ease up and allow his parents a little more rest.

One way to maintain quiet in the house so everyone else could sleep was a morning walk with Little Arrow happy in the stroller. To make it more interesting for me, I grabbed my camera. I'm still very new at shooting in manual, and given my kids' ages, the opportunity to stop, aim my camera, and fiddle with settings is a rare treat.

The perfect name for the dusty dirt road where vacation memories lie ahead? I nominate:

Even the roadside wildflowers perked up to say good morning.

I loved how quiet this little inlet coming off Saginaw Bay was.

I guess it's time to turn around and head home. Maybe someone's up making breakfast!

This post is a part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? and Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Redamak's in New Buffalo

This weekend, I'm heading back to New Buffalo, Michigan with my favorite group of girlfriends. No, we won't be hitting the beach like my family did during our trip there this summer. {sigh} Instead, it will involve sweaters and snow boots. But, on the bright side, a lot more wine!

Quite frankly, I'm more disappointed that I won't be able to nosh on the best cheeseburger of my life while we're there. You see, traveling in the off-season does have its drawbacks beyond frigid temperatures. Our beloved burger joint, Redamak's, doesn't open until the first weekend in March.

We discovered Redamak's this summer. Its the kind of place where your waitress calls you honey, brings crayons and lemonades for the kids without even asking, and the hostess seats you at a table in the back where your crazy crew can be loud and have fun without bothering anyone.

My beautiful nephew, sister, niece and dad.

In other words, fine dining it is not. See also: my kind of place when traveling with four kids under four.

We didn't know a thing about Redamak's before walking in the door. But after browsing the menu, it was abundantly clear they were known for cheeseburgers. And when my basket arrived with the burger wrapped in parchment paper and a pile of crinkle fries, I knew something special was happening.

Who needs white table cloths when there is delicious food to be had? Underneath all that paper is the perfect present. You'll never find a better burger. Ooey, gooey cheese. Melt in your mouth patty. Total pub grub perfection.

I'll be back, Redamak's. Afterall, 7 months ago poor Little Arrow had to stare at my meal from afar and was forced to eat pea puree. Now my little eater would probably walk right in and order his own cheeseburger!

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.

University of Cambridge

Even though I was really tempted to spend our entire day in Cambridge pub-hopping to stay warm, the beauty of the city was enough to keep me walking through the frigid temperatures and snow/sleet combination just to see more.

Last week I shared some pretty views as we entered Cambridge's town centre and the area along the River Cam. After we warmed up with a hot lunch, we moved along to the campus itself. The university dates back to 1209.

1209, people! I think I thought humans were still living in caves and discovering fire in 1209. But apparently we were capable of much more than hunting and gathering by that year. These buildings don't date quite so far back (merely the 1400s, when we still thought the world was flat!), but impressive nonetheless.

If you happen to visit when the weather is equally as toe-numbing, you'll be happen to know that Cambridge has some amazing shopping. So after touring campus, we spent the rest of the afternoon ducking in and out of shops to keep warm and dry.


I'll be back to posting about family travels next week... I still haven't written about all of our summer trips and it's the middle of February!

This post is a part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom and Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Exploring Cambridge in the Snow

I'm finally back in the groove after our six-day trip to England just over a week ago. Spending so much time away from the kids was at times complete bliss and at other times a bit emotional. To keep us from missing them too much, and to harken back to our childless travel days, we kept busy and stayed on the move.

We didn't even let six inches of snow get in our way when we made plans to explore Cambridge, which was about a 45 minute drive from where we were based all week.

And while walking around might have been more pleasant had we packed our snow boots and without pellets of ice smacking us in the face, the photos I was able to capture of this already picturesque area were well worth it.

 

This is Christ's Pieces Park. We took a bus into the heart of the city, which I highly recommend doing even if you are getting around England by car like we were. This green space (or white, in our case) is just steps from the bus station (and makes it easy to find when you need to board your return bus).

The beauty of the winding River Cam was pretty stunning, especially with the snow-heavy willow trees bending over it. Had the weather been warmer, it would have been really fun to pack a picnic and spread a blanket at the area across the river, called The Backs.

Some visitors were brave enough (foolish?) to embark on a punting tour, something Cambridge is famous for. While I consider myself a fairly hardy Midwesterner, I watched the boats go by from the warmth of a cozy pub, sipping a British ale.

Before heading toward the campus itself, we admired the famous Mathematical Bridge. Although not actually designed by Sir Isaac Newton, a tale that was often told to gullible tourists, it does have a significant archetectural component to it. While it may appear to be an arch, it is made entirely of straight timbers.

Just looking at these pictures and remembering the day makes me want to brew a pot of tea and warm up. So I'll share our adventures walking around the Cambridge campus next week!

This post is a part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom and Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Marshmallow Making at 240Sweet

One of the best parts about blogging for Visit Indiana over the last couple of years has been the opportunity to explore some lesser-known attractions and activities around the state. I'm always on the lookout for fun outing ideas, especially those that are a little off the beaten path. Wouldn't you know, I have found a great one just a few minutes from my house in Columbus.

Tucked away behind my favorite little grocer in town, Double Oak Farms, is where you'll find 240Sweet. And despite their non-descript location at the back of a parking lot, inside they're producing one of the world's best marshmallows (anything that gets both Oprah and Martha Stewart's approval certainly deserves a shot at that title).

One of the coolest things about 240Sweet is that while their marshmallows are delicious and quite unlike the bland bag of puffs you might be used to eating on your hot chocolate or around the campfire, they are very much willing to share their secrets. I got to take a marshmallow making class there a few weeks ago, and put together this video for Visit Indiana:



The video was just nominated for a Candi award. How fun!

Naturally, I had someone very willing to sample what I made in the class when I got home.

I'll be writing more about my class at 240Sweet for the Columbus Visitor's Center, so stay tuned!

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust & Lipstick.

Advice for Traveling Without the Kids

I'm tagging along on my husband's business trip to England this week. The last time we were in Europe together, we looked like this:

In other words, 5 years younger and without the stress of 2 kids!

But as I'm preparing to leave the Arrows for nearly a week, I'm relying on great advice from my fellow family travel bloggers. Here are some tips and stories they shared about traveling without the kids:

• My favorite resource is this list of Things to Do Before Your Vacation without the Kids over at The Vacation Gals by Jennifer of Two Kids and a Map.
• This checklist for Planning for a Vacation without the Kids that Linda at Travels with Children put together is another really helpful post, especially if you'll be gone for a while like we are.
• Mara's post about 5 Reasons to Travel without the Kids at The Mother of All Trips reminds me to stop worrying and just enjoy the time together. I think "finished conversations" are what I'm most looking forward to. (Well, that and the fact that my carry-on bag includes books for ME to read. To myself. And not using a pirate voice.)
• I really relate to this post Tips for Leaving Baby to Go on Vacation from Hilarye at Dotting the Map, because her daughter and Little Arrow (13 months) are about the same age, or they were at the time she wrote her post. In some ways, he's the hardest for me to leave, mostly because he's the neediest and can't express what he wants to anyone yet. (Unlike Big Arrow (3 1/2) who will be more than happy to tell his grandparents he'd like another cookie...)
• Katie shares her journey from mom traveler to wife traveler at Trekaroo and offers some tips at her post, Are You Ready for a Romantic Getaway?
• Corinne at Have Baby Will Travel explains why sticking close to home for a night away is a good idea at A Little Jaunt without Baby.
• If you need a laugh, this is a great post from The Family Adventure Project as she prepared for her first trip away from the family: What Am I Now? A Female Solo Family Travel Blogger? Hopefully I don't show up at Heathrow with a Disney backpack.
• When Sherri Scofield-May, who writes Sherri's Traveling Classroom, has to be away, she has an emergency packet for her sitter. It contains everything important, like insurance information and instructions for an emergency. What a great idea even if you don't have travel plans... you never know when the unexpected will happen.

As for me, I've put together a medical release letter for both boys, which includes their health insurance and allergy information. I've also created a large document with general info on our day-to-day schedule, favorite foods and restaurants, fun and easy outing ideas, household info like trash day, and contact info for neighbors, friends and our pediatrician. The kitchen is stocked with favorite foods for the boys. We also cleaned the whole house over the weekend and did the boys' laundry right before we left. Hopefully this means there won't be much "housework" beyond the usual clean up after meals and toy clutter.

My husband has an international cell phone, so we'll be an easy and free phone call away. And we've practiced FaceTime with all the grandparents, so it will be nice to actually "see" the boys while we're gone, too.

With such fun grandparents, do you really think they'll miss us?

I'm really nervous about leaving the Arrows for this long. But I know they're in good hands, and I'm a firm believer in spending some time with your spouse away from the kids. So it's time to practice what I preach and get on that plane.

More on our adventures in England to come!

This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Walking on Travels and Suitcases and Sippy Cups.