Start "Go"ing Local

We just had some friends do the cross country transplant...Boston to Northern California. Totally new to the area they remembered that my blog had several entries regarding Northern California and thought perhaps we were here and sent an email. A couple of exchanges later and I had sent a list of places and activities to start them and their family that contains three children, 6months, 2.5yrs, and 3.5yrs "go"ing in their new location.
(Funderland 30mi from home-->)

And they have taken the list and are checking things off rather quickly with the wonderful attitude that "We decided if the kids don't make it very long we'll just pack up early but we'd like to try!" They can do this because they are easing their kids into their new surroundings as well as making them change adaptive by doing lots of activities locally.

(<--Rodeo Park, 13mi from home) The first area to look close to home is your local Parks and Recreation Department or Community Services District. For starters this is generally who maintains your parks system and therefore will have a list of parks with addresses and generally descriptions. What kid does not love a park. And generally you will be surprised to find many you did not even know existed. We literally could probably pick a day every week of the summer and go to a different park within a 15mile radius of us and still not visit them all. My to go list for Parks:

> Sunscreen

> Baby Powder (for drying and brushing off sand from sandboxes)

> Sand Toys (with your family name in permanent marker)

> Hydration & Snack (sack lunches if you want to extend your visit)

> Change of Clothes

> Swim clothes & towel (if park has a water feature)

Other things your local Department or District may offer is classes...from cultural in the arts (dance, theater, media arts, cooking) to sports training or teams (soccer, t-ball, swim, flag football). Some go as far as to offer full blown camps in the summer that may be a mix of classes. And most are very economical especially if you are a resident in their covered territory.

Then there are other local attractions such as zoos, libraries, museums, that if you are good and review their calendars will have special events for kids or even free admission days. These are good ways to get kids on the go and marry that with my favorite quotation which comes from the children's characters Toot & Puddle.."The more you go...the more you know."

(Folsom Zoo, 13mi from home-->)

(<--Amador Co Fair, 30mi from home)

And lastly alway ensure to grab your local paper at least on the day they publish their local calendar of events. In addition to many of the event attractions listed above you will also find local festivals, fairs, and concerts. Or if your community is large enough to have a local magazine it seems as though the focus of the May or June Issue is always the family and summer activities as this is the time kids are getting out of the traditional school year and parents are plotting the summer activities. Another source is the local Visitor's Authority.

So even if your children or even you for that matter are not ready for that road trip quite yet you can slowly work your way there by "go"ing on mini-adventures in your community.

For my local readers here's some of my favorite resources. but for my non-local readers you can pretty much do a search on these same titles, but replace the location with yours:

>El Dorado Hills Community Services District

>Folsom Parks and Recreation Department

>Sacramento Bee Entertainment Section

>Folsom Zoo

>Fairytale Town

>Sacramento Zoo

>Funderland

>Foothills Style

>El Dorado County Library

>El Dorado County Visitor's Authority

Child Returns to the Big Trees with Friends

We enjoyed Calaveras Big Trees State Park so much last year that we really wanted to return this year and take along some friends. So our annual wine tasting trip where this blog began seemed to be the perfect reason for the return as Calaveras and more to the point the town of Murphys houses a dozen+ tasting rooms.

We had 2 sites reserved for Friday and Saturday night at the North Grove Campground within Calaveras Big Trees State Park. We arrived approx 30mins after check-in began at 2PM and found there were only 2 choices for us to be side-by-side. They do not make advance site assignments. Upon advice from the Rangers we took sites #41 & #43. which worked out fairly well. Level with huge open space between for our friends and tent-campers to set-up and the kids to run freely between the two pop-up trailers and be seen at all times. Had we had a better choices and had they been open we would have preferred something on the far side of the meadow and away from the traffic of the highway, but not too bad none-the-less. We had bathrooms a 30sec hike up a hill and the coin-operated showers were a walk or bike ride away. Next time for showers we will forgo the handicap/family one for the girls and boys individual. The room was large and open and therefore cold and the only shower head was a hand-held that was set at about 4&1/2ft high with no ability to increase it's heigth.

Friday night we set-up, did a bike ride to the visitor's center to check out the weekend's activities, and had dinner. Bikes are allowed, but not on any trails of course. Dinner was Pasta Puttanesca, which is wonderful as the pasta can be cooked aldente and just reheated as well as the sauce...and for the kids we could do butter noodles. The visitor's center was a wealth of information even when closed...5PM weeknights, 6PM Saturday & Sunday as there was a large bulletin board with the times, descriptions, age requirements, meeting places of various activities. And if you had any questions during the closed hours a very well versed camp host was the first site on the right. This is also where we picked up spare firewood for the evening and were even told could have gotten it at the Ranger Station upfront had our host not been around.

Up bright and early Saturday morning after a chilly night...our heat decided to not work our breakfast was breakfast burritos, various pastries, and cereal, oatmeal for the kids. We set off at 10AM for some programs for the kids. This park had an incredible staff of volunteers and therefore not only held the standard Junior Ranger Programs for the 7-12 yr olds, but also had a cubs program for 3-6yr olds. We tried to get the two 2.5yr olds to participate and even though the volunteers were willing to have them their attention span only lasted a brief while which was fine as the wonderful trails of the North Grove were a few steps away and the parents took them for a walk. The remaining 4yr olds enjoyed learning about various animals, flora, and fauna within the park as our volunteer, Marilyn, made forest soup. She definitely knew her audience as when they got about half way through she had them get up and move around and act our various animals. Then using egg crates they made caterpillars. After the hour program we set off on the North Grove Trails with them to rev up their appetites for lunch and a nap.

Unfortunately the afternoon was drizzly and chilly, so we spent a lot of time in the trailers or under the awnings playing cards, doing puzzles, etc.. During a break we did venture down to the visitor's center again to wonder through the exhibits where there was a lot of tactile items for the kids to handle and touch. The 4yr olds even sat through a beautiful slide show of the history of the park. On the way back to our sites we walked the boardwalk of the marshy meadow. This boardwalk definitely needs some revitalization, but was very nice none the less. Dinner this evening was taco salads for the adults and quessadillas for the kids. Again another meal that much can be done ahead and just reheated...rice, beans, meat, and various toppings...all placed into a bowl. And of course each evening was topped off with the traditional samores.

Sunday was pack-up and move-on time. Sunny and beautiful a few of us took the kids to the boardwalk again on a flora and fauna hunt to keep them occupied while others packed up. We were on the road to Murphys...about 12mi away just after 11AM. Check-out is Noon.

We parked the tent trailers right across the street from 221 Main Street and the home of Black Sheep Vintners. We enjoyed some tastes and made some purchases while the kids all sat on their front porch doodling on the Etch-A-Sketch's they had available. The only slightly annoying rule was you could not step one foot out the front door with a glass in hand to check on the kids. Oh well, we can not have it all. After some q&a with a couple of locals we made our way down to 402 Main Street and Firewood for lunch. Plenty of choices for everyone and the best feature just around the corner was the wonderful Murphys Community Park on the river with a play structure where we took the kids while the food was prepared and just rang cell phones when it started to arrive at the table. Ask any local and they can point you in the right direction. After they enjoyed lunch watching the passersby we ventured up a few doors to 454 Main Street and The Peppermint Stick for dessert. Dreyers choices were made and we proceeded outside to sit on the curb which sat about 15ft off the street where the kids could look at all the motorcycles and if we lost a cone or dripped it was right into the gutter. Heading back for the RVs time for the adults to have dessert and it was at 350 Main Street and the Twisted Oak Tasting Room. A large fenced tree-shaded flat lawn welcomed the kids as did a trunk of toys just inside the tasting room door. They played tag, red light green light, and various other games while the adults watched and lingered in and out of the tasting room trying the various libations. With wine purchased and every child ran through their wonderfully clean and spacious restroom we embarked on the road home. (Photo Insert: Playing Doctor on Twisted Oak's lawn)

The weather cold have been a little nicer for us on Saturday, but all in all we loved this trip. Definitely a do-over either camping...or sans kids at one of the historic hotels in Murphys. But we will be back.

What to Pack When Child Goes Camping....

I finally got serious with camping trip #2 of 2009 this weekend and put pen to paper in the high tech sense and made a re printable check-list of our must-have's...minus food. And I am sure via our own experiences and the wonderful inputs of this blog's readers it will grow and evolve. I left nearly all inputs as generic, but would like to take a minute in this week's posting and share some products or brands we prefer.

Starting in the Toiletries section. Now I know it is hard to go Eco-friendly (most notably because a lot of these items are expensive) all the time on things such as shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, wipes, but there is something that truly eats away at my consciousness when I am camping in some of the most pristine and preserved lands in our nation and then leave behind a huge bag of trash or soap scum from the showers. So for our camping provisions I do go out of my way to spend the extra dollar and get products to leave a lesser footprint on these areas I hope survive long enough to see my children's grandchildren one day.

Also in the toiletries section you will find sunscreen and bug spray mentioned. We are huge fans of Avon's SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard SPF 30. At $14 a pop you may feel it is a little pricey, but remember you are getting 2 in 1....bug spray and sunscreen. Also if you keep your eye out you can always find a sale on it about every few weeks. We are also fans of the Off! Towelettes for use on the kids' faces. Spraying their face or wiping on lotion...no matter how hard I try we seem to always be flushing their eyes due to their rubbing or our misdirection. The towelettes dry quickly and are more error free. We are also fans of the Off! Power Pad Lamp. Stronger than 15 citronella candles, flame is protected in lantern from little hands...and a little mood lighting all in one.

When it comes to kitchen supplies we have pretty much stocked our trailer or camping box with very used things from our home kitchen. The only splurges came in some very heavy picnic plates, bowls, silverware, etc.. And even those you can find on sale at the end of summer or even at a dollar store. Again on the environmental front...we try to only use paper goods for perhaps the first meal or the last meal when you are busy unpacking or packing up. Otherwise reusable plastic that can be washed with your enviro soap is a great way to protect the environment...and over time save a dime and offset the expensive Seventh Generation or other Dish Soap.

Otherwise the list is pretty self explanatory...and here's a few closing remarks. We always keep a crate of kids toys at the ready...with sand toys, bug catchers, etc.. Most are very good about this in general, but make sure to pack your kids helmets if they bring their bikes or scooters. If under the age of 18 most campgrounds require a helmet within their properties and rangers will quickly approach any child out for a spin without one and escort them back to their parents. Always have extra batteries...rechargeable that are charged are best. We carry a utility type bucket...this is good for washing dishes, hands, feet, or carrying your stuff to and from the public restroom or shower as there is generally very little space to sit things in or on... and let's be frank...even the cleanest of campground restroom/shower floors are still a little scary. Whether camping via a tent or a trailer a large outdoor carpet or in our case the cheap way out...a huge swath of faux grass from Home Depot serves as a place to leave shoes and dirt before entering the sleeping quarters. We are also big fans of the Alps Mountaineering chairs, tables, and camping gear in general as well as REI. Make sure you shop around...lots of places carry it and the prices can be very different.

I know...we are missing food on here. I will tell you we pack three ways...1 large crate for dry goods, 1 cooler for beverages, and 1 cooler for cold foods. As the summer progresses I will take the time to share some camping recipes and some of our favorite must have beverages, snacks, and foods while in the wild.

Please review our ever evolving list...and share what's on yours or your favorite brands or products.

Child Goes on 2009 Camping Trial Run

Last year I published an article about the camping trial run. And again stuck to my own advice for 2009 as we embarked on our trial run. This year close to home...down on the property of our friend's on the South Fork of the American River.

We spent the entire week prior with the tent trailer popped open in the driveway...cleaning the water lines and tanks, charging batteries, and general loading and restocking. We felt very confidant as we rolled away on Saturday afternoon to camp two of the three nights of the long Memorial Day weekend within 1 hour of the house.

We rolled into camp abut 6:30PM...and thank goodness for the group's dinner arrangements, which I loved and are transitioning into my camping trips. Everyone fixes their entree/meat for themselves and then brings a side to share. So while the guys straightened, leveled, and parked the trailer and used random boards to keep our stabilizers from sinking into the sand I got the kids fed from everyone else's good cooking.

We quickly added a few things to our to do list at the beginnig of the season when our definitely charged battery yielded no juice to the trailer...get some contact cleaner because our battery contacts were corroded enough we got no flow. With some light brushing we got it working and our friends who also own a pop-up got lessons of what to do when your water pump goes out and spent the weekend tinkering away on that.

As far as key learnings from packing. We do now have a list saved off in Word that we can print out everytime for the standard items and check-off to ensure they are loaded/stocked. I will ensure to post this list in the coming days as I need to amend it for some obvious ommisions.

We forgot the kids' nightlight and I am a firm believer in routine. I think kids can sleep about anywhere if you have a routine and try to replicate whereveer your travels take you. Well, forgetting the nightlight was a huge ommision in replication and we had to hang out with them until they were well into ZZZ-Land. The nightlight we use at home and travels is more eco-friendly with rechargable batteries...a TykeLight.

We thought we were doing good by having our first aid kit...and I even packed aspirin for the post vino-invibation, but we had no meds for the kids. I didn't panic though as again we were on the trial run...close to home when my son starting running his fever and his digestional tract hit the skids. And luckily our partners in camping remembered their's and additional buy to my list from here on out...Children's Tums. After all the samores and other camping staples do tend to play tricks on the munchkin tummy.

Otherwise we had a great time. The kids enjoyed a tree swing, waving to all the passer-by rafters & kayakers, and painting rocks (not a state or national park, so we can take more than a picture). So with a few minor adjustments and we will be ready to hit the trails at least 3 more times this summer:

> Calaveras Big Trees State Park

> Camp Richardson

> Sly Park Recreational Area

Other Camping Related Posts:

> Child on the Go: Camping Trial Runs

> Camping: Trial Run Complete & ...

> Camping in Calaveras

> Children on the Go in Wine Country

> Camping: Where it All Began and How to Begin

> Camping off the Ground...The Tent Trailer

> Spring Time - Time for Child to think about Camping

...Until next week...get your Child on the Go this weekend!

Home of Larry Bird and much more....

French Lick, Indiana...many people know it for it's having been the home to NBA great Larry Bird. Or folks who even are history buffs remember it's hey days in the early 20th century attracting celebrities and mobsters alike, including Irving Berlin and Al Capone. It also is located about 30minutes from my husband's hometown and we have been keeping a close eye on it the last several years as it attempts to rebuild itself and regain some it's glory from the days past.

This small town of just over 2000 people has been pouring a lot of time and energy into restoring two of it's iconic buildings...French Lick Resort and West Baden Springs. Both share massive pieces of history in their own rite...French Lick being the place FDR launched his candidacy for President and West Baden being the largest free-spanning dome until 1913. Both have feasts of fun for any adult from world-class golf courses, spas, restaurants, shows, etc..

But this blog is all about the kids, so we have been keeping our eyes and ears open to see how they would accommodate our littlest traveling companions. At the two resorts there is a "Just for Kids" club open daily for free play for a nominal fee. Additional fees will get you all kinds of extra organized activities including cooking, dude ranch, zoo, musical parties, etc.. The family can also play together at the arcade, bowling alley, or pools or take a ride at the stables. All of these are located right within the two resorts which you can move back and forth between via a free shuttle service or the many walking paths. We visited at the holidays and the decor was jaw-dropping.

Outside the compounds of the resorts the town is adding additional fun. Big Splash Adventure Waterpark just opened in March. This is one thing that has caught on in the Midwest that I think is great as our waterparks still sit empty here in Northern California awaiting opening days at the end of May.....Indoor Waterparks. Even though medium in size it is the largest with a retractable roof as of it's opening in March. Lazy rivers, slides, toddler pools...it has it all. Day lockers, locker rooms, towels...you just bring your suit and have fun. It had fun for all ages...my 2yo enjoyed all the levers turning water on and off, my 4yo enjoyed the slides aimed at her age group, and Daddy and I even took to the slides aimed at the big kids...or big kids at heart. And we must admit they very much got our pulse a pounding. In addition there is on site arcade and restaurants. We booked in advance as we were not staying here and there are limited amounts of day passes, but it is limitless for you if you book one of the adjacent hotels 150 rooms.

If you have a Thomas the Train lover in your family (our 2yo boy is an addict) then a trip to the Indiana Railway Museum located in town should be on your list. The museum is free and there is a nominal fee for the 2hr 20mile ride through scenic Orange County. A special note...the museum is open year round, but the train rides do not go out December through March.

We're very excited to return many more times in the future as they are adding a indoor go kart track and a Amish Restaurant. Also right down the road is Patoka Lake for the kids to enjoy some angling with their Papa. So if in Indiana or even Northern Kentucky I would highly advise a day or two stop-over in this re-polished gem in Orange County that has something for everyone.

Time "flies" when you're having fun!

Wow, I thought I was taking a two week hiatus from the blog and it's been a month. But I must say it has all been in the vein of the fun that comes from converting from winter "go"ing to spring "go"ing.

The end of April had us enjoying some major spring time skiing and the Easter holiday on the slopes. Nearly all ski resorts in Tahoe host some Easter festivities...from your standard egg hunts to Alpine Meadow's beacon hunt. After reviewing several resorts' activities we decided to stay at our home resort, Alpine Meadows, and participate in their activities. In addition to the beacon egg hunt, there was an all-mountain hunt, 2 hunts at the children's ski zone for the little munchkins, and then another on Hot Wheels for the slightly older kids. Two bunnies provided lots of hugs and treats...you traditional cute furry one and your rail jamming shred head bunny. All of this happened before the nap-time...aka melt-down time of early afternoon.



With Easter behind us and the snow starting to melt away with the warm spring temps our last weekend of our ski lease had us itching for one last round of fun in the snow. We joined several snowmobile-owning friends up SR431 .We parked alongside the road and placed several lawn chairs at what would be the end of the kids' sledding run. We parked the cars tight enough on the roadside the kids were well protected from the traffic and easily supervised while waiting their turn by 1 adult. And the adults had easy access to the snowmobiles. Everyone had a blast and I enjoyed putting off the packing and cleaning required to move out of our ski lease.


Alas that evening over a few margaritas our ski lease was clean and we were ready to roll out. Until next season. The nice thing about most owners/agents if you were a good tenant you get first dibs at the same place next season if you meet an early deadline, June 1, and a small deposit, generally a couple of hundred bucks. After the June 1 deadline you still have some preferred customer status by having that agency's properties only available to you and their other existing tenants, but generally if you haven't made a decision by July 1...everything still available becomes fair game for the general public. So even though the season just ended you have to start thinking about next season.

With our decision made it was now time to fly!...literally. We headed out early one AM for the heartland of Kentuckiana and our purpose, The Kentucky Derby. We prefer early AM flights because getting the munchkins up early, say 3 hours before their normal waking hour, forces them on to the new time zone. With every flight we are constantly making notes about what worked and what didn't. Here's this trip's list:
+ Sony's Children Headphones (Model#MDR-222KD): At $15 were a great buy. After several flights of our children struggling with ear bugs or adult-size headphones we ordered these. Comes in Black and Pink for your princesses. Perfect!
+ Crayola Beginnings Washable Triangular Crayons 16ct (SKU#52-016T): OK, at nearly $5.50 for a pack you may think forget it. BUT, the fact that I still have the entire pack after a flight and they are not scattered in the 20rows behind me after they rolled off my child's tray is worth every penny. Oh yeah...the triangular shape is also good for their hand-writing instrument coordination.
-/+ United Airlines On-line Baggage Check: You should not check your bags in on-line if you plan to check a car seat. Car seats are free, but must be checked in at the airport. So when I thought I was doing a good things by paying for and checking or non-car seat bag from home...it caused a delay at the airport by having to add the car seat after the fact. Next time, still check-in on-line, but do the bag/car seat portion at the airport kiosk
+ United Airlines Car Seat Policy: Car seats are free when it comes to checked baggage. Unfortunately Unites does charge...even for the first "other" checked bag at $15. So...our family of 4 crammed into one large duffel bag (see article), but to ensure we were not overweight...we crammed our extra shoes and jackets into the car seat bag. So $30 round trip for our checked bags and easily 60+lbs plus car seat.
- United Airlines Gate Check: Double and triple check what the gate agent puts on your gate check tag where you want to pick up your item...final destination or perhaps a connection. I remember remarking to the agent we would need to stroller in O'Hare our connection. We waited and waited at O'Hare...the stroller never showed. The first class steward apologized profusely and I jokingly said he could make it up by helping us with 3 backpacks, 1 2year old, 1 4 year old, and a car seat who had 30min to switch terminals and make our next flight. In the end after some running we made it on our next flight with 5min to spare and the stroller made it to our final destination...about 6 hours after us.
+ United Airlines 1st Class Stewards: Remember the steward above did actually take the time to wait with my husband, check with baggage personnel, and apologized. On our return flight we thought we were in trouble when a first class stewardess came walking through the plane with a ship's manifest, but we failed to see in her other hand was fresh baked cookies for all the kids' on board, whether in first class or us in our cheap seats in coach. Score round 2 for the first class personnel.

So with these tips and tricks from our latest flight to add to our others:
> Packing to Avoid Fees
> Lap Child, Car Seat, Seat Belt...Oh My
> Check the Seat Pocket in Front of You....AUGHH!
> I hated the back of planes...Before Kids
...we were ready for a fun filled trip to Kentuckiana, including parades, fishing, KY Derby, and a massive indoor waterpark...and next week's article.

Spring Ski Conditions is Good GO Time!

Short and sweet it will be this week. I have lots of things in the hopper or jumbling around in my brain, but as we are slowly approaching the transition period...end of ski season beginning of the warm weather activities I will keep this week's short and sweet. Plus this Easter Bunny is in the middle of packing the SUV because "of course kids the Easter Bunny knows we will be at Tahoe."

(Photo: Beautiful Morning, Homewood)

Spring ski conditions is a wonderful time to get the child on the go for the 1st time on skis. The days are generally nice & sunny or "Bluebird" as we like to call them. The winter winds have calmed and the snow by mid-late morning is nice and soft...even becoming sticky and slow, therefore making it a bit easier to stop using that pizza, wedge, triangle or whatever lingo you use for it. It seems that spring is when all the elements align for your child to have a good day on the slopes.

Just because the temps are above freezing and the sun is out ensure still to dress your child appropriately and lather on the sunscreen. The sun bouncing off the "diamonds in the snow" as my 4yo calls them can lead to a very fast and very bad sunburn.

(Photo: Ice Bar, Alpine Meadows, CA)

And with spring generally comes lots of slopeside activities to give your child the full ski day experience. There are competitions, outdoor concerts, festivals, barbecues, etc.. Lots of things to keep your child in awe of the snow-capped mountains ambiance and the aire of fun and camaraderie alpine sports bring when their little legs are wearing out. And for Apres or after hours late in the season you will find incredible deals on lodging + lift either by cruising the Internet or calling the resort's central reservations number.

(Photo: Bungee-Trampoline, Squaw Valley)

(Photo: KT22 Sundeck, Squaw Valley)

Also with spring comes season end sales. So if you think your munchkin and you are going to leap into this sport now is a good time to hit the sales and buy things for next season. Discounts can be 50% or more. We just picked up my daughter her first pair of poles at 50% off, but we got them a couple of cm too long in case she grows over the summer and we will just cut them appropriately at the beginning of next season. But you have to move fast...size, styles, etc are very limited.

(Photo: Genetian Cafe, Adaptive Ski School, Alpine Meadows)

So with the ski season end looming larger, especially this year with the obvious pain of the economy impacting the alpine industry, get your child our their for either their first or final go on the slopes!