As I grow older, I really get the sense there are no guarantees in this world. The markets, employment, housing bubbles, and so on. Well, I suppose traffic in southern California is something you can always count on. That runs like clockwork! So many other things, though, don’t go as planned. I guess this is where the old adage comes in, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
Chelsea and I recently flew with the kids across the country to Orlando for a conference and some much-needed vacation time. We waited until just days before takeoff to book our car rental, so we wound up getting the very last 7-seater in Orlando from a sketchy-looking off-airport spot that had a shag sofa in their waiting room.
South Lake Tahoe is often thought of as ‘the side with the casinos,’ but we’ve spent a lot of time there as a family and always had a blast without spending a dime on a slot machine! We love South Lake Tahoe’s laid-back vibe, adventurous activities and drool-worthy food. Here’s a look at all the action you can fit into a single day on the south side.
Our sweet little Sidekick is 4! His special day falls in the middle of what happens to be a really busy time of year for us, and it seems to always be kind of a last-minute celebration. This year, we decided to change that and celebrate by giving him the best kids’ birthday party ever! Truth be told, I’m having a hard time understanding how my children keep getting older, I seem to be perpetually stuck at age 29. Weird.
There is a distinct crispness to the air I breathe at just over eight thousand feet sea level. There even seems to be some sort of shortness in supply, as my California lungs aren’t yet adjusted to the thin yet clean air found at this outer sphere of the Rockies. Thinner though it may be, it still whispers and sings as it swims through the branches and needles of the evergreen trees standing tall around me. I close my eyes and the stress of civilization as I know it blows away.
Nate and I have lived in San Diego for 8 years, and our kids have lived here all their lives. We’ve been to SeaWorld dozens of times, and have met numerous SeaWorld employees outside of the park. To say that it’s a cornerstone of our community is an understatement. It’s one of the first spots to come to mind when people think of San Diego, and readers email in questions about it on a weekly basis. There’s actually a trapeze studio in our neighborhood where our family has trained with a few of the park’s acrobatic performers. True story! In all that time, though, we’d never seen behind the scenes and really grasped the purpose of SeaWorld. Last week, we got an incredible glimpse at the rescue program behind the entertainment.
We just got back from an awesome little trip hosted by Disney! We got to visit the parks here in California and witness firsthand how all of our favorite superheroes are taking over California Adventure for the Summer of Heroes. There are tons of awesome limited-time thrills, but it’s not all just a temporary attraction! A bunch of our favorite sights are said to be sticking around indefinitely.
I kinda just dropped that on ya, didn’t I? Yup. Happy Friday, we’re talking about pee! Seriously, though, this is a question that a LOT of readers have emailed me about. We travel so often with such little kids, and this is the burning issue on everyone’s minds when they’ve finished the potty-training phase and they’re staring down the barrel of a vacation. What if my kid pees on someone else’s expensive, fancy, fluffy white sheets?
Some of our good friends went to Orlando awhile ago and came back raving endlessly about the hotel. “Our room was as big as a house!” they exclaimed. I’ll admit I cocked my head to the side a bit and laughed. Of ALL the things to do in Orlando, it seemed strange that these guys were writing home about a resort. I love a good mattress and hot tub, sure, but can that really top thrill rides and fireworks?
So far we’ve talked about how to shell and what to do with kids in Fort Myers. I’ve gotten a few emails from parents asking where they should stay when they head to this Southwest Florida gateway. Don’t worry, we’ve got ya covered there too!