Yes, Justin got a Seat By Himself!

We also took along both car seats for the first time and our new double Phil and Ted stroller… to say we had way more gear than luggage would be an understatement.  But, it wasn’t that bad at the end of the day and I think made the children more comfortable during all of the riding around we had to do by having their own familiar car seats.

We headed to San Diego in search of a house to possibly relocate to.  We recently sold our home in Vancouver and due to the exorbitant prices here and an interest in trying something new we decided to check out the San Diego market.  Most of our US friends couldn’t believe that we were choosing to move to San Diego to save money…it’s one of the most expensive areas to buy real estate in the US.  But compared to Vancouver, it looks affordable.  Not to mention that for the first time since I left the US I saw a pound of fruit priced at under 50 cents…

We spent 6 days in San Diego.  We had 32 houses to look at…no easy task with 2 small children but it went really well all things considering.

Sunset

We stayed at the Sheraton downtown and again were impressed with the niceness of the staff (similar to our experience last year in Atlanta).  We chose the Sheraton because it was an all suite hotel and with 2 babies needing naps and not sleeping thru the night always it’s nice to have an extra room.  Because we also have membership in the Starwood Preferred program we were upgraded to their club level which meant, free breakfast, free internet and 2 free drink tickets per day and water.  All said and done this probably saved us a good $60/day.  Worth the membership in our American Express Platinum program.  For anyone who travels often and does not have the card…do yourself a favor and get one.

We also get Gold Membership in Hertz with this card.  Again, no waits and great service.  However you do pay a bit more for Hertz but the cars are clean and there are never any issues.  We also obviously got the “Never Lost” system given all the driving we were going to do.

If you’ve never been to San Diego and you have children I HIGHLY recommend it.  VERY family friendly and not only were the people we met some of the nicest I’ve come across in a long time but most were genuinely helpful.

Yummy Chicken during our Room Picnic

There is a ton to do in San Diego.  Beaches of course, the best zoo in the world (or so they say), Sea World, LegoLand, Wild Safari park, outlet shopping, casinos, etc.  And I had no idea how much American history there was in San Diego.  Not to mention a TON of museums.  If you haven’t been, put it on your list.

We hit the beaches in N. County which were beautiful.  We also went to the Zoo which was very impressive though I still think I have issues with animals behind bars…  If you are there on a Wednesday the Farmer’s Market in Ocean Beach is pretty lively and fun.  Versus the Pacific Beach Farmer’s Market on Saturday which was pretty beat.

So how was it traveling with 2 babies?  Not as hard as I thought but obviously not as easy as one.  Obviously being organized and taking advantage of memberships in travel programs, etc. helps.

How did the house hunting go?  Not as well as we had hoped.  In all honesty I went down there not very optimistic.  I really enjoy living in Vancouver and all that it has to offer.  We also have a pretty good support network here.  A great nanny, Ciska, who helps me out occasionally and Justin’s Dad is close by (though he was planning ot move to San Diego with us).  I also have some great friends here now and a pretty good routine of things we like to do, etc.

But I also didn’t want to sit back and say, “what if,” one day.  So we went.  The first few days I was pretty sure it wasn’t for us.  Then we started exploring the North County and the beach towns.  That’s when I was hooked.  We found a cute house in a town called Cardiff by the Sea.  It wasn’t our dream home but it was very nice and we could walk to the beach.  It was in a cute village within a bigger town (Encinitas) with just about anything we would want within walking distance and everything else a mere 5 miles away.

We had also found a house in Mission Hills that we were considering as well.  It is an urban neighborhood in San Diego.

Who would have thought however that our luck would fail us.  By the time we got to San Diego with our list of 32 houses to look at 6 had gotten contracts or been pulled off the market before we could even look at them.  And wouldn’t you know it… the 2 houses we were about to write an offer on got offers literally the day/evening before we were to write ours.

Father/Son Moment Watching Football at What Would Have Been Our Local

We did end up putting in a back-up offer on the beach house.  It is a short sale (when the bank decides to take less than what is owed on the property to avoid a foreclosure—good for the bank, good for the homeowner and good for the buyer) so there is a chance we could possibly get the house.  But we aren’t very hopeful.

We figure “guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

All was not lost though as we had a nice getaway as a family and some much needed QT together.  We also got to see our colleague, Colin Egbert and meet his beautiful girlfriend and daughter.  Justin was also able to catch up with some other business contacts.

We are headed to Seattle next week to look at houses.  We have a lot of friends there and do business in WA state already so it would be an easy transition.

Not sure what life will bring in the next few months.  We have to be out of our house on October 30.  Part of me and Justin are sad to be leaving this house.  We love it, but it’s just not conducive to 4 people living here anymore.

We definitely have mixed emotions about our next move.  One day excited, next day down, another day confused.  But as things always do, it will all work out.

Dave is a high school friend of Justin’s and current star of Flashpoint.  There will be a few Hollywood types at the wedding so should be an interesting week!

For all you  Canuck’s fans, Trevor Linden cleared security with us.  Great guy.  But boy is he skinny to have played hockey!

The flight from Vancouver was pretty uneventful.  We bought Stella her first seat this time as my growing belly and increasing “uncomfortableness” made this a wise decision.  Stella was her usual good traveler and even had a nap.

Her favorite part of the trip so far was the landing, she kept saying “more” after we landed as she wanted to do it again (squealing with delight) and riding the transit trains and elevators.  All very exciting for a 19 month old.  She’s also quite excited about her new “Dora” wheely suitcase that she can barely push through the airport.

Unfortunately she just fell and got her first major “bo-boo” with a fat split lip and then banged her head.  Ahh growing pains.

We flew Continental Airlines for the first time in a long time and first time with a child.  Nothing fancy and nothing major to report.  Usual flight.  Pleasant staff and they even served us some breakfast…

We took advantage of our American Express Platinum membership and are enjoying the President’s Club Lounge in Houston.  We are in their newest lounge in Terminal E which has a family room with TVs and a few toys.  Very nice to just get away from everyone and let Stella decompress.  Highly recommend it for any long layover with children in Houston.  No food really but complimentary internet and drinks.  Apparently, Terminal E’s Lounge is the best one so if you have the time the nice Continental employee we met said it’s worth the trek.

I’d say Houston airport seems pretty family friendly.  They have companion bathrooms and the family lounge in the President’s Club seems that they are thinking family comfort in some designs.

We will be in Mexico until next Sunday and then off to Vegas for work.

More to report over the next few days I’m sure.

Tips:

If you are pregnant and traveling with another child, spend the money, get an extra seat!

If you have the ability to utilize the lounges in the airports during long layovers they are a nice break and make a long day of travel not seem so bad.

HYDRATE!

Pack along books, crayons and plenty of paper for toddler entertainment.   We still don’t have a DVD player…

And We are Off

So here we are…Day 1 just after midnight local time in Atlanta.

Just got Stella to sleep in her crib.   She was too excited in a new place and with the time change.  Justin and I are catching up on work and realizing we are finally on our way!

Day started at 6AM PST for final packing and getting our townhouse ready for our tenants to move in.

This is the first adventure where I actually didn’t just pack one large backpack and a carry on…

While I had hoped to pack minimally – traveling for 6 months in 2 seasons and working along the way required a much larger wardrobe than I’d normally have allowed…

Saying goodbye to her Grandad...he is definitely going to miss her

Justin’s Dad, Wellington, came over to help us get ready and take care of Stella.  I think he was very sad to see his little Granddaughter leave.

We flew out of Vancouver at 11:45 AM (flight didn’t leave until 12:15 but beyond that, it was a very uneventful flight).

Stella actually napped twice on the plane and was no trouble.  Justin and I even got to watch a movie.  We were quite lucky.  Thank goodness I’m still nursing…(tip to you mom’s, it’s the easiest and best thing for making for a smooth flight with baby).

We arrived in Atlanta at 8pm and were at the hotel by 9pm.  Justin gave Stella a bath and ordered room service while I ran to the store for some supplies (diapers, waters, beer and some food for Stella as she will have a babysitter tomorrow).  Team work!

TIP:  We’ve tried going out for a meal after a long day of travel and realized it’s not the best idea.  Just plan to order room service or take-out when you arrive at your destination.  Everyone will be much happier for it.

Tomorrow we have a babysitter coming (niece of a work colleague so it will be nice to not have to worry about a stranger babysitting Stella in a strange city) as we are attending an internet marketing conference until Tuesday.

My Dad arrives from Virginia on Saturday to watch Stella the rest of the weekend.  He has not seen her since May so he is in for a treat.

Child care is the hardest part about traveling for work (which this blog will be spending quite a bit of time talking about as well).  We only want to leave Stella with someone we trust and know.

So on to some tips from the road on how to make traveling easier with baby…

I will also be giving my general impression of airlines, hotels, cities, etc. in regards to how child friendly (and sometimes environmentally friendly) they are.

Delta Airlines definitely showed some improvements over other airlines I’ve flown with Stella.  Hands down United stinks when it comes to children.  Delta check-in staff were very friendly and helpful.  Stewardesses were polite and always asked as they came by if they could get anything for the baby.

The best part of Delta today was we both had our own personal TV and there seemed to be more room in coach than other airlines.  They also came through the cabin twice with beverage and snack services (they actually offered you a real pack of crackers, peanuts or cookies…on both trips through the cabin).  Sad that this little bit of food seems so generous…where are the airlines of yesterday!

I’d give them a B- (mostly for not providing a paper ticket for Stella – see below).

C- on environmental consciousness (I have yet to see an airline sort their trash as they come through the cabin.  But Delta did sort out the newspapers so I have to hope that they recycled that).

Tips on checking in:
Generally, if you fly with a baby in your lap you have to have a paper ticket.  This means you can’t check-in at the kiosk and some airlines require a paper ticket be sent to you prior to departure (generally for international flights).  Check with your airline when you book your ticket.

Delta was the exception to the rule.  They only gave me and Justin a ticket and said to just tell security that she was noted on the mother’s ticket as baby in lap.  We’ve flown 5 times with Stella prior to this on several airlines and we always gotten a paper ticket for her.

Delta’s policy caused us a hassle at every check point (there are many when leaving Vancouver as you clear customs in Vancouver versus at your destination in the US).

Vancouver airport:
Beautiful and clean airport.  Generally speaking, child friendly.  I have NEVER had any issues with bringing food (and breast milk) through customs and security.  They also waive parents with small children through to the front of the line for security and clearing customs upon your return (unfortunately, clearing on the US side they aren’t as nice).  The check-in counter people are always very friendly (no matter what airline) and often just “waive us thru” even when we know we are over the limit on baggage weight.

In the US departures lounge there is a mini-museum with indigenous artwork and information as well as a children’s play area.  They are also doing a lot of improvements to prepare for the Olympics in 2010.

I’d give Vancouver airport an A-

TIP:  When you go through security it never hurts to POLITELY ask if there is a line that families with small children can go through instead of waiting in really long lines.

TIP:  Always be POLITE and say EXCUSE ME.  It will get you so much further in the airport as most people are really rude and families tend to just take too much time going thru security, etc.  It doesn’t hurt to have a cute kid who laughs and chats up the staff.

Hamming it up for the check-in staff

Atlanta airport:  if you’ve ever been it makes you feel like you did after a long day at Disney World with tons of people frantically running around and it’s hot.   Horrible! They really need to do something about that airport.  And I can’t stand to have to get on those little shuttles when I land.  I just want fresh air!  Atlanta does have a ton of shops and restaurants however.  It still gets a D!

Sheraton Airport Hotel
Staff gets an A+ so far.  Very friendly and they even drove me to the Grocery store tonight.  We have Gold Status/Starwood Preferred so it helps.

TIP:  if you are going to do a bit of traveling it is worth looking into joining any and all preferred programs you can find.  Same goes with frequent flyer programs.  You almost always get better treatment and a little nicer service (if nothing else) by being “a member.”  And who couldn’t use a little more help when you are traveling with a child.

So that’s it for today.  I had a ton of ideas and tips for all you traveling parents and want to be traveling parents but they will have to wait.

Until tomorrow.