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.

So we decided to take our first trip now that we are now 4…

Top of Whistler Mountain

We started with something easy.  A 2 – 2 1/2 hour drive up to Whistler, a place we know well.  We headed up on a Friday (3 weeks ago mind you) and made our usual stop in West Van at the Whole Foods for lunch.  The one thing I miss — well used to miss about living in the US–we have 2 now here in Vancouver.

Stella and Sebby slept for a good portion of the ride up there which was nice.  We hit the pool and then went for burgers that night and then came back to the hotel for dessert and a drink. Stella was wired until about 11 pm after a very large scoop of ice cream and fudge brownie…she rarely gets sweets/sugar and usually never at night…it was actually quite funny as it was like she was on drugs!

We had upgraded to a one-bedroom suite in hopes that we all got some sleep.  It was likely a wise choice but I’m thinking we might have been able to do it the old fashioned way with us all piled into one room.

Saturday we hit some open houses to check out what we could afford in Whistler as we always have this little dream when we are there that maybe we could live in Whistler some day.  It’s just so nice up there and the children would really have a nice life being outdoors all the time.  We hit a BBQ festival and had dinner with some friends who were also up in Whistler that evening.

Sunday we went up Whistler mountain and checked out the new Peak to Peak chair lift over to Blackcomb; hit the weekly farmer’s market (if you are in Whistler in the summer I highly recommend it, it’s huge and very good…but pricey); the BBQ festival again and then a late lunch and patio drinks…after that we were off for a long nap followed by a dip in the pool and pizza in our rooms.

Hanging out on Our Porch

Justin headed out to hear a Led Zeppelin cover band with a friend…

On Monday we took a nice long walk around Lost Lake and drove up the Callaghan Valley to see the site of the Nordic events for the 2010 Olympics.  Very cool!

Overall a nice first get away.

Some hotel reviews:

We stayed at the Westin Whistler.  It was a nice property (although the room keys KEPT getting erased and we had to have them re-keyed at least 4 times…a pain with 2 children and a stroller).  It is a great location but there seemed to be too many “rules” for the “deal” we got for staying there. 

On to some other updates…we have our house on the market and hopefully will get an offer soon.  Plans are TBD but a lot of options at this point…could be another “skidaddle” coming up soon if we can muster the courage to do it with 2 now.

Mexican Princess

I think maybe  I should have re-read my own blog posts and tips before going on vacation to Mexico…

Things I forgot and have even mentioned on my blog…

1.  Swiss Army knife…hungry toddler without a knife to cut up fruit stinks…at least for now she doesn’t mind the little “birdie” feedings, that’s me biting the fruit, removing it from my mouth and then giving it to her…yes, I know YUCK…but you do what you have to do.

2.  Bottle of dish detergent…I always have this.  I did in fact remember to pack some laundry detergent and shout wipes for dirty clothes (we were gone for 12 days after all) which sufficed to clean her sippy cup but what a pain.

3.  Emergen-C packets…I always pack these for before and after the flight to help fight off colds and replace lost nutrients, etc.  I forgot them…AND…of all places…we needed them.  Can you say “MONTEZUMA’s REVENGE…”

We had a nice trip to Mexico, despite a few days of not feeling well.  It was the first trip in YEARS that we have limited working to 1-1.5 hours each day and actually took a nap while Stella napped almost every day.  While owning your own business is fantastic, it means you never go on vacation.  This is the most we’ve been away from “the office” in a very long time.

Club Med Ixtapa was nice.  We aren’t really the all-inclusive type of vacationers but it was nice to not have to think about what we were going to eat each day and to relax by the ocean and pool.

Pluses of the resort:

1.  Tons of activities…you name it, they had it.  I did a little water aerobics and yoga each day.  The afternoon sunset band was very nice…too bad I couldn’t have that sunset cocktail.

Sunset Club Med

2.  Above average food and on occasion really good food. (Nut-crusted Red Snapper at Luna Azul restaurant..very nice)

3.  Babysitting and childcare options if you needed.  This resort is the most KID FRIENDLY place I’ve ever been to. They even have a baby welcome package and give you a stroller upon arrival.

4.  Beautiful setting and nice beach.  Waves were a bit big for little ones but there is a nice quiet cove at the end of the beach.  We even had a family of iguanas in front of our room.

Iguana at Club Med

5.  Palapas on the beach and by the pool.

6.  Friendly staff, or better known as GO’s.  (Although they are required to “visit” with the families in the dining hall during meals…which most of us found annoying.  We really didn’t want small talk on vacation).

Minuses:

1.  Tons of activities.  It never ever seemed “quiet” or relaxing.  Always music going and activities to participate in.

2.  Food choices.  While they adverstise 5 restaurants, in fact your only option most of the time is the very large (and decent) buffet.  If you did not get in line at 11:45AM to make a reservation at 12 noon for the NEXT night’s dinner at one of their 2 sit-down restaurants (they aren’t both open each night, they rotate), then you were stuck at the buffet.  You really didn’t have any other options either during the day unless you ate a very late breakfast or lunch.

3.  Rooms.  I have no idea why any hotel on a beach would build ANY rooms without some sort of outdoor area.  Just about everyone on the trip had a room without a balcony or porch as the jump in price was insane.  We had splurged and gotten a family room so Stella would have a room to nap in and we didn’t have to be quiet.  When we asked to upgrade to a room with a balcony they wanted another $900 for 7 nights…This would probably be my biggest complaint.

4.  Nighttime activities…I felt like I was on a cruise ship or in Vegas…Enough already.  Every night.  How about a quiet night to listen to the waves and look at the stars (which were breathtaking).

5.  Not very environmentally friendly.  While they had the usual signs about reusing your towel and I did notice they had 2 trash bins around the grounds, one for organics and one for “inorganics” but people just threw their trash in whichever bin they felt like.  I had made a conscious effort of bringing “earth friendly” diapers and wipes in an effort to not leave as much behind but clearly my small efforts didn’t make a dent in things.  I should have brought a water bottle for Justin and myself in addition to Stella’s as I cringe to think of how many plastic cups we went thru there.  They did have reusable plastic cups near the beach for mixed drinks, etc. but overall, NO recycling and they could make MUCH bigger efforts to cut down on waste.  How about give every visitor a “Club Med” water bottle that can be re-used during their trip?  It would be perfect for the active vacation that they promote and would also go a long way in reducing their waste.  They also “bombed” for mosquitoes every AM and PM and had a note that their bug spray had been EPA approved.  I think they should get rid of the moss covered pond on the grounds and in front of the hotel rooms (Iguana) and that could go a long way of helping with the problem.

Overall it was a great trip.  We had a ton of friends there and the wedding was beautiful.  Dave and Evangeline spent a lot of time organizing a really nice wedding.

Stella had a lot of little friends as well (of the 100 guests, 30 were children).  I don’t think we’d go back to a Club Med as I’m not sure it’s our thing but for some families it would be perfect.

Stella, Georgina & Sasha...She likes hanging with the Big Kids

Beautiful Wedding Setting - Ixtapa Mexico

We didn’t take advantage of any of the child services, as for us, the vacation was time to spend with Stella.  We did go in on 3 nannies for the wedding night and 7 of the kids were watched while we enjoyed an evening alone.  Amazingly, they all did fall asleep.  Stella insisted on sleeping in the big bed with the older children.  It was nice to have so many options for childcare if we wanted it.

Stella mastered the art of pulling her own suitcase on this trip and picked up a huge vocabulary of words.  She also thought she didn’t need my help swimming, to her disappointment!

Stella and Her Dora Suitcase

After Mexico we were off to Vegas for 3 nights for work.  We stayed with Justin’s brother Brandon and his mother, Nanna, came out to watch Stella for us.  It was a nice visit and productive business meetings.

No more flying trips planned for the Lee’s until after baby #2 arrives.

It was weird to think as we packed, vacationed and came home that the next time we go on a plane there will be another child with us.  I’m sure things won’t be so easy next time!

The one thing I would say that we did right was to get Stella her own seat.  It made a world of difference.

On a final note, it’s interesting how people assume traveling and vacationing with children is work.  While yes, it is more tiring, for some reason I feel happier traveling with Stella.  In some small way I think she also brightens the day of some travelers as well.  I can’t even count how many people she made smile on a random Wednesday (full of business travelers) just by the sight of a 19 mos. old little girl lugging her own suitcase (that was as big as her) through the airport in Vegas.

I also found the vacation really relaxing and truly enjoyed just spending time with Stella.  I have heard a lot of parents say that vacation is just like being at home with kids but only harder becauses there is no routine or familiarity.  I don’t feel that way at all.  I see it as a time to throw out routine, experience new things and break the rules when you are on vacation.  It’s a time to have fun with your kids.

Until the next trip….

Stella and Mommy Having Some Fun

Clearly, Mommy must prepare for her little bird to take flight sooner than she had expected!

Train to London

Last weekend we went into London to visit with some friends, do some shopping and eat some yummy meals. We met up with Emma, Simon and Tiffin on Saturday at “Inn the Park” and had a nice long leisurely lunch in the park. Emma and Simon live in London and Tiffin was in town on his way home from work travel. They are friends from Vancouver and went to high school with Brandon (Justin’s brother).

Stella took some breaks and walked around the park carrying her new Louis Vuitton purse and was quite a hit. It’s her favorite thing to do, that is, walk around and carry her purse. And by the way, no, I’m not crazy, I did not buy her a real Louis Vuitton…she got a really nice fake while we were in Greece.

Lunch with Tiffin, Emma and Simon

Dinner at Aaya - yes, it was "HIP" and Stella loved it

Saturday Justin, Stella and I went to a very stylish and hip Japanese restaurant, “Aaya,” and all ate well. Stella even gobbled up her favorites: edamame, barbeque ribs and yam tempura. It was a great evening even with a small baby at a non-kid friendly restaurant. We had contemplated a babysitter but after finding out the prices (nearly $200 for 4 hours) we decided to risk it and take her with us. She was fantastic and it was an enjoyable meal. Don’t miss the lobster salad if you ever go! Yum.

After a very un-restful Saturday night…we were staying at the Le Meridian, Piccadilly, great location but incredibly loud and “wild” on the streets (and of course Justin had to stay up to watch the Penn State game and woke Stella and I up several times)…we were off for yet more great food at the very famous and old “Wolsley’s” for breakfast and then a bit of shopping at Selfridges and Zara (there was a line-up at noon to get in the door at Zara).

Tip: If you are in need of a stroller repair and are in a big city, hit some of the high end department stores. Selfridges had a bike shop and we think they “finally” fixed our tire issues on the Mountain Buggy.

We capped off the trip with an early dinner at a dim sum and tea house. We had some great dim sum and the place was just beautiful to look at.

Clearly the food was the draw for us to London and since we hadn’t had much Asian food in awhile we were all about getting our fill. (We eat Asian food at least 2-4 times per week in Vancouver so we were definitely missing it).

A few tips for traveling with a baby in a big city: As I’ve said before don’t over plan and wear very comfortable shoes. We failed on both regards. We had big plans to do a ton of stuff while we were in London but we only ended up doing about ¼ of the things we had planned. We both wore shoes that killed our feet and we even ended up buying Justin a new pair.

Plan for at least one nap in the hotel for your baby if they are still taking 2 a day. Stella only got 2 full naps the two days we were in London and both were in her stroller. It did not make for a very happy baby for much of the time we were gone but we still made the most of it.

Take cabs. While we tried to use the tube to be more environmental and save money (at the end of the day it was NOT much of a cost savings anyway) it was so much work with a stroller. There were few lifts/elevators and carrying bags and the stroller up stairs is not ideal, especially after being tired after walking and sightseeing, shopping, etc. all day. We finally just gave up and walked to most places and then cabbed back.

Be prepared for crowds. While we had just visited Munich and we live in Vancouver (both reasonably sized cities) I had forgot how crowded the streets are in London. I guess you also pay more attention to it as well when you are navigating with a stroller. Have patience and breathe…

We have a lot going on with our business right now but hope that the end of the week will bring some success and relief from a bit of stress.

The weather in England has actually been very nice and we’ve been enjoying walks along the Thames and exploring a bit. Stella still loves her daily trip to the park.

]]> http://simplebabytravel.com/good-food-and-good-company%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 http://simplebabytravel.com/farewell-atlanta/ http://simplebabytravel.com/farewell-atlanta/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:45:59 +0000 Dreama Lee http://simplebabytravel.com/?p=89 Oh Atlanta

It has been a real treat to spend the past 6 days in Atlanta.  For anyone in need of “hug therapy” I highly recommend you visit Atlanta.  I’ve gotten more hugs in the past 6 days than I can even count.  Nicest people I’ve met in a long time.

Which brings me to my great review of Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel Atlanta

The people there couldn’t have been nicer.  From “Ernest the Engineer” who spent nearly a half hour fixing my Mountain Buggy tire, to Sally the very nice lady who brought us room service twice and loved Stella.  And ofcourse there were the very friendly waiters and breakfast server in the Club Level lounge.

Ernest the Engineer Deserves a Raise

As well as the shuttle driver from Peru who drove me to the grocery store, waited on me to get the few things I needed and then drove me back.  All around the nicest hotel staff I’ve encountered in a very long time.  For more details on the Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel see my Hotel Reviews.

My Dad left yesterday in a “tearsy” goodbye.  It’s always hard to say goodbye.  We will miss him but we’ll see him soon in Greece!

Saying Goodbye after a Nice Weekend

Atlanta airport redeemed itself today.  The terminal we flew out of had a really nice little sunlit area and we had a quick bit at Atlanta Bread.  I recommend it as it is quite good.  It was also amazing to see how many military go thru that airport.  Having been out of the US for nearly 3 years now it was a reminder that the US is at war.  Those men and women deserve a lot of respect.  I overheard a few of them leaving our airport say”take a good look at the green grass as you won’t be seeing any for quite a long time.”  While we were standing in the airport a group came thru and there was a huge loud standing ovation for them.  Quite moving.

Chad, Kathy, Addy and the Lee's at Tony Lukes

We flew into Philadelphia for a long lay over so we met up with Chad, Kathy and their sweet new baby Addy.  It was really nice to see them and we all got a fantastic pork sandwich from Tony Lukes.  Justin and I were looking forward to it for weeks (along with a Yeungling Lager) as we can’t get either in Vancouver.

We were lucky to have a very nice cab driver from Morocco who gave us some good ideas for a trip to Morrocco.

Our Friendly Cab Driver in Philly

The Philly airport is quite nice.  I have to say though we did decide to splurge and fly first class this leg so we spent the rest of our long layover in the Star Alliance/Envoy lounge which is fantastic.  Stella is sound asleep right now in the work area.  She was quite a tired girl (as you can see in the picture above).

We are off to England shortly and it will be nice to be back in the UK for a bit.  I always enjoy my time there.

Some tips for flying:

All in One Wallet: Holds passports and plane tickets

1.  All in one wallet:  I finally broke down and bought one of the all in one travel wallets.  It has been great and for “family” travel and all the documents you have to carry it’s worth it.   I must admit though that I almost lost it today…I decided to get a black one which blends right into my stroller bottom…

2.  Muslin blanket:  I got the blanket for a trip to Florida last year but it has been invaluable for flying as it’s light weight and doesn’t get Stella too hot; I can use it to cover up while breast feeding and it’s also great to drape over her stroller to keep sound/noise out.  Tonight I’m using it for the first time to see if I can drape it over her bassinet that will be attached to the wall for the international flight.

3.  Toys:  I try not to bring too many but have found ones that have rings attached or can have rings attached to them are best as you can easily attach them to the stroller, your purse or bag (sorry folks, I’m ant-diaper bag but if you must, you can attach them to your diaper bag too), and the best part is you can hang them on the back of the seat pocket so they are at easy access.  Some people have recommended buying new toys for a flight but as a minimalist I think this is unnecessary.  If your child is like Stella, just hide a few toys for a few days and she’ll think they are new…but more importantly, she doesn’t usually even want to play with them…she’d rather play with an empty cup or bottle…and I’d guess so will your child!

Ringed Toys for easy access

4.  Small bags for dirty diapers (note:  take these to the bathroom to dispose of, the stewardess doesn’t want to have to throw them away for you)

5.  Snacks.  Depending on how old your baby is you can decide what’s best.  I also like bringing along some old plastic breast milk storage containers as they have screw tops and don’t come open like other tupperware.  I can store fruit in there without it getting squashed.  I find ziplock bags are fine but they often get holes in them and a mess in your bag.

6.  Changing pad, diapers, wipes (PLENTY OF THEM):  I personally don’t bother with a big changing pad but instead carry a cloth diaper.  However, my friend Kim swears by this all in one gadget http://www.patemm.com/ She’s used it on 12 trips alone with her little Mason who turns 1 soon!  I may look into it as it looks like a great find.

Enough for tonight.

Off to relax a bit before our flight.

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.