In celebration of Trekaroo Launching Utah, the Trekaroo KidsMobile has fired up her engines.  We’re making pit stops at 3 local Utah blogs to get the inside scoop and to giveaway some great prizes. Check out their recommendations and enter to win some great prizes:

Utah’s Wasatch Front

The Wasatch Front is the state’s metropolitan center, with 80% of the population residing along this corridor aligned with the striking Wasatch Mountain Range.  The urban areas provide plenty of kid-friendly venues from state-of-the-art museums, to historic parks and zoos that your kids will love. If you’re looking for some outdoor adventure, families should check out the Wasatch Mountains where they’ll find world renowned ski resorts, pristine lakes and rivers, and hiking trails galore. Trekaroo families have the best recommendations on what’s kid-friendly in the Wasatch Front.

Photo by: Flickr/pandrcutts

Check out our Top Picks for Travel with Kids Around Wasatch Front, Utah

As our KidsMobile’s stops at Utah’s Wasatch Front, we welcomed on board some local blogging moms to give us their local scoop on what’s great for kids around the Wasatch Front

Our first stop is DottingTheMap, where we get the scoop from Hilarye on Five Favorite Toddler Friendly Salt Lake City Activities.

Visit DottingTheMap for a chance to win a National Parks Pass.

Hillarye currently  lives in Salt Lake City where she stays at home with her two young daughters and pens the travel blogs DottingTheMap and DTM Baby. She enjoys snowboarding, wake boarding, concerts, traveling and spending time with friends and family. Her favorite part of traveling is experiencing new cultures and meeting new people. She prefers to travel with her babies rather than leave them behind.

Next, we pull in at UtahDealDiva to meet Jessica with great tips on the Top 5 Fun, FREE {or close to it!} SLC area Activities and Top 5 Favorite SLC Outdoor Venues for Kids

Cash in on some frugal finds at UtahDealDiva and enter to win a 9×12 Shutterfly Photo Book.

Jessica really knows how to stretch her dollars when planning family activities.  She is a budget-savvy mom of 4 and loves finding fun places for her kids to explore in Utah! She loves finding deals and saving money on everything from groceries to kitchen gadgets.

Finally, we settle in for a good meal with Jennifer of Rate the Plate Utah who shares with us her list of My Kids’ Favorite Restaurants in Utah County.

Hop on over to Rate the Plate Utah for a chance to win a Shutterfly Personalized ABC Adventure Book..

If you’re looking for the best place to take the kids to eat while visiting the Wasatch Front, Jennifer, a travel addicted and food-loving mom to three little diners, loves to share her traveling tips and favorite eating spots.  Her whole family shares ratings and reviews of recipes, restaurants, and other food products on their blog.

Great Tips from Trekaroo families on Utah’s Wasatch Front:

• Top Picks for Travel with Kids Around Wasatch Front, Utah
• Activities for Kids in Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City Area)
• Kid-friendly Hotels Around Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City Area)
• Kid-friendly Restaurants Around Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City Area)

More from our Utah Launch:

Top 10 Things for Families to do in Utah with Kids

Limited Time Utah Rewards

Do you have recommendations on kid-friendly spots in Utah? Take advantage of Trekaroo’s limited time Utah Rewards. 
Write Utah Reviews and Get $20 to spend on Amazon.

Win Family Getaway to Salt Lake City!

The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival which makes occasional stops in various cities.  We welcome on board local bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo and share with us their inside scoop on their city.

Taking the kids hiking in Alaska is less daunting than one might think. While the 49th state indeed possesses a large number rugged trails far into the back country, plenty of opportunities exist for the casual family hiking group wishing to sample a bit of outdoor recreation, northern-style. Our crew frequently throws walking sticks, bear spray, and the dog into the family truckster and rumbles off to choice trekking that only seems a world away. Visitors, too, can escape the often frenetic pace of family vacations by wandering along a stream, meadow, or mountain trail. A wonderful way to preview family-friendly hikes is via the four Alaska Public Lands Information Centers located in frequently-visited Alaskan cities. Along with park passes and maps, helpful staff will guide a family to the most appropriate hike for everyone’s ability level. Here are some of our favorites:

Southcentral:

Home to Anchorage, the state’s largest city, and where a plethora of moms and dads take to the trails year round, the southcentral region offers close-in hiking opportunities that don’t require hours of driving. Try the beautiful Campbell Creek Science Center  on the fringe of Anchorage for flat, well-maintained trails that support both jog strollers and small legs. Start at the Center’s main parking lot near the offices and hike the Old Rondy Trail along tranquil Campbell Creek, or weave your way back to Elmore Road via Moose Track. Birds, moose, and the occasional bear are all part of the experience, as are beautiful wildflowers and dark spruce trees.

If you want to climb higher, drive up to Arctic Valley  east of Anchorage along the Glenn Highway, where stunning views of town and nearby mountains provide plenty of eye candy, not to mention tranquil meadows that beg for Sound of Music moments. A favorite spot for late-summer berry picking, Arctic Valley is alpine hiking at its finest, with trails weaving around and up ski runs managed by the Anchorage Ski Club. Hike for an hour or a whole day in this mountainous marvel, but bring water and snacks as there are no nearby outlets for either. Bug spray helps, too, as black flies can appear on a warm day and make for miserable walking. Park in the lot for a $5 State Park fee or along the dusty gravel road below for free.

Interior: With dry summers (usually) and beautiful vistas upon which one can view the splendor of Alaska’s north country, the Fairbanks area provides families a ton of hiking opportunities. For an easy 2-mile loop right in town, try Creamer’s Field near College Road, home to a healthy population of migrating birds and local wildlife. Winding through the beautiful fields of this former dairy farm, the trail takes hikers through a pastoral scene and through a spruce and birch forest teeming with flora and fauna. Kids will enjoy the interpretive signs and honks of resident geese and squawks of visiting Sandhill Cranes in late summer, and their regular family-friendly interpretive programs.

Along the Chena Hot Springs Road lies the Angel Rocks trail, a beautiful hike leading one through dense forestland and into the massive Angel Rocks area, with plenty of interesting sights for the kiddos. At 3.5 miles round-trip, this hike is easy for most families and remains a stellar favorite among travelers for its varying viewpoints and amazing landscape. Find the trailhead at Milepost 48.9 of the Chena Hot Springs Road, and don’t forget a picnic either before or after at lovely grounds along the river banks.

Southeast: Way down south, but where most visitors to Alaska capture their first glimpse of the 49th state sits the capitol city of Juneau, where mountains rise almost from the sea and where locating hiking trails is as easy as stepping off the cruise ship or ferry. An easy way to get high on Juneau is via Mount Roberts where the historic tram whisks a family way up to the summit of Mount Roberts, thus saving energy for the hike down. It can be a slippery hike on a rainy day, but if one is prepared with appropriate footwear and clothing, Mount Roberts can also prove to be a highlight of any southeast Alaska visit, and well worth the ticket price to the top (kids 6 and under are free, though).

Mighty Mendenhall Glacier has its own trail system to allow for ogling of ice about 12 miles from town. Take the Moraine Ecology Trail from the north end of the parking lot and investigate the glacial effects upon the landscape. Young forest, old forest, and everything in between are visible from the 1.5 mile trail. Take time, also, to visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center for incredible views of the glacier and some great interpretive info from rangers.

Hit the trail this summer and enjoy some family fitness time in the 49th state. Alaska’s wilderness beckons, answer the call.

Erin Kirkland is a freelance writer and editor of AKontheGO.com, a web site dedicated to family-friendly destinations and activities in Alaska. She lives in Anchorage with her husband and youngest son, six.

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Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Spring Break is made for beach vacations.  Many oceanfront destinations try to appeal to a wild college crowd but Santa Barbara offers great family fun year round, so we decided to head up the coast to enjoy a bit of the American Riviera. Here are some fun things to do with your kids near the palm-lined coast of Santa Barbara.  I dare you to have more fun than we did!

Kayaking –

My son was quite nervous as he looked out at the waves of Refugio Beach, wondering how we would get our kayaks out beyond them.  I wasn’t worried about getting our kayaks past the waves, but I was very worried about freezing while I was doing it.  It was Spring Break and despite our wishes for warm sun, clouds covered the beach and left us feeling quite cold.  I wanted to enjoy this ocean kayaking trip!  Our tour guide surprised us by giving us the next best thing to the sun: full body wetsuits.  It was like putting on an electric blanket!  After some beach side paddling instructions, our guide helped us get through the waves and we were off.  I turned around in my kayak to watch my nervous 10-year-old as he and daddy paddled hard through the small surf.  The beaming smile on his face told me that he loved it.  The nervousness was gone AND we were toasty warm!

Our family took the more adventurous Refugio State Beach Kayaking Trip but families can take a tour led kayaking trip right on the Harbor of Santa Barbara.  It’s an enjoyable and relaxing paddle with great views of the city and Stern’s Wharf.  The Santa Barbara Adventure Company offers many different adventures and families could spend weeks enjoying them.  Their trips include horseback riding, day hikes, surf lessons, and even kayaking tours along the scenic coves of the Channel Islands.  On our kayaking trip, our tour guide was excellent and the adventure was so much fun.  I especially enjoyed the fresh sandwich ingredients that our guide prepared for us as we rested on a secluded beach and watched our kids playing in the sand and surf.

Read my full review of kayaking with the Santa Barbara Adventure Company.

Bike Riding – You can rent a 5- or 8-seater surrey bike from Wheel Fun Rentals.  They offer quite a variety of human-powered forms of wheeled locomotion!  Our boys loved pedaling hard along the pedestrian/bike path that parallels the ocean.  The views are incredible and the joy of combining the family’s leg strength to get somewhere is exhilarating.  Just don’t be surprised when joggers pass you up like they did us!  Ride your family bike down to East Beach where there is a playground, long stretches of white sand, showers, and a grill for thirsty bike riders.  On your way back towards Stern’s Wharf, be sure to stop at the inland side of Chase Palm Park for a carousel ride or a stroll along Mission Creek.  Exciting Shipwreck Playground will delight kids of all ages.

Read my full review of Wheel Fun Rentals.

Whale Watching – Some of the best whale watching can be found right here in the Santa Barbara Channel.  We loved riding with Condor Express because of the excellent docents who kindly interacted with our kids and helped them learn about humpback and grey whales, dolphins, porpoises, krill, baleen, and so much more.  What an amazing sight to see so many humpback whales showing their tails right near our boat!  Bonus- we didn’t get seasick (best thing ever!) because of the smooth sailing of this modern catamaran.

Read my full review of whale watching with Condor Express.

Sight Seeing – You can’t miss Stern’s Wharf sticking out into the ocean like a big thumb.  What is surprising is that you can drive onto this wharf!   We walked onto the wharf just before the sunset and enjoyed eating ice cream, perusing the souvenir shops and finding the penny press.  The Ty Warner Sea Center is located on Stern’s Wharf and is a great place for kids to learn about the ocean and it’s inhabitants.  It’s stocked with hands-on learning activities and fun.  Near Stern’s Wharf, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is located in the harbor right next to Lil’ Toot, the cute, yellow water taxi that takes visitors from Stern’s Wharf to the harbor.  The Museum offers a dedicated children’s section for learning how to tie knots, fishing for salmon in the simulator, speaking sailor talk (the clean kind), and making some crafts.  This place is packed with information on history, ships, and so much more.  It is very kid-friendly.

Read my full review of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

Bus Riding – Hop on the Electric Shuttle for a more restful form of traveling.  It only costs a quarter and kids under 45” ride free.  The bus can take you back and forth along the beach or it can take you inland, down famous State Street and downtown.  If you ride east, the bus driver takes you to the beautiful Santa Barbara Zoo.  The animals and lush greenery there will delight both kids and adults.

Eating – Enjoy lunch or dinner at one of many restaurants scattered along Cabrillo Blvd. or up State Street.  Look for the lighthouse to find the family-friendly Rusty’s Pizza, which is known to many in Santa Barbara for offering delicious pizzas in a fun atmosphere.  Stern’s Wharf offers a variety of dining experiences.  From the fine dining and beach-themed food of The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company near the end of the wharf, to the counter-served Char Fish & Chips, you are sure find something to good to eat.  We hopped in our car and drove for about 10 minutes to the locally famous La Super-Rica Taqueria.  We were so hungry when we got here that watching the cooks grill our strip steak and press fresh tortillas was almost painful.  But the food was worth the wait!

Stay- Hotel Oceana was the perfect place for our family to relax after enjoying all of our adventures.  Our king size deluxe room had a separate little room with a sleeper sofa that our kids crashed on at the end of the day.  We loved being able to close the door to their room and then turn on our TV and enjoy some winding down ourselves.  The hotel was located just across the street from the ocean and we could see the harbor and Stern’s Wharf from the big window in our room- it was just beautiful!  Palm trees, grassy open areas and inviting outdoor seating pulled us from our equally beautiful room to enjoy the sunshine and the view of the ships coming into the harbor.  We really liked being able to walk out the front door of the hotel and take a short walk to the Wharf, the sand, or a nearby restaurant for dinner. Our kids could have stayed in the pool all day but there was more adventure outside to be had!

Read all about the beautiful and family friendly Hotel Oceana.

Despite so many different activities undertaken, our ocean kayaking experience was easily the highlight of our trip to Santa Barbara.  The cold, overcast early morning made the wetsuits a blessing, but I had dreamed of paddling along the secluded beaches near Santa Barbara with the sun beating down on my hat and glistening on the water.  Thankfully, I was not disappointed.  As we stopped to float among some kelp beds and taste some “sea salad,” the sun came out from behind the clouds and made our great adventure just about perfect.  After all, I hadn’t wanted to drench the entire family in sunscreen for nothing!

Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay at Hotel Oceana in order to complete a review and write this story. She also received a complimentary tour from Santa Barbara Adventure Company, Condor Express, Wheel Fun Rentals and entry to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.  None of these companies asked her to express any particular opinion about her experience.

It was a rude shock returning to the US from London and arriving at the departure gate for my American Airlines flight from Miami to San Francisco. Despite the fact that I had just endured an extremely chaotic situation at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports due to snow disruptions, my frustration with American Airlines’ appalling service topped anything I experienced in Heathrow and Gatwick just days before. The stark difference in the level of customer care between British Airways and American Airlines was like night and day.

The experience has left me wondering how a supposedly world class airline has come to behave more like a budget airline.  A quick poll on Trekaroo’s Facebook page confirmed that my experience with American Airlines wasn’t unique at all.   The irony is that it’s the budget airlines like Jetblue, Southwest and Virgin America who seem to come up consistently as having great service for families.  Has the world of air travel been turned upside down?

Photo by: Wikihow

Read more about Which Airline Is Most Kid-friendly?

The Character of a World Class Airline

This past December, I flew British Airways from San Francisco to London and what struck me was how much attention both the flight crew and ground staff paid towards customer care.  Even in the midst of dealing with an unbelievably chaotic situation at Heathrow and Gatwick, their staff was polite, helpful, and equipped to help. They behaved exactly as one would expect of a World Class airline.

Photo by: Wikicommons/Josh Hallett

When the unexpected happens, that’s when you see a person’s true colors.  Same goes with airlines.  During the recent snow storms in the UK, I was caught at both London Heathrow and London Gatwick.  All flights were canceled and delayed for days on end.  While airport authorities performed appallingly, my experience with British Airways was superb.  It was an impossible situation for the airline, but they brought in an army of extra staff who remained patient, polite, and remarkably helpful.  Yes, passengers had to stand in long lines to wait to talk to someone, but when we got to speak with someone, the agents were attentive to our particular predicament and bent over backwards to resolve your situation from beginning to end with polite attentiveness.

Here are two impressive examples.  When I told a ground agent that I was trying to get to my grandma’s funeral, he took me aside and secured me the last seat on the next flight out so that I wouldn’t have to stand in a 3 hour line.  A few days later on my return journey, I got in front of a BA ticketing agent named Scott at Gatwick airport.  After having a miserable time trying to rebook a canceled flight on ba.com and over the phone, Scott was a breath of fresh air to this weary passenger.  I explained how I ended up buying an entirely new ticket that cost £1800 to secure the last seat on a different route.  It was far from a conventional way to rebook, but he spent all the time necessary to sort out my bookings.  I was able to get home for Christmas without paying a hefty bill.  I never needed to get tough or confrontational. British Airways was even ready to upgrade me to get me home.

Now, contrast this to my experience with American Airlines.  After arriving late from Heathrow, I reached the gate for my connecting flight only to find that they had given away my seat just 3 minutes earlier.  The ground agent showed no interest or sympathy that American Airlines has caused me to miss the final boarding call by 3 minutes due to their error in printing the wrong gate number on my boarding pass.   To further frustrate the situation, the gate agent refused to­ help me get on the next flight.  She didn’t even take the time to see if there was another flight we could rush to, nor did she explain where we should go to rebook our flights.  She left without explanation after keeping the few passengers in the same predicament waiting for 20 minutes.  Finding myself back outside at the check in counter, the experience was the same.  The agent was more concerned about getting off her shift rather than looking for a flight I could get on that evening.  Resigned that I would have to fly out the next morning, she refused to put me up in a hotel while I waited to get on my next flight out the next morning.  Her glazed over expressionless face said it all, “You’re just another annoying passenger and I couldn’t be bothered if you get there today, tomorrow or in a week.”  It was nothing short of a frustrating experience in what seemed like a pretty normal situation.  I shudder to think how American Airlines would care for their passengers under a more chaotic situation like I had just experienced in London.

So, I trudged over to British Airways with my bags and waited for their ticket agents to return to the counter.  Although it was they had already sent off the last flight for the day, they stuck around for the extra 10 minutes it took to booked me into the Marriott and provided me with meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast.  Now that’s what I call acting like a top-class airline.

So really, what are the advantages of flying a big airline like American Airlines or United Airlines?

Do they have better on board amenities?  – No

-       My flight from Miami to San Francisco didn’t have a personal entertainment system like you’d find on Jetblue or Virgin America.

-       You now have to pay for food on domestic flights just like on any budget airline.

Are tickets competitively priced?  Not really.

-       The big airlines like American and United are coming down in price, but when you get a deal on Jetblue, Virgin America, or Southwest, their rates are a steal on high traffic routes.

-       In fact, the big guys like American and United now charge for check in bags.  And surprisingly, it’s the budget airlines like Southwest (2 checked bags) and Jetblue (1 checked bag) who still offer free checked luggage allowances.

Do flight attendants provide better customer service? – No

-       Flight attendants are no more helpful than on other airlines, in fact the budget airlines like Southwest and Jetblue consistently get voted by Trekaroo families for having the best service.

The only reason I can really think of to select the big guys like American or United is for the volume of routes they cover.  In some instances, they may be your only option.  However, for the best price, you can almost expect them to route you through one of their hubs before taking you to your final destination.

The state of American Airlines really is tragic.  If you’re looking for great customer service, great prices, and some nice extras, steer clear of the big airlines.  The following airlines from my experience and those of other families on Trekaroo are the ones who continue to shine in the eyes of their customers.

US Domestic: Virgin America, Jetblue, Southwest, Midwest

Europe: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic.

Asia and the Pacific: Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Middle East: Emirates Air, Qatar Air

If you’ve had a great experience with any airline, leave a comment below sharing with us how an airline took really good care of you.

Related:

• Family-friendly Airlines – what’s most important when flying with kids?
• Tips or Flying with Kids
• How to Deal with Flight Delays
• Flying with Baby

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LiLing Pang is co-founder of Trekaroo – a reviews website dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

When the producers of the 2-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning  comedy invited our family to watch this spoof of Alfred Hitchcock’s murder mystery – 39 Steps, I wasn’t sure what to expect for our 7 year old.  However, from the moment the lights dimmed and the stage broke into life, our 7 year old became progressively spellbound by the experience.

As an adult, I was absolutely thrilled by the brilliance with which a cast of 4 was able to play a 140 characters.  This clever and absurd rendition of Alfred Hitchcock’s murder mystery was filled with unexpected interpretations and wildly hilarious moments.  What I enjoyed most about the performance was being reminded that great theatrical performances don’t need extravagant sets, costumes or a 100 piece orchestra.  39 Steps is a performance where the power of suggestion and exaggeration tug your imagination out of the closet and transport you into a different reality.  We thoroughly enjoyed this show filled with many laughs, mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance.

I was a little concerned that the story line of a murder mystery would be too much for a 7 year old.  There are 2 shooting scenes where blanks are fired from a revolver that caused him to jump visibly, but all in all, the comical way in which these events unfolded on stage did not disturb him at all.  In any case, I was delighted that he was able to appreciate the artistry with which the directors and actors commanded on this stage.  Theatre is an art form that young people are slowly loosing the appreciation  for as productions lean more and more on special effects to draw their audiences in.  39 Steps isn’t so.  It’s artistically ingenious and I was delighted that our 7 year old had the opportunity to savor it.

It was with great sadness that I learned that 39 Steps just announced that their last performance will be Jan 16, 2011.  Time is running out to watch this brilliant performance.  I highly recommend that families with kids ages 9 and up try to catch the show before it’s final bow.

Here’s one of my favorite scenes from 39 steps.

More videos of 39 Steps

Planning your trip to New York with kids?  Check out:

• Activities for Kids in New York
• Kid-friendly Hotels in New York City

The Steal:  Win 2 Tickets to the comedy 39 Steps

Details: One lucky winner will win two tickets to a performance of 39 Steps at New World Stages in New York City

Winner: One (1) winner

Prize: Two Tickets to any performance of 39 Steps

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN: Leave a comment telling us which scene you liked the best.  Watch scenes of 39 steps here.

For additional entries, feel free to do any or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra entry but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ONE.

• Follow 39 Steps on Twitter
• Like 39 Steps on Facebook
• Write a review on Trekaroo and post a link to it in the comments each review gets you 5 entries

• Subscribe to the Trekaroo Blog
• Tweet a link to this Monday Mad Steal via @Trekaroo
• Post this on your Facebook Wall using the Facebook Share link above
• Fan Trekaroo on Facebook
• Follow Trekaroo on Twitter
• Post this giveaway on your blog
• Subscribe to Trekaroo in your reader
  

Rules and guidelines:

• 18 years of age or older
• US Residents only (Alaska and Hawaii residents are not eligible to win the Koolatron Travel Cooler)

Deadline to enter: Sunday,December 26, 2010 at 11:59PM PST

Contest Restrictions: Prize is valid for two full price orchestra/mezzanine seats to The 39 Steps on a select performance through January 16^th, 2011.  Winner will have the option to choose from a variety of dates.  Some blackout dates apply.

The Deal: Trekaroo Families Get Up to 50% off Tickets

$39 – Best available seats (Wed & Thurs performances only)

$55 – Rear Mezzanine seats (all performances)

$65 – Orchestra & Front Row Mezzanine (all performances)

SAVE OVER 50%! Tickets regularly priced at $69.50 – $89.50.

HOW TO ORDER:

1.  VISIT http://www.BroadwayOffers.com and use code TNHHC210

2.  CALL (212) 947-8844 and mention code TNHHC210

3.  BRING a printout of this discount to New World Stages at 340 West 50th Street

Restrictions: Offer valid for select seats at all performances through 1/16/11. Limit 10 tickets per order. All prices include a $1.50 facility fee. Offer is subject to availability and may be revoked at any time.

What is Monday Madness?

Every Monday, Trekaroo announces on our blog, either a fantastic giveaway or an incredible deal.  It could be a green water bottle, a hotel stay on Maui or theme park tickets. Return every Monday to the Talking Trekaroo Blog for the details. Want a reminder? Become a Trekaroo member or follow us on facebook or twitter.

Thanks to Contest for Moms, Online Sweepstakes, CashNet Sweepstakes, and Sweepstakes Advantage.