Park City, Utah, once a silver mining boom town deep in the Wasatch Mountain Range, has been transformed over the past few decades into one of the most family friendly vacation destinations in the USA.  Just like it lured hopeful miners in search of silver fortune and drew the 2002 Winter Olympians going for gold, Park City continues to attract numerous visitors in search of something special.  Here are just a few of my family’s favorite things about Park City.

 Historical, Cultural and Environmental Attractions

Civic pride has ensured that visitors come away from Park City with a greater appreciation of its history and future place on the world stage.  If you are driving into town, stop by the Kimball Junction Visitors Center  to pick up a training schedule for the nearby Utah Olympic Park.  We had a thrill riding in a bobsled along the same track that was used in the 2002 Olympic Games and our professional driver made sure we were racing along at top speed.  After our victory dance, we explored the Park’s two museums, the Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum.  We even got to touch a real Olympic torch!

If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, explore the great outdoors at your own pace at the Swaner Preserve and Eco-Center.  There we learned about this region’s natural habitat and saw some of the plants and animals that make their homes in the mountains surrounding Park City.  While in downtown Park City, stop by the Park City Museum  to learn about the transformation from a silver mining town to a world-class ski destination.  Be sure to visit all three floors of the museum including  the basement which houses The Dungeon, the original jail which is always popular.  Artistic kids may prefer the creative exhibits at the Kimball Art Center.  The docents are always eager to chat about the artists and their works which helps engage our kindergartner. Her eyes light up when she discovers artwork she likes.  That’s a treasure worth sharing anytime!

Ski and Snowboard Resorts

Only 45 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport, Park City is home to three of the top-rated ski resorts in the world:  Canyons Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and Park City Mountain Resort.  Families flock to these mountains not only for the incredible range of terrain to suit any level skier, but also for Utah’s famous powder dubbed the greatest snow on earth!  Park City Mountain Resort is where my kindergartner learned to ski so it will always hold a special place in my heart.  Ski Magazine named Park City Mountain Resort as the #1 Family Vacation for 2012.  If you or your kiddos need a few lessons, do yourself and them a favor…go with the pros!  The ski, snowboard and adaptive school instructors are absolutely incredible.  I went from a beginner to a confident green trails skier in just three days.  Now, I cannot wait to return!  If your family is made up of mixed level skiers, there are some amazing group meetups on the mountain; the black diamond skiers can venture off on the resort’s famous groomed trails while the beginners can safely ski at their own pace on the turtle trails.  This was such a relief and no one got hurt trying to ski a trail they were not ready to explore.  If you’re looking to refill hungry tummies, the Cobra Dogs are legendary and the bison chili at the Legacy Lodge is my personal fave.  Some of the resorts, such as the Marriot’s MountainSide, have outdoor hot tubs which are a huge hit after spending a few hours on the slopes.

Hand-crafted Snow Bugs, made in Utah by Frank Conlon, make great souvenirs and hang in our house to remind us of our time spent on the slopes.  They are  a great conversation starter when guests visit.  The Snow Bugs are available for purchase at all three Park City resorts as well as at the SLC airport.

We’ve found that a vacation to Park City is like a silver lined memory all dusted with snow.  Once you visit this magical land, you’ll find yourself dreaming of a return trip just like we are.  Hope to see you there!

Stay tuned for more in depth ski resort anaylsis on Trekroo:  January 2012.

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This year, I made it a point to finally ditch my beaten, battered, cat scratched, and barely functioning luggage in search of something durable and family friendly. But was there really such thing as family friendly luggage? I was determined to find out.

After scanning the internet, desperate to find something that would make my life easier during our 20+ trips per year, I came across Eagle Creek’s Pack-it System.  Their website  assured me that their system of  folders, cubes, sacks, and organizers would make my life easier. I was definitely intrigued by the concept so I decided to contact Eagle Creek and put the system to the test.

The Pack-it System became my travel hero.

Before I start waxing poetic about the many reasons to love my cubes, I first should start with the shell I use to carry them all, the Eagle Creek Tarmac 25.  This 17 x 25 x 12.5 inch bag (standard check-in suitcase size) only weighs 9 1/2 lbs! In a world where families are constantly struggling to stay under the 50lb weight limit, a lightweight suitcase is like a golden ticket which ensures your passage through the check-in lines without extra fees. I have stuffed that suitcase until it couldn’t possibly be stuffed any more and still come well below the 50lb limit. Take that nickel and diming airlines!

My Tarmac is the vessel for the Pack-it System that I love.  The system uses self contained little pouches to organize clothing, and make the best use possible of the space in your suitcase. The centerpiece of the system are the cubes, which come in a variety of sizes and shapes.  I can use one standard sized cube for each of my kids, and pack their shirts, pants, and shorts in one spot.  I roll their clothes in the cubes, keeping things as wrinkle-free as possible, resulting in a 14×10″ pouch that I can easily take out of a suitcase and put into a drawer as we hop from destination to destination. Unpacking takes 2 minutes and I can put the suitcase in the closet and not have to think about it until we are ready to move on.

Socks and underwear end up in a smaller cube while extra shoes hang out in their own little compartment. I use a half cube to throw in sweatshirts or anything I want easy access to from the front zipper of the suitcase. A folding toiletry bag holds, well, the toiletries! You get the picture. There is a cube built to serve pretty much ever purpose you can think of.  I even have a folder that is perfect for my dresses, pants, other things I want to keep flat.  I am telling you, they have thought of everything.

Besides allowing me to stay organized, the Pack-it System also helps me pack a heck of a lot into one suitcase.  I have used this suitcase and system now for three seasons. My kids and I shared a suitcase on a 5 day trip to Mammoth in the winter, along with a duffel to carry our ski jackets and snow boots. Anyone who has packed for the snow can understand just how impressive that is!  I also managed to pack my kids into that same suitcase for a 3 week trip to the Pacific Northwest, where I was forced to pack for every possible condition due to the region’s finicky weather. As we toured the Olympic Penninsula and stayed in different lodging each night, I simply slipped out my cubes and found what I needed without a moment of hassle.

So it is true. There is such as thing as family-friendly luggage after all. Eagle Creek has managed to make traveling easier for my family and any company that helps me spend less time stressing and more time enjoying deserves all the praise in the world.

*All photos courtesy Eagle Creek Luggage.

Disclosure:  I received a complimentary suitcase, duffel, and pieces of the Pack-It System in order to review the products. Eagle Creek did not ask that  I state any particular opinion and certainly did not ask me to gush about the fabulousness of their luggage. I just couldn’t help myself!

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

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

The Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, Arizona offers families amazing fun, breathtaking beauty and four diamond luxury.  It sometimes feels difficult to put those fancy descriptive words next to “families” and “kids”, but the resort pulls it off wonderfully.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my kids can be loud.  Sometimes they whine and yes, they can even cry when they don’t get their way.  That being said, we’ve never let that stand in the way of travel, art and culture.  My husband and I have been heading out to art museums and hotels with our kids in tow since they were born.  However, there have been a few times when the reality of three little ones (all girls age 1-6) has come blaringly clear to other travelers and we have received those corner of the eye looks that seem to whisper that our children are to “be seen and not heard”.   I get this little wriggle in my stomach when this happens and start to doubt if my children should be allowed to view amazing art at age 5, or be in the company of high-paying guests eating extraordinary food.  I also start to doubt my mom abilities to contain them or make them conform to a society who sometimes seems to view kids as an inconvenience.

While driving up the road into the Arizona Grand Resort, I felt my stomach wriggle a little again.  The grounds were breathtakingly beautiful that I almost forgot I was in the middle of the desert.  The mixture of water features, lush greenery, large mature trees, beautiful flowers and architecture signaled luxury, and I began to worry.  The stomach wriggling came as my mind inserted my three beautiful, albeit bouncy and excited, children into this luxurious picture and imagined fellow resortees giving me that look of disapproval.  On our drive out they were singing “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands”, and I was just hoping that no one would mind if they continued to be happy, and yes, even clap their hands.

I was so impressed with this resort.

While stunningly beautiful, full of amazing amenities, and exceptional service, the resort is far from stuffy or pretentious.   As I walked into the lobby, all of those wriggly stomach feelings began to melt away.  The lobby looks like an oversized version of your own living room (although slightly more picked up than mine).  Large, comfy couches are grouped together in seating patterns around fireplaces and coffee tables.  The golf course backs up into the walkthrough patio with a small lake and fountain providing a peaceful lullaby.  Families, even with small kids like mine, were gathered around these tables and chairs eating, talking and laughing, just as if they were at an amazing home away from home.  My fears dropped even more as I interacted with hotel staff who seemed so pleased to welcome so many families to their resort.  They went out of their way to welcome even the smallest guest and many of the staff stopped to talk to my kids and ask them if they were having a good time.

Our room was also amazing and just as family friendly.  It was luxurious with fantastic linens and amazing lighting, but it also was decorated in way that was so approachable and comfortable that you really felt you could put your feet up (or jump on the beds as my little ones did!).  All of the rooms at The Grand are suites with at least one closed off bedroom and a pull out couch in the living room.  The kids were so excited to have their own room and as much as we love to take our kids with us everywhere, it was nice to have a quiet place to lay our heads as well.  The mini-bar was available, but came with a key so you didn’t need to worry about your kids accidentally seeing (and then wanting, needing, pleading for that $5 bag of candy).   Room service even offers a great deal on a family pizza dinner (with drinks & breadsticks) for under $30!!

The Marketplace Café inside the lobby also had some great deals on some quick and easy breakfasts and lunches that made things easier with the kids.  Instead of spending our time waiting for breakfast at one of the many outstanding restaurants on the property, we grabbed some milk and boxed cereal and ate in our rooms to get a quick jump on the day.  This café and nearby gift shop also had lots of little things you might have forgotten to bring on your trip and this could save you a trip out of the property to the grocery store.

All of the restaurants on site (there are five!) have kid’s menus with options suitable for even the most pickiest of eaters (I can say this with certainty as I am well acquainted with this species of child).  I had the chance of eating at two of the restaurants on site: Aunt Chilada’s and Rustler’s Rooste- both of which I  recommend to families.

Read my full reviews of Aunt Chilada’s and Rustler’s Rooste on Trekaroo.

The grounds are also set up with kids in mind.  There are nooks and crannies with things like ping pong tables and small games to play throughout the resort.  The Grand has an amazing private waterpark with everything you could ever want or imagine for you and your kids.  There are three giant slides for kids 48” and up, a huge wave pool, an active (faster than lazy) river, splash zones for little ones and a full restaurant and bar on site for your convenience.  There were plenty of servers keeping guests satisfied wandering the premises, and the 13-17 trained and certified lifeguards on staff at any time were keeping a close watch on the kids so that the adults could relax a bit too.  The waterpark features some awesome activities during peak seasons including concerts, dancers, and “dive-in” movies. In addition to the waterpark, there are pools in the courtyards near each building that offer later hours of swimming as well as a few adult only pools.

If you do want a moment to relax without the little ones, you can feel certain that they are in good hands with either the Grand Adventures Kids Club or the in-room babysitting that is available.  The Kid’s Club is for your school aged kids (5-12) and features crafts, games, hikes, activities and snacks to keep them not only busy, but thoroughly entertained.  Reservations are required for both and there are fees associated, but the price might just be worth it for a moment or two of pampering at the spa, a romantic dinner, working out at the gym, or even your own chance to be that cuddly couple in love at the adult only pool!

I was so pleased with the resort’s friendliness to families.  By the end of our trip, instead of shushing our little ones, we were all singing “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!”  And we did!

Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay at The Arizona Grand Resort in order to complete an unbiased review and this post. The resort did not ask that any particular opinion be expressed.

Katie Bodell (aka filmdncr) is mom to three girls living in Southern California and 2011 Trekaroo Superoo.

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

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congratulations to Tricia Andrews, comment number 140, for winning this amazing prize! Enjoy your time at the Breakers.

Some hotels are the stuff of legends. In Palm Beach, Florida there is no hotel more historic then The Breakers. Originally built back in 1896, and host to such famous names as the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts as well as many US Presidents, the hotel has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since the 1970s.  The resort manages to combine opulent Italian Renaissance-style architecture and high class amenities to create a family friendly luxury destination.

On Friday, Lisa-Marie shared her family’s experience at the Breakers and spoke highly of its private beach club, many water activities, and delicious breakfast buffet at The Circle. Just the words beach, shopping, and food were enough to make me want to make my reservation and hop on a plane!

Read Lisa-Marie’s post about The Breakers Palm Beach.

If you think a long weekend at The Breakers is just what your family needs this summer, than this giveaway is for you!

The Steal:  Win a 3 Night Stay at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. This prize is valued at over $1000.00.

Details: One very lucky winner will receive a3 day/2 night stay based on Deluxe Room, including complimentary continental breakfast for up to four
valid for travel June 1 – September 30, 2011, Sunday – Wednesday nights.

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:

Step 1: Share this giveaway using the Facebook share button at the top of the page

Step 2: Leave a blog comment below letting us know that you did.

Get extra entries by repeating steps 1 and 2 once a day.  But be sure to leave a new comment each time.

Get even more additional entries:

Feel free to do any or all of the following actions.  Each action counts as an extra entry but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ONE or the entry will not be counted.

• Fan Trekaroo on Facebook
• Tweet a link to this Monday Mad Steal via @Trekaroo using the Twitter share button at the top of the page.

• Subscribe to the Trekaroo Blog

• Follow Trekaroo on Twitter
• Post this giveaway on your blog

Rules and guidelines:

• 18 years of age or older
• US Residents only

Deadline to enter: Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 11:59PM PST

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.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

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

The floodgates have opened.

As the Mississippi River swells and creeps to within inches of levee tops in the Deep South, the homes and livelihoods of thousands are in grave danger. This week, Louisiana’s Morganza floodway started opening its gates, and water now rushes through at 1.5 million cubic feet per second.  Those living in the Atchafalaya River Basin knew that this day could someday come, but many are poor and this is where they could afford to build.  The bayou was their home.

I have had a fascination with Louisiana ever since I first drove over its long causeways that stretched for miles above swampland on Interstate 10.  The state was unlike any other I had seen and the people had an amazing culture all their own. The music scene is so unique and lively and the food is absolutely out of this world.  People who live here have hearts bigger than the biggest gator sitting lazily on the banks of the bayou. They love each other and they love Louisiana.

Their love is contagious.

This year, on my annual trek to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, I decided to add an extra day to my vacation so that I could go for a tour of Louisiana’s Outback with Capt’n Sammie.  My main objective was to see a gator in the wild.  Our route followed the Creole Nature Trail, an All American Road through marshland and estuaries teeming with wildlife in Cameron Parish, Lousiana’s largest yet least populated parish. Capt’n Sammie wasn’t the cutoff shorts wearing, impossibly hard to understand swamp dweller that I had created in my head (I have logged too many hours of Swamp Men into my brain), but he is a man who has called Cameron Parish his home for most of his life, and is a walking encyclopedia about the history, politics, and wildlife of the area.  There is no better tour guide than Cap’n Sammie.

Our journey began with a stop in the tiny town of Hackberry, LA.  For visitors coming from Interstate 10, Brown’s Grocery is one of the only places to stop and grab food.  I highly recommend heading to the deli and asking for some boudin (pronounced boo-dan), a sausage/casserole hybrid in link form.  Sammie told us that women created boudin as a way for their husbands to take casseroles with them while they fished and hunted.  The link casing is purely a mode of transportation, not meant to be ingested. The filling is a delicious and flavor filled combination of meat, rice, onion, bell pepper and spices.  Don’t leave Southwest Louisiana without sampling some!

With boudin in our bellies, we headed south until we reached the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge has a nice 1 mile partially paved (and stroller friendly) pathway, the Blue Goose Trail, that leads to an elevated platform above the marshland.   Here visitors can view an amazing variety of birds- from snowy egrets to brown pelicans to even the occasional bald eagle. Oh yes, and alligators. Certainly can’t come to Lousiana without seeing a couple of those right? Cap’n Sammie says that a big alligator likes to hang out under the viewing area near the parking lot.  We saw the big muddy wallow he had carved out but there was no sign of the gator. My guess is that he was off on a morning hunt.

As we hit headed down to the gulf, I suddenly asked Sammie to pull the car over.  I needed to stop and stare a bit at a row of houses built on stilts at least 15 feet off the ground.  It may have been an oddly funny site, but the reason for the homes ridiculously high elevation a story of tragedy.  Holly Beach, also known as the Cajun Riviera, was once a thriving little beach town with 600 homes and and up to 20,000 weekend visitors during the summer. People came to cool off in the gulf waters and enjoy bonfires on the beach during the warm summer nights.

Then Hurricane Rita hit in 2005.

Overnight, Holly Beach went from a town with 500 homes to zero.  Everything was washed away. Every single home.  Even though Hurricane Rita was a much more powerful storm (the fourth most intense Atlantic storm of all time), it was largely overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina which had hit a month earlier.  Meanwhile, Cameron Parish had been almost completely wiped out.

Today, less than 50 homes stand on Holly Beach.

Cap’n Sammie says most folks can’t afford to rebuild given the new building codes and guidelines the government put into place in hopes of avoiding another scene of devastation.  People lived in the area for 45 years without being hit by a hurricane, but it only takes one.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature has recovered quite nicely.  The gulf beaches, such as Mae’s Beach on Johnson Bayou, are a sheller’s paradise. You could spend all day picking up shells and still have entire beach filled with shells left to explore.  We even spotted some coconuts which had washed up after a recent storm!  The water is warm and shallow and the waves are calm.  These beaches were made for families.

The marshland seems to have made a full recovery as well. Except for the occasional storm remnants such as building materials and one house which Cap’n Sammie says belongs to a woman who lived in it 20 miles away and still cries every time she drives by and sees what’s left of it sitting in sideways in the middle of the marsh, the marsh looks just as it has for hundreds of years.  Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, which sits due south of Lake Charles, has a fantastic new visitor’s center and the highly recommended Pintail Wildlife Drive.

This is where we saw our alligators.

Lots and lots of alligators.  We saw everything from skinny juveniles swimming in the channel to big, fat old fellas with toothy grins, lazily enjoying the afternoon sun.  I had come to see alligators and I saw alligators, but on my drive along the Creole Nature Trail, I also saw places, and learned stories that I didn’t know existed.  And it reminded me why I travel.

Gator picture courtesy of Capt'n Sammie

If you want to take a detour off Interstate 10 with your family and explore some of the Creole Nature Trail but Capt’n Sammie is out fishing, the Lake Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau has the next best thing- with the GPS Ranger™ Handheld Video Solution.  The unit can be rented for free at the bureau (which sits conveniently just off the interstate) and brings the Creole Nature Trail to life with a narrated tour of the region using GPS technology highlighting the region with facts about its  history, culture, wildlife, and industry.  Android and iPhone app versions of the tour are also available for free download.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

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