October | 2010 | Travels With Baby Tips

Help cheer me to the finish line of my next book!

On October 27, 2010 · 6 Comments

Dear gentle readers,

You may notice that the posting here has been a little sporadic of late. Please understand that it is only because I am losing my mind. While I may be a little behind in my blogging (and showering, and a few other things), know that I have a MUCH bigger fish I’m stalking right now, fry pan in hand.

“Moby Book” (no, that’s not the name) is going to get his soon. I won’t let the cat out of the bag just yet, but those of you who look to Travels with Baby, the site and this blog for helpful travel tips are going to LOVE what’s coming next. I know I do—even if it’s mile 23 of the marathon here at my desk. So if you have a chance, post me a comment, drop me a line, throw water on me as I breeze past you during these next weeks.

I admit that finishing Travels with Baby was tough enough—back when I had only two children, one website, and zero blogs. But back then I also had no idea how many people would actually buy or use the book. It was an incredibly lonely undertaking with no guaranteed payoff. I had to trust that if I made a book I knew was genuinely helpful for me there were bound to be other people who would find it helpful, too.

Wow. What an amazing journey it’s been since then! Here are some of the highlights: http://www.travelswithbaby.com/book/media.htm

So before I get back to that manuscript (no, really, I’m not procrastinating here), I’d just like to say how much I appreciate the interviews some of you have participated in, the emails many of you have sent, the blog comments, the various facebook posts, and all the support you’ve shown for Travels with Baby since its publication.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping to make the story of this success. More soon.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli

Vancouver Tips: Granville Island with Little Kids

On October 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment

My advice to families planning their visits to Vancouver, B.C.? Block out an entire day for a visit to Granville Island. Here are five tips to help you get the most from your time there:

1. Arrive by Ferry – One of our favorite outings in Vancouver was our visit to Granville Island. We arrived on one of the False Creek Ferries, which is definitely a must-do activity when visiting Vancouver with kids and is also a very fun way to arrive at the island. Ferries run to and from the island constantly. Bringing your stroller onboard is no problem, just know that you will need to take your child out of it (sleeping or not) and fold it for the ride.

2. Enjoy the Street Performers – We made our way up from the docks to the sounds of bagpipes, and there at the top was the musician himself, kilt-clad and magnificent against the Vancouver waterfront. So inspiring was the scene that our daughters spontaneously began dancing a jig while we could only laugh, grab the camera and a tip for the bagpiper. We also enjoyed a fire-juggling comedian, flamenco dancers, and other talented musicians around Granville Island.

3. Visit the Kids Market - I’d been very curious to see what the Kids Market was exactly, and as you’ll see in the video clips it’s an area where you could end up spending quite a bit of time with children, between the shopping for magnificent kites or puppets, the 2-story play zone with slides into a ball pit ($5.95 Canadian – bring or rent socks), little kiddie rides ($1 Canadian, or free if you let your toddler pretend to use his car keys!), and an ice cream / snack bar. Behind the Kids Market, we also find face painting, henna tattoos for kids, and more musicians.

4. Be Prepared for the Water Park – There is a terrific, free water park operating on the island in summer months. If there’s any chance you’ll make a stop there, and if you’re visiting with kids in warm weather you should, be sure to throw your bathing suits and sun block in your daypack, and a hand towel wouldn’t hurt either.

5. Visit the Playground – My video doesn’t do this playground justice, but you can trust me that it is quite large and is apparently popular for birthday parties (two were in progress while we were there). At the edge of it, a face painter transformed children into butterflies. The large lawn beside it is also a perfect spot to bring your picnic of goodies from the markets.

Now, click here or click the video frame above for a virtual trip to Granville Island.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
http://www.travelswithbaby.com/