Can you count the types of leaves?
In honor of Arbor Day today, I’m posting a photo of one of my favorite travel trees (of course, there have been many!).
We walked past this tree each time we left our chalet to stroll down to Arenal Lodge (my review here), and I always had to stop and take a moment to appreciate it, and look for all the various forms of life I could find coming and going from it, even traveling through it: insects, lizards, birds…
What I especially like about the tree is how you can’t really tell where it begins or ends. Roots, multiple trunks, leaves–not to mention how many leaves of how many other plants that call it home?
Want to see some other trees we’ve enjoyed? Check out the links below – and remember our National Parks are still FREE to visit through Sunday (details here). Have a fantastic weekend!
Related posts and pages:
See (really) Big Trees Calaveras State Park
Photo Fave: “Tree house” at Humbolt Redwoods State Park
Previous Post: Pack This! A poetry audiobook that’s prime for family road trips
Safe journeys,
Curious about this content? See my editorial content disclosure.
Not your Nana's nursery rhymes.
When I recently discovered the Poetry Speaks to Children book with CD, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the CD and listen to the likes of Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Billy Collins reading their own poetry. Then came the moment, when just a few tracks in, my kids tilted their heads and stared at me as they heard an old man’s voice saying aloud the words I’ve whispered in their little ears since they were infants. I said, “That’s Robert Frost telling it—the man who wrote the poem.”
This entertaining collection includes 50 poems from 34 poets on the CD alone, and the printed book that accompanies it includes several more with illustrations. In contrast to the usual “children’s verse” suspects of centuries-old, mind-numbing (sometimes head-scratching) nursery rhymes, these fresh tracks range from Roald Dahl’s amusing “The Dentist and the Crocodile” that reads like a rhyming story to the rhythmical “Rabbit” by Mary Ann Hoberman, where you can play along as you listen counting how many “bits” are in the poem (good luck!).
While the collection was created with elementary school-aged children in mind, and some of it may be a little over the head of your toddler, it makes for fun listening overall for everyone in the car. Better still, this is a wonderful collection I know my family will enjoy for years to come—and I won’t be surprised if yours does to. Click here to browse the book or buy your own book with CD. (Please note: While Amazon’s product page says it’s temporarily out of stock, it is in fact still available new from other featured sellers – just click the “New from” link or click here.)
And before I go… happy National Poetry Month!
>>> Now you can quickly browse all the Pack This! recommendations at Amazon – click here. For the best in travel gear for babies and toddlers, head to Great Products & Gear. <<<
Safe journeys,
Unplugged. Outside. Outstanding.
The fun thing about my photo faves is that you never know where we’ll be next.
This Earth Day tribute comes from our stay a couple of years ago at Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat in Oregon – probably the greenest resort I’ve ever visited. This wellness retreat is set at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains where geothermal steam powers the entire retreat and naturally heats the soaking pools right along with my favorite: the little wooden sauna on stilts.
If you are looking for a truly off-the-grid, green resort experience where babies and toddlers are welcome, with three delicious vegetarian meals a day included, daily yoga classes, and even an annual natural parenting conference, you’ll want to be sure and check out my detailed review of our family’s stay at Breitenbush Retreat (click here).
And in case you don’t speak “bathing suit optional” (I know you can’t wait to read the review now), you might want to check out my review of our family’s stay at quite a different Oregon resort: Salishan Golf Resort and Spa. (Bathing suits are required and resort terry robes are encouraged.)
Happy Earth Day weekend to all. This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com.
Previous post: Five easy ways to “green” your next family road trip.
Safe journeys,
Curious about this content? See my editorial content disclosure.
"Greening up" your family road trip may be easier than you think.
Okay, 5 people packed in a minivan setting out for hundreds if not thousands of miles of adventure may not be the first image that comes to mind when you hear the words “green travel.” Yet this year, families across the continent will set out to do just that in the name of meaningful, family vacations. With just a few minor adjustments, you might be surprised how even the Great American Road Trip can be done a little greener than you’d think.
Here are five easy steps you might take to “green” your own family road trip this year.
Use this BPA-free water tank with tap to refill your reusable water bottles and sippy cups.
1. Use a refillable 3-gallon water dispenser as you travel instead of buying bottles of water. One identical to this BPA-free model has accompanied us on countless road trips, and we don’t plan to leave home without it this year! On shorter trips, I love having our same delicious water from home with us as we travel, and on longer trips, it’s always easy to refill with more water and ice at hotels along the way. During drives in the car, we keep it in a shady nook and sometimes set a pillow on top to insulate. In the campground? Perfect. And in case of a roadside emergency, you’ve got plenty of extra water for the family – or the car.
2. Bring your own travel mug and USE IT (again and again and again). Many a time, my hubby and I have stopped in our tracks in line for a free hotel breakfast or in a motel lobby with free coffee to go back and grab our travel mugs to fill them instead of the paper or Styrofoam cups provided by the hotel. Not only is this better for the environmental big picture, but my travel mug holds way more coffee and keeps it hot longer to boot! (For the same reason, I love using it to keep my cold water cold on the road.)
3. Bring a bag for recyclables. Garbage cans may be many along your route, but recycling receptacles? Not so many. Your road-trip recyclables stashed in a separate bag can be properly filed when the opportunity arises, or put in your own bin at home on your return from a weekend away.
4. Consider renting a hybrid – If you’ll be renting a car for your family road trip, or one to drive around the island, consider renting a hybrid car. Depending on the driving you’ll do, the savings in fuel costs alone may prove well worth it. For a limited time, you can also save 5% off all hybrid vehicles at Fox Rent a Car locations across the U.S., though the hybrids here and at other locations go quickly, so book yours early to avoid disappointment.
5. Bring an ice chest loaded with easy travel foods, even if you won’t be camping, and replenish as you travel. Having simple sandwich fixings, string cheese, baby carrots and the like on hand may not only save you money and calories over frequent fast food and drive-thru stops on your journey, but you won’t have nearly as much packaging to dispose of along the way. Not to mention, you’ll be picnic-ready for any scenic stop along your path.
GET MORE! For more road trip tips for travel with young children, see the Car Seat and Road Trip Tips Page, and don’t miss the planning help in Travels with Baby and tips to use during your road trip in Take-Along Travels with Baby.
Related posts and pages:
- Pack This! Reusable rinse-and-roll Bibbity Bib for travel
- Visit a National Park FREE this year (14 days left…)
- Pack This! Reusable Fresh N Freeze (not just for) baby food storage containers
- Pack This! Recycled plastic stacking cups – Made in the USA
Safe journeys,
- Stacking cups: Not just for babies. Not just for stacking.
A simple set of stacking cups have become a regular part of our suitcase now, having proven they are worth every one of the few cubic inches they require there.
On the road, we have used them for the obvious: hotel coffee table sculpture, as well as for bath toys, snack cups, and to assist in the creation of My-Little-Pony-sized sand castles on the beach.
This set of six stacking cups I recently discovered is made 100% from the plastic of recycled milk jugs, with no BPA, PVC, pthalates, or external coatings you wouldn’t want in your car snacks. And better yet: they’re made in the USA.
If you ask me, that’s pretty darn green for a travel toy. Of course, we’ve done well with pine cones and rocks, too, but they aren’t nearly as fun in the bath tub and don’t hold as many snacks.
For more tips on traveling a little greener and easier with your young children, don’t miss these earlier features from this month and those coming later this week. Need more tips for travel with your young child? Start here.
Related posts and pages:
- Pack This! Reusable rinse-and-roll Bibbity Bib for travel
- Visit a National Park FREE this year (14 days left…)
- Pack This! Reusable Fresh N Freeze (not just for) baby food storage containers
Previous post: “Tree house” at Humbolt Redwoods State Park
Safe journeys,
Hollowed out by fire, this redwood giant makes the perfect “tree house” for young explorers. Plan to stay a while…
When I mentioned the upcoming National Park Week and related Earth Day events earlier this week, I couldn’t help but think about the amazing State Parks California also has to offer that shouldn’t be overlooked by those planning travel here with their kids.
For example, Humboldt Redwoods State Park (above) is just one of several parks featuring enormous redwoods and several toddler-friendly hikes along California’s “Avenue of the Giants.” There are so many lovely groves to explore and shady pitstops for picnics along this section of northern California’s Highway 101, that you’ll want to be sure to drive at least a portion of the scenic 31-mile “Old Highway 101″ rather than the nearby modern freeway version of it. For a printable map of the Avenue of the Giants, click here, and to see descriptions and details of hikes at Humbolt Redwoods, click here.
Another California State Park featuring massive redwood giants with toddler-friendly hiking and a nice campground – which is often argued should be a National Park - is Big Trees Calaveras State Park, which is roughly 3 hours east of San Francisco. You can read about one of our visits to Big Trees in this post and get my tips for camping at Big Trees Calaveras in this post.
This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. For more fun family destinations to fit into your family’s California road trip, visit the Destinations page.
Safe journeys,
Curious about this content? See my editorial content disclosure.
The first time I took TWO kids to Yosemite National Park. Don't miss my tips for visiting Yosemite with babies, toddlers and young kids.
When my mother bravely loaded our Chevy hatchback with the faulty second gear to drive us down America’s scenic highways and on through several of its National Parks, our unforgettable journey not only taught us the value of bonding through family travel (and adventure!) but showed us firsthand what natural wonders had been set aside for us by our country and should never be taken for granted.
This month, from April 21 through April 29, you’ll have the opportunity to visit ANY of America’s 397 National Parks for FREE. Many of the parks will also be offering special Earth Day activities and events while you are there. Some you might want to check out if you’ll be in California include:
Yosemite National Park will have a guided bike tour of the valley for $5 each, including bike rental (or FREE if you bring your own bike – our favorite way to see Yosemite!), face painting and crafts for kids, and a family night that includes a sing-along and dramatic staging of Dr. Suess’s The Lorax in the Yosemite Lodge amphitheater. More special events, activities and offers are mentioned here.
Grand Sequoia National Park will have family-friendly events including an Earth Day Fair with numerous giveaways, guided forest tour, and evening meteor shower viewing at Wuksachi Lodge. More info about these and other special events here.
If you can’t take advantage of National Parks Week this month, these FREE entrance dates are also scheduled for later this year:
MORE FREE NATIONAL PARK DAYS IN 2012:
- June 9: Get Outdoors Day
- September 29: National Public Lands Day
- November 10 – 12: Veteran’s Day Weekend
Some of our National Parks, it should be noted, are always free. And of course, if it’s easier to see a National Park this year on your own time and your own dime, it can still be well worth every penny of the entrance fee.
For ideas and inspiration in planning your trip to a National Park this year:
- You can check out Ken Burns: The National Parks - America’s Best Idea: or follow this link to dowload the individual park episode you want.
- Explore these 35 National Park Adventures for Kids in this online brochure from the National Parks Foundation.
- If Yosemite National Park is on your list, be sure to see my tips for visiting Yosemite with young kids, biking, managing your car seat in bear country and more!
As we sang so often on our trip several years ago, “This land is your land; this land is my land.” I hope you’ll get a chance to get out there and share some of it with your own family this year.
Safe journeys,
Rinse, roll, reuse, rejoice.
Looking for simple ways to travel greener with your baby or toddler – without over-complicating your next family vacation? We continue the topic this month with one of the messier issues of travel with tots: chow time.
When it comes to “bibbing-up” your baby or toddler during travel, you may feel like the only earth-friendly option is to create more laundry for yourself – which can be tricky on the road.
Here’s the fix: The Bibbity Bib is soft and flexible and rolls into its own crumb-catching pocket for easy travel, and it requires no laundering in between uses. Just rinse it off and let air dry or blot against your sleeve, travel mama, and toss it back in the diaper bag.
Three neck size settings accommodate baby through young toddler (for kids 3 years and over, you might prefer the larger Baby Bjorn resuable scoop bib that doesn’t roll up, but travels easily otherwise).
Related posts: Pack This! Reusable Fresh N Freeze (not just for) baby food storage containers
Previous post: We now interrupt this blog to… clink glasses
Safe journeys,
Bronze Award Winner in Travel Blogs from the North American Travel Journalists Association
