Why We're Changing Our Spring Break Plans Because of Coronavirus

This is The Gilded Iguana, the hotel we were supposed to be at in less than two weeks. Sigh.

We are supposed to leave on vacation for spring break in a week and a half. We are supposed to go to Nosara, Costa Rica--a magical spot where we vacationed at the same time last year. We've had these plans booked for a full year (literally booked the hotel while in Costa Rica in 2019!). And we were going with another family, and were so excited about everything. If you had asked me even two days ago if we were still going, I would have said, "Yes!"

But now we're not.

For the last week or so, my husband had been leaning towards not going. He was worried about getting stuck there if things get worse, or if, say, someone on our plane gets sick. I hadn't actually been that worried, but then once he started worrying, that freaked me out. I am the anxious one who is always worried about everything, and my husband is the annoyingly unflappable one who tells me I'm being crazy. If he was scared, that was scary.

Then, I happened to have a doctor's appointment yesterday, so I brought it up there. My doctor is a straight-shooter and not an alarmist, at all. I basically just wanted him to give us the greenlight to go. 

He didn't. In fact, he told me that no one should be flying internationally or domestically right now. He said the big problem with planes is the close quarters. You are pressed up next to people (and behind people and in front of people) for hours on end. It's the perfect environment for spreading a virus. He strongly advised me against going. So, we're not.

(Incidentally, he also said no one should be in crowds or gatherings of more than 20 people right now--think church, weddings, etc. Yikes!) 

I'm definitely heartbroken that we won't be going to Nosara, but I do understand that this is what has to happen right now if we want to have any hope of keeping this virus relatively under control. I'm not worried for me; I'm not in a high-risk group, and neither is my husband or my kids. But my parents are. And countless others in my town, city, etc, are. None of us can be selfish or cavalier about this. Sure, we'll be okay in the short term, but do we really want to contribute to other peoples' deaths? Or to a burdened hospital system? Or to even more of a panic?

With Costa Rica out, we're now debating whether to go to Florida for the week. The catch is: We'd be driving. While I'm desperate for warm weather, I'm not sure if I'm up for a 20-hour drive (!) or for leaving the security of our own home when things are just about to get worse. 

So, what are your thoughts and experiences? Have you had to cancel vacation plans, too? Are your schools closed? (It's sounding like that's what's next for us. HELP.) What has coronavirus changed for you so far?

How I Fell In Love With Nosara, Costa Rica

 

So this trip happened in the tail end of March, and I'm just writing about it now, but let's ignore that procrastination. I'm obsessed with Nosara, Costa Rica, you guys, and I really want to tell you about it.

Now, truth be told, awful and privileged as this sounds, I didn't want to go to Costa Rica. We always do our "big" vacation over spring break, and I was looking forward to a pool and a beach chair and not much more than that. I had never been anywhere in Costa Rica before, so I mistakenly imagined that it was just for people who were after an active, rugged vacation of zip lining, surfing, and rainforests, and that's just not my vibe. 

Well, my husband talked me into it by showing me that our hotel did in fact have a pool. Fine. I'd go. But turns out, I was so wrong. So wrong. I absolutely fell in love with Nosara. We all did. (So much so that, before we even left, we booked a hotel stay for a return trip next year!) 

Nosara is amazing. It's a tiny surf town tucked on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It's relatively remote: a good two-plus hour drive (half of which is on bumpy dirt roads!) from the small-ish Liberia airport. But as far away as it may be, it's surprisingly hip! They have the coolest little restaurants that serve amazing food including countless vegan and gluten-free options. It's also super eco and nearly impossible to find a plastic water bottle or straw around. (Bamboo straws abound!) And there's yoga and a general spirit of wellness everywhere. In many ways, it felt very much like a piece of Venice, CA, or Brooklyn had been plopped down in this Costa Rican village.

Yet, Nosara is really the best of both worlds. Despite the chia bowls and cool taco spots, it also still manages to feel very undiscovered in many ways. For example, you won't find a single cabana, chaise, or bar on the beach. By law, it's completely undisturbed by development. (You'll just find surfers--tons of them!) 

And there's monkeys! This area of Costa Rica is famous for their howler monkeys and you'll learn why they're called that pretty quickly. (Throughout the day you'll hear their call--which sounds like a cross between a lion roaring and a scary ghost howling--as a soundtrack in the nearby jungle). There are also dirt roads and no street signs or addresses anywhere in Nosara! To get around, rent a golf cart (if I give you one tip about traveling to Nosara, it would be that), and then just ask the locals how to get where you need to go!

Everyone speaks English there; we didn't have any trouble communicating. That said, while there, I found myself jealous of the fellow Americans who could speak Spanish to get around. So, a few weeks after I got back, I signed up for a local Intro to Spanish class, and downloaded the DuoLingo app. My goal is to be able to speak at least some broken Spanish when we go back next year. :)

And yes, we are going back next year! Staying in a different hotel and renting that golf cart the second we get there. Here's a little bit of what made our trip so special--and what I'd recommend--if you're considering checking out Nosara for yourself...










Where to Stay

A great thing about Nosara is that it's not overdeveloped (yet!). There are no giant hotels or tall buildings of any kind. Just tons of little boutique hotel options as well as Air BnBs.

(*Admittedly this is very limited list--there are tons of other places--but I'm only including hotels that we have personal experience with...)

Olas Verdes: This was where we stayed! It's a LEED platinum eco hotel that's very cool because it's located literally in the jungle, so it feels very Costa Rica. And we would see monkeys in the trees above us when we were lying by the pool or walking to breakfast! It's also very close to the beach (not always the case in Nosara)--about a five minute walk through the jungle from the hotel to the shore. The rooms are all suites, but keep in mind that only the bedrooms have air conditioning. (The living rooms/kitchenettes do not, which is not a big deal during the day, but you would not want to sleep in them at night, and some have pull-out couches that are meant for sleeping if you have a larger group, so keep that in mind.) We had a mini fridge and a toaster oven in our group--both came in super handy. The staff was very nice and helpful in setting up outside excursions for us, and every guest gets a cute metal water bottle when you arrive! Note: The trade-off for the cool jungle location is that you are kind of far from a lot of stuff. (It was a good 15-minute walk to get to Beach Dog Cafe; 20-plus minutes to "town." And a taxi is really required to explore further than that.) Translation: You will definitely want a golf cart if you are staying here. 

The Gilded Iguana: Truth be told, this is the hotel I really wanted to stay in, but we booked too late and they were all full. But...we actually booked it for next year while we were there! Can't wait to stay there in 2020. Located in North Playa Guinones, it's a super chic boutique surfer hotel (very reminiscent of something like the Surf Lodge in Montauk) with a gorgeous pool, a fabulous restaurant (see review below), a great little gift shop (worth visiting even if you don't stay here), and a separate surf club down by the beach. 












Where To Eat

Beach Dog Cafe: This place is a Nosara institution and a must-visit! We ate there several times. They have an extensive menu with tons of vegan options, and a very cool beach-bar vibe. Despite the big menu, I got the fried avocado tacos every time I went though. They were incredible! Located in Playa Guiones. 

La Luna: Another must-visit! I actually heard about this from an expat, and I'm so glad she told me about it as it's one of my favorite places we visited in Nosara. It's located in Playa Pelada (take a taxi there), right on the beach, so your kids can play in the sand while you're waiting for your food. Reservations are a must, especially if you want a table outside (and you do want a table outside, so you can watch the sunset!). This was also by far the "fanciest" restaurant we went to in Nosara. Most Nosara restaurants are super casual (think flip flops and shorts), but this is a step above. It's definitely the place to pull out a nice sundress or khaki pants for the guys, but it's still casual--just fancy for Nosara. And while the location is gorgeous, the food is incredible, too. It's Mediterranean with fish, steak, salads, and brick-fired pizzas. We way overordered, because we thought the pizzas were personal pizzas judging by the reasonable-by-NYC-standards prices, but nope! They were large pizzas. So for two adults and two kids, we had three giant pizzas (goat cheese, salami, and pepperoni), a steak, and a huge antipasto platter. It was all amazing, but a lot. (I also had a watermelon margarita, which was out of this world.) And the best part: Since we had a mini fridge in our hotel room, we ended up getting all of the excess pizza to go, and we ate leftover slices for lunch and snacks over the next few days.

Al Chile: This was one of our favorite spots! It's a delicious open-air bar/restaurant in downtown Guiones with super yummy drinks and tacos. This also happens to be the pick-up/drop-off spot for Nosara Day Camp (see below), so my husband and I would often grab lunch or a margarita here and then wait for our kids to come back from camp. I loved the guac and chips, tacos, yuca fries, and pineapple salad. 

The Gilded Iguana Restaurant & Bar: Loved this place. It's a good stop when you're craving food that feels a bit more familiar, and the large, open-air restaurant has a cool, upscale-beachy vibe. I got the gnocchi pomodoro for dinner (yum), a panini for lunch (also yum), and frozen rose to drink both times (double yum). They also had a good kids menu. My kids tried the buttered noodles and waffles, and they approved.

Harmony Hotel Juice Bar: The same expat who had suggested La Luna recommended this to me, and I made the mistake of waiting until the end of our trip to visit it. It's awesome! It's a crunchy-chic little juice bar hidden in the jungle behind the Harmony Hotel. (Ask the guard how to get there. You take a little meandering path through the trees.) They have coffee, smoothies, baked goods, and other light bites like sandwiches. Lots of vegan and gluten-free options. Very cool! (There is also a healthy and yummy-sounding restaurant located in the hotel, but we never had a chance to eat there.)

Robin's Cafe & Ice Cream: This little spot in Playa Guiones serves breakfast, lunch, and ice cream. We only went here for ice cream, so haven't tried the sandwiches, salads, etc, but the ice cream was super yummy!

La Brasa: This tiny Argentinian food truck is located just outside of Gabi's Place (see below). The steaks were delicious and our kids hung out on the adjacent play equipment while we waited for the food, which was nice.

El Manglar: This was the restaurant in our hotel, so we ate there a lot. And if I'm being totally honest, it did get old. (But what hotel restaurant wouldn't?) But I would definitely recommend checking it out. The ambiance itself is great: It's an outdoor restaurant located under a canopy of jungle trees, and they have some great authentic dishes. My favorites for lunch/dinner: cold cucumber soup, fettucine a la granja, Surfer Chicken, and their dip trio which included fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, and black bean spread. And for breakfast: The Surfer Sandwich (fresh bread, scrambled eggs, and avocado) and huevos rancheros (topped with fresh avocado!) were really good.








Kids' Camps

Having a good kids' club option pretty much made the trip for us--and for our kids! Since Nosara's hotels are tiny, they don't offer kid's clubs, which is a luxury we've really gotten used to. Instead, they have two local day camps that take kids from any hotel and provide awesome activities for them. Our kids did Nosara Day Camp for the full week and loved it. It was perfect because we'd eat breakfast together as a family, drop them off at camp, and then while they did their thing, my husband and I would basically have our vacation time! (This usually meant he would surf and I would sit by the pool and read.) Then, he and I would grab lunch and pick up the kids right after that. Then, we'd spend the afternoon as a family. It was perfect.

Nosara Day Camp: The activities change every day, but some things that my kids did during their week: mango farm tour, kayaking, a cove at the beach, fishing on a farm (and then the farmer's wife cooked that fish--and made fresh tortillas!--for their lunch! They still talk about it.), waterfall visit, and more. Lunch was provided every day. Drop-off was around 8:30am and then pick-up was between 1 and 2:30pm (depending on the activities they were doing that day).

Nosara Kids Camp: We didn't do this one because the drop-off wasn't as convenient to our hotel, but it's the other big option in the area. And it looks great! It has more of a surfing focus, but the kids also do activities like art, cooking, and Spanish.

 

Things to do

Tica Massage: I had heard this was a must-do, and I'm so glad I did it. It's a collection of beautiful huts with skilled masseuses. You can make a reservation, or just walk in. A one-hour full-body massage runs $75, cash only. Mine was amazing.

Refuge For Wildlife: I took my kids here one afternoon, and they really enjoyed it. This is a privately-run place run by an animal-loving expat American. She and her team care for any injured or sick animals brought to them, but they specialize in howler monkeys. We learned that there is a big problem in Costa Rica with howler monkeys being electrocuted by power lines, and it becomes an even bigger issue when the moms are killed and the baby monkeys cannot survive alone. There are grown animals living in Refuge, and also a ton of (adorable!) babies. You get to see the animals, feed howler monkeys, and learn all about the work that they do. Note: They have an age limit, which my son did not reach, but I called and they said it was okay. The concern is that it can be upsetting for some younger kids because it's not just checking out cute animals. You will hear upsetting stories and possibly view some injured animals. My son was okay with it and did fine. (He was hot and complaining by the end though!) Things to know: There is a cost of a $50 donation per person. Also, they only do tours on select days and you must book before you go, so if you're interested in going, check out their schedule when you first get to town. Also, they are changing locations soon, but there current one is very remote. It's not super far, but it's way up in the mountains. You'll definitely need to take a taxi or a tuk tuk (very inexpensive) to get there. FYI, SIBU Wildlife Sanctuary is another wildlife refuge in the area that also does tours, so they are another option!

Canopy Tour: I'm way too much of a wimp to do ziplining of any kind and this is VERY high ziplinging, but my husband took my daughter one afternoon. They loved it. 

Surf lessons: My husband and daughter took lessons through Safari Surf (they happened to be located in our hotel), and were very happy. The instructors were amazing with kids, and in three, one-hour lessons, my daughter went from sitting on a board while the instructor manned it to standing up and actually surfing!

Yoga: This is a huge thing in Nosara, and I didn't take advantage of it nearly enough. My hotel held one to two daily yoga classes at an outdoor pavilion in the jungle, but next time I go, I'm hoping to branch out. I've heard great things about Bodhi Tree Resort, which is a luxe yoga retreat but offers a full roster of classes open to non-hotel guests.

Gabi's Place: This is great little commercial area of small, varied kiosks under a big, covered pavilion. They have ice cream (Jefe's Helados--it's bare bones but delicious), a laundromat, sushi, a taco/cocktail bar, a grass-fed butcher (!), and more. But the best part is that there is an enclosed playground right next door, so mom and dad can have a drink--or wait for their food--while the kids run around and play. (They also have a big satellite TV where they show sports games if that's your thing.)

Love Nosara: Nosara is not a huge shopping town, FYI, but this store is a fun little spot to visit. It's completely open to the elements (they remove the merchandise overnight), and they sell their own line of bodycon wrap dresses, and then t-shirts and baseball caps for men, women, and children. Quality is great and it's not super expensive. My husband and kids all got tees. I'm still regretting that I didn't! Also fun: There are swings and a hammock in the store, so kids can hang out there while you browse. Located in Playa Guiones.

Golf-cart rental: Nosara is small, but spread out and the roads are bumpy and hilly. It's also hot. Walking everywhere gets real old, real fast. Renting a golf cart was a total game changer. There are a couple of different spots to rent one (and your hotel can help), but this is where we got ours.

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Nosara offers so much more, but these were a few of our favorites. If you've been to Nosara and have a favorite restaurant, shop, etc, let me know and I'll put it on my list for next year! :)

Our Weekend Getaway To Stratton, Vermont

As you may have noticed from Instagram, we spent a long weekend in Stratton, Vermont last month. I had honestly been dreading the trip for two reasons. 1) It was going to be freezing. (Actually, way below freezing. And 2) I'm not a skiier and was worried I would be bored. But we had a great time! Here's a little recap.

We stayed in a private Airbnb home that we "won" as part of our kids' school auction. It wasn't super fancy, but it was comfy and warm (thank god) and cabin-y (so it felt very "Vermont"), and the location was great.

After a four-hour drive, we got there late on a Thursday night. It was about five degrees by the time we got there and the kids were exhausted and soon passed out in their bunk beds. The next morning, we woke up, and drove to the mountain for 9am ski lessons for the kids. It was freezing. I mean, really, really freezing. Negative three when we got out of the car. I was wearing regular knit gloves and after just a couple of minutes outside, I thought some of my fingers were going to fall off. 

It was way colder than my kids were expecting--and, really, way colder than they had ever felt in their lives--and they were not having it. There was a lot of tears and my son was refusing to go skiing. (My daughter had been many times before and loved skiing, but this was going to be my son's second time. And even though both of them were wearing about a million layers, they were very rattled by the temperature.) 

Finally, after some convincing from his instructor (thank you, Branco!), we got my son out there. So with my kids and husband in three hour lessons (!), I headed to the Stratton Village Day Spa for a deep tissue massage. And it was so good. Honestly, one of the best massages I've had in years! My therapist was Dani and she was amazing. I basically floated out of there. I then headed to the lodge to read and watch my iPad until everyone was done skiing. 

At noon, we picked up the kids, grabbed lunch, and then headed back to our cabin to relax. Then, we basically repeated this exact routine for the next two days (when it warmed up to a balmy 10 and 20 degrees, respectively). All in all, it was a great, quick trip! My kids and husband loved the skiing; I loved the relaxing and the precious alone time. We all wish it would have been a little warmer, but after that intial shock--and with plenty of layers--it wasn't that bad.

Here's a little more Stratton, Vermont info if you're interested:

Where it is: Stratton is a four-hour drive from New York City; just under three from Boston.

Where to stay: There are tons of condos on Stratton mountain, and that definitely makes it convenient, but I wouldn't say it's a must to stay there. We stayed in the town of Jamaica, which was at the base of the mountain. (There are lots of Airbnb options there.) It took just ten minutes to drive to the lodge each morning. 

The basics: The smartest thing we did was make it a three-day weekend-trip, because Friday was so much calmer there. Saturday was packed--with ridiculous lines for the lifts--so if you can make it there on a weekday, do it. (Sunday happened to be much less busy for us, too, but that might have been because it was Superbowl Sunday!)

Kids: Stratton is a great place for kids. They can do group lessons or privates (we did privates and the instructors were amazing. I mean, the guy who managed to get my stubborn five-year-old to love skiing almost immediately is pretty much a saint in my book.). There is also a childcare facility right in the village where your non-skiing kids can spend the day. (We never used the childcare, but we heard from others that it was really good. Apparently it does book up though, so look into early!) I also loved that every restaurant was very kid-friendly, had a good children's menu, etc. 

Where to eat:

Mulligan's: We ate lunch here our first day. It's a huge pub/restaurant right in the village with a gigantic menu and plenty of options for kids. I had the Vermont apple grilled cheese, which was so yummy (Cabot cheddar, Granny Smith apples, bacon, and maple syrup!). They even had delicious soft-serve for dessert. 

The Fire Tower Restaurant and Tavern: Ate lunch here on our last day. It came highly recommended and it was good though I thought the menu was a little too limited. I had one of the "small plates" for my lunch and it was really yummy: the "Local Bowl," which consisted of spaetzle, sausage, parmesan, greens, and a garlic white wine sauce. Located in the village.

Honeypie: Adorable restaurant serving burgers, sandwiches, sausages, and milkshakes and located in an old, refurbished gas station. We ordered takeout one night from here for dinner. 

Coyote: I got a delicious latte from this tiny espresso bar in the village every morning. They also have a couple of homemade treats and baked goods like cinnamon rolls (yum), energy bites, and more. 

Have you guys ever been to Stratton? Anything you love there that I missed? And if you haven't been to Stratton, where is your favorite place to go on a ski vacation with kids?

Our West Coast Road Trip, Part Two: California

I'm finally back with part two of our road trip! Hopefully, you've already read the first part where we hit Seattle, Portland, and Mt. Rainier. (If not, click here.) And now, let's pick back up where we left off...

Day 4: Portland/San Franciso

The guys' original plan had been to drive from Portland to San Francisco, but since it's a ten-hour trip (versus a one-hour plane ride), I nixed it. So we flew into San Fran on an early-afternoon flight and headed to The Fairmont. It is a huge, beautiful, very grand hotel, and the view from our window was insane. But all we could think about was how freaking cold it was: It was in the 50s! In the daytime! In August! (And it felt even colder since we had been in 90 degree weather literally that morning.) 

After settling into our room, we were going to head out to explore a bit before dinner. I went to open up the suitcase that my husband and son were sharing, and then realized...it wasn't there. What was there was a suitcase that definitely wasn't ours. My husband had grabbed the wrong one in the airport. (Keep in mind: Ours was gigantic and teal; this one was medium-sized and...black. Don't ask. #men) All I could think was, thank god it wasn't me who did that! (Long story short, we got the right bag later that night, but my husband had to go all the way back to the airport to exchange them. Ugh!) 

After the drama, we Uber'd to dinner at Foreign Cinema, which was amazing! Not only is it gorgeous, the service impeccable, and the food incredible (I had foie gras and risotto), but they have the coolest kids menu I've ever seen. For $15, kids get an appetizer, their choice of a main course, and homemade ice cream for dessert. The first course was definitely created by someone who either doesn't have kids or has them but they aren't picky because they are chef's kids, but I appreciated the effort. At the very least, it was entertainment! Each kid got a big plate of various fruits and veggies plus a dipping sauce. My kids didn't go near the radishes, endive, etc, but they loved the more familar things like strawberries and carrot sticks. 

Day 5: San Francisco

Our original plan was to visit Alcatraz, but there was a last-minute ticket mixup (again, thank god this wasn't my fault), and we quickly learned that it is essentially impossible to get Alcatraz tickets if you have not successfully purchased them long in advance. So, while the guys headed out to get the van we'd be using the following day (more on that later), the rest of us headed over to the Exploratorium after a quick "what do do in San Francisco with kids" Google. It had all sorts of hands-on science-y exhibits, plus areas for tinkering, stop-motion animation, etc. The kids--and in particular, my son--were in heaven. 

Once the guys came back, we walked to Fisherman's Wharf, which taught us that that's really too far to walk there with a bunch of kids in 50-degree weather. Once there, we walked around a bit, grabbed lunch at some non-special pizza place that I don't even remember the name of, gawked at the noisy sea lions, and took pictures as the kids rode the carousel. We got bored--and tired--fast, and headed back to the hotel to change for an early dinner. 

We walked from the Fairmont to Chinatown for our dinner at China Live. It was so good with kind of a fancy, cool twist on traditional Chinese dishes. We got a ton of stuff to share, and everything was super yummy, but I have to say that the Char Siu BBQ Pork Dutch Crunch Baked Buns were out of this world. They were--by far--the best pork buns I have ever eaten, and I've even had them in Hong Kong and China. They were crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside with a slight sweetness that was just perfect. Oh my god. Incredible. 

Day 6: Pacific Coast Highway

We woke up at the crack of dawn, so that we could get an early start, and man, it was cold. I was going to miss the restaurants of San Fran, to be sure, but I was not sad to be leaving the weather. We piled into the van, which was to be our ride for the next two days. It was a ten-passenger van complete with an X-box and (hallelujuah) USB ports. We headed out, my hands over my eyes, as my husband manuevered that giant van through the steep, twisty streets. 

Our first stop was Stanford. My niece loves it, dreams of going there someday, and wanted to quickly check it out and buy a sweatshirt. Turns out, it's stunning--all Spanish-style buildings and green, open spaces. It looks like the high school in Beverly Hills 90210. 

Next stop was one of my only requests for the entire trip: Winchester Mystery House. I had gone there twice as a child, and was obsessed back in the day. We had tried to go again about six years ago when we were nearby for a friend's wedding, but got there right as it was closing and weren't allowed to enter. So I wasn't going to miss it this time, dammit! If you're not familar with the amazingness that is WMH, here's the deal: It is a gigantic sprawling mansion built around the turn of the century by Sarah Winchester, who was heir to the Winchester Rifle company fortune. Legend goes that she visited a medium who told her she was doomed to be cursed by the souls of all of the people killed by Winchester rifles, and that her only way to keep the spirits at bay was through constant, noisy construction. So for decades, she kept building, adding on to her home and creating weird architectural quirks (stairs to nowhere, doors that opened to big drops or brick walls, etc). You take a tour where you walk through much of the house and learn about her life. If you like spooky stories, cool, old homes, or just generally crazy stuff, it's the best. 

After Winchester, we hit the road again, caught some beautiful PCH scenery (impossible not to think of Big Little Lies when you see those cliffs!), stopped at a (delicious) hole-in-the-wall taco place, drove some more, and then stopped for a break at Cannery Row in Monterey, CA. The dads took the kids to the aquarium (at $50 a pop for adults, the moms decided to sit it out). Instead, we did some window shopping and a ton of walking, grabbed some Starbucks, and had a delicious cinnamon roll at Lily Mae's Cinnamon Rolls.

We ended up spending longer there than originally intended, so we were a bit behind schedule. We drove some more and went straight to dinner at Centrally Grown in Cambria, CA. It was good, but we were all so tired. Plus, I was stressing out about driving to our AirBnB in the dark. 

And it was stressful. Our AirBnB was "off the grid" (help) up a long, narrow, winding, private road that meandered through the mountains and had zero street lights. And we were in a giant van! It was so scary. But perhaps even scarier than our drive was the house itself. It was way older/shabbier than the AirBnB photos had let on, the front door was broken, and--by far the worst part--it was 90 degrees inside. And I'm not exaggerating. That is what the thermostat said. NINETY DEGREES. The heat was blasting when we arrived, and it wouldn't turn off. It was broken. We had also been banking on doing laundry there but there was no washing machine in sight. (We finally found it later in the basement when we were looking for a fan. It was hidden in the back under a hoader's worth of stuff. We were exhausted, hot, and scared of this house. We decided it would just be easier to buy clean underwear when we got to L.A.) We opened up a bunch of windows and fell asleep.

 

Day 7: PCH/Los Angeles

Once again, we were getting a very early start, but before we left, we got a quick glimpse at the one very cool thing about the house: the stunning views. We also got a better look at the steep drops that we had driven blindly by the night before. Yikes. 

We piled in the car and headed out, grabbing breakfast at the gas station, and vowing to power pretty much straight through to L.A., which we did, pulling into our hotel, the SLS Beverly Hills, a few hours later. (BTW, the hotel is very nice, kind of "rocker cool." It's definitely not a hotel geared for kids, but they did fine there.)

After settling into our rooms and grabbing a quick lunch in the lobby restaurant, we Uber'd to Venice Beach and walked around for a while watching the street performers, then headed to Santa Monica to check out the pier. (The kids rode some rides and played some games, then we quit when one of mine threw a fit when the other one won a stuffed unicorn. Sigh.) We finished the day with yummy tacos, much-needed margaritas, and kind-of hilariously awful service at Punta Cabras (the guy was a clearly born to be an actor, not a waiter, so we kind of got the full L.A. experience there). Then we headed back to the hotel--everyone tired and cranky, including the adults--and went to sleep. 

Day 8: Disneyland

I had known the guys had hired someone to take us around Disney to help us avoid lines, and I was annoyed about it. It seemed like such a waste of money, and I was terrified they had been inspired by this story that ran years ago in the New York Post. Turns out, he had hired a young (able-bodied) guy named Tommy from Stone Vacation Services, and though definitely not cheap, it turned out to be so worth it. 

Tommy knew Disneyland like the back of his hand and had so many tricks. He scheduled our entire day (we did both Disneyland and California Adventure), handled our Fast Passes like a ninja, and we never waited in line once. He even got our kids into the Star Wars Jedi Training experience, which apparently, is really tough to do. It was amazing! All in all, it was a very fun day, as we got to do everything we wanted to do, and had minimal complaints from the kids as we were constantly busy and we could just throw up our hands and say that Tommy made the schedule, not us or them. 

My favorite rides were the Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Pirates of the Caribbean (so much better than the one at Disneyworld!), Thunder Mountain, and Soarin'. My adventure-loving daughter loved the Incredicoaster (she went on it three times!), Guardians of the Galaxy (that one's a hell-to-the-no for me), and Space Mountain (I love that one, too, but had to sit it out because my son wouldn't go). And my adventure-adverse-"Does this go fast? Does this have drops?" son loved Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, and Mater's Junkyward Jamboree

 

Day 9: L.A.

We grabbed an early breakfast at one of my all-time favorite restaurants, Hugo's in West Hollywood. (The Pasta Mama--which is BREAKFAST PASTA--is truly one of my favorite meals ever.) Then, we split up. The men and the kids headed out to do a Hollywood tour (the sign, Hollywood Boulevard, and a few celeb homes), but as I had lived in L.A. years before, I didn't want to do that sort of tourist-y thing. So Kerri and I went to MiniLuxe (which I first told you about here) for pedicures, followed by a trip to Amanu where we had beautiful, custom sandals made on the spot (I did an entire separate post on that experience. You can read about it here.) Then we went back to the SLS for an afternoon of relaxation (finally!) at the pool.

The guys had rented a cabana for the day, which was nice since the kids could lounge in the shade when they weren't splashing in the pool. Speaking of kids, while the SLS rooftop is a total scene, it also happens to be pretty great for kids since the two pools are really shallow. For once, we didn't have to be in there with them; we could just watch them from the side. After a few hours of lounging, sipping cocktails, and snacking, we headed back to the room to change for dinner. 

Our au pair was watching the kids for the night (thank you, Pau!), so that we could go to Somni, Jose Andres' super fancy restaurant right there in the hotel. It was a 20+ course dinner (!), and everything was so inventive and crazy and delicious. Some of my favorites were chicken skin and foie gras, potatoes formed to look like a croissant, kohlrabi with snap peas, and pan con tamato and jamon.

 

 

 

Day 10: Universal Studios Hollywood 

Guess what? Tommy does Universal, too, so he came back! (And since Disney had been such a success with him that I was fine with the expense this time.) Once again, thanks to Tommy, we zipped through the park, waiting in pretty much zero lines. My nephew and daughter are both Harry Potter obsessed, so they were truly living their best lives at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. (I loved it, too. It's very cool.) All of the kids got wands and my daughter and nephew got the robes. (Joke was on them though. They had to wear those things in the 90-degree weather. But they both still stubbornly did so for most of the day!) The Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey ride is amazing, but definitely scary! (My son sat it out, obvs.) The rollercoaster is kind of lame (he still sat that one out, too). We ate lunch there, too, in the Three Broomsticks restaurant. (Note: The line there looked terrifyingly long, but it goes super fast.)

Beyond Harry Potter, I actually thought Universal Studios was kind of just okay though. There's not a ton for a young kid who is scared of a lot of rides. My son even found The Simpsons too scary, and then refused to even go on Minions. Weirdly, he loved Transformers and THE WALKING DEAD --a thing I was too scared to go on--though.  He also loved The Kung Fu Panda movie experience (the seats shake and move slightly), and everyone enjoyed the WaterWorld show. (Do not sit anywhere near the front though. They literally pour water on you in the  "splash zone" and it doesn't get you any sort of better view anyway.) 

The other issue I had is that a lot of the rides are just different variations on the 3D-simulation-ride theme, so it feels like a lot of the same thing over and over again. And the studio lot tour, which I had loved as a kid, seemed kind of ehh as an adult. (My kids--especially my son--weren't that into it, either.) There were some standouts though! The Mummy--an indoor rollercoaster in the dark--is awesome, and the Jurassic Park River Adventure was fun though you do get pretty wet. (The whole time I was wishing my son had gone on it because it was pretty tame, but then there was a huge drop at the end, which he would have hated.) 

We had an early flight the next day, so we spent our last night at The Westin Los Angeles Airport, which was no SLS (!), but totally fine, and it made the next morning so much easier. 

Day 11: Fly home

You know how you don't want vacation to end, but then the morning of, you just want to get the hell out of there? That's how we felt. It had been a great vacay--and I'll always be a West Coast girl at heart--but we were tired and ready to head back to the East Coast...and home. 

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So, that was our road trip! It was definitely more jam-packed than I would have planned it, but that had its advantages, too, so I'm not sure if I'd even do it differently next time. And, of course, our road trip had lots of privileges like nice hotels, roomy vans, and flights instead of super long-haul drives.

I think the key things that made a road trip with kids work for us were 1) traveling with people we got along with, 2) traveling with other kids, so that our kids had more options than just their own sibling, and 3) planning things to do with the kids ultimately in mind (a pit stop at an aquarium, restaurants with kid-friendly food, etc. Hell, they probably even preferred the Exploratorium over Alcatraz anyway. At least that's what I'll keep telling myself.)

Have you guys ever done a road trip with kids? Tell me your secrets!

Note: Nothing on this trip was sponsored. We paid for every damn thing ourselves.