Boston on my Mind

Boston is really on my mind.

And not just because it is has been front page news this past week, but because of the impact of disasters, both natural and man-made, on the people connected to it.

We were just there.  My husband and our two daughters and I just walked those tidy streets and met those friendly people.  Bostonians opened their arms to the World Championships of Irish Dance, and we flooded their hotels with wigs and sparkled dresses and tapping feet.  We spent ten days in the Boston area, and we had an amazing time.

My travel blog was about to be posted on Patriots Day. I held back for a week, and now feel the best thing is to celebrate everything good about Boston.  And encourage families to visit.  We share your pain, applaud your strength, and admire your fortitude.

Our family joined friends, and we signed up for the "Hop On Hop Off" Bus, and took advantage of the included admission to the "Boston Tea Party" exhibit.  Our kids ages 9-15 learned the history of the beginnings of the American Revolution, and the role Bostonians played in the birth of the United States as an independent country.  The interactive play was both entertaining and educational, letting the kids act out characters, yell out encouragement in a big "Hazzah!" and throw the tea bales off the ships into the sea (earning souvenir feathers for their attempts).  We got to experience the interior of a pilgrim's ship, and feel connected to the 17th century players.  It was a highlight of the trip.

Another must-do (for Mom and Dad, anyway) was a quick lunch at the Cheers bar.  Iconic from the 80's sitcom, the small downstairs pub on Beacon Hill delivered with simple pub fare and good cold brew... Samuel Adam's just to be local.

The excursion to the New England State would not have been complete without taking in a Boston Bruins game.  In fact, our Dance Dad would have probably called the trip a miss if it had not have been happening in the home venue of his all-time favourite hockey team, with a chance to visit the Boston Gardens.  As luck would have it, with the NHL strike over and a condensed season in progress, we had a choice of three possible games that week, tickets bought online.  Hubby picked the Original Six classic: Bruins versus the Habs.  Complete with the rivalry chants, the crowds celebrated in full style both pre-game at the neighbouring Hurricane O'Reilly's and post-game as well.  Families were welcomed into the pubs (YES!), so if a father-son game is on the itinerary, hockey in Boston is a must.


You can't predict the future.  Or guarantee that you won't be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  If you are familiar with our story, you already know that we experienced several instances of near-miss events, where a major tragedy occurred within weeks of our visit or immediately prior to our arrival.

Our hearts go out to all those affected by the horrible life-changing events in Boston last week.  How easy it could have been our family, our event sabotaged by the twisted actions of others.  But if we give power to those people, by living scared or intimidated, we give them more than they are worth.

Go hug your kids, your parents, those who are your world.  And then go out and explore it. Together.

Cape Cod, a perfect off-season retreat

Our girls are both competitive Irish dancers.

Their sport started modestly, with local classes from the age of 3, through the ranks of beginners and novice, prizewinners and Championships.  The exchange for the hundreds of hours of practice and training has been the opportunity to compete on a World Stage - and this year, the 43rd annual "Olympics" of Irish Dance was held in Boston, USA.

We arrived in Boston a few days early, and headed south to Cape Cod.  Since it was our first adventure to the New England States, we hoped to explore a bit of coastline and sample the local seafood and chowder.  Provincetown was still very quiet (end of March is early in the season), but still eclectic and colourful under the grey skies.

We had a wonderful cozy night at the Provincetown Inn, excellent off-season value including breakfast for 4, under $100/night.  Our amazing oceanfront view was transformed to a winter wonderland with a heavy dump of wet snow while we slept.

Dinner was recommended at a local eatery called Napi's, and was artfully prepared with fresh ingredients then served by a friendly hostess.  Our daughters enjoyed the collection of seafaring treasures displayed on the walls and shelves, and had a rousing game of "I Spy" while we waited for our meals.

The hotel featured a turn-of-the-century fireplace with sofas pulled close, and the quiet of the building created a perfect refuge from the storm.  The next morning, we headed for a quiet seaside hike across snow-covered paths to the water's edge, where only a few gulls braved the chill.

Travel doesn't have to mean going full speed ahead.  Sometimes the best part is allowing yourself some down time, without over-scheduling your family into every possible activity to see and to do.  Kids need to learn to sit and engage in thoughtful conversation.  They need to be given time to rest and focus, especially if their daily life is hectic.  We all need balance.

This quiet, reflective time, especially before a major competition with its accompanying stress and pressure and physical demands, allowed our family to "refuel".  Cape Cod in March.  Ideal!

Warm up in Panama, perfect for teens

Let's face it.  By January, those of us living in the Northern parts of the planet are getting pretty tired of the dark and the cold.  A winter getaway boosts our Vitamin D levels to help us beat those winter blues, naturally.

If you are looking for a new destination that is both family friendly and affordable, why not give Panama a try?

We found daily flights routed out of the major airline hub of Houston, TX which connected daily to our home airport.  Though long in travel time, the direct routing and good connections actually reduced our time spent in transit.  We landed in Panama City, but in the next couple of years international flights will become available at the new airport closer to the resorts, now under construction.  A taxi service offers at the airport shuttled us safely across the (very busy) city to the resort area of Decameron.  Resorts by Sheraton, Riu, Hilton and all the majors offer many economical choices, several 5* with inclusive options, depending what your family craves.  Most are located on uncrowded sand beaches where searching for shells is just as enticing as playing in the gentle waves.  There are also privately owned condos and houses available, and grocery shopping is easy.

Rent a car

We had no troubles with driving in Panama.  The highways are mostly new, and though can get crowded with trucks and buses, it is easy to navigate and enjoyable to explore.  Once in Decameron, there are a couple familiar rental agents to choose from, without the stress of driving through the unbelievable traffic of Panama city (we saved that for the experts!)  If you have a smaller group, or prefer to leave the driving to others, the local bus system is every efficient and economical, but a basic knowledge of Spanish would make it easier.

What to do with teens?

Ziplining through the jungle canopy was at the top of our list.  When in Hawaii a couple of years ago, Katie was too young to participate and has never let us forget it.  This time, she sailed above the trees and over the waterfalls with the guidance of our guides.  We drove up to the mountaintop to El Valle de Anton - Cocle province, a beautiful scenic drive in itself.  The tropical rainforest was lush and musical with birdsong. 

If your teens are into extreme sports, then a visit (or even a stay) at Nitro City is a must. We enjoyed our late lunch in the chilled atmosphere of the outdoor patio and watched as a quad towed wake-boarders across the infinity pool. Skateboarding, jet skiing, kitesurfing and a realm of other outdoor adventures are available, and the pool tables and video games entertain on rainy days.  Though we didn't choose to stay long, our teens were happy to have visited even for a short time.

Diving with whale sharks in the right season (November to Feb) and world class surfing (Feb - May) are other options unique to Panama.  A few hours to the village of Santa Catalina.  A day trip to the island of Coiba offered top notch snorkeling with the biggest fish in the sea, followed by a geography lesson at the National Park on Coiba, the island that was once a penal colony and is now one of the best diving locations in the world.  We managed to swim with sea turtles, schools of fish of every size and color, and even spotted a seahorse while floating in the calm, clear waters of the Pacific.

A trip to Panama would not be complete without visiting the Canal.  The Panama Canal museum had an interactive exhibit where visitors can steer their ship through the locks, controlling the throttle and the wheel in an attempt to not smash into the sides and sound the alarms... it was great fun, like a shipping game of Mattel's "Operation."  Next, in Panama Viejo (Old Town), a follow-up visit to the international version of the canal museum explained the construction of the major shipping channel from another perspective.  The contrast allows visitors to see two sides of the same story, a valuable lesson about history in itself. 

With the best of beaches, history, sports activities and cultural exposure, Panama offers families a safe, relaxing winter getaway at affordable prices.  Oh yeah, did I mention beer costs about 70 cents... #goLearn.

Jasper in January, Alberta Canada

Since the release of our family adventures, many folks have asked me for recommendations of the perfect destination for an educational trip with their kids.  The world is full of opportunity, but I am going to start with something right in my own backyard...

Jasper Alberta Canada 

A three hour drive west of the city of Edmonton, Jasper National Park is nestled along the Alberta -  British Columbia border in Western Canada.  And in January, it is a winter wonderland.

To get there:  Our family travels in our SUV, equipped with 4 wheel drive and winter tires.  This allows us enough space for luggage, and makes for a safer, happier trip.  It also allows us the freedom to explore independently once we arrive.  ViaRail offers a passenger train service, and there is the MagicBus ski transfer, but we prefer the freedom of our own vehicle.

What to pack:  Think winter in the mountains... the temperatures are unpredictable and can fluctuate more than 40 degrees Celsius in 24 hours.  Seriously.  So be prepared for anything: ski pants, warm coats, hats, mitts and boots.  We always add a swimsuit for the hot tub.  And bring whatever gear will match your planned activitiy: skiing or hiking, skating or sledding.  First plan your "to do" list, then pack what you'll need to do it.

Family Fun:
SKI:  Marmot Basin offers downhill skiing for all ages and abilities.  It is a world class resort, with high speed quad lifts and chalets. Rental packages are available on the hill.  Lessons are offered for kids, and there is babysitting service for younger ones.  Our kids started skiing at about age 3, and there are many children on the lower "bunny slopes."  It is a great place to learn to ski.  Teens will be challenged by the double-black runs and terrain park, and the many trails through the woods.  The snowboarders in the family will have a lot of options as well.  Rentals plus lift tickets and a hot lunch for our family of 5 was about $500.  Pretty high for multiple days, but was okay when the next day, we planned to do something "free."

HIKE:  Maligne Canyon is frozen, and a walk from Bridge No.5 will take you along the frozen river up to the waterfalls and caves.  Tours are available, complete with ice grips for your boots.  Your family will learn the geology of the Rocky Mountains, and may even spot ancient fossils imbedded in the canyon walls.  Deer and elk frequent the area, so keep your eyes open for wildlife, and experience the beauty of nature.  Make sure to take your camera!  Check Jasper Trail Alliance on Facebook for current trail conditions, cross country ski trails and other hiking locations.

SKATE:  At the JPL and Pyramid Lake Resort - free.  There are a couple of lakes where the snow is removed, revealing the smooth ice surface of the mountain lakes... skates can be rented, and hot cocoa is available to share in front of a roaring bonfire.  You can even challenge your kids to pond hockey, or a quick game of curling once your feet get sore.

Other ideas:  Dog-sledding is something we have always wanted to try. There is also a wonderful Day Spa at the Sawridge Hotel for a Mom's Time Out, and our kids always love the hotel pools.  If you go mid-day, you will probably have the whole place to yourself!  The town of Jasper offers unique gift shops and restaurants of every price... try Fiddle River for a taste of elk or buffalo, with kids menu offered as well.

Where to stay:  With our family, we prefer a kitchenette suite with a wood-burning fireplace.  This trip we found the Jasper Inn for $140/night.  It has a great pool and indoor hot tub, and a restaurant with breakfast buffet for $10/person.  If you'd like a secluded mountain experience, the Jasper Park Lodge is unbeatable (though pricey) and Pyramid Lake Resort is now open year round.  Check out TripAdvisor.com for our reviews.

Jasper in January - many special deals offered by hotels, and free activities planned for family fun.  It's a great time to explore the Rockies, whether you live just up the road or continents away.

***

When we think family travel, we don't have to go far.  Some of the best destinations are only an hour or two (or maybe three!) from home.  The biggest thing is to take the time, whether it is for a week or just a couple of nights, and spend it with your kids.  Play together, learn together and build the relationships that will carry forward with the best memories of time well spent.

Book review from an International reader

Thank you Lubna for taking your time to review our story, and for your readers' encouraging comments.  And I was grateful for the opportunity to pass forward two copies of our book for your school project in India.  For a former teacher, any chance to encourage reading in youth is a rewarding action, indeed.

The Bookworm Review:
http://booksonmyshelves.blogspot.ca/2012/12/mom-theres-lion-in-toilet.html

To get our full story, you can either download the six novellas on www.smashwords.com
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/219500

Or it is now available internationally on Amazon as a complete set:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AEBX8EK

When writing, an author puts her soul on paper, open for the world to read.  It is even a greater risk when the subject is not fiction, but her own family who is exposed.  I suppose that is why there is no biography in our story.  It was my hope you would learn to understand the characters though the five months of spending time together as we explored the world in our journal.  Plus, how do you sum up those you love in a few introductory paragraphs?  It is something I continue to struggle with each time I am asked to write a biography.

We are not defined by what we do, or what has happened to us in the past.

We are, I suppose, a hard-working, determined, active living family.  We are blessed to have a lot of opportunity, and the drive to capitalize on it.  We are Western Canadian, and I guess following in that stereotype, we say please and thank you a lot, we drive pickup trucks, can tolerate really cold weather (though we do not like it) and we are self-sufficient and resourceful.  We like both country and rock music and strong-minded, intelligent conversations.  And though we can plan ahead, we are spontaneous, quick thinking and decisive.  We like to have fun, and love to laugh.  And can find humour in the worst of situations... that came in handy on our trip.

Are we rich?  I think everyone is rich if he is counting the right things.  Travel can be done in many ways, and not all of them are expensive.  It costs very little to go camping in the woods.  Hiking is free.  And groceries cost the same (or even less) in any place you may eat, including home.  Did our trip require an investment? Yes.  And a series of choices.  Everything is a trade-off.  It required sacrificing one set of things for another.

Mostly, it required the courage to change our priorities.  And to put time spent with our children first.  Everyone has the same 24 hours in every day.  It is a matter of choosing how you will spend them.  And everyone makes that choice each day.

Time is our most precious resource.  Thank you for spending yours reading our story, and taking the time to encourage others to do the same.  I wish every family could share the world with their kids, like we did with ours, and yet realize that is not always possible.

That is why I wrote the book:  to encourage, to entertain, to educate, and to share the world with you, and yours.

Heartfelt letter from a non-Reader

I opened my email this morning, and received the best present any (new) author might wish for.  Truly, I have read this letter several times, and each time my heart sings anew.

Thank you Pat for taking the time to write to me... I am thrilled you enjoyed our story, and the teacher in me rejoices that I could share with you the world in a book :) You truly made all the (blood, sweat, tears) months of work, worthwhile.  You reminded me why I had to write, and why I shouldn't stop.   Thank you for being my inspiration.  Cheers!  Lisa xox

Good Morning Lisa,

Pat here.

I have just spent the last two weeks with your beautiful mother and I have to say it has been an amazing time getting to know your mother and learning more about each of her two children whom she loves tremendously.  When we were talking about the vacation, I was wondering what in the world I would do for two whole weeks away with doing not much than R&R.  Most people that go away especially women tend to bring a couple of books and read, relax and enjoy quiet time.  Well I would not be one of those women, you see at the age of 56 I have yet to read a book from front to back, as I hated reading in school and was not encouraged when growing up.  Reading to your children is so important when they are young; this gives them a basis of enjoying books and wanting to read more.  

With books you can go anywhere in the world you want.  What a gift any author can pass on to the very young and old.

Well, your aunt Denise had her copy of your book at the Villa we stayed at.  So I thought what the heck I will give it a try and see if it would keep me interested enough to at least read a couple of chapters.

Well my dear Lisa, I have to thank you for taking me around the world in eight days on such an adventure. It is beyond my wildest dreams that I would be so fortunate to complete reading a book of 454 pages in one week.  Your writing is amazing, as it is very very easy to read, and while reading your story I laughed, was scared for you and your family, as well as was speechless at some of your adventures.  

There was a lot of teasing by your uncle as the book went everywhere except to dinner with me.  This is something that is new to me and something that I felt would truly never happen in my life. I did not like reading in school as I was a slow reader and could not complete some exams because of my reading so slow.  That became a thorn in my side and I just left it at that.

Your book has given me a reason to continue to find books like yours that has taken me on adventures that I could imagine in my mind.  The colors were so vivid to me while reading, it was almost like a movie in my mind.  I could not put the book down, as I could hardly wait to see what was going to happen next.  Your writing is so clear and helped me to visualize so much of the world that I will probably never see, other than through the words in your book.

Your children are so very fortunate to have parents that put their day to day lives on hold so that the family could really get a chance to know each other on such an intimate level that would have never happened at home with everyone being so busy.

Lisa my dear, your book has inspired me at 56 years old to start to read books, a whole new world has been opened to me just waiting for me to experience journeys that only one can imagine while reading a book.  How my life would have been enriched if I would have been fortunate enough to have had a teacher like yourself while attending my first years of school.  You have a gift for writing, I hope you continue to write and open up the world of reading to lots of others that are just like I was before reading a book cover to cover.

Mom! There's a Lion in the Toilet, has opened a door for me that I have never opened. Now I don't want to close it. I am beyond grateful for your book and your decision to write it.  WOW I had such an adventure, all because of going on holidays with your mom.

Again, thank you and take care. I am using your mothers Facebook because I don't have one.  Too much confusion for me. LOL

Pat Racine

Travel Tips - Educating Kids through Travel

Our kids were thrilled this week to find themselves on the front cover of the Edmonton Journal, our largest newspaper in our local city. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/story.html?id=7634713

Chris Zdeb spoke to us about the impact of long term family travel, and how leaving our traditional school setting for extended travel may have hurt our children's education.  It seems some people hold the belief that the only place learning can happen is within the walls of a classroom.

Thank goodness our school district disagreed.

Deciding to take our children on a trip around the world was a personal decision.  It came from a deep realization that life was worth living, now.  We worked, and had worked hard, for many years.  And though we had built a great "normal" life, we were not completely satisfied.  It seemed that life was passing us by.  I love the quote "we travel not to escape our life, but so that our life does not escape us."  That pretty much summed it up.

Our schools, thankfully, understood.  Yes, it did help that as a trained teacher, I was able to assure the administration that the five months away would not be a big "waste of time."  But truly, I didn't need an education degree to be able to teach our children about the world.  I believe strongly that life is about learning.
 
Every day, we should learn at least one new thing.
 
Seek out knowledge.
 
Explore.

Discover.

Understand.

It is our philosophy of life.

The knowledge our children gained may or may not have matched the specific curriculum of each of their grades in our specific region of the world.  But they learned about culture, history, geography and life in a way that was relevant and meaningful.  And not to mention, fun.

And most importantly, they learned how to learn, which for us was the most important lesson of all.

Try these Family Travel Tips to make your next vacation a learning one:

1. Choose a new destination.  If you love to travel, you can share that love with your children.  It doesn't have to be only "kid places" like Disney.  Choose activities you love, and pick a new place to try.

2. Do something new.  Pick an activity your family hasn't done before, and learn it together.

3. Don't overpack.  Kids don't need to have everything from home. Laundry is done everywhere, and you are their favorite toy.

4. Hire a local guide.  Often the cab driver or waiter would love to share his city, or take you to her family's favourite museum or surf beach.  Don't be afraid to ask to discover the best local "haunts".

5. Let the kids help with the planning.  Older children can have great ideas, and will often enjoy the trip more if they are given some control.  You will share in their interests, and they just might surprise you!

And my favourite place for recommendations:  TripAdvisor.  Just search for the "Top 10 things to do with families" in your destination, and let the ideas inspire you!

Happy Travels!  6 Andersons 1 World