Now that I have become a mother, my criteria for the perfect vacation have changed quite considerably.  Suddenly the most important elements are  travel time door-to-door, room configuration for nap time, ease of feeding, and distances between points of interest.  I recently came across a new resort in Turks & Caicos that ticks all these boxes and more: Veranda Resort & Residences.

Cottage Plunge Pool

Geographically the Turks & Caicos Islands are situated due east of the Bahamas, which means that flight time from Miami takes less than two hours – a rarity for Caribbean travel!  Once you touch down in Providenciales, you speed through customs formalities and drive 15 minutes to arrive at Veranda Resort & Residences.  Check in to your 3 bedroom beach front cottage (replete with fully-equipped kitchen, laundry room, and private outdoor pool) and begin to enjoy your fully-inclusive vacation  which features premium sunset cocktails for mom and dad and unlimited snacks for the kids  – served in your private cottage or in one of their three restaurants!  This generous villa experience even offers enough room for the grandparents, nanny, or your best friends to come along.    What’s more, Kids Club day care is also included from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for ages 3-12, allowing more time for parents to enjoy beach walks and the complimentary non-motorized water sports along the 12 mile stretch of Grace Bay Beach, rated by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as one of the 10 best in the world!

Start planning your next “perfect vacation” with Jet Set World Travel today and benefit from even greater value with our complimentary amenities:
Upgrade upon BOOKING guaranteed, subject to availability
A US $100 Resort credit per room, per stay (not combinable and not valid towards room rate; valid on spa treatments but not spa products; no cash value if not redeemed) OR you may choose to donate the $100 to Grace Bay Resorts Community Foundation

http://www.verandatci.com/

Contact Gina DeBenedetti at Jet Set World Travel @ gina@jetsetworldtravel.com or @ 773.896.1535

http://www.jetsetworldtravel.com

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By Amanda Park

With the craziness of the holiday season finally behind us (big sigh), I feel the need for some well-deserved rest and relaxation in a fabulous city.  Of course I love my adopted hometown of Dallas (which is actually quite fun), but in this instance, I am talking about my beloved birthplace – San Francisco!

I love visiting good old SF. It’s the ultimate city to experience great food, interesting people, and spectacular sites. We have made the trip with kids, no kids, as girls’ weekends,  as golf trips….you name it.  We have literally done it all in San Francisco  and you will not find a more accommodating city.

Here is a peak at our faves. Oh, and bring your wellies, it can be a little rainy and cold this time of year, but you’ll look so chic in your cashmere beanie and wool wrap (see Burberry Bliss/What to Wear), that you won’t care!

Where to Eat

With kids:
Mel’s Diner
www.melsdrive-in.com
Kids’ meals are served in paper cars. Enough said. This place is actually great food and lots of fun. There are several locations (Geary, Lombard, Mission, Van Ness), so there should be one close to wherever you are staying.

Chevy’s Fresh Mex
www.chevys.com
Fun, friendly Mexican restaurant on Van Ness Avenue.

Giorgio’s Pizzeria
http://giorgiospizza.com/
Kids can play with sample dough and even make their own pizza.
Located in the Richmond District of San Francisco, very near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Without kids:
Wayfare Tavern
www.wayfaretavern.com
This is Tyler Florence’s new restaurant (if you are Food Network obsessed like I am, you know who he is). It is DELISH.

Incanto Restaurant & Wine Bar
www.incanto.biz
A great scene and truly excellent Italian food in fabulous Noe Valley.

Farrallon
www.farallonrestaurant.com
An elegant restaurant with excellent seafood, right in the middle of Union Square.

Where to Stay

With kids:
Four Seasons Hotel
www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco/
Very accommodating with children. Concierge is really helpful with locating babysitters. Milk and cookies, kiddie robes and the usual children’s toiletries are waiting for you upon check-in. The location (Market Street) is great for shopping and quick activities. Also, the actual facility just lends itself better to children, then some of the other luxury hotels in the city.

Without kids:
Hotel Vitale
www.hotelvitale.com
This is a lovely, swanky boutique hotel located in the Embarcadero/Waterfront.
Book either a Panoramic Suite or the Landmark Terrace Suite…the views are unreal. There are so many wonderful large hotels in SF, but if you want to try a smaller hotel, this one is awesome.

Where to Play:

Golden Gate Park
A couple of great places in the park to check out are Hang at the Japanese Tea Garden (the kids will love to play here – there is a wooden bridge that every kid loves to run all over) or DeYoung Museum – a personal favorite of mine.  There is a giant carousel (from 1912!) and a great playground on the Lincoln Avenue side of the park. You can bring a picnic or walk to 9th and Irving and eat at Park Chow (very kid friendly restaurant and a delicious SF gem).

Alcatraz
This is for older kids; this is such an unbelievable tour, but lots of walking…and a long ferry ride. I think this is best for 8 year olds and up, depending on each child.

Pier 39
All age children; tons of souvenir and specialty shops, carousel, street performers, plenty of eating options. Be sure to stop by Ghirardelli Square for an extra special ice cream sundae for the kids.

Zeum: San Francisco Children’s Museum
www.zeum.org
This is a high-tech museum for kids, unlike any other. This is good for all ages, but 4 and up will get the most out of it.

And Just for You

www.cliffhouse.com
Have an Irish Coffee at The Cliff House. Historic San Francisco landmark, perched right above the crashing waves of the Pacific. Definitely don’t forget your wellies and winter wrap for that visit…it can be quite chilly along the coast. This is my all time favorite thing to do in the world. Older kids would love this place….the young ones would make me nervous with all the cliffs and the water. My kids are too young, so for now, this one gets to be just for me (happy sigh).

As always, safe and happy travels!

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By Nikki Stinson

We love the Ritz Carlton. We really do. And when we plan our travel, we almost always consider the Ritz hotels before any other. Ritz Carlton hotels are not only in some of the best locations in the world, but you can count on a certain kind of experience when you stay there. The Ritz Carlton promises (per their credo) the “finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience,” and “an experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.” Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? And in most cases, this is what we have come to enjoy and expect. So when they fall short – it’s more than disappointing. As it was during our stay at their hotel in Palm Beach.

Before arriving at the hotel, my husband made all of the arrangements well in advance; everything from the suites to the cribs to the high chairs our kids would need. We were assured that everything would be perfect upon our arrival. Not so much. While the Ritz was lovely and the staff was friendly, that is where the perks of our 5-star stay ended, and the nickel and diming began.

When we arrived in our suite, we were met with the gear we arranged for – the high chairs and the cribs. We quickly learned that the Ritz rented the highchairs from an outside company and automatically charged them to our card. The charge was $100 for 2 chairs for 6 days ($50 of that was the delivery fee). Our annoyance wasn’t necessarily the cost; it was that we were not informed about this cost beforehand and that our card was charged without our authorization.

As far as the cribs, they were metal with very average linens and no bumpers. Inside each crib was the standard Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo travel pack that we have also received at other Ritz locations.  And that was about it for our children’s welcome. Disappointing. Certainly didn’t fill any “unexpressed wishes” that we may have had.

Next, we hit the pool in hopes for some fun in the sun. We rented two poolside cabanas, only to find that were not staffed and only came with fruit and a few bottles of water. Really? No service in the cabanas? We were wondering if we paid all that extra money simply for the shade, and if so it wasn’t worth the cost. And sadly, the pools weren’t very kid-friendly. There was no beach entrance to the pool or children’s pool area, which meant more walking (and more carrying) of our toddlers. When does the relaxing start?

And after a long day in the sun, we were sad to find that there were no kid-friendly restaurants in the hotel either. Room service was our only choice, which was fine – but it would have been wonderful to be able to enjoy a delicious meal at one of their beautiful restaurants rather than be stuck in our room each night.

The final disappointment came at the end of each day. Bottled water at turndown service no longer existed – or didn’t during our stay at least. And at a beach resort?! I guess they were trying to cut corners while they certainly weren’t cutting room rates.

All in all, this Ritz lacked the 5-star experience that we have come to love, and was a far cry from kid-friendly. They were nice enough to comp our suite for two nights of our stay, but sadly, we won’t be going back any time soon.

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By Amanda Park

Every summer, my husband’s family (he is one of four kids) takes a group vacation.  All 18 of us gather at one spot and spend a week together. Our recent trips have included North Shore Hawaii, Incline Village in Lake Tahoe, Outer Banks in North Carolina, and Seaside Florida. We almost always stay in a huge home that accommodates ALL of us -thank God we like each other!

Now that we have two little boys of our own, these trips have taken on a new meaning and are not just for Bill and I to lie in the sun, relax and drink cocktails (those were some great days though!). With the kiddos now in the picture, these week-long vacations take lots of planning and careful consideration of every detail – especially for what to pack. This year’s trip to Seaside Florida was going to be made not only with our 2.5 year old, but also our 9-month-old baby. So needless to say, we required A LOT of equipment. And because we were staying in a house as opposed to a hotel, we were on our own in terms of gathering that equipment. So we decided to go for it….oh yeah, I’m talking about a road trip.

In our case, this was a 12-hour road trip (Dallas to Seaside). After much persuasion from my husband, I reluctantly agreed that with all of the gear we were going to need for the week (the pack n’ play, monitor, toddler chair, car seats, etc. etc.), loading our car and hitting the road was the only way to go. The next thing I know, I am an expert on the exact locations of every single drive-thru Starbucks from Dallas to Seaside.

All in all, our drive could not have gone better. I was dreading it, but the kids were great and it was so nice to have all of our baby gear with us. Here are my recommendations on how to make your road trip as smooth as possible.

• Bring a DVD player and tons of movies (LONG ones, so you are not constantly having to change them out…I quickly learned that).

• Pack NEW toys (Melissa and Doug Travel Bingo, Leap Frog Scribble & Write are two of my faves). http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-2091-Travel-Bingo/dp/B000VNXSOQ  and http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-19139-Scribble-and-Write/dp/B001W2WKS0

• Don’t forget stickers and sticker books/albums.

• Try books on CD.  A lot of parents have luck with these and I know that Disney has lots of them. I haven’t tried this, but might give it a shot next time. http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Little-Mermaid-Story-Aladdin/dp/1865153044

• Choose healthy snacks for the cooler. My toddler did better with healthy snacks like cheese sticks and apple slices than with candy, which I would try to bribe him with when necessary. Of course, I ended up paying for it greatly during the subsequent sugar crash later.

• It’s a no-brainer to make sure you bring favorite blankets and pillows, but make sure you grab an EXTRA couple of favorites in case something spills in the car (i.e. a sloppy, sleepy, toddler’s milk).

• Dress everyone in comfy driving clothes, including mom and dad. http://www.luxebabyluxe.com/blog/archives/465

• Pick the best drive time for your family.  We chose to start our drive at 7am and arrive around 7pm, which worked great for us. Some people decide to drive through the night while their kids’ sleep, but this worked better for us.

• And perhaps the most important to-do? Download the Starbucks Coffee App to your iPhone so you can find the closest Starbucks to you, no matter where you are.
• 

Happy Driving!!

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By Lisa Wynne

Oh sweet Vail – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. And not just in the winter. Our recent trip to Vail was in August – and it was the perfect summer getaway. The weather? Fantastic. The scenery? Breathtaking. The activities? Plentiful. The stay? Far too short.

Vail, Colorado has undergone a magnificent facelift. For those who have yet to visit since the major renovation, you have much to look forward to. And for those who have been – you know exactly what I am talking about. From the dozens of new shops to the scrumptious restaurants, the area has more to offer than ever before. And did I mention how easily you can indulge in Vail with your little ones? We traveled with our besties, (aka Team Schwager), and had so much fun. In fact, this may have been our easiest, most enjoyable vacation with Ryder yet. How often do you find locations that are stimulating for your little ones and actually relaxing for you? Before this trip – I wasn’t sure that even existed. But Vail really is the best of both worlds. The list of wonderful locales is long – so here are our favorites:

Day 1: Arrived in Denver, grabbed our rental car and headed up the mountain. A relatively quick and painless 2.5-hour drive into some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country – not a bad way to start our vacation. We arrived at our house for the week up in Cordillera, just a few minutes west of Vail. And wow – what a gorgeous area Cordillera is! The homes, grounds and views are unbelievable! You can hike in the forest one minute and be enjoying an afternoon cocktail at the beautiful Cordillera Lodge minutes later (and yes – that is THE Cordillera Lodge that Kobe Bryant made famous several years ago).  We spent the afternoon at the lodge, where it was just us and the amazing views. And as we were leaving, they were starting a wine tasting in the lobby – count us in! Couldn’t have been better.  http://www.cordilleralodge.com.

Day 2: Vail. We started our morning at the Starbucks on Bridge Street. The boys kept busy watching the river while we soaked in our much-needed caffeine. We spent the rest of the morning letting the boys explore the village and all of its wonderment. There are fun fountains everywhere and tons of open space for them to run. They loved all of the storefronts  – there was so much for them to look at. And we managed to get a tiny bit of shopping in for us at Roxy (http://www.roxyvail.com/) and for the littles at Kids Sport (http://kidsportvail.com/).  At lunchtime, we rounded the boys up at grabbed a patio booth at Los Amigos. While it isn’t the fanciest of restaurants, it sits right at the basin of the ski lifts and just steps away from the pirate ship playground. So while the mommies ordered lunch, the boys were still able to run and play. I don’t know about you…but my boy refuses to sit in a highchair for more time than it takes to speed-eat his burrito – so having a place for him to play while the food was being prepared was priceless. Seriously – I think we ate there a few times during our stay for that very reason! Ended the afternoon at Marble Slab ice cream. Not sure who was more excited about that – the toddlers or the husbands.

Day 3:  The Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch was first on our agenda for an afternoon of fun. Just a few minutes away from Vail village, it is a little slice of mountain heaven. They have a huge back lawn, fully enclosed by the resort and the mountain that it backs into. But it isn’t just a play area for kids – it is a play area for everyone! And the perfect kind of play area – you know – where the kids can’t get into any trouble, can’t find mud, can’t break anything. You don’t have to chase your toddler around, redirecting them or telling them no. Yep – you can just sit at the tables by the lawn and sip some bubbly and watch them have the times of their lives. This may just be as close to heaven I have been since his birth! Ok – that might be an exaggeration – but you get my point.  Anyway – when dinnertime rolled around, we head into the Buffalo Bar and were delighted to find that they had a kid’s menu with some really delicious (but toddler-friendly) items. Oh – and they serve it to you outside so that dinner barely interrupts playtime. Yep. Heaven. We stayed as long as we could (before bedtime called) and were sad to leave. On our next trip, this is definitely where we are staying. http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/BachelorGulch/Default.htm

The Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch

Because we stayed at a private home on this trip, we rented a crib from BabysAway (http://babysaway.com/), which worked out well. But just like every other trip – we had to bring most everything else with us all the way from California. Oh LuxeBaby – can’t wait for you to be in Vail! Soon…very soon…

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