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Favorite Fast Food Treats when Traveling

Come on admit it. You have a few fast-food restaurants you just love to eat at while you’re on the road. Maybe these joints aren’t in your state – and you passionately know which states to expect to visit them in. This particular list of favorites is based on restaurants either rarely found in California or not found at all. Get ready taste buds, time to water!

Taco Time – oh, Taco Time is taco-licious! Taco Time is typically found in Oregon and Washington. Although there is one in Auburn, California. You might find more, but once you cross over into Oregon, it’s a Taco-Time treat. No offense to Taco Bell, but Taco Time ground-beef tacos harkens back to the original Taco Bell days when the beef wasn’t vacuum packed and sold in mass. They also (and your heart will cry over this one) deep fry their burritos into crunchy, delicious rolled-up goodness. Who can resist the tacos and deep-friend burritos. When on the road with your family, the kids will cry for “Tacos, please!”

Dunkin Donuts – another fantastic sugar-rush pleaser when you’re in New England and a few miscellaneous mid-western states (we’ve seen them in Kansas). They serve the best coffee in New England without a doubt. Better yet, old-fashioned donuts in so many different flavors and shapes to choose from, your waistline will plead for leniency. Favorites include chocolate-raised, fritters, and chocolate-on-chocolate cake. A giant cup of Joe and a donut while on the road is a quick, delicious taste sensation.

Abby’s Pizza – another chain found mostly in Oregon. Abby’s Pizza probably replaced the Shakey’s chain, as the pizza dough tastes very similar. Thin-crusted pizza with all of the toppings will fill you up and make you want to stop at every Abby’s you see. You may even have a desire to freeze one for later. It’s the dough. It tastes crunchy with that certain kind of almost yeasty taste. You have to love the fresh toppings, cheese, sauce and anything you can think of meat or vegetable to place on top. A real family winner!

 

Englewood, Colorado

If you’re traveling to Colorado and the Denver area and you have a few days to play, stop off in Englewood, which is a wonderful hub of restaurants and shopping. The big mall is built in the Craftsman, rustic style that gives it a very homey, warm vibe. Big and clean, the mall offers major department stores such as Dillards, Macy’s and Nordstrom’s. We noticed it not only had one of the new Apple stores, but also a Microsoft store, which is something we had never seen in a mall before. Fun fashions, great eats and fine restaurants – all found in the center. Close by, you could also find DWS Shoes, which offers a warehouse of great shoes for any occasion. And remember you’re in the Midwest, so they even had a big Wrangler store, something you would not find in California. We stayed at the Drury Inn, which was an economical find at $67 a night that comes with a full breakfast including a waffle bar. The rooms were surprisingly nice and neat for the price. The Drury Inn was also located very close to all of the shopping and eating conveniences. And off in the distance you have an amazing view of the Rockies on a clear day. We also drove down to the Hyatt’s restaurant, which was elegant and upscale. While the food was all right, it was the dessert list that impressed – everything from brownie sundaes to chocolate mousse and crème brulee with fresh raspberries and blueberries to tantalize your sweet tooth.

 

The Back Roads of Sonoma Central Coast

If you want to take a quick getaway, try the back roads of Sonoma Central Coast in the springtime. Right now, the rolling coastal hills are a lovely shade of bright green sprinkled with California’s state flower, the poppy, and an assortment of wild flowers. Try and get off the main highways as much as possible. If you live in the greater Sacramento area, take Highway 80 up to Davis and then cut across to Highway 29 that will lead you toward Napa Valley via Lake Berryessa, which will twist and turn up to the lake and continue on around until you drop back down into the valley. Continue on 29 until you connect with Highway 12 that takes you through Sonoma and on toward the coast. Another option is to set your GPS for Bodega Bay or Lawsons Landing in Dillon Beach, and if it takes you fastest route, that means leading you through the back roads toward Petaluma without worry of getting lost, but still experiencing the beauty of the hills. You can also veer off once in Petaluma and twist and wind your ways toward Occidental or Jenner. Once you pass Petaluma, and if you go north, you will be in Redwoods country. Try and stay off main highways as the trees are at the tallest and most beautiful on the back roads. Many different creeks snake throughout the area, so feel free to bring a picnic and stop at one of the many day use parks. It’s still foggy and cold this time of year so be sure to dress in layers. As the sun comes out, it will warm up enough to shed your jacket. You can be daring and just stumble your way along and look for a quaint inn or bed and breakfast, as there are dozens to choose from on this route. It is always nice to see accommodations before you select a room. Now we don’t recommend this during a weekend or holiday where crowds may ascend upon the area and leave few vacancies available for the night.

 

Bed Bugs and Travel Tips

The bed bug problem has plagued mostly the East Coast so far. Even upscale hotels and resorts have reported problems. If you’re going to be in a region known to have problems, here are some tips.
 
Look under the edge of the sheets – when you walk into your hotel room before you set down anything on the carpets or beds, lift the sheets that are tucked into the bed and examine them. You will find bed bugs hiding along the sheet’s edges. If you find anything suspicious, you have a choice to leave and complain to the front desk and go elsewhere. The chance that switching rooms will solve the problem is slim. If one room is infested, most likely all rooms are infested.
 
Bites – if you don’t see anything but you wake up the next morning and find bites, then take your clothes and anything the bugs could hitch a ride home on and wash everything in super hot water. Vacuum out your bags and then take the vacuum cleaner bag and burn it or take it outside for disposal. Do not under any circumstances bring that luggage into your carpeted house. Vacuum and burn outside.
 
Luggage handling – when in doubt, do not set your luggage on the beds or rest it on the carpeting. Use the provided luggage holder at all times. This will keep your bags and clothing off suspected surfaces where the bugs hang out and can latch on. Same advice goes for your shoes.

Tips to Traveling with Children

Moms and Dads sometimes avoid traveling with small children because it’s just a lot of effort and work just to get out of the house. This work makes a “stay-cation” start to sound much more desirable if you’re a parent; but if you would like to travel more with your children, there are tips and tricks to make your vacation go much smoother.

360-degree rollers on a pull-along suitcase – this tip comes directly from a mom with a little girl who loves to pull the suitcase. Put the work back in your children’s hands. Avoid forward-rolling, over-sized suitcases. Pick one that can be stowed away and ensure it has 360-degree rolling capabilities. What happens with forward-rolling only is that the child will end up getting frustration as the suitcase turns over and your little one drags it rather than rolls it. Also, kids like a sense of responsibility. So, give them this easy-to-manage job, and they will follow behind you with pride and delight at their accomplishment of pulling their own luggage.

Portable devices with video capabilities – the new iPads if you use services like Netflik’s allow you to download movies before the trip. iPad’s battery life lasts up to nine hours and will keep your child entertained on trains, planes and automobiles. Also, iPad is easy touch-screen driven and makes it easy for school-age children to load up and turn on. You will find that school-age children will be entertained with just the device alone, which you can play games with the many apps. Online services like Club Penguin will entertain addicted children for hours and hours. And if you’re on a long air trip with Go-Go Internet, that means hours of peace and quiet and no fidgeting, complaining and whining, “Are we there yet?”

Backpacks are awesome – overload your child’s backpack with snacks and toys. Again, put your child in charge of his or her backpack to give them a sense of pride and responsibility. Let him or her pack it on his or her own too with a little supervision. Then have your child pack his/her own lunch or snacks. Remember, on airplanes you cannot bring liquids so purchase something before or after your board. If you have a baby, bring the backpack as your diaper bag – that works too and makes it more manageable when carrying your baby around and gives you two free hands. Be sure to stuff the pack with your child's beloved blanket or favorite toy.

 

Do You Have a Survival Kit in Your Car?

Most travelers don’t consider packing a survival kit in their cars. They don’t expect to find themselves anywhere where a survival kit would be necessary; but the operative word here is “expect.” Most travelers don’t anticipate a situation that would call for a kit’s contents yet people get stranded or lost all of the time. So always purchase a kit and just leave it in your trunk or hatch back so you’re prepared for the unexpected. Your kit should contain: a reflective blanket, water purifier, compass, flashlight, pocket knife, water bottle, and maybe even some protein bars. Before you leave the house, always pack some extra bottled water too. You can also just leave bottled water in your cup holders so you always have water with you – after all humans can only survive 3-5 days without water, but can go without food for two weeks or more. A little tip about water. If you do find yourself somewhere with a water supply either use the water purifier or dig down next to the water source and allow the water to percolate up through the soil to filter out bacteria and other creepy crawlers that can make you very sick in this middle of your crisis. While this may not look appealing, do it anyway. A bout of Giardia, a water-borne parasite, isn't worth an "attractive" drink of water.

 

Sly Park – Family Camping Fun

How many of us from the greater Sacramento area may recall our first summer camp as being at Sly Park just south of Pollock Pines off I-50? Many 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders from the Northern California public school systems spend their first time at camp at Pollock Pines with their friends sometimes enjoying an independent outdoor experience without Mom and Dad. Sly Park’s longtime reputation as the camp for the pre-teen and teens is outstanding. These days, Sly Park is open to general camping and offers an inviting lakeside camp for families to enjoy spring or summer break. This year, snow has only just melted, so be prepared to stay warm if you plan a spring break. They offer great tent camping and water recreation and hiking trails. Plan to canoe, boat or swim in the summer. Take your family out on a great nature trail and maybe bring a book along to discuss the local flora and fauna to teach your kids as you explore the area. Gather round the campfire at night and indulge in some old-fashioned ghost stories, roast marshmallows, or BBQ. It’s great family time to bond and enrich your time together.

 

Backpackers, Bears and Fines! Oh My!

Did you know that in the state of California that if you go backpacking without a bear canister on your being, you can be fined $500? And the offense goes up with each additional fine all the way up to $5,000. Now the canisters are designed to lock in food and smells to protect you and your party from attracting potentially dangerous black and brown bears to your campsite. It is to your benefit to have the canisters; but now if you get caught without one it will cost you. Good canisters can be ordered from various online camping and recreation retailers or retail and sporting chains such as REI. Do make sure you pick one up – and pick one up per camper too. You must all have your own.

Safe Travel Tips

Are you an inexperienced traveler about to go overseas or to another country or even just across country? You should be aware of some pitfalls of traveling to unfamiliar places and take the proper precautions to keep your trip safe and secure.

Random ATM machine – try and use ATM machines that are located in reputable chain stores or at familiar banks when possible. Scams exist where thieves will place an ATM machine out just to gain access to your private information or will insert a card reader into a reputable machine to do the same thing. Also, if you use and out-of-bank ATM, watch the use fees that can run as high as $5 per transactions in some major cities. Try and balance your card use with some extra on-hand cash to avoid the necessity to use unfamiliar machines.

Money belts – a money belt to store credit cards, cash and important documentation is a good choice when you’ll be in crowded location or city. Pickpockets cannot access money wrapped under your garments and out of sight. Also, if you do not have access to a safe in your hotel or lodging, make sure you do not leave your passport or any cash out to be stolen.

Traveler’s checks – most countries now accept major credit cards like VISA or American Express. With the acceptance of the cards you are better off to use your card then checks. Do be aware of currency conversion rates and extra charges so you don’t end up with unexpected costs.

Driving and laws – make sure you’re aware of driving and parking laws. You don’t want to inadvertently break the rules of the road in another country and have tickets randomly forwarded to you months after. You might want to avoid driving altogether and just take a taxi if you don’t feel comfortable with foreign rules of the road. Or you can select a tour group that drives you everywhere.

Take advantage of shipping – if you would like to purchase items in other countries but don’t want to worry about stuffing it in your luggage, take advantage of shipping. You can take your souvenirs, box them up, and ship them back to your home. This way you can buy what you like and no concern yourself with where you’ll carry it. In fact some stores will ship direct. You also don’t have to worry about it getting lost or stolen – especially if you’re moving around.

 

Sunny Santa Rosa Weekend Escape

Here is a fabulous suggestion for a quick getaway. Head on out on the road to Santa Rosa and start your day with an incredible homemade breakfast at Hank’s Creekside Restaurant. While their lunch menu is good; it’s their breakfast treats such as their whole-grain pancakes and waffles that you can’t miss. They grind their own flour to concoct their light, fluffy and homemade batters that produce every flavor of pancake or waffle your heart could desire. Order with a side of their country potatoes – and drizzle some of their maple syrup on the cakes and your taste buds and tummy will be pleased. Then hit the road and head on up to Jack London Historic State Park and spend an afternoon hiking the grounds. If this doesn’t interest you, then keep driving on Highway 12 and notice the wineries sprinkled throughout the area to stop and have a taste. You can also go east toward Guerneville and stop at the Korbel Champagne Cellars, which welcomes families and does not exclude children from the tour, which is historically very interesting. You can stop at their deli and take your sandwiches or deli tray out onto their patio and enjoy the afternoon. If you want to stay the night in the redwoods, drive a little futher into Guerneville and stay at the Boon Lodge, which offers modern, upscale resort and spa services.