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Five Advantages of Family RV Vacations

Recreational vehicles aka as RVs are especially wonderful when families with young children want to travel in an easy and efficient way. Here are five advantages to scheduling an RV vacation.
 
No worries of disturbing your neighbors. If you have a baby that cries, a toddler that screams, laughs loudly and general squeals, not all of your neighbors will appreciate your rambunctious brood. Hotel walls can be paper thin – and while your neighbors may not complain about the noise, it is likely you will feel uncomfortable and be unable to relax. In an RV, you can park far enough for neighbors and not have to worry about the noise factor.
 
The ultimate pack and play. You can pre-load your RV with all of your children’s favorite toys and not have to worry about getting 100 miles away only to discover that you don’t have enough entertainment for the little ones.
 
Video on board. While you travel on those longer trips, you can turn on a video or movie and your kids can watch a movie or play video games. You can even bring in a Wii and hook it up for when you’re stopped and perhaps hit bad weather. Nothing prevents an endless loop of the question, “Are we there yet?” better than a movie to distract the kids.
 
Necessities can be kept in storage. If you have a baby with a lot of “baggage” then it’s wonderful that you can store all of those necessary care items on the RV. Diapers, special soaps, lotion – you name it. Store them so that you end up being frustrated miles from the nearest store because you forgot a necessity or can’t find a particular but necessary brand name. Baby losing her favorite bottle with a particular nipple that she insists on sucking on can be a vacation-ruining experience. So, pack extras when you might find yourself in this predicament.
 
Extra jackets, towels and sundries. You can also load your RV with extra jackets even when you feel assured of warm weather. You never know when on your journey you might need extra warmth. So you can leave extra jackets or towels for bathing on the RV just for convenience.
 
If you would like information on planning an RV trip, please send email to Elisa Taylor at etaylor@worldlesstraveled.com.

The Valley of the Moon

Have you ever heard of the Valley of the Moon located near Sonoma? The Valley of the Moon is one of the little-known treasures in the heart of California. Located in the Sonoma Mountain Range of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County, the valley is surrounded by large grassy meadows bordered by a redwood forest. One of the primary campgrounds, Valley of the Moon Camp is a perfect place to stay in the redwoods, because you can camp in the grassland area where this is also plenty of sunshine but still be surrounded by forest. While there you must visit Jack London State Park, which is actually a secluded ranch-like area where world-famous writer Jack London wrote some of his classic tales. Among the sites to visit, stop and see his dream home, Wolf House and Pig Palace, which is two unique silos, stone barns, ruines of a former winery, and House of Happy Walls Museum. This area of the park features nine miles of hiking and riding trails. Do be prepared to walk, because the different landmarks are often miles apart. You can and should take the guided tour, where a docent will share insights about the famous writer and the various structures. Do plan a full-day trip. You can cap your adventure with a stop at any of the Sonoma wineries and dozens of fine restaurants to choose from. Do plan to have breakfast at Hank’s Creekside Restaurant, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for it’s from-scratch pancakes – and we mean whole-wheat flour personally ground by the cook. You can get anymore homemade than that.

Karisma – Elevating the Family-Friendly Vacation

A colorful plastic step stool stands in front of the bathroom sink in Azul Sensatori Hotel’s Family Jacuzzi Suites.  The resort is divided into three areas, a family section, an adult’s only section, and a premium section open to all.  The Family Jacuzzi Suites sleep two adults and up to three children. Strollers, baby robes, monitors, bottle warmers, and baby tubs are complementary, reducing the amount of stuff parents have to pack and carry on their vacation. Families can also loan Fisher-Price toys from a special menu and have them delivered to the suite. Other family features include the Azulitos Kid’s Club, which offers daily activities and a pool directly across from the family suites wing. The Breeze Teen Club for children ages 13-17 has dedicated pool tables, soft drink bar, and its own music area. The only down side is the extra charge to play in the arcade.  The resort’s spa also offers appropriate treatments for children ages 5-16.

The resort also offers a free service for reunion planning when five or more rooms are booked for a family trip. They also receive complementary activity coordination and a private dinner.

 

 

Why the Resort at Squaw Creek is Great for Families

One thing that is important especially when you have children under the age of 5 is easy access and plenty of entertainment that doesn’t require a 20-minute car ride every time you want to do something. One of the reasons the Resort at Squaw Creek stands out for families is because that access is all on the property. The resort is really designed with a families’ needs in mind, but at the same time it offers adult activities. They have a full-service day camp that costs $95 a day if you would like a day to spend doing something for the over 21 set such as spa or play a quiet round of golf, which both activities are provided on the campus.

They have three swimming pools – two designed for kids; the larger one has a full-size water slide; and the shallow one is a wading pool for babies and toddlers. Since the kid’s pools are positioned close to each other, Mom or Dad can sit in a lounge chair in the middle to keep their eyes on the little one while the older one slides or swims nearby. Since the Sierra-Nevada mountain range is not widely known for 100-degree weather, the pools are heated year round. If you would prefer to stay warm, take a dip in one of three Jacuzzis. Again designed with both adult’s and children’s needs in mind, they have one for families and two others for adults with restrictions on children being invited in. They also offer full-service food and beverage services you can easily charge to your room, and the kids can grab an ice cream and let the bartender know where the charge goes.

All of the restaurants are first-rate, and Peak’s Grill on the upper level serves delicious meals out on the terrace with an incredible view of Squaw Valley – that is, just in case you don’t have a Valley View room. And the rooms are rustic, elegant and updated. If you invest in a suite, it comes complete with a kitchen and separate bedroom with its own television to prevent any arguments over who is watching what that night. The pull-out sofa sleeps three little people comfortably. You can order room service or take the tikes down to the Sweet Potato Deli for breakfast cereal and juice. Is this an inexpensive trip? No, but it’s worth the expense to have it all offered in the same place and to feel secure and comfortable with your family.