Readers: Tell Us Your Family Trip Picks
The New Zealand mom was stumped. "We're coming to the U.S. for two months this December for blessed vacation time," she wrote via e-mail. "Having only been to Los Angeles, we're curious where to travel, and travel agents don't seem to help much. Can you suggest a few places your family has enjoyed over the years? We are so looking forward to seeing a lot of America, and money is no object as long as it is guaranteed a good time."
Considering the time of year and the ages of her kids (19 and 8), I offered some of my best picks: skiing in the Rockies, and exploring cities such as San Francisco, Chicago and Boston that are packed with distinctive atmosphere as well as kid-friendly attractions. Of course, no family trip to our shores would be complete without a stop in Orlando, Fla.
Where would you go? Where have you taken the kids that still makes you smile when you remember that trip? Let's see if we can work up the "Perfect Family Itinerary to the United States" based on where you have happily traveled with your family. Write or e-mail me your personal don't-miss-this-place-with-the-kids list. Make sure to tell me why these proved such good choices, and I'll publish them in an upcoming column. (Send e-mails to eogintz@aol.com and letters to Taking the Kids, Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053.)
Meanwhile, here are the answers to some other readers' questions.
First, I want to reassure the New Jersey mom that she's not crazy to take a 9-month-old to Europe, despite what her in-laws think. "My husband's biggest fear is that 9-month-old Emily will cry [during] the entire trip to Germany," she wrote. "I'm worried about bringing enough bottled water to mix with her formula. How heavy will that suitcase be?"
It's not necessary to tote bottled water--beyond what you'll need on the plane and immediately afterward. Bottled water is readily available in European cities, as are diapers and baby food.
So what if the baby won't get any educational value out of the trip, as the writer's in-laws keep reminding her. She and her husband will have lots of you-were-there-too memories to share when Emily gets older. And having the baby along will make them slow down--always a plus when touring Europe. Even better, there's no better icebreaker than a cute baby to spur conversations.
