Eschew Obfuscation: Category Trips and Vacations

Black Canyon Kayaking

Max Dunn — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:30:00 -0700

As we were flying to Las Vegas to go kayaking on the Colorado River, Suzanne and I were thinking about how many times we have taken a trip by ourselves without the kids. The answer was three times – and every one of them was because J.R and Eileen invited us to go someplace, with the implicit understanding that the kids were not invited!

While we love going places with our kids, we really appreciate that they invite us on these trips so that we get to spend some time with adults, to reconnect with each other and to have some fun. And this trip was definitely a great time!

After flying to Arizona, J.R. and Eileen picked us up at the Las Vegas airport and then we drove to Boulder City to spend the night. The next morning, we drove down to Willow Beach to pack the kayaks and launch. The trip was put on by Jen of Aqua Adventures and she did a great job. There were 13 of us total, and we enjoyed everyone’s company. (Later, I was informed that unlike power boaters, ALL kayakers are nice people. ;-) )

Road Trip Vacation

Max Dunn — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:15:00 -0700

We didn’t plan a big trip this year so instead, we got in the car and drove. We ended up spending some time in Newport Beach, Las Vegas and San Diego. Here are the things we enjoyed most about the trip:

Eating hamburgers and fries at In-N-Out
Frozen yogurt in San Luis Obisbo
Riding the eGo electric scooter in SLO
Eating lunch on the cliffs in Laguna Beach at Las Brisas
Shopping for surf clothing at Jacks in Newport
Buying cupcakes at Sprinkles
Surfing all over
The wave pool at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas
Seeing the Blue Man show
Sleeping in
Hanging out at the beach in San Onofre
Paige’s Craft Corner at San O
Maxie getting coffee at Startbucks
Seeing baby Mitchy

Last Minute Kauai (literally)

Max Dunn — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:05:00 -0700

(Suzanne) If you know me, I’m the one that has to research everything for months before making any kind of big purchase. Trips, on the other hand, can be a different story. Don’t get me wrong, I still love doing research for certain destinations, but there is some sort of thrill that I get out of being spontaneous—this trip being one of them!

Credit Card Foreign Fee Rip-Off

Max Dunn — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:28:00 -0700

It used to be that the best way to buy things in a foreign country was to use your credit card. Not anymore. The fees they are charging now are a big rip-off.

Things I Liked About This Cruise

Max Dunn — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:29:00 -0700

We all had a really great time on this cruise—it was our best vacation yet. Here are the things I really liked about it, and a few that could have been better.

Day 19 - Heathrow to Home, Aug 13th 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:00:00 -0700

We had the fun of flying out of Heathrow only 3 days after the airport was closed down due to a possible terrorist attack employing liquids carried on the plane. Everywhere, there were long queues (“lines” for you Americans), and lots of security, but we made it home eventually and uneventfully.

Day 18 - London, Aug 12th 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 07:52:00 -0700

Today we had to get off the ship (sniff). We went to breakfast and I had my smoked salmon and scrambled eggs one last time, before we got off the ship. We then spent the rest of the day in London.

Day 16 - Oslo, Norway, Aug 10th 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 07:51:00 -0700

In Oslo, we perfected our method of visiting a new city.

Day 17 - At Sea, Aug 11th 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 07:51:00 -0700

The last day on the cruise was spent at sea travelling back to Dover. The highlight of this day was the kid’s talent show where Claire danced.

Day 15 - Copenhagen, Denmark, Aug 9th 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 07:40:00 -0700

Copenhagen was great. We employed our usual method of experiencing a city: Internet, coffee, souvenirs, chocolate. But we also went to Tivoli Gardens which was special.

Noise, Noise, Noise

Max Dunn — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:33:35 -0700

(Suzanne) I couldn’t take it any longer…it’s 6a so I jumped out of bed, threw a sweatshirt on and marched upstairs to the deck of the Seaside Grill. I could care less what I looked like – all I know is that I was not a happy camper and was determined to see who the culprit was. Someone was making a lot of noise again, right above our room.

Day 14 - Warnemunde, Germany, Aug 8th 2006

Max Dunn — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:32:00 -0700

(Suzanne) Today we reached the northern seaside resort of Warnemunde, Germany. The whole family (Claire included…woohoo!) took a short hike into town and along the beachfront. The wind was blowing at least 20 knots so we didn’t stay too long at the beach – white, sugary sand was whipping around in every direction. There were a lot of kite boarders and windsurfers out there which got my adrenalin going. It looks like a lot of Germans come here for vacation. And everyone brings their dog. Claire counted at least 16 dogs that passed by us, some cute, some not so cute.

What To Do in a Foreign City?

Max Dunn — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:20:00 -0700

On this cruise, I am still trying to figure out what we should actually be doing in a foreign city.

Boring, boring, boring

Max Dunn — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:22:10 -0700

I am a pessimist. Let me get that out of the way so we can avoid the criticisms and evil glances that this next comment will generate. The comment I would like to make is this: Often I am finding at sea days on this cruise to be boring, boring, boring.

Day 13, Mon Aug 7th, Day at Sea

Max Dunn — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:18:00 -0700

(Suzanne) Yeah, we finally got to sleep in! It was a “nothing” day today as we sailed towards Germany so we slowly got up, had breakfast and literally said bye to the kids (they wanted to hang with their friends in the Fun Factory). We didn’t do much – read, ate, read, jacuzzi, ate, read (we did check on the kids every now and then).

The highlights of the day? Well we finally had our lobster night at dinner (yummy) and the show tonight was a taste of Cirque du Soleil, which consisted of a 40 minute show from Allegria with 4 acts. It was the best show on a ship that we’ve seen, maybe because it was Cirque du Soleil and their shows are always spectacular. We had second row seats, we could experience everything – every movement, every facial expression, the detailing of their costumes, etc.

Day 12, Sunday, August 6th, Stockholm Sweden

Max Dunn — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:16:44 -0700

(Suzanne) It is our second day in Stockholm. We got a late start this morning and finally headed toward the end of the pier where the Hop On Hop Off boats pick you up (yes, they have boats too). Our plan today was to take the tour on the water this time since we had Claire. It took you to Old Town, the Stockholm Palace, the central downtown area, Vasa Museum (which houses an old Viking ship that sunk 20 minutes into its maiden voyage), and Grona Lund (Sweden’s oldest amusement park).

Day 11, Saturday Aug 5th, Stockholm Sweden

Max Dunn — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:13:00 -0700

(Suzanne) It was around 4:20a when the room started to get bright. I left the curtains open last night to let the natural light come into our stateroom. By 4:45a, the sun was peering in. I’m outside now, wrapped in my blanket. It’s not quite 5a. I came out to our balcony to watch the sun rise and to see what was around us. We were told that we will be navigating through the Northern Stockholm Archipelago from 4:30a until arrival at 9a and it’s supposed to be spectacular

Day 10, Friday Aug 4th, Helsinki Finland

Max Dunn — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:12:00 -0700

(Suzanne) We woke up this morning with the port of Helsinki outside our window. It’s a beautiful day so far, a lot different than what we had left back in St Petersburg. Since we had a successful day with the kids in St Petersburg, we thought we try again. Besides, not very many people go to Finland and the only time we really hear about them is during the Winter Olympics. I was actually excited to see it because I studied a lot of buildings built there in an architectural history class and it was the home of Alvar Aalto (Finland’s version of Frank Lloyd Wright).

Day 9, Thursday Aug 3rd, St Petersburg Russia

Max Dunn — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:11:00 -0700

(Suzanne) After leaving the kids on the ship yesterday, we decided to try taking them into St Petersburg so they could have a taste of Russia. We were also determined to get into the city once again so we could deliver the wine that we forgot yesterday to Eugene and Luba. But, as usual, I hadn’t booked any excursion yet so we were scrounging around the pier in the afternoon to see what we could get on. Nevertheless, we ended up going on a panoramic city tour which actually ended up being the best choice for the kids because they didn’t have to walk much and the weather was kind of cold and a little rainy.

Hermitage in 2 hours

Max Dunn — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 05:09:07 -0700

We went through the Hermitage Museum in two hours today. There are a thousand rooms in the Hermitage and you would probably need to spend two hours in each one to get the full impact. Even the ceilings in many of the rooms were so fantastic that I always made it a point of looking up when I first entered each room.

Day 8 Wednesday, Aug 2 St Petersburg, Russia

Max Dunn — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 04:57:00 -0700

(Suzanne) Today was our first of two days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Our main goal in Russia was to visit our friends, Eugene and Luba. Since we booked this trip at the last minute and procrastinated in getting visas (you must have a visa if you want to get off the ship), it seemed like the opportunity to see them wasn’t going to happen unless we booked an excursion on the ship (where you’re covered on a blanket visa) in order to get into town. So, at the last minute, we booked a Hermitage tour without the kids. The kids stayed on the ship in the Fun Factory (they were happy about this after the Estonia trek) while we took the tour.

Day 7 Tuesday, Aug 1 Tallinn, Estonia

Max Dunn — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 04:39:00 -0700

(Suzanne) Today we reached our first port of call—Tallinn, Estonia. After 2 days at sea, we were excited to get on land. We ended up buying Tallinn City Tour tickets at the end of the pier from these 2 girls who didn’t look over 16 years old and spoke very good English. It was an hour long tour that took you around the city with a pre-recorded voice that told you about it’s sights and history. The best thing about it is that it had various stops so you can get on and off whenever you want. Great, we thought…we can get off on the first stop and find an Internet cafe to retrieve our mail, etc and then continue on the tour. On top of that, the kids won’t have to walk so much. Happy kids make very happy parents.

Day 5 and 6: 2 Days At Sea

Max Dunn — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:02:00 -0700

July 30/31, 2006 – Sunday/Monday: “But I don’t want to go, Daddy’s making me.” “Just give it 3 days, ” I said, “That’s all I ask and if you don’t like it then you won’t have to go anymore.” Hearing those words at the start of a 14 day cruise was not what I wanted to hear, especially with the first 2 days out at sea. But knowing Claire, and her past cruising experiences, I knew that the odds of her not having fun were next to nothing. We’ve hardly seen her (and Maxie) since.

Day Four: Dover, Board Ship

Max Dunn — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 17:50:00 -0700

July 29, 2006: Slept in, went to the train station, had breakfast, went back to the hotel, checked out, got on the train to Dover, rode for 2 hours, got on a bus (because they were doing work on the train tracks) to finish the trip to Dover, got on a taxi, got on the boat (took less than 20 minutes to check-in and get on the ship), went to our room, ate, walked around, went swimming, went to dinner, kids went to the kids program, went to bed. That’s it.

Day Three: London - Kid's Day

Max Dunn — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 00:07:00 -0700

July 28, 2006: Today, we tried something different and let Maxie and Claire plan the day. We ended up eating at McDonalds, going back to the toy store Hamleys, swimming, riding the double-decker bus to dinner and then getting a hot chocolate. At the end of the day, Suzanne and I were a little disappointed that we didn’t really see much of London or do any of the great things that are available here, but our goal of this trip was to expose the kids gently to Europe and make it fun for them so they will want to come back, so I guess we accomplished that.

Day Two: London

Max Dunn — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:31:00 -0700

July 27, 2006: We probably pushed the kids a little too hard today. After finally getting everyone up and out to breakfast, Suzanne and I were excited to see some sights. But less than two hours after setting out for the London Eye, the kids just wanted to go back to the hotel and swim. So we didn’t do very much besides eating and riding buses. But the buses were pretty fun and gave us a nice view of London, especially the double-decker buses which are driven fast and furious, skimming people and cars along the way, which gives the feeling of being on Mr. Toads Wild Ride in DisneyLand.

Here are some more details of the day from Suzanne:

Day One: To London

Max Dunn — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 03:52:00 -0700

July 25-26, 2006: Getting to London was amazingly easy. We had a friend drop us off at the San Francisco airport, the flight was non-stop to London, and then we took an Express Train and Underground to the hotel. Easy as pie! The Landmark Hotel was very nice and the service was great. We ate at the Giraffe Restaurant which was very colorful and kid-friendly, then took a swim and went to bed. Here are more details:

Workman Camping 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:00:00 -0700

Last weekend, the Workman’s organized a camping up in the Santa Cruz mountains and we went along with the Cousins, Ferraris, Petersons and some other friends. I wasn’t expecting much out of it, no actually I was expecting it to be a pretty boring and uncomfortable time. However, I was surprised that it was actually kind of fun and, as I told Gary, didn’t “totally suck”. I especially had fun on all the hikes.

Cruise Agenda

Max Dunn — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 12:20:00 -0700

This summer, we all threw around some ideas for vacations. The kids wanted to go on a cruise (as always!) but Maxie also said he would like to go to London or Paris (which was a surprise).

Well, like most of our vacations, this one came together at the last minute. Suzanne emailed our brilliant cruise specialist and he came back with a fabulous cruise to Northern Europe. So we are going to be able to combine going on a cruise and visiting Europe.

This should be a good way to take the kids to Europe since they only have to unpack once, and when they get tired, we can just go back to the ship. However, it will be a long trip since the cruise is 2-weeks and we are going to arrive a few days early in London, so it will be interesting to see how the kids stand up.

Here is the agenda for the cruise:

Spring Trip 2006

Max Dunn — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:01:00 -0700

For our spring vacation in 2006, we didn’t really know what we wanted to do, so we decided to just pack the car up and start driving. Here are the pictures of the trip and comments from our family members: