I’ve been pretty quiet here on GoFatherhood this last week because the kids are away on spring break with their Mom. In Hawaii. Nice. I have total warm beach envy. As is doubtless common with joint custody, we alternate vacations on an even-year/odd-year schedule. Last spring break I took all three kids to Southern California and we rented a place on Laguna Beach, visited Disneyland, and spent a lot of time playing on the beach….Read More
As I mentioned a while back, my kids and I took a mid-Winter holiday in Southern California to beat the snow and visit with my Dad and sister. We just got back. And while there were days just lounging around reading books and playing games, there were also days where we had specific destinations, including a lovely afternoon at the beach and a rather disappointing afternoon at the LA Zoo [see: LA Zoo? Meh.] Every…Read More
The kids and I are in Southern California for a week’s holiday + visit with my Dad. So far, even with a day of inclement weather and perhaps an average temp that’s about 15F cooler than we’d like, we’re having a good time with our rented condo by Strands Beach, just north of Dana Point Harbor. As is typical for a holiday, we haven’t planned things every single day, but we’re still out and about…Read More
We’ve taken a few days off to come out to Southern California and visit with my Dad. My sister’s flown in from the far north and instead of being jammed into a hotel room or two, we used the great resource that is Vacation Rent by Owner and rented a very nice three-bedroom condo just across from the beach and only about 20min from my Dad’s place inland. When we got here it turned out…Read More
I bumped into some good news in the UK publication The Telegraph, a story in the health section: Exercise Boosts Chance of Fatherhood. They report that Harvard researchers have found that “watching three hours or more television a day made men almost half as fertile, while moderate exercise had a significantly beneficial effect.” In other words, if you’re a couch potato, if you’re completely inactive, then you’re going to have a much harder time spawning. Why…Read More
I’m taking my kids out to Los Angeles for a combination vacation and visit to my Dad, and as is typical with trips I have time to organize, I try to mix up things so that we aren’t living out of suitcases in a hotel while flailing daily to figure out what we’ll do to fill that particular day. This time we’ve used one of my favorite travel sites — Vacation Rentals by Owner —…Read More
I’m not a rabid politico nor do I pay attention to every single act and regulation that goes before Congress or even attend political events or rallies. Frankly, I find most of the rhetoric on both sides to be more obfuscating, alarmist and half-baked than anything else. Still, I also am grateful to live in a country where we have such freedoms including the freedom to protest, complain and try to make things better without…Read More
This is a guest post by Jason Steele. Being a father complicates many of the things that I once took for granted, not the least of which is travel. Not only must I now find a way to pay for multiple tickets to our destination, but there is also the additional complication of managing the points and miles accrued. As both a traveling father serious collector of points and miles, here are some of my…Read More
Alright, it’s not just on the beach, it’s a photo competition from Delta Dental of Colorado for pics of kids or the whole family on vacation, though in my defense they do call it the “Sun, Sand and Smiles” photo contest. For me, a beach — and the beach culture — is a relaxing spot in a way that most other places aren’t: I grew up in Southern California just a short drive from some…Read More
My Dad lives in Southern California so we visit the area quite frequently, at least twice annually, and in terms of places with things to do, I don’t know that anywhere beats Southern California. Between Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, SeaWorld San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, and, of course, the beaches and a million other places to check out — especially if you’re a film buff — it’s easy to find things to keep…Read More
I still haven’t made it to the Real Pirates exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, but my friends that have universally rave about it. Worse is that I actually have free tickets courtesy of Delta Dental of Colorado. Soon. Meanwhile, though, you can also score free tickets and even possibly win a trip to Walt Disney World if you’re really lucky! Now, how do I sign up for that? Oh, I can’t,…Read More
Don’t start here! This is the fourth part of my (I admit, epic) write-up of our adventures at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Tickets were supplied by Disney PR and we were the test case: a single dad and his three kids, 14, 10 and 7. To get the full story, I encourage you to start with Setting The Stage: Disneyland!, then read all about our first timer experiences at Disney California Adventure, followed by…Read More
We’d traveled to California, arranged for tickets through Disney PR (thanks, gang!), moved all our stuff into our rooms at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel across the street from the main Disney entrance, and even had our warmup day at Disney California Adventure. We were more than ready to enter the fabled, magical world of Disneyland! What? You’re just joining the narrative here? Well, I strongly suggest you start by reading part one, our Disney…Read More
An “E” Ticket from Disneyland I grew up in Southern California, so every time someone would visit us, I’d be the designated tour guide, which meant I got to visit Disneyland a lot. In fact, I can remember having a shoebox of ride tickets, ranging from the cheap “A” rides to the expensive “E” tickets of myth, the only thing that would get you on the coolest, best rides. Even in High School I would…Read More
It’s not easy traveling with three kids as a single parent. Older kids seem like they’d be easy, teens who are going to wander off and do their own thing, whether it be lounging at the pool or checking out the local shopping mall. My oldest is almost there at 14, but not quite. The other two are definitely too young to fly solo, my 10yo son and 7yo daughter. As a result, travel ends…Read More
We’re heading to Disneyland in two days. We is my sister, my three kids (14, 10, 7) and myself. And we’re pretty psyched. It being the 21st Century, though, I’m not interested in pocket-size print books or guides I can keep in my daypack, I’m a smartphone guy and want a smartphone solution. Which means I’ve been asking the question: What iPhone apps are most helpful for Disneyland visitors?. 🙂 By a remarkable quirk of…Read More
I’ve been reticent about taking my kids to Disneyland, even though I’m a big fan of the theme park and went there a ton as a kid. We even visit Los Angeles to visit family and generally stay within an hour’s drive of the theme park. My concern? Single dad with three kids at completely different developmental ages, all of whom are used to the peace and quiet of a small town where a crowd…Read More
It’s funny the things that pop into my mailbox as a daddy blogger. Too often the messages begin “Dear mommy blogger”, demonstrating a really lazy PR firm or someone who just hasn’t figured out that I’m not the one who birthed my fabulous children but their Dad. 🙂 Actually, it usually just amuses me, but occasionally it is a bit annoying, especially when the gist of the marketing message is how moms have such a…Read More
I was in San Diego a week or two ago and rather than just check out Expedia to find a place to stay I contacted a friend at Bailey * Gardiner who arranged for me to get a journalist rate at the Sè San Diego, downtown in the center of urban San Diego, California. Just as well, too, as even with the special room rate, it cost me over $150 for a single night’s stay….Read More
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I write about all sorts of stuff, not just parenting (though as a single dad with three kids parenting is pretty much always on my mind!), including some of the shows that I have a chance to see as I travel around. About a year ago I got to see Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles LOVE, and wrote an extensive review on this blog…Read More
A pal of mine emailed me a few days ago asking: Do you have a Hilton Grand Vacations HGVC timeshare? Which resort do you usually go to? Are you happy with it? We went back and forth in email, including me explaining some of the math behind time shares and why they’re such a bad idea for most people (myself included, in hindsight) and so I thought I’d publish the back and forth here with some…Read More