During our latest trip to St. Cloud, Minnesota we stayed at the Homewood Suites. Homewood Suites is an extended stay brand owned by Hilton. I had stayed there before a couple years earlier but had never stayed there with a baby before. In an earlier post I mentioned I wanted to explore and seek out hotels to see if they were family friendly and what caused them to be so.

First off, as we were packing for our trip up North we called the hotel to see if we needed to cart our pack n play with us and check it on the plane. We were crossing our fingers we wouldn’t need to do so but you really never know. The hotel was very friendly and informed us they had new cribs and upon arrival it would be set up in our room. This was a major plus to us as a) we didn’t have to bring and check the pack n play and b) we wouldn’t have to set it up.

When we got there the staff was friendly and kind. We had booked a one room suite which was absolutely perfect. The baby crib was set up and cute and they even had rubber duckies for bath time (BabyTravels is a little young for bath time toys but it is the thought that counts). We opted for a one-room suite instead of a studio which we could have done with our small family, because we were able to put the baby in bed at night and close the door and go into the living area and watch some TV and hang out without disturbing the little one’s sleep. I loved that the hotel room had two big flat screen TV’s.

Even though BabyTravels is too little I did take mental note that the breakfast had kid-friendly options and the pool was spacious and even open late. All in all I think that the Homewood Suites is a great family friendly hotel that can accommodate even larger families with the option of getting a two-room suite.

I find this concept fascinating, L.A. Gang Tours expects to open to the public in January, giving tourists a look at the heart of the nation’s gang culture — the birthplace of many of the city’s gangs, including Crips and Bloods, Florencia 13 and 18th Street. For just $65 for an adult you can experience the real South Central L.A.

A bus tour of some of the hardest areas of the city, including decayed public housing, sites of deadly shootouts and streets ravaged by racial unrest. Sound intriguing? This sounds like the type of tour my sociology class would have loved. While it does sound a little controversial, scary, and like a heavy dose of reality, if it’s done right it can be a great thing for the area educating people on the underbelly of society.

Does it make you feel a little better that the proceeds go right back to the community? Profits will be put back into the community through jobs, tours in new areas and loans to inner-city entrepreneurs.

Visit the L.A. Gang Tour’s website for more information and to reserve your spot!

I’m curious to see how the launch of these tours turn out, what do you say? Will you sign up for a tour during your next trip to LA? Very tempting.

We headed to frosty cold Minnesota this weekend to see our lovely friends get married. When I say frosty cold I am not joking. I thought it was cold here in Utah but boy was I unprepared for the biting cold that awaited us when we landed. Thank goodness for the BundleMe, saved BabyTravels and ours life.

Anyways, back to the cold, it was so cold that our rental car doors were frozen shut. Now, I am not sure what the rental car company was thinking when they washed the cars and didn’t dry them thoroughly but I digress.

We were very worried about her first flight. So, I did my research, talked to my friends, and asked for advice from my pediatrician. I had heard of people using Benedryl to help with flights, but probably not worth it on a 2 month old since it is only to make them sleep not to help with ear pain. The best sound advice I got was to nurse or give a bottle during take off and landing because the swallowing would help pop her ears, but timing is always an issue with feedings so a pacifier would suffice.

Both flights went off without a hitch. BabyTravels slept through both flights, sucked on her pacifier, and didn’t even make a peep. They were both very early flights and the first one had enough room where we could put her car seat in between us, and after takeoff I put her snug in there and was able to get some sleep myself. I’m not naïve enough to think all flights will go this well but it was a relief that there is promise in our future! Here’s to many more travels!

Gray Cargill of SoloFriendly graciously tagged me in the 3 Best Travel Secrets challenge, and seriously it has been a challenge to think of 3 secrets that aren’t widely known. This game was kicked off by Katie at TripBase.com as a way to unite the travel blogging community and create a list of our collective best travel tips. Hopefully my secrets will add some value!

1. Sweet Potato French Fries, Squatters, Downtown SLC. Squatters Pub and Brewery is by far my favorite restaurant in all of Salt Lake City and trust me there are quite a few good ones to choose from. I have never had one thing from their menu that I haven’t enjoyed. I’m not a drinker but if you are you will enjoy a variety of choices brewed right under their own roof. But what I enjoy the most is their perfectly crunchy sweet potato french fries… but I’ll skip the fry sauce.

2. Reindeer Sausage, Anchorage, Alaska. On Sunday mornings in the heart of Anchorage they have a market downtown with fresh produce, Alaskan souvenirs, and various other food vendors. Among those vendors they sell Reindeer Sausage that is savory and delicious. Reid loved his so much he wants to go back just for more.

3. Cheap(er) Buffets in Las Vegas. What would a visit to Las Vegas be without a trip to the buffet? The buffets on the strip are rather costly but you can get the same quality buffet at much less cost if you step away from the strip for awhile and visit one of the Station Casinos located all around Las Vegas and Henderson. My favorite is Sunset Station Casino.

And there you have it. My three best travel secrets. If you happen to agree with any of these or disagree would love to hear your feedback.

I tag:

Jaime at seatofourpants.com

Matt of nomadicmatt.com

Maribeth at bonjourcolorado.com

Erica at travelblissful.com

Kara from thevacationgals.com

Two Memorial Day weekends ago, we last minute decided to hop on a plane and head to Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska to be exact.  And what began as a last minute quick trip turned into a life changing experience. I learned a lot of things from that visit and it has changed my perspective on traveling altogether.

Normally when we visit a new city I tend to get a little antsy. There are so many sites I want to see, places I want to experience, etc. And worst of all there is so little time. I try to set a schedule to cram it all in but it never really works out. Reid has the opposite approach, where he likes to go with the flow and explore and just let the experiences present themselves. Normally I get a little upset, but because of his mindset we have been able to experience some pretty amazing sites on our various travels.

One of these times manifested itself in Alaska on the highway from Seward to Anchorage. He saw a sign for some fort or something and took a turn off the highway. I was nervous and definitely resisted. But then we turned the corner and we saw the most breathtaking view (pictured above). Reid immediately pulled the car over and rushed for his camera. I sat in the car pouting for a minute, but then I opened my eyes and was stunned. There was no one else around. It was quiet and although it was May the air was crisp and cool, enough to give you a good chill. I stepped out of the car and walked to the water’s edge. It was so quiet you could hear the ice move and it was the most beautiful sound. I took a deep breath of the salty but clean air and wished the moment would last forever.

Sometimes not having a plan is the best plan of all. And that is the lesson that has stuck with me.