KinderJet.com - Family Travel Blogs

Okay, okay. I know what your thinking. Beach Day? In Calgary, Alberta, Canada??? In March?????

Well, I was committed to the Staycation plan, and part of any awesome vacation for our family is beach time, so I gave it a shot. Although I would not say we gleened the same relaxed, deep breathe, serenity that can be obtained from actually sitting on sand watching waves, we had a pretty fun day.

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 Happy First Day of Spring, KinderJet-setters!

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Santa Barbara, California

We are starting to discuss a California road trip, and after watching Amazing Race last week, my husband has decided we need to add Santa Barbara to the list of stops. So I looked it up. I love it when I find a tourism site that actually contains all the information I need to plan my stay there. What a concept!

After perusing the Santa Barbara site for only a few minutes, I am hooked. (Hello? Wineries and beaches? Who needs anything else???) Here are the things that caught my attention.

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Oh, I love me a good travel deal! Where some of us live, it has been a cold, cold week. It is hard not to dream of taking off to find the sun. Lucky for us, some of our favourite travel sites have the same idea!

Head to the beach...

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Here we go with this week's enticing deals to help you plan those mid-winter trips. Whether you are dreaming of sandcastles, leaning toward some downtime on the slopes, or hoping for a photo op with a certain mouse, there is something here to get you thinking about your next family vacation.

Warm Up This Winter! Up to 30% off select packages! - Expires 2/29/12

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The first thing that happened after landing in LA? We accidentally locked our two 4 year old sons in the rental van, strapped into their car seats, unable to unlock the doors. Luckily, we were still at the rental car agency, and they were able to get into the van, even though they did not have a spare set of keys! Fortunately for us, the trip just got better from there. It was the first big trip with these two boys, full of exciting firsts for them. Traveling with kids...challenging, unpredictable and worth the effort every time.

Today is the last official day of Summer. If you are missing it already, and looking for somewhere to take your family where you can enjoy surf, sand and sun, look no further.

It was a lofty goal, but one I was up to accomplishing. Visit 3 Alberta lakes in 3 days. You see, our lake days in Alberta are limited, and there is no time to waste deciding which one to visit. So, we picked up the kids from their second day of school on Friday, and took off to check out three of our favourites.

There is still time to do a little Summer traveling, or start planning for fun things in the Fall. If you are anything like me, the words "Last Minute Beach Escape" have already caught your eye.

Score great package deals for the Toronto Film Festival from September 8-18, 2011! - Expires 9/7/2011

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Here are your deals of the week! Beaches, Cruises and Heading South. Woo hoo! Summer's coming!

Yay! I have photos of the beach day! Our older boys LOVE the beach, no matter where it is or what the temperature. We were lucky that on the day we planned to go to Tampa, it was sunny and warm. Not hot, but nice enough for some splashing and playing.

In March 2005, we took our 2 four year old boys to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, along with my brother and his family. A trip to LA with little kids is quite a bit different than the trip we took last week.

Last week, we spent a few days in LA while the kids stayed home with their wonderful, generous grandmothers. Call it the Advance HD Annual Shareholders' Meeting. Since we have been there several times before, we skipped most of the must-see tourist sites, and instead relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine.

There is literally a Starbucks on every corner. (On one corner, there were two right across from each other!) If you prefer Slurpees to Lattes, you are in luck. There is a 7-11 on each block, as well. Mountains or beaches? You don't have to choose. Hiking in the woods? No problem! Shopping on a trendy downtown avenue? You got it! Gotta love Vancouver!

Well, I don't think anyone is even reading this anymore. And I'm a little tired of posting about it, so let's wrap up the vacation today.

Day 7 (Bernardo Winery): Our last full day in San Diego was one of my favourites.

San Diego Zoo: They call it one of the best zoos in the world, and it was pretty good. We could have taken a bus tour, but we chose to walk. It was a lot of walking, but it was a gorgeous day, and we enjoyed the stroll almost as much as the animals.

San Diego 2010-Day 4

Beach and Cabrillo Monument: This day was scheduled as a kind of rest day. Our kids LOVE the beach, and will jump and play in the waves no matter how cold. We started off walking to a restaurant called The Mission for breakfast. We waited 25 minutes out on the sidewalk for a table, but it was well worth it. The food was great and the kids were well behaved. After that, we headed to Target for some pre-beach shopping. New flip-flops, beach towels and swimming shirts for everyone. Then, the beach at Belmont Park.