Australia for Christmas 2007

We did it- I can't believe my children made that extremely long flight over and back, but we did it! I'm so proud of my little world travelers. We haven't been to my husband's home in Perth, Australia in over 10 years because I was worried that that trip would be to hard on the kids. But last summer we decided to give it a try and booked a trip over.

We did not break up the trip for cost purposes, which in hind-sight was a mistake. It took us 35 hours in total to get to Perth including lay-overs. My kids and husband did great, but I was the one who was really grumpy. Our first stop was L.A. where we did nothing but wait in lines. The lines consisted of re-checking our baggage (long lines), going through security (more long lines), and finally a line where they double checked our passports and boarding passes before we were allowed to go to our gate. Note to international travelers:you need a good 4 hour layover in LA to get throuh all the queues to finally arrive at your gate. We flew Air New Zealand where the flight attendents were all extremely courteous and I felt like we ate as if we were on a cruise. We had menu options at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and were offered snacks and beverages about every two hours. We ate very well, that being said, my son is a very picky eater and had trouble even with the kid's menu they offered. He lived on the snacks we had packed for the long plane trips. Note to travelers with children: pack lots of snacks!

The service was really good, but the plane we were on was an older model and we did not have the mini TV's to pass the time (Note to travelers with kids: bring portable DVD players in case you have the same experience) and my seat was broken and wouldn't recline, so I had to sleep in the "upright posisition". We had a layover in Raratonga in the Cook Islands and that felt very exotic and fun, they let us out of the plane for about an hour and we stayed in the little airport's courtyard while they re-fueled the plane. Then our next stop was New Zealand, where we hung out in the airport and ate Burger King (my son was so happy to see a Burger King and ate very well). Then we were off to our final destination of Perth.

We stayed with my in-law's for our two week vacation and had a really lovely, very sur-real Christmas. It's summer in December in the land down under, it looked to me like Christmas in July! Everyone was barbequeing and going to the parks and beaches. We went to the Perth Zoo, visited a Wildlife Sanctuary where we were able to feed Kangaroos and pet some teddy-bear soft Koalas. The city is very beautiful and in pristine condition, people are friendy, and I feel a bit like I'm in a time warp. Stores still close at 6pm and everything is closed on Sundays. People pack real plates, cutlery, and glassware for their picnics, no plastic-ware to be found. They haven't experienced the water-bottle craze yet, their tap water is still suitable for drinking water, and it tastes good too!

There are parks everywhere, and it seems as if there is always water near-by. Whether it be a beach or a river or an estruary, we were always near the water. Downtown Perth is even situated right on the Swan River. Australia is a melting-pot of cultures, people, and food.

The flight going home was most enjoyable, we flew on a brand new long-range version 747 Air New Zealand plane that had personal TV's with remotes that gave us access to a huge movie and video library. The kid's had a variety of kid channels, movies, and video games for their entertainment. We were in electronic heaven and it made time fly for us. We had a 12 hour layover in New Zealand, so we left the airport and caught a nap and shower at a nearby hotel, which was GREAT. A shuttle bus took us from the airport to the hotel, where we relaxed, stretched our legs, and freshened up before going back to the airport. Note to travelers: New Zealand does not charge a departure tax if you are in the country for less than 24 hours.

Be sure to give yourself a minimum of two days to recover from some serious jet lag once you get home!

Must see's in Perth, Australia:

-the beaches

-the city of Freemantle

-the city of Mandurah

-downtown Perth

-the Maritime History Museum

-The Maritime Shipwreck Museum

- King's Park

- the Wildlife Sanctuaries

-the Perth Zoo

-Swan Valley wineries

Las Vegas April 2008

We're in Las Vegas this weekend -yea baby!

My husband and I are having an adult's only, child free, fun weekend. That being said, we didn't realize we were spending our stay in the "family friendly" side of the strip. If you are traveling to Las Vegas with kids, the south end of the strip is the perfect place to stay.

The Luxor hotel is great place for families to stay with their kiddo's. there is a video arcade, an IMAX theater, and King Tut’s Tomb exhibit on the premises. Carrot Top is performing a comedy act nightly. The Excalibur, Luxor, and MGM are also family-friendly places to stay and they are all conveniently located together at the south end of the strip.

I'm not a food critic- but I wasn't impressed with their premier restaurant, Fusia. Athe menu was contemporary Asian cuisine. It's a bit pricey and the teriaki chicken I ordered was cold and very over cooked. The restaurant has an open concept in the hotel, which is bad because you hear the noise from the patrons walking through the hotel.


I did extremely enjoy the Luxor's buffet though! The theming looks like something from an Indiana Jones movie, like you are inside a Mayan ruins temple. The buffet had an extensive variety of food that was delicious, it is priced reasonably at $11.99 per person. We ate there Sunday morning for breakfast and enjoyed their Sunday brunch with Champagne mimosas.

For entertainment, we went to Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef. It was a fun exhibit, good for families. My favorite part was where it looked as if we were inside a shipwreck looking out under water at various sharks, it is complete with creaking ship sound effects.

We rented a Dollar Rental car from the hotel to get off the strip for a day and drove out to Hoover Dam. It’s a short drive away and it’s beautiful scenery once you get off the strip. Lake Mead is very deep and the water is so clear you can see fish from far below. We took the Hoover Dam tour, which was interesting but I wouldn’t recommend it to people who are claustrophobic. You take an elevator down about 500 ft. to a cave where the pipe is re-navigating the water flow, then up 200 ft. to see the generators. I really enjoy watching the short film and seeing the Dam first hand, it’s enormous and quite a site to see. Be prepared for lots of “dam” jokes!

Driving back we went to Freemont Street, it’s quite a spectacle and I would highly recommend it to the more adventurous type that likes to really be immersed in the Las Vegas lifestyle and culture. It’s like a budget conscious version of The Strip. I loved seeing all the old neon signs that have been restored there and visiting places like the Golden Nugget, it’s “old school” hotels and casinos. Driving back to The Strip don’t forget to check out all the wedding chapels, The Little White Chapel has a drive-through if you are in the mood to tie-the-knot or simply renew and freshen up those old vows.

We also ventured over to see the Wynn hotel, it’s absolutely stunning. I like the new smoke-free casino sections and the décor is breathtaking. It’s definitely worth a walk-through. To get to the Wynn Hotel from the Luxor we used the Monorail system. It’s reasonably priced and definitely less expensive than taking a taxi.

When we weren’t sight-seeing we hung out by the pool and had pina-coladas. The Luxor’s pool is beautiful and reminds me of what an oasis should look like, with fountains and a glistening clear pool. This is the epitome of relaxation to me.