Chicago: Travelling with Baby

"Cloud Gate" (aka the Bean) by Anish Kapoor in Chicago's Millennium Park

To the new parent, traveling with a new baby can seem like a huge challenge, but it is more than doable, as evidenced by Leah's experience in the interview below.  I know from experience than in many ways traveling with  baby is easier than with a toddler - a baby is more willing to go where YOU want to go, and is easier to carry around.  There's no real reason to postpone that trip you want to take - it is very much worth getting out there with your baby!  Leah traveled with her family (including about-9-month-old Arlo) from Boston to Chicago and it sounds like a terrific trip.  

You recently spent a few days in Chicago - was this your first vacation with Arlo? 

Yes, it was our first family vacation on a plane! He slept almost the whole way during both trips!

Any special preparations you make for air travel with a baby? 

I read a bunch of blogs about what to bring and about how to travel with the baby, i.e., rent a car vs subway vs taxi cab and the required or suggested accoutrements. After a lot of back and forth, we decided that we didn't feel comfortable riding in cabs without a car seat so we bit the bullet and rented a car. It was a bit expensive but well worth the anxiety and stress we may have experienced had we just decided to chance it in taxi cabs. It also made it easier to get around the city because it was fast and we didn't have to depend on public transportation or anyone else. We also brought our BOB Stroller and our Ergo. They both worked out beautifully.

Tell us about some of the fun things you did on this trip! 

We did a lot of great things. We came to Chicago for a good friend's wedding so we attended that. It was great to show off Arlo to all of our good friends. We also went to the Renegade Craft Fair, explored Wicker Park and downtown Chicago by the Magnificent Mile (where we stayed), went to the Shedd Aquarium, explored Grant Park and the walked along the lake shore, ate a lot of good food and shopped! We also went to Hyde Park to see Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio. I ended up going on the tour alone because we realized how difficult it was going to be for Arlo to be patient for an hour. Jesse walked around the neighborhood and looked at the beautiful houses while Arlo slept in the Ergo. I was the lucky one and got to see that magnificent house!

How did you accommodate the baby’s needs (naps, feeding, things like that)? 

When we were out on the town, he would sleep in the Bob a lot. We also made an effort to bring him back to the hotel after breakfast and let him take a nap. He napped a lot in the car seat in the car. We also were almost always at the hotel by 7 or 8 so he could go to bed at his normal time. Our first night, we walked for about 2 hours and didn't get home until 10pm and he slept in the Ergo. He was fantastic. I nursed him in the Ergo as needed or in the hotel. He enjoyed food at the restaurants as well. I have to say, the Bob Stroller was a life saver and really kept us organized.

Was there anything you tried to do that didn’t turn out so well? 

Not really. Although we left the wedding at 8:30pm because he was getting cranky. Other than that, he was a total champ.

Where would you love to take Arlo next? 

Our next trip will be to Marquette, MI to visit my mom, stepfather and father. I can't wait!!

Santa Cruz: The Seymour Marine Discovery Center

The Queen of Aquariums in this part of the country is of course the wonderful Monterey Bay Aquarium.  However, if you are in the mood (or budget) for something more low-key, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a small and quiet but terrific alternative.  This aquarium features all sorts of gorgeous sea creatures - octopus, anemones, sea cucumbers, crabs, small sharks, fish, jellyfish, eels, barnacles, and the oddest worm you've ever seen.

The highlight for my son was getting to pet a real shark - in this case a very well-behaved Swell Shark (he was about a yard long). A kindly staff member showed each visitor the appropriate way to do it, and offered a hand towel afterwards for drying off arms.  I tried it too and I have to say, it was strangely thrilling. In a low-key way.  There was also a series of smaller saltwater basins for petting starfish and anemones, with a staff member on hand to answer questions (there were many).

There is a variety of exhibits on marine science - I saw very few children in this section however - it just couldn't compete with the fantastic animal life in the next room.

The Center is nicely situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific; be sure to take a stroll during your visit.   You will not be able to miss the incredible (and beautiful!) blue whale skeleton installed outside. If you're hungry, there is a nice cafe in the neighborhood: Kelly's French Bakery (at the corner of Swift and Ingalls Streets). We sat outside in the sunshine and ate a delicious little spinach tart. Perfect afternoon!

Stay: Berlin Radisson Aquadom

Berlin is pretty high on my list of Places I Really Want to Go, for lots of reasons.  I just keep hearing about how cool it is and about the creative energy happening there.  Lots of artists, lots of ideas, lots of architecture, lots of all kinds of great stuff.  And then I saw this:

Now, I normally don’t fuss too much over hotels – I try to find something clean and affordable in a decent location.  Done.  But the Berlin Radisson is something else.  It’s… spectacular!  Or – is it a ridiculous waste of water and resources?  Perhaps both…  I do know my son would flip out over this.

According to Radisson, the 25 meter high Aquadom holds more than 1500 tropical fish and over 50 species.  The glass elevator at the center of the Aquadom carries 48 guest and one guide; the elevator deposits riders onto a viewing platform just beneath the roof of the hotel. 

I might also flip out.