San Antonio, Texas

The bus at Kiddie Park - a favorite!

San Antonio keeps a low profile, but there is a surprising amount for families to do in this faded but beautiful city.  It’s an easy day trip from Austin and we go there pretty often. It’s the 6^th largest city in the nation (as of 2010), but it often feels semi-deserted (outside of the downtown core anyway).  The lack of gentrification means that San Antonio still has oodles of charm. Aside from our chosen destinations, I just like driving around this city – we always come across charmingly funky old buildings dating from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  I especially love the 1920s Spanish-style architecture, which you see all over the city.

What follows is just our most recent itinerary – in future posts I’ll tell you about the Missions (not forgetting the Alamo!), downtown, a crazy restaurant called Mi Tierra, the zoo, and lots more.

First Stop: Kiddie Park!  This sweet little amusement park has been in operation since 1925 (local parents have told me that it was pretty run-down when they were kids – it’s lovely now).  It is refreshingly free of branded characters and in-your-face marketing.  Instead it offers 9 little rides, including an antique merry-go-round, a ferris wheel, mini airplanes, boats, and more.  It is, in a word, cute. It is also a pretty good deal at $13 for unlimited rides (there’s no admission fee).  There is a snack bar (candy, goldfish, pizza, etc.), but you’re welcome to bring your own food and sit at one of the many picnic tables.

After getting his fill of the rides (plus a few games of pinball), we still weren’t hungry for lunch yet, so we paid a visit to Alamo Fiesta.  This rambling store is basically a party store but also has clothing and decorative items.  The many rooms are stuffed to the gills with piñatas, paper flowers, garlands, hats, and more.  Oscar picked out a mini piñata for a souvenir and I picked up some big packages of crepe paper, which they carry in lots of colors (I’ll definitely be buying some more next visit, which I feel will be soon!)

For lunch we dined at La Gloria, in the recently renovated Pearl Brewery complex (now known simply as Pearl).  This bustling place is super kid-friendly (there’s a lawn for them to play on post-meal), but also nice for adults; I’d go there to meet a friend for a margarita anytime. 

My Tacos al Pastor

La Gloria Ice House

While at Pearl we checked out The Twig Book Shop, a small bookstore with a large children’s section (They do a story-time on Fridays).  Next door is Melissa Guerra Tienda de Cocina, which stocks kitchen equipment and tableware with an emphasis on Mexican cooking.  Across the street we found a new children’s clothing shop called Roo & Me – small selection, but worth peeking into if you have a minute…

Melissa Guerra  Tienda de Cocina

Finally it was time to head home - but not before a quick stop at Bird Bakery on the way out of town. This bakery is really all about cupcakes - and they are delicious! Not too large, and slathered in delicately tinted buttercream frosting. Yum!

Stay: Un Lit Au Pre

Good god, this is my dream – a rustic (but not too rustic) little cabin in the French countryside, with delicious food close at hand and bucolic views all around. 

La Ferme du Moncel

Un Lit au Pre offers accommodations at six small farms in central and northern France. The cabins – more like tent-cabin hybrids, really – are simple but so charming.  I love the cupboard beds for kids (there’s a larger bedroom for parents) and mismatched chairs.  I also love the absence of electronic anything!  For cooking, there is a wood-burning stove; each tent has a proper modern toilet.  Showers are a short distance from the cabin. Local foods can be purchased from the “Larder” found at each farm, to be prepared by you in your own cabin. 

Inviting, isn't it?

Extended time outdoors, the freedom to wander and explore - these things are so important for children (adults too!  Here on the farm, you get to hang out with the animals; special areas are set aside for children to engage with young animals (goats, rabbits, calves, and more)... You can also take a tour of the farm, and rent bicycles for touring the surrounding countryside.  Heaven!

Low-tech Travel Toys

Portable DVD players and other electronic devices have their place - but sometimes something simple and decidedly low-tech will do the trick just as well, or better.  Here's a few easy toys that travel well and stimulate the imagination...

Pipe Cleaners!

I love these beautifully-colored, variously-sized pipe cleaners by Eeboo – so many possibilities!  They are a perfect way to “make stuff” on a long car trip (or a plane trip, although I haven’t tested these with security).  They don’t make a real mess, they’re easy to pick up, and easy to share. 

Auto Bingo!

I’ve noticed these Auto Bingo games popping up all over the place.  There are four themes: Traffic Safety, Interstate, and plain old Auto Bingo.  They may look old-fashioned, but they still work for car trips!  I found them locally for $2 a card, so look around where you live.  It’s nice to have several on hand.

Sticker Activity Book!

I like to keep a few sticker books around at all times, wherever we are.  My seven-year old still likes them, and of course they also work well for younger kids.  This Richard Scarry book is great because it has all kinds of sticker activities and games inside.  I also always bring a sketchpad, so O can make “sticker stories” in that too.

Eeboo Travel Games!

These compact little games are not for the car - but for an airport layover? Perfect! There are three varieties of matching games - I Never Forget a Face (featuring illustrations of children from around the world), Life on Earth (animals), and Bugs and Butterflies (yep - bugs, butterflies). I can imagine these little cards inspiring other sorts of imaginative play as well - at least enough to kill some time while you wait.

Taking Risks

I came across this wonderful video recently (produced by the Alliance for Childhood and KaBoom!), all about the importance of risk-taking in childhood.  While we want to keep our children safe, learning to feel and test risk is so important – it’s how kids gain confidence, learn about limits, and how to reasonably push those limits (of course, as they point out in the video, it's easier to accept risks when you have ready access to free or affordable heathcare).  Watch it and see what you think:

It struck me that you could talk in a similar way about travel (especially, I think, travel with children).  We take a risk everytime we step outside our door – and the farther away we go, the greater the risks.  When we travel, there are so many opportunities for mishap: we might be misunderstood, we might get lost, we might be robbed, we might lose our belongings – and on and on. 

Yet it is still critical that we GO. Just as children do, we need to explore the world, and find our place in it. We need to push the limits a little. I hope that by traveling with my little boy I am teaching him something about this - that it's OK to step outside your comfort zone, and see what's going on - and just participate.

Airport Culture: The Urban Jellyfish Project

Are you touching down in Portland, Oregon sometime this year?  Kids or no kids, be sure to look for this beautiful installation in the D/E Lobby:

Artist Sayuri has created an ethereal underwater landscape, called Urban Aquarium (it's an ongoing project), populated by seven varieties of jellyfish – these are familiar looking but truly fanciful creatures, born from the artist’s imagination.  Here is how she describes one species (name: Cirrus Ars Magica) represented in the installation:

“These jellies are extremely considerate and warm-hearted, despite their life in cold water. They are brilliant and understanding, if you befriend one you can never get enough. They love ice cream. They bring magic to your life.”

Visit Sayuri’s website to learn all about her jellyfish (photography by Kelty and Hannah at The Weaver House - check out their site for some inspiring visuals!). The installation will be in place through January 15, 2013.