travels with clara

Winter Break Ideas: So Cal

2012-01-24T22:31:00.000-05:00

As much as I love Northern California, unless I'm thinking about skiing, I don't want to head there in February. Since I live in New York, in an ideal world (read, fantasy), I would want to go somewhere that is 70 degrees and upwards, and has a pool that is nicely heated. Here are some spots that I wouldn't say no to...

The Ace Hotel, Palm Springs
We got married here 14 years ago, and haven't ever been back with Clara. I think it's time. And the place we stayed way back when, L'Horizon, doesn't take kids, so I can dispense with nostalgia, and head straight to the Ace, which I think looks like the perfect spot for us.

Venice Beach Eco Cottages
I haven't stayed here, but I sure would love to stay in walking distance of Abbot Kinney where two of my favorite restaurants, Gjelina and Shima, and two of my favorite stores, A+R and Tortoise, are.

Hotel del Coronado, San Diego
This just looks like a great family resort, that has all of the old-school-ness that I love.

Winter Break Ideas: Florida

2012-01-22T11:48:00.001-05:00

I'm always desperate to get away to somewhere warm for the February break...but really, who isn't? Which is why pretty much every year we end up going somewhere that isn't warm, but maybe has an indoor pool, and lots of good indoor activities in close proximity. (Last year it was Philadelphia.) Because as much as I like to plan, the proximity of holiday planning to winter break planning is just too close, and the holidays win out. Will I ever learn that you book winter break trips a year in advance? Anyway, here are some places that look good to me, in Florida. I'll try to post a couple of other winter break roundups this week, in other warm-weather states.

Postcard Inn, Islamorada (The closest key to Miami!) Last year I recommended their place in St. Petersburg, and several families I know went and loved it. This looks pretty fantastic.

The Colony Hotel and Cabana Club, Delray Beach

The Pelican Inn, Dog Island (Panhandle)

The Gasparilla Inn and Club (Gulf side, near-ish to Fort Myers)
Yes, this one is the most expensive one I will list. I am dying to go here.

Seaside (Florida Panhandle)

Casa Marina in Jacksonville, Florida

Everglades Rod and Gun Club ( Everglades City--a backwater fried-fish type of place. You can take fan boats around the Everglades and see alligators and giant snakes and beautiful migratory birds.)

Hawks Cay
This is a resort with a capital R. Normally I'm not a fan of places like this, but I have friends who went there, and don't like resorts, and were crazy for it. Not cheap.

Mount Washington, New Hampshire

2012-01-18T07:12:00.002-05:00

Over the holidays, we went to the Omni Mount Washington, for four nights. I had no idea what to expect, and since it was a really long drive (about 6 hours from NYC), I was really crossing my fingers.

We fell in love.

It is one of those resorts that is so totally all-around great, that you can't imagine that anyone wouldn't like it, at any time of the year. And while I'm kind of allergic to saying "family-friendly", it is probably the most FF place ever. Have you ever heard of a hotel that does a New Year's Eve celebration that is catered to the kids, with a 10pm midnight countdown? And a life-size gingerbread house?

Then there's the kids club, which is a nice 'mixer' for the kids, when they first arrive. And the outdoor heated pool, which kids often run down to in their swimsuit in the frigid air, then jump around trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

I loved the old-school band that played at dinner in the fancy dining room. And yes, people get dressed for dinner, even the under 70 set. (But if you don't want to, you can go to the more casual restaurants.)

And I love that there are several restaurants to choose from, so we never got bored.

The skiing was just down the road, and although we were there when it was unseasonably warm and without snow, it was still great for a beginner. (Yes, Clara learned to ski there!)

(that's not the bretton woods ski area-but the view from the back of the hotel. that one center stripe with a line up the middle of it is the cog railroad that runs in the summer..)

Being married to a collector/antique/food obsessed guy, we also made some discoveries around the property. Littleton is a sweet town that has some nice shopping (Just L our favorite) and a good diner. The Santa's Village which was open on New Year's Eve for a special celebration was fantastic. And the antiquing in Lancaster and Bethlehem was great. We loved the lunch at Grandma's Kitchen in Whitefield (mostly homemade everything). And if we had planned ahead, we would have built in a visit to the Garnet Hill outlet in Franconia (it's only open on weekends).

(above: santa's village)

(antiquing in bethlehem and lancaster)

(chudders in littleton: the longest candy counter in the world!)

(the foot suspension bridge in littleton-fun to walk over)

I haven't even touched on how fantastic the property is, and how great it's history is...but in a very tiny small nutshell...it was built in 1902 as a getaway for the elite New Yorkers who would take a train up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for the summer. It was actually one of many such properties, but sadly, being that most were wood structures, they either burned, or closed because tastes changed, and not enough people travelled there anymore. It's so lucky that it's still around—the recent renovation in the last year or two had a lot of money put into it, and it shows. We LOVED this place, and want to go back and see it in the summer.

(the bretton arms is a small inn which is part of the mount washington--it has a great restaurant.)

Greece Part 1

2011-12-30T09:39:00.000-05:00

Last summer we went to the Peloponnese for 10 days, as my husband was assigned to photograph a travel story there. This was our first trip there together as a family, and I wanted to go to an island, as that seemed more like quintessential Greece to me. (I lived on the island of Kalymnos for about 6 months when I was 19 and 20.) But the assignment didn't include any islands, and we didn't have time on either side to add any in, so the Peloponnese it was. What a wonderful surprise it was--I would say it might be the most perfect introduction to Greece, as it offers everything, but involves no ferry or plane schedules to work around. On our first day, we landed around 10am, and were at the temple in Corinth by lunch. Then we drove by the Corinth Canal, and then about an hour to Mycenae. We ended the day in Nafplia, a town that is close enough to Athens that it attracts wealthy Athenian weekenders, so it's a little on the price-y side, but since it isn't a big tourist town, it feels like a find. We stayed at the Nafplia Palace, a modernist property done in the 60s, which was on the top of the town, with amazing views. Our guidebook the whole trip? This is Greece!

Paris Cheat Sheet

2011-11-13T22:21:00.000-05:00

I have two friends going to Paris over Thanksgiving this year, so I promised I would write up my list. We were there last year at the same time, so this list will be customized a bit to what is going on during this time of year, and with the cold weather in mind. And since they're both going with kids, I'm going to only write about things to do in pairs—a park and a place to eat, or a place to shop with a place to eat, etc.

The Tuileries is always one of our favorite parks, but during the holidays, it's even better. It's right next to the Louvre, and it has the L'Orangerie museum (small, very doable--the one with all the Monets), and you can take have a hot chocolate treat at Angelina across the street. One of our other favorite lunch spots, for things like Croque Monsieur, perfect hot dogs and fries...is La Coupe d'Or. Their sandwiches are made with the famed Poilane bread, and they also have the renowned ice cream Berthillon. (330 Rue St Honore). If you're looking for a breakfast option, we love breakfast at Cafe Marly, which overlooks the pyramid of the Louvre. It's not cheap, but it has the best view. (93 Rue de Rivoli). While you're in this neighborhood, Colette is worth a quick look...it also has a very cool cafe on the lower level, which has loud music, very cool hi-chairs, and shows movies on a screen. Back to the Tuileries, the ferris wheel was going when we were there last year, and that is a worthy bribe to keep in your back pocket. The playground is pretty epic, and depending on the weather, there could be the sailboats in the fountains to push around. And then there's the carousel, and the trampoline, which is awesome for getting them warmed up or burning on steam. At the base of the Tuileries is the Champs Elysee, and at this time of year, there are tons of stands selling delicious food...sausages, foie gras, sweets...and then there's a cool trampoline with a harness that kids can do, and a super long slide.

Eiffel Tower Visit: We found it so annoying to try to get to the top--the lines were so long...so unless that's really important to you, don't even offer it up as an option. There's a great playground at the park, and there are several carousel options across the street from it. And maybe you get them a tacky battery operated Eiffel Tower toy which would be so much cheaper than paying to go to the top. In that neighborhood we liked the Quai Branly Museum which has a fantastic outdoor garden, which you don't have to pay anything to enjoy, and we liked the Palais de Tokyo, which I remember mostly for having a very cute, modern gift shop and restaurant.

Merci: This is one of the best shops I've ever been to, and it brings you to the Marais area. They do have a cafe there, but it isn't really where I'd spend my lunch, unless there was a kid crisis and I had to make do. Plan ahead to spend at least an hour walking around Merci, and then just down the street is the out-of-this-world ridiculous Bonton superstore, which is for kids. Send one parent downstairs where there's more of a hangout area for the kids...and wander around upstairs, not necessarily because you're going to buy anything, but more because it's so inspiring. Before you leave, check out their photo booth--last year they had these Christmas themed cut-outs to frame your face in, and we're using the pictures from then for this year's Christmas cards. In the area, the two special places we ate, that weren't the kind of places that you'd have to wait in line for, are very typical cafes: Cafe Charlot (I particularly remember the tarte tatin), and Cafe Janou. (If you go to Janou, order the chocolate mousse for dessert--it comes in a huge bowl and you help yourself to as much as you want.) For warming up and getting out of the cold, and away from retail, I really liked the hunting museum, the Musee de la Chasse. The Picasso Museum is also in that neighborhood. Stay away from this area on Saturdays if possible, when it's annoying just like any shopping district is.

Sunday in Paris: Not everything is open on Sundays, so we opted to go to the flea market in Vanves, which is in the outskirts of town, and has some great finds. There are no easy bathrooms, and there isn't much else out there, so you might send the antique obsessed off on their own and not subject the kids to it. We somehow skipped Clignancourt, which I mistakenly thought was open on Monday (it's not), and took a lot of heat for. So if antiquing is important, know that Clignancourt is best on Saturdays, and fine on Sundays. Because there are good food options there, and indoor spaces, I would say you could take kids to Clignancourt. Moving on from antiques...one of my favorite finds for a Sunday in Paris is to go to the bird market, on Ile de la Cite. The birds are so magical, and when have you ever been to a bird market in your life? We learned about it from reading Sasek's This is Paris, which could be your guide on your whole trip. We also checked out Notre Dame that day, and walked around L'Ile Saint Louis. If you are in that area, a stop at Berthillon, the ice cream shop, is a must. And across the street from it is a little food shop that has the best raspberry jam I've ever had in my life. I bought 5 jars there last year. (Yes, that was a hint.)

Jardin d'Acclimatation: A super cute old school amusement park on the outskirts of town. This is at least a 3 hour commitment, if you factor in time to get there. There are fun rides, cotton candy, what you'd expect...but it's Paris, so it feels different and better than what you grew up with. (I have no ideas about anything that's nearby.)

The Left Bank: For me the first stop on this side of the river is the a store. Yes, I'm a sucker for little girls' clothing, so one of my favorite spots is the Bonpoint outlet. No, it's never cheap, but it is hugely discounted. I go for their socks, which are so well made that there's never a hole even in the socks that last her 3 years because I buy them big. Beyond that, I love the Luxembourg Gardens park...another great playground, but if I'm remembering correctly, you have to pay to get into it. There's also pony riding there. And often a puppet show. If you're super jet lagged and can manage to wait til after 2pm to eat lunch, you should go to Le Comptoir. It's a favorite amongst all Parisians, and anyone who goes there. They don't take reservations, so it really is a spot to only consider for the hours of 3-5pm. Also in that neighborhood I like to stop at an Andre shoe store (our equivalent of a Steve Madden I guess), because their shoes are cheap, and excellent knock-offs. I also love the store Talc, which is on one of my favorite streets, Rue de Quatre Vents...it has such nice kids clothes, and they're not as astronomical as Bonpoint or Bonton. But if you want to stay away from that, at least check out the sweetest little wine/cheese bar, La Cremerie.

Le Bon Marche: It has such a great selection of all the Parisian designers, plus a great food court, and, from what my friend told me, great kids section. It also has a park right out front.

Places I would recommend, but aren't fitting into my neighborhood pairings:

Monoprix: the Kmart/Target of Paris. They have great kids pjs, and lots of cute clothes for kids that are made with organic cotton. Well priced.

Lunch or dinner at Le Grand Colbert. 4 Rue vivienne in the 2nd. It's super noisy and boisterous so even with a meltdown, if should be fine. It's right within an arcade that has a super cute kids toy store.

Dinner at Le Bistrot Aux Lyonnais at 32 Rue St Marc.

Dinner at Robert et Louise in the Marais, where they grill steak on an open hearth.

Buying loose tea (Wedding Imperial is delicious) and a canister to keep it in once it's home, from Mariage Freres.

Shopping for yourself at Cos, which is the high end H+M, in the Marais, and has the best best clothes, for very good prices.

One of the best online resources for Paris is Babyccino Kids. This is highly edited information, and it certainly isn't covering where to buy tickets and the best way to do whatever...but if you're staying in an area and want to know the best cup of coffee and kids shop nearby, check it out.

My Kind of Town

2011-09-27T07:27:00.000-04:00

This summer we went to Chicago for the first time ever. I can't believe how much I loved it, and that I don't usually hear people talking about it in a "you have to go there" sort of way. Where else would you be able to walk ten minutes from your hotel, down to the lake, swim, play in the sand, meet some kids, and then walk back to the hotel, through downtown, with your swimsuit on and a towel around you.

Other highlights:

We loved our meal at Longman and Eagle (loud enough to go with a kid, but certainly not a place for picky eaters that need to be accommodated. We also checked out the inn they have upstairs, and it's a great neighborhood-vibe inn if you were on your own in Chicago. Definitely not a family destination--unless your kids are older, and could sleep in a separate bedroom (no adjoining rooms).

We loved our meal at Publican. Another very loud place, and a place that has a bigger menu so more possibilities for kids who may not want what you're eating. Get a booth where they shut you in like you're in a stable.

We were lucky enough to stay at the Elysian, which is a new-ish hotel, and is fantastic. Loved the staff (who don't accept tips), the indoor pool, and the hotel restaurant Balsan. In that neighborhood, we liked to get coffee and pastries at this Belgian cafe, Hendrixx.

We didn't get to fully check it out, as this airport playground was on our way to baggage claim, but it looked great from the outside.

And although everyone said to try a hot dog from Portillo's, we didn't love it. The more discerning locals said Hot Doug's was a must, but they had weird hours. I know it sounds crazy, but our best hot dog was in the airport.

One night, we were exhausted and wanted to eat somewhere we could walk to, so we went to the Rosebud Steakhouse. It was a great old-school restaurant, where you walk out with a bag of leftovers, because each portion could feed a whole famly. We ate the mac and cheese for 2 days. On our walk back to the hotel, we checked out the Drake Hotel.

Brooklyn Getaway

2011-08-12T19:19:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my husband Matt took Clara to the beach at Fort Tilden while I was at work. I was so disappointed I couldn't go, but they promised to meet up with me for dinner, at a clam bar near the beach. I took the 5 train to the end of the line, they picked me up, and then we drove to this place called Jordan's Lobster Dock. It's completely not fancy, but it was delicious, and for a moment, I felt like I was on vacation. We met some regulars who gave us this tip: if you order from the take-out and get there before 7pm, you can eat your lobster sitting outside, for about half of what it would cost if you order inside. Since then, Matt has been back in the area, and tells me there's an even better place out there. Will keep you posted.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country

2011-07-22T23:16:00.005-04:00

So the last post I wrote was primarily for a friend who wanted ideas about how to best get to a wedding upstate. Well, a couple of weeks ago I was en route to Bedford, PA, and found some gems along Interstate 78. They are totally worth seeking out, if you're anywhere in the vicinity.

Deitrich's Meats: Wow. An amazing shop where you can pick up all things Pennsylvanian (well, in the food world), and get yourself some very good meat products. Bring a cooler. It's just 4 minutes off the highway.

Roadside America: I never thought I'd care about a miniature village. We drove past this place, but something told me to turn back and go in. We even hesitated when we saw that it was $6 each. But we sucked it up and did it, and wow, it was epic. This is one guy's dream, and he spent over 30 years building it. Totally inspiring, and so fun for kids. They can press buttons and make things move inside the village.

Getting to Way Upstate

2011-06-28T07:13:00.000-04:00

A friend emailed me the other day and was looking for suggestions as she's headed with the family to some town I've never heard of called Conesus. It's above the Finger Lakes and below Rochester, and according to Google Maps, it's over 5 hours from NYC, with no stops. She was asking if breaking up the trip and if stopping in Binghamton would be a good way to do so....and rather than just email her back, I thought I'd turn this into a post, in the event that any of you ever find yourself going to Conesus for the weekend. Here are my suggestions:

Looking at Google Maps, it does have the most direct route as going through Pennsylvania. One thought, you could stop in the Poconos at the Great Wolf Lodge. This really has no impact unless your kid is at least 2, but it's big big impact if they're old enough to go. (Here's a link to my post about it.) Right down the road from there is a very cool soft-serve/hot dog kind of place, that has a helicopter swing set. You have to swing off the highway if just for that--it's literally a 5 minute detour. You can read my post about it here.

Along this route you also pass by Corning, which does have a cool glass museum that is worth checking out. It's actually the world's largest, and kids get in free!

As for breaking up the trip and spending the night, if the Poconos is too soon to stop, you could look around the Williamsport area as that seems somewhat in the middle. I usually just toggle between Google Maps, looking at the names of towns I will be driving through, and then googling places to stay in those towns.

Another way to go is to go via Scranton (the setting for The Office) and Binghamton. I wouldn't stay in Binghamton, as the hotels are super limited. It does have some good antiquing on Clinton Street, and it is home to something like 5 free carousels. And it has a great Discovery Center and Story Garden. I'd stay somewhere in Ithaca or Trumansburg, and check out my posts on that area. I haven't actually stayed in any properties around there, but in Auburn there are two nice hotels.

You should also see if there are any local county fairs going on if you're going up this summer. It's very likely that there would be one in some town you're driving near. We love the Grahamsville Little World's Fair and the Delaware County Fair. A friend told us we have to check out the Afton Fair.

Bring a cooler for stopping at Wegman's in Binghamton or Scranton on your way home! Pick up a bag of salt potatoes (an upstate thing), and if you make it to Skaneateles, get some Wake Robin Farm Yogurt at the Skaneateles Bakery.

I hope this is helpful, and if I think of more ideas, I'll post them!

Santa Barbara Finds #2

2011-06-17T07:17:00.000-04:00

Farmers markets are a little bit like puppies to me. One is cuter than the next. But this one in Santa Barbara, on Saturdays in the downtown area, it is truly fantastic.

Santa Barbara Finds #1

2011-06-16T23:15:00.000-04:00

We were in the Santa Barbara area over spring break. One morning we went to an event at the Four Seasons Biltmore there. So beautiful. If you're in the area, it's worth walking through the lobby, and maybe having a drink at the bar.

For the other end of the spectrum, but equally a favorite, try lunch at the Rose Cafe. We used to only think of La Superica for Mexican in Santa Barbara, until our friends turned us on to this. It has probably the best huevos rancheros I've ever had.

For You Crafters Out There

2011-05-26T06:36:00.000-04:00

I just found this amazing travel 'desk', which would be perfect for road trips, provided your kids aren't prone to car sickness. The blog I found it on, Mer Mag, is fantastic, so warning, you may get sucked into a blackhole and not return for at least 30 minutes.

Route 17 New Jersey

2011-05-23T07:20:00.000-04:00

It's probably the ugliest stretch of highway, and one of the most difficult to navigate, but for lots of us, it's the only way to get to where you're going. And once you get used to it, you start to find some gems. Okay, some of them are certainly not secrets--like Trader Joe's, if you're northbound. (That's the weird thing about 17--it's so hard to get to whatever is on the other side, that you pretty much only do what is on your side of the highway.) Then there's the Fireside Restaurant, which is a good place if you're not a vegetarian. Burgers, hot dogs, fries, and onion rings. I like that they have a condiment table with these amazing lightly pickled cucumbers, and huge slices of onions. If you need to pick up any alcohol (or cheese) for wherever you're headed, Bottle King is a great stop (also northbound). They have great wines for great deals. And they have cheese samples, always a plus for Clara.

(That's a button for kids to press that makes the train go around on the elevated track at the Fireplace.)

LA Drive-by

2011-05-09T22:16:00.000-04:00

Over Easter weekend, we were in Santa Barbara for a dear friend's birthday, and for a photo shoot (for my new job at Martha Stewart Living). But on our way from LAX to Santa Barbara, we had to see our cousins, if only for a very fast lunch, at one of our favorite places, Huckleberry Cafe. I love this place--it has the perfect farmers market fresh food, simply prepared...just perfect. Clara had the world's best turkey meatballs, and I had a BLT-A, which is just a BLT with avocado. Everyone from California would know what that is, because practically every place makes them, just like everyone out there makes great breakfast burritos, but you'd be hard-pressed to find that here. One thing to know--they want you to order before you take a seat at Huckleberry, which is a drag if you are with a lot of kids, and you don't want to commit to eating there if there isn't a table. It wasn't a problem for us, but I could see this could have been one if I was with several friends and their kids, and we needed a table for 8. I would say Huckleberry, Tavern, Gjelina, and Shima, are my favorite westside spots (. Now I just have to get to LA for more than 5 minutes.

That is probably the best donut we've ever tasted.

We didn't get one of these, but we sure wanted to.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 5)

2011-04-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

We left Bedford Springs bright and early. What, sleep in, just because we're away from our kid for the weekend? Are you kidding? We had too many places we had to hit, and we had a 6pm deadline to be back in Brooklyn. First great stop, about an hour east of Bedford Springs, was the Fayetteville Antique Mall.

We also stopped in Adamstown, which was an antique row like I've never seen. Renningers was so nicely curated that it seemed more the flea market in Paris. Totally worth a day trip if you're looking for something(s) specific.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 4)

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'd never heard of Altoona before. We drove the 30 minutes-ish to get there from Bedford Springs, because some people said it had a great antique center. (Yes, we are a bit sick. Collectors or Hoarders is the name of the reality show we should star in. No, we don't have a store. Yes, we do have a barn, and a storage unit, and we do purge occasionally. No, we aren't rich.) They were right, there was some good antiquing there. But even better, there was an amazing hot dog joint, that Obama went he was campaigning. And we discovered that it is also home to the Boyer Candy Company, home of the Mallo cup. I'd never had one before, and it was awesome. We liked the dark chocolate ones the best.

You could buy discount bags of reject candies at the Boyer factory store. We restrained ourselves, barely.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 3)

2011-04-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

Bedford Springs is really small, but it has some nice landmarks, especially since it's on the Lincoln Highway. We especially like Founders Crossing, the big antique market in town.

Road Food Find

2011-04-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a bit of a food snob. That doesn't mean fancy food. Yes, I do love me some kind of organic sustainable local whatever, but I am really happy with a homemade piece of pie at a local diner even if it's made with Crisco. Now have any of you ever had the Roy Rogers fried fish sandwich? I never did until this trip to Pennsylvania, where we found ourselves starving, with only a mega-gas station in the vicinity. It was one of the most delicious fish sandwiches. Perfect soft bun. Great tartar sauce. Fish that seemed real (they say it is Icelandic premium cod). And the best part, no stomach ache after. See, I tried to like Popeye's Chicken, and it was good going down, but the stomach ache afterwards made me not a convert.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 2)

2011-04-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

We made it to the Omni Bedford Springs Resort by 6:45, which meant no stopping between Lancaster and the hotel. We promptly had a delicious martini at the bar, which totally took the edge off the day of driving. I've already waxed on about the hotel in this post, so I'm just going to put up pictures here. It's still as great as it was before.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 1)

2011-04-21T10:13:00.000-04:00

A couple of weekends ago I went with Matt (I know, this is Travels With Clara--but sometimes you have to go away with just your husband) and we decided to go back to the Bedford Springs area, which is in the southwestern-ish part of the state. We had been to the Omni Bedford Springs Resort a year and a half ago (with Clara) and loved it. We knew the food was good at the property, and that there were tons of antique stops along the way, so we put the seats flat in the back of the car (you know, for more room for all the crap we were going to collect), and took off. Since we are the most ambitious squeeze-as-much-in-a-weekend people that we know, I'm going to break up what we did into a week's worth of posts, since you could probably do just one leg of what we did, and it would work as a relaxing weekend, or overnight trip. First stop was Lancaster, where we rushed to the Lancaster Central Market (you can read more about the town in this post!) because we were starving. We got an amazing hoagie (shoot, I can't remember, is that what they call it?!) at S. Clyde Weaver, and then headed to their antique row. If you wanted to make a trip out of Lancaster, you could overnight at the Cork Factory Hotel. It's right next to the Lancaster Science Factory, which looks really amazing, although I didn't go.

We loved all these vintage kids' clothes at Hinesite Vintage in Lancaster.

Have you ever had corn shoots? We bought a bag at the Lancaster Market.

We fell in love with this dollhouse at an antique store on N. Queen St. (between E. Walnut and E. Lemon streets are where most of them are). Apparently, an old woman brought this dollhouse in to the shop, told them her father had made it when she was a little girl living in Germany, and they brought it to the States with them when they moved. Everything was made by her dad--even the windows were glass! We bought it for $70.

A stall at Building Character on N. Queen St.

Dreamy Norwegian Cabin

2011-03-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

I've had this property printed out for three years now, and somebody out there has to rent it! It's so amazing. Sleeps four and is less than $100 a night.

A Site to Bookmark

2011-03-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

I just pulled out the "Europe Rentals" folder, and am starting in on finding a rental for this summer, as we're going away with our dear friends and their kids. How I forgot about Via Travel Design is beyond me--they are an amazing resource. When I was at Cookie, I actually interviewed one of the owners, James, as I thought they would be good experts for us to tap. He and his wife have been traveling to Italy for over 30 years, and hand-pick the properties they represent. They know the owners personally, and actually inspect the properties regularly. Check it out.

And Philly's Cool Too

2011-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

If this last week hasn't convinced you yet that you should make a booking to go to Philadelphia while it's the worst winter in history (well, my history anyway), then maybe this very cool Cafe Lift and its neighbor the very cool store Morihata will push you to do it. To get the whole list of what to do and where to stay and eat, click here.

Old City Philadelphia

2011-03-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

I don't think we've been in a cuter ice cream parlor ever. And the ice cream was so creamy and delicious. This place has been around since 1904, and is a must-stop if you come to Philadelphia. For the lowdown on a perfect weekend in Philly, click here.

Within walking distance to the Franklin Fountain is the Betsy Ross Museum.

Top 10 Best Food Court

2011-03-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'd come to Philly just for this place. Make sure you bring a cooler, so you can bring back some of the raw milk and local yogurts. And bring a sturdy bag to pack in the Amish popcorn, pretzel breads from Metropolitan Bakery, Italian cookies from Termini...

For my list on what I think is a perfect weekend in Philadelphia, click here.

The Other Best Museum Ever

2011-03-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Franklin Institute. I'm doing a Philadelphia week, so to get the lowdown on all things Philly, check out my post here.

The Best Museum Ever

2011-02-28T07:00:00.003-05:00

Clara proclaimed the Please Touch Museum "the best ever", until the next day, when The Franklin Institute took the title. See my post on the Philadelphia lowdown for details on our visit.

A Perfect Weekend in Philly

2011-02-26T15:39:00.004-05:00

We just came back from a weekend in Philadelphia, where we discovered what we think are some pretty cool things to do. Here's the lowdown, and every day this week, I'll post pictures from all the places we went.

Where to stay:

We decided on the Rittenhouse, since it had an indoor pool and was centrally located. We had a room with two double beds and nice daylight, and the rate was $215, for a Sunday and Monday night. However, I know on weekends it can easily be double that. We met locals who said the Sofitel is great. The Marriott Courtyard looked good when we drove by it, and upon looking at it back at home, I'm disappointed I didn't know about it. It's on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's right around the corner from the Reading Terminal Market. Plus, it has a big beautiful indoor pool, and it's cheaper than most other hotel options. We also walked by the AKA, right on Rittenhouse Square (well, a couple of doors down), which has smartly done short term rentals, but there's just a 2 night minimum stay. Since they have kitchens, you can actually take advantage of shopping at the Reading Terminal Market. That or the Marriott would be my pick for next time. While the Rittenhouse was perfectly nice--staff were really helpful, fast, and thoughtful, I was a little irritated that they didn't have a free coffee setup in the morning. When we asked about it, they said they only have it from 5-7am! After that, you have to order it from room service ($15 for a pot of coffee with the delivery and service charges), or go downstairs and buy it from the restaurant (which was charging $8 for a beer, so I didn't bother seeing how much a cup of coffee was.) We discovered that the Metropolitan Bakery is just around the corner, and has great coffee to go, pastries (many of them whole grains), and organic local yogurts--but we found this the morning we were leaving.

Where to Eat:

Definitely have dinner at The Dandelion, which is right near Rittenhouse Square. It's a Stephen Starr restaurant (the guy best known for opening Morimoto and Buddakan), and it's an English pub vibe. But not too much so--it isn't schticky at all. Menu standouts were duck bolognese, slow roasted pork belly (only $14!), and the deviled egg bar snacks!

We tried Noble for dinner on Sunday night, when they have a 4 course prix fixe menu for $38 per person. It was superb, not too fussy, and fantastic value. I bet it's great on other nights too.

I think lunch at the Reading Terminal Market is a must. We ate at the Down Home Diner, primarily because Matt wanted to try scrapple, but we also wanted to try the Pearl's Oyster Bar, and just didn't have time. This is a huge indoor market that opened in 1892, and has over 80 vendors. Remember that it's closed on Sunday, so if you are here over a weekend, sear that into your brain, so you aren't disappointed.

On our way out of town, we stopped for breakfast at Cafe Lift, which is in the more industrial part of town, but also about 5 minutes from the Franklin Institute. We ate french toast, huevos rancheros, and a breakfast burrito, and were impressed with all of them--great ingredients, clever preparations, and a cool vibe.

Depending on where you stay, I'd grab breakfast at the Metropolitan Bakery, or I'd get things at the Reading Market (remember, La Colombe d'Or coffee comes from Philadelphia), and just walk around and find what suits you.

One afternoon, you have to go to the Franklin Fountain, which is an ice cream fountain from 1904. It's completely perfectly caught in time--even the staff are dressed accordingly--and the ice cream is insane. It is one place where next time I would spring for a sundae--they do it right.

Things to do:

The Please Touch Museum is great, but probably not for kids older than 8 or 9. It's perfect for the 3-7 set, but a 2 year old would be very happy there, if just splashing around in the water/duck exhibit, and an 8 year old would probably dig the Alice in Wonderland and the hospital and grocery store sections. Don't plan on having lunch or snacks here--the cafeteria is bleak.

The Franklin Institute is worth the trip in itself. We could have spent a whole day there--from the heart exhibit to making our own paper to the electricity exhibit--there was so much to do and learn, and we were all into it. The cafeteria here actually had some good looking food, so in a pinch, you could eat lunch here.

We checked out the Betsy Ross Museum and loved it--it's small, and you get through it very fast. It's also near the Franklin Fountain, so you could park the car and walk to both places. It's also just off of N. 3rd Street, where there are several cute stores. Our favorite was Sugarcube, which has a mix of new and vintage, for men and women, and carries brands like Steven Alan, Ulla Johnson, and Dunderdon. Some stores that were closed, but looked good, were Mode Moderne and Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.

We did a Liberty Bell drive-by. It was closing, but we rushed through the exhibit (good thing it was free!), got to the bell, took a picture, and got out.

Our favorite store of the weekend was Morihata, a Japanese lifestyle store, right up the street from Cafe Lift. We would buy almost everything in the store for our gift closet--all of them perfect for the person who has everything. The best Japanese towels, bottle openers, bicycle bells, toothbrushes. Fantastic.

Perfect Travel Lists

2011-02-19T07:27:00.001-05:00

I'm in love with the Canal House Cooking books. They are my idea of perfect--the photography, the recipes, the words. And I just saw on their website that they have travel lists for five cities. A list of San Francisco taquerias, a stroll in New York City...the lists look pretty perfect too. Check them out, and get their books. Even if you don't cook, they are beautiful to look at.

Always Take the Matches

2011-02-08T07:38:00.003-05:00

The other night I reached for some matches in the kitchen, and realized that our match bowl was in serious need of an edit. What if all of our beloved Gino's matches got used up? (It closed last year.) I spent a couple of minutes sorting through them, and putting the most special ones at the bottom (it's not like we use matches except to re-light our stove, honestly), and had a little transporting moment with each one.

think this was from a strip joint Matt went to when he had a 12 hour layover in Anchorage. I just like the name.

Spent many a Conde Nast dollar here. and came here the night that they folded Cookie.

I feel the most grown up whenever I walk into this place. but also imagine the fraud squad is going to whisk me away at any moment.

Always walked by it in my early 20s, finally got to go there in my late 20s. Still my special occasion restaurant.

(p.s. if you're wondering why the pictures changed in this post, it's because my husband is a secret art director.)

Travel Inspiration

2011-02-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't been on a plane since we went to Paris over Thanksgiving, and I'm starting to get a little antsy. However, I also have to stay glued to my computer as I am working on a website launch, which should happen any week now. So for the next couple of posts, I'm going to post about the things that give me a little feeling of being away.

I found these little books in a flea market.

The Brooklyn Flea

2011-01-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we found ourselves at the Brooklyn Flea, because my husband had a stall there. We'd only ever gone to the outdoor one in Fort Greene, and this one is in the Williamsburg Bank, which is an amazing building. I have to say, I think it might be as close to a cool mall experience as you could get. It's like a mall in that it's indoor shopping, and there are three levels. Then there's the food court downstairs (and you get to walk through the huge vault doors to get to it). I guess that's where the mall parallel stops though. You might be able to buy yourself and the kids an 1-2 hours of indoor activities, outside or your home. You'll eat good food (I love the sandwiches from Porchetta!), drink good coffee, and can bring home some great bread from Scratch Bread. And you can show your kids what banks used to look like in the good old days.

(p.s. if it seems to you that I am posting way less than usual, you're right. i am in launch mode for momfilter , a parenting lifestyle site, which is going live on 1/31/11.)

Winter Break Day Trip: Ithaca

2011-01-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

Over the break, we took a road trip to Ithaca, and got to see it in its winter glory. The Taughannock Falls were so spectacular, actually way more impressive than in the summertime. We had lunch at Cafe Dewitt in downtown Ithaca, which is always great, and this time we made it to the Ithaca Bakery . Fantastic breads and bagels.

We walked around the Commons, which was kind of bleak, but did have a little playground. All around downtown is the Sagan Planet Walk , a walking scale model of the solar system. Very cool.

We drove to Trumansburg (about 10 minutes away from Ithaca) and fell in love with this laundromat there. Completely caught in time.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

More Proof That You Should Travel With Baby

2010-12-20T09:47:00.000-05:00

I don't usually love the travel coverage in the NY Times, but this story, Traveling in Southeast Asia With a Rock-Star Baby, is great. It's not going to tell you where to go and what to do, but it should give you the confidence (and motivation) to take your baby to Southeast Asia. It makes me (almost) want to have a baby just so I can go and see for myself.

(photo from article, taken by author, Jennifer Bleyer)

Better Late Than Never

2010-12-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

I've been sick all week, and completely forgot to post about my husband's William Brown Project event TODAY at Partners and Spade . If you happen to be reading this, and are going to be in the lower part of Manhattan today, do stop by and say hello. He'll be selling his own red wine vinegar, lard from our pigs, and champagne sabreing kits. (12-6pm)

Ageism Jr.

2010-12-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

Sam Sifton wrote a piece in the Times on Friday, about taking your kids to Peter Luger. His take isn't actually so interesting--what I liked reading was the comments from readers. I agree with the reader that said that it really depends on what kind of kid you have. You just can't make blanket generalizations about kids--Sifton's being that kids under 10 shouldn't go to Peter Luger. Here's Clara at one of our favorite steak houses in New York, Keen's, where they doted on her.

New Airplane Accessory

2010-12-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

I just spotted these at our local food coop the other day. Turns out they have chocolate/peanut butter, chocolate/hazelnut, and a couple of other sweet options. Genius for traveling.

Buenos Aires with Kids?

2010-12-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

It's funny, in one week, I had two emails from different friends about what to do in BA with kids. I've never been, but since I did a little research, I figured I'd post what I found here.

Travel For Kids

Kids Can Travel

Nile Guide

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

We did our annual trip to Rockefeller Center last week, and I think I've figured out the best way to do it. Always go on a weekday (way less crowded), go early-ish, know where you're going to dinner, and make it close and/or easy. The dinner nearby is probably the biggest challenge, since every Midtown place that you might want to go to is packed with theater goers at the hour you'd need to go. Or they're too expensive. Or both. You can do a couple of things--hop on the train and take it two stops down on the 6th Ave line, to 34th St. Walk two blocks to Koreatown, which is filled with fantastic Korean restaurants..my favorites are Kum Gang San at 49 W. 32nd, or Kang Suh. Just a block further, between 5th and Madison, on 32nd, is Hangawi . It's vegetarian Korean, and we love it for it's traditional approach--you take off your shoes when you come in. It's definitely more expensive and less raucous of an atmosphere as the others, so if your kids are wound up from too many Christmas cookies, don't come here. For a more traditional Christmas vibe, there's the pub room at Keen's (on 36th St and 6th Ave), one of my all-time favorites. If you don't want to hop on a train, you could walk up to Menchenko-Tei, on 55th St, for some great Japanese noodles. (See my post on it here .) We were lucky enough to have Clara's grandma with us, and they went to Rockettes--so we took a break at Sardi's and had a drink upstairs. I love the bar up there--they have crocks of cheese and Ritz crackers that go perfectly with their delicious martinis.

Seaport Without the Mall

2010-12-15T06:56:00.001-05:00

We've always wanted to check out the New Amsterdam Market by the Seaport, but never made it there until this Sunday. It happened to be themed "coffee and chocolate" so there were all kinds of passionate coffee and chocolate vendors I'd never heard of, a porchetta sandwich stand from Porchetta (delicious and $5), Saxelby Cheese, and a duck farm from upstate . Of course there was more than that, but that was what we stopped at. It is outside and on the water, so it can be very cold, but the people are very nice and it has a nice vibe, and there is parking right there. Afterwards, you could head across the street to one of our favorite wine shops, Pasanella and Son , and pick up some lambrusco (there's one that has a cloth-like label and looks great--perfect for gifts) for the holidays.

This Sunday our friend Anne has who has a farm upstate (Old Field Farm/Art and Agriculture ) will be there. I was going to edit down her list of everything they'll have there, but I decided to just cut-and-paste. That way you can see everything they'll have, and you can pre-order some of their amazing pork. I'm going if just to buy some pig-fat soap.

"This year's Humble cuts include our Bacon, Pancetta, Rillettes, Headcheese, Pate de Campagne and fresh Toulouse Sausage.

We will be bringing a few Noble Cuts on pre-order, for pick up at the Market. $7.00 per pound

Loin Rack (bone in) average 5 - 10 lbs.

Tenderloins

Whole spare Ribs average 3 lbs

Whole Shoulder Roast, skin on, bone in, 10 - 15 pounds

Noble Cuts were deep frozen immediately after butchering last week. They should be kept frozen until use, and then defrosted in the fridge.

Please email artandagriculture@gmail.com if you wish to reserve Roasts or Ribs for which we have limited stock. We should have plenty of stock on the Humble side, but the Nobles are very first come, first served.

We have amazing ceramics from Natsuko Uchino and Paula Greif - trays, platters, water and syrup vessels, honey pots, bootleg cups, and terrine pots.

We will also be bringing in our honey, maple syrup, delicious and beautiful free-range eggs, tisanes, purification sets of home grown luffas, pig fat soap, smudge sticks, copper age brooms, a few radical books for your holiday enjoyment and more."

Venice Apartments that Inspire a Trip to Venice

2010-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't taken Clara to Venice yet. I know she'd love it, but I just haven't been dying to go there. Until now. I just discovered this website of amazing apartments in Venice, and I think I'd go there even if just for them. This is the first one I clicked on--it's 1025 euros for a week, but can be booked for shorter stays.

And how about this one ...I just sent an email to the company to see what's available during spring break!

Winter Break Fantasy: Carlisle Bay Antigua

2010-12-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

We've been lucky to make it to Carlisle Bay in Antigua twice. I think it's one of our favorite hotels in the Caribbean. And llthough it's not cheap, they frequently have packages that make it not astronomically expensive, although still in the expensive category. When the package is offered, it's something like $850 per night for a family room and that includes all meals, and $50 per night in drinks. If you consider that most hotels would charge around $500 for a family room (meaning a separate room for the parents), and this is one that is smack on the beach, and includes all your meals, plus afternoon tea (it's British!), and that the food is primarily organic and local, not some crappy buffet, you'll start thinking it's a deal. While it isn't as easy to get to as the islands that are nonstop flights (Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia), it is so worth it. (And depending on the day you fly, there are sometimes nonstop flights here on Continental--I think on Saturdays.) Here's why we love it so much:

1. The food is so good. And that is not something you can say for most resorts in the Caribbean. They pride themselves on having great relationships with local farmers, and having local and organic food on vacation is a huge plus. They also have two restaurants--one is on the beach, more casual and has more standard fare, and the other, East, is only open for dinner, and is Asian influenced. Just the kind of food that goes perfectly with being at the beach--I've always wondered why there are resorts serving big steaks and potatoes on their menus and not doing little skewers and pad thai. If you have a really little one and don't want to go out in the evening, they will do room service, and you can eat on your patio which butts up to the sand, looking out over the sea, and feel like you are out to dinner. For kids, they have a fantastic early dinner that is served buffet-style around 5:30-7. with everything from the usual suspects of pasta and chicken to local fruits and well cooked vegetables. This hour functions like a cocktail mixer, as the parents all meet each other while their kids eat and run around. I love this about Carlisle Bay--there are lots of opportunities to meet other nice parents, in a non-forced way.

2. The pool is fantastic, even for toddlers. It has a ledge around most of it, which is about 10 inches below the water, where you can sit with your baby, or have your toddler resting on it while you stand in deeper water. There are pool toys for the kids, and lots of chaise lounges in the shade, should someone need a nap. The staff come by all the time with little fruit snacks or drinks and towels, all complimentary.

3. The kids club is perfect. It has a nice playground, and a little completely shaded pool, and great staff.

4. There's plenty to do if your kid is in the club--morning yoga/pilates, a fantastic spa, a library with books you actually want to look at, and great hikes just out the door of the hotel.

5. The beach is lovely. Water is calm, and there are no jet skis zooming about.

6. The room is well-designed for families. The beachfront suites, which is what is offered to families, are on the ground level, and they have a huge front bedroom with living room area, and a sliding glass door out to the private patio which is one the beach. The front room has the closet, and is where the children sleep. They can put a crib in, or make it up with a twin bed, or whatever you need. I don't know that it could accommodate more than two kids, but you can call and check. Then there's a huge bathroom and a hall between that room and yours, so you aren't on top of each other, but you're also not having them in an adjoining room, where you can't hear them if the door shuts. The suite also has an espresso machine, which is a lovely thing to behold when you wake up and don't want to walk to the restaurant to get your coffee, or to wait for one to be delivered.

local jams and honey

local yogurt and fresh juices every morning

kids club

Paris Shopping

2010-12-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

I could do a week of posts just on the shopping in Paris. It's not so much that I go into the shops to actually buy, since the exchange rate and the prices really make it unaffordable—but I love going into the stores because they are so beautifully and thoughtfully done. Here are some of my favorites from this trip.

The new three level Bonton store in the 3rd on rue des Filles Calvaire, complete with candy bar, hair salon, and book store.

Just down the street from Bonton, another favorite is the concept store Merci . I love their kitchen department the most.

And my favorite stop is the Bonpoint outlet...where you can get deals for 50-80% off, bringing into a range that is somewhat reasonable.

Talc is a line for girls that I love. We bought several pieces when we were there two years ago, and Clara still wears them. Even though the dress is now a shirt, the way the designer cuts them, the clothes grow/evolve with the child. And the price-point is way lower than any of the other Parisian kid designers. In the States you can find Talc at our favorite store, Sweet William. We got lucky and were there the weekend they were having a sample sale.

Although Zef is another favorite, it seems their prices have gone up significantly. The good news is, they also have a surplus store on rue de Richelieu in the 1st, where we found some great deals.

The Bon Marche is such a great store to explore--I love the food market, and I love how they have all of the great Parisian (and other) designers, all in one place. It beats wandering around if it's cold outside. There's also a little park across the street.

Andre is a chain of shoe stores, all their own label. It's pretty cheap. A couple of years ago I got a pair of K Jacques rip-off sandals here for $30, and have gotten endless compliments on them. And they haven't fallen apart. This trip, I got a pair of suede chelsea boots and suede desert boots, each for around $75.

Although I have no pictures of either, I love the chain Princesse Tam-Tam for their bras, and I discovered a store called Cos in the Marais, that is a very minimal line from H&M. I found several great dresses that look like they should cost alot, and they were all under $100.

Made for Children

2010-11-30T07:13:00.000-05:00

Just a small neighborhood park in the 4th, with two ping-pong tables

I think Paris is a city tailor-made for a family trip (although this visit was so cold that we didn't get to take in as much as there is to offer). Where else can you go where every neighborhood has a carousel, some with two on opposing corners? Where else do you have parks that have weekly puppet shows, pony rides, way better playgrounds than most in the States, in-ground trampolines, and wooden sailboats to push around in a fountain? The above shots are from a Christmas Market on the Champs Elysees, and the Jardin des Tuileries. I also think it's perfect for families because there is something to suit everyone's interests--from the museums to shopping to eating to playing--there is great range in each category. And did I tell you how much warmer the Parisians are when you're with a child? They're kind of like travelling with a VIP. All of a sudden, the typically chilly waiter is bringing you treats and pen and paper. Later this week I will do a couple of neighborhood guides, in case I've convinced you to go.

We loved this store called Si Tu Veux, in an arcade of shops called Galerie Vivienne. We've been lucky enough to be in lots of kids shops all over, and this one is one of the most special we've seen. I loved their reading nooks, and the games they had out for kids to play with while their parents shop. And I especially loved the way each object had a hand-written comment or description next to the price. It's also just up the road from one of our favorite restaurants, Le Grand Colbert.

A Sunday in Paris

2010-11-29T04:54:00.001-05:00

Most shops are closed on Sunday, which means most museums are mobbed, especially when it's super cold outside. Clara's dad is super obsessed with flea markets and antique shops (well actually, any kind of shopping suits him), so I thought we should check out a flea market we'd never been to--the Porte de Vanves one. It was easy to get to--just a block's walk from the metro station--and was really great. Lots of deals and lots of inexpensive finds, and lots of things we'd never seen before. I picked up a little vintage souvenir doll for Clara for 1 euro, although I had passed several stands with them being sold for 20-25. The only mistake of the day was that I had thought the big flea market, Clignancourt, was open on Mondays, and Matt could go there the next day. Well, I guess officially it is, but according to our interior designer friend who owns the apartment we were staying in, Sunday is the day to go. I think I saved us alot of money with that mistake.

Our local pastry shop, Pain de Sucre, which happens to be a destination for many, has maybe the best croissant ever.

We picked up a vintage book at a library sale last year, called Rosalie The Bird Market Turtle , and it's all about the bird market in Paris. Then we brought the This is Paris book with us on this trip, and it talks about the Sunday bird market too. So we went to see if it's still happening, and it is! Not only were there lovely birds, but also the food they sold for the birds couldn't have been prettier. Huge bunches of dried millet, fresh herbs. Certainly a far cry from Petco.

It really was too cold and wet to enjoy the parks, where normally we could spend an entire day, but with carousels everywhere, we still were able to get in some 'just for Clara' moments.

The best part of staying in an apartment--being able to make your own cup of tea.

Paris in a Haze

2010-11-23T11:42:00.001-05:00

at Cafe Janou they have this huge basket of walnuts and a huge bowl of olives at the bar...

We landed around noon on Saturday, and by the time we got through the airport and into town, it was 2pm. We were starving, so Mike, the owner of the apartment we are staying in, sent us on a walk through the Marais (the neighborhood we are in), to a delightful cafe called Cafe Janou. It was late afternoon on a Saturday, and was super boisterous and filled with locals. We had a pot au feu that was so good, and Clara had some baked mussels. Afterwards Matt and Clara went back to the apartment to rest, and I walked around the Marais. That night, Mike gave us his reservation at the restaurant L'Ami Jean, as he couldn't make it, and the three of us had an amazing meal there. It's another bistro, albeit a very beloved one, so difficult to get into, especially on a weekend. Our favorite thing there was the basket of salamis, sausages, rillette...and the rice pudding, which I usually don't like. The waiter said it was the best in the world, and of course I was skeptical--but it was. It came with two sides, a salted caramel sauce, and a topping like a granola, and I ate entirely too much. Even though this restaurant was packed, and would seem to be a non-family kind of place, they had a little cannister of pencils and a drawing for Clara to color, and fawned over her. Pretty much our experience at any restaurant we go to--she is like a VIP badge.

Behind the Scenes

2010-11-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

Hittin' the Road

2010-11-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight we're flying to Paris, where we've rented an apartment for a week. Stay tuned!

Normandy Week: Last Day!

2010-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite memories from this trip was going to the Ducy cidery , and having a tour. The owner of the farm, Renee, was so kind, and spent a solid hour with us, showing us the entire operation. His farm is totally organic, and run entirely by his family, and it's been a family business for over 200 years. He showed us the varieties of trees, holding Clara's hand as we all walked through the orchards. Then we got to taste his cider, juice, and Calvados. Delicious.

Afterwards we went a couple of miles away and checked out a very nice hotel property, the Chateau d'Audrieu. It was very grand, and has an amazing kids' tree hous, and play area. But it is in the middle of farm land and you would have to drive at least 15 minutes to get to anywhere.

These pictures are from our day visiting the American Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc, and Omaha Beach.

Normandy Week: Mont-St. Michel Drive-By

2010-11-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

(First of all, I swear, I'm not going to post about Normandy after Wednesday--I know, this Normandy week has actually been almost three weeks.)

Mont-St-Michel is the second most visited tourist attraction in France, after the Eiffel Tower, and is so beautiful, I've always wanted to go there. So, seeing as we were in Normandy, and that's where it is (although the furthest point in Normandy--a stone's throw from Brittany), we decided to take a day trip there. Luckily, we planned some adventures along the way and back--because as soon as we pulled up, there was a line to get into the parking lot. Then a wait to find a spot. Then pushing through crowds of people to get into the city walls. And then so many people inside the tiny little town, all pushed up against each other. We lasted all of five minutes--not even long enough to get a treat--it was that miserable. And we were there in low season! I swear, the best way to see Mont-St-Michel is from the car--when it's far enough away that you can't see all the tour buses. But here's the good news--there are some really magical spots not so far away, so if you want to make the journey, you can buffer it with these other adventures.

Villedieu-les-Poeles: This is a town known for its copper pots. And they have a bell foundry that is open to the public and gives tours (albeit in French). Charming town and well worth a stop. About 10 minutes further down the road is a sweet/mediocre zoo which also has a number of bouncy play areas. This was a hit with Clara.

We didn't make it to Cancale or St. Malo in Brittany, but I sure wish we had the time to. We were coming from the north and had to go back that way, so it didn't make sense. If you can, stay over in this area. We always wanted to stay at this place, Les Maisons de Bricourt.

An entire town devoted to pottery. We found latte bowls and egg cups, even with my name, albeit the French version: Yolande. Our favorite was the Atelier Ceramique Turgis, and the town is called Noron-la-Poterie.

The Chateau de Balleroy is well worth a stop. It's a 17th century Mansard chateau that is super impressive, and was bought by Malcolm Forbes in the 70s, when the Balleroy family couldn't afford to keep it anymore. Forbes was obsessed with hot-air balloons, so there is also a very cool museum with amazing pictures and drawings of them. The tea room there is nice, with Mariage Freres teas, and the gift shop has nice balloon motif objects from notebooks to mobiles to china.

Normandy Week: Beuvron-en-Auge

2010-11-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

On Easter morning, we made our way to this village in Normandy, which is so charming, it's officially one of the "prettiest villages in France". It's in the Calvados region, and is a town that has several great restaurants (we chose the Auberge de la Boule d'Or, above), little antique shops, and is perfectly situated in the countryside. This area is also known for it's cheeses--Livarot, Pont L'Eveque--these are towns that are all within 30 minutes from here.

amazing escargot

Normandy Week: Bayeux+Port-en-Bessin

2010-11-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

On this last trip to Normandy, I did a ton of research, as we were going for a feature story, and I had to check out a lot of different properties, activities, and restaurants. And I'm here to tell you that even travel editors make mistakes. As much research as you can do, there's always going to be a flop in there somewhere. This happened a couple of times on this trip--one of them being the Normandy Barriere in Deauville, and the other being a beautiful chateau called Ferme de la Ranconniere, that looked amazing on the website, and according to Trip Advisor reviews, was a total gem. Let's just say that we left after one night (checking out on Easter, and scrambling on Easter morning to find a replacement hotel), and once again, having a folder with research done on the area totally saved us. I called a property called Le Chenevriere , which is in between the towns of Bayeux and Port-en-Bessin. Luckily they had a room for us. It was a little more than we wanted to spend, but it was so perfectly located, and it was available.

above pictures Le Chenevriere.

The fish market in Port-en-Bessin, amazing. Bulots which are the snail looking shell are so delicious. Port-en-Bessin is great for its market, looking at the boats in the harbor, going in and out of all the nautical shops (great striped shirts abound--our favorite shop was Port Marine J. Durand), and delicious seafood restaurants.

Our favorite restaurant in Port-en-Bessin, Le Bistro d'a Cote--where we ate 2 nights in a row. They had a kids play area upstairs, kids menu, and the prices were so cheap. We learned that the best seafood is usually not on the main drag--this is on a side street with no view of the harbor.

A lacemaker shop we saw in the middle of Bayeux. Apparently they make lace for many of the couture houses of Paris. And they don't allow photos, as we quickly discovered.

Super impressive cathedral of Bayeux

Just around the corner from the museum that houses the Bayeux Tapestry, which is incredible, and was the first place we ever used a audio tour (well worth it)...

A friend of mine who is from Normandy said I had to go to this pastry shop in Bayeux, La Reine Mathilde.

The Public Garden of Bayeux. A lovely place to wander around.

Normandy Week: Around Arromanches

2010-11-04T22:33:00.001-04:00

(Une Boteille is a nice place to pick up a bottle of wine, or snacks)

Arromanches is a sweet little town, on a very wide beach, heading east from Deauville. The beach is lovely for a walk, there's a nice carousel right at the parking lot for the town and the beach, and there are still 20 huge concrete pontoons that were used in World War 11 to create a port, some beached, depending on the tide, and some out in the sea. We found a nice hotel there which I would highly recommend, La Marine. It's a 2 star hotel, which means it isn't expensive (less than $200 a night for adjoining rooms for a family or the apartment that sleeps up to 5) --but it's right on the beach, well appointed, has a lovely restaurant and bar, and has a nice adjoining little food shop, which has great bottles of wine, cider, cheese, jams...plus, they have beach toys for kids, bottle warmers, and baby cots. Also, if you're a family coming to Normandy with kids who need to really run, this is a much better choice than staying in Honfleur, since it has the beach to run on, and a pedestrian zone in town.

After Arromanches, we drove to the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town, Asnelles, just because we wanted to see where the famous local biscuits come from, Sables d'Asnelles, where they've been making them since 1905. They are so delicious, and the tins they come in are lovely--perfect for gifts to bring home.

About 10 minutes drive from there we found a fantastic umbrella maker, H20Parapluies. It's a small little operation, where they make everything in one room, which is a part of a farm. While Matt shopped for umbrellas (and they are super special, and guaranteed for life), Clara and I visited with the goats and chickens.

I loved everything about this cafe window--especially the bird. This was just down the road from the umbrella shop.

Normandy Week: Deauville+Trouville

2010-11-03T22:01:00.001-04:00

The beach in Deauville

The Normandy Barriere

Of course, the Deauville Jack Russell gets a camel cashmere throw

Steak tartare at the Normandy Barriere

Successful kid lunch at the Normandy Barriere

The first time we went to Normandy was in the fall of 2007. It was purely by accident that we ended up there--we were doing a shoot in Paris, and the night before we were to fly out, Clara got really sick. Then there was an Air France strike, and the next flight we could be confirmed on was four days later. There was no way I wanted to sit with a sick child cooped up in a hotel room, ordering room service and spending up a story, so I did a little fast research, booked the Hotel des Loges in Honfleur, and we spent three days in a warm car, exploring. (Clara got better by the second day anyway.) When we were on that trip, I wanted to make sure we went to Deauville, since I'd heard Parisians talk about it as the 21st arrondissement of Paris. But when we got there, I didn't see anything interesting--it felt a little like the Upper East Side of New York--the expected high end fashion stores, snobby older women, and very nice cars. So we went to Trouville (about 3 minutes away from Deauville), had a memorable lunch on the beach at Les Galatees, a tented restaurant that has probably the best mussels and fries I've ever had, and walked around the town which we found to be super charming. So on this visit in the spring of 2009, when I was there officially for a story for Cookie, I had to dig deeper and see what all the excitement was about Deauville. I booked a hotel, the Normandy Barriere, for two nights, and was very excited about it, as I'd read that this is really the hotel to stay at. I figured that the problem with our first visit was that we just didn't give it enough time. Well, we checked in, and got to our room. It was awful. Small, smelled like cigarettes. We called downstairs and said we had to see another room. Five rooms later (all of them were just not good--especially with a price tag of over $500), the manager gave up, and said maybe we would like to check out their other property, that has bigger rooms. That one was completely soul-less. I made a quick call to an alternate property I had in my notes (always good to travel with Plan B hotels with phone numbers and emails, just in case!), and got us in for the next two nights. But before we hit the road and drove 10 minutes to our very lovely hotel, in between Trouville and Honfleur, we did have a fantastic lunch at the Normandy Barriere. That is one thing they do really well--the food is lovely. And we did walk around and explore, and my instincts from the first trip were spot on--it just wasn't a place for us.

Trouville pony ride

Le Galatee

As for Trouville, if Le Galatee is open, go for lunch. You have to try Les Vapeurs--it is one of the best restaurants we've ever been to. Great friendly service, excellent characters to watch, and beautiful interior. If you're there on a fish market day, go explore it. We like to go into the Monoprix department store there and get pajamas. They even have an organic line of clothing, and it's cheap!! There is one store after another with the classic French striped shirts...even though the choices are overwhelming, get one for home--you'll be glad you did. And they have them in kid sizes too.

Hotels we checked out and liked alot:

Hotel St. James in Trouville (small, antiques--better for a family with one child that is at least 6, who doesn't want to touch everything.)

Hotel Flaubert in Trouville (above, right on the sea, where there are pony rides and a fun-fair rides, nicely appointed.)

Hotel Le Chaumiere, above, in Vasouy, near Honfleur (this is where we ended up--huge rooms, lovely views, big grassy areas to run that go down to the sea, delicious breakfast and dinner)

Normandy Week: Honfleur+Etretat

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Place St. Catherine in Honfleur

Local cheeses at the farmer's market

I love the town of Honfleur. Sure, it's super quaint, which attracts plenty of tourists, mostly the older Brit and American type. But the people who live there are warm, and it's so beautiful, easy to walk around, and has lots of good restaurants. It's also a great home base for most of Normandy, unless you want to go really far west or south. We took a morning trip to Etretat, which was so crazy beautiful--I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it in travel magazines. Honfleur has a great organic market, which is held next to the St. Catherine's cathedral, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Above and below, Etretat and the surrounding areas

Bridge to Honfleur

Normandy Week: From Paris to Honfleur

2010-11-01T22:04:00.001-04:00

Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen

The 14th Century Gros Horloge

A very chic kids shop in Rouen

In the market area of Rouen

Honfleur

We have some dear friends who are considering a trip to France with us, and since they live in California, and can't come over to my house to see my photo albums, and since Cookie folded before we published the story on Normandy, and since I haven't blogged about it yet...I decided the best way to share Normandy with them, and all of you, was to do a week (or more) of posts here. There are so many reasons to go to Normandy, but beyond all of them, which you'll know by week's end, is how close it is to Paris. You leave Paris at 9:30am, and you'll pull in to Monet's garden (just five minutes off the highway), about an hour later. Yes, you might run into the American family you saw at the Musee d'Orsay, and feel like you're totally on a tour bus, but it's lovely to stop in, even for just a half an hour. And then you can cross it off your list and don't have to go again. (If you want to read more details about anything I mention here, I did a road trip story on the area, but not geared towards families, in October 2010 Travel+Leisure.) Afterwards, we diverted about 15 minutes off the highway to Rouen, best known as the site where they burned Joan of Arc. We parked our car in the old town, underneath a fantastic covered market, where, it turns out, was exactly the spot Joan died. With Clara on a loop of "but why did they kill her?" we walked around the town, found a great chocolate shop, saw the cathedral that Monet painted, the Gros Horloge (big clock), a very chic kids shop, and hit the road. We had to get to Honfleur by evening, where we stayed at the lovely Hotel des Loges.

Easy Weekend Getaway

2010-10-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

Last winter I drove to Vermont, and passed by this cute property, the Sylvanus Lodge . It's in Hillsdale, NY, but it's pretty much in the Berkshires area. I didn't go inside, but from looking at the pictures, and seeing how reasonable it is ($80-$125 in peak season), I think it's worth giving it a try. The studio apartment is really the only option for families, and it can sleep up to five.

A Reason to Choose Newark

2010-10-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

My husband just flew through Newark this week, and called me up ecstatic. An Oyster Bar just opened up in the last several months! He is a die-hard Delta man, but since the food in their terminal at JFK is so awful (I liked the Todd English restaurant there the first time, and never again), and the upgrade seems a ways off, I'm trying to convince him to switch his allegiance to Continental.

Thank you Matt for the photos. And you can read more about it on his blog, The William Brown Project.

Demystifying Car Rentals

2010-10-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite travel experts out there is Joe Brancatelli . Last week he did a piece for Portfolio.com on rental cars, and how to get the best deal. Even though I've travelled a ton, somehow I'm always confused at the rental car counter--I get insurance amnesia--am I supposed to get it? Which one am I supposed to not take? Well, this piece not only answers that and breaks down many other mysteries, but also shares some booking sites that can apparently save you tons of money. Check it out!

Brooklyn Weekend

2010-10-25T10:41:00.001-04:00

What a great weekend we had staying in town. I hadn't been to our farmer's market in ages and there were such cute amusements for kids I almost felt like I could have been in Paris. Well, maybe that big arch in the background had something to do with it. (Farmer's Market is at Grand Army Plaza on Saturdays, and not only is it at the top of Prospect Park which has loads of great things to do (carousel, zoo, meadow, playgrounds, lovely walking paths), but it's right across from the Brooklyn Public Library, and just down the road is the Brooklyn Botanical Garden). We also discovered a great place for breakfast or lunch, called Cheryl's, on Underhill, just off of Eastern Parkway, which is a 5 minute walk from any of the above, and has the most delicious pancakes.

Delicious donuts and hot apple cider from the market

Organ Grinder Lola and Master Bob let kids have a try...

Underhill Playground which is like kid utopia--families bring their old toys and leave them there for everyone to play with.

Clara wanted to wear her kimono to the botanical garden.

The Patrick Dougherty sculpture exhibition at the BBG is amazing.

Who knew--the first Children's Garden in the country...

The Best/Cheapest Midtown Meal

2010-10-21T21:39:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had an event in midtown, and brought Clara along with me. Afterwards, we needed to eat quickly, and I wanted to find a place that wasn't a typical overpriced midtown restaurant. I decided on Menchanko Tei , and it was perfect. One bowl of noodles and an appetizer of dumplings was enough for the two of us. That plus the most perfect mug of draft Ichiban, and we walked out (in less than 30 minutes) for $22.

A New Travel Resource

2010-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love this new site Design Tripper . And I'm not just saying that because they interviewed me. They have a great eye, and even though it isn't officially a parenting travel site, there's a lot of information for families. Bookmark it!