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Reviewing the Nissan Quest

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

If you remember, last month just before the holidays I mentioned that I was taking part in a review of a Nissan Quest.

We had the car for the last two weeks of the year and I used it for pretty much of all of my driving during that time. We even used it to drive up to my parents house on Christmas day with the kids, dog and everything else so that we could fully give it a test drive.

It is a great minivan for sure. We forgot how much room you actually get in a car of this size. If you have kids and need a lot of room you can’t go wrong with a minivan. We had one for a number of years, but hadn’t driven one in almost 5 so it was nice to see that they’ve been updated.

I can’t compare the Nissan Quest to other minivans out in the market today because I have not driven any others, but besides a few points we liked it.

The Good

Having so much room feels great whenever you have to load up the kids and hit the road. They don’t it because they are not sitting on top of one another.
Having a DVD system with wireless headphones is great for long trips. We didn’t hear a peep from them the whole ride and we got to enjoy our music at the same time.
The automatic sliding doors on both sides are great when you have an armful of groceries.
I loved that when the back row of seats are down flat you can still get to the storage in the back. We put presents under there while our dog was safely laying on top.
It was winter so we couldn’t fully enjoy the dual sunroofs, but I love the idea of having this much natural light and fresh air at our fingertips.

The Not So Good

I don’t know what the designers were thinking, but putting the stick between the driver and all of the dash controls was not a smart idea. Blocking the driver from being able to get to the radio and climate controls makes zero sense.

My wife hated how big the side mirrors were. I hadn’t noticed them until she mentioned them, but they were crazy big for no real added benefit.

While I got my phone to connect via Bluetooth, I could never get the voice commands to work with it. This needs to be much more intuitive.

I was disappointed to find that the Nissan Quest does not include some features that I would expect to find standard on a vehicle of this type. The biggest being the lack of a navigation system. I was going to drive it to a meeting, but when I discovered it lacked this I parked it and took my own car instead. I would have also loved to see blind spot notification and better phone integration made standard safety features.

So overall it drove good, got great gas milage for a vehicle of it’s size and gave us more room than we were use to. But, the quality of the car as a whole left a lot to be desired. Again, I can’t say how it compares to other minivans as I’ve got nothing to compare it to, but I do know there are better options for family of four with a dog like I have.

Thank you Nissan for having me be part of the #HolidayQuest.

Disclosure : http://cmp.ly/1/jfVEST

Tags: car review, holidayquest, nissan quest
Posted in Featured, Reviews, Travel | No Comments »

My #HolidayQuest

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

When I first got pitched the idea of taking part in an influencer program with Nissan around their Quest, my first reaction was, “why in the world would I want to test a minivan?”

Actually, if I’m going to be completely truthful I had no idea what a Nissan Quest was. I thought it was a mini SUV for some reason, but my wife told me she thought it was their minivan. As usual, she was right.

Whenever I get a pitch like this I always politely reply that I’m “not a car guy” because I’m not. I love trying out new cars, but I can’t talk about the horsepower or anything like that with any level of knowledge because I don’t know or care about those sorts of things.

But, what I do care about is how comfortable a car fits my family (Roxie our dog included), is it safe and how well does it get us to where we are trying to go. I’m also a fan of a killer sound system, navigation and other safety features.

After I told them this, they still wanted me involved. With it being the holiday season, I still wasn’t sure though. Then they mentioned that in return for taking part in a Twitter Chat and sharing my thoughts on the car they’d make a donation to the charity of my choice. That was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

So, tonight they are holding the #HolidayQuest Twitter Party and you are all invited.

I’ll be there along with the other parents taking part in this program. They will also be randomly selecting from people who participate to win gift cards. Who doesn’t want some free cash during the holidays?

I’ve got the Quest for two weeks and plan on using it instead of our main car to do everything we’d normally do. When it is done I’ll share my thoughts. First impressions are that I love the dual sunroofs, but I’m still not a minivan guy.

Also, if you are curious, the charity I’m donating to is Fisher House which I’m a big supporter of. Think of them as the Ronald McDonald House for the families of wounded soldiers.

Disclosure : http://cmp.ly/1/jfVEST

Tags: Cars, holidayquest, influencer program, minivan, nissan, nissan quest
Posted in Featured, Home & Garden, Travel | 3 Comments »

New Orleans Weekend

Friday, April 29th, 2011

New Orleans. The land of beads, boobs and beignets. A place I had always wanted to visit, but was never in any rush to get there.

When I found out I’d be going I joked that I didn’t know which was happier, my stomach or my camera. I love experiencing new things and I love sharing them with people. You can see my New Orleans photos if you want or keep on reading to enjoy my time.

I was in town to speak to the New Orleans AMA (speaking at The Zoo no less) and then my wife would join me for a nice romantic weekend together off the grid. As the plane descended out of the clouds, I instantly knew I was in a completely new part of the country that I had never been before. The lush green everywhere below me and the flatness of it all with water in every direction instantly made me realize just how bad it must have been here when Hurricane Katrina set it’s sites on the mainland.

New Orleans gets a bad rap as “a party town.” Sure, they know how to have a good time and one walk down Bourbon Street will supply you with ample opportunities for every type of good time. Yet, it is not the frat party soaked city that I expected. In fact Bourbon Street is much smaller than I imagined and the minute you turn down another street the sounds of debauchery fade away into the quiet vibe of the city.

Instead it is full of good quality, fun loving people who enjoy all the good things in life. Sure, that includes parades, masks and drinking, but it also includes great food, down home hospitably and over the top creativity. There are art galleries, antique shops, an aquarium and more all to explore. Something for everyone.

Thankfully for me New Orleans is a foodies paradise. The minute I got in to town, I dropped my bags, grabbed my camera and hit the streets looking for food. I ended up at the Riverfront Restaurant and this unassuming little building got my business because they had a waiter outside who when I asked if the food was any good, grinned and said, “of course it is.” Over my first muddy delicious cup of gumbo and a fried alligator po-boy I was in heaven.

Everyone will tell you that you must be sure to have the traditional Café Au Lait and Beignets at Café Du Monde and I feared the type of tourist trap that I have no desire for, but instead found an open air café full of olive green plastic chairs from the 1950’s and a cement floor streaked with powdered sugar in every direction. With a cool breeze blowing in from the Mississippi River, I dug into these pillows of fried awesomeness and took part in a conference call. You’ve got to love the mute button on your phone at a time like this.

There was plenty of other great food throughout the weekend including dinners of blackened drum at K-Pauls Louisiana Kitchen, butter fish with lobster dumplings at GW Fins and what my wife called one of the best meals of her life at the Palace Café where I dined on andouille encrusted redfish and Laura had her first ever taste of bananas foster.

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast and while I enjoy a great dinner, there is nothing more perfect for me then a perfectly done breakfast. My favorite find (we actually went twice) was The Ruby Slipper Cafe where the migas is tasty and their eggs cochan is to die for. On top of the great food they had a great story about coming back strong after the hurricane and it shows. Also, be sure if you’ve got some extra money to go to brunch at Brennan’s. It is expensive, but three courses of yum. Mine started with turtle soup followed up by filet mignon hash and finished with a dutch apple. Make reservations though because this place gets busy fast.

One tip I’ll give you is that you’ll only need two meals a day. By the time you wake up and get breakfast you are not going to need lunch and a late dinner is perfect timing with all the walking.

Drinking is a big part of the New Orleans culture and not just the pitchers that get spilled on the streets. There are numerous little cafes, bars and hidden spots where you can sit back and enjoy an afternoon cocktail to escape the heat. While The Carousel Bar is a bit kitschy and everyone knows about it, they do make a great drink and instead of peanuts you’ll find bowls of barbecue flavored chips that for some reason work perfectly. Our find of the trip though was the Pimm’s Cups at Café Adelaide that was just across the street from the W Hotel where we stayed.

Did I mention the people and how great they are? As we walked from shop to shop we found ourselves having great conversations with complete strangers. I was the only person in the A Gallery looking at the beautiful photographs and struck up a conversation with the owner. Later a shop caught my eye with their bright colored dolls and after chatting with the woman working, she allowed to take as long as I liked going through the attached art gallery of Jaime Hayes. The next day when I returned with Laura to show her the store, I was brought over and introduced to the artist himself. Love meeting fellow creative people and we shared some good laughs.

There is so much to see and do in New Orleans. Jumping on any of the trolley cars can take you all over the city. We opted to sign up for a two and half hour tour through VIP City Tours that took us everywhere from the Garden District to the Lower Ninth Ward. They do a great job with the tour and it is well worth the time and money to sign up and go with them. My heart sank as we saw the devastation that is still left from Katrina, while seeing the lap of luxury at the other end of town. It was amazing to see all the work Make It Right is doing, but as an American it angered and saddened me to see so much rebuilding still left to do.

Now, while I’m no history buff or museum freak, I was told again and again that we had to make time for the National WWII Museum and now I’m telling you the same. The entire museum is breathtaking and even when you are looking at painful photographs or hand written notes from soldiers after surviving D-Day you leave with a much better understanding of just how epic and important this war was. Be sure to pay the extra money to see the movie Beyond All Boundaries they offer. It is all a not to be missed experience.

Finally, I have to give a heart felt thank you to my buddy Tom Martin and his family for the best memory of my weekend in NOLA. When he heard I have a love for crawfish he invited me over to his house for a traditional backyard boil.

This act of pure southern hospitality and absolute gluttony will have me smiling for years. There is nothing as beautiful as 40 lbs of cooked crawfish being dumped on a table with sausage, corn, potatoes and garlic while you hold an ice cold cup of NOLA Blonde Ale in your hand and prepare to dig in. Just typing these words has me salivating for more even though I think I’m still full from that night.

New Orleans was not what I expected. It is better than I think most people give it credit for.

It is a city of every type of person, food, art and fun. Kids and adults alike can find plenty to do and you can easily avoid any of the areas that you decide are not right for you. I never once felt overwhelmed, lost or ready to leave. In fact I can’t wait to return.

Tags: beer, crawfish, family vacation, Food & Drink, new orleans, nola, Travel, Vacations
Posted in Food & Drink, Travel | 5 Comments »

Moving Through Life

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

I’ve mentioned it before, but my whole life has been migrant.

I was born on a military base, grew up in an active duty military family, went to college and joined the military. All I’ve ever known is moving every 2-4 years, with very rare exception. Through the years, I’ve always had folks I’ve met “locally” tell me they can’t imagine how hard it is to constantly move from place to place and never put down roots. I know what they’re asking, but honestly, I can only imagine what their lives are like, never moving and having to live in the same place without moving. Sometimes I know I desire the chance to see what it’s like to stay in one place for a long time, while some of my stationary friends desire the experience of my adventures, always seeing new places. In the end though, I can only imagine what the difference is like. I can’t really appreciate staying still it other than academically. As an adult, this lifestyle comes with its own excitement and frustration, but it’s always boiled down to a part of the routine of my life. Having grown up this way, I’m sensitive to ensuring my son is best able to deal with the stresses moving puts on him as a little guy.

We should move this Summer, sometime in the next six months. Steph and I are already talking about it with Paul. We moved the first time with him when he was one and a half and he has no memory of it. This time, he’ll be four and a half. He has a small circle of friends here. He knows what it means to get on a plane and travel, but we’ve always returned to Germany–the only place he thinks of as home. We’re already anticipating him asking to see his friends or to visit places here in Germany once we make our “permanent” move.

Steph and I have started doing the same thing with Paul that my parents used to do with me: taking about the pending move as an adventure. He hears us talk with each other and with him about the amazing chance to get to see another new place, more cool stuff and to meet new friends. We don’t talk about who and what we’re leaving behind, especially from his limited perspective. When I was small, moves seemed so final, but life became an adventure and we still get to experience quite a bit of it through airplanes and automobiles.

After spending my entire life in military service, I’ve learned the world is small and getting smaller every year. We have friends we continue to cross paths with because we’re assigned together again, or simply because we visit one another. Paul will continue to see many of them too, and unlike my young life, there’s a good chance we’re only an assignment or two from retiring and truly settling down. Paul will still have the greater part of his youth spent living in one place, with all the associated pros and cons. As for us, we won’t mind taking him back to see the places and meet the people we’ve enjoyed over the years. The adventure will continue!

It’s great to be a dad!

Tags: lifestyle, Military
Posted in Featured, Travel | 2 Comments »

The Worldwide Trouble with Youth Sports: Apathy, Poverty, & Soccer

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

(photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

As I traveled through the United Emirates, South Africa and Cairo, Egypt I found several striking things that they all had in common as it applied to youth sports: a sense of frustration, poverty, and soccer.

South Africa is a beautiful country that exemplifies the best conditions for an outside active lifestyle. The weather is warm, the sun shines often, and they take their sports seriously. Though I witnessed many kids playing outside, many residents told me they play only a select number of sports due to their lack of access, or introduction to a wider variety of other activities. Their sports of choice are soccer, rugby (for some), tennis, & water sports.

Egypt, a country steeped in ancient history, unfortunately has 90% of it’s population living in poverty, leaving little opportunity for a majority of kids to experience a quality active lifestyle. Their dominant sport is soccer, played by many in the streets, with little access to many other sports or activities due to the expense and lack of exposure to other activities.

United Emirates love to watch all types of sports from soccer to golf, tennis, motor sports, horse racing, cricket, rugby, etc., yet they participate in very few. The majority of active participants are “foreign transplants”. Many I talked to claimed it was the heat that prevents kids from being as active as they should be, therefore they stay inside. But a closer look unveils that it is quite pleasant 6 months out of the year.

The three most common reasons I believe such a large number of kids are inactive worldwide is as follows:

1) APATHY:
All three areas of the world that I traveled had a high percentage of inactive kids. Many people in these countries are critical of the younger generation’s “laziness”, a subject that frustrates older generations and leads to apathy. Like our parents, we often approach and attempt to solve our children’s problems without sometimes fully understanding the contemporary world kids are growing up in today. We must respect their fast paced world of information flow, and technology, in order to fully understand how their minds work and how they’re motivated to play and be active.

2) POVERTY:
All three countries have an issue with poverty, but no one quite has it like Egypt. Many Egyptians explained to me that children would love to play different sports yet they cannot afford the equipment, or access other activities (such as the water/beach, lessons, equipment etc.). The poorer areas of both South Africa and United Emirates made similar claims.

3) SOCCER:
Now I do believe that soccer is a great sport to play. I like soccer, and have nothing against the game. Outside the United States the love & obsession for the game, and the easy access to play anywhere, have made the sport the most popular in the world. At each stop along this Middle East and African tour I found dozens of soccer games on television throughout the day. They live & breath soccer, but there lies the problem. The love and obsession they have for the game of soccer has actually harmed each generation that has grown up with the sport. Many people in every country I visited pointed out that “There’s too much soccer, that’s all kids play.”

One of the main reasons I’m in these countries is to introduce kids to athletic development through different sport disciplines. If soccer is one of the only sports and athletic activities that you partake in, it can create generations of one dimensional athletes. When you ignore the development of the upper body and how it coordinates with lower extremities, you create generations of imbalanced athletes. And from a kid’s viewpoint, if you don’t provide the experience of variety, or options to participate in other activities, many lose interest in remaining active for the rest of their lives.

Now solving these issues would involve the large undertaking of changing lifestyles and culture. Something that won’t happen overnight. However if these countries ever want to reverse obesity, and turn kids into active individuals, they may seriously want to consider introducing individual type sports.

(photo by Indigo Skate Camp)

One sport that comes to mind and has limited expense, can be accessed in many different places, and develops many important athletic/movement skills, is skateboarding. If you have pavement or a hard surface, and can access a board, helmet and pads, you can skate on the streets for years learning tricks, developing agility, balance, coordination, strength & stamina.

The other sport that balances the athletic development of the upper with the lower body is tennis. The access of tennis rackets and balls would allow kids to again play on any hard flat surface, and even small space areas against walls. The tennis industry would be well served to introduce the sport in the same manner soccer has throughout the world in small spaces on streets worldwide.

Different cultures around the world need to leave their comfort zone and the familiarity of what they grew up with and try new things if they want younger generations to lead healthy, active lifestyles. The same holds true for the United States. We must expose kids to many different sports and activities, then provide access through our schools, communities, and at home.

Tags: poverty, soccer, Sports, United Emirates, youth
Posted in Sports, Travel | 1 Comment »

A Super-Sized Lifestyle

Monday, January 10th, 2011

The United Emirates love their sports. Whether it’s soccer, rugby, cricket, horse racing, Formula 1, Golf, or on this particular weekend in Dubai skydiving competitions, there is no lack of sports to watch on television or in person. Yet very few Emirates actually participate in sports, and that includes their youth. As a matter of fact you see very few working out in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Why this love for watching sport yet no desire to play or be active? Many people I spoke to here mention the heat as a reason a majority don’t engage in an active lifestyle. Granted summer brings average temperatures between 105 and 110 degree fahrenheit, combined with high humidity, and no real relief in the morning or evening, does present a problem for being outside. Yet that argument puzzled me with the beautiful weather (80 degrees , bright sunshine and low humidity) they were having now, and have approximately 6 months out of the year.

The other disturbing trend that many in Abu Dhabi have witnessed is the culture of laziness. Many kids sit at home with all the amenities of technology, and little desire to be active. Add to that the overall school system’s lack of emphasis on physical education, which has lead to over 50 percent of all people in the UAE considered to be overweight or obese.

Hmm…. sound familiar? We are trending in a very similar path.

Is there an answer to the obesity issue? Yes, but it doesn’t get solved through public service announcements on television or professional sports leagues telling kids to go and play 60 minutes every day. It happens by proactively updating the fitness industry and providing more creative alternatives for kids and families, de-emphasizing organized sports participation 12 months out the year, and rebuilding playgrounds and parks nationwide to appeal to kids of all ages.

So this trip to the Middle East got me thinking and inspired to make a difference in the lives of kids in our country. Let’s be the first country to actually do something about creating more access to an active lifestyle. Let’s begin super sizing our kids active lifestyle with less fast food and more creative thought and leisure products for the future.

My next destination – South Africa. Stay tuned.

Tags: abu dhabi, Health & Fitness, Sports, Travel
Posted in Health & Fitness, Sports, Travel | 1 Comment »

Safely in Abu Dhabi

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Just arrived in Abu Dhabi from New York. Still trying to get over the fact that I missed an entire day traveling over here. Left at 9:45 pm New York Time on Monday and arrived Tuesday night 7:45 pm Abu Dhabi time.

Despite the fact that I feel like starting my day rather than finishing it (Abu Dhabi is 9 hours ahead of NY), I’m settle in with room service and channel surfing to see what people from this region of the world, United Emirates, watch for sports every night. Here were my choices:

Six different European Soccer matches
Rugby
Horse Racing
Men’s Tennis
Darts
Team Handball

In other words, I thought I was watching “Old School” ESPN, the only thing missing was arm wrestling!

Abu Dhabi is an interesting place, located only 90 minutes by car from Dubai, it’s home to the Sheikh Zayed mosque, the largest in the United Arab Emirates – and the sixth largest in the world. It also houses the world’s largest carpet, which measures 60,500 square feet, and weighs 51.8 tons!

Tomorrow, we start introducing the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts “RU Ready?” youth athletic/fitness program and how the Trick It Out Sports concept will work in the Middle East through a series of press interviews.

Shape Magazine – Middle East bureau, to discuss best workouts for Moms to do with their families, and why fitness does not have to stop while you’re on vacation or a business trip.
Sports 360 – a newly launched sports newspaper to discuss the growing epidemic of health issues due to the increasing number of overweight kids.
Emirates 24, an online portal of the former Emirates Business 24/7, will have Arts & Life Editor, Bindu Rai, to ask about how young Fairmont Hotel guests can take not only memories home but also useful athletic & fitness performance tips.

Stay tuned for more updates from my trip.

Tags: abu dhabi, Sports, world sports
Posted in Sports, Travel | No Comments »

A Guy’s Review of Napa

Friday, September 17th, 2010

I don’t know about you, but when I thought about California’s wine country, I imagined it would be like I laughed at when watching Sideways. Lots of wine snobs looking down their noses at me, over priced everything and beautiful landscapes of grapes in every direction.

Laura and I had determined to take a vacation without the kids this year and I was tasked with making this happen. We wanted a single flight from Boston and to go someplace neither of us had been. I contemplated a lot of different locations, but when Jetsetter came up with a great deal to Napa I knew I had found our destination.

We boarded a Virgin Atlantic flight to San Francisco where we jumped into our rental car and headed the 90 minutes up the highway into the valley. It is an easy drive, but be warned that if you have a morning return flight, you’ve got to leave extra early or you’ll be stuck in the suck that is San Francisco commuter traffic.

Our first impression was less then we had hoped for. The visions of fields of grapes and rolling mountains were far from what we encountered. It was more like strip malls and chain restaurants. But, as we checked into the Milliken Creek Inn and Spa we set out to find the wine country we were hoping for.

Napa Valley is a lot smaller then we thought (map). On one side you have Rt-29 and on the other The Silverado Trail. There are multiple cut across roads between the two of them to help you get to wherever you desire. Our advice is to take Silverado whenever possible as it is a winding back country road, while Rt-29 might as well be a commuter road based on the amount of traffic it gets. Don’t even try to take a left and cross traffic or you’ll be waiting forever. Be sure to plan your wine stops with only right turns and you’ll have much more fun!

With so many wineries everywhere you looked we thought there would be more signs inviting you that yes you were welcome to stop by and check them out. Most don’t have this though, so don’t be afraid to drive in and check them out. We didn’t run into any secret handshakes or unwelcome stares. They just don’t advertise very well is all.

All of the wineries open late and close early. Most doors come open around 10 and then close by 5. So it is important to plan out your day at least a little bit and don’t try to cram in more than three in any day so that you can fully enjoy them. At night there is very little to do except have a great meal at one of the many tasty restaurants. We couldn’t find any real night life, but quite enjoyed the casual vibe that everyone has.

We were happy to discover that most wineries can ship the wine home for you so you don’t have to worry about trying to bring them on your flights. If you do buy wine, I’d suggest getting ones that are only sell at the wineries. We followed this advice and of course had to buy a new wine rack when we got home to store it all. Whoops!

Now that I’ve rambled a bit, let me give you some specific insights that I took away from this trip and tips that might help you have a great vacation:

There are an endless supply of wineries and restaurants to go to. Ask friends ahead of time what some of their favorites are. My twitter followers gave me lots of great advice.
Be sure to visit St. Supery Winery for their self guided tour that is free and gives a vast amount of information. Keep a look out for GG as you walk the grounds as she loves to say hi to all visitors. When you do the tasting ask for Rick or Joe who both took very good care of us while we were there.
Plan to stop at V. Sattui for lunch one day. They have a full service deli and store to buy everything for a casual lunch on their picnic grounds.
Sick of all the fancy dining and want something more simple? Grab a burger, garlic fries and milkshake from Gott’s Roadside. Trust me, the line is worth it.
Don’t waste your time going to Opus One. For $30 you get a single tasting of their wine. It isn’t anything special and they are the epitome of wine snobs and being unfriendly. It is beautiful to look at, but the piss poor attitude of their staff turned me off.
Book a tour and plan to spend at least three hours at Castello di Amorosa. Being someone that loves castles, I could have spent the whole day here. You can visit without doing a tour, but you MUST do the tour to fully appreciate the beauty of this location. Plus, doing a wine tasting in the dungeons of a castle is down right cool.
Take a day and head over to Sonoma. It is only twenty minutes away and absolutely beautiful. To be honest, Sonoma is what I thought wine country would look like. I got to go to one of my favorite wineries, Ravenswood, and discovered B.R. Cohn’s Port that is a new love of mine. While there swing by the Glen Ellen Village Market and order the Call of the Wild sandwich. Mmmmmm.
When you get sick of wine look for a frosty cold one from the Napa Smith Brewery. They did a tasting at the inn and I fell in love with their Organic IPA and red ale.
The Wine Train is a nice meal, but not nearly as scenic as I thought it would be. Don’t waste your money on dinner. Lunch is just as great, but half the price.
We used OpenTable to get reservations at all the restaurants we wanted to go to including Morimoto Napa which had just opened up an was a foodies wet dream!
While Robert Mondavi is one of the biggest wineries and we worried they’d act that way, we found every member of their staff to be some of the friendliest we interacted with all week. For sure, never judge a winery by their size.

In the end, I loved our trip to Napa. I think any guy out there who loves good food, good drink and a good relaxing time would enjoy a vacation here.

Laura and I got to spend a ton of quality time alone with each other. This isn’t a place to go if you want high adventure or a busy schedule. It is a great place to chill out, reconnect and have a good time. From our balloon ride to sharing our in room bathtub we had a blast and have the pictures (minus the bathtub *wicked grin*) to prove it. I also did a video review of where we stayed so you could see more of it.

I think the one thing I’ll always remember and laugh most about was over dinner at Go Fish (thanks again to Chef Billy Parisi for pointing me there) on our final night, Laura turned to me and said, “Can you believe on our final night in Napa we are drinking beers?” I just laughed, raised my glass and said cheers!

Tags: Food & Drink, romance, Travel, vacation, wine
Posted in Food & Drink, Travel | 10 Comments »

Has Disney World Changed?

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

Recently my wife Stephanie was able to take our son Paul to Disney World for his third birthday. It was a grand time with her parents and aunt there too. Expenses were reduced since Steph’s family lives just an hour away from the park and with a four-day pass, my son was able to enjoy Disney saturation. Although I wasn’t able to make the trip, I enjoyed a stream of photos Steph sent back to me as well as a good bit of video from the trip once the trip was over. I hated to miss the trip and after seeing the pictures and video, I wished even more I could have been there.

Aside from wishing I could have gone, seeing the video was interesting to me for a number of reasons. Since long before our son was born, we had heard from a number of friends how Disney World had really changed from when we were kids: how it had become too commercial. The videos were my first glimpse into that world since my own childhood, or at least an unfiltered view that wasn’t presented to me through the media to accompany marketing or a story (with an agenda) of some sort. The video Steph brought home was about Paul, not Disney World.

Paul with Buzz Lightyear

Based on the small volume of memory I have about my own childhood experience at Disney World, the park seemed to be less of a fantasy or dream world, and more of an amusement park. I don’t know that it appeared any more or less commercial though, just bigger. Watching Paul, it was absolutely a magic kingdom for him–the Magic Kingdom–and nothing less. He didn’t see actors in suits, he saw Mickey Mouse, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and any number of other characters who were very real. Steph and Paul went to the park several times and each time for my son was just as exciting as the first, seeing many of the same, and several new characters each visit. His birthday is now weeks behind us, we’re all back together again in Germany, and we know without a doubt Paul’s experience remains fresh; we know he even dreams about his time at Disney World and wakes up telling us stories and asking questions about where various characters are or what they’re doing today.

So is Disney, or specifically Disney World, more commercial? Probably. The machine that is The Walt Disney Company seems to be much bigger now than ever. Or more valuable in terms of its financial worth. I don’t have numbers to back this; it’s my perception. The scale/scope of the company and all it does just seems huge compared to what it’s been through past decades–theme parks globally, movie/film interests, comic/graphic novel interests, gobs of merchandise, etc. But I have to ask, so what?

Watching my son, and living a bit of my own youth through his eyes so many years later, I’m not convinced that anything has really changed from the perspective of a child. He saw nothing commercial; he was in a real, living dream. When he watches some of Disney’s movies, he sees other glimpses of a magic world and isn’t concerned or distracted by the things that aren’t in the realm of the possible. It’s all about his young, fresh and very active imagination. Anything is possible!

I’ve learned that whatever I think of Walt Disney Company today, what I see is through my adult eyes. My son, with a full three years under his belt, doesn’t see the machine behind the magic in the Kingdom. His experience now was mine so many decades ago. If I find I do or don’t like the way Disney conducts the business behind the magic, that’s for me to deal with. But I am convinced when the fruit of Disney’s efforts bubble up in the world of kids today, at least at Disney World in Florida, they can proudly declare success. Disney has preserved a world where kids can come and get lost in the magic, with none of the worries or distractions that too often burden us as dads; they don’t see the machine behind the magic. As a result of not being able to go this time and how much shear fun my Paul had, Stephanie and I are planning to take him back next year for his fourth birthday. It’ll be a long, expensive, and somewhat complicated trip for us, but that’s how it goes–we’re the adults. For my son though, it’s simply a return to the Magic Kingdom. I can’t wait!

It’s great to be a Dad!

Tags: Disney World, Vacations
Posted in Travel | 8 Comments »

Family Vacations: Atlantis

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

When families think of where to go for a family vacation, places like Disney and the Grand Canyon pop to mind. But, now with the addition of an all new focus on families at The Atlantis Resort, I have a feeling that the calm trade winds of the Bahamas might start coming up as well.

In full disclosure, you should know JetBlue, Lego and Atlantis held a press event known as the Jet Adventure over a weekend in January on site in the Bahamas. They flew me and the family down, put us up and made sure we had a great time on site and got to check out a variety of the activities that Atlantis has to offer for a family vacation. A special thanks to JetBlue who told me originally they were going to call the outing “Jet Mommies” but wanted to be sure dads like me felt welcomed so they changed the name and it was great to see several other dad writers on the trip. Since I’m also an avid photographer you can view my entire photo album online if you’d like.

This was our first time in the Bahamas. I’m not much of a sit on the beach and do nothing all vacation type of guy, so the idea of heading to the islands had never really been on my radar.

I do a lot of flying and have always loved JetBlue as an airline. Their in seat televisions make any flight feel shorter and I value that. The kids of course love it as well because they get to control their own TV and that empowerment keeps them happy. While we flew out of the funky new JFK Terminal 5 in New York, it was good to see so many direct flights to the Bahamas on JetBlue. It is a quick 3 hour flight from New England.

As we rode the hotel shuttle from the airport to the resort, I took in how blue the water was and how colorful all the buildings are. Instantly I wanted to take out my camera and go on a photowalk around the town center to capture all the faces and culture that it had to offer. We wouldn’t have time on this trip for that, but just from driving through it I could feel a vibrant energy that you should make time to take in when you visit.

I can confirm that Atlantis is as beautiful and majestic as it looks in all the commercials. From the Pegasus filled fountains in the main entrance, down to the littlest light fixture in the hallways, they want it to be an experience. In fact the entire grounds are absolutely beautiful with lots of nooks and cranny’s to explore. One morning we got up early and just walked around before most of the resort woke up. We even filmed an episode of Emily Explains It that morning on the beach.

They play up the Atlantis theme everywhere. This is done in grand fashion in The Dig which is a series of caves, rooms and tunnels all surrounded by massive fish tanks and an amazing variety of sea life. Make sure to explore it at night and during the day because the experience is very different and equally impressive. We had a guided tour which was great so that we could learn about all the different fish we were seeing swimming among the ruins. Seeing the fish that close up and in such a large tank was something the kids, or I, won’t soon forget.

Everywhere you look is water. Make sure to take a walk to get to an actual beach instead of only hanging out by one of the many pools. Also, be sure to check out the many little lagoons and other water areas to look at the water life. On the way to breakfast one morning an Eagle Ray came up and “waved” to us.

For families there are pools with varying depths of water which make it great to just let the kids play in one of the shallow pools while you watch from a nearby deck chair. Towels are provided for you for free and there are lockers to put your stuff in while you enjoy the sunshine. There are plenty of little snack shacks everywhere to fuel your munchies. Just be sure not to forget to try the conch fritters!

Built into the resort is a top notch water park. It isn’t separated, but rather integrated right along side the fish and the fun. With both a lazy river that takes about an hour and a more fast paced rapid river that runs about thirty minutes, both river rides are something to enjoy with the kids. Emily and Dylan both loved the rapids and we enjoyed them more then once. The water slides will appeal to every age with short little ones for toddlers all the way up to an almost vertical plunge that actually flies through the shark tank before dumping you out at the end.

If you like water slides, the one not to miss starts in one of the temples and you ride in a tube down through a few swirls but then proceed slowly through the shark tank. Cruising along at a gentle pace and having sharks and other fish swim by you on the other side of glass is an amazing feeling. If you go to Atlantis you can’t miss this above all else. Kids of all ages will enjoy it. I promise.

The Atlantis Kids Adventure was the main reason we were brought down to the resort and it is nothing short of a kid wonderland. Parents are not allowed (although we were of course) and the goal is that you drop the kids off for a half day block of time and they can take part in a variety of experiences while you have some quality parent time. With rooms dedicate to crafts, cooking, video games and even a grocery store there is something for every kid. They have a secured check in so there are no worries about the safety of your kids and the staff were overly friendly and helpful. It was obvious that they were ready to take care of the kids and make sure they had a good time.

In addition to the AKA there are other fun activities for the kids to take part in. Our kids got to make their own stuffed animal at Atlantis Pals, build and race their own cars at the Atlantis Speedway and painted their own pottery at the Earth & Fire Pottery Studio. The parents all got to try these out as well and all of them were more fun then I imagined.

The highlight of the entire experience for all of us and something you should not miss out on is swimming with the dolphins. I had done this before at Discovery Cove and can say that the second time around it is still an amazing activity. The entire family loved the experience and if I were to ask the kids about it right now I’m sure they’d get a big grin on their faces. Even if you don’t have the time or money to swim with them, be sure to at least swing by the Dolphin Cay to watch them at any time during the day for free.

Lego was involved in this trip because this summer your kids can begin attending Lego Fantasy Camp on site at Atlantis. We were even accompanied by a Master Lego Builder to celebrate the launch. He traveled with us on the plane and had projects for the kids to do. Dylan is a huge Lego fan and Emily enjoyed it too. I hope they keep the scavenger hunt that we took part in as part of the experience at the resort because it forced us to check out locations that we might not have gone to including the Atlantis Library.

The trip exposed us to the variety of buffets that the resort offers. There are also a variety of sit down restaurants such as Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill (which Emily & I really wanted to check out), but none of them were on the itinerary so I can’t speak to how good they are. Your kids will not have any problem finding food to eat. There is plenty of options that they will recognize and love.

Personally, I was severely disappointed in the lack of fresh seafood and local flavors at the buffets. We did sneak away one lunch to check out Mosaic in The Cove section of the resort and it was the best meal we had during the entire trip including a made to order bowl of seafood soup that left me with a perma-grin on my face. The food is not cheap, but they do offer a variety of dining plans that you will want to look into for sure.

While Atlantis has certainly transformed from an adults only escape to a family friendly environment they do have a few things that I hope they change moving forward. All of the pools close at 5pm which is far to early. If I were to spend the money to have a night alone from the kids, I want to be able to take a dip in the pool. In addition, while the grounds are beautiful, the pool areas are not kept as clean as I had hoped for. Cups, napkins and other snack remains could be seen floating on the edge of most of the pools and under the deck chairs everywhere. The seagulls certainly don’t go hungry.

Finally, this is not a cheap vacation, but neither is a full on Disney experience or other resorts. As with any family vacation I suggest you look for package deals and special trips to save money. Upon return, I’ve been seeing banner ads for Atlantis everywhere offering special deals so be sure to take advantage of those.

Atlantis is not an all inclusive resort and there are no options really to get food and bring it in so you have to pay the high prices for everything on site. The resort is invisibly sliced into different price points meaning on one end is the most value and on the other the most expensive. As with any vacation, be sure to do your research before leaving so that you are fully aware of what to expect before arriving on site.

The resort is top notch and we had an excellent time. We loved the weather and enjoyed that while we were told it was a busy time of year for the resort, it never felt over filled or as if there were too many people there. Because of just how vast the resort is, there is plenty of room for everyone.

Everything shared here is one family’s experience of this trip. If you’d like to read some other review from people on the same trip I was on then check out the reviews posted on Yummy Mummy, Boston Mamas, Cool Mom Picks and The Mother of All Trips.

Disclosure: http://cmp.ly/3

Tags: atlantis, bahamas, destinations, family vacation, jetadventure, jetblue, lego, lego camp, Travel
Posted in Events, Travel | 9 Comments »