How did I end up with a kid who doesn't like to travel?
Actually that's not really the case. My 16-year-old likes to travel -- once he's on vacation. But, if given the choice, he would much rather be home hanging with his pals and eating everything I bought at the grocery the day before.
Santa Monica might play little sister to Los Angeles, but a stay at this relaxed and refreshed city affords single travelers a look at some of the best boutique restaurants and hidden gems often over-shadowed by the florescent spotlight that beats down on LA.
Check into the hotel, located on the beach and approximately 1/4 mile from the all the activity on Third Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier.
Thanks to twice-a-week farmers' markets and abundant seafood, Santa Monica offers endless options for dining. Avoid the chains and go for something a little more unique and a whole lot healthier.
When you're not traveling, one of your many responsibilities may be food shopping. How can you become more "supermarket savvy" so it's a simple, healthy and even enjoyable task?
At our house, family travel togetherness might be going the way of the nightly family dinner - you take what you can get. You plan for it as much as possible but allow wiggle room for everyone's schedules.
I can't say I wasn't warned. TravelingMom.com (www.travelingmom.com) and WOTW blogger, Cindy Richards, http://www.womenontheirway.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=4&id=236 has teens and has left one at home with relatives more than once to accommodate schedules. My time has come and I am diligently working our summer travel plans around my kids' schedules.
I'm ticked off because what it boils down to is that it is going to cost me money. I am confined to two weeks of availability at the end of July when I am used to having the whole summer spread out before me like a country picnic.
That's because my teen son is an avid golfer who competes in tournaments during the summer. I asked him to schedule them in August, which he did, but I meant mid-August, not the first day of the month. Note to self and all moms of teens: be specific. My son's first tournament, the one he HAS to be at, is August 1.
Summers have always included a visit to see my family in Kentucky (which we now do as an annual road trip) and a home exchange in California. The key to a successful house swap (http://travelingmom.com/travel-stories/104-stories/140-house-swap-magnifique.html) is flexibility. But this year, and likely years hereafter, there is no flexibility. For us that will mean adding a hotel stay, which is not in our summer travel budget, especially now that airfare has skyrocketed.
The good news is that I am resourceful. I will cash in miles and credit card points and make it all happen somehow. In fact, the age of 14 is the magic number for most airlines to allow kids to fly alone. We might have to divide to conquer.
Seems like a lot of work just to relax.
June is graduation month.
Don't you just hate it when ex-boyfriends get in the way?