London with kids: Kensington Gardens

Author J.M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame lived blocks from London's Kensington Gardens, and he frequently walked his St. Bernard along its winding paths.

One day, and for many days after, he met the Davies children, George, Jack, and baby Peter, and their nanny. He entertained the children by wiggling his ears, and he liked to spin imaginative yarns about baby brother flying through the gardens. Barrie said babies were birds before they were born, and parents put bars on nursery windows to keep the little ones from flying away.

From this, Peter Pan was born...and in the gardens there's a statue of the boy with baby teeth in a leafy glen. For any family traveling to London, getting a photo in front of the statue is a must.

There's also a Peter Pan themed playground (built in memory of Princess Diana) with a pirate ship surrounded by a sand beach, a tree house with walkways and ramps, and Lost Boys teepees.

London with kids: Victoria and Albert Museum

It's easy to get lost among the maze of rooms spread over seven levels in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. That's actually what makes this place recognized as the finest decorative arts museum in the world so fun for kids.

My 7-year-old daughter initially visited the museum with her grandparents, while we were staying in London for a family reunion over the holidays. They spent an hour wandering the galleries (seeing Coco Chanel's original "little black dress" and the "Great Bed of Ware" mentioned in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night) and finally came upon an exhibit dedicated to the work of children's author Beatrix Potter. My Dad tells me that he read Peter Rabbit to my daughter while she followed along with the original illustrations.

I brought my daughter back to the museum the next day, and she was determined to lead the way back to the Potter exhibit.

Now, my daughter actually has a keen sense of direction, but she couldn't find that exhibit. At first this was frustrating for her, but she quickly realized that it was exciting to be lost, or as she described it as if "it's like a real adventure." After two hours (I kid you not), we eventually found ourselves lost in a gallery with 20-foot statues peering down at us, and that's when we finally asked for directions. We slipped through a "secret passageway" into a bright gallery with Potter's charming, adorable illustrations of Peter taunting old Mr. McGregor. At last, we found the treasure.

London with kids: Eating out

In London it's not unusual for kids to eat out in restaurants--and they're generally welcomed with special menus, coloring books, and smiles.

Here are three chains with locations throughout the city that offer a family-friendly environment while also dishing up good food at fair prices.

Wagamama: Asian inspired noodles are the specialty at this hip chain of restaurants known for its family-style dining experience with people gathering around long farm tables. Kids get their own set of special chopsticks for chowing down on a pile of noodles tossed with grilled chicken breast, sweet corn, and shredded carrots, and a citrus yakitori sauce. Parents might want something with a little more spice such as the Chili Ramen, a steaming bowl of noodles, tender beef sirloin, been sprouts, spring onions, and chillies.

Carluccio's: Step inside one of these noisy Italian cafes with fashionable decor and you'd never guess it's a chain with over 30 locations throughout London. The menu offers classic dishes (roasted sardines, homemade ravioli, tiramisu) prepared simply with fresh ingredients. Kids get their own mini cardboard puzzle to color and assemble, an activity book, and a menu featuring dishes such as penne with tomato sauce and breadcrumb-crusted chicken breast.

Pizza Express: This isnt Pizza Hut or Domino's. The cooks at these restaurants pull bubbling, blister thin-crust pizzas that you'd expect to find in Northern Italy from the oven. Try the Soho pie topped with tomato, olives, garlic oil, and fresh arugula, or the Sloppe Giuseppe with hot sliced beer, red onions, and green peppers. And of course there are tamer choices--i.e. cheese pizza--for children outlined on a special menu that's adorned with all sorts of games and puzzles.

London with kids: Natural History Museum

Of all the great cities in the world, London just might be the best for a family vacation. This vibrant, electric metropolis offers a dizzying array of things to do, from catching a Broadway play to sipping tea brewed at Fortnum & Mason to reading Peter Rabbit from original pages of the Beatrix Potter classic at the Victoria Albert Museum.

Our family recently found that even on a two-week vacation you can only get a small taste of all there is to do. And that's the beauty of London: It has so much to offer and you can keep returning and see something new every time.

In the next several posts, I'll highlight some of our favorite family spots in London, and we'll start with the Natural History Museum...

Natural History Museum
The best thing about the Natural History Museum, only steps away from the South Kensington Tube station, is that it's free. And for a family of four in London this is a boon because nearly everything else in this city is expensive (try $5 per gallon for gasoline), except for many of the museums that don't charge admission.

The next best thing about the Natural History Museum is the dinosaur exhibit. There's no debate here: It's hands-down the best in the world. My 6-year-old son who to typically whines his way through his museums saying, "Mommmmy, lets GO!" was completely mesmerized. The highlight was most definitely a giant animatronic model of a T. Rex with teeth 15 centimeters long.

We also wandered through the mammals exhibit where we gazed up at a life-size model of a blue whale, saw eye-to-eye with a stuffed Maurititis dodo that's now extinct in the birds wing, and learned what it's like to be inside an erupting volcano by watched terrifying footage of flowing lava and ash, and

Top 11 family destinations for 2011

As we head into a new year, I picked my top 11 budget- and family-friendly destinations, many with new attractions for 2011:

1. Brooklyn, N.Y. – Escape the Manhattan bustle and explore this quieter New York borough. In the Park Slope area, you'll find kid-friendly restaurants such as Flipsters burger joint, while Prospect Park is home to the Prospect Park Zoo and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where children under 12 get in free. Located within minutes of these attractions, BEST WESTERN PLUS Prospect Park Hotel recently opened in November 2010 and offers comfortable luxury the whole family will enjoy.
2. Charleston, S.C. – With new service from Southwest Airlines, this historic Southern town's cobblestone streets and antebellum architecture are more accessible than ever. Kids will enjoy learning history when touring the spooky Provost Dungeon at the Old Exchange or climbing on Civil War-era cannons at White Point Gardens. Also, don't miss Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. The BEST WESTERN King Charles Inn sits in the heart of the city.
3. Dallas, Texas – Traveling to the Lone Star State just got more fun, with the opening of Legoland Discovery Centre in spring 2011 and Sealife Aquarium in summer 2011. If the lure of theme-parks isn't enough, kids with a need for speed can check out the Texas Motor Speedway Official NASCAR track. The contemporary BEST WESTERN PREMIER Crown Chase Inn & Suites offers a convenient centralized location nearby numerous attractions in the area.
4. Durango, Colo. – Families seeking an outdoor adventure can climb onboard the famous Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The coal- and steam-powered locomotive chugs along though the wilderness of San Juan National Forest, where you'll also find countless hiking and mountain biking trails. After taking in the natural beauty of the surrounding area, relax at the BEST WESTERN Durango Inn & Suites situated on a hillside.
5. Fort Myers, Fla. – From visiting The Shell Factory, which boasts the world's largest collection of rare seashells and sea life specimens, to exploring the Everglades by airboat on an EcoSafari, families can have fun beyond soaking up the sun. Located on the secluded beaches of Estero Island, BEST WESTERN PLUS Beach Resort is within walking distance of activities for the young and the young at heart.
6. Hannibal, Mo. – Great American author Mark Twain was born in this small port town 120 miles north of St. Louis. Browse the exhibits at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, taste the homemade root beer and onion rings at the Mark Twain Dinette, and take in beautiful views of the Mississippi River from your room at the BEST WESTERN On the River.
7. Lancaster, Pa. – You'll find a dizzying array of attractions in this town 50 miles west of Philadelphia. Kids can create their own candy bar at Hersheypark Chocolate World, go wild at ZOOAmerica, and be thrilled by shows and rides at Dutch Wonderland. BEST WESTERN PREMIER Eden Resort & Suites will pamper parents and please children with its plush accommodations and amenities including shuffleboard, a playground, and a children's pool.
8. Miami, Fla. – Kids will love the new Adventures of Mr. Potato Head Exhibit at the Miami Children's Museum. Opening January 2011, the exciting hands-on traveling exhibit allows kids to interact with the classic Mr. Potato Head character. The BEST WESTERN PREMIER Miami International Airport Hotel & Suites will offer families the chance to reconnect in the deluxe new accommodations.
9. Scottsdale, Ariz. – For a homerun getaway, visit the Spring Training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at the brand new Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, opening on February 26. Families can check out a game before the official baseball season starts. BEST WESTERN Sundial, a brand new contemporary boutique style hotel located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, allows children 16 and under to stay free with an adult.
10. Sonoma, Calif. – While wine tasting isn't typically a family-friendly activity, Francis Ford Coppola Winery offers wine tasting for adults and a pool, games, and activities for children such as smoothie tastings and special holiday events. Family-owned and operated, BEST WESTERN Sonoma Valley Inn provides services and amenities aimed to please all visitors as they experience the wonders of wine country and Northern California.
11. Waikiki, Hawaii – Opening in late spring of 2011, Waikiki Aquarium's Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Display will feature a living reef ecosystem representative of those found in the world's most isolated islands. BEST WESTERN Coconut Waikiki Hotel is a stylish boutique hotel located along the Ala Wai Canal, just three blocks from the world-famous Waikiki Beach, another popular family attraction.

Where will your family be traveling in 2011?

Europe has its worst travel day ever--and our family was right there in the thick of it

3 p.m. This story starts with a phone call to Virgin Atlantic Airlines.

"Hello, is the 5:50 p.m. flight to London delayed or canceled?"

"No, still on schedule."

"But I've heard that all flights out of SFO are delayed three hours due to weather and Heathrow is also experiencing major delays."

"On schedule. You better get to the airport."

3:10 p.m. My husband calls Yellow Cab.

3:20 p.m. Call Yellow Cab again and learn they took down the wrong address.

3:30 p.m. Call Yellow Cab again as we're nervous about arriving at the airport on time.

3:40 p.m. We call DeSoto Cab Co. No answer after listening to the phone ring for 5 minutes.

3:50 p.m. We call Yellow Cab again. The operator says a cab will be there in 10 minutes.

4 p.m. Knock on our neighbor Donald's door.

4:10 p.m. Donald graciously agrees to give us a lift to the airport. As we're slinking down 280 through a downpour that's so bad you can barely see the road, Donald says, "I haven't driven on the freeway in rain in 10 years..."

4:40 p.m. Checking in at the Virgin counter. We arrive only minutes before the airline was about to give up our four seats.

5:50 p.m. The plane miraculously takes off on time.

6:30 p.m. Watching movies and sipping apple juice.

8 p.m. Bed time.

4 a.m. The pilot announces: "We have received word that Heathrow is closed due to snow. We are landing at Stansted Airport."

Stansted? Huh? Where the hell is that?

4:30 a.m. On the runway in Stansted. "Please stay seated. We are waiting to find out if Heathrow will reopen or if we should put you on coaches to Heathrow."

5:30 a.m. "Heathrow is officially closed for the rest of the day."

The airplane stairs open down onto the snowy runway. Walk through the snow into Stansted Airport where we wait an hour to go through customs.

6:30 a.m. Baggage claim is a mad house. Luggage piled up everywhere, people sleeping on the floor.

7:30 a.m. We learn that people have been waiting three, four, even five hours for their luggage. Heathrow and Gatwick are closed and all planes have been diverted to tiny Stansted that's 30 miles north of London.

9:30 a.m. We get lucky and our luggage finally arrives after three hours of waiting.

9:40 a.m. Buses into London aren't running. Roads closed due to three inches of snow. Thankfully, the Stanstead Express train is in service.

The ticket machine won't take my credit cards nor my husband's. A kind man, who says he loves San Francisco, buys our tickets and I pay him in American dollars. It costs our family of four 60 pounds ($90) to take the train to the Liverpool Street station in central London. Bart suddenly seems like a bargain.

10 a.m. A train arrives and it's packed. Only a few people can get on.

10:30 a.m. Another train arrives. We can't get on it.

10:45 a.m. Kids are freezing cold waiting outside. We open suitcases and find mittens, hats, snow boots.

11 a.m. Four more trains come and go. My husband yells at a man who shoves himself in front of us and hops on a train, so we're unable to get on. I yell at my husband for yelling. We're on the verge of going crazy.

11:30 a.m. I lead my children in jumping jacks as we try to keep warm. It's zero degrees outside.

noon We finally board a train, after I talk with an attendant and tell her that my shivering children and I must get on the next train.

12:30 p.m. The train breaks down. Hour delay. I read Harry Potter out loud to my daughter, and the passengers sitting around us listen in.

2 p.m. Arrive at Liverpool. Cab or Tube? I convince my husband that we should take the Tube as someone tells us that a cab could cost up to 100 pounds ($150) with the traffic and snow.

2:15 p.m. We board a Circle Line train that travels one stop and then goes out of service.

2:30 p.m. We board another train that goes out of service and we learn that the Tube is experiencing major delays due to the inch of snow on the ground.

4 p.m. Finally, South Kensington.

It's midnight in London and we're exhausted and cold. We haven't eaten a meal in over 10 hours. But as we walk through the snow-dusted, glistening streets of South Kensington, past a pub packed with jolly, rosy-cheeked Londoners, the day's frustrations quickly fade away. That's the thing with travel. It's so often a pain to get to your destination, but once you arrive you forget the delays, the waiting, the long lines.

TSA reviews lapchild guidelines

Awhile back I wrote about the debate over lap children.

Current government regulation says children under age 2 are the only people who can fly without being buckled up. Babies can fly for free by sitting on an adult's lap.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long recommended buying a seat and securing a child in a car seat or a CARES harness. But on December 9 the National Transportation Safety Board wants to visit this issue, and ask the question, Should children under 2 be required to sit in a car seat while flying?

The NY Times reports:

The independent federal agency, which investigates transportation accidents and promotes safety, has long pushed for a rule requiring that all passengers be properly restrained in a separate seat, including children under 2 years old. The latest recommendation was sent to the Federal Aviation Administration in August, citing various crashes over the years in which children who were seated in car seats were protected and others in which children seated in a parent’s lap were injured or killed.

No one disputes that children would be safer aboard passenger jets when strapped in a car seat instead of being held in a parent’s lap. “Every single thing on that airplane down to the coffee pots are required to be properly restrained except children under the age of 2,” said Patricia Friend, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. “It’s just physically impossible, no matter how much a parent loves that child, given deceleration forces of an aircraft in a crash to hold onto that child.”

The Federal Aviation Administration agrees with the safety board that a child is safer when belted into a child restraint system, or CRS, and states on its Web site that “keeping a child in a CRS or device during the flight is the smart and right thing to do.”

But the F.A.A. continues to turn down the child seat request. The rationale? It maintains that doing so would require families — now accustomed to children under 2 years old flying free if they sit in a parent’s lap — to pay for the extra seat. That cost, the F.A.A. surmises, would cause some families to revert to car travel, which is less safe. “Consequently,” states the agency in its latest response to the safety board, “entire families would be subject to far higher fatality rates, which would produce a net increase in overall transportation fatalities.”

Not surprisingly, safety seat advocates dismiss this argument as beside the point. Requiring every passenger to be appropriately belted in is “a simple matter of equal protection,” said Stephanie M. Tombrello, executive director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., a nonprofit group that focuses on child passenger safety. Ms. Tombrello pointed out that pilots regularly instruct passengers to stay buckled in their seats when not up to use the restroom.

“We just don’t see it as an either/or situation,” said Ms. Friend of the Association of Flight Attendants.

Photo: Flickr/Lars Plougman