Oh, Mexico! 2010

Bahia de Conception

We went to Mexico this winter, drove down hauling our ’62 Cardinal travel trailer.  Our 2 year old is now a road trip pro and we have figured out her limits, when to stop, when to nap, when to buy new toys. We mostly drove up the Baja peninsula. She had a fear of oceans in Cabo, so we found a quite beach locale without waves and called it an Ocean Lake. She seemed convinced and we spent the afternoons collecting shells. Read more »

First Leg of West Coast Road Trip ’09

Our fancy "retro" paint job on this fixer upper

Our '66 Cardinal Travel Trailer

When my daughter was six months old we spent five weeks on the road with her driving to New Orleans (from New Mexico) and back. Things were different then. We owned a ’77 Dodge Santana Camper Van and my daughter did not walk or crawl. We sold the van and bought a travel trailer so that we would no longer have three vehicles. More importantly, my daughter, at 20 months, walks and talks, all the time. Yet, the adventerous ones that we are, we are taking another five week road trip, this time to Los Angeles and up the coast to Portland, OR. We have managed the first part of our trip and made it to L.A.

I put a lot of preparation into this trip from fixing up our ’66 Cardinal travel trailer (including setting it up with a solar power system) to packing all our basic needs, but my biggest priority was entertainment. Read more »

Madlyn Primoff: Kicking her Kids to the Curb

Primoff Mug Shot

First of all, I would like to know, what’s the big deal? Child endagerment? They were in White Plains for goodness sake. What were her kids in danger of, honing their luxury vehicle identification skills, getting their toes stuck in freshly aerated lawns? The answer, apparently, is that they were in danger of being treated to ice cream by a friendly neighbor. And, worst of all, seeing their mom handcuffed and thrown into jail. Read more »

Spring Break Road Trip ’09: Day 5

Today we had something very special planned for our daughter, the Albuquerque Zoo. Our daughter absolutely loves animals, can’t get enough. And, I can’t deny, we were pretty excited too. Unfortunately, we got off to a rough start. The accumulation of days on the road with poor sleep and a low fever from teething, had put her in a terrible mood and she ended up crying all the way there. Even when she drifted into a nap, she would awaken crying and calling, “MaaaMaaa,” every fifteen minutes or so making her very grumpy.

Elephants at the Zoo

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Spring Break Road Trip ’09: Day 4

Waking up in Cloudcroft was a pleasure. At 9,000 feet, the air was cool, just like we were used to at home. While vacationing, especially with kids,  it is great to stay at a locally owned hotel in the middle of town and be able to walk everywhere. This is particularly appreciated when you have been road tripping around and want a break from the car for a while. We easily found a coffee shop and were grateful to discover a basket of toys and books for our daughter to occupy herself with as we fed her fruit from the couch while sipping on our tea and nibbling quiche and egg sandwiches. Ah, luxury. Read more »

Spring Break Road Trip ’09: Day 2

Leaving Albuqurque, we were still somewhat optimistic that we may find a camper, but the road ahead lay wide and deserted, reflecting a sense that there was nothing to be found. Through the sandy red deserts and rock canyons along  I25, we came to terms with our lot as hotel tenants and decided to make the best of it.  Yet, Las Cruces seemed to have more dismal plans as the big box stores looked down upon us in mockery. We decided to do what we should have done three years ago, buy a New Mexico guide book.

Mountains over Las Cruces

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Breast-feeding, cell-using driver charged

Do you remember when your newborn needed to be fed every two hours and, on the rare occasion that you left your house, those awkward moments when there wasn’t any suitable place in sight to do so? Maybe you were willing to do the bathroom stall thing. Perhaps you were one of the brave ones, whipping out your boob while standing in the checkout line. My back-up plan was always the car. I had to traipse back to the parking lot, but at least I could sit comfortably and listen to music. One woman took the idea of nursing in the car to an extreme. Sounds like a multi-tasker gone awry. Read more »