Resort or Hotel - Pitstops for Kids

Grand Summit Hotel at Canyons Resort, Park City

October 16, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Last year, we named Park City as a Pit Stops for Kids’ best ski town. We reviewed the Westgate Resort at the base of Canyons Resort, and we talked up the quaint downtown with its great shops and restaurants for families. Now we’re back with our review of Grand Summit Hotel. Who’s ready to hit Park City with kids?

Why the Grand Summit works well for families:

The Grand Summit Hotel at The Canyons is ideally located for Canyons skiing and snowboarding. While it is not the most luxurious hotel in the immediate region, it is one of the closest to the slopes, enjoying true ski-in, ski-out flexibility. From the back door of the Summit, families can hop on the Orange Bubble chair or the Red Pine Gondola in seconds. The Grand Summit ski valet stores your skis or boards, so you can grab and go, and the Grand Summit Child Care center is located right next door.

Families are steps from the central path through the Canyons village, which includes the ski and board school, equipment rentals, and restaurants. With the Grand Summit’s seasonal shuttle, you don’t even need a car.

Grand Summit Hotel amenities:

My kids won’t stay at a ski hotel without a pool, and the Grand Summit certainly delivers. The outdoor pool is large and heated, and three large hot tubs surround it. We love that you can sit in the hot tubs and watch the gondola go past. Adjacent to the pool area is the fitness center (smaller, but adequate) and spa. Families can enter the spa to use the sauna and steam rooms (my kids also love a good sauna). While I wish the sauna sat next to the pool instead of in the spa where it’s a bit awkward to walk in and out, it works for our purposes.

Standard rooms include free wifi, which is rare to find these days, and have the standard amenities as well: hair dryer, coffee maker, and even microwaves. What you won’t find: mini-fridges (at least not in our standard room). Balconies add to the floor space, and offer great views, whether you’re looking out over Park City or the slopes.

Dining at The Grand Summit includes a full-service apres ski joint with a back deck overlooking the lifts, a grab-and-go sandwich and breakfast shop, and a (pricy) buffet breakfast location (The Cabin). We recommend booking a suite, which comes equipped with a full kitchen. Families will want to budget for one special meal out at The Farm, located adjacent to the hotel in the Canyons village. The Farm serves all seasonal farm-to-table fare, and is surprisingly kid-friendly. It’s a great experience and will be a memorable meal.

Date last visited:

March 2013

Room rates:

Start as low as $135 for a standard room in non-peak seasons.

Directions:

The resort is four miles from the heart of Park City, which is just off I-40. Salt Lake City is 25 miles away.

I experienced the Grand Summit as guests of The Canyons Resort, for the purpose of review. While I appreciate the hospitality, it did not come with expectation of a positive review.

Why we picked a small ship cruise: Small ship cruise Alaska booking tips for families

October 2, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Yes, families can and should book a small ship cruise Alaska!

The day we disembarked from our Alaskan Dream Cruises small ship cruise, we toured a museum of SE Alaska in Ketchikan. It took my kids about 15 minutes to view the entire facility, so I stopped them at the exit to ask why they’d spent so little time inside.

My oldest replied, “We already saw everything in this museum in ‘real life’ during the cruise, Mom.”

He didn’t realize it, but he’d summed up the reason for booking a small ship cruise. During our nine days on Alaskan Dream Cruises’ Baranof Dream family cruise, we visited Tlingit villages, kayaked amid sea lions, jumped into the frigid water of the Inside Passage, watched glaciers calve, stomped our feet to Norwegian folk dancing, eaten king salmon and crab, seen humpback whales breaching, made native crafts, and the list goes on. The entire time, we were surrounded by multiple expedition leaders (for both adults and youth) who pointed out sights, taught us scientific and cultural facts, showed us which berries to sample off the bushes, found eagles nests and bears fishing for salmon, and helped our kids paint, sew, and carve.

A small ship cruise–and especially a small ship cruise with a family-friendly itinerary like Alaskan Dream–allows kids and adults to fully immerse themselves in the place they’ve come to visit. We picked a small cruise ship for the following reasons, all of which proved true during our cruise:

1. We wanted an unique travel experience.

Alaskan Dream Cruises is owned and operated by long-standing Alaskan company Allen Marine. As a Native-owned cruise line, Alaskan Dream–including our ship, the Baranof Dream–could access parts of SE Alaska that other cruise ships, even other small cruise ships, could not. We spent a full day and a half playing in Alaskan Dream-exclusive Hobart Bay, where we watched black bears with their cubs, kayaked calm bays, and explored the wilderness of native-owned land. We were granted access to the Haida community of Kasaan, where we watched a master carver create a canoe and learned about their ancient totems and whaling house, and we were honored by a Tsimshian dance in the reservation at Metlakatla. When we arrived in Ketchikan and shared our itinerary with locals, they all agreed we’d seen an authentic representation of their state.

We believe eco-conservationism begins with experiencing nature.

As outdoor enthusiasts, we knew that by seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and yes, tasting the wild beauty of SE Alaska, our kids would have a greater respect for the planet, a sentiment reinforced when we spoke with Alaskan Dream VP of sales and marketing Mike Wien. “I can’t imagine a better opportunity for young adults to learn how to be stewards of the environment,” Wien told us, explaining that the eco-conscious attitude that prevails aboard an Alaskan Dream ship teaches basic ecological lessons that carry over.

Small ships also enjoy a smaller carbon footprint than large cruise ships, of course, as limited on-board space forces crews to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. We observed this practice in action on the Baranof Dream, noticing how every space is used on-board, and every item as a purpose.

We wanted to be responsible travelers.

Smaller cruise ships means smaller ports of call, which is great for both passengers who want to get off the beaten path and for local economies. The Baranof Dream stopped at only two major ports–Juneau and Ketchikan–remaining for the duration of our trip in private bays and small villages. We knew our tourism dollars were going directly to the people who had made the fine crafts we bought and the t-shirts we proudly wore. We knew our presence–under 30 guests–was not taxing the resources of our local hosts.

We wanted a flexible itinerary and ‘outside the box’ service.

With under 30 guest on-board the Baranof Dream and over 20 crew members, we were always well taken care of. More important than the prompt attention however, was the manner in which crew members adapted with the needs (or wants) of the guests. Crew members were jacks and jills of all trades–for instance, our pastry chef could also lead a kayak tour, and our steward taught yoga–and when the kids found berries while on a hike with their youth expedition leader, the bartender was happy to carry on the lesson with a class in smoothie-making. Our boys learned knot tying from the bridge crew and Tlingit crafts from our cultural guide. When an opportunity arises–in our case, to stop last-minute at a dog sled camp–plans were adjusted and schedules were reset.

Booking an Alaskan Dream Cruise: what you need to know:

Book early. Small ships fill up fast, so try to book approximately 9 months before departure if possible. But don’t book without speaking on the phone to your small ship cruise line. In the case of Alaskan Dream, their offices are located on-site in Sitka Alaska, and their office staff can be invaluable in helping you pick the right itinerary for you and your family. An itinerary may be in the works that is as-yet unadvertised, or they may be able to match particular interests with a particular cruise.

Do families need to book on a family cruise itinerary? No, on Alaskan Dream Cruises, kids are welcome on any itinerary. However, kids’ programming is only available on family cruises, and kids are much more likely to have friends their age on board (and that goes for parents, too). One aspect we loved about our family cruise was the relaxed atmosphere and the additional activities that engaged the kids in a tactile way.

Pit Stops for Kids experienced a family small ship cruise as guests of Alaskan Dream Cruises, for the purpose of review. No express opinion was required; we wanted traveling families to know about small ship cruising options!

New attractions at Great Wolf Lodge: play ShadowQuest and mini golf

October 1, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

The following is a guest post written by Northwest parent and travel writer Carrie Yu.

When the weather in the Pacific Northwest turns to rain (and even when the sun is shining), families in the region love to head to Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington, for some serious fun. Just in time for indoor water fun this autumn and winter, new attractions at Great Wolf Lodge include ShadowQuest and mini golf. Available at Great Wolf locations across the country, including Washington’s Grand Mound, here’s what you can look forward to:

ShadowQuest:

ShadowQuest is a brand-new interactive wand game, available at Great Wolf Lodge’s Grand Mound location, as well as at several other Great Wolf Lodge locations. In this live-action adventure game, your family takes on the task of helping to save the light of the sky before it vanishes. Players follow clues in a guidebook and explore the halls and stairways of Great Wolf Lodge to find hidden objects and complete quests.

The game is 12 stages long and can be completed over multiple visits to Great Wolf Lodge. My family played for about 3 hours and had a great time finishing the first four stages. My kids loved that their wands could be used not only for playing the game, but for opening treasure chests and activating statues and animals all over the lodge!

Howl at the Moon Miniature Golf:

Another new attraction at Great Wolf Lodge is the very cool Howl at the Moon miniature golf course. This golf course is a 9-hole course located near the arcade. It is decorated with lots of woodland creatures and has simple obstacles to work around on your way to the holes. The whole course is lit with blacklights for a fun effect.

Tried and True Favorites at Great Wolf:

Of course, all the old favorites are still intact at Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound. Below are a few tips on experiencing the resort’s trademark features.

The water park:

Great Wolf Lodge features a huge indoor waterpark that’s always 84 degrees inside. Your family will spend hours splashing in the water and having a great time. Even though check-in isn’t until 4 PM on the day of your arrival at Great Wolf Lodge, you can register and get your passes for the waterpark starting at 1 PM. Locker rooms and towels are available, so within minutes of your arrival, your family can be splashing in the wave pool, playing in the kiddie area, or riding down one of the fun water slides. On the day of your departure, you can stay and play in the waterpark until 9 PM at night.

Great Wolf Lodge takes safety very seriously, and the waterpark is staffed with a large contingent of lifeguards and life jackets are available for those who need a little extra flotation help.

The rooms:

Great Wolf Lodge offers several options for rooms. My family stayed in the basic family suite, which was clean, comfortable, and spacious. If your family is looking for a more unusual experience, try one of the themed suites which feature fun, separate sleeping areas for the kids.

Admission:

Rooms start at $199 per night. Specials and packages are available and water park admission for 4 people is included with the room rate. Miniature golf is $6 per person, per round. Wands for Shadow Quest start at $15.99 and the game itself is $12.99.

Directions:

Great Wolf Lodge is located just off Interstate 5, at exit 88. The resort is approximately 1.5 hours from both Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.

For more Great Wolf Lodge tips and booking advice, visit our Great Wolf Lodge Tips page!

Disclosure: I received a media rate to facilitate my review, as well as passes for ShadowQuest and miniature golf. All opinions posted here are mine and mine alone.

Carrie Yu is a travel writer and mom of two kids, ages 6 and 4. You can read more of her travel writing at trekaroo.com.

Sitka Alaska hotel review: Totem Square Hotel and Marina

August 28, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Wondering where to stay in Sitka Alaska? Read on for our Sitka Alaska hotel review.

The Totem Square Hotel and Marina is ideally located right on the harbor, with beautiful views of Sitka Sound and within walking distance of everything in town. The amenities at the Totem Square are average at best–expect the most standard of motel rooms, but the location and the on-site restaurant more than make up for this. After all, in lovely Sitka, you’re probably not spending much time in your room.

The motel has an airport shuttle, eliminating any need for a car if you’re touring Sitka only, or boarding a cruise ship. We found the desk staff to be friendly and efficient, and while the rooms are basic, the beds are exceptionally comfortable. There is an on-site laundry room (useful if you’re disembarking from a cruise) and a small convenience store area selling basics you may have forgotten (there’s also a pharmacy across the street). From the motel, you can view fishing boats coming and going, and catching your day excursion boat is easy as well. Located in Totem Square, you’re across the street from historic Castle Hill and within walking distance of other Sitka attractions, stores, and restaurants.

The on-site restaurant was perfect on a nice summer day (sit out on the patio overlooking the harbor!) and the food was excellent, ranging from fish tacos to fish and chips and burgers or quesadillas. At the time of our visit (and apparently for some time before) this restaurant was closed for breakfast, limiting options. Guests can either pay for a limited continental breakfast in the lobby (does not come included with the room) or go across the street to the Sitka Hotel. We recommend the latter; the breakfast was quick and hearty, and the ambiance in this historic hotel was lovely.