Holiday Events - Pitstops for Kids

10 easy ways to decorate your hotel room for the holidays

December 4, 2020 By Amy Hagstrom

The Pit Stops for Kids crew will be spending the holidays in a Tahoe vacation home this year, so I’m making plans now to make our stay as festive as we’d enjoy at home. If you, too, will be spending your winter holidays away from home, we have 10 easy ways to decorate your hotel room for the holidays…or any condo or vacation home!

Decorate condo or hotel room windows or porch with a string of battery-operated Christmas lights. Find these at your local dollar store! Tip: you can wrap them around the handle of strollers or even around ski helmets to be festive on-the-go!
Buy a local wreath or garland. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, explore your immediate area by looking up a farmer’s market or holiday bazaar, where you can buy a locally-sourced wreath for your condo or vacation home door.
Check condo and vacation home storage closets for decorations. Most will have a stash of holiday decorations stored in a utility closet or pantry. Ask the home owner or lodging association if it’s ok to put these up (and take them down). I’ve never been told no!
Bring a holiday-themed tablecloth and candles for the table. It’s a small touch, but it goes a long way!
Buy a permit and cut down your own tree upon arrival. Going somewhere rural? Look up where to buy a Christmas tree permit before you leave home, and stop by for it en route to your condo or vacation home. Your first vacation activity can be a hike through the snowy woods for your own tree!
Decorate your cruise ship cabin door. Buy or make your own holiday magnets for cruise ship cabin doors, which are magnetic. The practice can get quite competitive, so bring your A game!
Play holiday tunes. Don’t underestimate the power of music to set a holiday mood. Bring a portable speaker and sync it with your smart phone or an iPod set on a holiday radio station.
Have a small tree delivered. Don’t have time or space for a regular-sized tree? Buy a small, live potted tree to use as a table-top centerpiece. Purchase at a local nursery, and decorate with a select few of your favorite ornaments from home, or order one.
Bring holiday bedding. Kids love curling up in their very own holiday-themed sheets and blankets, and these decorate the room, too. Bring your own bedding from home, or make a gift of new holiday bedding, which is easy to bring to a condo or vacation home.
Decorate yourselves! Buy the family holiday-themed pajamas to wear, or a matching set of Santa hats. When you’re all dressed up for the holidays, the feeling of celebration will live in your vacation home, hotel room, or condo with or without the decorations.

Remember: in addition to decorating your temporary living space, you’ll want to safeguard your actual home while you’re away. During our absences, we ask a friend to check on our house regularly, leave porch and holidays lights lit, lower heat and unplug appliances, and let ask multiple neighbors to watch our home.

Gift-free holiday: Why we opted for no presents at Christmas

November 11, 2019 By Amy Hagstrom

When we decided the best time for our family’s bucket list trip to Europe was Christmas break, we, as parents, realized how unrealistic it would be to buy Christmas presents on top of the cost of the trip. While we would be budget traveling through Europe, we would still spend far more than the average amount we set aside for holiday spending. In addition, it simply wouldn’t be practical to try to haul Christmas gifts across the Atlantic to open Christmas Day, only to haul them back.

The idea of a gift-free holiday focusing on the wonderful gift of travel and experiences appealed to us greatly.

We went to the kids (ages 16, 14, and 11), and asked them what they thought of having our European trip be their Christmas gift. And their only Christmas gift. Their answer (in September), was a resounding YES. Whatever it took to get us all to Europe, they were onboard.

I was proud of them; I’ve never considered us to be a particularly materialistic or consumer-driven family, but let’s be real: my kids like presents. And like most families in middle class America, a big part of the Christmas holiday is centered around gifts, for better or for worse. None of my children still believed in Santa Claus, but they definitely still believed in making a list.

With the kids on board, we continued with our plans for Europe, spending all our Christmas gift fund on our travels. I knew we’d be celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Florence, Italy, and started making plans for that time period in particular. I knew I wanted to make it special, despite the lack of gifts.

Because many parts of Italy celebrates the Epiphany more intensely than Christmas Day, I found that many local celebrations would have ended before our arrival in Florence. This disheartened me a little, but I forged ahead, asking our AirBnB host for restaurant recommendations that would be open and checking museum hours. By the time I was done planning, we had a lovely Christmas Eve meal reserved at a cafe recommended by a local, a Christmas morning self-guided walking tour, and plans to shop for and cook a Christmas Day dinner in our rented apartment.

I also enlisted the family’s help making a single family gift, which we would open together on Christmas morning. I ordered an AwesomeBox. This innovative gift allows families to add custom photos, stories, and messages to special cards for a lucky recipient. In our case, the recipient was us! Everyone filled out simple information online, such as ‘favorite family memory’ or ‘what I like most about this person is…’. AwesomeBox prints the cards, and ships them in a memory box. I had the box shipped to our house before we left, then brought the cards, unread, with us. They took up no more room than a deck of playing cards, and when we opened them on Christmas morning, it would be both a gift and a family event.

Lastly, we decided to do a family Secret Santa during our trip. We always budget a small amount of money for souvenirs, and for this holiday trip, we opted to purchase souvenirs for each other instead of for ourselves. Each family member drew a name, with the plan to buy three souvenirs for that person before Christmas Day. Souvenirs were to be $5 or less each. This way, we’d still be ‘buying things’ and everyone would still have something to ‘open’.

Here’s how it turned out (the good and the bad):

The first problem we had with our excellent gift-free holiday plan was with me. A few days before our departure, I started to panic. Maybe it was classic mom-guilt, but it just suddenly seemed terrible that I didn’t have gifts purchased for my kids. I even tried to talk my husband back out of our plan, and wanted to spend any amount, to purchase anything, for the boys. Needless to say, this was ridiculous, and I was talked down from the ledge.

The second problem we had was with our youngest. Despite agreeing to our plan, he apparently thought we didn’t really mean it, because in the days leading up to our trip, and even once on the trip, he referenced Christmas presents several times. Each time he said something about his anticipation of gifts, we reminded him gently that we’d decided our trip was our gift. And each time, he agreed, but seemed to continually ‘forget’. Needless to say, this did not help my guilt. What saved us was our Secret Santa plan. Our youngest loves buying things for others, and doing so brought him so much joy (and distraction) that he stopped wondering about ‘big’ gifts. It also helped that he knew someone was buying small items for him, too.

As it turns out, kids simply love the process of buying things for others and opening gifts, no matter how small.

At times, the souvenir shopping got to be a chore or a point of stress (as in, “I still need one more thing for so-and-so, and I can’t find anything!”), but for the most part, it was very satisfying. And our AwesomeBox was, well, awesome.

What our Christmas Day ended up looking like:

We arrived in Florence via train on Christmas Eve, and walking through the historic city center to our apartment was nothing short of magical. If the kids had ‘forgotten’ it was Christmas, they quickly remembered. On every corner, violinists played, and every street was adorned with holiday lights and decorations. Every church had an intricate cache out front. The bells chimed the hour, and we were entranced.

After settling into our apartment, we ventured out to the grocery store, where we purchased the makings of our Christmas morning meal. We bought a traditional Italian panettone (like a coffee cake), my kids’ favorite peach juice that’s abundant in Italy, and coffee. Then we walked to the small restaurant where we had a reservation, and had our first Tuscan meal. We ordered sparkling water and a bottle of wine, and toasted to our European Christmas.

That night, I reminded the kids yet again that ‘Santa’ had already gifted them with this trip (“Yeah, we know Mom!”…by this time, they’d heard it many times) but that we’d exchange our Secret Santa souvenirs and open our AwesomeBox with breakfast. For the first time ever, everyone slept in Christmas morning. We awoke to more church bells and a fun, special breakfast complete with a lace tablecloth I found in the apartment kitchen. We ate the panettone and exchanged our $5 gifts. Some were silly and some were thoughtful, and all made us feel loved.

We opened the AwesomeBox and took turns reading cards that expressed our gratitude for each other and our funniest/silliest/most important family memories. We took our time with this, and I think it was very special. The kids still keep their cards tucked away in their rooms.

We went out around noon, taking our historic walk of the city to learn more about Florence. The kids tolerated this with only some enthusiasm. I even heard things like, “It doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore.” Then, we turned a corner to find a tiny Christmas carnival in a small square. There was an ice skating rink, kiddie carnival rides, and a hot chocolate (cioccolata calda) stand. We stayed for the better part of an hour. Then we hiked to the best city views at Piazzale Michelangelo, where a large Christmas tree stood sentinel. It felt like Christmas again!

We ended up at a sidewalk cafe serving pizza for a late lunch, and never ended up making dinner! We ended our day with a nighttime stroll amid the city lights and an early bedtime in anticipation of museum hopping in the morning.

Today, the kids say they have no regrets about missing out on presents. After all, they’d be hard-pressed to remember what they’d gotten for Christmas, but still remember this trip like it was yesterday.

Tips for planning your own gift-free holiday:

Prepare kids well ahead of time. This goes without saying, but remember that kids may need frequent reminders as well. Weave your gift-free holiday plans into the fabric of your itinerary, if you will. We said things like, “Because we’re not doing gifts, we’ll be able to rent Segways in Rome,” or, “With the money we’re saving on presents, we’ll be able to go out to that expensive restaurant as a family.”
Have a Christmas Day plan. (Or whatever day is most important for your family, whether that’s Christmas, Christmas Eve, Three Kings Day, Boxing Day, or a day of Hanukkah.) Book a special restaurant reservation, plan a tour, or schedule a special family event. In other words, still mark the day. Don’t pretend it’s just like any other. Remember that many things may be closed on Christmas; ask ahead.
Encourage kids to think of the entire trip as ‘Christmas day’. Maybe that one special day won’t be chock full of events and celebrations, but remind kids that every day of your trip, you’re doing special things, eating fun foods, and seeing amazing sights. Organize a family ‘white elephant’ gift giving, or have ‘secret Santas’ to facilitate smaller-scale gift giving and thoughtfulness.
Bear in mind the ages of your kids. Honestly, I would not consider a gift-free holiday with kids who still believed in Santa. During family trips with kids this age, we’ve certainly scaled back presents for the sake of travel-ease, but we’ve always ‘delivered’ on the Santa promise.
Start small. If you’re not ready to commit to a completely gift-free holiday, consider buying your kids experiences instead of physical gifts for some birthdays or holidays. Buy them memberships, tickets to that special show, or lessons. Make the gift of experiences a regular thing in your family.

Russian Tea at the Heathman Hotel Portland

January 18, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

The historic Heathman Hotel in Portland has offered a holiday tea service for decades. New in 2016, chef Vitaly Paley brought Russian flare to the service with his festive, elegant Russian Tea. Within days, all available reservations for the service, offered between November 25 and January 1, were filled.

Due to the popularity of the holiday tea service, there will be two seatings on Saturdays moving forward. Folks should call for the most accurate times available and reservations for seatings at 503/790-7752 for Saturday teas through 2017.

The Russian Tea is beautifully presented in the Heathman’s tea room, adjacent to the new Headwaters restaurant. We sat near the big fireplace at a table adorned with an authentic Russian table and tea service. When I attended in December of 2016, we were given a choice of eight tea varieties, plus champagne or select cocktails. The teas ranged from a White Peony to classic black teas to an earthy green tea, all authentic Russian staples. I opted for the Bungalow, which is most similar to an English Breakfast black tea. The tea is presented in its own pot in loose leaf, with a delicate tea cup and strainer.

Alongside the tea comes a three-tiered tray of accompaniments ranging from savory options like khachapouri (Georgian cheese bread), open-faced buteubrodi sandwiches, and stuffed eggs. A favorite was the traditional blini, small pancakes served with house-cured caviar and sour cream. Among the sweet offerings were tort po kievski, a hazelnut meringue coffee buttercream with chocolate ganache, a Russian cheesecake, and Bird’s Milk Cake, with a shortbread cookie crust. The star of the show may have been the steopka, a sour cream and walnut cake that is Paley’s grandmother’s recipe.

Needless to say, this meal is an event you should plan to linger over, enjoying each delicate cake and small bite. That said, kids are definitely welcome.

The kids’ service includes child-friendly versions of the adult offerings, including deviled eggs stuffed with milder flavors, flaky cheese bread, and almond butter and house preserves sandwiches. During our mid-afternoon tea service, we saw several children dressed in their holiday best, enjoying the experience. The Heathman is definitely upscale, but not stuffy. Consider pairing this event with a holiday show at the nearby Keller Auditorium.

If you go, the 2017 prices are likely similar to the 2016 holiday price of $38/adult and $16/child. While expensive, I feel the experience is unique and the price is justified. Definitely book your reservation early, calling 503-790-7752 to inquire when reservations open for the 2017 holiday season. Reservations can be made for 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm daily during the holidays.

As I disclose whenever applicable, I experience the Russian Tea as a guest of the Heathman, for the purpose of review.

Florence Italy at Christmas

December 7, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

Last holiday season, we made a last minute decision to add Florence, Italy to our European family vacation. We arrived in Florence on December 24, Christmas Eve, and left December 27. While planning, I worried that perhaps, spending Christmas in Florence wouldn’t feel festive…after all, their seasonal Christmas markets close before Christmas Day. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Florence Italy at Christmas is beautiful! Scroll down for a few tips and plenty of images.

Florence Italy at Christmas:

We came to Florence from Paris, where the Christmas markets were still in full swing. However, Florence definitely beats out the City of Lights in holidays light displays. Every narrow street of historic Florence featured strings of lights. Each street was different.

Florence also has many more Christmas trees than Paris. We found this to be true throughout Italy as opposed to France. Italy, and Florence in particular, also has wonderful nativity scenes.
While in Florence for Christmas, look for impromptu Christmas carnivals in various piazzas, including cheap carnival games, street performers, carrousels, and outdoor ice skating rinks.

On Christmas Day, expect for museums to be closed. Take walking tours instead, or go to a church service.
Try to make reservations for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals ahead of time. Some restaurants will close. For those that remain open, expect them to be busy for Christmas lunch and closed for the evening. Some restaurants will have set menus. Stock up on a few basics at the grocery store so you can make a simple Christmas evening meal in your apartment rental, if that’s an option for you.

Look for elaborate Nativity scenes in Florence, both outside the Duomo and in area churches. It’s ok to step inside churches to see their nativity scenes, provided you don’t go during service hours.
Step inside artisan meat and cheese shops and you’ll most likely find generous tasting offerings. We tasted so much cheese, it was a snack!

Buy a panettone at a grocery store. This traditional Italian holiday bread is similar to a coffee cake, and we picked one up for under €5. We liked it so much, we bought another in Rome!
If you want to ice skate at the outdoor rinks, the ice is free, but skate rentals are around €5 per person. For this price, you usually get about 30 minutes. This was enough time for us. The rink we found was open Christmas Day.

Have you been to Florence at Christmas? What was your favorite sight to see?

Guide to Paris Christmas markets

November 30, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

One of our favorite memories of a Paris Christmas was touring the many Paris Christmas markets across the city. Some Christmas markets pop up fairly spontaneously from year to year, but there are a few staples you’ll find to be consistent. Here’s where to go to find Paris Christmas markets, plus tips for best enjoyment of these seasonal wonders.

Top Paris Christmas markets:

The biggies each year are as follows (plus how to get there):

The Concorde area: this largest Christmas market is located at the Concorde, right in the shadow of the seasonal ferris wheel (built for the World’s Fair). It’s at the end of the famous Champs- Élysées, so if you’re already walking down this to see the holiday lights and decor, you’ll end up here.
Under the Eiffel Tower: this was our favorite Christmas market, as it wasn’t too big and wasn’t too small. And the ambiance is amazing under the tower, especially when it sparkles on the hour at night. We visited this market before and after going to the top of the tower.
In the Montmartre area: this market is a bit more ‘working class’, with some touristy stuff tossed in, located under the shadow of Sacre Coeur. Take the metro to the Chateau Rogue stop, or tack this visit on to a tour of Sacre Coeur. You can take the tram up the hill, too.

Tips for making the most of the Paris Christmas markets:

Plan on making a meal of it: We purposely planned our mealtimes around Christmas markets. This is a cheap and delicious way to eat in Paris during the holiday season. At every Christmas market, we could find the staples: crepes, Belgian waffles, baguettes toasted with melted cheese, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and all sorts of candies and nuts.
Look for smaller markets: We found a fun yet small Christmas market across the Seine from Notre Dame, by the Latin Quarter. It was only a dozen or so huts, but Santa Claus was there without a line, and the vendors were among the most friendly.

Bring cash: at most huts, you’ll need to pay in cash. Give kids coins to spend on their own.
Shop for Christmasy souvenirs: During our Christmas visit, we decided to play a game of ‘secret Santa’ within our family. Each family member bought little trinkets and treats at Christmas markets for another member of the family. We had a lot of fun.

Look for ice skating rinks: Many Christmas markets include small ice skating rinks. Below the Eiffel Tower, the rink was actually a loop, similar to a track, which skaters used as though on a trail. If you combine an Eiffel Tower Christmas market trip with a ride up the tower, stop and skate at the 1st floor landing ON the tower. It’s free!
Try the vin chaud: This mulled wine may not be made with the highest quality wine, but it’s piping hot and seasoned nicely. For kids, the chocolat chaud is the way to go.
Look for public restrooms: Restrooms are in short supply in Paris, but we always found one at major Christmas markets.
Almost all Paris Christmas markets open the third week of November and close January 1. Hours are generally noon to 10 pm.

What is your favorite Paris Christmas market?

Holidays away from home: Tips for preparing kids

December 16, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

At least every other year, we travel during the holiday season. This means my kids are pretty accustomed to celebrating holidays away from home, and as a parent, I’m pretty good at making Christmas special…wherever we are. This year, we’ll be celebrating Christmas Day in Italy. In the days leading up to the holiday, we’ll be renting a HomeAway apartment in Paris. Here’s how we’ll celebrate the holidays away from home:

Think of your trip as a gift in itself:

Older kids and teens should be able to appreciate that a family trip during the holidays costs money and can be considered a gift in its own right. To help kids take ownership of this gift, allow them to plan a portion of your vacation, pick one special activity each, or otherwise engage in the planning process. Spend a day doing each child’s special outings or attractions, if possible. As an alternative idea, gift kids souvenir money (in the currency of the destination) and don’t put any restrictions on how they spend it.

Help kids feel oriented by ‘rerouting’ Santa:

A recent study by HomeAway has shown that 84% of families will spend the holidays together. But traveling to be with family can have its difficulties. It’s hard to change the way gift-giving works in your family if you have Santa believers among you. And kids can feel genuine worry that Santa ‘won’t find them’, causing unnecessary stress during a happy vacation. HomeAway has solved this problem with their ‘Rerouting Santa’ microsite. Check it out: RerouteSanta.com. Just tell Santa where you’ll be, and he’ll find you!

Consider gift-giving in a new way:

For our upcoming trip, we simply won’t have room in our carry-on luggage to bring gifts halfway around the world. Instead, our school-aged kids (and we parents) will be gift-giving on the go. We’ll each draw a family member’s name, and shop for them while we travel. We’re focusing on smaller, stocking-stuffer type gifts in order to keep the ‘stuff’ we haul around manageable. If you have more space, such as a car trunk, you could adapt this system to include larger gifts.

Alternatively, parents can gift kids with one smaller gift per day during their trip, instead of all gifts on Christmas morning. For those celebrating Hanukkah, this ‘new’ system will feel even easier to implement. Gift kids with small toys, crafts, goodies, and games they’ll use during your travels.

Bring holiday decorations:

I love bringing decorations with me on trips when possible…so much so that we have an entire post on decorating your home rental, condo, or hotel room. It’s especially easy to decorate a HomeAway house for the holidays: ask the home owner if there’s a stash of holiday decor you can access…chances are they’ll leave them out for you or decorate before your arrival. We like to bring small strings of lights operated on battery pack (these can even be adorned to strollers or backpacks!).

Ask your home owner for seasonal events and tips:

We asked our Parisian hosts for their top holiday events in Paris, and almost immediately, I received an emailed list of events and happenings during our stay. Inspired, we did the same for our Italian hosts! Plan to attend at least a few holiday events in your destination to add cheer and keep ‘normalcy’ for kids who are used to plenty of seasonal hoopla in their home town. Some of the best activities include parades, holiday window shopping, and light displays.

Fun holiday events at favorite hotels this season

December 2, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

Will you be celebrating the holidays on vacation this year? If so, we have a round-up of holiday events at hotels, with deals and and happenings at some of our favorite resorts and family vacation hot spots. Read on to learn where to book your holiday getaway, whether you’re headed to sand or snow:

Tropical and beach holiday events:

Head to South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island, Florida for a tropical holiday paradise. The Captiva Holiday Village runs from Nov. 27 – Dec. 21, 2015 on this popular southwest Florida barrier island. Families traveling to Captiva Island during Captiva Holiday Village weekends enjoy a Mullet Band parade, lighted boat parade, South Seas holiday strolls, a Junkanoo Parade, a carol sing at the Chapel by the Sea, sunset arias, a holiday golf cart parade and much more. Check website for schedule.

In Boca Raton, Florida, the Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort will host its third annual New Year’s Eve celebration, Rock the Block, an over-the-top, quarter mile long block party offering live music, indulgent cuisine and festive activities for all ages.

While this event is designed to be family friendly, adults will not miss out on a full-fledged party: everyone will enjoy an extravagant buffet dinner complete with an abundant raw bar, sushi bar, premium carving stations and indulgent kids options. Free-flowing Champagne will complement a deluxe open-bar. The night will begin with the Spazmatics, and the resort’s Grand Lawn, located on one end of the Block Party, will be transformed into a carnival complete with a 300 ft long zip line, a Wipeout-style obstacle course, spider tower, balloon artists and carnival games. Don’t miss the private fireworks at midnight! Learn more.

In Dana Point, California, Monarch Beach Resort is offering the “Winter Sandy-land” package that includes a “snowman” sand building kit, nightly milk and cookie turndown, and more at this coastal hotel. Need more incentive? The St. Regis has year-round swimming via private beach and an outdoor fire pit surrounded by couches for families to cozy up in the evenings. Rates start at an incredible $245/night for a stay at this iconic property. It’s good through December 30, 2015.

At Ponte Vedra Beach Resorts in North Florida, families can book Breakfast with Santa, complete with a buffet, children’s craft table, candy bar, and photo opps. Families also enjoy gingerbread house decorating parties and Santa’s Workshop, where kids can create an arts & crafts holiday gift. The activity list doesn’t end there: sign up for hayrides with Santa, Christmas caroling, holiday movie nights, baking class, or story time with Mrs. Claus. Those staying for New Year can ‘enjoy’ the resorts’ 15th annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge, or the ‘Noon’ Year’s Eve for the younger set.

Mountain holiday events:

Santa is coming to town…or rather, to Keystone Resort, Colorado, beginning Saturday, Nov. 28 through Christmas Eve. From photo opportunities and story time to parades and ice skating, the holiday spirit is alive and well at Keystone. Events include the Keystone Chocolate Village, celebrating its 20th year, featuring a working chocolate gondola, cascading chocolate waterfall, four-foot tall chocolate Christmas tree, and many other winter scenes.

Additional family activities at the resort include Kidtopia events like a Giant Snowball Launch and Bigfoot Adventure Walk. All season long through Kidtopia, kids can play on a huge snow fort and participate in free activities that are scheduled by the day and week. Here’s the whole 2015-2016 Kidtopia winter schedule. And remember, kids ski free at Keystone, even during the holidays.

At the Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe, located at Northstar Resort, special appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled in The Living Room, the hotel’s spacious front lobby, followed by story time with Mrs. Claus in the evenings. Kids are also invited to participate in Ritz Kids crafts with Mrs. Claus. For the adults, the Art of Mixology, on December 6, offers an entertaining, educational experience featuring freshly cut herbs, use of classic ingredients such as bitters, and infused liquors to create three unique cocktails paired with appetizers.

Santa’s Gingerbread Workshop is designed for parents to enjoy with the kids, alongside a Ritz-Carlton pastry chef…oh, and holiday beverages are included. If you’d rather not make edible crafts, try the Atelier Holiday Workshops, offered by a local Truckee business, where families can learn to make hand-crafted wrapping paper. If you’re planning a stay over the actual Christmas holiday, book at table at Manzanita, either for the lunch buffet from December 21-January 3, or for the holiday dinner December 24th and 25th.

At Mt. Hood Meadows, visit Santa on December 20th…on skis! Families can also join Santa for a holiday breakfast buffet at the Mt. Hood Meadow’s Vertical North Pole restaurant, located at the top level of the North Lodge. Santa will be on the slopes from 10-10:30 am. Nearby in Hood River, the Columbia Gorge Hotel hosts a Lights & Santa Visit. This historic national landmark looks even more beautiful during the holiday season, when the hotel and riverside grounds are festooned with lights. Enjoy a Holiday High Tea on December 19, 2-4 PM, and An Evening with St. Nick on December 20, 6-6:30 PM.

At Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, families can take advantage of a long list of holiday events and happenings for kids, including sleigh rides, elf tuck-ins, visits with Santa, and tons of excitement at Fort Funnigan, the resort’s gathering place for children. Funnigan’s Very Crafty Christmas takes place on December 19, 2015, during which kids become elves in Santa’s workshop, making gifts for Mom and Dad.

The day after Christmas, kids can return to Fort Funnigan for the Holiday Pajama Rama from 6-9 pm. This pajama party includes pillow fights, sessions at the fort’s Bear Factory, and yummy dessert. Holiday let-down will be a thing of the past!

At The Omni Grove Park Inn outside Asheville, North Carolina, gingerbread reigns! This hotel will continue the tradition of their annual gingerbread house contest, first begun in 1992. Hundreds of intricate holiday designs will be on display, along with 80-themed Christmas trees and thousands of twinkling lights. Families can book the Gingerbread Holiday package from Nov. 15 to Dec. 29, 2015, which includes deluxe accommodations, their Art of Breakfast Buffet in the Blue Ridge restaurant, one gingerbread cookie per registered guest, and overnight valet or garage parking .

Exploring Christmas markets in Belgium

November 30, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

For our upcoming European vacation on a budget, we researched Christmas markets in France, Italy, and Belgium. While the country is still on high alert as officials ensure safety following the Paris terrorist acts, sources from both Flanders and Visit Brussels say that as of this posting, Christmas markets in the area will proceed as planned. Here’s what we learned about exploring Christmas markets in Belgium.

Brussels

Known as Winter Wonders, Brussels’ Christmas market is centered around the Grand-Place, where holiday lights take center stage. Check out this video of the holiday light show. It’s easily the most populated market, thanks to easy access from other European cities. The market stalls run over 2 km, and are augmented by merry-go-rounds on Place Sainte-Catherine, and a large wheel and ice rink at Marché aux Poissons. Note: it would seem any Christmas market worth its salt has at least a rink and a wheel in addition to shopping stalls. The Brussels market opens November 27th and runs through January 3rd.

Tip: Please note that Brussels is still at a high security alert. Be aware of your surroundings if and when enjoying the sights at any large gathering.

Ghent

Ghent tends to be less popular with tourists than nearby Bruges and more medieval than Brussels. The Christmas market here is where you’ll likely want to spend the majority of your time exploring. The ice skating rink sits in the city pavilion, and the ferris wheel is located in front of St. Bavo’s. The entire downtown area is very walkable, which makes it a great market to visit if you’re relying on public transit or want to park your car in a public lot outside town (advised).

Bruges

Looking for a postcard perfect Christmas? Medieval Bruges sets a beautiful backdrop. This Unesco World Heritage site shines during the holidays, with an ice skating rink, holiday stalls and a ferris wheel. Be sure to see the Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival, held in a massive thermal tent. The Bruges market opens November 20th and runs through January 3rd.

Antwerp

Antwerp’s market runs for a short time period, from December 15th through December 27th. Located in the city at the Groenplaats, lights and music set the backdrop to plenty of hot chocolate sipping, pastry eating and Glühwein drinking (a mulled wine that’s a specialty at Antwerp). The nativity scene is set against the backdrop of a historic building, and of course there’s an ice skating rink.

General tips for visiting Belgium Christmas markets:

Market hours: All markets generally run from noon or 1 pm to 9 or 10 pm, nightly. All have FREE entry, though parking fees may exist.
How to get there: EuroStar connects Brussels with both Paris and London, making it possible to make a day or overnight trip without a car. If you’re looking to explore further afield, like we are, you’ll need to take the train (Brussels to Ghent is only 30 minutes) or rent a car. As of this writing, EuroStar trains are running on schedule.
Foods to try: Start with chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Then indulge in the world of Belgian waffles. You’ll need to choose between the Brussels waffle and the Liege waffle. Actually, forget choosing. Try both. Stalls of roasted chestnuts, frites (french fries), and donuts are also abundant. You’ll even find German offerings like wursts and other grilled meats and sausages. And Mom and Dad: try mulled wine and specialty ales crafted for the holidays. Bottom line: come hungry.
What to buy: Belgium Christmas markets are known for ceramics like beer steins and pitchers, plus knit clothing (look for fun hats and scarves). Of course, you’ll also find holiday decorations galore, plus handcrafted trinkets and jewelry.
Tips: Bundle up, as you’ll be spending a number of hours outdoors in the cold. Don’t forget light gloves and a hat. Most ice skating rinks are free of charge if you have your own skates, or skates can be rented in larger market areas.

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Have you been to a Belgium Christmas market? Which one?

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with Alamo. All opinions my own.

Four pit stop-worthy children museum holiday exhibits

December 17, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

‘Tis the season to travel, and while braving those interstates, you and your family will need places to stop along the way. What better opportunity to visit one of these four children museum holiday events at children’s museums across the country! Each are sure to get your family in a festive mood during the holiday travel season!

If traveling on I-75:

Stop at the Cincinnati Museum Center (the history museum location off Public Landing) and see the Duke Energy holiday trains! A beloved holiday tradition in Cincinnati, the exhibit is open to the public with ticket purchase. There’s also a 1/3 scale locomotive rumored to have been built by Santa himself.

Admission: Museum costs are $8.50 for adults, $6.50 for children; on the site linked above, get free vouchers for the trains.

Open: Nov. 7th-Jan 4th, 10 am to 5 pm Mon-Fri, 10 am to 8 pm on Saturdays, 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays.

Directions: Located at 1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati OH. From I-75 south, head toward downtown Cincinnati. Take the right side exit, Exit 2A, Western Avenue. Merge onto Western going south (do not turn); Museum Center entrance is on the right at the third traffic light.

If traveling on I-95:

Take a break at the Connecticut River Museum to check out their holiday train display. This museum recently withstood a fire, and needs all the support they can get from the local community and those passing through! While you’re there, learn more about the Connecticut River and its history.

Admission: $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for children

Hours: 10 am to 5 pm (Tues-Sun)

Directions: Located at 67 Main Street, Essex, CT. From Interstate 95, take Exit 69 (CT Route 9 North). Take CT Route 9 North to Exit 3 (Essex) and follow signs to Connecticut River Museum and Essex Historic Waterfront. Steamboat Dock is located at the foot of Main Street on the Connecticut River.

If traveling on I-10:

Learn about holidays from around the world at the Children’s Museum of Houston. The Seasons of Sharing exhibit tours kids around the world with holiday traditions, meals, celebrations, and gifts. Tour a block-long neighborhood of holiday houses, each with a different celebration inside. And if you’re traveling on a Thursday, you’re in luck: Thursday nights are free!

Admission: $9.00 adults and children over one year

Hours: 10 am to 6 pm (Tues-Sat) Noon to 6 pm (Sun)

Directions: Located at 1500 Binz, Houston, TX. From I-10, take 610 South, then 288 North. Exit on Binz (take a left). Museum is seven blocks on the left.

If traveling on I-65:

Have breakfast with Santa at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, a holiday event that opens November 30th and goes through December 14th. Eat with Santa, then create your own slide bag to ride down the museum’s ‘yule slide’. Combine breakfast with a day at the museum!

Note: Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has a Kidscore of 100. Learn more about Kidscore.

Admission: $19.50 for adults, $14.50 for children

Hours: 10 am to 5 pm (Tues-Sun)

Directions: Located at 3000 N. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN. From I-65 South, head into Indianapolis.
Exit at the 21st Street exit. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left on 21st Street. Follow 21st Street east to Illinois Street. Turn left on Illinois and continue north to 30th and Illinois Streets.

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Mt. Hood Railroad Polar Express

November 26, 2010 By Amy Hagstrom

A very special guest on the Polar Express!

110 Railroad Avenue
Hood River, OR

It’s that time of year…when everyday roadside attractions become magical! The Mt. Hood Railroad offers scenic tours through the Hood River Valley and the Columbia Gorge, and during the holiday season, they take a detour to the North Pole! Let your kids read along with the Polar Express story as the train makes its journey to the North Pole, meet Santa, and then enjoy caroling, hot cocoa, a treat and a special gift (for each child). Kids can wear their pajamas; be ready for some very cute photo ops! Everyone is dressed up to capture the feel of the story, and the train is beautifully decorated.

Distance from the nearest interstate: Right off I-84 in Hood River, Oregon. (Approximately 1 hour from Portland, OR down the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.)

Hours: Departures at 2 pm, 4:30 pm, and 7 pm nearly daily until December 23rd.

Ticket Prices: $26 per adult, $18 per child (age 2 and up).

Dining options: Cocoa and cookies are included in your ticket price, but no other food or drink are sold on the train. Passengers are welcome to bring their own bottled water and snacks. If you’re looking for a place to eat before or after your ride, I suggest either Hood River’s Andrew’s Pizza (107 Oak St), or, if time permits, a meal at the Multnomah Falls Lodge dining room in Cascade Locks on the way to or from the train ride.

Website: http://www.mthoodrr.com/Polar_Express/polar_mt_hood.html

Directions: From I-84, take the US-30 exit toward W Hood River/Westchill Dr. Turn right at US-30 E, then arrive at 110 Railroad St.