While we couldn’t find tickets to the Steelers home game played on Christmas Eve day, we certainly did find the next best thing:

Our seats with a view of the fans waving their Terrible Towels

JEROME BETTIS’ GRILLE (located right outside the stadium – with a window view of the stadium)

Most everything on the menu is large - example: this one-pound carrot cake served with a steak knife

(this post was taken from excerpts of the new 4th Edition KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA available in retail and online stores NOW!)

THE STRIP! Blocks of pure Pittsburgh. Along the Allegheny River just northeast of Downtown is the mile-long stretch known as The Strip District. Here, industrial and warehouse spaces have been reclaimed to support a bustling marketplace. During the day, this area serves as Pittsburgh’s most popular market district, offering the freshest foodstuffs. Just past the History Center including inticing polish, irish, italian, and greek smells wafting from the doorfronts and dozens of street and store vendors selling much “BLACK AND GOLD”. 

(this post was taken from excerpts of the new 4th Edition KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA available in retail and online stores NOW!)

Experience Pittsburgh’s history at The Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the History Center tells the experiences of the waves of immigrants who were swept into Pittsburgh on the tide of history. The core exhibit of the museum transports visitors through time from the 1750s to the present. An expansion includes the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.
The Sports Museum is where we landed for 2 hours! (Steelers rule, yinz know). 412-454-6000 or www.pghhistory.org.

PITTSBURGH SPORTS MUSEUM - FRANCO HARRISPITTSBURGH SPORTS MUSEUM - PIRATES

(this post was taken from excerpts of the new 4th Edition KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA available in retail and online stores NOW!)

INCLINES! A visit to Pittsburgh is not complete without a ride on the Monongahela or Duquesne Incline. Before the appearance of electric streetcars and automobiles, these funiculars were the most convenient way for Pittsburghers to climb the towering hills that are so much a part of the city’s topography. Today, the cars transport visitors to the top of Mount Washington for a spectacular view of the city and rivers.

Monongahela Incline: 412-442-2000 or www.ridegold.com/ride/pgIncline.asp

Duquesne Incline:            412-381-1665 or www.incline.cc

Best to combine a roundtrip ride on the incline with a bite of some really good food from several famous eateries in STATION SQUARE. Somehow the food tastes better when you have a window seat to people watch and you’re eating from an already popular menu.

(this post was taken from excerpts of the new 4th Edition KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA available in retail and online stores NOW!)

Sometimes, as your children age, it’s time to change things up a bit.

Over Christmas Break, I presented my kids with a present of a trip to just one city, just one part of the city – downtown (pittsburgese: pronounced dahntahn) PITTSBURGH – my birth town.

Here’s how I suggest you set this up: (no matter the town)

1. Book a hotel downtown – one with an indoor pool, restaurant, and downtown shuttle service is best.

On our three-day, two-night trip to Pittsburgh, we choose a Choice Hotel (part of rewards program):

Cambria Suites Pittsburgh at CONSOL Energy Center

Do you ever wonder if your kids would want to join you on a short journey back to your hometown? Wonder more what it would be like to be a tourist in your own town?

Sometimes, as your children age, it’s time to change things up a bit.

Over Christmas Break, I presented my kids with a present of a trip to just one city, just one part of the city – downtown (pittsburgese: pronounced dahntahn) PITTSBURGH – my birth town.

Here’s how I suggest you set this up: (no matter the town)

1. Book a hotel downtown – one with an indoor pool, restaurant, and downtown shuttle service is best.

Read our budget travel tips for making a quick Seasonal Getaway more affordable.

Besides using one of our guidebooks to get unique ideas for places to go, here are some other suggestions we offer.

1. PLAN  2 – 4 ACTIVITIES within a one hour drive time of each other. Base you choices on the season of year.  Holiday Trolley Tours are so fun – singing carols and sipping hot cocoa…invite cousins, grandparents, etc. along.

2.  For the road, PACK small wrapped gifts of  TRAVEL GAMES & TOYS the kids get to open every couple of hours.  Why wait for all the gift giving on one day? Spread stocking stuffer giving out there & back.  

3.  If your budget allows, have the VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A TV/DVD unit. Play Christmas dvds all the way…

4.  Choose FAMILY FRIENDLY LODGING. Our family “vacations for a living” so we found budget hotels the norm. We joined hotel memberships and charge cards. We will not stay in places that are dirty. We look for hotels with indoor pools and free breakfast. For some reason, if they offer both, they are more likely to be clean and family-friendly environments. 

In suburbs, I spend no more than $70 per night. Beach properties, no more than $100. Those rates are with the extras I look for.  

 5.  HISTORY is easy, if you SNEAK IT IN! Engage your kids by learning with Santa and his elves. Historical homes are basically boring to tour in the summer, but near the holidays, what stuffy old house doesn’t smell sweet with the scent of cinnamon and gingerbread cookies?

What about you?

Do you have some tricks you’ve learned that make traveling to visit relatives at Christmas less stressful but still inexpensive and fun?

Please comment and let us know…

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PBS KIDS VIDEO APP – HOLIDAY TIME SAVER

If you’ve ever been on a long road trip or endless flight with a child, you know that preparation is the key to smooth travels. And having your smartphone or tablet stocked with entertaining, quality apps for the kids is one of the best ways to travel smart.

Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, PBS KIDS has made their popular PBS KIDS Video app for iPad now available for iPhone and iPod Touch! The app provides families free, streaming access to more than 2,000 videos – including clips and full episodes – from favorite PBS KIDS series. The app will offer kids quality educational content on those long holiday trips and well into the New Year.

As mentioned, the app is free and can be downloaded on the App Store as well as here: http://www.itunes.apple.com/us/app/pbs-kids-video/id435138734?mt=8

So whether you’re simply dashing to grandmother’s house for a holiday meal or taking on longer travels these next few weeks, this is one app to be sure to check out.

9 ESSENTIALS TRAVELING WITH TOTS

http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/08/9302157-9-essentials-for-traveling-with-tots?chromedomain=moms

* TRAVELING THIS HOLIDAY? STAYING AT HOTELS?

5 Family Travel Hotel Problems Solved: http://www.travelsavvymom.com/blog/family-travel/5-family-travel-hotel-problems-solved/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+travelsavvymom+%28Travel+Savvy+Mom%29

* It is no secret that I love to purchase Christmas ornaments on our family travels, so I love Anne’s post about her ornament souvenirs! http://www.500placeswithkids.com/2011/09/vacation-souvenirs-to-remember.html

* MUSEUMS BY CANDLELIGHT (FREDERICKSBURG, MD or something like it in your town?)

http://www.fredericktourism.org/what-to-see/museums-by-candlelight/

* December 2011 Calendar for Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites

www.gastateparks.org/events/

* Tybee for the Holidays Offers Family-Friendly Fun to Brighten the Holiday Season:

visit www.tybeefortheholidays.com

* WIN A SNOW DAY GETAWAY IN CLEVELAND:  Winter in Cleveland Plus is about more than just sweaters, scarves, mittens and boots. Winter is a time to experience the best of the season in a region that truly embraces the weather. And, what better way to experience winter than having your very own snow day! http://cl.exct.net/?qs=c60324400498367f1163bbc1e3fc688f282b658d13d5b69672aad1dc8effe7b5 

Pet Car Travel Tips – Taking Fido along with you to the family thanksgiving festivities? Make sure he’s safe, sound and comfortable during the long car ride with pet travel tips from the ASPCA and products from Sure Fit (http://surefit.net – leader in slip covers and home solutions.

1. Keep your pets safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier. There are a variety of wire mesh, hard plastic and soft-sided carriers available. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s large enough for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in.

2. Get your pet geared up for a long trip by taking him on a series of short drives first, gradually lengthening time spent in the car. And please be sure to always secure the crate so it won’t slide or shift in the event of a quick stop.

3. Your pet’s travel-feeding schedule should start with a light meal three to four hours prior to departure. Don’t feed your furry friend in a moving vehicle—even if it is a long drive.

4. Never leave your animal alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked automobile can become a furnace in no time, and heatstroke can develop. In cold weather, a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

5. What in your pet’s traveling kit? In addition to travel papers, food, bowl, leash, a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming supplies, medication and a pet first-aid kit, pack a favorite toy or pillow to give your pet a sense of familiarity

6. Make sure your pet has a microchip for identification and wears a collar with a tag imprinted with your home address, as well as a temporary travel tag with your cell phone, destination phone number and any other relevant contact information. Canines should wear flat (never choke!) collars, please.

7. Don’t allow your pet to ride with his head outside the window. He could be injured by flying objects. And please keep him in the back seat in his crate or with a harness attached to a seat buckle.

8. Traveling across state lines? Bring along your pet’s rabies vaccination record, as some states requires this proof at certain interstate crossings. While this generally isn’t a problem, it’s always smart to be on the safe side.

9. When it comes to H2O, we say BYO. Opt for bottled water or tap water stored in plastic jugs. Drinking water from an area he’s not used to could result in tummy upset for your pet.

10. If you travel frequently with your pet, you may want to invest in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers, such as the Sure Fit’s Auto Friends Collection which has great travel solutions from Pet Hammocks to Car Seat Covers that will protect your car from fur while keeping your pet comfortable.