Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Originally, I planned to take the train first thing on Thursday morning to attend an event the day before the conference started on Friday  (more on that later), but a last minute change had me travelling down on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, I spent most of the day out in Brooklyn taping a roundtable conversation for Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project, but the shoot wrapped up in time for me to connect up with my BlogHer roommate Joanne Bamberger (PunditMom)  and go to the Matisse exhibit (Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917) at the Museum of Modern Art.

Joanne is a MoMA member so she didn’t need a timed ticket to see Matisse, and as her guest I could purchase a pass for $5.00. If you aren’t a member or guest of one, you will need a timed ticket for Matisse. Is it worth it? If you like Matisse, yes. The exhibit, which runs through mid October,  gives you a good perspective on the evolution of his art. However, as we wandered through the exhibit a recurring theme of my commentary was how disconcerted I might have been had I been one of his subjects. There’s a series of sculptures of a female neighbor that progresses from fairly realistic to very  stylized (and not very attractive), and some of the renditions of his children are downright disturbing.

One of the neatest parts of the exhibit though is his version of of deHeem’s La Desserte because the original is shown along with Matisse’s version. It’s surprisingly faithful in its own way.

Timed tickets to Matisse are $20 and include all the MoMA galleries. Children 16 and under are free, and there are senior and student discounts. The Museum of Modern Art is located at 11 West 53rd Street.

Ellis Island

On Thursday, I went to Ellis Island on a trip sponsored by  Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project. We took the Ellis Island Ferry from Battery Park ($12 adults, senior and child discounts available), had a lovely lunch at Ellis Island, and enjoyed a guided tour by Ellis Island expert Tom Bernardin. We were a private group, but Bernardin offers his guided tour for $30 per person 3-4 times per week at 9:45 am (not including the ferry ticket). Note that waiting for the ferry on the Manhattan side will give you a true appreciation for the concept of “huddled masses yearning to be free.”

We did not disembark at Liberty Island, but circling the Statue of Liberty gives you some of the most spectacular views of this landmark.  Ellis Island itself is fascinating, and Tom created a good picture of what it must have been like for immigrants from the late 1800s through the early part of the 20th century.

Some of my photos from the day. More on Flickr.

Central Park Zoo

On Sunday, the conference was over, and good friend Celeste Lindell and I walked over to the Central Park Zoo and spent an hour enjoying the animals in this compact zoo before we departed for our respective homes later that afternoon. If you like zoos, Central Park is a great way to pass an hour, and it is the perfect size for small children who were out in force (with their parents of course). Be warned: once you’ve been, you’ll never view the Madagascar cartoons in quite the same way. There are no lions, hippos or giraffes, but there are plenty of lemurs and penguins. Selected pictures from the visit are on Snapshot Chronicles and the full set is on Flickr.

The zoo opens at 10am year round, and closes at 5 weekdays, 5:30 weekends in summer, 4:30 daily in winter. Adult admission $12. Senior and child discounts available.

The Shower Curtain

I have never wanted an item in a hotel room, with the exception of the executive apartment that Mir and I had at Mom 2.0 in Houston last February, and in that case, we wanted the entire apartment. Or, you know, to never go home. But last week at the New York Hilton, I fell in love with the shower curtain.

This one. (affiliate link)

There was a waterproof liner attached to the curtain on the inside below the mesh panel, and the outer curtain was cloth in a white herringbone pattern. The mesh panel let in light while the opaque curtain protected privacy. It would be the perfect shower curtain for a shared bathroom when both occupants are on tight schedules and truly need to share.

Right now, none of our bathrooms would accommodate this type of shower curtain; the one with the tub is the bathroom Doug uses, and I am not so crazy to put a WHITE shower curtain in a room used by a 10-year old boy. Someday though.

Important: If you think you’d like this shower curtain,  the one sold in Hilton’s online shop is NOT the right one.  The one in my link is the correct one, and there are also similar less expensive options on Amazon.

Hotels

On this trip I stayed at the Wellington Hotel for the first two nights. I went to New York earlier than originally planned for a taping of a roundtable panel for Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project and this was all they could get for a hotel. The Wellington’s rack rate ranges between $175-230 except during Fashion Week when it skyrockets to the $300-400 range. These rates aren’t that different than the advertised rates at much better hotels in New York. The rooms are very small, not unusual for New York, and very rudimentary. The ice machine is in the lobby. You get the idea. Unless you’ve got no other choice, and absolutely need the 7th Ave/Carnegie Hall location, you can do better with a little hunting. Start by checking Quikbook online. If you’re totally stuck? You can survive anything for a night or two.

I moved over to the Hilton on 6th Ave. for Blogher, which had a special conference rate of $199 per night. Hilton’s regular rates range from $329-400 per night, putting it WAY out of my budget for a personal trip. However, if you are a member of Hilton’s frequent stay program and you need to be in this area of Manhattan, look into using your points.

On my previous trip to NYC for the TBEX travel blogging conference, I stayed at the Hotel Indigo in Chelsea, also with a special rate of $199. Normal rack rate is $250-275, but the hotel, like many in Manhattan, offers packages that can save on the rack rate if you want the add-on (breakfast, sightseeing, sometimes theater tickets and restaurant vouchers.) An advantage of Hotel Indigo is that it’s owned by InterContinental Hotels. Join the Priority Pass frequent stay program and you can earn your points staying at budget friendly Holiday Inns and use ‘em in Manhttan. Hotel Indigo in New York also has a nice little rooftop bar and free wi-fi. Very convenient to Penn Station, which is usually how I travel to the city.

Other hotels to consider in NYC, but note that I haven’t stayed at them recently (or in the case of one, at all): Affinia Hotel Manhattan, right across the street from Penn Station.  I think the Affiinia used to be a residence hotel, which is why all the rooms have a kitchenette. This makes it very appealing for trips to NYC with my son, as I can save a pretty penny on breakfast by “cooking in” before we go off on our day of sightseeing. Room size is variable.  Rack rate starts around $239 but there are discounts for AARP and AAA members.

The Paramount in Times Square. The rooms in this hotel are teeny tiny, but the Times Square location cannot be beat, and you can usually get a good rate. Rack rates for a one-night stay in mid-August ranged from $180-209. Definitely check Quikbook online before booking directly.

A hotel I have not stayed at but that gets raves from colleagues is the Roger Smith Hotel. Typical rates range from $189-249, although there are a few outlier inexpensive rates ($139 and $159), and like most Midtown hotels, rates skyrocket during Fashion Week in September. Free wi-fi.

Unless you are getting a conference rate (and even then) check the rate on Quikbook online before booking directly with a hotel. Sometimes you can get a better rate, sometimes you cannot, but it is always worth checking.

Restaurants

Meals are never a big part of a conference-based trip to New York. Especially with BlogHer. I find Iam so busy that I often forget about dinner altogether. Nonetheless, I had a few nice meals on this trip that merit a call-out.

Insieme, the Italian restaurant inside the Michelangelo Hotel on W. 51st. You can make a very nice meal out of a salad and an appetizer portion of pasta. Plus some bread and a glass of wine or two. We weren’t familiar with the wines on the wine list so to help us choose, they gave us a tasting of a few choices.  We also were offered an amuse-bouche of a cold tomato soup that was quite tasty.

My publisher took me to dinner at sushi/dim sum restaurant Ruby Foo’s in Times Square. The food was good, but the best part was the company and being served (versus the conference buffet line.)  Sister Times Square restaurant (also part of B.R. Guest Restaurants) Blue Fin is also quite good.

On Sunday after our trip to the zoo, we had lunch at the Brooklyn Diner on West 57th. I had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and Celeste had a baked macaroni and cheese dish that looked absolutely decadent. You also might want to check out a classic in the area, the Carnegie Deli, but be warned, the portions are large (and pricey) and the service short.

Disclosure: The trip to Ellis Island was sponsored by Liberty Mutual. The trip to the zoo was the first (hopefully annual) self-sponsored BlogHer  zoo trip. I wasn’t even tempted to  liberate the shower curtain from the Hilton bathroom.  My hotel room at the Wellington was paid for by the film production company and presumably was part of the budget for the filming. The shower curtain link above is an affiliate link to Amazon.

After five years and six BlogHer conferences, I know so many members of the BlogHer community, it’s inevitable that I won’t connect with everyone at BlogHer next month. And I’m just going to have to deal with it.

Here’s where I’m planning to be Thursday August 5  Tuesday August 3 - Sunday August 8. If you are in the same places, I hope we connect.

Tuesday August 3, 2010

Late afternoon train to the city.

Wednesday August 4, 2010

Business appointment then hanging out with good friend and BlogHer room-mate Joanne Bamberger (@PunditMom)

Thursday August 5, 2010

11am-5pm: Liberty Mutual Responsibility Project, Ellis Island tour*

and logistics willing, stopping in at all these events:

4-8pm:  Kaspersky Lab Virus Analyst Summit (Westin Times Square)*

5-8pm:  Avery Social Luxe

6-8pm:  Bloggers Night Out with Martha Stewart*

8-11pm: Schick Party, W. 40th Street (offsite public event)

7-10pm: The People’s Party (Hilton)

Friday August 6, 2010

10:30-11:45: FTC panel (speaking)

2:45-4pm: ROYO, Social Media is Bringing Sexy Back to Branding (speaking)

6-10pm: BlogHer Reception and Gala Welcome Party

Saturday August 7, 2010

noon-12:35   Professional Blogging For Dummies Book Signing

Progressive Parties

6-9pm: Green Affair

6-9pm: Blogalicious

8-11pm: Sparklecorn

10-1am: CheesburgHer

Sunday August 8, 2010

AM: Central Park Zoo. Good friend Celeste Lindell (@AverageJane) is planning to join me. Maybe you will too?

After lunch: B&H Photo

If you’d like to join me on either of these excursions, just let me know. Best way is probably Twitter (@sgetgood)

3:00pm Train home!!

Disclosure: Starred (*) events are hosted events to which I was invited for one reason or another. Avery Social Luxe is a public party with limited space that sold out early. Everything else I listed above was/is open to all BlogHer attendees, although some events did “sell out” due to capacity constraints. My Sunday activities are personal, but I’d love folks to join me if they are interested.

Updated on July 31st.

I also hoped to pick up a few pointers for this travel blog that, while very neglected of late, is still very close to my heart. I don’t have many hobbies. Dogs. Photography. Cooking. Sporadically needlework like crochet and needlepoint. I collect a few things — miniatures and Scottish Terrier items, especially pins and bookends.  And of course, the living breathing specimens

And always and forever travel.

Like Kara Williams of The Vacation Gals, my travel blogging is more pragmatic, less introspective than many of the writers at the conference. I’m well past my backpack and hostel days, and I’ve always liked a certain amount of creature comforts. I prefer a shorter trip with a little luxury to a long trip with none.

I write about traveling with my son. What we do and see. And how we survive the sometimes stressful experience of traveling as a family. In all its variations. In the last 2 years, I have traveled with my husband and son, with them plus his sister and family, with my son alone, with my brother and mother, and by myself.

By myself is quieter but not always more fun. Sure, I can wander around taking pictures (my preferred souvenir) and nobody loses patience with how long I can stay shooting the same thing to get just what I want. But I almost always think how much Douglas (my son) would love something. And wish he was with me to experience it. For example, on this last trip, I had a yummy strawbery-rhubarb Crumbs cupcake for lunch, and immediately made plans to bring my son to a Crumbs Bakery next time we are in Manhattan together.  Because he would just LOVE it.

Even though my blogging here is as much about family as it is about travel, some of the advice presented at the TBEX conference really resonated.

The opening panel was called “Travel Writing: Upping Your Game.” A core idea of the panel was that travel writers have a quest. It doesn’t have to be big, and it may be the reader’s quest, not the writer’s, but there’s a goal. As one of the presenters commented (I think it was David Farley but my notes don’t say), it’s like the Wizard of Oz. Without the quest, the story is just a bunch of oddballs wandering around.

Allison Stein Wellner, who writes for about.com and Luxist,  contributed the idea of the situation versus the story. Originally coined by Vivian Gornick in  her book The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative (affiliate link), the idea is that we are in situations, but we tell stories. What makes our writing compelling is the stories. Sometimes this is hard to reconcile with the more pragmatic style family travel blog, but I still think it’s about our stories. Even if they are less introspective, and more about answering questions that our readers might have, we’re still solving a problem. Following a quest.

The other presentation that really resonated with me, even though I don’t (yet) do a lot of video was Lori Rothschild Ansaldi’s presentation on how to create a compelling travel video. In a very accessible and simple way, Lori (who was an executive producer for Samantha Brown’s travel show) told the audience how to research a story, create a storyboard and prepare a shot list, all without using any industry jargon. And she told the attendees that it was okay to get help editing your videos. Amen!

As I always say, know what you do well and do it. And what you don’t? Outsource.

Now,  the little more New York.

I stayed at the Hotel Indigo on West 28th. They offered a nice discount for TBEX attendees if you booked by the end of March, and it was walking distance from Penn Station. When possible in New York, I like to walk. You see more and get a little exercise as well.  My hotel decision payed huge dividends when I decided, at 3:30 pm on Sunday, to catch an earlier train home. All I had to do was walk the two blocks from Macy’s to my hotel, collect my bag, and book it a few blocks to the station to catch the 4:05 pm Acela home.

I also walked to (and from) the conference, at the Cantor Film Center on 8th Street in Greenwich Village, both days. You can see my full photo set on Flickr, but here are some of the highlights.

On Saturday morning, I walked down Broadway and through the Union Square market. I was terribly tempted by the cherries, but knew I couldn’t eat a whole pint without being sick (and sticky)  so didn’t buy any. I took a few pictures on my way.

On the way back to the hotel Saturday evening, I noticed an odd statue of a nude man in Madison Square Park. I didn’t take a picture then but you can see it here in a picture I took during the Gay Pride Parade on Sunday:

Sunday morning, I was walking through Union Square and for some reason looked up and saw:

At first, I thought that somehow they’d moved the statue I’d seen the day before, but then I realized this might be the Manhattan version of Chicago’s cows.

Not exactly. But close enough. British artist Antony Gormley has placed 31 life-size figures of his own body cast in iron and glass fiber on sidewalks and rooftops of buildings near Madison Square Park. Apparently many of the figures are on rooftops, which has caused some consternation, but it seems most folks realize they are statues, not jumpers.

The weird thing?

Going through my photos when I got home, I realized I had captured another image with a Gormley statue. Totally unintentionally. I didn’t even notice the figure on the roof until I was editing my shots.

The statues will be on display until August 15th. If you’re in the neighborhood, look up!

And the $25,000 question is: how are you going to keep the kids entertained in transit? Here are my tips for making getting there a part of the fun of the holiday, not just something to be endured.

1. Give each child a new game, toy or activity as you depart. Nothing expensive — a travel game or book for older kids, a small toy for younger ones. New is the key here –something novel that will keep their attention for the first stage of the trip, which is often on familiar (boring) ground, especially if you are driving to your destination. Important: don’t give books to kids who get carsick. It’s a tease, not a treat.

2. Now is not the time to impose a moratorium on electronics. Carefully stage and pack all hand held video units, iPods/iTouches and DVD players to make sure you have all the necessary chargers, headphones and games/DVDs. Try to avoid bringing every last game and movie — make the kids pick a few favorites You can always buy new movies in transit, even at rest stop convenience stores. Do the same for your own electronics — mobile phone, laptop, Kindle, iPod etc.

3. If you are traveling by plane, train or boat, each child should have his/her own appropriately sized carry-on for toys and games. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t come with, and don’t let your children have two carry-ons. You will end up carrying one of them. Instead, if you are traveling by plane, use one of the extra alloted carry-ons to pack a small suitcase with a change of clothes for everyone, basic toiletries and medicines. If your luggage is lost, or you have an extended layover, you will appreciate it. I learned this from experience. When Douglas was one, we had a lengthy and unexpected layover in Zurich on the way back from Europe. I had packed the diaper bag with everything I thought we’d need to get home, but hadn’t accounted for a 6 hour layover. I don’t know about now, but at the time, they did not sell disposable diapers at the Zurich airport. We made it home with none to spare!

4. If you are traveling by car, let the kids use their electronics when you are on long boring stretches of road. When there’s actually stuff to look at, or when the batteries die, try some of these games to encourage them to look out the window.

License Plate – This was a family favorite when I was a kid (pre-electronics era) You simply try to spot plates from all 50 states. This is especially good when traveling long distances.

Alphabet — Play Alphabet when you are in areas with lots of billboards and highway signs. Two teams, each has one side of the road. Your challenge is to spot the letters of the alphabet in order.

Travel Bingo — You can buy travel bingo sets or print your own from the web. We’ve used a pad and pencil version from eeBoo Travel Bingo and also have the cards with the sliders (Regal Travel Auto Bingo), no pencil required. As long as each player has a different card, you don’t have to pick sides of the car. Just be sure that every player stands a reasonable chance of seeing a number of the things on his or her card.

Want to get your kid’s nose out of the Nintendo while eating at a restaurant? Play I Spy.  I Spy with my little eye something that is…. Our basic rules are the players can ask yes or no questions, and get 20 guesses/questions. But we often skip the rules and just have fun playing.

5. Popular games like Battleship and Mastermind have travel versions. Pick up some of your families favorites and a deck of cards for your travel games kit. Keep it small so it can fit in your airline carry-on as well as the backseat!

Next up in Surviving Summer Vacation: Kids and cameras

One of my favorite cities in the world is Paris.

I loved it in my youth when I lived in France for a year in high school and a semester in college. I loved it as an adult in the 90s when I was lucky enough to have a few business trips that brought me back. And I loved it as a parent in 2001 when we brought our then one-year old son on a two-week trip to Switzerland, Strasbourg, Paris and London. Hopefully, I’ll get back there again sometime in the next few years.

One of the reasons I love the city is that you don’t have to be wealthy to have a good time in Paris. In my experience, it is much easier to live and eat well in Paris on a shoestring than it is  in other major capitals like New York and London. Don’t get me wrong, I adore New York and London. But I find that I enjoy them much more when the money flows a bit freer than I do when on a tight budget.

In Paris, though,  like in the US capital Washington DC (also a planned city), there’s so much that can be enjoyed for free. It’s also a very walkable city. And the cheap food is good food, not fish & chips (which, while good, do not make a healthy steady diet) or cardboard hamburgers (although there is a McDonald’s on the Champs-Elysée).

It’s also a great city for families. Here are three things that should be on your must–see list when visiting Paris with kids.

Tour Montparnasse – The lines to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower are long. Nearly all the time. When you have young kids, waiting in line can be murder. So instead, see the Eiffel Tower from the ground, and then make your way over to the Montparnasse train station and the Tour Montparnasse. It’s an ugly iron and steel modern office building, but the views of Paris from the top are amazing. According to some, it’s the best place from which to see Paris, because you CAN’T see the Tour Montparnasse.

Le Jardin du Luxembourg is the jewel in the crown of the Paris parks. Just walking through it, at any time of the year is a treat. What makes it so great for families with young kids, however, is the children’s playground. There’s a small entrance fee — just a few francs when we were there in 2001. It’s a great way to break up a day of sightseeing.

Montmartre - It takes a while to get there, from wherever you are in Paris, but it’s worth it. It’s fun to ramble through the narrow, unplanned streets, and the views of Paris from the Basilique du Sacré Coeur are terrific. The best part for kids though is the Carousel.

If you have time on your trip to Paris, a visit to Versailles is also fun to do with kids. I’ve been four different times, at various points in my life, and each time, the experience was amazing and different. It’s an easy trip by train (about an hour), and a short walk from the train station to the Château de Versailles. Warning: there are two principal train stations in Versailles, each corresponding to a different train line (Rive Gauche, Rive Droite). Both are in walking distance of the Château.

This month, I took two overnight business trips, to Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. Didn’t see much other than the companies I was visiting and my hotel rooms, both of which were your standard chain rooms (Omni in Atlanta and Westin in Florida), although I was able to have dinner with friends in both places – Mexican at  No Mas! Cantina in Atlanta and sushi at Asia Bay on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Both terrific and I highly recommend them.

Here are some tips for surviving short turnaround trips like these.

Always get two hotel keys. If one doesn’t work (and it happens often) you have a back-up and can avoid the long journey back to reception. Because, guaranteed, you’re tired and when the key doesn’t work, your room is ALWAYS at the furthest possible point from the elevator.

Don’t check your bag. Bring just what you need and carry-on. If you check and your bag gets lost, you’ll probably be home before it catches up with you. And you won’t have clean clothes for the second day.  Problematic if that’s when the big meeting is. A variant on this tip for your family vacation is to carry-on one bag with a change of clothes for everyone plus your basic toiletries. It’s like carrying an umbrella on an overcast day. You may not need it but if you don’t have one, it will rain.

Extra fees are a fact of airline travel these days. I fly JetBlue or Southwest when I have a checked bag, because I will not pay the big airlines for the privilege of checking a bag unless I absolutely have no choice. Some fees are worth it though. Early-bird check-in on Southwest is well worth the $10 each way. When you are on a tight schedule, you can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to call in at the 24-hour mark. Early-bird pretty much guarantees you won’t get stuck in a middle seat, but you don’t have to pay the higher ticket price for business class (or whatever they call it.) On JetBlue, the extra legroom seats are worth it for longer flights, especially if you have to work on the plane, but don’t bother for short hauls. Don’t forget to bring your own headset for JetBlue.

If you like to read, get an e-book reader. Especially if you read fast.  I got a Kindle (affiliate link) for Christmas and now can bring 2-3 books on a trip with the same slim footprint. Freed up lots of space in my briefcase and makes carry-on realistic, even for 2-3 day trips.  In summer, when the clothes are lighter. In winter, I can do carry-on for an overnight, but not longer trips.

Invest in a netbook instead of lugging your laptop. I’ve also heard that some folks are substituting an iPad for their laptop.  Bottom line, lighten the load.  If  you are using a netbook, definitely get the Kensington Wireless Mouse (affiliate link) that has a USB option for inflight use.

Don’t assume that a round-trip ticket is the least expensive option. Especially if it involves multiple airlines. Look at the cost of each leg booked as a one-way before buying your ticket. This is super important if your plans may get “fluid.” I recently lost a great return flight, even though I was only changing my outbound travel, due to the extremely rigid rules of the airlines. Had the tickets been two separate tickets, I still would have been screwed on the last minute change to the outbound, but could have kept my return. This applies to Amtrak as well when using the AAA discount. The outbound leg of my upcoming trip to NYC (on the Northeast Regional in off-peak hours) would have been more expensive booked as a round-trip with my return on the Acela. Instead I booked it as two separate trips, getting the great off-peak fare for the trip to NY and the AAA discount on my Acela fare for the return to Boston.

Only carry the things you will need during the flight in your “under seat” bag. Everything else goes in your overnight bag. I even put my netbook in the outside pouch of my roll-aboard bag unless I am going to use it on the plane. This reduces the weight on your back or shoulders. Seems like a small thing but you’ll appreciate it as you navigate a terminal for a connecting flight and your shoulder bag doesn’t feel like it has bricks in it.

Hotels — even those that aren’t part of chains — have soap and shampoo in the room. Don’t waste the space in your 1 quart plastic bag with those items for a short trip. Your skin and hair can take one night without whatever special products you use at home. Save the space for things like moisturizer and your favorite  make-up remover. I always bring eyedrops.

What are your top tips for short trips?

Columbus Zoo

During a business trip to Columbus, Ohio, I had a a full day to spare before my flight home due to last minute changes in my travel plans. The good news, however, was that friend Christina McMenemy (A Mommy Story) was free that day and suggested we go to the Columbus Zoo. We only had time for a few exhibits, but I was impressed with the facility – especially how clean it was, and look forward to a future trip to Columbus to see more.

Baby Elephant, Columbus Zoo

Red Panda, Columbus Zoo

Gray Wolf, Columbus Zoo

Stone Zoo

Douglas decided he wanted to go to the zoo too, so I took the afternoon off yesterday from book editing, and we went to a small local zoo, the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

You can see the whole zoo in about 90 minutes, but it is a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and the staff is very friendly. One zookeeper pointed out a little turtle — wild — that had moved into their pond, and when we said we hadn’t been able to spot the Snow Leopard, offered to walk back and point her out to us.

The animals in the Stone Zoo are mostly American (North and South) native animals, with a couple of Himalayan species for good measure. Sister zoo, the Franklin Park Zoo, has the African mammals and will be our next zoo destination.

Mexican Gray Wolf, Stone Zoo

River Otter, Stone Zoo

Douglas, Stone Zoo

Soundtrack for this post: At the Zoo, by Simon and Garfunkel.

You can find me on Twitter (@sgetgood) and I’m still posting at SnapshotChronicles.com and Marketing Roadmaps (getgood.com/roadmaps).

Last year when I attended the Mom 2.0 Summit, I stayed in a lovely executive suite, with a bedroom and separate small living room. It was enchanting, and one of the nicest hotel rooms I’ve ever had at a business conference.

This year, however, the hotel outdid itself.

We had booked a double room but when I checked in Thursday afternoon, they were oversold.

But we got lucky. We got upgraded to one of the Four Seasons’ extended stay apartments. Two bedrooms, two baths, an open plan living/dining room and a kitchen. This floorplan.

Thanks, Bobby at the Four Seasons. Your hotel rocks. You rock.

And we didn’t want to leave. As the oh so lovely Mir said, when we find the money tree, we’re coming back, and we may never leave.

Plus, you allow dogs.

Licorice and Reva will love it.