One of the benefits of raising a family in Los Angeles is the proximity of Disneyland. Talk about convenience! Every parent I know can recall at least one impromptu trip to the theme park. However, the past year has been somewhat marred: as Disney California Adventure has undergone a massive renovation (the second biggest in Disneyland’s history), the closed-off areas, closed attractions and rides, and long panels blocking views of construction have been an eyesore. What’s going on behind those walls? At long last, all that work is about to be revealed. June 15 will mark the opening of the new California Adventure, and after spending a media preview day in Disneyland, it’s easy to see that the new California Adventure will be worth the wait. As Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs said (on video) during our media preview day, the wait of “five years is now down to five weeks” before the big unveiling of the new Disney California Adventure at Disneyland. Goodbye scaffolding and temporary walls, and hello to…Cars Land and Buena Vista Street! These two new attractions will make California Adventure an equal partner with Disneyland Resort next door. Both will be immersive, story-telling experiences that enrapture children and Disney-loving adults alike.

Sign on Scaffolding about Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

Walking under an archway where a parking lot once stood instantly transports theme park guests into the world of Cars Land. Designed to look like the red rock terrain of Radiator Springs, Arizona (where Pixar’s movie is set), Cars Land at Disneyland’s California Adventure has rides, restaurants and activities set against a backdrop of seemingly soaring cliffs. A bit of visual trickery called forced perspective makes the 12-acre Cars Land park seem even bigger. Once in Cars Land, guests can feel the rest of the world slip away; it’s that immersive.

Radiator Springs Racers at Cars Land, at Disney California Adventure

It’s really the attention to detail and authenticity to the feeling of optimism in the Cars movies that makes Cars Land special. There is not a detail out of place here, and it feels like the fantasized version of the American Southwest. Nostalgia takes hold of adults as we see all the Route 66 details — remembering times before we were born, perhaps, but idealized and romanticized in our culture for decades.

New Disney characters, stars of Pixar’s Cars movies Lightning McQueen and Mater will be strolling (um…driving) around Radiator Springs greeting and interacting with guests. Red the Fire Truck will spray water — he’s bound to be one of the most popular new theme park characters on hot summer days — and DJ, the boom box-like “party car” will create spontaneous, interactive street parties.

Whoo-ee! Mater's Junkyard Jamboree at Cars Land, Disney California Adventure

Five large Cozy Cone Motels, shaped like traffic cones as seen in the Cars movie, will have food in cones; frozen conecoctions, they call them, and chili cone queso, pop-cones.  Sure, the puns are corny, but that’s part of the fun of a Disney theme park vacation, isn’t it? Walking around Cars Land on this media preview day, I found it easy to get swept up in the sense of optimism and story-telling of the scenery. 1950′s music at Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and comfort food at Flo’s V8 Cafe complete the transportive experience.

Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure

Disneyland has Main Street leading to the castle and rides, and now, the Disney California Adventure side of the theme park will have Buena Vista Street leading to Paradise Pier. And, just like Cars Land transports visitors to the idealized version of 1950s Americana, Buena Vista Street is designed to immerse guests in the optimistic feeling of being on a boardwalk dotted with the Victorian-style buildings of 1920′s America.

New characters will wander up and down Buena Vista Street, interacting with visitors. There are Red Car Trolleys, run on batteries but designed to look electric. The trolley conductors say “All Aboard!” and talk in that speeded-up old-timey way, again harkening back to the Roaring Twenties. There are lots of trees: these are for shade, to cool down the street, and to add authenticity to the experience of strolling down a Victorian-era boardwalk. This helps make Buena Vista Street a place where theme park guests spend time in, not just walk through to get to the rest of Disney’s California Adventure.

Red Car Trolley to Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure

The romanticized version of 1920′s Hollywood is intended to reflect Walt Disney’s sense of positivity when he first came to Southern California to create the theme park. To this end, there is a new statue of Walt Disney (with Mickey Mouse), this one cast of him as a young man.

The Carthay Circle Theatre includes a lounge and Carthay Circle Restaurant, which is the best, and swankiest, restaurant in Disney California Adventure.  The Theatre is designed to be reminiscent of the original Carthay Theatre, where the premiere of Snow White was received with great success. Also new at Disney California Adventure this summer is the Mad T Party in Hollywood Land, which ratchets up the hip quotient a notch; this will appeal to older kids and teens. The Mad T Party is inspired by Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Bright neon colors, modern music, and dancing will prevail.

Talkin' about Carthay Circle Theatre at Disney California Adventure

The new Disney California Adventure will open to the public on June 15, 2012. From what I’ve seen, I can tell you, it’s going to be a big deal. Disney California Adventure is finally just as exciting and fun as Disneyland. It hits all the right notes for a theme park. As I heard several times during the media preview, “The happiest place on earth just got happier.” If you’re considering making Southern California part of your summer travel plans, be sure to set a weekend aside to be part of Disney California Adventure’s new story.

Yesterday I had the fun experience of being on a local show called  Twin Cities Live (aka: TCL) to talk travel blogs with hosts Elizabeth and John. Earlier this year I “met” Assistant Producer Mike on Twitter, then on the Disney Fantasy (well technically at MSP Airport) I met the Field Reporter Emily and TCL Executive Producer Mandy. Each staff member works uber hard and it shows in the work they do. The entire team has to have focus and work quickly to pull-off live TV five days a week. It’s pretty amazing.

While there were many other segments yesterday, one of the most exciting was the kick-off of  a giveaway called  Flyaway to New York City with TCL. There’s a good chance you’ve heard of ABC’s show The Chew that launched last fall. Well, the two shows have teamed up for viewers to win a trip for two to New York City and be a part of the audience on The Chew! That sounds like so much fun, doesn’t it?

Every day this week (the week of May 14), Twin Cities Live will announce The Chew Food of the Day then viewers will enter the word on the TCL site for a chance to win. You can increase your chances to win by watching every day. In other words, enter all five words for five chances to be selected. The winner will be selected on Monday, May 21 and will receive air transportation to NYC and a two night hotel stay. Total value of the trip is $2,500! You can learn more on the Twin Cities Live site.

Good luck! And if you win this fab trip to see The Chew – be sure to let us know!

Can you believe there are more than 30 Starwood hotels in the New York City area? I mean, sure, this includes hotels in less-than-glamorous Long Island City and Hoboken (New Jersey!), but still; the Starwood properties on the outskirts of NYC are very convenient with easy routes to the city. The Starwood hotels in New York City itself include some of the most upscale joints you’ll find, from the swanky W New York in Times Square, to the hip Le Parker Meridien, to one of the grande dames of luxury hotels in NYC, the St. Regis New York. Not to mention the more affordable Four Points by Sheraton hotels in and around the city. No matter your price point, there’s a Starwood hotel somewhere in the New York City region that will fit your budget. And the assurance of quality at at Starwood property is no small thing: when you plan a big, exciting trip to NYC, the last thing you want to worry about is a questionable hotel.

There’s bound to be at least one Starwood hotel that you’d love to stay in during your next trip to New York City. The great news is, you might be able to do so, for free. As one of the Starwood Preferred Guests American Express blogging partners, or SPG Amex Stars, I have a fantastic prize: 25,00 Starpoints to redeem at a Starwood hotel. The SPG Amex Stars programs’ prize is, to use the legalese, literally “25,000 points from Starwood/Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express.” Since you’d need to have a Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty account to win — you don’t need the actual Amex card, just the SPG account, and signing up is free –  the eligibility terms are detailed here. This giveaway is provided on behalf of Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express.

How to Enter:

To enter and possibly win the 25,000 Starpoints redeemable at any Starwood hotel in the United States, tell me which New York City Starwood property you’d most like to visit. You must answer this question via Twitter, with the hashtag #SPGAMEX, and direct it to The Vacation Gals’ Twitter account, @thevacationgals. You also need to reference this giveaway post in your tweet. In other words, your entry might look something like this: “I entered to win 25,000 Starpoints and would stay at Le Parker Meridien @thevacationgals: http://bit.ly/JACaD0 #spgamex”  ….now, that’s just an example hotel, and I only used that Le Parker Meridien because I got engaged at Carnegie Hall down the street from that hotel. So if anyone asks me how to get to Carnegie Hall (that old joke) I have an easy answer; stay at Le Parker Meridien and walk. If you’d like to tell me personally which NYC Starwood property you’d most like to stay in, you can tweet to me too, I’m @JenniferMiner and I love chatting about New York City.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo:

To enter the SPG Amex Stars 25,000 Starpoint Giveaway, you must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, or legal age to enter sweepstakes as required by each state. Employees, officers, directors, shareholders of Sponsor, Administrator, Ogilvy Public Relations, participating Bloggers, American Express and their respective parent, subsidiaries, limited liability and affiliated companies, and individuals providing services to any of the above or any of its affiliated companies through an outsourcer or temporary employment agency (collectively the “Sweepstakes Entities“) as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of such employees, officers, directors and individuals are not eligible. Void where prohibited or restricted by law or regulatory agency. Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Administrator’s decisions, which are final and legally binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth in these Official Rules. Approximate retail value is $400.00

Sweepstakes /DRAWING DATE:

A random drawing will be conducted by each participating Blogger on or about Monday, June 4, 2012 from all eligible entries received by each Blogger during the Sweepstakes Period. The Sweepstakes is conducted under the supervision of the Administrator.

Notification of Winners:

Potential winners will be contacted via Twitter and required to provide an e-mail address and phone number. The potential winner will be notified by e-mail or by phone within two (2) business days of the drawing. If, despite reasonable efforts, any potential prizewinner does not respond within (24) hours of the first notification attempt, or if the prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable such prizewinner will forfeit his or her prize and an alternate winner may be selected. If any potential prizewinner is found to be ineligible, or if he or she has not complied with these Official Rules or declines a prize for any reason prior to award, such potential prizewinner will be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected. Each prizewinner inner will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility/publicity and liability release, W-9 Tax payer request for identification form and return it properly executed, within (7) days of attempted notification as a condition of awarding the prize. If a potential prizewinner cannot be contacted, fails to fulfill all the requirements of the Sweepstakes, or if notices or prizes are returned as undeliverable, an alternate winner will be selected from the valid drawing pool. Winners are advised to seek independent counsel regarding the tax implications of accepting a Prize.  Acceptance of any prize constitutes prizewinner’s permission for the Sponsor to use prizewinner’s name, photograph, image, likeness, voice, biographical information, statements and complete address (collectively, the “Attributes“), for advertising and/or publicity purposes worldwide and in all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, without further compensation or authorization, (except where prohibited by law), and releases the Sweepstakes Entities from all claims arising out of the use of such Attributes

Once eligibility has been verified and the Administrator receives the winner’s mailing address, Sponsor will award the Prize (as defined below). Sponsor nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents be liable for any unsuccessful efforts to notify or communicate with a potential winner.  Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.

An entrant is not a winner of any prize, even if the Sweepstakes should so indicate, unless and until entrant’s eligibility and the potential Winning entry has been verified and entrant has been notified that verification is complete.

No immediate family members of The Vacation Gals should enter this giveaway. You can enter as often as you like, just remember to use The Vacation Gals’ Twitter handle and the relevant #SPGAMEX hashtag. The giveaway entry period will end May 24, 2012, at 6:00PM PST. Good luck!

If you take time to search the blogosphere you will realize there are travel blogs reaching as far as the eye can see. And the great thing about that is there is something for everyone. When The Vacation Gals transpired we knew that we would be writing about our adventures, experiences and advice as well as the trips we take together, with our families and spouses. For us, who’ve been at it for a while, it’s pretty easy to scan a blog and figure out the audience, quality and, most importantly, whether we will return as a regular reader. But for those of you who are new to this realm, the thought of finding the perfect travel blogs to follow and trust might be rather daunting. So, how can you tell whether a blog is worth reading regularly?

Here are some tips to get you started as you surf the web for new and helpful travel blogs:

1. Content. Travel blogs come in all shapes and sizes but it’s the content that makes the top blogs successful. Every blog should be easy to read, interesting and informative. Keep in mind that some travel blogs are advice and how-to oriented while others are more about storytelling. Read a couple of posts and the purpose of the blog will be obvious.

2. Design. When it comes down to it, a blog design shouldn’t really make a difference whether you read it or not, but the site should be easy to navigate and comfortable to read. For example, if it’s difficult to read the text, perhaps it’s too small, or the background is dark or pastel with white text, I will leave the site immediately since it’s too hard on the eyes. Whatever the case may be the colors, style and readability should feel natural.

3. Photos. Images alone can make a travel post worth reading. Colorful landscapes will take you to the destination instantly and give you some perspective. For example, I love seeing the inside of hotel rooms before I make reservations. While scenic views of beaches, mountains, food and activities can be tantalizing enough to make me want to pack my bags ASAP!

4. Updates. Since travel bloggers travel, some blog owners have been known to take a break from the blogosphere for days, weeks, months and even years. After returning from their adventures they pick up where they left off and continue writing. Other times, just like some websites, the blogger may decide to quite writing all together, leaving the site stagnant. Since most blogs posts are dated it’s not difficult to tell how recent the posts are. While many of these abandoned sites have good information nothing new is being added while the old content is getting dated.

5. Helpful. You should feel like you’re learning something new when you read a travel blog and it should have a personal twist. While some blogs are fun to live vicariously though, when you’re reading travel blogs because you’re planning a trip you will want writers who will deliver information that will help you plan and improve your family’s experience whether that includes tips for where to stay, restaurants not to miss or how to save money on your rental car.

6. Specialty. The most important thing to look for in a travel blog is a specialty. If you’re traveling with small children, reading a blog by someone who travels with teens won’t be very helpful. If you’re looking for airline miles advice, seek out travel blogs that are run by airline experts who have the insider information. I guarantee that wherever your interests lie there is a travel blog for you.

What it all comes down to is this: If you can relate to the blog and enjoy reading the content so much that you want to return, then you have discovered the travel blog that’s right for you. And that’s all that matters!

One of my kids’ very favorite things to do is to flip through photo albums of our family vacations. “Remember when Ben got stung by the jellyfish?” (Yes, it was a little scary) or “Room service is the best.” (Yes, it is!) or “What was the name of that really bad hotel in Mexico?” (I’ve blocked it out). Those photos — funny, poignant, or just plain blurry — evoke so many memories for us, and make us want to hitch up the pop-up camper or hop on a plane to make even more together!

On this day that honors moms everywhere — and as a nod to our friend Mara of The Mother of All Trips who has compiled some great crowdsourced tips for traveling with kids over the past week — we share with you some of our favorite recent photos of us with our children.

This one of me and my kiddos from our spring break in Hawaii makes me smile because ) I recall it as an evening that my son didn’t complain about wearing a collared shirt and b) my daughter looks so tall. Both kids are growing like weeds — and time goes so quickly. Makes me think about ensuring  that family travel continues to be a priority for us, since I may blink and my oldest will be in college. (Okay, maybe it’s not that dire; but I’m feeling melancholic today about my kids getting older, and seemingly maturing overnight!)

This photo of Beth and her bundled-up kiddos reminds me that adventures with the kids don’t have to necessarily take place in far-flung destinations. Here, the pint-sized Blairs are sampling snowshoeing for the first time at a Nordic center not far from their Minnesota home.

Finally, here’s Jen with her girls at the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, where every good traveling mother knows that gelato at least once a day is mandatory.

Last summer when my family was road tripping to Montana we arrived in Great Falls late one night. The kids had fallen asleep in the car, so my husband went and checked-in while I stayed with the kids. When he returned with the room keys, we coaxed our groggy children out of the car, through the hotel, up the elevators and into our guest room. We kept the room dark, leaving only the entry light on, and quickly tucked the kids into bed hoping they’d drift back to sleep.

My husband went to put our waters in the mini-fridge only to notice some beers. That’s weird, he said and I agreed, but having discovered left-behind drinks in hotel fridges in the past I didn’t think much about it. I figured the housekeepers had forgotten to check it. In the meantime, my husband ran to the store and I went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. As I washed my face I look down to see cardboard beer containers in the trash. My spidey-senses kicked into gear as I felt my heart begin to pound.

We were in someone else’s room!

Now panicked, I checked the door lock to make sure no one could walk in (keep in mind, I was in my night clothes of silky shorts and tank-top). Next, I opened the closet. Nothing. I then went to the dresser drawers. Nothing. My eyes scanned the door room’s floor and there it was: A black bag that looked like one of ours. But it wasn’t!

I immediately called the front desk and they respond with an “OMG! This is not good!”

By now the kids were wide-awake, jumping on the beds as I was frantically trying to stuff all of our things back into our oversized suitcase.

A half-hour later we were settled into a new room without having the awkward encounter of meeting the other hotel guests assigned to the room.

This could have all been prevented had I followed my own advice of checking the room before settling in. After all, this isn’t the first time I’ve walked into someone else’s room. In fact, on more than one occasion I’ve had people walk into my room while I was in there. Sometimes the door has been double latched, other times it hasn’t.

But checking for an occupied room isn’t the only thing you should look for as I will explain below. Speaking from experience, here are the top things to check when you check-in your hotel room:

1. Under the bed, behind the drapes, in the closet and bathroom. When I first became a flight attendant I was taught to search my room, with my luggage holding the door open, to ensure no one was hiding in my room. Flight attendants and pilots have been targeted in hotel crimes so most airlines (but not all) insist crew members ensure everyone’s room is “clear” before retiring for the evening. You should do the same.

2. Dresser drawers. If your room is occupied by someone and there aren’t any obvious signs…this is where you find out for sure since some bags can be stored in a dresser drawer. You may also find a toiletry bag hanging on the bathroom door.

3. Alarm clock. This little piece of equipment can cause quite a bit of pain if it goes off at 4 am while you’re on vacation. Make sure the alarm is “off” every night of your stay since a housekeeper could accidentally set it to “on” while cleaning.

4. Toilet, sink and shower. During another family trip my son used the bathroom not long after arriving in our hotel room only to find the toilet didn’t flush. We had already unpacked and had to welcome a plumber into our room for an hour. But that’s not all, also check to make sure you have hot water. I’ve encountered rooms with cold water only which doesn’t make for a pleasant morning shower. And while you’re at it, ensure the drains actually drain. Standing in five inches of shower water is disgusting, especially when it’s not your own shower.

5. Door locks. The connecting room and balcony door need to be checked for two reasons: first you don’t want any intruders and, second, if you have young kids you don’t want them wandering out of the room when you’re not looking.

6. Phone. Another experience I’ve had was a phone that didn’t work. People were trying to call me and I wasn’t answering.  This can be a bummer if you’re awaiting a phone call or relying on a wake-up call. Tip: Always have two or three options for wake-up calls.

7. TV and remote control. And finally, if you’re a television watcher, check to make sure your TV and remotes works. I don’t need to explain this if you watch TV before bed. I don’t, but I know there are some people who have to have the TV on to fall asleep. If this is you, press that button!

And those are some items to check when you check-in to your hotel room. Do you have any wild hotel stories to share?

The Garden of the Gods Club is a private club in Colorado Springs with an enviable location right across the street from the Garden of the Gods, a public park featuring some of the most striking red-rock formations in the state. Club members enjoy a 27-hole golf course (also with plenty of scenic views), a handful of restaurants (including a formal dining room and more casual grill), full-service spa, fitness center, tennis courts and recreation center.

View from my balcony at the Lodge at Garden of the Gods Club.

What’s cool for Colorado Springs visitors: the Lodge at the Garden of the Gods Club is open to the public. Paying overnight guests can also enjoy all of the Club services and amenities. My husband tagged along on my spring travel-writing research trip to Colorado Springs (about 5 hours from our mountain home), and we had a pleasant stay at the Lodge, just the two of us. The summer months will bring even more options for families. Here’s why I’d recommend the Lodge at Garden of the Gods Club for a family weekend this summer in Colorado Springs:

The location is excellent: From our room in the South Lodge, we could walk down a set of stairs, outside across a grassy lawn, and down a short, moderately steep trail to the back of the Visitor Center at the Garden of the Gods Park. The guys at the Lodge’s front desk didn’t know of this unmarked trail; they suggested driving on a road all the way around to the proper entrance. (Or, they did not tell us about the unmarked trail because we weren’t supposed to cut through the back way.) Still, our way by foot was super convenient, and it wouldn’t be difficult for school-age kids to traipse up and down for easy access to the city-owned, no-fee park with its myriad hiking and biking trails.

Entrance to Garden of the Gods, a city park, is totally free.

The Lodge at Garden of the Gods Club is also a convenient base camp for exploring attractions west of Colorado Springs’ downtown area, namely Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Manitou Springs (stop in for tasting at D’Vine Wine!) and the excellent restaurants in historic Old Colorado City.

Basic, but comfortable, furnishings in the rooms at the Lodge at Garden of the Gods Club.

Rooms are spacious: The two of us stayed in a King Lodge Room (one of 66 rooms and suites), and found it plenty big. We appreciated the sitting area (with table and chairs, sofa and coffee table), plus two sinks, large closet and shower (with great water pressure). Certainly a Double Lodge Room would have accommodated my family of four for a couple nights. Our view of the Garden of the Gods rock formations from our balcony was superb, too!

Free hors d’ouevres at Lodge happy hour: Never ones to pass up free food, my husband Quent and I had a glass of discounted house wine ($6) and complimentary appetizers before we ventured into Colorado Springs for restaurant research. From 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday nights the Lodge Lounge is packed with other Club members and Lodge guests, nibbling on fruit, cheese and crackers, as well as hot items like chicken wings and peanut-butter stuffed French toast (nope, didn’t go for that last one). It’s quite the festive scene. Kids are welcome here; I saw some moms – with children in tow – piling plates high with food to bring back to the room.

Besides the Lounge freebies at happy hour, other dining options available when we visited include the formal Lodge Dining Room and the more casual Lodge Lounge, both open for breakfast lunch and dinner. In the summer, the Kissing Camels Grille (named for a rock formation in Garden of the Gods) is open in the Golf Clubhouse, overlooking the fairways.

Recreation center with outdoor pool: Frankly, I was glad that we hadn’t brought our kids along to visit the Lodge at the Garden of the Gods when we visited in early April. The gorgeous infinity pool located right at the Lodge was up and running in the cool spring weather, but it’s only for grown-ups. We only saw a few adults using the pool when we were there, and I think my well-behaved tweens wouldn’t have been kicked out if they had played quietly in it (i.e. no cannonballs). Still, it was a bit surprising to me that the sign on the door leading to the “spa pool” (though down the hall and separate from the full-service spa) made it very clear that it’s meant only for adults.

Adults-only infinity pool features fabulous views of the Garden of the Gods rock formations.

However, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, a Junior Olympic-sized pool, with adjacent kiddie pools and water spray area, is located a couple of miles away, past the golf clubhouse, and open for all Club members and Lodge guests. Drive your own car or take a Lodge shuttle to the Recreation Center, which also features a snack bar, game room, basketball/soccer court and children’s playground – again, only open in the summer.

Full-service spa: I had no time to indulge in a spa treatment while I was at the Lodge at the Garden of the Gods Club (darn travel-writing research assignment kept me out and about taking notes at restaurants, attractions and shops), but I like the look of the spa menu with its variety of massages, facials, scrubs, manicures and pedicures. Each of the men’s and women’s locker rooms has a steam room, or you can soak in the co-ed whirlpool in a sunny solarium. Next time!

Thanks to the Lodge at Garden of the Gods Club for hosting my stay.