Hiking Out

Homeschooling on the Road for Everyone

“You never want to take an RV trip, right?” came somewhere between, “You want to have kids, right?” and “no mushrooms on pizza, right?” in our pre-marriage assessment of our compatibility. We both responded with a resounding, “No, not me, tent camping, great, an RV definitely not.”

Well two kids later and a decade of enjoying mushroom-free pizza and there we were driving on the Mass Pike in a 29 foot RV, starting out on a 7 week journey around the country.2 out of 3, not bad.

In hindsight, our 2 month RV exploration of the U.S. was one of the best experiences we have ever enjoyed as a family—and one we wholeheartedly recommend to anyone seeking time with your family learning about the expansive country we inhabit.

So how did we come to find ourselves debating a drive-through campsite versus a back-in campsite at RV campgrounds around the country? We had often mused about traveling around the country as a family and after talking to friends who had taken similar trips, we broke our vow of no RV trips and started researching the choice between a Class C and a Class A while picking up lingo such as 5^th wheel and 30 amp hookup. Simultaneously we considered the merits of withdrawing our children from elementary and middle school for 2 months and home schooling them on the road, or opting for a summer trip. The summer meant more national parks would be accessible and there would be more amenities at campgrounds. Spring or summer, what better way for all four of us to learn about our country, our culture, our natural resources than first hand. In the end we decided to go in the spring to give us a chance to home school for a short time span as well as be able to spend more time in the desert (although less time in the mountains).

Our next step was to outline a basic route. I bought a large map of the United States, tacked it up on a bulletin board and the whole family had fun adding push pins to destinations of interest—everything from National Parks to friends’ homes, from a cool space museum to an ancestor’s home. I also wanted to incorporate destinations that integrated well with the curriculum I had created including the Civil War, the geology of caves, and regions of the country. Our daughters connected the push pins with a string, mimicking a possible driving route around the country. As the number of push pins escalated beyond 100 and the string started resembling a high frequency sound wave more than a smooth oval, we realized we had selected sufficient potential sites to visit and must narrow them down. Eliminating places like Big Bend National Park (too far off a reasonable route) or Yellowstone (closed in the spring) wasn’t easy, but we knew we had to stay within our time constraint of 7 weeks and create time to experience our destinations, not just drive through them.

By the time March 3, our date to pick up the RV, rolled around, we had a rudimentary route outline, a full home-schooling plan, bags full of AAA maps, and a web site to blog our adventures. At the RV rental agency Wendy, our rental specialist, gave us the full tour of our new home for the next 2 months making sure to emphasis that cruise control is not the equivalent of auto pilot. She showed us the RV systems which my husband noted carefully, while I, on the other hand, entered her 800 number into my cell phone and made a mental note that we wanted to stay at a campground with staff for our first camping experience. We realized we needed to factor in additional time to ‘camp’: time to change the oil, buy septic deodorizers, make campsite reservations and of course, time to de-winterize the RV (after all we were leaving New England in March, we couldn’t have running water until we were far enough south to keep the water from freezing). With the tour of systems over I was beyond excited and equally nervous!

Now it seemed to me it was time for the driving lesson. What? No lesson?! We just hop in and go? You’re kidding, right? Wrong, that’s it; we were set (yeah right). My husband would drive the RV home while I would follow in our car. He got in the cab and was there awhile, I presumed adjusting the seat and mirrors, double checking driving controls etc. Then he got out of cab and went into rental office. When he returned with the serviceman. I stepped out of the car with a quizzical look. “Just learning how to operate the radio,” he called to me. “The radio! I hardly think you should be listening to the radio for your first RV driving experience!” Don’t worry, no problem, … and we were off!

Religion From Whose Perspective?

2000 years of Christian history in an hour—I was intrigued, my husband was skeptical. While 2000 years in one hour sounded like a tall order for one morning’s worship, I thought it would be a good review for me of the major events in Christianity.

I was not disappointed— we heard short synopses of the Romans in 200 AD, Celtics in the 700s, Italy in 1250, Germany and Martin Luther, biblical story telling among slaves in Alabama, and last Protestantism in New England in 2010. A brief survey to be certain, but a peek at a few moments in time across two millenniums offered a sacred centering.

When I returned home I shared my fulfillment with my husband.

“So, I doubt the Spanish Inquisition was included”, he mused.

“No, but the Celtics were.”

“And the crusades?”

“Well, no but the history of indulgences was”

“Clearly a Protestant church would need to include that,” he responded.

Oh right, good point. How does my husband know more about ‘my’ religion’s history than I? And was I insufficiently skeptical of everything I had heard that morning? I thought I knew a reasonable amount about my religious community of which I had been a member since birth

As with most historical teaching, mine has been colored by learning it from within. Just as Southerners may get one perspective of the Civil War and Northerners another, or European Americans one view of settling the United States and American Indians quite a different perspective, so do we each take our own slant on our history by learning it from within. I notice this even when I listen to the BBC and hear their perspective on American news stories. Intentional or not we are all biased in our historical view of our own culture.

Yet perhaps this biased perspective is nowhere more apparent than in our religions. How often the passion and fervor of faith makes it more difficult to have a civil conversation over the history of a religion. Wouldn’t we all benefit by hearing how our faith is viewed by others of differing faiths?

Two Days in London with Teenagers

London is an outstanding city for a family. Here is a two day itinerary that can easily be stretched into 3 days if you spend more time walking around.

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Kensington—highly recommend for a family. Two double beds and a sufficiently large room allow a family of 4 to share one room. Also, it is just half a block from the Underground and there are 4 quick casual breakfast spots within 5 blocks.

Day 1: Speaker’s Corner, Double Decker Buses, Tower of London, Millennium Bridge, Globe Theatre and/or Saint Paul’s Cathedral

Plan Ahead:

Buy a family ticket for the Tower of London in advance to save time at the Tower.

Start with breakfast outside the hotel. The Patisserie across from the Gloucester Road underground serves full English breakfasts in a casual atmosphere.

Take a double decker bus (or Underground for quicker transport) from Kensington to Marble Arch. Walk into Hyde Park and listen to the myriad of speakers you are likely to see on their upturned crates at Speaker’s Corner.

Continue your journey via double decker bus to the Tower of London. Although it takes much longer to travel on the bus than on the underground, you will get a great view of the heart of London through the West End, Picadilly Circus, by Saint Paul’s cathedral along the Thames to the White Tower. Sit upstairs and if the front seats open up—sit there! The view is not to be missed—my teenagers wanted to keep riding the bus.

At the Tower of London take a tour with a beefeater (officially known as a yeoman warder). Their theatrics and stories will delight everyone. Have lunch at the New Armouries Restaurant in the Tower which has a terrific selection of food that managed to accommodate the varied dietary requests of our entire family from scones and cream to fresh vegetables and hot meals. While at the Tower be sure to see the Queen’s jewels, the exhibits in the white tower, walk along the ramparts and consider seeing the many other exhibits listed in the brochures available upon entry. You are likely to want to spend 3 hours at the Tower including lunch.

If time permits visit Shakespeare’s Globe for a tour. Otherwise, simply enjoy walking along the Thames taking in the bridges from the Tower Bridge to the Millennium Bridge up to Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

For dinner head to the West End where there are plenty of restaurants to choose among.

Day 2: Clock Tower, Westminster Abbey, Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, Changing of the Guards, London Eye, Walk along Thames, Tea and a show

Plan Ahead:

Check the time and day for the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Times vary winter to summer. And only occurs on alternate days during the winter.
Buy tickets for the London Eye on-line to save time and money
Make reservations for tea late in the day
Get tickets for a show in advance or take your chance at half price tickets once you arrive in London

Take the underground to Westminster for beautiful views of the houses of Parliament—the clock tower which houses Big Ben is particularly striking. From here walk to Westminster Abbey (often a long line) or the Churchill War Rooms (much less crowded). Both are fabulous. The Churchill War Rooms are the actually rooms used by Churchill and his staff during the war to plan their war strategy. It is nearly precisely as it was the day the staff left at the conclusion of World War II and turned off the lights. Large maps with push pins fill the walls, telephones, desks, beds, even the cigarette lighter and saved sugar cubes are all as they were over 50 years ago.

From here walk down to Buckingham Palace. If you arrive late and the crowds have filled in, then head out to the statue of Queen Victoria. From here you can watch the guards march in from 2 sides then walk around to the front of the statue where you can stand on tiptoes to see the proceedings over the heads of the crowd. The police do not want visitors climbing on the statues so take note.

Following the changing of the guards you may have time for a ride on the London Eye before lunch. Even my older teen who thought it was too touristy was pleasantly surprised at the outstanding views and cool photographic angles from the London Eye. The views alone help reinforce the layout of the city and you point out where you have visited and where you’re headed.

Walk along the Thames towards the Golden Jubilee Bridge celebrating the Queen’s 50 year as queen. You can find an EAT along here for lunch, street performers if the weather is nice and people watching in general. Stroll through Gabriel’s Wharf for some artistic shopping. When you’re walked out, head back to the hotel to change for tea.

For a splurge, afternoon tea at fancy hotel in London is gastronomically outstanding as well as offering a relaxing time to talk with your children – ah the pleasures of a family vacation. The Goring Hotel offers fabulous service and an outstanding selection of tea treats all in a beautiful tea room. The price is steep, but in line with prices elsewhere. We actually found it to be less than tea at Fortnum and Mason’s which lacks in the intimate ambiance of the Goring.

Following tea, you can make your way to an evening of theater or enjoy walking along the Thames for the evening.

Optional Day if you have just arrived on a red eye:

Take the Thames River Boat to Greenwich. There are a number of river boats on the Thames. The advantage of the commuter boat is that tickets cost less and if your children are tired and want to nap, there is less intrusive PA talking (of course they do still announce each stop). Taking the boat to Greenwich gives you 45 minutes or so to relax and watch London passing. There are plenty of sites to point out along the way including the houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Shakespeare Globe Theatre, the Tower of London and all of the amazing bridges.

In Greenwich walk around the town then head for the National Maritime Museum (http://www.nmm.ac.uk) —free admission to a wonderful exhibit of maritime history. The model sailing ships and history of telling time at sea kept my sailor teenager enthralled and the state of the art ship’s bridge simulator entertained my active teen.

From the National Maritime Museum walk up the hill to the Royal Observatory, http://www.nmm.ac.uk/places/royal-observatory/, home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian.

If you’re tired and the weather cooperates, relax in the park on your way back to the Thames. There are plenty of places to find a good lunch in town. Then you can return via the river boat or walk under the Thames and take the DLR back to London.

Have ideas for London you would like to share? Comment on this post!

Getting The Best Value in London

Here are five ideas for saving money when traveling in London. If you have more ideas please comment and let us know!

1. Use a charge card without any international transaction fees. We used a Capital One card and got a 1 point better rate than our ATM rate and 4 to 6 points better than the conversion offered by the local merchant.

Here are some specific rates:

March 13: ATM Heathrow bought British pounds for 1.52 USD
March 13: Capital One credit card charge 1.51 USD
March 16: Harrod’s exchange rate: 1.55 USD
March 16: Capital One charge 1.51 USD
March 16: Hotel exchange rate 1.57 USD

So if you are making a purchase costing 10 British Pounds you could pay between $15.10 and $15.70 depending on your method of payment.

We did NOT use other credit cards as we have received international charges on Discover and another Visa card (don’t remember which one as we got rid of it).

2. Purchase family rate tickets where available if you are 4 or more in your family. The London Eye and the Tower of London both offer family rates.

3. The Travelcard versus Oyster Card dilemma in the underground. Travelcards are simpler and don’t require advance planning to get 15 and under discount rate. Oyster Cards will never cost more than a Travelcard. If you are making 4 or more trips a day or want the simplest option then get the Travelcard. If you’re traveling less or have time to get a child’s photo card in advance then go with the Oyster Card.

Children up to 10 years: free on the buses, trams, tubes, DLR and London Overground when traveling with an adult. But if they look older then they need an ages 5-10 Oyster photocard to travel free.

Children 11 to 15 years: Free on bus and tram BUT need an Oyster photocard (see below). Can purchase a Day Travelcard.

Children 16 and 17: Half adult-rate Oyster fares BUT need an Oyster photocard (see below).

The Oyster is the cheapest way to pay for single journeys on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services in London. BUT it’s more time consuming to add funds to especially if you don’t have internet access.

IMPORTANT: You need to plan ahead to get an Oyster photocard as they take awhile to process (on the order of 2 to 4 weeks).

We used daily travelcards as we took 4 rides each day. Teens up to 15 can get half price daily travel cards at the Underground ticket windows. If you take 4 or more journeys a day then a Travelcard and an Oyster card cost the same for adults.

4. See the national museums! They have free admission. We went into the National Gallery just to see a couple of paintings and then enjoyed the sunshine on Trafalgar Square.

5. If you make a large purchase to take back to the states make sure you get a form to have the VAT rebated. The vendors should have the forms and fill out most of the information. You complete your personal information and then get the form stamped when you depart the EU. At Heathrow terminal 5 look for the (slightly small) red VAT signs. We found the office is located AFTER security, but we were told there was also an office before security (never saw it).

What suggestions do you have for saving money in London? Let others know in the comments.

Cell Phone Etiquette for Kids

We can all benefit from better cell phone etiquette. So parents, it’s up to us to teach our children cell phone etiquette from the first time a child uses a cell phone.

When your child buys or receives his or her first cell phone, talk with your child about cell phone responsibility. Specifically, cell phone responsibility falls into three areas:

Cell Phone Safety: NO phone/digital use while driving. Make it clear with your child that cell phones are not to be used while driving—no talking, texting, emailing or any other digital distraction while driving is acceptable. Teach this precept when your child first starts using a phone and again when your child starts driving (presuming the phone precedes the driver’s license).
Cell Phone Etiquette: Cell-phone communication does not pre-empt in-person communication. Specifically, no phone use at a dining table, no phone use when interacting with a store clerk, carrying on a conversation with a friend or listening to a teacher.
Cell Phone Care: The cell phone is the responsibility of the owner—if it breaks or is lost it’s on you. In other words, if your child lends his or her phone to a friend and the phone is broken, dropped or used inappropriately, your child takes responsibility. Think before lending your phone

Think of it as an easy version of the S-E-X talk-- it's the S-E-C talk for cellphones. Set these cell phone habits – safety, etiquette and care—from day one and we’ll all be happier and less annoyed by inconsiderate, irresponsible cell phone users.

Great iPhone Apps for Parents

Never Bored ($2.99)
If you’ve ever heard, “I’m bored!” you need this app. There are 100s of creative activities to keep your children mentally or physically active on their own or with a friend. The car games are especially fun and can be used not only in a car, but waiting in a restaurant or while hiking. Many of the games can be adapted for 2 or more players, making them great for a family road trip. All of the activities get your child thinking or moving—the app is used to generate age appropriate ideas—flick through a list until you find one that looks interesting, easily get details and then set the iPhone aside and get your brain or body in motion.

In addition, there are numerous suggestions for places to visit and a quick tap on location brings up a map showing the locations nearest you. We use Never Bored when we need an activity for 10 minutes while we wait for a doctor appointment or when we need a family game to play while driving. Never Bored can generate lots of ideas with just a quick tap—check it out at http://www.mainelysoftware.com/ .

Hangman. By JamSoft (free)
This version of hangman (note the ‘.’ at the end of the name) is great for your child to play alone or to play with you or a friend. When playing alone, there is a choice of word lists, so your child can work on learning countries or chemical elements or just pass time guessing nouns.

My daughter and I enjoy playing in two player mode. In this mode, one player enters a word or phrase that the other player tries to guess. When we play, our phrases can take on the humorous or quizzical as well as the educational—can she spell the words she thinks up? We have even had conversations back and forth in the form of hangman phrases while waiting for a restaurant table.

Shazam Encore ($4.99)
Try out the free version of Shazam and see what the buzz is about. Not only can you find out the song titles and artists of songs you like (called tagging a song), but you can also tag songs your children like and learn the names of the artists they are listening to as well as check out the lyrics if you can’t quite understand the words as they are sung or rapped.

After you have tagged a song, you can preview and purchase the song, read a biography of the artist, and for some tunes, read the lyrics. So the next time you’re wondering what your children are listening to just use Shazam. Learn more at http://www.shazam.com/ .

Geocaching ($9.99)
If you are a parent who would like to get your family outside together, then geocaching is a great activity for your family. Geocaching is a high tech treasure hunting game played the world over. Geocachers search for hidden containers (called caches) which often contain small trinkets to trade, and record their finds online—a game, a goal and a prize all in one. And I have found adults equally motivated by having a prize while hiking.

If you are a geocacher then this is a must have iPhone app. The user interface for this application combined with the quality of the gps in an iPhone, have made my iPhone my default gps device for geocaching. Using this app, you can find nearby caches, look for caches in a particular area, save information for offline use if you’re headed to an area without good data coverage (a common issue when hiking) and upload your finds directly to the geocaching web site. The interface is simple and intuitive yet comprehensive. Purchase this app and get your family hiking together. Check out the sport of geocaching at http://www.geocaching.com/ .

Now Playing (free)
So it’s a rainy day and you’re unlikely to head out geocaching. Now Playing is an outstanding app to see what movies are playing at the local theaters.

We use this app when we’re out and want to quickly find a good movie for our family. You can quickly get a list of the movies playing at local theaters with the rating, length and show times all listed in one easy to read interface. Dig a little deeper and you can read detailed reviews from individual users as well as go to your favorite movie review website for their opinions.

Raising a Teenage Daughter Starts When She's a Toddler

Teenage daughters are awesome! However, beware, raising a teenage daughter starts when they are toddlers. I don’t mean that little girls act like teenagers. What I mean is that good parenting starts when a child is born, and the key to raising well-adjusted, strong, compassionate teenage daughters is to put good habits in place when your daughters are small.

Take clothing as an example. A parent should have a lot of control over what clothes are purchased for his or her small children. While it may look cute to dress a child ‘up’ by purchasing that cami for her when she’s four and letting her wear it out, is that the habit you want her to carry into her teenage years? Sure words across her pants on her behind may be cute when she’s 6, but do you want people staring at her bottom when she’s a 14 year old? And high heels at 5? Yes, I’ve seen it. How practical is it for a child to be walking down the street in high heels—do you want her wearing high heels to middle school? Sure, it’s great for little girls to play dress up. It’s wonderful to have a big box full of old high heels, feathery boas, shiny dresses and oversized hats. But a child should know that this is dress up clothing, not what is worn to preschool or out to a restaurant.

Good habits extend far beyond clothing. If you want your 15 year old daughter to only attend parties where a responsible parent is home, then check on who is going to be in the house when she is going to a friend’s home when she is 8 and 10 and 12. Make calling the friend’s parents a habit and she won’t be thrown off when you check before she goes on a ski weekend as a 16 year old and you call the friend’s parents to ensure they will be going along as well.

Similarly teach fiscal responsibility from a young age with appropriate use of allowance. Some money can be saved. Take your young daughter to the bank to open her own account. Some can be donated to charity—let her choose where to make her donation. Some can be spent—help her decide what is worth saving for and what isn’t a good value when she is young and she will be more financially aware when she becomes a teen.

While starting good habits at a young age takes time—it takes a lot more time to explain banking to your daughter, take her to a bank and open an account, then it does to simply deposit the money yourself when she is at preschool—the time and aggravation you save as she grows into a teen will be immense. Raise your teenage daughters from the time they are toddlers!

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )