Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lusion of a more private, separate space for her. It was all for naught. It wasn't until
she was around 4 years old and Bob took her camping that he seized on an idea that
had some promise. She liked the cozy, secure, womblike feel of a backpacking tent
and quieted down much more readily than she ever had in hotel rooms. So the next
time the family stayed in a hotel, he pitched his backpacking tent in the corner of the
room. In she went, nested for a bit, and fell asleep.
Since the time of Bob's daughter's childhood, there has been an astounding evol-
ution in tent design. Tent manufacturers have developed a broad range of tents with
self-supporting frames that can be erected virtually anywhere without ropes or stakes.
Affordable and sturdy, many are as simple to put up as opening an umbrella. So if
your child is too young for a room of his or her own or you can't afford a second hotel
room, try pitching a small tent. Modern tents are self-contained with floors and an
entrance that can be zipped up for privacy but cannot be locked. Kids appreciate hav-
ing their own space and enjoy the adventure of being in a tent, even one set up in the
corner of a hotel room. Sizes range from children's play tents with a 2- to 3-foot base
to models large enough to sleep two or three husky teens. Light and compact when
stored, a two-adult-size tent in its own storage bag (called a stuff sack) will take up
about one-tenth or less of a standard overhead bin on a commercial airliner. Another
option for infants and toddlers is to drape a sheet over a portable crib or playpen to
make a tent.
unofficial
TIP
Often little ones fall asleep in their strollers (hallelujah!). Bring a large lightweight
cloth to drape over the stroller to cover your child from the sun. A few clothespins
will keep it in place.
THE BOX
Bob here: On one memorable Disneyland excursion when my children were
younger,webeganeachmorningwithanimmensely annoying,involuntaryscavenger
hunt. Invariably, seconds before our scheduled departure to the theme park, we dis-
covered that some combination of shoes, billfolds, sunglasses, hip packs, or other ne-
cessities were unaccountably missing. For the next 15 minutes we would root through
the room like pigs hunting truffles in an attempt to locate the absent items. When my
kids lost something, they always searched where it was easiest to look, as opposed to
where the lost article was most likely to be. I would be jammed under a bed feeling
around while my children stood in the middle of the room intently inspecting the ceil-
ing. As my friends will tell you, I'm as open to a novel theory as the next guy, but we
never did find any shoes on the ceiling. Anyway, here's what I finally did: I swung by
a local store and mooched a big empty box. From then on, every time we returned to
the room, Ihad the kids deposit shoes, hip packs, and other potentially wayward items
