Kids in a hotel pool

Pasadena, California is a family-friendly city with plenty to see and do for adults and kids alike, and the city’s proximity to Los Angeles and Anaheim make it a great home base for exploring the region. If you’re planning on staying over in Pasadena with the kids, you’ll probably want a family-friendly hotel – one that’s close to area attractions and which has amenities like free breakfast and swimming pools. After all, there’s nothing like coming back to the hotel after a long day at museums and parks and hearing “we’re bored!” from the kids. The following hotels are good places to start – they all have something to keep both the kids and the adults happy.

For a more high end family-friendly hotel, check out the Westin Pasadena. It’s very close to local attractions such as Old Town as well as a number of museums and good restaurants. The kids will love the rooftop outdoor heated pool! There’s even a Kids Club, which offers programs for children so that the adults can have some time to themselves. Cribs are offered for families with very small children and large suites are available so you and the family can really spread out. Rates start at around $250 per night.

For a slightly more budget-friendly family hotel in Pasadena, consider the Sheraton Pasadena.

Old Town Pasadena

There’s an outdoor heated pool, perfect for hot southern California summers, and the hotel is within walking distance of Old Pasadena. Or, hop on the free shuttle – it takes you anywhere you want to go within a three mile radius. Your family will enjoy being able to dine right on the hotel property at Restaurant Soleil, too – how’s that for easy dinner plans? If you plan it right, you can book this hotel for around $180 per night.

On a really tight budget? (And who isn’t these days!) The Best Western Pasadena is a great family hotel option. It provides most everything you would look for in a family-friendly hotel without the big price tag. There’s an outdoor pool, complimentary breakfast (yay!) and the hotel is close by to area attractions. No bells or whistles here – just a clean, comfortable family hotel. Rates here start at about $100 per night.

Hopefully these family hotels will help you enjoy your next Pasadena vacation!

Photo credits: jakesmome’s and Giodude

The Fairmont on Nob Hill in San Francisco

Living in San Francisco, I see lots of families on vacation. It’s easy to spot the tourists, usually wearing brand new sweatshirts purchased when they realize how quickly the weather changes here.

But where are these families staying? Here are some good choices for your family’s next trip to the Bay Area:

Hotel Del Sol, a bright 50′s style motor lodge located in the Marina District, frequently is voted one of San Francisco’s best family-friendly hotels. Fresh-basked cookies greet you each afternoon, kids splash in the pool with complimentary beach balls, and the Union Street and Chestnut Street dining corridors are a few blocks away.

The punchy Hotel Metropolis, situated right in the thick of it on Market Street, offers an “urban explorers kids’ suite” that features kid-sized furniture, a chalkboard wall and toys. It’s just a hop, skip and jump to a cable car that will take you to Fisherman’s Wharf.

For a luxurious experience, try the Fairmont San Francisco, located at the top of tony Nob Hill. The Fairmont offers babysitting services, a children’s menu at the hotel restaurant, and a special Nutcracker-themed tea service for the little ones in December.

Travel well, and pack layers!

As is normal for us when we go on a trip to – well, anywhere – my boyfriend and I pretty much ate our way through Nashville, Tennessee. I guess you could say we really like to get the local flavor of a place…or maybe we just like to eat. Luckily for us, our hotel, Sheraton Music City, was very close to downtown Nashville, less than a ten minute drive. So, in between gastronomic investigations, we were also able to sneak in a couple of cool sights, too.

The first was Belmont University, where the second presidential debate took place. We weren’t able to go inside he actual room where the debates had been held, but we were able to peek through the glass. BelmontUniversity is a really pretty place, with lots of trees and nice landscaping. It’s a strong liberal arts school, and not surprisingly, it has also has one of the nation’s top-ranked music and stage production programs

Belmont University campus

After touring Belmont we went back to the hotel to relax and unwind a bit. The Sheraton Music City has an indoor and an outdoor pool, as well as a nice gym located directly next to the indoor pool and jacuzzi. My boyfriend and I decided to take advantage of these amenities and have a good workout before soaking in the (really hot) jacuzzi for a bit. The pool was about 84 degrees, the perfect temperature for me.

After our two-hour break at the hotel, we decided to hit up downtown Nashville that evening for some good barbecue. I’ve been craving beef ribs since living in Austin, Texas for three weeks last year, and Atlanta just hasn’t been cutting it in that department. I fully admit that my first question to the hotel clerk at Sheraton Music City was: “OK. Where’s the best barbecue in town?” She suggested Jack’s, in the middle of downtown, which was only seven miles away. Jack’s was definitely good – they didn’t  have beef ribs! The pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender though, and the sauces were savory and spicy. I have to say that the creamed corn came out of a microwaved bag, though. We saw it being dumped into the serving bins. It actually tasted quite good, but it kind of ruined the “real barbecue” experience for me. I’m sure the macaroni was from a bag too, but oh well.

After dinner we tried to go buy some cowboy boots at a store just down the street. They were having what seemed to be a spectacular sale – but one pair, get two free. However, the “one pair” cost $200-$400. Weren’t these boots supposed to be worn in horse muck? Apparently not – they were good looking boots though. I almost bought a cute black cowgirl hat, but decided better of it. Our dog Penny had eaten the adorable pink one I had bought while in Austin, and since she was with us on this trip, I didn’t want to take my chances.

I have to say the the most bizarre part of our short trip was seeing a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in

The Parthenon in Centennial Park

Athens. I know, I couldn’t believe it either! It was built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and it’s a pretty amazing sight. It’s in Centennial Park, and I was really disappointed that we couldn’t go inside the Parthenon (it was Sunday) because it apparently houses a beautiful art museum. I especially wanted to check out the 42 foot Athena Parthenos statue, but that will have to wait for next time. That’s when we’ll see all the other things we didn’t have a chance to even drive by this time.

And by the way – the hotel had a very generous check out time of noon, so we were able take our time getting ready in the morning before we went to visit the Parthenon and, and we still had plenty of time to drive back to the hotel to collect our bags and then head back to Atlanta. This much appreciated, because I hate asking for late checkouts. No need to this time!

Thank you to MeganCasey and ButterflySha for their photo contributions from Flickr.