tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82365201277233546302024-03-13T23:17:46.573-07:00MORE KIDS THAN SUITCASESStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613692454820560899noreply@blogger.comBlogger484125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-1831301571887952032014-03-05T10:52:00.000-08:002014-03-05T10:52:05.138-08:00Trip Advisor's Strangest Complaints Part 3<span style="font-size: large;">I get to write a lot of fun things while doing this blog. Telling stories about <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/02/the-ups-and-downs-of-traveling-with-my.html" target="_blank">traveling with my kids</a>, <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/07/no-name-pub-on-big-pine-key.html" target="_blank">exploring new and different places</a>, or even relating personal stories such as <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/01/how-i-met-your-mother.html" target="_blank">how Lori and I met</a>, is a great way to spend my days. Without a doubt though, the most fun I have while writing is doing the research for my Trip Advisor's Strangest Complaints series. The bizarre things that people feel the need to complain about never fail to put a huge smile on my face, even if it does come at the cost of a little bit of my faith in mankind. One day people will stop complaining about silly things, but until that day, it's good to know that I'll always have plenty of material to keep me entertained.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you haven't read the first two instalments of this series, you might want to start here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/09/tripadvisors-strangest-complaints.html" target="_blank">Trip Advisor's Strangest Complaints</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/04/more-of-trip-advisors-strangest.html" target="_blank">Trip Advisor's Strangest Complaints Part 2</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And now here's the latest collection of...</span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Trip Advisor's Strangest Complaints - Part 3</b></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"I wanted a nice view so I requested a high floor, but they put me on the 55th floor! That's too high. Also, the window didn't open. What if there had been a fire?"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- So your plan in case of a fire was to go out the 55th floor window? I always wondered where Superman stayed when he was in New York.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA1EdgSGh0GrWF1W4OQ_Wca-v6Ttp4Efe_t5h-VrAuayYojsGWiNdTJ_1luh5RUqYI-n9Zc4UiFdC2OgtwZ2Q1bWgv3kwtfqMBz65siiZ5zbGNpPMcKULPaWrNI3NMtyzhAYAxr_RxLhm/s1600/View+down+from+DT+room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA1EdgSGh0GrWF1W4OQ_Wca-v6Ttp4Efe_t5h-VrAuayYojsGWiNdTJ_1luh5RUqYI-n9Zc4UiFdC2OgtwZ2Q1bWgv3kwtfqMBz65siiZ5zbGNpPMcKULPaWrNI3NMtyzhAYAxr_RxLhm/s1600/View+down+from+DT+room.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"I thought that housekeeping had stolen my wallet, but when I complained to the front desk they didn't seem too interested. It gave me a real negative feel towards the hotel, even though I later found my wallet in my wife's suitcase."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- This seems a little fishy to me. Every married man I know would assume that his wife had taken his wallet long before considering housekeeping as a suspect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"The manager said that he gave me an upgrade, but I didn't feel any more special in my new room."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-That's really what the upgrade is about isn't it? Feeling more special? Maybe the manager should have sent flowers and chocolates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"I wished for the bed to be bigger so it could be fitting all four of us"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- I really, really hope this guy was traveling with kids.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYhRJReBJfsr1_Z-Ar_PxkGSQlUFxGUEVLuuWYzCaGd2eJAyeEj0tenBtzZQBp9ZHnvlIw_k4T-yPz3VfwHOT0e0XLKp84LdX_PcqpQGhzDRaEtFlMRjJ_SmKvszU_wRT9wsyzNHZMftO/s1600/Talon,+Neve,+Mitchell+&+Carter+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYhRJReBJfsr1_Z-Ar_PxkGSQlUFxGUEVLuuWYzCaGd2eJAyeEj0tenBtzZQBp9ZHnvlIw_k4T-yPz3VfwHOT0e0XLKp84LdX_PcqpQGhzDRaEtFlMRjJ_SmKvszU_wRT9wsyzNHZMftO/s1600/Talon,+Neve,+Mitchell+&+Carter+2.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Yeah...something like that.......</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"When we got downstairs for breakfast all the food was gone. This ruined our entire vacation!"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- This person takes the saying "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" far to literally.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"The hotel is across the street from a fire hall but they look nothing like the firemen from the calendars."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Apparently my wife now writes Trip Advisor reviews.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Lori's dream vehicle. A truck full of firemen with Batman strapped to the front!</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Although it was a nice hotel, I didn't really feel like I got my 140 cents worth."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Did you use any toilet paper? Because that should be enough to break even on a rate like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"While sitting in the bar the manager threatened us with erection if we didn't quiet down."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- It's probably best that I don't touch this one...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Housekeeping only took 8 of the cases of empties from the corner of the room."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Only took 8? How were you even conscious enough to write this?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, this guy may have a valid complaint, but I would have loved to see the hotel manager's face when he read this one:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"The hotel's walls were paper thin. We could hear everything from the amorous activities of the couple next door to the animals outside. At least, I hope the animals were outside."</i></b></span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-47088966965638843082014-01-27T09:27:00.000-08:002014-01-27T09:27:16.684-08:00The Jelly Belly Factory Tour<span style="font-size: large;">There's only a few different ways that you can win an actual "<a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/10/earning-my-daughters-love-via-stubhub.html" target="_blank">Father of the Year</a>" award from your children. One is to be rich and let them do whatever they want...there's no chance of that happening in our house. Another way is to spend every spare moment doting on your children, focusing solely on their spiritual, physical and educational needs while foregoing your own personal health and well-being. Strike two for my kids. The third method however, is a far easier path than the other two. Remembering that the only votes you need for this award are those of your children, the simplest way to be declared "Father of the Year" is to take your kids to a candy factory. Since Willy Wonka is fictional, this is how we found ourselves on the <b>Jelly Belly factory tour</b>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7lxbVdOKzGX-vNuP-RZLntPKu6zpl2-qZFi-mmokomurY-t6RoAvxD6ugevE1KWlaEI7YRJfdF1jskiaxNSCVq8z8ETkS4FklmDqcJHHz_cE2LcZ7Ka88tX-SLBQ1WsXZbChIX98mwya/s1600/Mr+Jelly+Belly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fairfield, California, candy, tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7lxbVdOKzGX-vNuP-RZLntPKu6zpl2-qZFi-mmokomurY-t6RoAvxD6ugevE1KWlaEI7YRJfdF1jskiaxNSCVq8z8ETkS4FklmDqcJHHz_cE2LcZ7Ka88tX-SLBQ1WsXZbChIX98mwya/s1600/Mr+Jelly+Belly.JPG" height="400" title="Jelly Belly lobby" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now based out of Fairfield, California, the <a href="https://jellybelly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jelly Belly</a> company can be traced back almost 150 years to a small candy store in Belleville, Illinois. Gustav Goelitz began the company in 1869 and while the business was successful enough to be passed down from generation to generation, it wasn't until almost 100 years later in 1966 that the company was truly noticed. Sometimes though, it's who notices you that makes all the difference. In this case, the person doing the noticing was California Governor Ronald Regan, and when Governor Regan became President Regan in 1980, his trusted jar of Jelly Belly beans made the move with him to <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/08/things-to-know-before-taking-your-kids.html" target="_blank">Washington, D.C.</a> Eventually the world couldn't help but notice the ever present jar of jelly beans in the president's office and the Jelly Belly company was finally brought to the attention of a candy loving country.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUBaJZ0TouCLv311ObMr-lul-_T7AESfyaYRaauPtbKXLEFZ_BkTU-ebiI1OVcelmBaX0WJPVu5FUAaAxr-v4dbDZao4MDDL1dhQ5mXR35B6L2an74q1B_VpO9Hx20Lc5Xe8begwcpHgO/s1600/Ronald+Regan+in+jelly+beans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="jelly bean art, Jelly Belly, Ronald Regan" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUBaJZ0TouCLv311ObMr-lul-_T7AESfyaYRaauPtbKXLEFZ_BkTU-ebiI1OVcelmBaX0WJPVu5FUAaAxr-v4dbDZao4MDDL1dhQ5mXR35B6L2an74q1B_VpO9Hx20Lc5Xe8begwcpHgO/s1600/Ronald+Regan+in+jelly+beans.JPG" title="Regan inauguration" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Regan inauguration captured in jelly beans</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jelly Belly relocated to Fairfield, California in 1986, giving them 27 years to get things smoothed out before our visit so I was fairly sure that everything would be prepared for our arrival. Coincidentally, 27 years is also the amount of lead time I need to <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/02/getting-teenagers-out-of-bed-while.html" target="_blank">get my kids out of bed</a> in the morning, although I will say that the phrase "It's time to go to the candy factory" helps speed things along immensely. We arrived at the Jelly Belly factory just after it opened at 9 am. There were plans to take some pictures outside the building before heading in, but apparently one member of our group wasn't willing to wait any longer before getting inside.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8wX-NX9dovh7JXdvqG6lgYvQxO9mV4fKQvMBpIX4G60_IBrQ4oGoPcuch1etYOjVlwGm3UEKWziuAFn6CKRe_4rJ17isjaNVNQXEDkYFx5sCbwDDJNXfb5ER99XIgNk5FxQHZKTmZzjm/s1600/Running+to+Jelly+Belly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fairfield California, factory, tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8wX-NX9dovh7JXdvqG6lgYvQxO9mV4fKQvMBpIX4G60_IBrQ4oGoPcuch1etYOjVlwGm3UEKWziuAFn6CKRe_4rJ17isjaNVNQXEDkYFx5sCbwDDJNXfb5ER99XIgNk5FxQHZKTmZzjm/s1600/Running+to+Jelly+Belly.JPG" title="Jelly Belly entrance" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Upon entering, the first thing you're going to notice is long, roped off queue area. It looks like it's designed to hold hundreds of people (very similar to the line when I'm signing autographs), but early on a Sunday morning there were only about 20 people in line for a tour. Realistically this is about a perfect number for the factory tour as it allows everybody easy sightlines to everything and makes the distribution of samples much more expedient. Tours leave every 15 minutes and last about 40 minutes each. Fashion note: everybody on the factory tour <b>must</b> wear a hat. If you didn't happen to bring one of your own, you'll be allocated one of these premium pieces of headgear...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8VdQSVIojYYe70u0KKKd3VmQctighC_naymyBaFU6A18WSE9MbRDrlvvNRO4EF6UBfBX8ueSvJ82_gWdVTY2IdLKlbzdar0XUO3FbeDBxlmywy9OWyp8xQF4NN5NIAsYXpSOj-egDTKL/s1600/Jelly+Belly+paper+hat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="candy, tour, jelly beans, Napa" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8VdQSVIojYYe70u0KKKd3VmQctighC_naymyBaFU6A18WSE9MbRDrlvvNRO4EF6UBfBX8ueSvJ82_gWdVTY2IdLKlbzdar0XUO3FbeDBxlmywy9OWyp8xQF4NN5NIAsYXpSOj-egDTKL/s1600/Jelly+Belly+paper+hat.JPG" title="Jelly Belly hat" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tour takes place on an elevated walkway high above the factory floor. As our visit happened to fall on a weekend, the factory wasn't operating, but it was still very impressive to see the amount and types of machinery that go into producing the jelly beans. There are monitors mounted all along the walkway and at each stop we were shown a video clip about what happens in that area of the factory. I found it really interesting, but if the tour guide ever found anybody's interest waning all she had to do was start a sentence with "Now we're going to let you try a sample of...." and everybody's head would snap back around to see what kind of treat was being offered. We got to try jelly beans both before and after the shell was applied, and some new and different flavors that aren't widely available just yet. At the end of the tour we were each given a souvenir bag of Disney jelly beans and released into the gift shop. By the way, there is no photography allowed on the tour, but they do take your picture before you start and you are given the option to buy a copy at the conclusion of your tour.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26tIb4P6RFR84KArkB0PwlIi24fqMBXgIicZIYTrv9A8r-QV2OYWtHuBbELwAnM3_-V8SW4YTjMDyx71TliOjpK90qL33v7MHTfeTKLgbB0qoe4xQmjT80yhgYwAqvnd5pRqIV1uVw7nD/s1600/Family+with+Mr+Jelly+Belly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fairfield, California, tour, factory" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26tIb4P6RFR84KArkB0PwlIi24fqMBXgIicZIYTrv9A8r-QV2OYWtHuBbELwAnM3_-V8SW4YTjMDyx71TliOjpK90qL33v7MHTfeTKLgbB0qoe4xQmjT80yhgYwAqvnd5pRqIV1uVw7nD/s1600/Family+with+Mr+Jelly+Belly.JPG" title="Family pic at Jelly Belly" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The gift shop had a great sampling of all their products, including stuff that is only available at the factory itself. My daughters bought some <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/07/mmmmmbutterbeer.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter</a> jelly beans to take home to their friends, my son found the free samples of fudge being given out at the chocolate counter, and Lori and I loaded up on bags of rejects. Jelly Belly runs a pretty tight ship when it comes to the quality of their product, so it's only natural that there are plenty of beans produced that don't make it into the final product. They package these beans into two pound bags and sell them as a product called "Belly Flops", my new favorite road trip snack!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEzMuBfud4MJBDQoYVJTWN0d-_7_tOdG8xCChGTS3xOCOKyYgBm4o1va1cuVyaP3ZhIN4_iHAjqU-suVsrUgOg_VjO-DZbBAKcT-Fn_ZzxtrUjs5AAHWgq6hbTyGShJyPVQvniIOyQQTA/s1600/Belly+Flops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="jelly beans, rejects, bulk, Jelly Belly" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEzMuBfud4MJBDQoYVJTWN0d-_7_tOdG8xCChGTS3xOCOKyYgBm4o1va1cuVyaP3ZhIN4_iHAjqU-suVsrUgOg_VjO-DZbBAKcT-Fn_ZzxtrUjs5AAHWgq6hbTyGShJyPVQvniIOyQQTA/s1600/Belly+Flops.jpg" title="Belly flops" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then came the moment I'd been waiting for. My daughter came up to me and said "Dad...I've got something for you." Expecting a band to play and confetti to drop at any moment, I began to get my acceptance speech ready for my Father of the Year award, only to find out that what my daughter had were some jelly beans she had picked out for me from the sample bar in some rather unique flavors. I was presented with three jelly beans to try; one dog food flavored, one rotten egg flavored, and one barf flavored. Not exactly the kind of reward you'd figure would come with a Father of the Year award, but I reasoned that perhaps it was one last test to confirm my worthiness of the title. Dutifully I tried each of the three beans, and although I suspect that some of the flavoring may be psychological, each of the beans really were as awful as their names would suggest.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-YaECAVwutk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Amused by the anguish on my face, my children headed back off to the sample bar to see what else they could make Dad eat, but my patience was growing thin. I pulled my wife aside and asked her when I could expect to receive my prestigious award. After all, I had brought my children to a candy factory. This should be a done deal by now. My wife looked at me blankly and asked if I remembered taking my daughter to the dentist just before our trip. Of course I did. That $7K bill for her braces was the reason that we were in San Francisco and not on a beach in Aruba or somewhere more exotic. What did that have to do with anything?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And that's when I found out that people with braces aren't allowed to eat jelly beans. Who knew? I mean, thinking back I did remember my daughter giving me all her samples while we were on the tour, but I just assumed that it was because she was so proud of me and my impending Father of the Year status. Apparently those words being muttered under her breath weren't actually words of admiration. I had brought my candy loving daughter to a candy factory full of free samples where she wasn't actually allowed to try anything. Whoops. Looks like another year of winning the "Worst Father of the Year" award. That makes 15 years in a row now. Fortunately I have a speech permanently prepared for that honor.</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-9085006517267465412014-01-21T10:23:00.000-08:002014-01-21T10:23:13.933-08:00The Most Important Thing to Know About Six Flags Annual Passes<span style="font-size: large;">You can photobomb your family's pictures...</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-80665046814293792672014-01-15T04:35:00.000-08:002014-01-15T04:35:36.131-08:00Cars Land Tips - Brought to You by the Letter S<span style="font-size: large;">Last summer we finally got our first look at Cars Land. I know, I know. For <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/01/disneys-2012-promo-and-really-bad-idea.html" target="_blank">Disney fanatics</a> we sure took our sweet time getting around to checking it out, but sometimes you just have to <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/08/10-promos-we-used-this-summer-to-keep.html" target="_blank">wait for a deal</a>. What counts is that we did finally get there, and once we got a chance to try everything out, we loved it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhormcraqOt0p1L8pCFCSnoPxwuycTYgW-GNIBRkq45KCB2ue7ZsONfv0iSUPLYwTQ0dwwf-6GmqgpmGXGpG9wb-ojzGdGwkDS6BqSri7dK4XkNs29pzzsyzwFblHgn3-v2p9CmGUytRb3n/s1600/In+front+of+Radiator+Springs+Racers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cars Land California Adventure ride" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhormcraqOt0p1L8pCFCSnoPxwuycTYgW-GNIBRkq45KCB2ue7ZsONfv0iSUPLYwTQ0dwwf-6GmqgpmGXGpG9wb-ojzGdGwkDS6BqSri7dK4XkNs29pzzsyzwFblHgn3-v2p9CmGUytRb3n/s1600/In+front+of+Radiator+Springs+Racers.JPG" title="In front of Radiator Springs Racers" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our favorite ride was Radiator Springs Racers. Disney did a great job building this ride around their Cars franchise and we enjoyed every second of our time on the ride. Unfortunately, for every minute we got to spend on the ride we had to spend 20 minutes standing in line. Therefore, since I'm a helpful kind of guy (don't laugh), I feel it's my duty to provide you with some tips to both shorten your wait time and make the most of your time on the ride. Since today is the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop at Focused on the Magic and today's theme is the letter 'S', I'll be following Deb's theme to provide these valuable tips to you. Ready? Here we go:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">#1 - </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">ingle Rider Line</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It took us about half as long to get through the single rider line as it did to get through the stand-by queue. Granted that still involves an investment of at least an hour, but that's way better than the two hours plus that the main line was taking.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbfRM_0OtHkgA3coeo3jIECrnKwVa09PdUaVQepCkZLekquilOWaR2OZydxbCzNbfTImxgJ-SrkHmLa1xDur7oLOy3qUy8Xvr6cjvt0FeFJ03kPqAU3kJxMekEYDBE8XNEw0P953mXTKJ/s1600/Radiator+Racers+wait+time.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="stand-by line cars land California" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbfRM_0OtHkgA3coeo3jIECrnKwVa09PdUaVQepCkZLekquilOWaR2OZydxbCzNbfTImxgJ-SrkHmLa1xDur7oLOy3qUy8Xvr6cjvt0FeFJ03kPqAU3kJxMekEYDBE8XNEw0P953mXTKJ/s1600/Radiator+Racers+wait+time.JPG" title="Wait time for Radiator Springs Racers" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#2 - </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">unglasses</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's aesthetic, but if you're going to be bombing around the countryside in a fancy sports car, you really need to look like you belong in that car. Sunglasses give a person a "I know what I'm doing here" vibe, which explains why I never wear them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5bkiiVSCd5MUv7A4pye_WFT_3_UDSTgmmxqckTZAIPxH7Bja5-61tpRVhpZs9w6uK-6TXt-6JUr8kaB-F4Cq8WvPtEg-Ce5ea01-3EGaipK7NSyMP3Nz0iZ3IVaMhb3BolqBPWKEQUl9/s1600/Sunglasses+Duo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Radiator Springs Racers Disneyland California Adventure" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5bkiiVSCd5MUv7A4pye_WFT_3_UDSTgmmxqckTZAIPxH7Bja5-61tpRVhpZs9w6uK-6TXt-6JUr8kaB-F4Cq8WvPtEg-Ce5ea01-3EGaipK7NSyMP3Nz0iZ3IVaMhb3BolqBPWKEQUl9/s1600/Sunglasses+Duo.JPG" title="Sporting Sunglasses in Cars Land" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#3 - </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">eat </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">election</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you have a choice, never sit behind the girls with long hair. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD4sMVOqtVxtD17KJ_H-l2Y8o_B0bqLel90OW9mu3jss7qjUiiC9GtL8sgj2jpNbC9Xph5fDzHHBY762oqOkz08W33NebrpQOTlWoYgRkYSneHwzOsaUPHNYmsts-xxDb5MbHfhLrM3AP/s1600/Long+Hair+in+Radiator+Springs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cars Land ride Radiator Springs Racers back seat" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD4sMVOqtVxtD17KJ_H-l2Y8o_B0bqLel90OW9mu3jss7qjUiiC9GtL8sgj2jpNbC9Xph5fDzHHBY762oqOkz08W33NebrpQOTlWoYgRkYSneHwzOsaUPHNYmsts-xxDb5MbHfhLrM3AP/s1600/Long+Hair+in+Radiator+Springs.JPG" title="Shoulda brought scrunchies." /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#4 - </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">portmanship</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just remember that you're not going to win every race. It's nothing to get upset about.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwR1sGimSxQRCIaF6U3Zh2NaHwZVwQXr4ft44zqb3_RBdklw4gtQq4wyWexExlCy0xpfD8gSQeKF_55SBZj0GA6zTwyXu_n-KaaN9r6d-ZO0Fk4ZYpcI6qkIL8eBeFSu_LhGSVTFJfgeqK/s1600/Over+dramatic+in+Cars+Land.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cars Land California Adventure Disneyland" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwR1sGimSxQRCIaF6U3Zh2NaHwZVwQXr4ft44zqb3_RBdklw4gtQq4wyWexExlCy0xpfD8gSQeKF_55SBZj0GA6zTwyXu_n-KaaN9r6d-ZO0Fk4ZYpcI6qkIL8eBeFSu_LhGSVTFJfgeqK/s400/Over+dramatic+in+Cars+Land.JPG" title="Tortured by losing" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#5 - </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">elebrate with a </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">hake</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(Don't question my spelling!) Just outside of Radiator Springs Racers is Flo's V8 Cafe, one of the few places inside California Adventures that you can get milkshakes. They're pretty good milkshakes too. Of course they're even better if you're celebrating a big win over other racers. I wonder what that feels like?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSkLIvMOaPpniQJDCTsnKQKEet4ZiQ_tIC0rbhde70AluCzix6Kgg26fYPzHaDsOT2NfiAaQ1w9N-w0gM4hBfRwiMcBBfDWkdU-Dm_E5AcZKnLDwNTHskH6WJawxEJMVf1e_m7hCgQbCR/s1600/Milkshakes+at+Flo's+Cafe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cars Land restaurant Disneyland California Adventure" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSkLIvMOaPpniQJDCTsnKQKEet4ZiQ_tIC0rbhde70AluCzix6Kgg26fYPzHaDsOT2NfiAaQ1w9N-w0gM4hBfRwiMcBBfDWkdU-Dm_E5AcZKnLDwNTHskH6WJawxEJMVf1e_m7hCgQbCR/s1600/Milkshakes+at+Flo's+Cafe.JPG" title="Flo's V8 cafe milkshakes" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">This post is a part of </span><a href="http://www.focusedonthemagic.com/2014/01/the-disney-wordless-wednesday-blog-hop.html#more" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Wordless Wednesday</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"> over at </span><span style="font-size: large;">Focused on the Magic</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">. If you didn't get here from there, you should really head on over and check out some of the fantastic people that hang out there on Wednesdays. Most of them could probably be described as <b>S</b>pectacularly <b>S</b>criptive and <b>S</b>ophisticated, although a couple of them are <b>S</b>lightly <b>S</b>trange and <b>S</b>illy. Guess which camp I fall in?</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a></div>
Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-45823299794382416022014-01-13T09:32:00.000-08:002014-01-13T09:32:20.049-08:005 Reasons We're Not Very Good at Road Tripping<span style="font-size: large;">I have a blog I like to read called <a href="http://tipsonroadtripping.com/" target="_blank">Tips on Road Tripping</a>. It's about a family of six who take these crazy long drives across the country and stop in some of the strangest places imaginable, all while making it look like they're having the time of their lives (I highly suspect that someone in that family has taken a Photoshop class because they always look so happy). I enjoy following Joe, Deborah and their family on their adventures, and while I've always said that road tripping wasn't for me, secretly I've always wondered if they were on to something special. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward to this years Christmas break and circumstances (aka my daughter deciding that she doesn't want to fly any more) led us to plan our first real road trip (I don't count the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/one-direction-in-vancouver-24-hour-road.html" target="_blank">One Direction</a> version). At least we called it a road trip. The Tips for Road Tripping gang would probably laugh at a simple 18 hour drive, but for us it seemed like an enormous endeavour. 18 hours would easily be the longest period of time that we'd ever spent in a car together, excluding the time that we got lost driving to Edmonton. So to be more accurate, it would be the longest period of time we'd ever <b><i>intentionally</i></b> spent in a car together. That's a scary thought to dwell on while loading luggage into the van. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjuc0HNAlr6wMQe-NLVx43rtEDjXCc8UHBGyLcGEesC9giH2QgOt37jbFa2d9Xq00jUiPuEhEZlAoWueksf4PHIiQMPVGbCXIADqCrS-covqt2X1i_zU0WcZnmevMLeLYbtdL1YaRoxjr/s1600/Crowded+in+the+van.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="crowded van bad seating arrangement road trip" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjuc0HNAlr6wMQe-NLVx43rtEDjXCc8UHBGyLcGEesC9giH2QgOt37jbFa2d9Xq00jUiPuEhEZlAoWueksf4PHIiQMPVGbCXIADqCrS-covqt2X1i_zU0WcZnmevMLeLYbtdL1YaRoxjr/s1600/Crowded+in+the+van.JPG" title="Jammed in the van" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>We probably could have found a more comfortable seating arrangement</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So how was it? Well we survived. Truthfully it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be. We split the drive in two and stayed a night in Portland in both directions leaving only 9 hour shifts behind the wheel which really didn't seem too terrible. Still, I'm not sure that it's an excursion that we'll be in a rush to repeat. Despite what our friends at Tips on Road Tripping say, I'm not sure that road tripping is for everyone, and I'm pretty sure it's not for us. Here's five reasons I'm fairly certain we're not well suited to the road tripping lifestyle:</span><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">#1 - I like to be in control so I don't share the driving</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'd like to share the driving, really I would, but there's something in me that won't let me. Truth be told, pilots are lucky I let them fly the plane without me being in the cockpit offering suggestions. I seem to have some sort of control fetish, and that makes for really long days behind the wheel. It will only get worse next year when the boy is eligible to get his drivers license. There's zero chance of me relinquishing my grip on the wheel at that point. Plus there's the rule that the driver controls the radio, and we all know why that's important don't we? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">#2 - Apparently I drive at the world's most inconvenient speed</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not a speed demon, but if the speed limit on a road is 70 mph then I usually keep my pace somewhere between 70-80 mph. That seems reasonable to me, but for about 50% of the drivers on the I-5 last week, that's the speed a semi-truck climbing up a 45 degree incline while pulling a trailer full of anchors should be traveling and I must be some sort of pace car to be moving as slowly as I was. The other half of the drivers obviously thought that I was some kind of meth-fueled, speed crazed <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/04/american-monuments-canadian-kids.html" target="_blank">Canadian</a> who had no respect for American speed limits. Add in the fact that I actually signal when I change lanes and I think everybody was completely confused by my driving habits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">#3 - The freedom to stop wherever you want</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Most people who like road tripping will tell you that being able to stop and explore things that catch your eye is one of the best parts of driving instead of flying. I respectfully disagree. I'm a man, and my goal is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Having to stop every time my wife spots something of interest doesn't speed things along at all. Besides, the only thing that ever catches my wife's eye while we're driving are <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/11/shopping-while-traveling-tips-from-mrs.html" target="_blank">outlet malls</a>. Well, that and the occasional road sign which everybody feels the need to scream at the top of their lungs causing me to nearly drive the van into the ditch.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU0wS9d-fZU3U15sArb4bFjkT-TimlNj39Crfl-Bgh_3dj4rE5aJbh3czjZEnQm93oFZp94hjA1lv7kAdjvBPluNzvdkfUiBpRSA7KRsimQThRfWNAuczx_4h-SzIfcy-MhCmsUQeSRnu/s1600/YOLO+county+line.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yolo road sign California road trip" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU0wS9d-fZU3U15sArb4bFjkT-TimlNj39Crfl-Bgh_3dj4rE5aJbh3czjZEnQm93oFZp94hjA1lv7kAdjvBPluNzvdkfUiBpRSA7KRsimQThRfWNAuczx_4h-SzIfcy-MhCmsUQeSRnu/s1600/YOLO+county+line.JPG" title="YOLO county line sign" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#4 - The service isn't as good as flying</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Those of you who think it's a hassle trying to get a drink on an airline should try and get somebody to pass you a Diet Coke in my van. Three kids sitting in the back with their headphones on, and no matter how much I wave and motion, nobody is looking up from their iPad. Unless of course we drive past the YOLO county limit sign. That they all miraculously see. Lori isn't much better as a nine hour drive is the perfect opportunity for a nine hour Candy Crush marathon that means all drink requests have to "just wait until I finish this level". </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">#5 - You don't get miles while driving. </span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Every time I passed a sign detailing the remaining distance to San Francisco I would mentally figure out how many miles we would earn to our frequent flyer account if we stopped and flew from right at that point. With Alaska running double miles on most of their Bay Area routes right now, it was a little depressing to keep figuring out what we were missing out on. Fortunately, we shouldn't have to miss out on it again. After two 18 hour drives my daughter has decided that she's perfectly fine with flying again. Apparently road trips are the miracle cure for fear of flying. I wonder if Joe and Deborah know about this?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Written by </span><a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-81722243624337033782013-11-13T08:43:00.000-08:002013-11-13T08:43:22.256-08:00It's A Wrap - Why I Didn't Buy Matthew McConaughey's Shirt<span style="font-size: large;">When my shoulder forced a visit to the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/09/the-full-throttle-roller-coaster-story.html" target="_blank">hospital in Los Angeles</a>, I was very grateful to have my wife along. She made sure that I was buckled in the car, shifted gears for me, and checked my blind spots whenever I had to change lanes. When we got to the hospital, Lori filled out all the paperwork and made sure I was comfortable while the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong. Having her along was a complete blessing and for a couple of hours her attention was focused solely on me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or so I thought. Turns out that while I wasn't looking Lori might have been sneaking a peek or two in other directions. Sure she paid attention to me while we were in the hospital, but as soon as I was discharged and it was time to leave, the truth came out. "You know, on the way here I noticed this great little store that I'd love to stop at..." What can I say? <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/11/shopping-while-traveling-tips-from-mrs.html" target="_blank">The girl never stops shopping</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfun1WsUijmX0o32ccP9nkcRiwXjnKuq_XazGAyqyI__lQrKvDURvVRfv3VolAnK3ASN-NOPHSdoCGE-siBKGin0HJ7dBMG6RUeTXzLfrEnc0B1C46s3rVoAru6EXy9WqlT8pkEJuh_Mb7/s1600/Outside+It's+A+Wrap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hollywood production clearance sales" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfun1WsUijmX0o32ccP9nkcRiwXjnKuq_XazGAyqyI__lQrKvDURvVRfv3VolAnK3ASN-NOPHSdoCGE-siBKGin0HJ7dBMG6RUeTXzLfrEnc0B1C46s3rVoAru6EXy9WqlT8pkEJuh_Mb7/s1600/Outside+It's+A+Wrap.JPG" title="It's A Wrap exterior" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The shop Lori spotted while I was racing to the hospital is called "<a href="http://itsawraphollywood.com/" target="_blank">It's A Wrap</a>!". It looks like any other Salvation Army type clothing store, but it's actually a clearance house for movie wardrobes. After a movie or TV show finishes shooting the clothes that are worn during the filming are consigned to It's A Wrap for sale. It's A Wrap attaches a tag to each piece of clothing so it can be traced back to the film or show that it came from. Display racks have a header card on them so you know that everything on that rack came from the specified show.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaahPTAeEnKE6UrlX5a5XxHuUSNNlTxcnscKEOx3FIenkuV76Obn4j541C_wlw2u8AnIW5uFsB6dRRw0AN4-frui1-KDLAObu5nqbL5YXRbUdTZ0AR4DtqtoXrVly_yWF9aI4khKf5IIU3/s1600/Guilt+Trip+rack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It's A Wrap movie clothes for sale" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaahPTAeEnKE6UrlX5a5XxHuUSNNlTxcnscKEOx3FIenkuV76Obn4j541C_wlw2u8AnIW5uFsB6dRRw0AN4-frui1-KDLAObu5nqbL5YXRbUdTZ0AR4DtqtoXrVly_yWF9aI4khKf5IIU3/s1600/Guilt+Trip+rack.JPG" title="The Guilt Trip rack" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was far more interesting than most places Lori makes me stop. I've always thought that I have movie star looks, now I could have movie star clothes! I began searching for a shirt that might have belonged to somebody <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/03/im-pretty-sure-im-famous.html" target="_blank">famous</a> that would look good on me. Spying a rack of clothes from The Lincoln Lawyer I got excited. If a shirt could make Matthew McConaughey look good, imagine what it could do for me! I searched the rack but didn't really find anything and then it dawned on me. Silly Steve....Matthew McConaughey doesn't wear shirts in movies! What was I thinking.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB4yqaw12nFtqpkQeF3Pc2yD5a84VHrKFeb2h5_lsf8wMn5vifsM8Mk7NepzVtqbnDixukMzvH_ea-1O-wnNOyuyelyiiore9lt7qBdlPcV8WVB5Pxy3xQ2hk0z_x1vQPKTS_e1piSoON/s1600/Inside+Its+A+Wrap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hollywood Burbank buy movie clothes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB4yqaw12nFtqpkQeF3Pc2yD5a84VHrKFeb2h5_lsf8wMn5vifsM8Mk7NepzVtqbnDixukMzvH_ea-1O-wnNOyuyelyiiore9lt7qBdlPcV8WVB5Pxy3xQ2hk0z_x1vQPKTS_e1piSoON/s1600/Inside+Its+A+Wrap.JPG" title="It's A Wrap interior" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I checked some other displays but apparently movie stars don't come in my shape or size. Denzel Washington's stuff from Flight? Too small. Nathan Fillion's Castle wardrobe? Maybe if I invested in a good pair of Spanx. There was some stuff there from Breaking Bad, but I'm really not hip enough to pull that kind of look off. And so it went until I found some stuff in my size leftover from an old Kevin James movie. Great....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUy6NOdEkyaCAG0KR1WZlbCOh6zTT8EXPwi1kp_svbDRZl6-GIhaprNTXFxtuZ-og56iD80_lCpCmMJfUitQoKzc1-btlwwTLdV4vlot7zLE7blbFgJ00jjaF7YE2jdPYIusraRL1_k9_/s1600/Greys+Anatomy+clothing+rack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="clothing used in Grey's Anatomy TV show" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUy6NOdEkyaCAG0KR1WZlbCOh6zTT8EXPwi1kp_svbDRZl6-GIhaprNTXFxtuZ-og56iD80_lCpCmMJfUitQoKzc1-btlwwTLdV4vlot7zLE7blbFgJ00jjaF7YE2jdPYIusraRL1_k9_/s640/Greys+Anatomy+clothing+rack.JPG" title="Grey's Anatomy rack" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Therein lies the problem with It's a Wrap. If you find a great shirt, you can't ask if they have it in another size. What the studio sends them is what they have, and while it's fascinating to look around, the odds of you finding exactly what you want in your size aren't super high. Unless of course you're a size zero supermodel, as I suspect a high number of my readers are. Then you might have a little more luck.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CxemdiKbyFfpOwniTUjPbxo8lwY4KCgn18f09uXumzh2qnsjjMlfeDvgn23qsqTz_fT4DWyKdWynKkU8ggG8A6DpJ-JZLPtuRWLsMOl3SPycFwHRJRn17D4QN_PBC8Dp3bG21VsEenTa/s1600/Shoe+Rack+at+Its+A+Wrap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hollywood shoes used in movies for sale" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CxemdiKbyFfpOwniTUjPbxo8lwY4KCgn18f09uXumzh2qnsjjMlfeDvgn23qsqTz_fT4DWyKdWynKkU8ggG8A6DpJ-JZLPtuRWLsMOl3SPycFwHRJRn17D4QN_PBC8Dp3bG21VsEenTa/s640/Shoe+Rack+at+Its+A+Wrap.JPG" title="It's A Wrap shoe display" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of size zero supermodels, Lori was having a lot more luck than I was (That should keep me out of the doghouse for a little while). Of course, she was spending all her time in the shoe section where $600 Manolo Blahnik shoes were marked down to $300. Carrie Bradshaw would have jumped at the deal, but fortunately for me Lori knows our budget limits very well. The only purchase we ended up making was a black, Nike jacket from the movie Juno for $7. It was supposed to be my jacket, but I haven't seen it since the day we bought it. I suspect that somebody has decided it looks better on them than it does on me. I can't say I disagree with them. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjsU6SzNZp6p5gY5vsMOSy0xsRhliXmqoIpQiI2jTHvoYeL3UnbAEAxzVdremaMbYp3EMN6BsAR72YhVPosJ5RODwO16c6agp7gla1QICX_fEpSl4bXDEiRFy_vT4WSPBAsy7oEGMGmxi/s1600/Lori+in+Juno+jacket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It's A Wrap Hollywood movie and TV clothes reseller" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjsU6SzNZp6p5gY5vsMOSy0xsRhliXmqoIpQiI2jTHvoYeL3UnbAEAxzVdremaMbYp3EMN6BsAR72YhVPosJ5RODwO16c6agp7gla1QICX_fEpSl4bXDEiRFy_vT4WSPBAsy7oEGMGmxi/s640/Lori+in+Juno+jacket.JPG" title="My missing Juno Jacket" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">From a man who seriously dislikes shopping, It's A Wrap was a lot of fun. Even though you know most of the clothes came off background extras and minor cast members, it's fun to hold up things and try and remember if you saw a major movie star wearing it during their last film. Sure it was a little depressing that all Hollywood people are in better shape than me, but to be honest I kind of knew that anyways. Spending an hour or so sorting through their castoff clothing was a fun and (considering I had just come from the hospital where industrial strength pain killers were administered to help me deal with my shoulder) painless experience.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Written by </span><a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-5947382673731666052013-11-11T10:04:00.002-08:002013-11-11T10:04:44.588-08:00Life Lessons via Maroon 5<span style="font-size: large;">As much as I'd looked forward to it happening, I can honestly say the moment didn't unfold as I'd envisioned it. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Of course I'd never really settled on a singular vision of what this event would look like. Some things I was fairly sure about. Being <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/09/things-ive-had-to-teach-my-kids-about.html" target="_blank">on the road</a> was a given. Things not going according to plan always seemed like a likely occurrence. The fact that we were <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/05/our-outdoor-experience.html" target="_blank">outdoors</a> came as a bit of a surprise, although not as much as the fact that we were standing in the middle of a driving rain storm and not bothering to seek shelter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Adam Levine standing at the bottom of a hill and telling us it was time to go home.....That part was new.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTy8a4FD6BznY9JC_L2ewub3LOkjn3iAvrv84p3MgSSksYjGg34Yv2fHUlyFDzZNuRQx7L2mgyJHiGT3mW6F-1nj_R8e9nC-oArPWd51hRiArSizYdnk-s6LxrxalQvIOZIQuiWuGv0M7/s1600/Waiting+for+Maroon+5+at+the+Gorge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Waiting for Maroon 5 at the Gorge amphitheater in Washington State" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTy8a4FD6BznY9JC_L2ewub3LOkjn3iAvrv84p3MgSSksYjGg34Yv2fHUlyFDzZNuRQx7L2mgyJHiGT3mW6F-1nj_R8e9nC-oArPWd51hRiArSizYdnk-s6LxrxalQvIOZIQuiWuGv0M7/s1600/Waiting+for+Maroon+5+at+the+Gorge.JPG" title="At the Gorge for Maroon 5 show" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Happy, waiting for the show to start</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In hindsight, buying tickets for an outdoor <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/08/concerts-for-kids.html" target="_blank">concert</a> by Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson for late September was probably not my best idea. The fall weather in the Pacific Northwest lends itself more towards splashing in puddles than sitting on lawn blankets, and we're not exactly known as a family of outdoor enthusiasts at the best of times. Still, the combination of two artists that I really enjoy with a chance to finally see the Gorge Amphitheater at a really good price (under $40) was too much to resist. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My kids on the other hand, probably could have resisted. Perhaps demonstrating that they understand weather forecasts better than I do, there was definitely some hesitation on their part after the words "High winds and driving rain" kept getting repeated on the radio. One of them was even bold enough to ask whether or not this trip was a "good idea", forcing me to take the time to explain that "Weather forecasts are usually exaggerated and it'll probably clear up by showtime. Besides, what's a little rain when it comes to seeing a concert? You know back when I was your age...", but I never got to finish that thought. You'd think that eye-rolling would be a silent activity, but I assure you that teenagers can do it at a volume that drowns out whatever lesson you're trying to convey. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmbjwfbtVWnyVeLoKt06FGsD5JFBbMu5q5GkaB23qT4vmGgfOpdqHS87Xe2PJGxzwCebgNWCFoSmMuoxLFA7xt3QB26Bh9x_Xinvnnc6xB1Cq6U6U0-T40YpNSbacGcuh8yW5g8eJXwP3/s1600/Road+to+the+Gorge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The route to the Gorge amphitheater in Washington State" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmbjwfbtVWnyVeLoKt06FGsD5JFBbMu5q5GkaB23qT4vmGgfOpdqHS87Xe2PJGxzwCebgNWCFoSmMuoxLFA7xt3QB26Bh9x_Xinvnnc6xB1Cq6U6U0-T40YpNSbacGcuh8yW5g8eJXwP3/s1600/Road+to+the+Gorge.JPG" title="Road to the Gorge" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Looks like a great day for a concert!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So when we arrived at the Gorge and there was no rain falling, I was feeling rather pleased with myself. Sure it was a little breezy, but in the 25 year history of concerts at the Gorge they've never had to cancel a show for weather and the fact that it was a little difficult to maintain a fancy hairdo didn't seem like it was going to be enough to stop that streak. I allowed myself to relax just a little, figuring that this evening was going to go off as planned. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4-PjdTPRT2ecN3lcpG0pfUk02_pRJvIUuiVFmViKvgIhMJRg9IP_93sVtkhZg0WEsHG6dF5hBt69why4-SalSuVtQ-UbGj_9QHhJenUXLyFNXa2UmN8018R2RkeNfUl-aMoCPhFycrE2/s1600/Windy+in+the+Gorge+parking+lot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wind at the Gorge before concert" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4-PjdTPRT2ecN3lcpG0pfUk02_pRJvIUuiVFmViKvgIhMJRg9IP_93sVtkhZg0WEsHG6dF5hBt69why4-SalSuVtQ-UbGj_9QHhJenUXLyFNXa2UmN8018R2RkeNfUl-aMoCPhFycrE2/s1600/Windy+in+the+Gorge+parking+lot.JPG" title="Windy in the Parking Lot" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Just a <b>little</b> breezy in the parking lot</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You see, when I make all these travel plans I do my very best to make sure that everything goes smoothly. It's not because I want to enjoy myself and don't tell, her but it's not because I want Lori to be happy either. I spend hour after hour making and revamping plans because I want my kids to enjoy traveling. It's one of those three golden rules I try and leave them with. Love thy neighbor, honor thy mother and father, and thou shalt not stay home on long weekends. I'm pretty sure it's biblical even if there's some reading between the lines required.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our arrival at the Gorge was perfectly timed, just as the first singer who I didn't recognize was finishing her set. This left us time to make the hike up to the empty areas at the top of the amphitheater to find a place to set up before Kelly Clarkson hit the stage. It's quite a long walk up to the top of the Gorge, and as we approached the empty areas up at the top it became apparent that the parking lot had been in a sheltered location. The wind and rain blowing over the top of the amphitheater were really quite strong and standing at the top of the hill was something akin to trying to stay upright in a wind tunnel. Coincidentally, the top of the hill was also where all the Porta Pottys were. You want a real travel experience, try using one of those things in the pitch black with 35 mph winds blowing you around. Very, very funny to watch as long as it's not you who needs to go to the bathroom.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WEn9XN68hZM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We set up in as sheltered a location as we could find near the top of the hill and waited for the show to start. There was plenty of entertainment watching people chasing things around the amphitheater that they weren't hanging onto quite tight enough. A few people were even brave enough to go right to the top of the Gorge and stand against the wind for as long as they could, although more than a couple of them ended up getting blown head over heels down the hillside. It was great to watch, but after a while you couldn't help but notice that the time between sets was stretching really long.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFctaaZTh4kKLhUXLUTdy1QxVkDvSB7XhUfciUzIpMf265z6uq_h_YkO8P77XdLRuKHsTvxAPBV746dtJtLbiFAcN-3cyp9IRAvY70dCcYDTGgCvn3KWu71p9rMOXpTD4iDIvGzM9j0T2/s1600/Hillside+at+the+Gorge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hillside seats for the Gorge amphitheater" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFctaaZTh4kKLhUXLUTdy1QxVkDvSB7XhUfciUzIpMf265z6uq_h_YkO8P77XdLRuKHsTvxAPBV746dtJtLbiFAcN-3cyp9IRAvY70dCcYDTGgCvn3KWu71p9rMOXpTD4iDIvGzM9j0T2/s1600/Hillside+at+the+Gorge.JPG" title="Still waiting for the show" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Getting a little tired of waiting...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I guess we all knew it was coming. After the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Fair_stage_collapse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sugarland incident</a> there's no messing around with concert stages and wind anymore. The first sign was about an hour into the delay when you suddenly saw all the concessions begin to close down. The next indicator was when the roadies started removing band equipment from the stage, and then about ten minutes after that Adam Levine came out on stage with Kelly Clarkson to tell us that the show was cancelled.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_k50FZRzQaHxI4JTPCqVojinTLDf-gJ0rxZySUEX496CgultaD71FptyprhJLdElh0uUuF-jHDXorkRHi0bByCC5dI4HhzZRyqKNTHGEEeB8GROGZOmxrXlBu3ECPL3ied_J8M8TjdXv/s1600/Sad+after+Maroon+5+cancelled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Maroon 5 concert cancelled at the Gorge amphitheater in Washington State" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_k50FZRzQaHxI4JTPCqVojinTLDf-gJ0rxZySUEX496CgultaD71FptyprhJLdElh0uUuF-jHDXorkRHi0bByCC5dI4HhzZRyqKNTHGEEeB8GROGZOmxrXlBu3ECPL3ied_J8M8TjdXv/s1600/Sad+after+Maroon+5+cancelled.JPG" title="Such sad news" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>3 of us look sad the show is cancelled. One just looks confused.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This left me standing on a hillside in the driving rain, apologizing to my children for dragging them out here on a night like this. I tried to explain that I'd done my research and spent the time making the plans right, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. In the midst of my apology however my kids stopped me and said "Dad...don't worry about it. This was better than a concert. It was an adventure. It was great!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That was the moment that made my whole year. Knowing that your kids can enjoy the journey even if the destination is a complete bust takes all the pressure off. Travel isn't always smooth. It's filled with broken down buses and uncomfortable nights spent sleeping on the floor of airports, but if you can consider it all an adventure then you've probably learned all I can teach you about travel. Congratulations kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now let's work on that whole "Honor thy Mother and Father" thing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Written by </span><a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-44501925709081550422013-09-24T10:19:00.000-07:002013-09-24T10:19:04.388-07:00Hotel Loyalty Programs: Confusing the Cards<span style="font-size: large;">Without bragging, I consider myself a reasonably bright guy. I did really well in high school, I've got a business degree, and I actually enjoy helping my kids with the word problems and brain teasers that their teachers seem to think makes for great homework assignments. Most of the time if there's something that I decide to set my mind to, I can figure it out. With one exception. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Hotel loyalty programs confuse the heck out of me. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSzcoX8esK9R08MUPqWg81D2a5QVIBn7i8BpOPOVJQM1ibUpFvOm6cpOU63maSlHUv_lCZ5X9ccdiNsYjCwH5VjqrkjZNH0R50Ty1J4zRycVyNwVPFNKBECX4dFvcszY3VGFcskB8PIRi/s1600/Hotel+Loyalty+Cards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Club Carlson Hilton Hyatt Fairmont Best Western loyalty cards" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSzcoX8esK9R08MUPqWg81D2a5QVIBn7i8BpOPOVJQM1ibUpFvOm6cpOU63maSlHUv_lCZ5X9ccdiNsYjCwH5VjqrkjZNH0R50Ty1J4zRycVyNwVPFNKBECX4dFvcszY3VGFcskB8PIRi/s1600/Hotel+Loyalty+Cards.JPG" title="Hotel Loyalty Cards" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now let me be clear...I understand the basics of the programs. You stay...you earn points...you <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/08/10-promos-we-used-this-summer-to-keep.html" target="_blank">redeem points for free nights</a>. That's pretty simple. I also have a working knowledge of some of the more obscure parts of the programs. Point Breaks, Points & Cash Supplements, Axon Rewards...I've worked with each of these in the past and while they can be complicated, I understand how they work. When I say I don't understand the hotel loyalty programs, I'm referring to the names.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You see, Lori and I are members of more than a dozen different hotel programs. Each of these programs have their own unique names for the levels of their loyalty program. During any given stay we may be welcomed to the front desk as a valued <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/09/im-diamond-guest.html" target="_blank">Diamond member</a>, a Platinum member, a Gold member, a Red or Blue member (those are not the same program by the way), a Silver member, or a Classic, Preferred or Club member. I believe one program card even refers to me as Tutankhamun the Boy King of Egypt, yet surprisingly that isn't good enough to qualify for a free breakfast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The importance of keeping these levels straight is huge. Being a gold member at Hilton or Starwood will possibly get you a nicer room and a free breakfast. Pulling up to a Hyatt with a Gold card puts you on the same level as the dog sleeping behind the counter. A Platinum card can get you the world at a <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/09/that-4k-hotel-room-is-too-good-deal-to.html" target="_blank">Fairmont</a> property, but it will only earn you blank stares from a Best Western agent. Even properties where it sounds like I should be important by being a Gold Ambassador will quickly turn their attention from me if a Platinum Ambassador should arrive at check-in. If a Platinum <b>Royal</b> Ambassador shows up, I believe we're all required to bow. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgSETYB95sJk4_XA3aHyu0xtlnmCBZwQ6TweaglPS5ERP98sOhyDd7UvS1VbG-gXFX1VyBhl6462KjVvM4mEqKdMW-9hPidU39vIuQNgW-kMcmRt_MVXJj4H0ub-0YdEyxvruqXUBbX2s/s1600/Fairmont+SF+Penthouse+Fairmont+Suite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Entrance to Fairmont Suite in San Francisco" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgSETYB95sJk4_XA3aHyu0xtlnmCBZwQ6TweaglPS5ERP98sOhyDd7UvS1VbG-gXFX1VyBhl6462KjVvM4mEqKdMW-9hPidU39vIuQNgW-kMcmRt_MVXJj4H0ub-0YdEyxvruqXUBbX2s/s1600/Fairmont+SF+Penthouse+Fairmont+Suite.JPG" title="Suite at the Fairmont San Francisco" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some programs even manage to take shots at you with their loyalty program. Kimpton names the two levels of their program as Inner Circle and In Touch. Since I don't stay with Kimpton enough to qualify for either of those titles, does that make me an Out of Touch member who can't hang with the cool kids? Club Carlson concerns me even more as their top level is called Concierge. Every time I wander through a <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/08/radisson-suite-hotel-oceanfront.html" target="_blank">Radisson</a> I glance over at the concierge desk and wonder if that's an employee or just somebody who's stayed here one too many times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even though it confuses me, for now I guess me and my fistful of loyalty cards will just keep on traveling. One day I hope to get a better grip on these programs as there's something slightly embarrassing about standing at the counter of a Marriott and fumbling through a half dozen cards from other chains while looking for the right one. At least most of the time my correct status, whatever it may be, is included on any reservation that I make. I wish I could say the same thing about the airline programs. I guarantee you that I'm not in the Inner Circle of <b>any</b> of those programs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Written by </span><a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-78689510632910948452013-09-16T09:14:00.000-07:002013-09-16T09:14:44.414-07:00Six Flags Magic Mountain: Is the Flash Pass Worth It?<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure this might come as a bit of a shock to some of you (it did to me) but apparently I don't make all the decisions in this family anymore. It used to be that I would unilaterally select and book all of our <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/02/the-ups-and-downs-of-traveling-with-my.html" target="_blank">family travel</a> arrangements, and never would I be questioned about any of the plans that I made. If there were any shortcomings or flaws in my chosen itineraries they weren't noticed, or at least they didn't get pointed out to me until well after the trip. It was a silent, traveling dictatorship, and it was wonderful.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij-d0PTdurHCz67W2OVpep2GGJIQWSE7Ns9jGrVry4FGAIuU1fZHY_FsgwxXQ9TnNSK1BsaUTxuFeupsMJEOXr4Hs-YHQlc3-cOeIVbTXezVhUhWA4PAbEl4ASJ5KxGfs4vZo09uO1B3y/s1600/fam+with+dining+room+table+at+rio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dining Room in the Rio players suite Las Vegas" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij-d0PTdurHCz67W2OVpep2GGJIQWSE7Ns9jGrVry4FGAIuU1fZHY_FsgwxXQ9TnNSK1BsaUTxuFeupsMJEOXr4Hs-YHQlc3-cOeIVbTXezVhUhWA4PAbEl4ASJ5KxGfs4vZo09uO1B3y/s1600/fam+with+dining+room+table+at+rio.JPG" title="Family meeting" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>"Sit down Dad. We need to talk to you about these travel plans...."</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nowadays things are a little different. My kids are beginning to identify and champion the cause of their favorite destinations, pushing for the things that they want in a family vacation. Take our recent trip to Southern California for example. I had decided that we would spend one day at <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/08/six-flags-magic-mountain.html" target="_blank">Six Flags Magic Mountain</a> followed by two days at Universal Studios. My older two children, thrill ride addicts that they are, insisted that our time would be better spent in reverse with two days at Six Flags and only one at Universal. Years ago this wouldn't have been an issue as I could have swayed the voting members to my way of thinking with promises of candy. Unfortunately these days my kids have far more disposable income than I do and are perfectly capable of buying their own candy. If I wanted my itinerary to stand I was going to have to negotiate something far more creative than "1 day at Six Flags and five Aero bars for each of you!"</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPvZp9b2jdcTijcCbl1m88F_jwe9T0vr3diQjWtokLlpguS8g-USJvn0LyYv3A8KyXRoQqlkYDYmYqa5J5jJYpm0egC4zBeIJgQzqRWMG0e3lf7jhu8FfUlCvizcMPsCb-rtf5Bbb5B_s/s1600/Taz+and+Tweety.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Character pictures at Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPvZp9b2jdcTijcCbl1m88F_jwe9T0vr3diQjWtokLlpguS8g-USJvn0LyYv3A8KyXRoQqlkYDYmYqa5J5jJYpm0egC4zBeIJgQzqRWMG0e3lf7jhu8FfUlCvizcMPsCb-rtf5Bbb5B_s/s1600/Taz+and+Tweety.JPG" title="Posing with Taz and Tweety" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>One day of posing with characters should be plenty for anyone...</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enter the Flash Pass. Six Flags' version of Disney's Fastpass is an electronic ride reservation system that allows you to book a time to ride an attraction from anywhere in the park. You simply scroll up or down to the ride you want to go on and the Flash Pass will tell you what time you can make a reservation for. Press "Reserve", then show up at your appointed time to be allowed to cut in at the front of the line for your chosen attraction. The time you'll have to wait for your reservation depends on which of the three versions of the Flash Pass you buy. The basic Flash Pass figures out the current wait time for an attraction and makes you a reservation for the normal time you would have spent standing in line, so if it was 10 am and you wanted to reserve a ride on Tatsu which had a wait time of 1 hour at that point, you'd be reserving a spot for 11 am. The gold Flash Pass cuts the wait time in half, so your reservation would be for 10:30 am, and the platinum Flash Pass cuts the wait by 90% so you'd be able to ride Tatsu at 10:06 am, which most likely doesn't leave you enough time to walk to the ride as it is.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zB6ajDEB3ZNjMuNHatgyNEH1f2qxLaBogdkGaAyg263MD6UY11KDAlrKY7bl01s2JHoiBZao9Jd_c48pjqTqyooRTuS8kkhMn9FrWfdA21CrUWI2d9bUUWvrOb5H9YbNmRceiZPwQ8lA/s1600/Flash+Pass+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Flash Pass sign Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zB6ajDEB3ZNjMuNHatgyNEH1f2qxLaBogdkGaAyg263MD6UY11KDAlrKY7bl01s2JHoiBZao9Jd_c48pjqTqyooRTuS8kkhMn9FrWfdA21CrUWI2d9bUUWvrOb5H9YbNmRceiZPwQ8lA/s1600/Flash+Pass+sign.JPG" title="If I got to wear a "Flash" costume, I'd be in!" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My kids' objection to only having one day in Six Flags was that the lines can get quite long and it's hard to get on all the great roller coasters in one day if you're there during a busy season. My offer to help them make the most of their one day by buying them the Flash Passes was briefly debated and then accepted, probably with the realization that getting anything out of Dad before he uses his veto power (Otherwise known as the "We can't afford it" card.) is a victory to be proud of. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's also possible that they were counting on Dad's inability to resist upgrades. The deal I made with my kids was that I would buy the two who wanted to spend all day on the rides the Gold Flash Pass and they would accomplish as much as they could with only half the wait times. Somewhere along the line I got caught up in the excitement of it all, and when I got to the counter to purchase the Flash Passes I heard the word "Platinum" leave my mouth. Needless to say my kids were very happy and I was somewhat confused as to what just happened. Fortunately, it's a normal state of being for me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8IzDCdZsN46WfQ717H8L8v_HfjdR4bXNLP_GzqNnYXYjF6uHrqT2aTfYkDvkHixNp9tK3bPXWjN0zBsrer3xo-Ua82jTriQE9YXLpW58dzRExVAoWIc3Onrbcxlk4qDEiqhxvZA75AJ4/s1600/Happy+Kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Platinum Flash Pass Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8IzDCdZsN46WfQ717H8L8v_HfjdR4bXNLP_GzqNnYXYjF6uHrqT2aTfYkDvkHixNp9tK3bPXWjN0zBsrer3xo-Ua82jTriQE9YXLpW58dzRExVAoWIc3Onrbcxlk4qDEiqhxvZA75AJ4/s1600/Happy+Kids.JPG" title="Always happy when Dad gets carried away..." /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So with their Platinum Flash Passes in hand, my kids set out to plan their conquest of the Magic Mountain roller coaster kingdom. Now it's important to note that not all rides are included in the Flash Pass program. <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/12/best-of-2011-best-ride.html" target="_blank">X2</a>, the most insane ride in the park, is only available as an add on to either the Gold or Platinum passes for $15 per ride. The newest roller coaster, <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/09/the-full-throttle-roller-coaster-story.html" target="_blank">Full Throttle</a>, is only available with the Platinum passes, again at a $15 per ride surcharge. Neither of these were happening, so my kids decided to start their day at Batman the Ride, which to their delight was available instantly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezXdfkNn9ZM39uo15QN_XtynQio3W5i76YaNQBVSQgoGeKvGjeKKd1knYM67Ssvkvkgg8K-HTmYZwAnL7Ah16wmjaM1rQiUBKilEwS6ZZKPRsQL1pfmv5nVTJ4PodGRMzywYSOMPW9PxP/s1600/Flash+Pass+screen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wait times on Platinum Flash Pass at Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezXdfkNn9ZM39uo15QN_XtynQio3W5i76YaNQBVSQgoGeKvGjeKKd1knYM67Ssvkvkgg8K-HTmYZwAnL7Ah16wmjaM1rQiUBKilEwS6ZZKPRsQL1pfmv5nVTJ4PodGRMzywYSOMPW9PxP/s1600/Flash+Pass+screen.JPG" title="A one minute wait for Superman? Forget it, let's do Batman!" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well kind of instantly. I mean, it took 15 minutes to get across the park to where the ride was located. Then, when they got there, my kids found that there was no line for Batman and they just walked on. It was kind of anti-climatic and I had a moment of wondering if I'd just wasted a bunch of money in an attempt to skip non-existent lines. Fortunately for us (and unfortunately for everybody without Flash Passes) the lines got a fair bit longer as the day went on. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75QKyliNaxDWkWNHmBaYEbvyDAd_NEMKo3PlyvjzDyJCD5mNqSgNYFx9jAVf-IGpCIYEp-auGTkKvsXziuZ1khXYrAxLByCW0B4-BoZ9jyiPQWhM9zo6qb-APRi40y0Hx4Izbs9bWrEjw/s1600/Six+Flags+wait+time.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wait time for Superman at Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75QKyliNaxDWkWNHmBaYEbvyDAd_NEMKo3PlyvjzDyJCD5mNqSgNYFx9jAVf-IGpCIYEp-auGTkKvsXziuZ1khXYrAxLByCW0B4-BoZ9jyiPQWhM9zo6qb-APRi40y0Hx4Izbs9bWrEjw/s1600/Six+Flags+wait+time.JPG" title="45 minutes plus 30 more while they learn how to form a line!" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were definitely some rides where the Flash Pass worked beautifully. Goliath, one of the biggest, fastest roller coasters in the park was a perfect example. Although the posted wait time was almost an hour, my kids went from making a reservation while standing in front of the ride to actually riding in under five minutes. There were some rides where the Flash Pass didn't work all that well though. Superman, one of my children's favorite rides, was a horrible experience. Even with a reservation, the point where they allow the Flash Passes to cut is still about 20 minutes from the front of the line. Combine that with the fact that Superman has perhaps the worst line organization of any ride in the history of theme parks and it quickly became apparent that the Flash Pass wasn't going to be of any use to us on this ride.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8JzREwHzUm7lYrBGX8TZjXRBye13e1sS-RyU7cxNbm6y7fPllqoWdmL4d6LIegqpAiJRui5ojtNMipZ8NI4MSbRxdBxaw4oC1pM6Zqc-cYV3LEslAltmm-HLybeOhEiJR7aA1P6UHx-w/s1600/Flash+Pass+Entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Flash Pass entrance sign at Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8JzREwHzUm7lYrBGX8TZjXRBye13e1sS-RyU7cxNbm6y7fPllqoWdmL4d6LIegqpAiJRui5ojtNMipZ8NI4MSbRxdBxaw4oC1pM6Zqc-cYV3LEslAltmm-HLybeOhEiJR7aA1P6UHx-w/s1600/Flash+Pass+Entrance.JPG" title="Flash is running the wrong way!" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the end though, our experience with the Flash Passes was a fairly good one. Despite deciding to visit Magic Mountain on a Saturday in the summer and arriving a little late (just after noon), we managed to ride everything in the park as often as we wanted and still finished about an hour before park closing. In the past our visits to Six Flags have ended in three of us wanting to go back to the hotel room while the older two kids wanted to stay right until the last minute to try out "just a few more rides". Being able to leave the park with everybody happy and still beat the closing traffic out of the parking lot was a really nice treat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3MuU27371KIX3EhPHWLPaOnwrn_R4UEqnYHWPKK8xxQ-fy-XTV6kuCbrjsk8U_rloXT7QYjZYmPAPIWfyyxsIYGqJkcUBn2vEKj-7Vu1Y34U745bFKeJFyMC7WXyufFJIb56110SoWr-/s1600/Flash+Pass+You+can+ride+now.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="You can ride now Platinum Flash Pass Six Flags Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3MuU27371KIX3EhPHWLPaOnwrn_R4UEqnYHWPKK8xxQ-fy-XTV6kuCbrjsk8U_rloXT7QYjZYmPAPIWfyyxsIYGqJkcUBn2vEKj-7Vu1Y34U745bFKeJFyMC7WXyufFJIb56110SoWr-/s1600/Flash+Pass+You+can+ride+now.JPG" title="They should shorten this to just read "Apocalypse Now!"" /></a>Si</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So it was convenient, but was it worth it? Flash Passes are a lot of fun, but they're also a bit pricey. A basic Flash Pass costs about $40 per person. Gold will run you $60 per person, and if you're one of those people who get caught up in the excitement like me, a Platinum Pass will set you back $90 per person. There are some small discounts as you add people to the Flash Pass, but you'll still be at least doubling the price of admission. Is that kind of investment a good idea for your group? It was for ours because it kept us from having to buy admission for our family for a second day, but you may be in a different situation. Maybe everybody in your family likes to ride thrill rides. Maybe you've got far more time than you do money. Or in the best case scenario, maybe you can still bribe your kids with candy. As much as I felt the Flash Pass was a good buy for our family, five Aero bars would have been a much cheaper investment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Written by </span><a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-46980570219250036832013-09-06T09:26:00.000-07:002013-09-06T09:26:28.766-07:00The Full Throttle Roller Coaster - A Story in Pictures<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9s1Wxg7uq7AScuESCa3rOkvLiKWf0Ox0pUKZeHCb5hf2R8qCFcFWardaEZyW-hNaKFlzNsiW2s_qx6SiKKQc4SlFeu1Rs-MjkQQ_Tai1RxOVV5MgIbpLL5nM9fVMDJxhWk2bKSt_yL6W/s1600/Full+Throttle+Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Six Flags Magic Mountain California" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9s1Wxg7uq7AScuESCa3rOkvLiKWf0Ox0pUKZeHCb5hf2R8qCFcFWardaEZyW-hNaKFlzNsiW2s_qx6SiKKQc4SlFeu1Rs-MjkQQ_Tai1RxOVV5MgIbpLL5nM9fVMDJxhWk2bKSt_yL6W/s1600/Full+Throttle+Poster.JPG" title="World's Tallest, Fastest, Looping Roller Coaster" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKG49hObwrKXZtkAyl1xZ_EjOjhNq9Jt7q37Yq5LZww5xsd_c54Dp6ELd3D0FMAMl5_JwJxLtckuA94MUG6rFwztahp5INOcO8Dh5vFj0Y6AnvTS-gcEKU7VRE8sCJhOA3WwGXrU-jI08/s1600/Full+Throttle+Launch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Full Throttle Six Flags" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKG49hObwrKXZtkAyl1xZ_EjOjhNq9Jt7q37Yq5LZww5xsd_c54Dp6ELd3D0FMAMl5_JwJxLtckuA94MUG6rFwztahp5INOcO8Dh5vFj0Y6AnvTS-gcEKU7VRE8sCJhOA3WwGXrU-jI08/s1600/Full+Throttle+Launch.JPG" title="High Speed Launch" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrQHVpsdqLi_4dw37eypb3aJn8C1qFzA3LbS0GFIEGO4hVffofI-TTv26xus85j5L5flL7FGGRzaH7fai1wwGWx-uCQSSWI4OcRZgscGW-fImAbuXNHDOPAT0Rh9Qu4S2RHQEy2Bej4GN/s1600/Full+Throttle+Inside+Loop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Full Throttle Magic Mountain" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrQHVpsdqLi_4dw37eypb3aJn8C1qFzA3LbS0GFIEGO4hVffofI-TTv26xus85j5L5flL7FGGRzaH7fai1wwGWx-uCQSSWI4OcRZgscGW-fImAbuXNHDOPAT0Rh9Qu4S2RHQEy2Bej4GN/s1600/Full+Throttle+Inside+Loop.JPG" title="Inside the giant loop" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzxz8bui-Lqqiv9l98Rp5j5OSIZfLAB9t9AKJ3cvZaK-TBc53YrA8SOj6YR9N_A5fbJKAP4Heiu8FuGCr285SGxGmAjsqaIyBE9ANj6w68X6BMG7Nj2VPbyTVSu7-_UNufc-DmAwPM9Hv/s1600/Full+Throttle+Upside+Down.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Full Throttle Roller Coaster" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzxz8bui-Lqqiv9l98Rp5j5OSIZfLAB9t9AKJ3cvZaK-TBc53YrA8SOj6YR9N_A5fbJKAP4Heiu8FuGCr285SGxGmAjsqaIyBE9ANj6w68X6BMG7Nj2VPbyTVSu7-_UNufc-DmAwPM9Hv/s1600/Full+Throttle+Upside+Down.JPG" title="Hanging upside down" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDO7Yb5-0YtO_V-YBuyuLZWVjUG43PO4bdpvaNMu7gE82GNsttQByOY25USVfk5lcHyi1qCglccEP_FLWrLR5NWEC_lNnawXwJhmHm4ui1ojKhMsPLL9lvC_hM8aDey1_BEbg6lrTJ_cS/s1600/Full+Throttle+over+walkway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Full Throttle crossing Superman entrance" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDO7Yb5-0YtO_V-YBuyuLZWVjUG43PO4bdpvaNMu7gE82GNsttQByOY25USVfk5lcHyi1qCglccEP_FLWrLR5NWEC_lNnawXwJhmHm4ui1ojKhMsPLL9lvC_hM8aDey1_BEbg6lrTJ_cS/s1600/Full+Throttle+over+walkway.JPG" title="Shooting across the walkway" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQF3kXSxeNrAZF6IiFZg5_Mj60baYyn7Y_AAv8x7gqqYop69TqNwwf8d1c6sjMeMyUCbSFikt7GwHMUi0HhiirU1DOgDfv3xZKbvmoFKrj423bk1TaL8pK8YeuiDmoht9rjDDXPIimLIW2/s1600/Full+Throttle+Outside+Loop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crazy roller coasters" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQF3kXSxeNrAZF6IiFZg5_Mj60baYyn7Y_AAv8x7gqqYop69TqNwwf8d1c6sjMeMyUCbSFikt7GwHMUi0HhiirU1DOgDfv3xZKbvmoFKrj423bk1TaL8pK8YeuiDmoht9rjDDXPIimLIW2/s1600/Full+Throttle+Outside+Loop.JPG" title="Over the top of the loop" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8LZABUEKHWO5FUAEnNhGuJayYhT3kfJ4T8f0wJ4SwregRGhM_ktGg2MQ7zAybLE8g1vPVg8nPHovKWzUav6ijWi-tIJDlK7OiGOCV_qovq-6udi1buPVbe4uNqKzMj5bJ0c4l9WZVux3/s1600/Outside+Providence+Medical+Center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Providence Medical Center Los Angeles" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8LZABUEKHWO5FUAEnNhGuJayYhT3kfJ4T8f0wJ4SwregRGhM_ktGg2MQ7zAybLE8g1vPVg8nPHovKWzUav6ijWi-tIJDlK7OiGOCV_qovq-6udi1buPVbe4uNqKzMj5bJ0c4l9WZVux3/s1600/Outside+Providence+Medical+Center.JPG" title="Look how straight that arm is!" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px;">This post is a part of </span><a href="http://www.rwethereyetmom.com/2013/09/friday-daydreamin-girls-trip.html" style="color: #436590; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Friday Daydreamin at R We There Yet Mom</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px;">. If you didn't get here from there, you should really go check them out. There's people there who might actually be capable of attending <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/08/six-flags-magic-mountain.html" target="_blank">Six Flags</a> without hurting themselves. They must exercise or something.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-89662632991215676812013-09-04T09:26:00.000-07:002013-09-04T09:26:41.023-07:00A Fireworks Failing<span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite parts of any major holiday is the fireworks show. It doesn't matter to me if it's <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/02/new-years-eve-at-space-needle-what-you.html" target="_blank">New Years Eve</a>, <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/08/the-living-flag-in-victoria-2013.html" target="_blank">Canada Day</a>, or any other day deemed important enough to warrant aerial explosions, I love watching the show. I have this great vision of lying back on a hillside watching the fireworks rocket into the air, the only sounds being the distant booms of the fireworks and the "Oohs!" and "Aahs!" of the crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wonder what that's like?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIPkdiuOfI-LYa2dv-_t8OS5LtF_50C9Zt00eIkpRKDYXEeclcaoQd1RWsDFjt8dpu0E6vjjfkiPTrvg4zsMUM0nIKKCNYNRAlaVBYhHoVA9Vi3VNTWNFgLM1v9xNRVSA4cpbYQNCK9XF/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria BC Canada Day fireworks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIPkdiuOfI-LYa2dv-_t8OS5LtF_50C9Zt00eIkpRKDYXEeclcaoQd1RWsDFjt8dpu0E6vjjfkiPTrvg4zsMUM0nIKKCNYNRAlaVBYhHoVA9Vi3VNTWNFgLM1v9xNRVSA4cpbYQNCK9XF/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+1.JPG" title="Victoria Harbor fireworks" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Truth is, firework shows are usually crowded masses of people. You have to get there hours early to get even a remotely decent viewing spot and then hope that nothing more than a light breeze wanders into the area and cancels the entire show. The good news is that if the show actually happens, you'll probably hear a good deal of those longed for "oohs and aahs". </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unless of course you're sitting near our family. It seems that over the years my children have become a little jaded towards fireworks shows. What used to leave them awestruck when they were little, now barely constitutes a reason to look up form their cell phones. As for the gasps of excitement...well if you find yourself in our vicinity you're more likely to hear comments like these, taken from our Canada Day firework experience in Victoria:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBH5kCTCT33n8NWmEPYnwsbaeCf7S-AqvxOel92ChF_ic4mPH3KYD8Jr0Ph3oCBY3sRaIhvTWoTJ2inMJmYl3XDY6KvtkZI9iwdRPlSr2myCfT9F6-CJh-CU4yOCMriv0WQwMIh1xwzou/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria fireworks Canada Day" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBH5kCTCT33n8NWmEPYnwsbaeCf7S-AqvxOel92ChF_ic4mPH3KYD8Jr0Ph3oCBY3sRaIhvTWoTJ2inMJmYl3XDY6KvtkZI9iwdRPlSr2myCfT9F6-CJh-CU4yOCMriv0WQwMIh1xwzou/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+2.JPG" title="Victoria Harbor sunset" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"You know how they should start every fireworks show? They should have a guy dressed like Wile E. Coyote chase a guy dressed like the roadrunner onto the barge that they shoot the fireworks from. That would be awesome!"</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepf0kAX0qttUuz07DHeDhBm48FA0KD4qrQxhrrE3YZOYzLPVuXrJeMzeuT2c2dqOlH8I5a-pD-fl5CdOnye9ddEawjHfyUgHBxoOcm5Az2ao-BeYE-o4diC6qADG0nIGFtsPx4ufheDFB/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria harbor fireworks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepf0kAX0qttUuz07DHeDhBm48FA0KD4qrQxhrrE3YZOYzLPVuXrJeMzeuT2c2dqOlH8I5a-pD-fl5CdOnye9ddEawjHfyUgHBxoOcm5Az2ao-BeYE-o4diC6qADG0nIGFtsPx4ufheDFB/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+3.JPG" title="Canada Day Fireworks in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Gee Dad, you look much younger in the flickering firework light."</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_3QfBuYqXiDOHseqRXJcKo9Ol6Foqzv6OpfYoL9D16DP_yC7AIVaDT2Gqdfj00RVqKftjgEnT7WDIUkvqfWR8L531Zf72ZJ5usWZW4xALGCbozTXFhwPOvRVh23O_mERFog24INnxmxb/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria BC harbor fireworks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_3QfBuYqXiDOHseqRXJcKo9Ol6Foqzv6OpfYoL9D16DP_yC7AIVaDT2Gqdfj00RVqKftjgEnT7WDIUkvqfWR8L531Zf72ZJ5usWZW4xALGCbozTXFhwPOvRVh23O_mERFog24INnxmxb/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+4.JPG" title="Canada Day fireworks in Victoria harbor" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"These larger fireworks are really interfering with my 4G reception!"</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUhPnN2IbULL5m9euASFJjTGzCUCZfIsNY7iOvTeAO2CFsTFAcTnACzKA4OZW3Ld8hHebhBf7brjozSBcd0DnxDoXzYN12kDMY75o-6JoGr0G5LfpA_ajvNL6du1CuXTOo5eJDBaX1rAe/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canada Day fireworks in Victoria harbor" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUhPnN2IbULL5m9euASFJjTGzCUCZfIsNY7iOvTeAO2CFsTFAcTnACzKA4OZW3Ld8hHebhBf7brjozSBcd0DnxDoXzYN12kDMY75o-6JoGr0G5LfpA_ajvNL6du1CuXTOo5eJDBaX1rAe/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+5.JPG" title="More fireworks in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Do you think they're shooting the fireworks at that boat over there? That would be so cool, kind of like a real life game of Battleship!" (Followed by a couple minutes of "B4....Miss!" every time a firework went up.)</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-m8SZPyreBgMfy5a3obvyAUdH6EBXvg7I1PDDyMrbZh1b6gDbTiWXQ_Vg1RHgJtWwJfvHyVq8KOZABgUyFPI5Cr_w9zKw_6gOKSh0v5LUepsSJaDccKLGxXp5NViVl-YBIC3P_1dJbTu/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canada Day celebrations in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-m8SZPyreBgMfy5a3obvyAUdH6EBXvg7I1PDDyMrbZh1b6gDbTiWXQ_Vg1RHgJtWwJfvHyVq8KOZABgUyFPI5Cr_w9zKw_6gOKSh0v5LUepsSJaDccKLGxXp5NViVl-YBIC3P_1dJbTu/s1600/Victoria+Fireworks+6.JPG" title="Fireworks over boat in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"They're playing O Canada so this must be the last song right? I kind of wish our national anthem was shorter."</i></b></span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-10713681303515803602013-09-02T08:49:00.000-07:002013-09-02T08:49:05.344-07:00The Jam Cafe in Victoria - A Poetic Review<span style="font-size: large;">We woke in <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/08/the-living-flag-in-victoria-2013.html" target="_blank">Victoria</a>,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And food was our plan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We needed great breakfast,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So we went to <a href="http://www.jamcafevictoria.com/" rel="" target="_blank">Jam</a>!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvUgWGopJXCbJNizApNlUM8wfmtImLGDq0jXD39wF-oapPdeGuHzUlEFUcyLWZGXhkwBdZW0BgaI1gpFnbRkp-kWI9kMvuxpkTz3u5P35Fi8tI90MBm4awiCa9Tn16xKUzbiMswBQLFZ4/s1600/Jam+Cafe+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sign outside the Jam Cafe in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvUgWGopJXCbJNizApNlUM8wfmtImLGDq0jXD39wF-oapPdeGuHzUlEFUcyLWZGXhkwBdZW0BgaI1gpFnbRkp-kWI9kMvuxpkTz3u5P35Fi8tI90MBm4awiCa9Tn16xKUzbiMswBQLFZ4/s1600/Jam+Cafe+sign.JPG" title="Jam Cafe sign" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The place is quite small,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A bit hard to find.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the easiest way,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Just look for the line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the sidewalk you'll stand,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To wait for your spot.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There's no reservations,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And it will get quite hot! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vbSB35ogihTq510QcRL0AZXQxHkc5W4qhK6LDNavYSght-j3RtgrJR4uLhRXhYS3gMgTYB0X71C0jX_b0krJBgOL9UdeM-pvtrWqWkzm0bW8xdh4KFJJQ8pG89YR4Q5DSVW5zVc_pJRK/s1600/Line+in+front+of+Jam+Cafe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The line outside the Jam Cafe in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vbSB35ogihTq510QcRL0AZXQxHkc5W4qhK6LDNavYSght-j3RtgrJR4uLhRXhYS3gMgTYB0X71C0jX_b0krJBgOL9UdeM-pvtrWqWkzm0bW8xdh4KFJJQ8pG89YR4Q5DSVW5zVc_pJRK/s1600/Line+in+front+of+Jam+Cafe.JPG" title="Line outside Jam" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They bring you some coffee,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While you stand in line,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The rest will use cell phones,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To help pass the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The line moves quite quickly,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In fact it's quite snappy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In no time at all,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You'll be in and be happy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7nNLmRS9_n0sapltdOkENcQ0utfy2lbNz4Xyssf7P3i2grVjlapEf7xEKiBIoY7Lcyp0CciZCoVM5jGRC6_-KzI5XM-CPH7_UkDltCse7RuhhqOZrY0x6fkTv98iyPll_5mlZIFN_q18/s1600/Inside+Jam+Cafe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Table inside Jam Cafe in Victoria, BC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7nNLmRS9_n0sapltdOkENcQ0utfy2lbNz4Xyssf7P3i2grVjlapEf7xEKiBIoY7Lcyp0CciZCoVM5jGRC6_-KzI5XM-CPH7_UkDltCse7RuhhqOZrY0x6fkTv98iyPll_5mlZIFN_q18/s1600/Inside+Jam+Cafe.JPG" title="Inside Jam" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You'll scour the menu,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To help make your plan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh wait, what is this?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They've got Green Eggs and Ham!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuXlZigHs-oSfP9mfRrc3qTX8Vbxe4O3K6UQqqlo_tLbxiutWfeT5b82fnZ2XD6_NpyC3AxnPtPah_GL93ct7ByU8s92lF_7u2TbeGoBBOJQvuw4mYeFhI-BF4aQ_kpJS0FFTd6j-IH5h/s1600/Green+Eggs+and+Ham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green eggs and ham from Jam Cafe in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuXlZigHs-oSfP9mfRrc3qTX8Vbxe4O3K6UQqqlo_tLbxiutWfeT5b82fnZ2XD6_NpyC3AxnPtPah_GL93ct7ByU8s92lF_7u2TbeGoBBOJQvuw4mYeFhI-BF4aQ_kpJS0FFTd6j-IH5h/s1600/Green+Eggs+and+Ham.JPG" title="Green Eggs and Ham" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You have to order it, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You know you must.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You don't know the chef,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But Dr. Seuss you do trust!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The others they choose,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Their options are many.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Your husband selects,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Pulled Pork Eggs Benny!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDxHC9ptDVinzlzcn6jYoMOPMXdnJDBrbEopNu-l4pF0Zq4w2LgyDJJr8T6wHrjtKE1PNzr0_kG5yfseX07-F4CCKt9uCLNreW3X23IugnoAYTrbO-hSgTEGModrnpf3DvnqyIhaOMctK/s1600/Pulled+Pork+Eggs+Benedict.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pulled pork eggs bennedict from Jam Cafe in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDxHC9ptDVinzlzcn6jYoMOPMXdnJDBrbEopNu-l4pF0Zq4w2LgyDJJr8T6wHrjtKE1PNzr0_kG5yfseX07-F4CCKt9uCLNreW3X23IugnoAYTrbO-hSgTEGModrnpf3DvnqyIhaOMctK/s1600/Pulled+Pork+Eggs+Benedict.JPG" title="Pulled Pork Eggs Bennedict" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The food comes quite quick,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And it all looks fantastic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Good thing that your pants,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a waistband elastic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before you dive in,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You look at your daughter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She ordered whipped cream,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Just like you taught her.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNeLJKOad88YpOvwfPfya5kBLPb6iYzmJbNjWAiRRr7fDAprYAeq_Z2E2dsiq7Zlyb2s5Ze1AtBTr9LvQM4yQMp8jMdu9Yo3UM7BKsmLvIZqTAvaa0kf0k23BReDEhuBqBNpedGE-JjV7/s1600/Nutella+and+Banana+Sandwich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nutella and Banana Sandwich from Jam Cafe in Victoria" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNeLJKOad88YpOvwfPfya5kBLPb6iYzmJbNjWAiRRr7fDAprYAeq_Z2E2dsiq7Zlyb2s5Ze1AtBTr9LvQM4yQMp8jMdu9Yo3UM7BKsmLvIZqTAvaa0kf0k23BReDEhuBqBNpedGE-JjV7/s640/Nutella+and+Banana+Sandwich.JPG" title="Nutella and Banana Sandwich" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Her sandwich is large,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And filled with Nutella.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She's making a mess,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But you decide not to tell her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Your breakfast is great,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In fact it's a winner,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But it's just so big,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You won't be hungry for dinner.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWtaZZGTu7B3O7gB4SvNlsBzpQX3cw_eHpu7Ij35Lwn4vA5temUHM3SkamUplffS4AJTyKpoZ-k-b19RJscIxNJKsaP2vkl6pND3aNJf_JdLGOCnsoMdFkQJdrUVwclPAtfEUJSWuykT-/s1600/Green+Eggs+and+Ham+sandwich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jam Cafe in Victoria Green Eggs and Ham" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWtaZZGTu7B3O7gB4SvNlsBzpQX3cw_eHpu7Ij35Lwn4vA5temUHM3SkamUplffS4AJTyKpoZ-k-b19RJscIxNJKsaP2vkl6pND3aNJf_JdLGOCnsoMdFkQJdrUVwclPAtfEUJSWuykT-/s1600/Green+Eggs+and+Ham+sandwich.JPG" title="Green Eggs and Ham sandwich" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the meal,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When it's all cleared away,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Your husband goes up,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To the Counter to pay.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">You look at your youngest,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Who ordered no food.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Said she wasn't hungry,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Was not in the mood.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But now she looks happy,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Much to your surprise,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The waitress brought suckers,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A bunch was her prize.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f_bozq78fRqHRwzOszI3pU0z2jo2RdFBuHDxmOuPuxXlXPgwjPBOpwt_-hCnmWBEBvSkfrmvaWpcRn2qkSIBlBtWCnbz-qh3j-9ZjdvTDSRYA7MH6pOHfY3LM0hX-4z9bdpEZGbKP-gx/s1600/Suckers+at+Jam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="End of meal suckers from Jam Cafe in Victoria" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f_bozq78fRqHRwzOszI3pU0z2jo2RdFBuHDxmOuPuxXlXPgwjPBOpwt_-hCnmWBEBvSkfrmvaWpcRn2qkSIBlBtWCnbz-qh3j-9ZjdvTDSRYA7MH6pOHfY3LM0hX-4z9bdpEZGbKP-gx/s640/Suckers+at+Jam.JPG" title="Suckers from the Jam Cafe" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So when in Victoria,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Make it part of your plan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">542 on Herald Street,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Is the address for Jam!</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-6133196848398496982013-08-28T07:49:00.000-07:002013-08-28T07:49:56.569-07:00The "N" Word at Disney<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtW_GoZZbdGUIdAftyBWV3K5NHHuP1D5qg554m3P24t25hgQej-5MvDRJLi0A8fChwDHBI5ANP1VBpCijPWkynOrainalWGEZoZnVCllsbG9XQF5wYFohVkM2-U2uEQ8WF4fe2mp4eXmgX/s1600/Last+Pic+of+the+N.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Disneyland letters in front of park" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtW_GoZZbdGUIdAftyBWV3K5NHHuP1D5qg554m3P24t25hgQej-5MvDRJLi0A8fChwDHBI5ANP1VBpCijPWkynOrainalWGEZoZnVCllsbG9XQF5wYFohVkM2-U2uEQ8WF4fe2mp4eXmgX/s320/Last+Pic+of+the+N.JPG" title="Christmas N outside California Adventure" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I'm linking up with Deb from Focused on the Magic again this week for her Wordless Wednesday blog hop. In her infinite wisdom Deb has decided that this weeks <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/disney-doesnt-give-you-all-details.html" target="_blank">Disney</a> topic is to be the letter 'N', which is perfect for me. As the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/02/the-ups-and-downs-of-traveling-with-my.html" target="_blank">father of three teenage children</a>, I love the letter 'N'. In fact, it forms half of my favorite parenting word....NO! I mean sure, I prefer to say yes to my children whenever possible, but there's so many places you can use the word "no" at Disney....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">NO, you can't have a lollipop for breakfast...</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5YiluXbms6N5HV7Yao9OYAtEBGrzOWAOQbktZJoS-cgXerPPQltL_BtYBgOffqfqy2OKWtqsRI9jgXpCPi5IFVU7NhPzzV-_3AE74hSk9NFMhYVY8GB3RChjMfqJZykQTxnxxcHWUwjG/s1600/Mickey+Lollipop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Disney candy lollipop" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5YiluXbms6N5HV7Yao9OYAtEBGrzOWAOQbktZJoS-cgXerPPQltL_BtYBgOffqfqy2OKWtqsRI9jgXpCPi5IFVU7NhPzzV-_3AE74hSk9NFMhYVY8GB3RChjMfqJZykQTxnxxcHWUwjG/s1600/Mickey+Lollipop.JPG" title="Mickey lollipop" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">NO, it's not real money...</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTUom6Y4xWCkSjdtJWpTTPl1QAC1dZDJhbvWBn3PHGLv1FP0jCT0ZbLxDES0g9UgdiVsFazZTvhX_vp1nSwpXpDd0eiyoRMj_ddQ-AEv8GWUZqjTZcB0U2r1HB1BozQuJQlGNDBlPRdPj/s1600/Loot+on+Tom+Sawyer+Island.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pirate treasure on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTUom6Y4xWCkSjdtJWpTTPl1QAC1dZDJhbvWBn3PHGLv1FP0jCT0ZbLxDES0g9UgdiVsFazZTvhX_vp1nSwpXpDd0eiyoRMj_ddQ-AEv8GWUZqjTZcB0U2r1HB1BozQuJQlGNDBlPRdPj/s1600/Loot+on+Tom+Sawyer+Island.JPG" title="Tom Sawyer Island" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">NO, we're not waiting that long...</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0vcBrBFre3yUS9YgJbwADStNEd0UM73XqvJq7Q1myMZiFD_JOFqFtNurXFBW3U_2DDKRx8W0eQHe_cDJQ9EOr2uzT8BdIassS-xNj62BODiEKSXJtZVZjlsYR41BbfMaiyXhkNZgmSEV/s1600/Radiator+Springs+Racers+wait+time.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cars Land Radiator Springs Racers huge wait time" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0vcBrBFre3yUS9YgJbwADStNEd0UM73XqvJq7Q1myMZiFD_JOFqFtNurXFBW3U_2DDKRx8W0eQHe_cDJQ9EOr2uzT8BdIassS-xNj62BODiEKSXJtZVZjlsYR41BbfMaiyXhkNZgmSEV/s1600/Radiator+Springs+Racers+wait+time.JPG" title="Radiator Springs Racers wait time" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">NO! Why would you even ask?...</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70DO0Q7xoXov70kGV3HtkSUv4N-J7gQCSoNotaX_JYeX6XdXcoLoDI9-3wyvCoBYxkMNZWykLaJVX9BUpCHrS610SlZ8p9vHJ2A-yZU6c_ysNA2MFRf5tl_ZmuYI-HmDP2y0HTYVWxqI5/s1600/Climbing+the+Matterhorn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="On top of the Matterhorn in Fantasyland at Disneyland" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70DO0Q7xoXov70kGV3HtkSUv4N-J7gQCSoNotaX_JYeX6XdXcoLoDI9-3wyvCoBYxkMNZWykLaJVX9BUpCHrS610SlZ8p9vHJ2A-yZU6c_ysNA2MFRf5tl_ZmuYI-HmDP2y0HTYVWxqI5/s1600/Climbing+the+Matterhorn.JPG" title="Climbers on the Matterhorn" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLp07bfpoXoqfrlrmIFGB5CQPk9QuGpch19qqO_N114W5C1zd5nJbsJWAkUMAPxfQ0eO6UtjuP2-qN5oUmXduK0U0Jg04FKFPaFb86RVn0wla_0m73RV6GxESLgvh-TWcn1NeKiMmCjthP/s1600/Waiting+for+It's+a+Small+World.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Outside It's a Small World at Disneyland" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLp07bfpoXoqfrlrmIFGB5CQPk9QuGpch19qqO_N114W5C1zd5nJbsJWAkUMAPxfQ0eO6UtjuP2-qN5oUmXduK0U0Jg04FKFPaFb86RVn0wla_0m73RV6GxESLgvh-TWcn1NeKiMmCjthP/s1600/Waiting+for+It's+a+Small+World.JPG" title="Waiting for It's a Small World" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And of course the most frequently used "no" sentence of all....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">NO, we can't keep him.</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vTUCV8ilZFAYjNb13ZPeCpUS4eLUIBqGWKGwReA_jMaaqKfTj2y_uMOUq-Ri1qRF3LHL1UP9SvIDScOEVDwVLpjWFZjbdVnOHuwtToAxUShY5mMxgWWImFnkZIPaGedMSGwSME8g6bPv/s1600/Tigger+and+the+girls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tigger character photo outside Winnie the Pooh" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vTUCV8ilZFAYjNb13ZPeCpUS4eLUIBqGWKGwReA_jMaaqKfTj2y_uMOUq-Ri1qRF3LHL1UP9SvIDScOEVDwVLpjWFZjbdVnOHuwtToAxUShY5mMxgWWImFnkZIPaGedMSGwSME8g6bPv/s1600/Tigger+and+the+girls.JPG" title="Tigger with the girls" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">This post is a part of </span><a href="http://www.focusedonthemagic.com/2013/08/wordless-wednesday-disney-letter-n.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Wordless Wednesday</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"> over at </span><span style="font-size: large;">Focused on the Magic</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">. If you didn't get here from there, you should really head on over and check out some of the fantastic people that hang out there on Wednesdays. Some of them might even let their kids climb the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/07/mending-matterhorn.html" target="_blank">Matterhorn</a> if they asked. They're known as the "cool parents".</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-49785640581026754272013-08-26T10:11:00.000-07:002013-08-26T10:11:40.079-07:0010 Promos We Used This Summer to Keep Travel Costs Down<span style="font-size: large;">People think we're rich. Not <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/one-direction-in-vancouver-24-hour-road.html" target="_blank">One Direction</a> rich, but the general consensus is that for the amount of travel that we do, money must not be a real issue for us. I promise you nothing could be further from the truth. We do our traveling on a shoestring budget (<a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/10/plaza-hotel-in-new-york-how-not-to.html" target="_blank">a little <b>too</b> shoestring sometimes</a>) and it's only by endlessly chasing deals and promotions that we can afford to travel further than the grocery store down the street, and truth be told with the price of gas up here that grocery store had better be running a promotion as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you've been following along with us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoreKidsThanSuitcases" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, you know that our summer has been full of fun and travel, but it's also been full of promotions. Here's 10 of the deals that we took advantage of this summer to help keep our costs to a minimum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Free Night at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the only one of these tips that wouldn't necessarily be available to everyone, but it's the outcome of taking advantage of another promo a couple of years ago and being quick on the draw when the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/09/that-4k-hotel-room-is-too-good-deal-to.html" target="_blank">Fairmont Lifetime Platinum</a> deal was available. We get one free night per year, so this year we used it at the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/how-i-almost-got-divorced-at-fairmont.html" target="_blank">Fairmont Empress</a>. One of the nice parts about Fairmont is that they let you use a suite upgrade coupon at the same time as your free night coupon, so we paid for one night in a base room and got two nights in a one bedroom suite. Sure my family nearly killed me when they found out there was no air conditioning, but it was still a fantastic deal!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWQhhxKrZq-5cPnOXB53U-OY3h-_hf_hfz5AojCDj2qElAtrEMZNAeblVy127khr6rXEMYUGLIlUamUb8bFoLONjEy0x6D6OZ0VFNKueVZLrDvCMFUuq_DIK9jgqdLp53pAE7TOON7z0d/s1600/Farimont+Empress+Victoria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In front of the Fairmont Empress in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWQhhxKrZq-5cPnOXB53U-OY3h-_hf_hfz5AojCDj2qElAtrEMZNAeblVy127khr6rXEMYUGLIlUamUb8bFoLONjEy0x6D6OZ0VFNKueVZLrDvCMFUuq_DIK9jgqdLp53pAE7TOON7z0d/s1600/Farimont+Empress+Victoria.JPG" title="Fairmont Empress" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Using Points at the Hyatt Regency Valencia</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know what was going on, but on the days that we wanted to visit Six Flags the rates were through the roof at all the Valencia area hotels. I'm talking well over $200 a night in an area that usually costs around $100. Fortunately the Hyatt Regency Valencia is way under priced on points, coming in at only 8,000 Gold Passport points per night. We had that many points available in our account, but even if we hadn't we could have purchased 8,000 points for $192 directly from Hyatt and saved some money that way, even cheaper if we'd taken advantage of one of their frequent 50% bonuses when buying points.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Free Night at the Sheraton Universal in Los Angeles</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">About a year ago Starwood sent Lori an offer to stay one night with them at any of their properties and get a free night sometime in the next year. We spent a night at the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/09/four-points-hotel-in-kamloops.html" target="_blank">Kamloops Four Points</a> a short distance away from our home, and then held on to our free night until we used it this summer at the Sheraton Universal. Paying just over $100 in Kamloops to earn a free $200 night in Los Angeles was a great money saver for us (and it actually got us interested in the Starwood properties as well, so win/win).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnt_yAbHXBM9UD4H7Gxc1O9E0sVRg4Hm9HWQMNnpK2UOBPB2AEkWGdqbK6HgfJsYYCcYfQn7bVw1U9D7mgeIS9w7cfYLq7OGTSNngt1wBJPYgzOLU2K7vv-HL0_qonIOLj3-J6VMc0RXX/s1600/Lori+at+Sheraton+Universal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hollywood sign at Sheraton Universal" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnt_yAbHXBM9UD4H7Gxc1O9E0sVRg4Hm9HWQMNnpK2UOBPB2AEkWGdqbK6HgfJsYYCcYfQn7bVw1U9D7mgeIS9w7cfYLq7OGTSNngt1wBJPYgzOLU2K7vv-HL0_qonIOLj3-J6VMc0RXX/s1600/Lori+at+Sheraton+Universal.JPG" title="Lori at Sheraton Universal" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Free Nights at the Radisson in Buena Park</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Disneyland hotels seem to be raising their rates this year. I used to be able to count on staying a few blocks away from the park for under $100 a night, but this year everything was closer to $200. That's too rich for my blood, so we decided to use some of our points that we earned in Florida last year during the Club Carlson 50,000 points per night giveaway. The entire week at the Radisson Buena Park only cost a little over 100,000 points, so the two nights we spent at the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/08/radisson-suite-hotel-oceanfront.html" target="_blank">Radisson in Melbourne</a> last summer covered our week in Disney this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Disneyland Passes via Airmiles</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm constantly in envy of my American friends and their ability to rack up huge points by applying and cancelling credit cards. Our options in Canada are pretty bad (unless you really want enough points for five free movies) and while I've all but given up on the Airmiles program, they still make Disneyland passes relatively affordable. We managed to get four of our passes from Airmiles, meaning we only had to shell out $300 for one five day pass. Of course this was our first time back sine our annual passes expired almost two years ago. That $300 seemed like a million when I had to pay it out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAU7Ba7m-M7_cpMquJ9A5I3KeyaErtSBubu5tl4Cv_OBtjEXgd-Y2tVVyZLD5oOGSWD59QL-e0TmVdt9NUZnZOErfwoEhEx5WDy28AZvvdeHJKMAG8ShrKZsV_yIPJVDWmNTJjzk6_IS2E/s1600/Mickey+Fireworks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fireworks in the shape of Mickey Mouse at Disneyland" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAU7Ba7m-M7_cpMquJ9A5I3KeyaErtSBubu5tl4Cv_OBtjEXgd-Y2tVVyZLD5oOGSWD59QL-e0TmVdt9NUZnZOErfwoEhEx5WDy28AZvvdeHJKMAG8ShrKZsV_yIPJVDWmNTJjzk6_IS2E/s1600/Mickey+Fireworks.JPG" title="Mickey Fireworks" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Obtaining Hilton Gold in Edmonton</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I like having hotel status. It's not the self-important feeling of being able to say "<a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/09/im-diamond-guest.html" target="_blank">But I'm a diamond guest</a>!" It's the actual perks and benefits that appeal to me as a way to save money. Free breakfasts and free internet have a definite value to our family, but staying 16 nights at one chain doesn't seem like a cost effective route to obtaining that savings. Fortunately, there's often a shortcut. This year Carson Wagonlit Travel offered a promotion to it's customers that would provide Gold status in the Hilton program after only four stays. We decided to bounce back and forth between two different Hilton properties in Edmonton for the four nights we were there, and now we have Gold Status in Hilton until March of 2015. This didn't necessarily save us any money this summer (although it didn't cost us any either...both hotels were running about $100 a night) but the first time we use our status for free breakfast it'll start paying off big time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">United Airlines Fare Sale</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do you know what the hardest part of booking a vacation is? It's waiting. I <b>know</b> that if I wait long enough there will be a sale, but sometimes I don't realize which price was the sale until it's too late. My target price for Seattle to Anaheim is around $75 base fare. The airlines were sitting at about $85 this year, and I was wondering if maybe prices had just gone up and $85 was as good as it was going to get. I held on until three weeks before we were planning on going, but just as I was about to throw in the towel and pay the $85, United had a sale for $59. Sure we had to route through San Francisco (a few days after the plane crash there), but at least the price was right.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWpSHjINen0jPtPAuao2YVKBhG3QGCqWdmr2x_9IgAVbMDRqyVOWEL8SNrP31dIdYuMekDtoaKg_FxLC-bf9qSkSKRf2qNDf7uhGoHxU0Rcu2rJI2SaZNNjdpMKrY1J9IUEUS6xUG0tcd/s1600/United+Airlines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="United Airlines Plane in San Francisco" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWpSHjINen0jPtPAuao2YVKBhG3QGCqWdmr2x_9IgAVbMDRqyVOWEL8SNrP31dIdYuMekDtoaKg_FxLC-bf9qSkSKRf2qNDf7uhGoHxU0Rcu2rJI2SaZNNjdpMKrY1J9IUEUS6xUG0tcd/s1600/United+Airlines.JPG" title="United plane" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jonas Brothers Tickets</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No, you're not the first to suggest that the easiest way to save money here would be to just not go to the show, but this was the catalyst for the entire run to Vegas. There was no trip until Travelzoo put the Jonas Brothers tickets on for $15. That 75% markdown led to us spending a week in Vegas and visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time. It meant my kids got to see their second Cirque show, and it introduced us to the magic that is the Krispy Kreme milkshake. It meant we got to play KISS mini-golf and meet up with both old and new friends while spending time in the desert. Truth be told, the Jonas Brothers probably cost me a lot more money than I saved, but it was a really good deal on the tickets. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B9ic4cbPmBG6QjBDjVDzk-v7NQyqaWrIGmbMjcQkEKfZcr90CEB4jSGOpoiiTSozY0pVl385f12DCqor-iTgeCfCy2eZCEKqCJfNHGLxPyQMzR26NqU33K6lfcoWVeHTjfM6Dnm2dmKd/s1600/Family+with+Jonas+Brothers+Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Posing with Jonas Brothers poster in Las Vegas" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B9ic4cbPmBG6QjBDjVDzk-v7NQyqaWrIGmbMjcQkEKfZcr90CEB4jSGOpoiiTSozY0pVl385f12DCqor-iTgeCfCy2eZCEKqCJfNHGLxPyQMzR26NqU33K6lfcoWVeHTjfM6Dnm2dmKd/s1600/Family+with+Jonas+Brothers+Poster.JPG" title="Jonas Brothers poster" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Mandalay Bay / Royal Caribbean Promotion</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Vegas promotions are a little different than everywhere else. It's almost unheard of to book a room in Vegas that doesn't come with some kind of room credit or free drinks. On occasion however, they overdo it. We were looking for a couple of nights at the beginning of the week when somebody pointed out a cross promotion between Royal Caribbean and MGM. Essentially what they were doing was attaching ridiculous amounts of food credit to the rooms. For example, we booked two nights at Mandalay Bay for $62 a night and it came with $150 food credit. Even factoring in a crazy $25 per night resort fee, the net cost for one of the nicer hotels in Vegas was only $12 per night. At that price we decided that it would be nice to have some extra space so we booked another room under Lori's name and got a total of $300 worth of food credit. Ever told your kids to go crazy in Starbucks then signed a $115 bill without even the slightest cringe? It's fun. I highly recommend it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">ISIC Car Rental Rate</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Car rentals aren't as cheap as they once were. I used to be able to get a mini-van in Vegas for $15 a day. Now it's closer to $75, and that's if they're available at all. Alamo has a deal with a company called the International Student Identity Card which provides a crazy low rate, all the insurances, and a prepaid tank of gas. The only catch is that you must be a member of ISIC to get this rate. You know what it costs to become a member of ISIC? $20. That's money you'll easily earn back on your very first rental, even if you only factor in the tank of gas you don't have to replace before returning your car. </span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-57900372044905879602013-08-23T09:41:00.000-07:002013-08-23T09:41:35.843-07:00The Living Flag in Victoria 2013<span style="font-size: large;">I've mentioned that they didn't tell us, but if the RCMP had announced the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/vacationing-at-terror-target.html" target="_blank">foiled terror plot for Victoria</a> in advance, my first choice of activities on Canada Day would not have been to gather with 3000 people in one tight spot on the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/08/feeling-important-eating-inside-bc.html" target="_blank">Legislature</a> lawn. Talk about making it easy for the terrorists. However since we didn't know, we decided to join our fellow Canadians at the parliament buildings on Canada Day to form a Living Flag.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSP6uf0ryq8j9BtBk-L563QFKIrTnlK3F3Aay9Bfoa7Jt3YSrpedaBUFg-N8PL3eADevyRD_CXGoY7b6akDzuTqLUADzNbwG89lzVzy-4R9ZqFkNOTPKg2yaj4zl7SEwhiUQEEBilDxWw/s1600/Canadian+on+the+front+lawn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canada Day 2013 Victoria Living Flag" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSP6uf0ryq8j9BtBk-L563QFKIrTnlK3F3Aay9Bfoa7Jt3YSrpedaBUFg-N8PL3eADevyRD_CXGoY7b6akDzuTqLUADzNbwG89lzVzy-4R9ZqFkNOTPKg2yaj4zl7SEwhiUQEEBilDxWw/s1600/Canadian+on+the+front+lawn.JPG" title="Canadian in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They make it pretty simple, supplying participants who were willing to wait in a really long line with free red or white t-shirts (we brought our own) and mini Canada flags for us to wave. Of course you can't give <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/04/american-monuments-canadian-kids.html" target="_blank">Canadian kids</a> sticks and not expect things to get a little combative...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTovgq5JS0nU1SHFkJUBK9yFev6oRyLIRt05h10Vr3Ea7VCk8KQBBQKt05gKkmYs9If_8hL00QxReavh5Gcz7fL3-CpN7PZV6ij2Oz3-yKmdggHOS35JK146KH9W4_l2RHVP3vYVZpo-zP/s1600/Girls+with+flags.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Canada Day Victoria 2013 Living Flag" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTovgq5JS0nU1SHFkJUBK9yFev6oRyLIRt05h10Vr3Ea7VCk8KQBBQKt05gKkmYs9If_8hL00QxReavh5Gcz7fL3-CpN7PZV6ij2Oz3-yKmdggHOS35JK146KH9W4_l2RHVP3vYVZpo-zP/s1600/Girls+with+flags.JPG" title="Silly with flags" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...Yeah...those darn kids....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT1E0f_HcybWCY8bGoDl4HXVXN2t0QkUKvY5o2aI0FfdwSxVJohNSfWIhC5Vh1bf4yb34ZjWoHNdRPzA4hJElGDmnBqT-kY9dPFroi1bYC0Volv8ALsNbPJzCNc8OTyKbkDn8ybdt7RQy/s1600/Boys+with+flags.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canada Day Victoria 2013 Living Flag" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT1E0f_HcybWCY8bGoDl4HXVXN2t0QkUKvY5o2aI0FfdwSxVJohNSfWIhC5Vh1bf4yb34ZjWoHNdRPzA4hJElGDmnBqT-kY9dPFroi1bYC0Volv8ALsNbPJzCNc8OTyKbkDn8ybdt7RQy/s1600/Boys+with+flags.JPG" title="Even sillier with flags" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the appointed time they had everybody file in to a pre-marked area on the Legislature lawn according to what color you were wearing. This is the part I was kind of dreading as it was crazy hot out and I thought being packed in tight with a bunch of other people was going to be unbearable. Turns out, you don't have to pack in all that tight at all. In fact you probably had more personal space in the flag than you did standing in line to be let in.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9V3DFm8nAY42qyxWDSnwvXyjnA6LGT9LqZaLsXnWUd-lWLA9V6CIvCKJYrdCIrF2nlJRMHE5mePX7YAWdFY_sVHlOrF9evE5JGA69czV_qz0Jni05jt0OWMIVtQ2X2RMFtQcTbFi-6jE/s1600/Crowds+on+Canada+Day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canada Day Victoria 2013 Living Flag" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9V3DFm8nAY42qyxWDSnwvXyjnA6LGT9LqZaLsXnWUd-lWLA9V6CIvCKJYrdCIrF2nlJRMHE5mePX7YAWdFY_sVHlOrF9evE5JGA69czV_qz0Jni05jt0OWMIVtQ2X2RMFtQcTbFi-6jE/s1600/Crowds+on+Canada+Day.JPG" title="Not too crowded in the flag" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One by one the firetruck ladder took up photographers who wanted to take pictures of the event. Looking around I couldn't believe that there wasn't going to be large stretches of green in the middle of our flag, but we did our part and waved our flags frantically every time a new photographer went up...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyF2OXGJkXOcr8bRQp-QoEOv0v3hcFkv6yVzMTr__NbDmIgR0AdoFBwqJ2yYcaTHahZu1sboaw-5lNqGX_V7vStStnvPnCnFjc-yA6SQTmsdK00BxopexObKo8g1rejePwBk8sVFxeVr5/s1600/Photographers+in+bucket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Living Flag event in Victoria on Canada Day 2013" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyF2OXGJkXOcr8bRQp-QoEOv0v3hcFkv6yVzMTr__NbDmIgR0AdoFBwqJ2yYcaTHahZu1sboaw-5lNqGX_V7vStStnvPnCnFjc-yA6SQTmsdK00BxopexObKo8g1rejePwBk8sVFxeVr5/s1600/Photographers+in+bucket.JPG" title="Photographers shooting the flag" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...and sure enough when the pictures were published the next day, the flag actually looked pretty good.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLKM0b__ifRpAHzTPo3ZfTegjtJTwPRhEChPB7PNGbYbWfNS4zpewvQ9EKCiNZPlUhYCSq22K-9lUM8U1-G3gc0HHCvsDI_hAocShRHT_2_wB5bsnom9TF8FZzCKkl0CHEvPFU6rgj_yx/s1600/Living+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canada Day Victoria 2013" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLKM0b__ifRpAHzTPo3ZfTegjtJTwPRhEChPB7PNGbYbWfNS4zpewvQ9EKCiNZPlUhYCSq22K-9lUM8U1-G3gc0HHCvsDI_hAocShRHT_2_wB5bsnom9TF8FZzCKkl0CHEvPFU6rgj_yx/s1600/Living+Flag.jpg" title="The Living Flag" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo via Victoria Times Colonist</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">It got me thinking though. Each person in the flag has a reasonably large influence on the overall look of the picture. With our family of five people, we probably could have played havoc with the picture by just moving our location a little bit. I would have loved to see the photographers face if he went up in the bucket and instead of the maple leaf he saw this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaUZjbdhrBwnLb_8MvQGanEHWxoTc7ReOuvfDyhNHoPuzVUgrncDEGebPj1Z17iEhi-K011W1qNZbDvtsnTn6ISMWtqn__5Fj6aPCxBmcx8cWPhR8jfAD56Qk_J6m6hr5dXKkY3gouJh7/s1600/Japan+Flag.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Flag of Japan" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaUZjbdhrBwnLb_8MvQGanEHWxoTc7ReOuvfDyhNHoPuzVUgrncDEGebPj1Z17iEhi-K011W1qNZbDvtsnTn6ISMWtqn__5Fj6aPCxBmcx8cWPhR8jfAD56Qk_J6m6hr5dXKkY3gouJh7/s1600/Japan+Flag.gif" title="Japanese flag" /></a></div>
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-53440892060353005512013-08-21T09:29:00.000-07:002013-08-21T09:29:58.516-07:00The Top 100 Canadian Travel Blogs (& Other Lists We Belong On)<span style="font-size: large;">So I just finish writing an article about how <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/08/feeling-important-eating-inside-bc.html" target="_blank">eating at the BC Legislature</a> made me feel important and almost an hour later my mailbox starts filling up with people congratulating me on making the list of the <a href="http://www.flightnetwork.com/blog/top-100-canadian-travel-blogs/" target="_blank">Top 100 Canadian Travel Blogs</a>. Wow...now I <b>really</b> feel important, or at least I did until my kids asked me how on earth I managed to end up on such a list. Nothing like a little family support to keep a man grounded. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qxfIWzv8AGO2_HtRoFJc87UdhjRKRx1Pe01oqEhJtp7grDmcVV0_Uj_8nM0yV2s4Sh8UCzs_WmsLLegUrXhjW2ePH2_WHFP0EkbWW3r2D3tgDgm7287sBdjBA-96XdP1qFyqL8FbNCaV/s1600/TopTravelBlog_500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Top 100 Travel Network Blogs" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qxfIWzv8AGO2_HtRoFJc87UdhjRKRx1Pe01oqEhJtp7grDmcVV0_Uj_8nM0yV2s4Sh8UCzs_WmsLLegUrXhjW2ePH2_WHFP0EkbWW3r2D3tgDgm7287sBdjBA-96XdP1qFyqL8FbNCaV/s320/TopTravelBlog_500px.jpg" title="Top Canadian Travel Blogs" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Despite my children's disbelief at my inclusion, I'm really honored to make the list and I'd like to take a second to thank whoever nominated me, all those who voted for me, and the <a href="http://www.flightnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flight Network</a> for putting the list together in the first place. Looking through, the list is populated with some fantastic travel blogs, some great blogging friends of mine, and plenty of people whose work I've admired for a long time. In fact, the more time I spend looking at the quality of some of the people included in this list, the more I start to share my kids wonder at me being included. Maybe I have a relative at Flight Network?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It did start me thinking though. While Top 100 Canadian Travel Blogs is not a list that I might have necessarily expected to make, there are some lists out there that I would fully count on being included in. In fact, there's some that I'm pretty sure I'd be the first name mentioned for. You want some examples? Here's some lists that I guarantee you'll see our name on, if anybody ever gets around to making them...</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Top 100 Bloggers Likely to Bog Down a Hotel's Wi-Fi Connection</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWllo0wltDH4iJS4qIYffWEmBoLbAa_vjNAhNJah_3NNOwXg92JdbjG3t0ghgLK2f7qhm1PpNrSqbxcQDROxt0r8BbRBhHYC68gWdVW7l1z86v5fKXraphUgbQQL3KmDoUAAmw1ijEEFa/s1600/Kids+on+laptops+in+Seattle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hotel Wi-Fi overload" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWllo0wltDH4iJS4qIYffWEmBoLbAa_vjNAhNJah_3NNOwXg92JdbjG3t0ghgLK2f7qhm1PpNrSqbxcQDROxt0r8BbRBhHYC68gWdVW7l1z86v5fKXraphUgbQQL3KmDoUAAmw1ijEEFa/s1600/Kids+on+laptops+in+Seattle.JPG" title="Wi-Fi in Seattle" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Can somebody explain to me why all three of my kids need to stream the same video on their own computers instead of just watching it on one? We may be the only family out there that looks at the hated "resort fee" of $25 a day and thinks, "It includes internet? Yeah that sounds about right."</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Top 100 Bloggers Who Take Signs Literally</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3_jJMKM7FNJZ199YjdHeqFza5dw4sbAPNxx3NsLQtIMpucDr5gIvTzoIjMfbTGo5gD58by5GD4nUYZ6pgZa6Szvu_OMVQ0R4kUdrlSe60zxLw0mZnjzId6_Mip2wy-As08v5npMTXVTr/s1600/You+are+here+in+Victoria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sarcastic sign funny" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3_jJMKM7FNJZ199YjdHeqFza5dw4sbAPNxx3NsLQtIMpucDr5gIvTzoIjMfbTGo5gD58by5GD4nUYZ6pgZa6Szvu_OMVQ0R4kUdrlSe60zxLw0mZnjzId6_Mip2wy-As08v5npMTXVTr/s1600/You+are+here+in+Victoria.JPG" title="You are here literally" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We'd also easily qualify for the Top 100 Bloggers who take signs sarcastically. </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Top 100 Bloggers Getting Value From Their Travel Insurance</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCIl_PnwXZJb49Fu3NJU5IIpEnNDkjwnlgzeY4beVOZKkAhVhB4-qUK3N144YWFQYW4N1APl4WxUXEfVDuiqfEXwD-QIzzURs0-FXFpF_weG6e7Dzyg943ceXE7HQ0cmMWMkr4KsL_tiv/s1600/Hospital+in+Los+Angeles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hospital visit LA Canadian" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCIl_PnwXZJb49Fu3NJU5IIpEnNDkjwnlgzeY4beVOZKkAhVhB4-qUK3N144YWFQYW4N1APl4WxUXEfVDuiqfEXwD-QIzzURs0-FXFpF_weG6e7Dzyg943ceXE7HQ0cmMWMkr4KsL_tiv/s1600/Hospital+in+Los+Angeles.JPG" title="Providence Medical in Los Angeles" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is where I have a bit of an advantage over my co-bloggers as I tend to be a little bit older than most of them and thus less durable. Combine that with my son's love for extreme <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/12/best-of-2011-best-ride.html" target="_blank">theme park rides</a> and my desire to still seem somewhat "cool" to him and it's pretty much a given that I'll be on this list for quite a while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Top 100 Bloggers Likely to be Asked to "Move Along"</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDabRxQJCw9Sj9dFb1Z-xKDudEH2mqRsLrqLc-i-yO4m7YIMZ0plMlVcof0IjUNzx_GAH0mlh7XYT_F2cQBlheO44cQ74YPl-vsez9rzxsEsjstEy7U27rHimWrBYDrVjb0tixLERndf65/s1600/Gangsta+on+the+parliament+building+steps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BC Legislature family pose" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDabRxQJCw9Sj9dFb1Z-xKDudEH2mqRsLrqLc-i-yO4m7YIMZ0plMlVcof0IjUNzx_GAH0mlh7XYT_F2cQBlheO44cQ74YPl-vsez9rzxsEsjstEy7U27rHimWrBYDrVjb0tixLERndf65/s1600/Gangsta+on+the+parliament+building+steps.JPG" title="Gangsta on the parliament building steps" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were taking some pictures on the steps of the parliament buildings in <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/vacationing-at-terror-target.html" target="_blank">Victoria</a> when my daughters decided to bust out this pose. Seconds later a security guard told us that he needed us to move along as he needed to clear that area out. Coincidence? Maybe, but I'm still saying we make this list.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Top 100 Bloggers Likely to Miss Something Spectacular</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs4dJiWFFe9mv2GlUusQ6QaGBHE90gM5tTiLjogBwQfPDGCyJ6-taXxk-UPrIktFEbg7IdLkjgKEvsKnt8vTt3kgKqlYAcE8bPlZdw_gkpcn8Otq3h6E9M-aYwG1RVnU0Dd8QghtRNaSl/s1600/Phones+at+the+Grand+Canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="teenagers at the grand canyon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs4dJiWFFe9mv2GlUusQ6QaGBHE90gM5tTiLjogBwQfPDGCyJ6-taXxk-UPrIktFEbg7IdLkjgKEvsKnt8vTt3kgKqlYAcE8bPlZdw_gkpcn8Otq3h6E9M-aYwG1RVnU0Dd8QghtRNaSl/s1600/Phones+at+the+Grand+Canyon.JPG" title="iPhones at the Grand Canyon" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure what's going on here is that they're just texting each other their thoughts on the amazing Grand Canyon. That's gotta be what they're doing right? Right?</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-85883557144982694272013-08-19T09:49:00.000-07:002013-08-19T09:49:40.227-07:00Feeling Important: Eating Inside the BC Legislature<span style="font-size: large;">When <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/how-to-pay-extra-for-your-bc-ferry-ride.html" target="_blank">visiting Victoria</a>, the provincial capital of British Columbia, it's fun to try and get a little taste of what it would be like to be a political big wig. After all, this is where the major decisions are made for Canada's westernmost province. Just being in the area when parliament is in session gives you a small <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/03/im-pretty-sure-im-famous.html" target="_blank">sense of importance</a> and it's natural to want to try and find some way to participate in the political process. What can you do though? You most likely can't speak, spend, or pass laws like a politician (Unless you count making a motion to reduce your kids allowance, a motion that was sadly defeated when it went to vote.) but don't despair. There is one thing in Victoria you can do exactly the same way that your elected representatives do. You <b><i>can eat</i></b> like a politician. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ichhlhDbhmawR2g_qw8lsEcJ-BKwt2dRz3AjuwGixdFCQx_JTMGKzPddoKRUAU44Dv2l5VHjuDDKi9PBYD8RUFgFOUk0qDQb0P-pIp3nEKT8ug0pcUyocdPvEYZed9zfgvNQMW9uejzG/s1600/BC+Legislature+Building.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria Parliament Buildings Canada Day" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ichhlhDbhmawR2g_qw8lsEcJ-BKwt2dRz3AjuwGixdFCQx_JTMGKzPddoKRUAU44Dv2l5VHjuDDKi9PBYD8RUFgFOUk0qDQb0P-pIp3nEKT8ug0pcUyocdPvEYZed9zfgvNQMW9uejzG/s1600/BC+Legislature+Building.JPG" title="Outside the BC Legislature" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's not widely advertised, but there is a restaurant in the basement of the BC Legislature. Its primary purpose is to feed the members of parliament when they're on break from session, but when the dining room isn't busy serving the local policy-makers, it's open for the general public to enjoy. Well...kind of open. To eat in the Legislative Dining Room you first have to pay a visit to the security office and surrender your driver's license, passport, or other official form of ID. In exchange for this you are given a badge which literally unlocks the door to the secret world of political power dining.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmWGGiVYa42uyyxgH6EbzZlMKKF5iqyPjCkp5QMazVzAv9TQ_ByQh98jtAv7jK9QwrVzzKI31_avmdkqC_jSPFzxuIIrjG8nCO6VEdTTaivrg1PXRtuizralJQYsrt1Aah9p53QNW9n9u/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Pass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BC Parliament Building Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmWGGiVYa42uyyxgH6EbzZlMKKF5iqyPjCkp5QMazVzAv9TQ_ByQh98jtAv7jK9QwrVzzKI31_avmdkqC_jSPFzxuIIrjG8nCO6VEdTTaivrg1PXRtuizralJQYsrt1Aah9p53QNW9n9u/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Pass.JPG" title="Legislative Dining Room Pass" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit that having a pass made me feel pretty important. I walked confidently down the Legislature hallway (my kids used the word "strutting") showing my pass to everybody in sight, most of whom were tourists wondering why this strange man kept flashing his red and white card at them. Eventually came the end of the hallway and the most exciting moment of the journey...a door marked "No Public Access". With a wave of my badge (actually five or six waves, and some help from an elderly gentleman walking by) there was a beep and the door opened to reveal the inner hallways of the BC Legislature...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQLdMGl28bm7MOxWOWkQqEfTMp0DWdPCQYzrgYd6_NgnaX10W0wJnBbosvItZvbkmFxk-9CVDirMt46Oj_UsmwcHYkp1qfCQYfKcAqvrhnAprCvS9tfR1I6O0JhChpvqIwITQz_fGsx4D/s1600/Door+to+Legislative+Dining+Room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BC Legislature Victoria Parliament Building" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQLdMGl28bm7MOxWOWkQqEfTMp0DWdPCQYzrgYd6_NgnaX10W0wJnBbosvItZvbkmFxk-9CVDirMt46Oj_UsmwcHYkp1qfCQYfKcAqvrhnAprCvS9tfR1I6O0JhChpvqIwITQz_fGsx4D/s1600/Door+to+Legislative+Dining+Room.JPG" title="No Public Access Door" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">...which truthfully looked exactly like the outer hallways of the BC Legislature. To my disappointment there was no guard there to check the validity of my pass (There's never a guard when I actually have a pass.) so we proceeded down the hallway. Not only wasn't there a guard present but there weren't any people at all. We were wandering around in the off-limits area of the BC Legislature with nobody around watching over us, one day after a <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/vacationing-at-terror-target.html" target="_blank">terror plot</a> was thwarted at this very building. It was kind of a strange feeling, but being the good, law-abiding citizens that we are, we didn't do anything that would be cause for concern. We simply obeyed all the posted signs and followed the path towards the dining room. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTEquY1a0dkV1yrVUcpMPy36FKmM52HbU9AqJ3GkeBtnQPgeU4vQ_xsoXtdKXyRCLLk1nJcTnCrOeLStqYzAxSC9OZPjbqDdKvFCoSwAG8yLK84heRzEzaHjuPIPll1YhNNuwoScJ3a1N/s1600/Staff+only+area+of+BC+Legislature.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Victoria BC Parliament building" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTEquY1a0dkV1yrVUcpMPy36FKmM52HbU9AqJ3GkeBtnQPgeU4vQ_xsoXtdKXyRCLLk1nJcTnCrOeLStqYzAxSC9OZPjbqDdKvFCoSwAG8yLK84heRzEzaHjuPIPll1YhNNuwoScJ3a1N/s1600/Staff+only+area+of+BC+Legislature.JPG" title="Off limit area in the BC Legislature" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>OK...Maybe we disobeyed one sign....</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After making our way downstairs we arrived at the Legislative Dining Room at 10:30 am. It's a very fancy room (we were definitely underdressed) with about 30-40 tables. There was some concern about time as we'd been told that the dining room closed at 11:30 to serve members of parliament during their lunch break, but the greeter assured us that the members never showed up on time for their lunch break and that we would have plenty of time for breakfast. We were seated immediately (there were only two other tables occupied) in a little nook off to one side of the restaurant and presented with what turned out to be the biggest surprise of our dining experience.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNwVn34LCJo6jxM87pIJJK8d1A30gQgauY8ksldRC5kmnOVcyL2MFhempg7EReuFTiGyUjDuPvdVx4mF1ZrOcQKILrkM1UJjXJ0Gsi-S92Kd2ziyFARM8nQ92G5b3v2OgMVO54AHLOCa_/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Menu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Breakfast Menu for the BC Legislative Dining Room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNwVn34LCJo6jxM87pIJJK8d1A30gQgauY8ksldRC5kmnOVcyL2MFhempg7EReuFTiGyUjDuPvdVx4mF1ZrOcQKILrkM1UJjXJ0Gsi-S92Kd2ziyFARM8nQ92G5b3v2OgMVO54AHLOCa_/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Menu.JPG" title="Legislative Dining Room Breakfast Menu" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>A reasonably priced menu!</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It seems that the BC Legislative Dining Room is taxpayer subsidized. I probably should have guessed that, considering it's designed to be used by politicians, but the very fair prices on the menu were a fantastic surprise. I'm pretty sure if I'd ordered the same food back at the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/how-i-almost-got-divorced-at-fairmont.html" target="_blank">Fairmont Empress</a> it would have been at least $20 a plate. With no worries about breaking the budget, everybody was free to order whatever they liked.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiYLfLcvwAWww8k4O-dAfXvG3goEMaZY-ZhgK_uJmFm5N27gJwzD1q9FwTwDWbgrLhl8htoeYAJvxWJKk5hgQyxf6hXYOM1QieKnAvbWnGJK2fRFq9mWkXKVN2bju8hMXMjfUCyINX8KH/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Cinnamon+Roll.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BC Legislative Dining Room Breakfast" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiYLfLcvwAWww8k4O-dAfXvG3goEMaZY-ZhgK_uJmFm5N27gJwzD1q9FwTwDWbgrLhl8htoeYAJvxWJKk5hgQyxf6hXYOM1QieKnAvbWnGJK2fRFq9mWkXKVN2bju8hMXMjfUCyINX8KH/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Cinnamon+Roll.JPG" title="Cinnamon Roll and sausage" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mc_amW3m-KyRAYineo05noIIi-PUQuBWfGx8UpMnK37hnCx91bYH23H4n8v_gJl5bBZ9yUj7-9pMKpdggXX-5F2ScERpFyfy_qHLBPZ__PKowhn3k07V3RfNsf93wsCwkuDo3NQ7q-ko/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Granola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast at BC Legislative Dining Room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mc_amW3m-KyRAYineo05noIIi-PUQuBWfGx8UpMnK37hnCx91bYH23H4n8v_gJl5bBZ9yUj7-9pMKpdggXX-5F2ScERpFyfy_qHLBPZ__PKowhn3k07V3RfNsf93wsCwkuDo3NQ7q-ko/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Granola.JPG" title="Granola and yogurt" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZwipqBwLwbICEH896cGq1wGPZDBQrIRlSRYIFRRnu4nNXgvYXSH0Ke4y55TmpNzOeXfxITSRRN0SJQneeGlXT8PzFqym6nfcllmkhxazVnTtTD6H7A-9Sv3t3ccP8yUwS8WOOf0KRWQ_/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Omelette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast at restaurant inside BC Parliament Building" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZwipqBwLwbICEH896cGq1wGPZDBQrIRlSRYIFRRnu4nNXgvYXSH0Ke4y55TmpNzOeXfxITSRRN0SJQneeGlXT8PzFqym6nfcllmkhxazVnTtTD6H7A-9Sv3t3ccP8yUwS8WOOf0KRWQ_/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Omelette.JPG" title="Omelette in Legislative Dining Room" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xISDjHSmDAsR2HJe8-RfzQ7k42aWdgshS7rBYqQtREzSpgB1vE7xFhrcoKRnB0bsWT-QwYKGNF6jl0BZtDynWoATwqqKhmlsmfGqyT50YM7__G3GRqaer6Ku6NXaJUfGso5blhr24Do_/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Rattenbury.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast restaurant at Victoria Parliament building" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xISDjHSmDAsR2HJe8-RfzQ7k42aWdgshS7rBYqQtREzSpgB1vE7xFhrcoKRnB0bsWT-QwYKGNF6jl0BZtDynWoATwqqKhmlsmfGqyT50YM7__G3GRqaer6Ku6NXaJUfGso5blhr24Do_/s1600/Legislative+Dining+Room+Rattenbury.JPG" title="Rattenbury breakfast at BC Legislative Dining Room" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every single thing we ordered was fantastic, but the food was definitely second to the ambiance. The room is covered with pictures and news clippings of famous BC politicians and I couldn't help but wonder just how many important deals were brokered at the very table we were currently eating our breakfast at. Our waiter, who was super friendly but made it clear that he wasn't at liberty to talk politics, explained to us that we were seated in a section of the restaurant reserved for members of the opposition party. That took a little bit of the glamour away, but it was still very cool to be sitting in a room so full of history.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvFjYT6V0x-zlpYqt8wVBTWX4qXwTWhgKu-jkOR_nYub_xd2RYT0HDRT70ebOSDY3RoTdKgIcvotA3I7Cs5XABmWsmWNbEV6zClSer1AjTwthU2etfGofZ-uVzZcPOOJg8Bl0fRQV202e/s1600/Breakfast+at+the+Legislative+Dining+Room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Restaurant inside the BC parliament" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvFjYT6V0x-zlpYqt8wVBTWX4qXwTWhgKu-jkOR_nYub_xd2RYT0HDRT70ebOSDY3RoTdKgIcvotA3I7Cs5XABmWsmWNbEV6zClSer1AjTwthU2etfGofZ-uVzZcPOOJg8Bl0fRQV202e/s1600/Breakfast+at+the+Legislative+Dining+Room.JPG" title="Eating at the BC Legislative Dining Room" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Don't we look governmental?</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">We finished our meal just as the wait staff was beginning to set up for the arrival of the members of parliament. Tables were being pushed together and reserved signs were being placed out at every available setting. I'll admit that all the activity helped to give me a bit of an ego boost and I may have tipped more than normal in my attempt to justify the feeling. Not a big deal as it really was well deserved, and we all left feeling like we had just eaten somewhere pretty special. If our importance meter still wasn't maxed out though, we had one more chance to top it up. After making our way back up to the security office to return our badges, we exited the Legislature to find this scene outside...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSa6jZS6Wdy2sNq5VK3vtTwhJPzSZpcvE90cxdkVGrpiIX-9y5KB30UtMTVH-EK7YUStr44XjgazE8v2fio4pDvZfNJZaywYvBbIwBgN3O_aythO7oraNsNKlNHXJvEEpi_7NjpuWns0wW/s1600/Media+outside+Legislature.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="media outside Victoria Parliament Building" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSa6jZS6Wdy2sNq5VK3vtTwhJPzSZpcvE90cxdkVGrpiIX-9y5KB30UtMTVH-EK7YUStr44XjgazE8v2fio4pDvZfNJZaywYvBbIwBgN3O_aythO7oraNsNKlNHXJvEEpi_7NjpuWns0wW/s1600/Media+outside+Legislature.JPG" title="Press conference outside BC Legislature" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I gave it serious consideration but in the end I decided that it really wasn't the best time for me to hold a press conference. With my swelled sense of importance I might have done something ill advised like announce an election or declare war on Saskatchewan. Besides, I was already feeling really full from a great breakfast and I probably wouldn't have been looking my best for the reporters. They say the camera adds 10 pounds and there's an awful lot of cameras down there.</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-18988910869647684392013-07-29T10:04:00.000-07:002013-07-29T10:05:06.103-07:00One Direction in Vancouver - A 24 Hour Road Trip<span style="font-size: large;">Not all of our trips are well thought out and planned in advance. OK, actually none of our trips are like that, but some are even more scattered and disorganized than others. Two days ago I was spending a lazy Saturday at home with a long list of things that I was going to spend my weekend working on. Then around 3 pm some <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/10/earning-my-daughters-love-via-stubhub.html" target="_blank">last minute tickets</a> for One Direction in Vancouver that night came available. This was going to make my daughter's day (and ruin my son's) so we quickly bought some tickets, <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/02/getting-teenagers-out-of-bed-while.html" target="_blank">woke up the kids</a> (yes at 3 pm...it's <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/06/let-summer-begin.html" target="_blank">summer</a>!), and within sixty minutes we were on our way to Vancouver.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZN286AVHBzP_ANhZyeH6zmXa92qvOH2wOa6mZTvL2-Up5CYOaIfv9xPgGSN6QXwZERd9ihPnOWGdlQ3tckSOHN7QXmFUM_HVGnPjYS96WxUKX-Vki-OuO7XABpc_p0EZtChmeTqOVuoLJ/s1600/One+Direction+experience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D concert Vancouver" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZN286AVHBzP_ANhZyeH6zmXa92qvOH2wOa6mZTvL2-Up5CYOaIfv9xPgGSN6QXwZERd9ihPnOWGdlQ3tckSOHN7QXmFUM_HVGnPjYS96WxUKX-Vki-OuO7XABpc_p0EZtChmeTqOVuoLJ/s1600/One+Direction+experience.jpg" title="One Direction Photo Experience" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now I don't know a lot about One Direction. Sure I know the songs that are big hits on the radio, and they do those great Pepsi commercials with Drew Brees, but outside of that I've always considered them just another boy band. I've seen New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys and I assumed that it would be a show similar to that, but something was different this time. Something happened that turned me into a real 1D fan (That's how us <i>true</i> fans refer to the band....apparently) and while it's a little hard to explain, let me try to do it by telling you what I learned about the boys of One Direction during the show:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvCGlXm1lQSzC2Vz3nqw_YfEZ_pIv22ZMj5l8i38WTa5i5pXHZ5dGbvNugsxWNC1L6E6KEvSGU35VgHql9EHBoMgsj1Fwr-IPKACMTogZczU1MtvCBTxj40_OfPCPWXu8BK3GlJbObx3Z/s1600/One+Direction+Liam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D in Vancouver One Direction" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvCGlXm1lQSzC2Vz3nqw_YfEZ_pIv22ZMj5l8i38WTa5i5pXHZ5dGbvNugsxWNC1L6E6KEvSGU35VgHql9EHBoMgsj1Fwr-IPKACMTogZczU1MtvCBTxj40_OfPCPWXu8BK3GlJbObx3Z/s1600/One+Direction+Liam.JPG" title="One Direction - Liam" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>This is Liam:</u></b> As you can tell, Liam probably spends a lot of time at the gym. To prove this, Liam's job is to take his shirt off in the video scenes that air between the songs of the concert. This causes the audience to scream A LOT! Actually everything Liam does causes the audience to scream. At one point he threw confetti in the air and the audience lost it's freaking mind. I tried throwing confetti in the air once. I got a dirty look from my wife and told to go get the broom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3wUTrHY0ZW4596g_N44vXhV9e0mQLMZgGSbhFHw-pknrWyDWqWqM_be-UXWNeECb6oXCv-Yi9pKOMQ7v1DLxRsoLjJLRgTb7rvEVdvY9YYTZasZSCq74JJVXSWrenUqfRTCYr7H1kBX_/s1600/One+Direction+Zayn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D in Vancouver One Direction" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3wUTrHY0ZW4596g_N44vXhV9e0mQLMZgGSbhFHw-pknrWyDWqWqM_be-UXWNeECb6oXCv-Yi9pKOMQ7v1DLxRsoLjJLRgTb7rvEVdvY9YYTZasZSCq74JJVXSWrenUqfRTCYr7H1kBX_/s1600/One+Direction+Zayn.JPG" title="One Direction Zayn" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>This is Zayn:</u></b> Zayn's job is to repeatedly mention the city that the band is in that night. This causes the audience to scream every time their city is mentioned, but it was especially cute on Saturday night as Zayn seems to have a problem properly pronouncing Vancouver. It kept coming out like "Van-cool-vah". It didn't matter. The audience screamed every time they heard a word starting with V, just to be safe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5s_l6p8zgJRw8Tk84n3VYBdsByD4qX3MUC48sm4MK2hM2TC3AXmQw7d5v9WTM1yG1KO8F2RgAeMilsMaAvoYup3N-pnzBoPCBBq5Xe4MzYEsxhNb9xTRejLwkkT25v7orUz2UZVjVtvU/s1600/One+Direction+Louis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D in Vancouver One Direction" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5s_l6p8zgJRw8Tk84n3VYBdsByD4qX3MUC48sm4MK2hM2TC3AXmQw7d5v9WTM1yG1KO8F2RgAeMilsMaAvoYup3N-pnzBoPCBBq5Xe4MzYEsxhNb9xTRejLwkkT25v7orUz2UZVjVtvU/s1600/One+Direction+Louis.JPG" title="One Direction Louis" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>This is Louis:</u></b> Louis has a very simple job in One Direction. It's his job to tell the audience to "Scream!" Needless to say, this causes the audience to scream, but I'm not sure Louis should get all the credit for this. As my son put it, "If people can't hear you telling them to scream because of all the screaming then your job is probably redundant." I'm proud of my son, not only for his keen observational skills but also for remembering how to use the word redundant while off school for the summer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuezawJQjCr2fPSsWUBXHQxDxgUCKZjxOEsSzcdgfKD0pJGd6urxlCLJ_iMvZpW7lgYG6db-D3HkQSWYvR2Vmkjyj7yRZNizaU3TXTvIkkXXCJ6r6oVOileE0MZ4ePbuWA9fEnAiumx_j/s1600/One+Direction+Niall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D in Vancouver One Direction" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuezawJQjCr2fPSsWUBXHQxDxgUCKZjxOEsSzcdgfKD0pJGd6urxlCLJ_iMvZpW7lgYG6db-D3HkQSWYvR2Vmkjyj7yRZNizaU3TXTvIkkXXCJ6r6oVOileE0MZ4ePbuWA9fEnAiumx_j/s1600/One+Direction+Niall.JPG" title="One Direction Niall" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>This is Niall:</u></b> Despite the fact that all of the members of One Direction claim publicly that they can't dance, Niall's job seems to be to dance. He busts out some crazy moves that look sort of bizarre to me, but they must be really good because every move he makes causes the audience to scream loudly. Of course at one point he stumbled a little and the audience screamed even louder, so I probably don't really understand these modern day dance moves as well as I think I do. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOpmfp-ncft1I9rdicx-xoSya27UdDaCy2PE1XyXzow00xsr3K2fsQwcUoiS8Ztc7KHevNnSWusOu970H1weM7dUE6CxS7VAQfSxfI540rb95xHOcCuqUK6RXl5mmlVmhIJtnsM6o9o05/s1600/One+Direction+Harry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D in Vancouver One Direction" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOpmfp-ncft1I9rdicx-xoSya27UdDaCy2PE1XyXzow00xsr3K2fsQwcUoiS8Ztc7KHevNnSWusOu970H1weM7dUE6CxS7VAQfSxfI540rb95xHOcCuqUK6RXl5mmlVmhIJtnsM6o9o05/s1600/One+Direction+Harry.JPG" title="One Direction Harry" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>This is Harry:</u></b> Most people know who Harry is from his brief romance with <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/09/taylor-swift-in-vancouver.html" target="_blank">Taylor Swift</a>, but I'm here to tell you that Harry has a far more important job than just dating country superstars. Harry also seems to be in charge of the group's water supply. Seriously, every time Harry came over to our side of the stage he would stop and grab a couple of bottles of water, open them both, place them strategically around the stage, then run off because he was supposed to be on the other side of the stage by then. Every time Harry opened a bottle of water, the audience would scream. If Harry actually paused for a second to take a drink of water, the audience <i>really</i> screamed. If Harry accidentally spilled a little water while drinking the arena was thrown into chaos. They might want to get Harry a sippy cup before somebody gets hurt.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxAUk4E15p1AQ7Fx59LQ3c3BEFymUqjgLwIyfVEZ3Hgf3cPVRUXzQq3USaGXkgccbzX0vIQLu8FXtEcGiwINVMjodzHb0C3ciS2I0rMhN6e9d-Ry_l6QxDV4n2Bp00y3B9MgD7so2LyiG/s1600/One+Direction+Neve.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1D concert in Vancouver" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxAUk4E15p1AQ7Fx59LQ3c3BEFymUqjgLwIyfVEZ3Hgf3cPVRUXzQq3USaGXkgccbzX0vIQLu8FXtEcGiwINVMjodzHb0C3ciS2I0rMhN6e9d-Ry_l6QxDV4n2Bp00y3B9MgD7so2LyiG/s1600/One+Direction+Neve.JPG" title="One Direction in Vancouver" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>This is Neve:</b> She is my daughter and was one of the 18,000 people who's job on Saturday night was to scream. Do you see the happy look on her face? That's why I'm a One Direction fan now. I may not understand the appeal of confetti throwing or water drinking, but I understand things that make my daughter happy. That smile made it worth the sixty minute notice for departure. It made it worth the hassle of waking my son up mid-afternoon (Actually that was kind of fun. "Wait...what? I have to go WHERE?"). It made it worth the four hour drive each way and the ridiculousness that is the Vancouver freeway system at the moment. In short, it was worth it. There's not that many moments in life when you get to make your child really, really happy so I'm very thankful that we got to take advantage of this one. Or at least I will be once I get my hearing back again. Seriously, they scream at <b>everything</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A little taste of what the show was about, with the caveat that last minute tickets tend not to have very good sightlines...</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/g4WVjulgZnY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-53401327186793491552013-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:002013-07-24T09:28:08.246-07:00Disney Doesn't Give You All the Details<span style="font-size: large;">One of the things my family loves about <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/05/five-signs-youve-entered-disney.html" target="_blank">Disney</a> is it's attention to detail. If you've ever spent an hour (or longer) standing in line for one of <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/10/things-that-scare-me-at-disneyland.html" target="_blank">Disneyland</a>'s blockbuster rides then you know what I mean. The lines are so packed with little things to watch, study or play with that the time seems to fly by, even when you're moving at a true Department of Motor Vehicle pace. It's the kind of thing that I'm not sure you can measure the return on, but Disney has certainly decided that there's value in <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/11/my-wifes-obsession-with-captain-jack.html" target="_blank">obsessing</a> over the details.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFPK6yy4tqVMkYBjXYAZw7PrHaBT-S1NgA0g8f-2jn-KwNZ9pGqZ5vUQ3FPSg2aFoAmMMDg49L1XPIayNifool4JmVLkOJblv5NJuLMyvn3wGoodK8CAH4RlG2ZJLSs4ibvy5wnbwo_Pn/s1600/Radiator+Springs+Racers+Background.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Standing in front of Radiator Springs Racers" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFPK6yy4tqVMkYBjXYAZw7PrHaBT-S1NgA0g8f-2jn-KwNZ9pGqZ5vUQ3FPSg2aFoAmMMDg49L1XPIayNifool4JmVLkOJblv5NJuLMyvn3wGoodK8CAH4RlG2ZJLSs4ibvy5wnbwo_Pn/s1600/Radiator+Springs+Racers+Background.JPG" title="Radiator Springs Racers backdrop" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Nope...not in the middle of the dessert...just a very detailed backdrop.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, that doesn't mean they're covering <b><i>all</i></b> the details. Despite my admiration of their detail culture, I find that Disney kind of glosses over some of the more important items. The kind of things that you <b><i>really</i></b> need to know about a ride. Fortunately, I'm here to fill you in on a few of those missing details. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For example, when you go to ride <b>Luigi's Flying Tires</b>, Disney goes into great detail telling you that you can control the direction your tire moves by leaning in a certain direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The detail they don't give you is how to get everybody to agree on what direction that should be.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfgTGrRPBZKdfvB72aCMBxqs5w7nHXega38t_cKG9iNawwHhvVaPmVRPIa5bxZSHVTKNEZKRbtc458zsKJPfA4ixES14INVsryxGKzpnJOZyf_8jT4d2-WMsinsaDybEyWGDyp6VHiQBU/s1600/Luigi's+Flying+Tires.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trying to direct Luigi's Flying Tires" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfgTGrRPBZKdfvB72aCMBxqs5w7nHXega38t_cKG9iNawwHhvVaPmVRPIa5bxZSHVTKNEZKRbtc458zsKJPfA4ixES14INVsryxGKzpnJOZyf_8jT4d2-WMsinsaDybEyWGDyp6VHiQBU/s1600/Luigi's+Flying+Tires.JPG" title="Luigi's Flying Tires" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you board <b>It's a Small World</b>, Disney tells you that you're embarking on the "Happiest Cruise that Ever Sailed!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The detail they skip over is that you will never, ever get that song out of your head again. Ever.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQj1VXnR1zXlYDFkoep5u46TBOGmkHhIno6JHQJrSt1Q9jeQ_NKoU4O0iY0eia4Y-tS372dVevEkGs5PGrH2mFQZi8UNRSnQi2JBnm3qurk4bj9ft5Tlci1TFpcJ3i_PbcZsbWFX3In-7/s1600/It's+a+Small+World.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Going insane inside It's a Small World" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQj1VXnR1zXlYDFkoep5u46TBOGmkHhIno6JHQJrSt1Q9jeQ_NKoU4O0iY0eia4Y-tS372dVevEkGs5PGrH2mFQZi8UNRSnQi2JBnm3qurk4bj9ft5Tlci1TFpcJ3i_PbcZsbWFX3In-7/s1600/It's+a+Small+World.JPG" title="Losing his mind on It's a Small World" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The spiel you're given before riding <b>Radiator Springs Racers</b> says that "Your car is pitted against another for a friendly race for first place at the checked flag."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The detail they skip over is that after winning three consecutive races, your child will come out convinced that she's ready to conquer NASCAR and asking if she can drive the 405 on the way home.</span><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_AQkgaYOgiDW4_OT9m8ZwqSts8UZ5fxrV6XeJfFEDtMoMDsfP7eOTufMJlW59QKdJ5NZcoh27_emtiqXEHC4se7ihHC26AYCDL5s5bbvb3DdyI46tp7g1Zi5wLfqFtOCF3ATinbTfsex/s1600/Radiator+Springs+Racers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cars racing on Radiator Springs Racers" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_AQkgaYOgiDW4_OT9m8ZwqSts8UZ5fxrV6XeJfFEDtMoMDsfP7eOTufMJlW59QKdJ5NZcoh27_emtiqXEHC4se7ihHC26AYCDL5s5bbvb3DdyI46tp7g1Zi5wLfqFtOCF3ATinbTfsex/s1600/Radiator+Springs+Racers.JPG" title="Radiator Springs Racers" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, there's <b>Splash Mountain</b>. Nobody can say that Disney doesn't try and warn you. There's signs all over the place leading up to the ride warning you that "You will get wet!"</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The detail that they forget to mention is that it will be from peeing yourself when you get a look over that last drop.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNQ5k0gzzHcUN8DGvEtHsyh_vfBXBvxDbY8p1lVTDrQluVOGvoTHIiLBlL7m1QFVNHPqA5-1bW-HN8yrHRrHX6-5M1OwS5UmgFRzz8up6Z231OonCrOQeTVqGaYlGgXpFv_Vp9M_6GFCq/s1600/Splash+Mountain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Splash Mountain pose" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNQ5k0gzzHcUN8DGvEtHsyh_vfBXBvxDbY8p1lVTDrQluVOGvoTHIiLBlL7m1QFVNHPqA5-1bW-HN8yrHRrHX6-5M1OwS5UmgFRzz8up6Z231OonCrOQeTVqGaYlGgXpFv_Vp9M_6GFCq/s1600/Splash+Mountain.JPG" title="Scared on Splash Mountain" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">This post is a part of </span><a href="http://www.focusedonthemagic.com/2013/07/wordless-wednesday-family-favorite.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Wordless Wednesday</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"> over at </span><span style="font-size: large;">Focused on the Magic</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">. If you didn't get here from there, you should really head on over and check out some of the fantastic people that hang out there on Wednesdays. Most of them probably knew all of these details already, although I'd like to point out that none of them warned me either.</span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a></div>
Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-79015748741658836352013-07-23T09:12:00.000-07:002013-07-23T09:12:35.242-07:00Vacationing at a Terror Target<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I've had
people threaten me before. In elementary school “I’m gonna kill you!” was a
pretty common utterance on the playground. Rough and tumble games of ball
hockey can always be counted on to cause tempers to overheat, and at least one
ex-girlfriend has wished for an end to my time on Earth, although in her
defence I probably deserved that one. Until this Canada Day though, I've never
had anyone actually try and follow through on it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOQ-PApRal_6EuO5sxhQ2FZ9MzWr70ZojneKo3QUONzoW83pl2OtS0W2K0PgrFnfrt0OhcEmqm9UptnXYb85x3Asf5YgD1ObWJZnTTtuj4TVuHVu5CHQs1C7R8xCmtLCrYztO03_MbXSx/s1600/BC+Parliament+on+Canada+Day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOQ-PApRal_6EuO5sxhQ2FZ9MzWr70ZojneKo3QUONzoW83pl2OtS0W2K0PgrFnfrt0OhcEmqm9UptnXYb85x3Asf5YgD1ObWJZnTTtuj4TVuHVu5CHQs1C7R8xCmtLCrYztO03_MbXSx/s1600/BC+Parliament+on+Canada+Day.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Of course
unlike all the other occasions my existence has been threatened, this one wasn't focused solely on me. Neither I, nor I suspect anybody else gathered in
Victoria that weekend, knew the people who decided to plant bombs around the
legislature lawn, but that really doesn't offer me a whole lot of comfort in
the situation. I mean, I like to think that anybody who knows me would think I’m
a nice, friendly person. Even on my worst day I’d hope that I’d be able to make
a good enough first impression to qualify above the line of “people I’d like to
blow up”. That seems like a reasonable ‘minimum level’ to hope to achieve in
pretty much all human interactions, yet
somehow while celebrating my country’s birthday I found myself lumped in with a
group that, at least in two people’s eyes, failed to make that cut.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had no
idea that my family had become a terror target. The RCMP were apparently well
aware of the bombing plot and felt confident enough in their surveillance that
they allowed the would-be bombers to take the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/how-to-pay-extra-for-your-bc-ferry-ride.html" target="_blank">ferry to Victoria</a> and plant the bombs
around the legislature lawn. The police simply followed along behind and
gathered the bombs back up as they were planted. I envision it unfolding
similar to a Scooby-Doo episode where Shaggy leaves a trail of Scooby Snacks behind
him and Scooby follows along eating them up as he goes. That probably downplays
all the hard work that the RCMP put in to this investigation but I like to
envision happenings in my life in terms of Scooby Snacks. In any case, the
police felt that they had the terror plot under control and thus never bothered
to alert the public to its existence until the day after the Canada Day
celebrations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Which leads
me to my question. If I had known that there was a terror plot afoot for the
day, would I have altered my Canada Day plans at all. I know it’s been said
that if the terrorists make you change the way you do things then they've won,
but from my point of view I also consider it a winning scenario when nobody
blows up. Even if the RCMP had assured me that there was no longer a threat, I
wonder how comfortable I would have felt joining thousands of people on the
legislature lawn to form a living flag. Would I have been able to enjoy the concerts
when every drumbeat would leave me scanning the crowd for suspicious looking
people? And the fireworks….well the setting off of miniature bombs in the sky
would have certainly made me a nervous wreck by the end of that night. I might
have felt a whole lot more comfortable staying back at the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/how-i-almost-got-divorced-at-fairmont.html" target="_blank">Fairmont Empress</a> and
watching the festivities from across the street, although I’m sure it wouldn't have been long before I began to wonder how great a target the hotel itself would
make for some attention seeking terrorist. I don’t know how I would have
reacted had I known about the bombing plot, but I do know that I enjoyed my
weekend a whole lot more without being in the know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Unlike most
people, we hung around for an extra day after Canada Day. We were still in
Victoria when the press conference was held to announce the details about the
foiled terror plot and as the details were given you could see people starting
to go back through their weekend and picture what could have been. For a while
we were sitting next to a giant tree on the legislature lawn. Would that have
been where one of the bombs was planted? What about the statue we all assembled
next to for the living flag? And what about that guy who was hauled out of the
crowd during the concert on Sunday night? They used four police officers to
arrest that one guy. Was he involved in some way? When I look back on the
weekend with the new knowledge it seems like a chaotic, high stress vacation,
but at the time it was peaceful, relaxing, and a whole lot of fun. I’m glad
that the RCMP didn't let us know about the bombing plot. I’m thankful for the
very heavy police presence at the celebrations, even though at the time I
thought it might have been a little overkill, but most of all I’m grateful that
they didn't miss any of the bombs. It would have only taken one stray Scooby
Snack to ruin everybody’s weekend, and they would have gotten away with it if
it weren't for those meddling cops.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuTLJhNLy5RXgjyXmHPBXVCAccILV2mID6VLjJGtiFvEyMP-Cdvds_BsyFEaH4o5PXSL1hqFHc3zy5J5HESORCaAxMA4YXQ0VGJjsy3BHOLzf-YI2812lz36o1WaybseiFHpNIKuv8iZh/s1600/Lady+in+Red+Victoria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuTLJhNLy5RXgjyXmHPBXVCAccILV2mID6VLjJGtiFvEyMP-Cdvds_BsyFEaH4o5PXSL1hqFHc3zy5J5HESORCaAxMA4YXQ0VGJjsy3BHOLzf-YI2812lz36o1WaybseiFHpNIKuv8iZh/s1600/Lady+in+Red+Victoria.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I'm not RCMP, but I would have had this lady under surveillance 24/7.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="background-color: white;">Written by </span><a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a></span></div>
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Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-25737990739794931112013-07-12T06:39:00.000-07:002013-07-12T06:39:36.062-07:00Cleaning Up at the International Food Fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKr8qyF9UjI26poK0d2bIOI_xfLi5lU5vHDCGrNEV8UzNXAaXN2CDP4iwqKpX-p3equF6A5jTlDmAdktaMl8l1cmXxfUEE5svVOpNTyH8cLd3lGF4PqeZj-oSUUanfOxVMvSsV_ILuQm9w/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Entrance to International Food Fair in Victoria, BC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKr8qyF9UjI26poK0d2bIOI_xfLi5lU5vHDCGrNEV8UzNXAaXN2CDP4iwqKpX-p3equF6A5jTlDmAdktaMl8l1cmXxfUEE5svVOpNTyH8cLd3lGF4PqeZj-oSUUanfOxVMvSsV_ILuQm9w/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada.JPG" title="International Food Fair in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Canada Day brought lots of activities for us to choose from in Victoria (besides <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/who-gave-kids-camera.html" target="_blank">photographing puppies</a>), but one of our favorites was the week long international food fair taking place right outside our hotel. You've got food from all sorts of different countries? We're in!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PGEipmOn1D4b103T3YZGQM6ZFHGfPMrZiBDAibegp3lRUtJ95sj1pltlb7shHMBAgdyK2E06EZKc3v9gkO7_IheHjISQqE_pl3zxomTSj9EbjhZfUTWfbuyqVsxGT9kzdpIlfl0ko07m/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada+food+truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pulled Pork Food Truck in Victoria, BC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PGEipmOn1D4b103T3YZGQM6ZFHGfPMrZiBDAibegp3lRUtJ95sj1pltlb7shHMBAgdyK2E06EZKc3v9gkO7_IheHjISQqE_pl3zxomTSj9EbjhZfUTWfbuyqVsxGT9kzdpIlfl0ko07m/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada+food+truck.JPG" title="Food Truck in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Strangely, we've never actually eaten at a food truck (Unless you count ice cream trucks. Then we're masters!) so we were quite excited to see all the great choices. Lori went with Canadian food (Not very adventurous, but it <b><i>was</i></b> Canada Day) and like any good Canadian would she ordered...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5Uly5Th-oo5OCjSdK7LnULKNeUnFoWN8WuwW8KCJdRgkUDDBVmVYYf3v4SUGmqeV1jF5JMsURb5mmhwkm61mVuYPQ8-QxSjc1bMqyPuCqTwrv2NHCHyC0H2NgHLmcldifg6yRzOzqhU_/s1600/Pulled+Pork+Poutine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pulled Pork Poutine from the International Food Fair in Victoria, BC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5Uly5Th-oo5OCjSdK7LnULKNeUnFoWN8WuwW8KCJdRgkUDDBVmVYYf3v4SUGmqeV1jF5JMsURb5mmhwkm61mVuYPQ8-QxSjc1bMqyPuCqTwrv2NHCHyC0H2NgHLmcldifg6yRzOzqhU_/s1600/Pulled+Pork+Poutine.JPG" title="Pulled Pork Poutine" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The pulled pork poutine. It was good enough to truly inspire pride in our country, but the rest of us wanted some international flavors. I went with the Mexican truck...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6fLmaOkrzFiVKLsWnL_-tegAX2dhSFUA0iac8GLRjPtwSVH5_gTOGngMyB3XU2esqrYGjUDlDE0ko9tMhtaaK-zDby_kgz3fPPLTFGna5pRCV7bWp6OXQzIgQMPaz__dloKANT7H41Dr/s1600/Spinach+and+Potato+Tacos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Spinach and Potato Tacos Victoria Food Fair" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6fLmaOkrzFiVKLsWnL_-tegAX2dhSFUA0iac8GLRjPtwSVH5_gTOGngMyB3XU2esqrYGjUDlDE0ko9tMhtaaK-zDby_kgz3fPPLTFGna5pRCV7bWp6OXQzIgQMPaz__dloKANT7H41Dr/s1600/Spinach+and+Potato+Tacos.JPG" title="Spinach and Potato Tacos" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two of my Spinach and Potato tacos went missing before I could get the camera out.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...the boy has his heart set on some fish and chips...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukfgRaYW4cctr6a2pUsS9pFxnaQAca1eFuUJSDabqQdJxOdV5BHahXe71BWPUWlLD-Fr8SLHLsihJmToURi4e_eNoWhsZlLcJbirmlVbZloBGtGFs8qX9VFtjzbcfApCf-52aq4N6N9UV/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada+Fish+and+Chips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fish and Chips from the International Food Fair in Victoria, BC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukfgRaYW4cctr6a2pUsS9pFxnaQAca1eFuUJSDabqQdJxOdV5BHahXe71BWPUWlLD-Fr8SLHLsihJmToURi4e_eNoWhsZlLcJbirmlVbZloBGtGFs8qX9VFtjzbcfApCf-52aq4N6N9UV/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada+Fish+and+Chips.JPG" title="Fish and Chips" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...while my youngest remained steadfast to her loyalty for the hamburger.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqQXqwpdVSRYgKbZRMG9fK1fiYmeFjJmFI1zG6Cz84LC-JP23OGXhdLJMHchIRZ18Zw4VcG9BJMWGYFY1yN2X-gaVHszMzrXV1naisjz3VSNVYmUU9oBRYLhaKPAV13h3GdPOKnlf_dw6/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada+Hamburger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hamburger at International Food Fair in Victoria, BC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqQXqwpdVSRYgKbZRMG9fK1fiYmeFjJmFI1zG6Cz84LC-JP23OGXhdLJMHchIRZ18Zw4VcG9BJMWGYFY1yN2X-gaVHszMzrXV1naisjz3VSNVYmUU9oBRYLhaKPAV13h3GdPOKnlf_dw6/s1600/Flavour+of+Canada+Hamburger.JPG" title="American Food" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We spent way too much time at the fair and ate way too much food. In fact, everything was great right up until time to clean up. It seems that Victoria takes their "green" image very seriously, and when we went to throw out our garbage after eating, every bin we went to had this sticker on the top of it:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyebsrvDIki1-7mgJg9QAviznnbs9ZDszSaJK2Ix3H1fPaLgot-CmI_cnPzLoEGDEY3hyphenhyphendN3kGMkfM6WrOvRdU1rQ53Kf2Jhdzk45VSLJH_jwNUuCg6OFkpnJ6DOFoClQ8mY3v9N3p21_6/s1600/Garbage+lid+in+Victoria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sticker from the top of garbage can lids in Victoria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyebsrvDIki1-7mgJg9QAviznnbs9ZDszSaJK2Ix3H1fPaLgot-CmI_cnPzLoEGDEY3hyphenhyphendN3kGMkfM6WrOvRdU1rQ53Kf2Jhdzk45VSLJH_jwNUuCg6OFkpnJ6DOFoClQ8mY3v9N3p21_6/s1600/Garbage+lid+in+Victoria.JPG" title="Garbage can lid in Victoria" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We're normally pretty good at separating our recyclables but </span><span style="font-size: large;">this was WAY too much pressure for us. I had visions of people booing us if we put something in the wrong bin, so we </span><span style="font-size: large;">panicked and just took all our refuse back to the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/how-i-almost-got-divorced-at-fairmont.html" target="_blank">Fairmont</a> with us. It might have looked strange, but I never heard anyone booing housekeeping, so I'll assume they got everything in the right place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px;">This post is a part of </span><a href="http://www.rwethereyetmom.com/" target="_blank">Friday Daydreamin at R We There Yet Mom</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px;">. If you didn't get here from there, you should really go check them out. There's people there who probably know what goes in which bin at an international food fair. I bet they have fun getting to boo everybody else.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-42921635586573783952013-07-10T10:15:00.000-07:002013-07-10T10:15:55.459-07:00How I Almost Got Divorced at the Fairmont Empress<span style="font-size: large;">My wife puts up with a lot of my strange travel quirks without even blinking an eye. When I force four stopovers on flights from Seattle to Los Angeles just so we can rack up a few more miles, she just smiles and explains my logic to the kids. When I make her <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/07/how-to-not-look-stupid-while-hotel.html" target="_blank">switch hotels every night</a> for three weeks straight so I can achieve a status level in a hotel chain, she just sighs and divides our suitcases into 21 separate sections. When I leave her at home and take my son to <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/03/leap-day-at-disneyland.html" target="_blank">Disneyland for a 24 hour marathon</a> of fun despite the fact that it was her birthday...well actually that one didn't go over too well. Generally though, Lori is one of the most patient and tolerant women I've ever met, so while I can get away with a lot of things I found out last weekend that there is a line that I should not be crossing when it comes to arranging our travels. Under no circumstances should I be booking us into a hotel that doesn't have air conditioning.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORYviQ5Fafo6rak4jCF5UzYLRT_y_5K_9v1uc5gvGTCFARAW2ajkXm-pBTP6_pORK4faAi_x8PMhJ3hxovGeWJUKg5lDMgj7Ok7EhZ_sm1dAwh6aJG5U554-pdcvRdmEr_Lza8mHRoIiJ/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORYviQ5Fafo6rak4jCF5UzYLRT_y_5K_9v1uc5gvGTCFARAW2ajkXm-pBTP6_pORK4faAi_x8PMhJ3hxovGeWJUKg5lDMgj7Ok7EhZ_sm1dAwh6aJG5U554-pdcvRdmEr_Lza8mHRoIiJ/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Entrance.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now in my defence, who actually checks to see if a hotel has air conditioning these days? I just assume that all hotels have invested in central air, or at least those loud, rickety, one room air conditioners you find in the cheaper lodging options. In particular, I expect places that routinely make the list of the <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/01/travel-leisures-top-500-hotels-of-2012.html" target="_blank">Top 500 hotels</a> in the world to be capable of leaving temperature control up to the guest. The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC does not follow that line of thinking however. Built in 1908, it's main method of keeping you cool is ceiling fans which while effective, are not what my family has come to expect from our typical accommodations on the road. In fact, once it became apparent that there was no way to immediately lower the temperature of the room, there may have been some over-dramatic reactions from some of my children.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lVFmbgXRJsf-4kVlQaQl2YaDF5-q3y3Wv2RfpVvmJjdwdhE4D3uau5zvUTbDaTbkeNZ8aKbjZJbtZSesMaaaVuqZ_PXM4fKCxZKMxl_xUAR_k7Oc9rnhtQ5fvRsJwanW11_M0-jPZEBf/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+dying+from+heat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lVFmbgXRJsf-4kVlQaQl2YaDF5-q3y3Wv2RfpVvmJjdwdhE4D3uau5zvUTbDaTbkeNZ8aKbjZJbtZSesMaaaVuqZ_PXM4fKCxZKMxl_xUAR_k7Oc9rnhtQ5fvRsJwanW11_M0-jPZEBf/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+dying+from+heat.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ummm...if you're that hot, maybe don't wear jeans?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">OK, so booking a hotel without air conditioning was strike one, but I've made it to strike one on just about every trip we've ever taken. I know that what I have to do now is earn that strike back. Thanks to our <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2011/09/that-4k-hotel-room-is-too-good-deal-to.html" target="_blank">lifetime platinum status</a> we were booked into a 1 BR suite (Which apparently is Fairmont code for "Walk as far as humanly possible. Your room is about five doors past that.) and after looking at the layout of the rooms, it seemed that the most logical sleeping arrangement was to give the kids the main bedroom. Considering how insanely comfortable the Fairmont beds are, this easily earned me back my strike from the two kids who ended up sharing the bed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwltC5ljfFriinZDUlUbGT9Hz4blJdtp_P3XsmD42Zq9OoT9d0GItO5ZnVYeTLCHz5qe-4Kc_AtFoyFbFlkbQFHtBQUaxyNdFogzlYPGFwLOS3qGoUjHPcRlRRoKwUMw7elpwDfhtwpGKs/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Bedroom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwltC5ljfFriinZDUlUbGT9Hz4blJdtp_P3XsmD42Zq9OoT9d0GItO5ZnVYeTLCHz5qe-4Kc_AtFoyFbFlkbQFHtBQUaxyNdFogzlYPGFwLOS3qGoUjHPcRlRRoKwUMw7elpwDfhtwpGKs/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Bedroom.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, that meant that Lori and I were sleeping in the living room....on the pull out couch. Yeah, that's strike two.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXGGBQR1yxaVbRaG54Kov3ZRLi152_hJLoJCaDTn8G56r8yIBxzvVs9VLhAsUoXXtPcc1mXbEWYixGpe8ETVibvvW6qzVbt-BCOtuYIBw0HbCDkBDWUY0DLtJjxVK17H7AHnjoBp5CSSU/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Living+Room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXGGBQR1yxaVbRaG54Kov3ZRLi152_hJLoJCaDTn8G56r8yIBxzvVs9VLhAsUoXXtPcc1mXbEWYixGpe8ETVibvvW6qzVbt-BCOtuYIBw0HbCDkBDWUY0DLtJjxVK17H7AHnjoBp5CSSU/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Living+Room.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now I'm sure nobody is surprised to hear that I've been to strike two quite a few times in the past. The key here is to try and turn the situation by focusing on the positives. Things like the fact that there was coffee readily available in the room...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XGO_Z1CUMo-ZTWHvw2mMUdQg7Qx626GEXgNwLXSc3csIevUCxhNNkS5i5Bvdfcj3HC9oBiLafOYhIgJ17svuDrzRbZM_2Q01I0SJrARQuzrF9JvmeKVdHzh2IwY9hwlwsADIGQy4ctpH/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XGO_Z1CUMo-ZTWHvw2mMUdQg7Qx626GEXgNwLXSc3csIevUCxhNNkS5i5Bvdfcj3HC9oBiLafOYhIgJ17svuDrzRbZM_2Q01I0SJrARQuzrF9JvmeKVdHzh2IwY9hwlwsADIGQy4ctpH/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Coffee.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or the fact that the toiletries in the bathrooms were by some company I've never heard of, which almost guarantees that they were of very high quality...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt8YupndPIC2Thl1aqJ7vMGlue2Tx-c2Vd4tztWPR3F5g_zRRkSk1jApHCNz_k6HoEcMjs8058l2ySyoWZwfiw3_A_xsdu7D79pzC13-hTh6IOGg9wD2xuO1r1HDqxLv5eCX-n3QkGBnW/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Bathroom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt8YupndPIC2Thl1aqJ7vMGlue2Tx-c2Vd4tztWPR3F5g_zRRkSk1jApHCNz_k6HoEcMjs8058l2ySyoWZwfiw3_A_xsdu7D79pzC13-hTh6IOGg9wD2xuO1r1HDqxLv5eCX-n3QkGBnW/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Bathroom.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCCm2TMBYpVSiMDajO4_4BjmJhIsb4tEwve5ey827CN-X3rPSegt9479GvFKnutGboDEZrn8nG2nHkf1-uM43iSiELeet0JucL0lI9RO3n-vE2JMZflTLBW626z22rTTEc8eeZxqmO26i/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Toiletries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCCm2TMBYpVSiMDajO4_4BjmJhIsb4tEwve5ey827CN-X3rPSegt9479GvFKnutGboDEZrn8nG2nHkf1-uM43iSiELeet0JucL0lI9RO3n-vE2JMZflTLBW626z22rTTEc8eeZxqmO26i/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+Toiletries.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was also the really nice view of the Empress grounds and the BC Parliament Building, although I think I only got a half point for that since the best view was out the bathroom window.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqz2qxwi7OnBtix9VS0J5tKUD3XcEb-_yyY6_89nUvnNHounz2-8UclQbz9hYHYUXcJwbdELNid7rINfHdd6C_z9ZWTI5v1P1CnjwknaXouvA50JUYcuTT4npG2VxzQmYzE_NBXRRPG0Z/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+view+of+parliament.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqz2qxwi7OnBtix9VS0J5tKUD3XcEb-_yyY6_89nUvnNHounz2-8UclQbz9hYHYUXcJwbdELNid7rINfHdd6C_z9ZWTI5v1P1CnjwknaXouvA50JUYcuTT4npG2VxzQmYzE_NBXRRPG0Z/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+view+of+parliament.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps the best feature of the Empress however is it's location. You are steps from the harbor, parliament, and just about every other attraction in Victoria. I can't think of a more central place to be, and with it being the Canada Day long weekend during our visit, being that close to all the celebrations and activities was invaluable.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJpycOPdWX0PbZWrHa_5dXH5uoZVysymDHZqggZdlZeOU9PVuI5v5Iik2eOAJDNA664zJ5dXS0W9TU8s5rsNi7gWLr3McnA7as07sMk-vQAVZyH_xwuVhC6mfCZf3BqL15OX83YCwdoew/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+on+the+harbor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJpycOPdWX0PbZWrHa_5dXH5uoZVysymDHZqggZdlZeOU9PVuI5v5Iik2eOAJDNA664zJ5dXS0W9TU8s5rsNi7gWLr3McnA7as07sMk-vQAVZyH_xwuVhC6mfCZf3BqL15OX83YCwdoew/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+on+the+harbor.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In fact, despite the air conditioning oversight (and the room cooled down nicely once we opened the windows and let the ocean breeze in) our first day went so well that I was convinced I was going to earn one of my two strikes back. Of course that's when it all fell apart. Apparently while not doing enough research into the air conditioning situation or the number of beds in the room, I also forgot to check whether or not the Fairmont Empress gets HBO. On a Sunday night. When the new episode of True Blood is on.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1m6nHYlkaft4theFo4ft-jZEh1wNKm9xZAWC2oAGqCNm_AfRmZYiM04k12G9j3Xia5Ej4w8n_Su4_xTUp6PDvQNGMDXEiF3pZuOeMuZm1tELwUxkNOJj4JpQUeqt5iXpo6IjCh-jvPqcE/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+TV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1m6nHYlkaft4theFo4ft-jZEh1wNKm9xZAWC2oAGqCNm_AfRmZYiM04k12G9j3Xia5Ej4w8n_Su4_xTUp6PDvQNGMDXEiF3pZuOeMuZm1tELwUxkNOJj4JpQUeqt5iXpo6IjCh-jvPqcE/s1600/Fairmont+Empress+TV.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Sorry you can't watch True Blood, but is that Batman's silhouette in the TV?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> So no air conditioning, no bed, and no HBO. Wait...that's three strikes. Am I out? Well no...not this time. Fortunately each of the problems with our stay presented themselves with relatively simple solutions. Opening the windows while staying on the harbor kept the room nice and cool. The pullout bed was actually very comfortable as far as pullouts go, and the lack of HBO was overcome by having a fairly strong internet connection to allow for immediate streaming of the missing episode. You could say that these solutions were what saved me from serious trouble on the marriage front. You could say that it was the overall great time that we had during our stay at the Empress, but in all honesty I attribute my avoiding divorce court to something else. You see, despite her beauty, charm, and amazing personality, my wife really isn't very good at math. It's not something most men look for in a spouse, but I highly recommend it. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HE4ULI4n_zv-8emV37Czt797AvrJ3k71esGBcKGoGNJGF9A25Uawooj00Q9jiCAJoHw7J-dzmHzZwdwAO6s96y_HTA7Li3-2wNzLFBbQE9ivEPJVx35I-HpAb4sYgis8FievnVZqhj88/s1600/Drinking+tea+at+the+Fairmont+Empress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HE4ULI4n_zv-8emV37Czt797AvrJ3k71esGBcKGoGNJGF9A25Uawooj00Q9jiCAJoHw7J-dzmHzZwdwAO6s96y_HTA7Li3-2wNzLFBbQE9ivEPJVx35I-HpAb4sYgis8FievnVZqhj88/s1600/Drinking+tea+at+the+Fairmont+Empress.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yes dear...1+1+1=2. I still have one strike left.</i></span></td></tr>
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-38637337743712944402013-07-08T09:47:00.000-07:002013-07-09T08:58:33.264-07:00How to Pay Extra for Your BC Ferry Ride<span style="font-size: large;">If you've been following <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MoreKidsThanSuitcases" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More Kids Than Suitcases</a> on Facebook, you know that we spent the last weekend in <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/07/who-gave-kids-camera.html" target="_blank">Victoria</a> celebrating Canada Day. It was a fantastic time, other than some <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07/02/bombs-from-thwarted-b-c-terror-plot-planted-among-crowd-of-40000-canada-day-revellers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">crazy people trying to blow us up</a>, but I kind of suspected it would be. Victoria is one of my favorite places to visit and I always have a wonderful time when I'm there. With the beauty of the buildings and the convenience of having an ocean harbor right in the middle of town, I often ask myself why I don't visit this city more often.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then I remember the $250 surcharge to get there. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw33S-Xzd6zYFckneouGq24HwARYSpq3jEFGcua5PiniFVplVMhwojYBkCNb4ilJTjVu-HYdGDsu3TqzP8RLGhZf1DYQ6tWnzRmgzmHX3MVGamKBxd9OvxmWOJw1MblREoFETsy7w8pOfx/s1600/Coastal+Celebration+Ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw33S-Xzd6zYFckneouGq24HwARYSpq3jEFGcua5PiniFVplVMhwojYBkCNb4ilJTjVu-HYdGDsu3TqzP8RLGhZf1DYQ6tWnzRmgzmHX3MVGamKBxd9OvxmWOJw1MblREoFETsy7w8pOfx/s1600/Coastal+Celebration+Ferry.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I suppose it's one of those drawbacks to visiting an island (except <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/04/sailing-on-staten-island-ferry.html" target="_blank">Staten Island</a>), but getting to Victoria isn't cheap. For our family of five the ferry fare including a car on the Vancouver to Victoria route (technically the Tsawwassen to Schwartz Bay route) is $121 each way. That breaks down to $51 for the car and $70 for the passengers. Kids under five sail free but apparently being 6'1" disqualifies my son from passing as a four year old, no matter how bad his vocabulary skills are. Unfortunately if you want to visit Victoria, you're going to have to pay the bill.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6rVMzsA8uJVjg9sibCod7dSLrxxetHMkP7fXtBtfDazo5aXM0jHMC8nA-aeG6fvZFpH11LPVWWjovvuv-8QMWJeH6ejIv6FUgwuTDfX_5T7lG7nP2CV2SJoZp6GisOxRCMNpqiI6u_43/s1600/Family+on+Ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6rVMzsA8uJVjg9sibCod7dSLrxxetHMkP7fXtBtfDazo5aXM0jHMC8nA-aeG6fvZFpH11LPVWWjovvuv-8QMWJeH6ejIv6FUgwuTDfX_5T7lG7nP2CV2SJoZp6GisOxRCMNpqiI6u_43/s1600/Family+on+Ferry.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>What if they just act like they're four? Do we get a discount for that?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As promised however, there is a way to pay even more. BC Ferries has a program whereby for a fee (there's always a fee) you can reserve a spot on a certain ferry in advance. It costs $15 if you plan more than seven days in advance or $18.50 if you book within a week of departure, and for that consideration you gain the right to show up not more than an hour before your preferred sailing but no less than a half hour prior to departure. For example, we reserved a spot on the 11 am sailing for our trip to Victoria (costing us $18.50 because we do nothing a week in advance) so we were required to show up between 10 and 10:30 am, which we <b><i>almost</i></b> did.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEtZhyphenhyphen8kVyF9j_0e7aDJDUR6Nek1SBFSrepp_L5lEgCFbwZ7-Urh0v-3WyWw7iSDQumHT98ya6a6hF0BBoBbbkjQzc5bhnbyJesAkpf_Ak8AQDEGv_AFuQjOyUQaLOPMBrECt6GSyqidg/s1600/Long+haired+girls+on+ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEtZhyphenhyphen8kVyF9j_0e7aDJDUR6Nek1SBFSrepp_L5lEgCFbwZ7-Urh0v-3WyWw7iSDQumHT98ya6a6hF0BBoBbbkjQzc5bhnbyJesAkpf_Ak8AQDEGv_AFuQjOyUQaLOPMBrECt6GSyqidg/s1600/Long+haired+girls+on+ferry.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Important ferry tip: Girls with long hair should stay off the outside deck!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We actually got to the ferry terminal at 9:55 am, but since there was still space on the 10 am ferry, they just loaded us onto that one. The type A part of me really wanted to circle around and wait five minutes so that I could use my already paid reservation on the next ferry but eventually logic prevailed and I decided that getting to Victoria an hour early was a better plan than sitting in a parking lot for sixty minutes to justify the cost of my reservation. Lesson learned - if you're going to be early for your desired ferry, you probably don't need a reservation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3KGNBJSQv_QPqvvgAa_GoMTv_bOtY5-KcPkN3RJuoVSGOLZlO5FBgy7XsMNvRTz31WrEhWuiaHg6I2E1Shxas_IIBLzkyFBrFpXmhpZg8Gz3JdjyL_C0ZSxDMiAuUew-VHMC9TsouLY_/s1600/30+percent+ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3KGNBJSQv_QPqvvgAa_GoMTv_bOtY5-KcPkN3RJuoVSGOLZlO5FBgy7XsMNvRTz31WrEhWuiaHg6I2E1Shxas_IIBLzkyFBrFpXmhpZg8Gz3JdjyL_C0ZSxDMiAuUew-VHMC9TsouLY_/s1600/30+percent+ferry.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Not a situation where you need to make a ferry reservation.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the way home we made a reservation on the 3 pm ferry, figuring that our morning would be fairly full and we wouldn't be able to get to the terminal much before that. That plan changed when we decided that instead of lunch we just wanted to have frozen cheesecake on a stick. Yeah, we make nutritional decisions like that all the time. Needless to say the expediency of having cheesecake for lunch placed us well ahead of schedule, so instead of lazing around the hotel for an extra hour we decided that we might as well drive up and catch the 2 pm ferry. Lesson learned - if your plans are fluid, you probably don't need a reservation. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIWUY9skMx0maJ13-0xBbTvycDfnPXkaH2p5xEYKd1IShcEOxL2nB0DiHMN2w_0PgdCuvjPci1lsZZqmf_81QjICZVnjvUPZkUKu9cNzATYvkDaZk2CqLhs488Wf_-HC2YReZazSMTws6/s1600/60+percent+ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIWUY9skMx0maJ13-0xBbTvycDfnPXkaH2p5xEYKd1IShcEOxL2nB0DiHMN2w_0PgdCuvjPci1lsZZqmf_81QjICZVnjvUPZkUKu9cNzATYvkDaZk2CqLhs488Wf_-HC2YReZazSMTws6/s1600/60+percent+ferry.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Still don't need to make a reservation...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So with our brilliant foresight and planning we managed to turn a $121 ferry fare into a $139.50 ferry fare in each direction. That's an additional $37 tacked onto our bill for reservations we didn't use, pretty much guaranteeing it a spot on my "<a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/09/the-5-dumbest-things-ive-spent-money-on.html" target="_blank">Dumbest Things I've Spent Money On</a>" list. If you don't think $37 was too much to pay for peace of mind, let me try and put it in terms we can all understand. That's an extra seven pieces of cheesecake on a stick. Uh huh...now you're understanding the wastefulness aren't you? To be fair, I'm sure there are situations where making a reservation on a ferry is important. If you're traveling on a major holiday or during the winter months when the sailings are much further apart it might be a good idea. On the other hand, if you've already set up an online account with BC Ferries you can just make a reservation using your mobile device should you see your preferred sailing filling up fast. For most of us though, it's probably better to just show up and take our chances. Worst case scenario you'll end up having a little time to explore the ferry terminal and enjoy a little time in the snack bar. Check and see if they have anything comparable to the cheesecake on a stick. If they do, you're really wasting your time getting on the ferry anyways aren't you? </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xdJr_OluNVER31u9SzHE8EjvONewXxK_jK972ePeEn2-XmNhcHHs4YmmC_cNUFpApwNnkho7hDkpOQwjTzeg8h17fXmgfvSAOvvzLPZggdsTaSfuQCbLnVlAV45Q1bIwFI8Y6NF5Hjme/s1600/Full+Ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xdJr_OluNVER31u9SzHE8EjvONewXxK_jK972ePeEn2-XmNhcHHs4YmmC_cNUFpApwNnkho7hDkpOQwjTzeg8h17fXmgfvSAOvvzLPZggdsTaSfuQCbLnVlAV45Q1bIwFI8Y6NF5Hjme/s1600/Full+Ferry.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Umm...you did make a reservation didn't you?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-56797892219307762062013-07-05T07:55:00.000-07:002013-07-05T07:55:22.244-07:00Who Gave the Kids the Camera?<span style="font-size: large;">I love reading my <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/p/friends-of-mkts.html" target="_blank">friend's blogs</a>. Not only are they <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2012/09/inspiration-by-more-kids-than-suitcases.html" target="_blank">inspiring</a> but sometimes they come up with some really brilliant ideas. While flipping through a few sites the other day I noticed that many of my friends had decided that it was a good idea to give their camera to their children, to get a "child's eye" point of view. Even though my kids are a little bit older, I thought that this would be a great chance to get a fresh viewpoint on our travels, so this last weekend while we were in Victoria, a very picturesque city if there ever was one, I gave my girls the camera and told them to take pictures of whatever captured their attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I should have remembered my family's <a href="http://www.morekidsthansuitcases.com/2013/01/my-familys-problem-with-following.html" target="_blank">problems with following instructions</a>. This is what the download looked like:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have I mentioned they're angling for a puppy?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px;">This post is a part of </span><a href="http://www.rwethereyetmom.com/2013/07/friday-daydreamin-independence-day-style.html" style="color: #436590; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Friday Daydreamin at R We There Yet Mom</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 22px;">. If you didn't get here from there, you should really go check them out. There's people there whose kids might actually have noticed the beautiful harbor or the magnificent buildings. Wonder what that's like?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236520127723354630.post-82390553948876390632013-07-03T09:17:00.000-07:002013-07-08T09:30:45.392-07:00Florida Theme Parks - A Guide by Alex Miller<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCRBrgEzbzqd3FZqV21mqwx4w0PnL4LiTCrpFM24d04rtaR40kdUsXgKnsFgZHxr5xJg3qPh4rOq9Xo88u93I9tjRojjFLB8lFaqdpZlWjSihXFVTSl8ACezY5glROcDiwuqSUl1DaOF4/s300/Florida+Theme+Parks+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Disney World Universal Orlando Sea World Busch" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCRBrgEzbzqd3FZqV21mqwx4w0PnL4LiTCrpFM24d04rtaR40kdUsXgKnsFgZHxr5xJg3qPh4rOq9Xo88u93I9tjRojjFLB8lFaqdpZlWjSihXFVTSl8ACezY5glROcDiwuqSUl1DaOF4/s300/Florida+Theme+Parks+cover.jpg" title="Florida Theme Park Guide" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Do you know why I like guide books? It's because I plan a lot of trips. I mean a LOT of trips. If I took even a quarter of the trips that I planned I'm pretty sure I'd lose my Canadian citizenship for never being in the country. It's not that I'm indecisive. I just like planning trips and exploring new destinations that I'd like to get to one day. Besides, having a basic game plan in place just in case a smoking deal comes along helps me to pull the trigger when time is of the essence. If there's a fare mistake to Foz do Iguacu you need to know if booking a flight is going to make you a hero with your family or leave you divorced and alone (Hint: If your wife is anything like Lori, this is NOT a flight you want to be booking).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So it might come as a surprise to you that when Alex Miller offered to send me a free copy of his Florida Theme Park Guide to see what I thought of it, I almost turned him down. Theme parks are definitely my thing and, as I said before, I thrive on guide books, but I'm the only one in the family who actually reads them and I've already done my Florida research. We've spent each of the last two summers in the Sunshine State and I was already pretty familiar with all of Disney and Universal's offerings, but it occurred to me that Alex might have some different insights considering he works for Disney. At the very least it would make a great reference book to have, so I agreed to review the book. Fortunately, this is a very easy book to review. In fact, I've gotten my review down to just three words:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">THIS BOOK MOVES!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now if you're sitting there wondering just how fast paced a book about theme parks could be, I understand your confusion but you've got it wrong. This book <b><i>literally</i></b> moves. Do not put it down because it will not be there when you come back for it. I'm not entirely sure how it happens but this book has found itself in pretty much every room in our house and I promise you I'm not putting it there. I feel like I should notify some sort of government agency, but I'm not sure there is a Department of Self-Moving Books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I first noticed it on the day the book arrived. I'd spent about 15 minutes flipping through the book, realizing that perhaps I'd overlooked some of the lesser known theme parks in Florida like Fun Spot America with it's multi-level go-cart tracks or Silver Springs, birthplace of the glass bottom boat. I decided to pour myself a Diet Coke to enjoy while I read, so I put the book down on my desk and went to the kitchen. When I came back two minutes later, the book was gone. Hearing my mother's voice over and over again in my head saying "Well it didn't just walk away!" I retraced my steps from the office to the kitchen a few times but I couldn't find the book anywhere. Eventually I expanded my search and finally found the book...in my daughter's room. She was flipping through the pictures from Sea World Orlando and was not very enthused with my request to give the book back. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2hznIyVofr6ir-l6NmksWwWUnvdjSsC1Sku3lzVkiwO9YUPnm918-0KeW3LmqMkdC9RFJdK-snWk_zxsAWMkhkpHAHNxa6KsmP5jmieTpK83O5CiRpgUZShdZMcltXDNt7zGrLo7wdVj/s520/Florida+Theme+Park+sleeping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fun Spot America Legoland Florida" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2hznIyVofr6ir-l6NmksWwWUnvdjSsC1Sku3lzVkiwO9YUPnm918-0KeW3LmqMkdC9RFJdK-snWk_zxsAWMkhkpHAHNxa6KsmP5jmieTpK83O5CiRpgUZShdZMcltXDNt7zGrLo7wdVj/s1600/Florida+Theme+Park+sleeping.JPG" title="Missing Theme Park Guide" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It's easier to take back when they're sleeping...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since then, I've had to go in search of the book multiple times. I've found it in my son's room, laid out over top of his keyboard. I discovered it on my wife's side of the bed, sitting on top of the latest Charlene Harris novel. I even found it in my youngest daughter's </span><span style="font-size: large;">backpack along with a pack of Pop-tarts, two stuffed animals and a note that was supposed to be signed and returned to school before the last day two weeks ago. The book has seen more places in our house than anybody outside our family, and considering I found it in the laundry room once it might even be one up on my son.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfSctQIGttfSdI6oPXA3k3cjfm9-317qYolL-zDYbRi6ysih1h0tB8kz62TtqoNnJKQnsUwE4GaTEb16MtatfIWH8iPa7ojsOfepaJdyihZ7sKS06PyGCV5z95Aaj6vI9f_WkpbmbTmWn/s693/Florida+Theme+Park+Backpack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Silver Springs Sam's Fun City" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfSctQIGttfSdI6oPXA3k3cjfm9-317qYolL-zDYbRi6ysih1h0tB8kz62TtqoNnJKQnsUwE4GaTEb16MtatfIWH8iPa7ojsOfepaJdyihZ7sKS06PyGCV5z95Aaj6vI9f_WkpbmbTmWn/s1600/Florida+Theme+Park+Backpack.JPG" title="Theme Park Guide in backpack" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's my favorite part about this book though. Sure it's a pain to have to find it every time I want to check something, but seeing my kids enthused about the "planning" part of a vacation is fantastic. Normally my children don't get excited about a destination until we arrive, so I love to see them flipping through the pictures in the book and discussing which theme parks they've visited already and which ones should be next on the list. It's the "dreaming" part of travel, and it's really something that I can't teach them myself. If looking though a guidebook gets my kids excited about traveling then I'm grateful to Mr. Miller for putting together such a visually inspiring book. Perhaps in the future however he would consider including a beeper or a GPS tracker with each copy. My kids are getting better and better at hiding the book from me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Alex Miller is based out of Glendale, California where he works for the Walt Disney Company. In addition to his Florida Theme Parks Guide he has also written a guide to California Theme Parks. Both are available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Florida-Theme-Parks-A-Guide/dp/0764343335/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372865793&sr=8-1&keywords=florida+theme+parks+a+guide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>, however if you'd like a two book discount as well as getting your copies signed, visit <a href="http://alexmillermedia.com/index.html" target="_blank">Alex Miller Media</a> for direct ordering. You might also want to follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Miller-Media/488957121137909?fref=ts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> like I do. It's the perfect place to complain to him every time my kids steal my book from me.</i></span><br />
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Written by <a href="https://plus.google.com//114158453758639459229?rel=author">Steve Pratt</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280489567926890670noreply@blogger.com