A Vacation Questionnaire

To keep with the theme of the week, here's a Vacation Questionnaire, I edited, and here is where I found it!
Feel free to answer or post on your own blog!

1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why?
I have never been to California and I hear I would like it. I hear that I would especially like San Diego and Sacremento...I'd also like to go to San Francisco. My friend Julie just got back from there, and she has some beautiful pictures.

2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why?England, of course.

3. Have you ever driven across several states/provinces/countries?
Yes, to go to Indiana and to go to Texas. I would like to do more traveling.

4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Where was it?
No, unless you count Amsterdam...I don't really like exotic, as that just means HOT.

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? Why?
I've already posted about it, but I loved going to South Dakota with Christopher Lee. You can see the post here.

6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain.
My friends and I have gone to Mansfield, my hometown, where I played tour guide and I know my way around Chicago...decently (which is a lot for a clueless, directionless gal like me) and my friend and I spent two weeks in England and Scotland where I played tour guide a fair amount of time.

7. Are you a museum visitor, beachcomber or an amusement seeker?
Museum visitor. Although for the sake of the vacation or the kidlet I can do the other two.

Um...we are in the Family restroom at the airport in Atlanta.
The Family restroom is a big space where you can get reorganized and refreshed
while letting your kid run around freely...er...I was washing my hands when this happened.
I took the picture, as I feel she needs to remember these things, and then changed her clothes and washed her body because a] we had time, b] the family bathroom gives you room to do all that and c] you can never be too sure.

Spring has Sprung-ish: Spring Break, A Guidebook

Source

Hello Everyone!

          We are officially on Spring Break. Woot! Spring Break is one of the many reasons that teaching high school rocks!
          Yesterday, the tiny tot and I were driven by my very lovely husband, two and a half hours to the nearest airport of significance to take a plane to see my sister, mother, brother-in-law and niece who live in the Washington DC-area.
          We were early enough that after our pleasant good-byes, in which Chris asked a dozen questions and offered to go in which us, and the security check (which I was told I went through like a "pro"...and I did. It only takes one time of taking a baby and holding up the line to make sure that you NEVER do that again) we still had 40 minutes left for a diaper change and a snack purchase. Things were going smoothly, and then came the dreaded announcement...our flight was going to be delayed 3, yes THREE hours! I panicked for about 15 seconds and then realized that 3 hours with a baby would be way more entertaining than 3 hours alone. We toured the airport, ate a delicious late lunch with our $18 worth of meal vouchers and she happily played with her toys while I read some of my book.
           All that time though did give me quality time to think about what we wanted to do in DC. I'd been visiting them enough before the tiny tot that we really have done everything, count last summer when the husband, my other niece and Lila came along, and we've even done a bunch of 'kid friendly' things. What to do? What to do?
          The answer was simple, of course, go to the guide books.
          I didn't even know about the joys of guide books until the semester I spent in London. They gave us each a London A to Z (pronounced A to Zed). Those books are nice and pocket sized, so you don't feel like a tourist idiot when you pull it out on the sidewalk when you can't find the tube stop for the Barbican/Old Vic/British Museum et cetera. What's so cool about an up-to-date guidebook is that you can read it before you go (that's how I managed to get around New York City, when we'd get turned around I just recited the guidebooks section about avenues and streets and my friend would translate what I said into directions), plan your attack strategy in your hotel room before getting on the Paris subway system, and you learn the rules and customs of the city (including any fines you may incur at the prospect of not following them).
          I've brought two guidebooks with me. My Frommer's (I never go anywhere without buying a Frommer's guide for where I'll be going and I hadn't purchased a DC Frommer's since 2008) and my old portable guide.
          Now I know with the advent of GPS tracking systems on our smart phones, wireless on our laptops and the wealth of information from other electronic devices people are apt to steer clear of guidebooks and deem them cumbersome and old fashion. I, however, find deep pleasure in all books especially those that tell me a history of a city and map it out in a macro and micro fashion. Cell phone screens are too small, sometimes don't get service and I hate that the GPS talks to me. A guidebook let's me go at my own pace, already has the information that I'd want printed out from various websites and gives star-ratings on hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions all in one.
          I look forwarded to making my sister roll her eyes this afternoon when I go to the guidebooks to find a list of things to answer her question, "What do you want to do this week?"