All posts in Family Vacation

What To Do and Where To Eat in San Antonio!

April 11, 2018

We are heading to San Antonio where we will meet up with some indigo clothing co. models. Their parents are dear family friends, but, as my girls’ tell me, there is no such thing as a family vacation anymore because all vacations are working vacations for our young entrepreneurs.

Foodie Stops in San Antonio

The Luxury

103 E Jones Ave

San Antonio, TX 78215

Our friends know that we love Mexican street food and casual settings so they’ve scouted this restaurant out for us. It’s self-described as, “offbeat counter-serve kitchen & bar for big plates of high-end eats served in a funky outside space.” We can’t wait!

Tito’s

This light-filled Mexican spot lures locals with breakfast tacos, fajitas, enchiladas & margaritas.

955 S Alamo St

San Antonio, TX 78205

This looks like a fun area to explore: “located in San Antonio’s acclaimed arts district, Southtown.” “Here, tucked into historic pockets are grassroots art communities and notable architectural gems (not to mention the local enthusiasts working to preserve both) as well as more than enough unpretentious watering holes and good restaurants to make you consider taking up permanent residence.” from Texas Monthly

Comments: 3 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation

afternoon tea at The Duck and Bunny in Providence

Our Providence Foodie and Shopping Finds

March 2, 2018

Now that my daughter is in her second term of the RISD Pre-College Program and she’s commuting from Boston, thus eating lunch and snacks in restaurants around RISD, we’ve amassed a short list of foodie and shopping finds. I must make note that these are all carefully screened recommendations by Jenny Brown, a local artist in Providence, and a dear friend of ours.

If you are visiting Brown University or Rhode Island School of Design, check out our foodie and shopping finds. It might make you decide that you want to spend four years (at least!) here!

Afternoon Tea & Crepes

The Duck and Bunny

312 Wickenden St

Providence, RI 02903

We drive from RISD to this area but it’s walkable, though a twenty minute walk from RISD. We order the Afternoon Tea, but it also has great crepes. Housed in a historic house, this is a cozy setting with garden seating outside as well.

Comments: 2 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation

Paul Revere Museum in Boston

December 27, 2017

The Paul Revere House in the North End Italian section of Boston is a wonderful place to visit. It’s the oldest house in Downtown Boston and his colonial home during the time of the American Revolution.

Comments: 4 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation

5 Family-Friendly Attractions in Niagara Falls

November 7, 2017

Niagara Falls, Canada is the perfect destination for a family vacation. With American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls right across the border in the United States, and the iconic Horseshoe Falls straddling the border, Niagara Falls offers some of the continent’s most breathtaking natural majesty.

But that’s not all you’ll find in this popular destination city. Niagara Falls also boasts family-friendly attractions to suit all tastes. Here are five of the most popular Niagara Falls attractions you and your kids will love: Read more…

Comments: 2 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation

Visiting West Coast Art Schools & Foodie Stops Nearby

August 11, 2017

We are planning our family summer vacation trip around art and design school visits for my oldest, Grasshopper and Sensei, who is a rising senior in high school. Her wish list for this trip includes a visit to the Chihuly Gardens in Seattle so we will be driving from San Francisco to Vancouver, British Columbia, with a pit stop along the way in Seattle. For anyone planning a similar trip, note that rental car places will not let you return the car in another country, including Canada. Thus, we have to fly out of Seattle in order to drop the car off.

We are also doing a quick leg in Southern California to see a few schools, and my mother as well. At 92, she’s now in an independent living home, so we plan to see her and take her out for a meals. Foodie stops are important for all legs of the trip, and I’m including my research on those in this post below. My mother likes Asian food that is both delicious, plentiful, and inexpensive. We all joke that she must have a hollow leg because her appetite is impressive.

How about you? Any foodie stops you recommend for us to check out in Southbay California, San Francisco, Seattle and/or Vancouver, British Columbia? Thanks for sharing.

Art Schools Southern California

California Institute of the Arts: CalArts

My daughter is interested in the very competitive computer animation program at CalArts. Read more…

Comments: 4 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation, Parenting

Our NYC (Cheap) Foodie Finds

April 10, 2017

We have to admit that our New York City college visit trip was a thinly disguised foodie trip, but of the cheap variety. Count us in for dives, and assembly line restaurants versus fancy food. There were some requests of things that are specific to New York City and must be sampled.

The highest on that list was the Cronut, at the original bakery that invented it. Sadly, we found it overrated though there were items at the bakery — mini Madeleines fresh out of the oven — that were worth coming back for.

Bagels were also quite high on the list. The water sourced from Catskills in NYC is famous for its drinkability and is one the biggest reasons why a bagel anywhere else is never as good as a NYC one. PickyKidPix polled her NYC connected friends and came up with Absolute Bagel as the bagel to try. That definitely panned out.

Comments: 6 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation, Parenting

Family Vacation in Quebec City, Canada

February 1, 2017

Our short but sweet driving vacation to Quebec City was a lot of fun. We always have a great time in Canada so much so that our youngest wants to move there someday.

Last summer we drove to Ottawa to catch the Women’s World Cup Soccer Quarter Finals: U.S.A. versus China. This time, the old walled city beckoned.

I did some research to supplement my husband’s guide-book to plan our family vacation to Quebec City. I had earmarked: Aquarium du Quebec, Old City, Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec, Montmorency Falls, Samuel Champlain Walkway, and The Battlefields Park: Abraham’s Bus and the Odyssey experience at the Plains of Abraham. Read more…

Comments: 6 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation

Things to Do with Kids in Long Beach California

December 23, 2016

My husband grew up in Monterey Bay and just from living there, knows more about marine biology than I do, and I studied Ichthyology in college! I grew up in a beach town also in Seal Beach, Southern California, but there wasn’t an aquarium nearby back then. But now there is!

The Aquarium of the Pacific is next door to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, one town over from Seal Beach. While the Aquarium of the Pacific can never match up to Monterey Bay Aquarium from location alone (it’s on the ocean’s edge where it dips into a deep cavern), it’s still a pretty nice aquarium to visit.

Comments: 6 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation

Planning a Visit to Quebec City with Kids

July 13, 2016

My son loves Canada. He was the first to declare that he’s moving to Canada if Trump wins, and his sisters agreed. We’ve been to Canada a few times; it’s a road trip for us and we’ve visited Montreal, Toronto, and Ontario for the Women’s World Cup.

Quebec City is considerably farther from our previous Canadian trips, but now our kids are old enough to handle the car ride. Instead of worrying about kids melting down in the car, we are a little worried by our inability to speak French. We are going to have to take a quick crash course, especially on food for reading menus.

My husband has been reading a guide book on Quebec City, but this is what I came up with.

Quebec City Day 1

image from Wikipedia

1. Aquarium du Quebec

We like aquariums. This one sounds great: Aquarium du Québec is a public aquarium located in the former city of Sainte-Foy in Quebec City. The 16-hectare facility is home to more than 10,000 animals representing more than 300 species. Read more…

Comments: 10 Posted by: Pragmatic Mom Categories: Family Vacation