Checking In With Broughton Hospitality

Have Kids, Will Travel

If you are one of the countless people traveling this year with kids in tow, you will be relieved to know there are scads of resources to assist in making the trip more about fun and less about management.

Instead of plugging your kids into the travel DVD player (although, really, they're worth every single penny) try the list of fun game and toy ideas while in the car or on the plane.

Are you only just contemplating taking Junior to Bora Bora or Gay Paree? Travel for Kids will not only help you plan the trip, convert your currency, and find the most kid-friendly hotels but they will also walk you through the essentials of traveling abroad with your little ones.

Just planning on a weekend bicycle trip or jaunt to the countryside with Grandma & Grandpa? Kids Can Travel covers all travel topics from A to Z for you and your kids.

Traveling alone with kids? Single Parent Travel provides endless ideas for travel destinations as well as a helpful newsletter, community support for single parents, details on documentation requirements and more information than you'd ever think you would need to know about traveling alone with a minor.

No matter how you decide to venture out this summer, these sites will help you cover all the bases. Bon Voyage!

Submitted by Nannette Spencer

Happy Mother's Day: The sad, lonely life of a mom's coffee cup

I feel sorry for my coffee cup. I do. Here...I'll show you why. Below is a breakdown on its daily activities.

6:30 a.m. Pulled from un-run dishwasher and hastily rinsed.

6:32 Abandoned in sink while I made Dinasaur Egg Oatmeal (which I swore I wasn't going to buy again--but, hey, it's oatmeal.)

6:40 Poured coffee to brim, but not too high, must add froo-froo creamer.

6:42 Forgotten on kitchen counter due to mini-brawl that broke out between kids, something to do with "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" or "She slugged me."

6:57 Found cup, placed it in the microwave for warm-up.

7:00 Geesh! 7 already? Ran upstairs to get kids ready for school--no cup in hand.

7:20 Scuttled downstairs to retrieve cup from microwave...cold again. Re-zapped.

7:50 Re-zapped, poured into thermos cup.

7:59 Hurried out the door as not to be late for drop-off--forgetting cup on counter.

7:45 Returned home to find cold coffee sitting on counter, poured back into microwaveable cup. Re-zapped.

8:00 Upstairs to take shower, make self presentable--plum forgot cup in microwave again.

9:00 Retrieved sorry cup of coffee from microwave, checked temp. Re-zapped.

9:05 Started to return emails and check blog stats--Yeah! Two sips.

9:10 Remembered clothes in dryer will relentlessly wrinkle if not folded immediately. Ran downstairs.

10:00 Grabbed cup while rushing to put away clothes: left coffee cup atop Son's nightstand.

11:00 Official lunch time: Coffee out. Diet Coke in.

8:30 p.m. While putting son to bed, he complains of stomachache. "Do you think you are going to throw up?" "Can I Mommy?" "Yes." "Okay." Grabbed closest receptacle--dejected coffee cup on nightstand.

11:30 p.m. After barf-fest, with every towel, blanket and comforter in the house was in the process of being washed, went downstairs to do thorough, Silkwood-type rinse out of coffee cup.

Better luck tomorrow true and faithful friend.

Written by me, Suzanne Broughton, Jan 8, 2007. Happy Mother's Day.
Painting of coffee cup at Etsy: SudioBee

"Nothing To See Here"

The blog "Nothing to see here" is one of my favorite travel blogs. It is a collabrative blog, guiding its readers through obscure and less traveled destinations throughout Europe and the United States.

It shares travel treasures ususally overlooked by travel books. Blog curator Anne Ward puts it this way, "No 'been there, done that, bought the t-shirt' kind of places here."

Anne is also a talented travel photographer, check out her stunning photos on Flickr!

We featured "Nothing to see here" in Broughton Quarterly, Winter 2007 issue. To see the entire issue, --Click Here.

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

New ways to have fun in a hotel bed: Bedjump.com

Bedjump.com is a website dedicated to...you guest (I did that on purpose) it...jumping on and over your hotel bed! 

You can go to their website or take a look at their video on YouTube--here.

What better way to shake-off the hoo-hums of travel than leaping around your hotel room? Just mind your head doesn't hit the ceiling and please be easy on the beds, we need them for sleeping, too. Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

Meet Ella

This is Ella, she is a puppy, German Short Hair Pointer and she belongs to Robert our Corporate Controller.

She likes to spend time with Robert and Donna, his wife, roaming the Newport Back Bay, at the dog park in Costa Mesa and at "Dog Beach" in Huntington Beach (pictured).

Ella is Robert's baby girl now that his kids have all gone away to college.

You'll be watching her grow-up, right here on "Checkin in." You will also meet all of "The Dogs of Broughton Hospitality." Terrrrrrrufic!

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

B.Y.O.B--Bring your own bag!

If your kitchen pantry is anything like mine, it is full of plastic bags, spices, canned food, plastic bags, cereal, and more plastic bags.

Many cities are discouraging the consumption of bottled water, but a problem equally prolific is the use of plastic bags.

Worldwatch estimates that U.S. consumers use 300 billion plastic bags a year. The only difference is, you can keep a million plastic bags in the closet, and never look at them.

Grocery store chains like Whole Foods have completely eliminated the use of plastic bags in all of its stores nationwide. In place of the plastic bags, Whole Foods will offer several options: a rebate of at least a nickel for every bag customers bring in to reuse; reusable bags, called "Better Bags," which are made from recycled plastic bottles and sell in Whole Foods' stores for 99 cents each; canvas bags, which sell for $6.99 and up; and free paper bags made from 100 percent recycled paper.

As I write this, 1,000 miles off the coast of California there is a giant patch of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean that scientists are monitoring--estimated to weigh 3 million tons and cover an area twice the size of Texas!

Let's all do our part--Respect Your Mother and Bring Your Own Bag.

Submitted by Stephen Medel

Travel to the cooler places

If you like to take in the less "touristy" attractions when you travel and have a taste for the kitsch, check out Chris Epting's book "The Ruby Slippers, Madonna's Bra, and Einstein's Brain : The Locations of America's Pop Culture Artifacts." -Available on Amazon- for about $13.

Chris provides the answer to these burning questions..."Where are the Ruby Slippers? Or the limo that JFK was riding in when he was assassinated? Where is the Hope Diamond or Edith and Archie Bunker's living room chairs? Where is Abe Lincoln's top hat, the batmobile, the original Howdy Doody puppet or Michael Jackson's sequined glove? How about Elvis Presley's blue suede shoes or Forrest Gump's bench?"

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

Traveling with kids? They are here to help...

If you are traveling with kids in the upcoming summer months, who better to give some advise on the subject than fellow moms?
The website Traveling Mom is filled with suggestions, trip ideas, and even a recipe or two.

I liked this post called California House Swap, Part 2. Kim Orlando, the writer, was wise enough to put The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf under her "A few places we will return to every trip" list. So clever...

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

It's the "little things"...

Barbara at the blog "California Travel Insider" mentions the weather cards she received during her stay at Wine Valley Inn in Solvang.

As she says, it's the "little things" that really make a trip spectacular--we agree!

All of the Broughton Properties offer weather cards for our guests' information. Rain or shine your trip is going to be fun, it's just good to be ready for either.

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

Disneyland, more than just a place to wear your mouse ears hat!

It's no secret that SOME of us at Broughton Hospitality love Disneyland. Our offices are in Orange County and the "Happiest Place on Earth" is only a short drive down the freeway.

If you are into Disney too, you might like the blog "Disney History: Interesting discoveries about Disney history, vintage Disneyana, Disney artwork, the Walt's People book series, and new books about Disney." It is compelling to read the back-stories on Disney movies and inside tidbits on Walt--at least SOME of us think it is...

Stephen Suggests: In-n-Out, The Inside Scoop

The drawbridge may have been lowered into White Castle's playground, but my heart (and stomach) follows the golden arrow to In-Out-burger.

Have you ever stood in line behind someone at an In-N-Out Burger who orders something you swear sounds more like a secret password to a kid's secret clubhouse than an order at a burger joint? Here is the inside and out to the secret menu of In-N-Out Burger. You too can now be a regular and spare yourself the embarassment of ordering something that doesn't exist.

Animal Style - Mustard-cooked beef patty, additional pickles, extra secret sauce with grilled onions - this guys favorite!

The Flying Dutchman - 2 beef patties, 2 slices of cheese. That's it. No lettuce. No onions. No bun. No nuthin'.

Grilled Cheese- Cheeseburger without the "burger", need I say more?
Protein Burger- Any burger you want wrapped in lettuce instead of that carbohydrate-laden bun - come on we have our figures to think about!
4 X 4 - Four patties, four slices of cheese, pure health. Your friends will envy you.
-Animal Style French Fries - French fries with secret sauce, onions and cheese on top.

Now you've got the In's and Out's. Thats what a hamburgers all about.

Submitted by Stephen Medel

Lonely Plane: TV

Check out Lonely Planet's video channel, Lonely Planet TV. If you downright love to travel you will spend hours here watching videos from all around the world--think YouTube for the travelholic.

Some of my favorites:
The Unhappy Traveler: A New Yorker in India.
Hello Italy
Inside Beijing
Taco Trucks of Oakland, Ca
So much fun!

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

Travel Quiz at the Orange County Register

Here is the question for The Orange County Register's Travel Quiz:

"The story goes that a San Francisco newspaper columnist "discovered" the drink at an airport bar in Shannon and brought the instructions on how to make the drink back to the now legendary Buena Vista bar near Fisherman's Wharf. Name the drink."

If you answer correctly you get a free "travel book." Click here for details.

My guess, the Connie Francis.

Let's put the fun back in flying...

Given all the headaches in the airports this last week, I thought I would post something silly about flying and who's sillier than Monty Python?

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

BQ Anit-Spa Mix On iTunes

We like to think that Kenny G-style sax isn't the soundtrack to our Broughton Quarterly readers' happy place, so we've put together the "BQ Anti-Spa" Mix," a playlist with some of our favs--from Cat Power to Cat Stevens to Neil Young and Neil Finn. Got to iTunes and search "BQ Anti-Spa" under iMixes.

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

Real Simple Magazine's "The Best Travel Products"

Real Simple Magazine's "The Best Travel Products" has some great tips for your next trip. LOVE Real Simple Magazine...

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

Would You Dare?

I received this email from a friend about Victoria Falls in Africa and wanted to share it.

Zimbabwe , Africa, you will find the magnificent Victoria Falls at a height of 128m. The location is known as "The Devil's Swimming Pool". During the months of September and December, people can swim as close as possible to the edge of the falls without falling over!

These falls are becoming well known amongst the "radical tourist" industry as more and more people search for the ultimate experience.

Would you dare?

Submitted by Dennis Hollingdrake, Director of Operations

Stephen Suggests: Consilience Wines

Whoever said the only thing Chico, CA would ever be known for is great beer and partying was right. But, what they probably didn't know about was a budding winemaker who would graduate from Chico State with a new-found passion in viticulture and take his skills back to the region he grew up, Santa Barbara County.

That passion has led to one of the regions best small wineries--Consilience. Their wines are a well known commodity in the Central Coast.

Consilience is noted for its Pinot Noir with its light floral and deep cherry aromas. Its soft, but well formed tannins, good acidity and hot but not entirely overpowering alcohols make for a medium body and a plush, velvety mouthfeel that sing praises to the Bien Nacido vineyard (home to the areas finest Pinot grapes).

It's a great social wine that pairs well with grilled meats and other well-seasoned dishes...or whatever tastes good to you! One sip, and you'll be hooked - but why just take one?!?!

TASTING ROOM ADDRESS
Consilience
2933 Grand Avenue
Los Olivos, CA 93441
Phone: 805.691.1020
Consilience Wines

Submitted by Stephen Medel

How do you say.....?

Let's say you are at a nice hotel...a really nice hotel and you need a little help...a suggestion for a good restaurant or you need a car to pick you up in the morning. Here's the problem, you need the concierge, but aren't sure how to pronounce it. That's right, your are a little verbally challenged when it comes to what we in the business like to call "Fancy Schmancy" language.

Don't get down, howjsay.com is here to help. Just look up the word in question and voila: concierge. YOU KNEW IT!

Other fun thing to do at this site, look up words like "Howdy" or "Wonderboy."

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton

The new issue of Broughton Quarterly is out and ready for you to adore

The latest issue of Broughton Quarterly is out and ready for you to enjoy. Please take a look here.

This spring issue features an interview with Donald Trump, wild mushroom hunting in NorCal, a beautiful map of Solvang by Lisa Mertins, and of course, style suggestions from yours truly.

We also like to bring you the latest news about Broughton Hotels and the always interesting letter from Larry--almost too much Broughton to bear.

If you would like BQ (that's what we call it around here--BQ) to be sent to your home, please click here and fill out the form--that's it!

Submitted by Suzanne Broughton