We haven’t posted since last Wednesday – not what we intended, but with good reason…

We have another little baby!

You may have noticed in some of our previous posts (Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall, W Hotel Union Square) a reference to a pregnancy.  Well, said pregnancy was due to end on July 5th.  As most of you know, pregnancies rarely end on the exact due date, but ours did.  We actually had a false alarm the day before (maybe not so false in hindsight, just the beginnings of labor), and that didn’t help us when it came to posting either, since we spent a good part of Wednesday in the hospital instead of on the computer as usual.  Then late Wednesday night when we were at home, contractions started in earnest, back to the hospital we went, and Thursday morning our son arrived.

We’re a little tapped out on energy but will try to get our butts back in gear with posts.  Also, we’ll be traveling to Chicago in 3 weeks with the baby and 3-year old so you’ll definitely read some reviews either along the way or when that trip is done.  So keep checking in!

Newsweek’s June 18 issue has a great article about kids’ playgrounds around the country. Since it’s always great to find a cool playground during a family vacation, especially if you’re staying in a hotel without one, we thought we’d give you a headsup. Although it’s in the Health section, it’s more about mental than physical health – the featured playgrounds go beyond seesaws and swings; they include very cool stimulating and interactive features that kids (and parents) will love. If you happen to be in any of these areas, give these a go: (more…)

Check out the sea life at Miami’s Seaquarium with the Ritz-Carlton’s Discover Flipper package. The hotel sits on 1200 feet of beach and also has 2 oceanfront (and heated) swimming pools. Kids 5 to 12 can participate in the Ritz Kids program for half or full days of activities such as basketball, arts and crafts and karaoke. There is a children’s menu for the difficult-to-please (we’re trying to wean our daughter off of these things but who needs the fight on vacation?)

If you’re up for discovering Flipper (and all his oceanbound friends), the package includes:

• Deluxe resort view room accommodations
• Two admission tickets to the Miami Seaquarium (1 adult and 1 child)
• A special gift upon arrival

Now, we’ve noted that the package only includes 1 ticket each for adults and children. This makes it a great family vacation option for a single parent with 1 child – not a group we see catered to very often. We’re not sure that the Ritz-Carlton had them in mind, but we do.

Rates start at $229 a night. The package is available until October 31. Additional room nights will be sold at the published rates. For more information or to reserve this package, click here or contact the hotel directly at 305.365.4500.