Coast 2 Coast Mom

Simplifying Travel with the Intel 2 in 1

We love traveling - and frequently do so for both work and for play (and a little of both when we can get away with it). One of the bigger hassles when traveling is having to take a laptop with me - many people I know just leave theirs at home or at the office. For me, a laptop enables me to be as productive as possible - whether that's replying to email or recently that meant finding restaurant reservations at the Universal Orlando CityWalk. There's some things that are better done with a fully functioning laptop instead of my... Read more →

Little Passports - Travel Adventures for Kids Ambassador

I'm giddy to share that I recently became an offical Little Passports: Global Travel Adventures ambassador. I say "official" because I've been casually evangelizing about Little Passports for kids for years in real life. Now they know I'm doing it. ;-) I'll be sharing about our experience with Little Passports here throughout the year. I think it was about four years ago that I first subscribed to Little Passports, as I thought it was a terrific way to inspire the Kiddo to take an interest in our family travels, and pique his curiousity about other cultures, foods, sights, languages, histories... Read more →

Sprint 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot from Sierra Wireless

As a travelling family, Sprint offered us the opportunity to try out the 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot while on the go these past few months. Whether it’s been in airports, on trains, buses - even on a 12-hour family road trip from NYC to Chicago - having an internet connection to stay in touch with work throughout our travels was vital to our careers. If you’re not already familiar with the tri-fi hotspot, it's a small wireless device that you can throw in your bag and depending on your location, the hotspot will kick in to either a 3G or... Read more →

Hilton Times Square Family Holiday Getaway

Without a doubt, there’s more energy and action in and around Times Square than any other part of New York City, so when we had the opportunity to stay at the Hilton Times Square in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, we immediately planned a fun family weekend in NYC. We’ve stayed at the Hilton Times Square before, so we already knew it was a great location, within walking distance of a lot of great things to do, places to shop, and restaurants to eat. It was a particularly perfect place to stay around the holidays, as we’ve developed an annual... Read more →

Harry Potter: The Exhibition at Discovery Times Square

The world of Harry Potter continues to live on, and whether you’re a diehard fan looking to relive the adventure or you’re an average muggle searching for some enchanting fun, you can satisfy your need for both at the Harry Potter: The Exhibition at Discovery Times Square here in New York. After travelling internationally for most of 2012, the Harry Potter exhibit is back at Discovery Time Square in NYC. While we missed it the first go around when it was here in 2011, we were glad to have another opportunity to check it out -- particularly since the kiddo... Read more →

Momofuku Milk Bar Treats - Icing on Cake

While basking in the after glow of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, we walked up Fifth Ave to check out the holiday lights and decorations. Even though it was starting to rain, it was a beautiful night and end to our holiday dinner, annual Rockettes show and stay in NYC. The icing on the cake - literally - was walking into Momofuku Milk Bar for some late night sweet treats. :-) We stopped into the Milk Bar at the Chambers Hotel on 56th and picked up some treats to enjoy back at the Hilton Times Square. We tasted the candy... Read more →

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing Party

This year we were fortunate to be invited to a private viewing party along the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route in NYC. We had primo seats for the parade balloons and a fabulous view on 6th Ave, across the street from Radio City Music Hall. Our jaws dropped when we arrived at the location at the Time Life Building - it was truly perfect for parade viewing. Here's the pre-parade view looking up 6th Ave toward Central Park . . . And the view looking down 6th Ave before the parade began . . . Amazing, right?? We had brunch... Read more →

Hilton Honors AmEx Card Helps Families “Hotel for the Holidays”

As Generation X and Millennial families leave their hometowns to settle down in distant cities, more and more families find themselves traveling over the holidays. When all of the siblings head home, there may not be enough “room at the inn” for everyone to comfortably stay under your parents’ roof, (hello air mattress, pull-out bed, sleeping bag!) so you head to a hotel. Or, sometimes the road trip home to visit family may seem too long for a weekend trip, or too expensive to fly home for every holiday, but you still want to make memories and establish traditions for... Read more →

Disney "Limited Time Magic" in 2013

Disney sprinkled a little pixie dust today, announcing their "Limited Time Magic" promotion for 2013. Next year, Walt Disney World and Disneyland will offer 52 specially-themed weeks of magical experiences from coast to coast. I can't wait to find out what the theme will be when we're in Orlando for the Disney Princess Half Marathon! Disney's weekly "limited time magic" opportunities and experiences will include themes like Pirate Week, with special pirate meet-and-greets, collectibles, entertainment and more from Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Pirates in the Caribbean and more. Or celebrating True Love week during Valentine's Day with prince... Read more →

Family-Friendly Beach Hotel on Cape Cod

We were recently invited to stay at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Mass., on Cape Cod to experience the completion of their multi-year multi-million dollar renovation project first-hand. Nearly every part of the family-friendly beach resort was upgraded or remodeled - the guest rooms, the saline pool, Red's restaurant and more. One thing that didn't change - nor should it - is the hotel's location on the beach on Buzzard's Bay. It's perfect. The beach was gorgeous and the sunset views amazing, and unlike other coastal beach areas, the waves were kid-friendly and easy for kids to... Read more →