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Road Trip!

Those two words bring back childhood memories. Whether it was a trip to visit my grandparents or the mother-of-all road trips to Disney World, the time spent in the car was almost always as memorable as the time at the destination. But somewhere along the way, the thrill of the road trip disappeared as I grew older. As a teen it just wasn’t “cool” to spend that much time with my family (if I could go back and smack my teen-self upside the head I would). Now as an adult, I’d rather keep travel time to a minimum so I can spend more time with my family at our destination.

But lately I’ve been thinking about road trips again. Sure, increasing airline ticket prices are a factor, but the thought of spending time together on the road as a family is also appealing. Perhaps my memories of childhood trips are colored by nostalgia or maybe I’m just crazy. We’ll know the answer soon enough because in mid-September we’re driving down the East Coast to visit family.

You can help.

We’re looking for ideas to make our daughter’s first family road trip as memorable as possible. We’d like to hear what tips, tricks and products you use on your family road trips. Post them below or e-mail . We’ll be trying them out during our approximately 20 hours on the road and sharing our experiences.

We’d also like to hear stories from your road trips, either from your childhood or traveling as a parent. Please post them in the comments below.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Circus Smirkus 2008 Big Top Tour is coming to the Beech Street School in Manchester, NH on July 22 and 23 with shows at 1:00 and 7:00 PM. Call 1-877-SMIRKUS or visit www.smirkus.org for ticket information.

Featuring teens from New England and around the country, this year’s “Science at the Circus” show is sure to please kids (and adults) of all ages. As the Manchester dates approach, we’re happy to share a review from Rob Williams of Vermont Commons:

I’ve always liked the circus, and, like many, have considered running away to join it from time to time, as the old adage goes.

For those who haven’t seen Vermont’s very own “Circus Smirkus,” it is a unique one-ring show, featuring teenagers trained at the in all kinds of Big Top-related activities – juggling, clowning, tumbling, and hanging by various parts of one’s body from all manner of contraptions suspended from the top of the tent.

Having been to “Circus Smirkus” for five summers running with my kids, I was feeling, on my sixth visit to the “Big Top,” a little less like an open-eyed kid, and more like a long-suffering parent, recognizing many of the names and faces in the program, and knowing that, at the end of the day, much of what I was about to see I’d seen before. This feeling was compounded by the theme of this summer’s “Smirkus” event, entitled “Smirkusology - A Science Extravaganza.”

“Science at the Circus?” I thought to myself? Sounds like a yawn fest, even after reading creative director Jesse Dryden’s breathless program description:

“Circus (he writes) is not an exact science. It is a volatile combination of danger and amusement, with a delicate balance of laughter and awe. Take some young artists with endless energy and astronomical skills. Put their hopes, their hearts and their lives into the ring. Mix in plenty of mirth and mayhem. Coat with whimsy and a pinch of artistry and emotion. Stir in some silly, and magnify it all under the Big Top. Just add an audience and let the chemical reaction inspire. The results are truly magical.”

OK, I thought. But science at the circus?

This slightly-jaded parent couldn’t have been more wrong. This summer’s 21st annual “Circus Smirkus” program may be the best “Smirkus” show to date.

One reason (as always) has to do with the hard-working members of the Smirkus troupe, who somehow manage to keep their energy up for more than two hours of big top fun. And there was some new stuff, too – like acrobatics on this dangling rectangular (sort of) cube structure, and the couple from Cali, Columbia (Francisco Javier Hartado and Leidy Tatiana Zainiga Vidal), who finished the first act with a stunning double display of balancing virtuosity involving a giant circular metal ring (It must be seen to be fully believed).

But there was more going on here than I remember, theme-wise. Seeing clowns dressed in scientific lab coats and glasses proved remarkably amusing throughout the show – a sort of visual cognitive dissonance that made their antics even more goofy – and the writers made some seriously funny hay out of this ongoing visual gag, featuring, for example, a nerdy-looking clown kid pulled from the crowd at show’s beginning who metamorphoses into a “wonder juggler” (complete with shiny jump suit) at the beginning of the show’s second half. New juggling tricks – including a wonderful moment involving 3 clowns juggling the same series of multi-colored balls and some serious fun with unicycles and uber-stilts – kept things fresh, too.

And then there was the sonics of Smirkus. The sounds of the 2008 summer show proved vital to its freshness this time around, and a big “hats off” to music composer Tristan Moore and sound technician Mike Cress for melding sound and story in such a compelling way – gadget noises, robotic and experimental mood music, and sonically-driven sight gags (my favorite involved some out-of-control robot hands, in reality, a pair of over-sized ice hockey gloves) kept audiences howling, and gave the clowns additional support and a sonic “foil” to play off of. Really nifty.

If you missed “Circus Smirkus” in Vermont and are kicking yourself – have no fear. You can catch them all over New England this summer – check out the schedule online at www.smirkus.org. They’ll even be touring in New Hampshire for the first time this year – July 22 and 23 at the Beech Street Elementary School in Manchester. The scientist, the clown, and the kid in you won’t want to miss it!

Confession time: parking lots scare me. Now that my daughter is mobile (and fast!), I tend to see danger lurking behind every parked car. There’s enough risk from people driving correctly in the lots, not to mention the idiots who appear to believe that 50 mph is the correct speed for navigating among parked cars. And don’t get me started on people who cut across the lots by driving through empty spaces…

Anyway, I’ve been using “a first-in, last-out” approach to getting my daughter into the car: I buckle her into her seat before loading anything else when we set out and upon arrival, everything else is unloaded before she gets out.  Generally, this works well and ensures that she’s either with me or buckled into her seat. However, there are times when I have to let go of her hand to set something down or open the car door. Whenever possible, I shield her between the car door and my body, but when that’s not possible I have her “touch the tire” for the few seconds I need to get things settled before putting her in the car.  I know, I know: the tire’s not the cleanest part of the car, but my daughter knows what it is and understands that she’s not supposed to move her hand from it until I tell her it’s ok.

However, I just learned about Parking Pal, a CD-sized magnet that serves the same purpose as my method, but in a manner that’s easier for kids to understand. And it goes without saying that the magnet should be a lot cleaner than my car’s tires.

The Parking Pal is available in several colorful designs featuring dinosaurs, flowers, fish and more. In the center of each Parking Pal is a bright handprint to show your child exactly where to put her hand, a definite improvement over my system (”but dad, you didn’t say which part of the tire!”). Made of heavy material, the magnets are durable, wipe clean and, although they’re easily removed, fasten securely to your car. That last feature is important if you’re like me and forget to take the Parking Pal off the car before hitting the highway.

Sure, you could use any one of the ribbon auto magnets sold in stores, but why not spend the $8 and pick up something that appeals to your child. Actually, for that price, why not pick up one for all your family’s cars?

As an added bonus, now instead of “touching the tire,” my daughter knows to “give the car five!”

We’ve added some key Nashua SummerFun 2008 event information to the SNHParents Calendar and there’s more to come.

You can also find complete program information on the Nashua City Website.

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