|
Issue Date: March 2, 2003
Vacation Confidential
Who knows a place better than the people who work there? If you're planning a trip to any of these family getaway hot spots, you'll want to heed this expert advice.
By Robin Tunnicliff Reid
No one knows the inside skinny on America's top family destinations better than those who work there. After all, the person inside the Elmo costume at Sesame Place, the high-kicking Rockette at Radio City and the woman dressed in colonial garb at Williamsburg know where and when the lines are shortest, where to find the best food and the ideal time to visit. We asked them, as well as a straight-talking Grand Canyon park ranger and Universal Studios' SpongeBob SquarePants, what secrets they tell their friends and family -- the foolproof strategies for doing the place up right. So read on and plan your next trip!
Go to top
Sesame Place
YOUR GUIDE: Diane Benedict, a former Elmo
Benedict is a nine-year veteran at Sesame Place, the 14-acre amusement park in Langhorne, Pa. She's worked there both before and after having children, and now, as a parent of two young kids, Benedict says she has a new appreciation for the experience. The intimacy of Sesame Place makes it stand out among other theme parks, she says. Parents aren't just taking their children for the rides -- "they're integrally involved in the kids' experience." Case in point: Benedict is a fan of the six-story-high Sky Splash, which they all ride together. Here are her tips on how to approach some of the more than 50 activities for children between ages 2 and 13.
Best value for families: "Elmo's Passport, with which full-price tickets [$36.95 for ages 2 and up] include coming back another day free."
Best times to go to avoid crowds: "It's always less crowded when the kids are in school, from May to about the third week in June and after Labor Day. Also on days when it's overcast, because that can scare off some people."
Best things to do for children afraid of rides: "We have five shows and a daily parade. Elmo's World Live! is always a packed house. It appeals mainly to toddlers and runs about 20 minutes. We do about eight performances a day. A new show called Oscar's Big Game Show is more for 6- to 8-year-olds."
Best place to sit if you want to be a contestant on Oscar's Big Game Show: "In the front row, you'll definitely be seen. We open the gates 15 to 20 minutes before the show, so get there early and tell the theater host you want to participate."
Best place to sit if you're too shy to participate: "The theater seats about 800 people, so sit in the back and you can still see the show."
Best place to stand to watch the Rock Around the Block parade: "Try to watch it from right in the center. We stop twice along the way, so if you're in the middle, you can see us stop during the first leg of the parade and then again the second time.
"We have a parade sign-up for kids who'd like to ride on the Elmo or Big Bird floats. If you're not lucky enough to get on, performers will pull kids on the sidelines out to dance."
Best place for kids to let off steam before the drive home: "Nets 'n' Climbs has these huge nets, three stories tall, that kids 5 and over can climb, and there's Cookie Mountain, a vinyl cone 'mountain' that's very safe for younger kids. Believe me, these will burn them out."
Call 215-752-7070 or go to sesameplace.com.
Go to top
Grand Canyon
YOUR GUIDE: Jennie Kish Albrinck, a park ranger on the North Rim
Getting caught in a storm in the Grand Canyon is not as bad as it sounds. In fact, abrupt changes in weather can be magnificent events to watch, says Jennie Kish Albrinck, who has seen some major storms roll through the 1,900-square-mile national park during the nine years she's been a ranger. "On the South Rim at Yavapai Point, go inside the observation station," she says. For those who want a comfy seat, she recommends the porch at El Tovar Hotel or the sunroom of the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim.
Best places for picnics: "The place I like best is on Desert View Drive about halfway between the main village and Desert View Point. At the Buggeln picnic area, you're not right on the edge; you have plenty of trees for shade and tables and trash cans. It's set down from the road, so you're buffered from the noise of the cars."
Most spectacular views: Yavapai Point is my favorite, because that's where my husband asked me to marry him. Hopi Point is very beautiful, too, as is Grandview. And the view from the back porch of the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is beyond compare."
Best activities for kids: "We have a junior ranger program for kids 4 to 14 to fill in a workbook, attend a ranger program, and collect trash or things to recycle. We also have a Discovery Pack; they check out a backpack and do a series of activities, such as measure things and draw things they see in the woods, before returning the pack at the end of the day."
Best ways to see the park: "The very best way is to walk along the rims and meet the park one on one. But for somebody who will never hike into the inner canyon, flying over offers a great perspective. There are outfits that will take you on trips from a half-hour to 1 1/2 hours, ranging from about $95 to $200. We also have mule rides that give you that kind of pioneer feeling."
Best place to take budding geologists: "You can learn a lot about how the canyon was formed on the geology talks and walks on the North and South rims. As you take a 3-mile hike along the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge, the canyon just opens up to you. Be sure to bring food and water. On the North Rim, stroll to Bright Angel Point, near the Visitors Center and the lodge. You'll view a lot of exposed rock, because it juts out into the canyon."
Best places to see and hear birds: "Hiking along the inner canyon is a great way to hear canyon wrens. On the South Rim, in the main village area, between 2 p.m. and sunset tends to be the time when the thermals are better and the California condors are soaring around. But don't approach them, don't feed them and don't throw anything at them, because they're endangered."
Call 928-638-7888 or go to nps.gov/grca.
Go to top
Universal Studios Hollywood
YOUR GUIDE: Brian Patterson, who has played SpongeBob SquarePants, Spider-Man and Woody Woodpecker for several years
In addition to knowing when to hit the most popular attractions, Patterson also has figured out where to get the best food at the 420-acre complex in Universal City, Calif. His favorites? "I love El Pollo Loco, which is primarily a West Coast chain, and that's right next to the Jurassic Park ride. They have a grilled chicken dish with tortillas, beans and potatoes. Doc Brown's, next to the Back to the Future ride, has good, old-fashioned fried chicken."
Best time of day to ride the most popular rides: "I tell my family to make a beeline for Jurassic Park, at like 9 a.m., and start the day there. Go on the studio tour during lunch or in the afternoon. You get to ride on this really comfortable tram, and you can have a drink. It's like we bring the attractions to you. You'll go to see a lot of sites where they film movies, like "The Hulk", which comes out in June."
Best strategy for eating: "Avoid the main rush hour between noon and 1. I'd get a snack instead, like a churro, which is a long, skinny piece of fried dough that's covered in sugar. This way, you can check out the more popular rides while everyone else is having lunch. Then you can have lunch around 1:30."
Best rides for little kids: "The best place is the Nickelodeon Blast Zone, where I used to hang out when I was SpongeBob. It's like a mini water park. The kids get to go under these huge buckets of water and get soaked. There are squirters so they can squirt Dad. Next is the Wild Thornberrys Adventure Temple, where they have these foam ball shooters. This is a good place to go and peg Dad. Animal Planet Live! is good for kids, because it's interactive and is a good place to learn about how to care for animals. Louis the orangutan and the capuchin monkeys do tricks."
Best rides for older kids: "Jurassic Park, because there's nothing better than having a dinosaur chomp down on your head. In Terminator 2: 3-D, they join Arnold Schwarzenegger in a new adventure in which you'll come across the meanest Terminator ever."
Scariest attraction: "For me it's The Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom, which has live mummies and all sorts of things that go bump in the night."
Best sleeper attraction: "I may not be objective, but the Spider-Man Rocks! show is great. There are a lot of pyrotechnics and a lot of rock 'n' roll. Spider-Man flies through the air and has a battle with the Green Goblin."
Strategy for a perfect day: "Start at Jurassic Park, then go to Secrets of the Hulk Revealed at the special-effects stages nearby. You're really working your way backward through the park. Then do Terminator 2: 3-D, Back to the Future and -- if you're brave enough -- The Mummy Returns. Then have lunch and do the studio tour so you digest your food and give your feet a rest. Then Spider-Man Rocks! and Animal Planet Live! I'd try to spend time on CityWalk last. Have dinner at Cafe Tu Tu Tango, which is a little more unusual. The whole menu is tapas, and they have really good margaritas."
Call 818-622-3801 or go to universalstudioshollywood.com.
Go to top
Colonial Williamsburg
YOUR GUIDE: Sara Adjoran, a costumed interpreter for more than two years
In her capacity as a guide at Williamsburg, Adjoran has worked in many of the 88 buildings in Virginia's restored former capital. She says the public's main misconception about the colonial town is that you can see it all in one day; Adjoran recommends three or four days to do it right. Her strategy if you have less time? Take fewer guided tours and instead focus on visiting "trade sights" -- the blacksmith, wigmaker, weaver, etc. -- where you can interact with the artisans and stay as long as you like.
Best show for families: "Grand Medley is an 18th-century circus. They do things like juggling; sometimes they have a fire-eater, and once they had a tightrope walker. You can buy tickets on the Internet; I'd do that about a week before you make the trip. There's also an interactive Skills of Theatre show at the PlayBooth Theatre. It's designed to present the skills that were needed in 18th-century theaters."
Best show for teens: "Cry Witch is a really neat show, based on a witch trial that happened here. The audience gets to be the jury. It can get kind of deep."
Most engaging sights for kids: "At the Powell House, kids participate in a household from the 1700s. They make a big feather bed, carry water in from the well, do some cooking, play games and sometimes make little sachets and dolls. They can stay as long as they want. In the summer, the brickyard is a place where you can actually get into the mud and make bricks. There's a place to clean up, so that's not a problem."
Best hidden gem: "Many people skip Nicholson Street, which parallels Duke of Gloucester, the main street. There's a tenant house there, which is interesting because it shows how lower- and middle-class people lived, as opposed to in the big houses closer to the palace. It shows how most of us would have been living."
Best times to go: "In the summer, it's best to have three or four days and come early in the morning so you can see things before it gets hot. Then go back to your hotel and swim, cool off and come back for dinner. Fall and spring are the most beautiful times, although spring is tricky, because we have a lot of school groups then."
Most family-friendly place to eat: "Chowning's Tavern has a good kids' menu. They have the best ribs ever, and there's a to-die-for cider cake with homemade vanilla ice cream on top."
800-447-8679; colonialwilliamsburg.org
Go to top
Radio City Music Hall
YOUR GUIDE: Eileen Grace, a former Rockette
At 5-foot-10, Eileen Grace was the tallest in the Rockette kick line for several years. During her nine years as part of the world's most famous collection of legs, Grace had time to ponder the perfect vantage point from which to see the annual Christmas Spectacular. "I tended to like the first mezzanine," she says, "but I've had friends say they like the third mezzanine. To really see the intricate dance formations, and scenes like in Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, when 36 Rockettes fall like dominoes on top of each other, you want to be above the stage." In addition to the popular Christmas show, which runs from early November to early January, this Art Deco gem has concerts, family shows and backstage tours the rest of the year.
Best time to go to a show: "Try to see the Christmas Spectacular before Thanksgiving, because closer to Christmas it gets really hard to get a ticket. My family comes then, and it gets them in the mood for the season. We do between two and six 90-minute shows a day. Generally, the early shows are easier to get tickets for, and that way you have the rest of the day to spend in the city.
"Radio City does a lot of special promotions between the first week of November and Thanksgiving, like two-for-one tickets, and they list the deals on our Web site and in newspapers."
Best things to do before or after the show: "I send family and friends on the Stage Door tour before the show, which runs every half-hour and lasts 45 minutes to an hour. It explains the history of Radio City, and you get to see where we rehearse and the costume shop. At the end of the tour, you meet a Rockette and take photos with her, which you could use for your Christmas cards. No reservations are needed for the tour. The skating rink at Rockefeller Center is right there, too. It gets crowded close to Christmas, but again, if you're coming before, it's great."
Best place to eat: "Between shows, I'd grab a bite at the Playwright Tavern on 49th between Seventh Avenue and Broadway. Other Rockettes go there as well. I recommend their Thai chicken salad, chicken pot pie and warm apple pie."
212-247-4777; www.radiocity.com
Robin Tunnicliff Reid is a freelance writer in Baltimore.
Photograph by Theo Westenberger for USA WEEKEND
Styling by Manuella Amzallag. Hair and makeup by Philippe Paschkes. Talent: Leann Garris, Philip Coccioletti.
|
