Author Archives: Jill Adler

Heading To Disney

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Two times in a year. That’s even a lot for me. I’m not one of those ‘wear Mickey ears’ and carry a Princess backpack but I do like my theme parks. And when someone invites, I accept. Last November, my parents asked Ryan, Sage and me to join them at Disney World; that was just after Ryan’s parents told us to save the last week in September 2011 for them to take us, you guessed it, to Disney World. Who am I to deny them time with Sage? Plus, it beats visiting Boston again.

Ryan was a bit miffed that his folks wouldn’t be the first to intro Sage to Disney World but what can you do? He definitely put the kibosh on a day at Disneyland this summer when I went to visit my parents in San Diego. “At least let her feel like the trip in September is special.” We didn’t go. We did get a tour of Disney Studios thank to my college sorority big sister who’s an exec there but Ryan seemed to be cool with that.

I don’t exactly know what the draw is. A childhood thing? I remember the notes I’d hand to my teachers- “Please excuse Jill from school. Today is her birthday.” Then they’d pick me up and off we went to Disneyland; just me and my mom and dad. It was one of the rare days that I had them all to myself for 12 hours. In my senior year of high school, my friends and I ditched and spent a rainy afternoon at the Park. We had the place to ourselves; so much so that we could hop off those conveyor-belt seats at the Haunted Mansion and run around the graveyard. On the Peoplemover, I stepped out of the car and nearly plummeted off the narrow track but my friends rescued me in the nick of time.

My visits to the Happiest Place on Earth dwindled after college. I moved to Aspen then Park City. I went when I could; usually when I brought a new beau home to Cali to meet the parents. I’d also introduce him to Disneyland and the Venice Beach.

I made Ryan ride It’s a Small World twice in 2009 because Sage was asleep on the first round. She woke up as we were strolling down Main Street toward the exit. I spun them around and went right back to the ride. She couldn’t miss It’s A Small World if I could help it.

People tease that I use Sage as my excuse to visit Walt’s Worlds. Hell, I don’t need an excuse. If you don’t like Disney there’s something wrong with you!

Last year, was our first time at Disney World. I was afraid that I might not like it as much since it didn’t hold the same history. Nope. It’s a pretty neat place. I became a huge Hollywood Studios fan. Love the Rock n Rollercoaster, the Tower of Terror and the ToyStory 3 game. I do prefer Disneyland over the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. The Florida one feels small and slapped together. Maybe it will be different in 2012 when the new Fantasyland opens.
Scheduled for the Magic Kingdom, the renovations will add a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster through the story of “Snow White,” a Princess Fairytale Hall for meeting Cinderella, Aurora, Tiana and Rapunzel, a Voyage of the Little Mermaid dark ride, a dueling Dumbo flying elephants ride, a “Beauty and the Beast” themed restaurant, and Gaston’s Tavern and Belle’s Cottage.

We leave this Saturday and my researching hormones are off the charts. I can’t help scanning blogs and Disney sites for every little insider tip. I already know about the FastPass, the singles line, the parent swap pass. I just found out you can collect transportation cards. These are free souvenir trading cards you can only get if you ask the boat, bus and monorail drivers. Eighteen in all.

I’ve booked us tables at the Brown Derby, the Whispering Canyon Café, The Akersus Dining Hall and the Crystal Palace. We’re on the ‘free’ dining plan that includes a table service meal a day. So much for losing weight this month.

Calling All SnowMamas…and SnowPapas

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Photo by Sherri Harkin, sharkinphoto.com

 

Ever since your kids learned to ski you’ve been all about building their lifelong memories through winter day trips and vacations. But a ski vacay ain’t the same as spending a week on Maui. It’s like you’re planning for a wedding. What to pack? Where to go? How to get kids to their ski/snowboard lessons on time? The questions are endless.

Usually you turn to friends who’ve been to the place you’re going; then the Web for resources, insight, best places to dine, cheapest ski rentals and more. You research the heck out of the place you plan to visit because you don’t want to waste a minute once you’re there. Or maybe you’re the one who always gets asked for advice.

Park City Mountain Resort figured out three years ago when they started their online Snowmama program that there was a community of snow parents itching to chat. It’s a page where real parents provide tips, tricks and deals that make planning winter vacations fun and easy(er). It’s the best of both worlds- friends and fellow moms connecting with an online community. “The biggest reason people apply (to be one of our Snowmamas) is that they’re passionate about skiing, snowboarding and kids. They want to share that passion with others. It’s amazing to see that connection take place,” said PCMR’s Krista Parry.

 

The Contest Is On

PCMR selects new bloggers each season, and the contest to choose this season’s crew starts today. Those chosen few will receive a free family winter vacation to Park City Mountain Resort, season passes, special perks plus a cash bonus. All for two blogs a month. They’re looking for people from around the country who are jazzed about family winter vacations and who want to share their experience and insider tips. Utah, New York, even London. Anyone can apply and everyone has a shot. The Resort’s Advisory Committee is selecting a few people from each of five regions. Last year, Parry says they received 1000 applications for 10 spots. You don’t need previous writing experience but you do need family and ski experience. In fact, one of last season’s Snowmamas submitted an eight-page email she had previously written to a friend who had asked what she should do on her family vacation to Park City.

If sharing is in your blood, you’re a good candidate. Of course, your personality has to show through. No one wants to read a boring blog. An advisory committee comprised of 175 of your peers decides who’s going to write the most entertaining, informative and personality driven tales. “It’s not a popularity contest or about who has the most followers,” said Parry. “It’s who are the right people for the job.”

The right parents also have to be able to meet deadlines. That’s where the cash bonus comes in. Get your stories in on time all season and you will be well compensated.

What It Takes To Apply

Show your personality by submitting 200 words or a 60-second video on why you want to be a Snowmama or Papa. You’ll also be asked to give a tip to a family planning a winter vacation to the slopes and discuss a favorite ski memory.

Entries must be submitted at http://bit.ly/Basapp by 11:59 pm MST on September 21, 2011.

 

If You Don’t Enter Or Don’t Win

Snowmamas and papas isn’t just about the online connection. Every Friday post New Year’s any parent can gather offline for the weekly PCMR Meetups. People from all over the country ski together for a few hours. “They didn’t expect to have friends to ski with but that’s what we’ve seen,” said Parry. “They go with their family on vacation, put their kids in ski school and have a couple hours to themselves. That’s where the meet ups come in. You can ski with someone who knows the mountain.”

For more details or to read past blogs, visit www.snowmamas.com

Cow Ballet MOOVES Park City Locals

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Overheard at the Cow Ballet in Peoa, Utah, this afternoon: “You just can’t describe this thing; you gotta be here to see it.”

We considered skipping the 13th annual event when the torrent of rain washed over Park City this afternoon. But way off in the distance- in the direction of the ranch where cows would be dazzled with tutus and children’s faces painted like mystical creatures, the weather looked clear. I doubt a little sprinkle would keep the cows away anyway so we piled into the car and headed out towards Browns Canyon to support Mountain Town Stages. The non-profit is responsible for all the live free music you hear around Summit County. Those concerts at Canyons, Newpark, Quarry Village, the Silly Market, and more. We don’t want them to disappear so we rally to help them raise money.

The Cow Ballet is one of those few fundraisers where any age kid can get down and dirty. I mean where else are you hucking your meat over a hulking pile of cow manure? The irony is that the beer drinking race came after the jump.

The tickets were a fairly priced $12 with kids under 10 free. Now why can’t more benefits be this reasonable? The upcoming Utah Avalanche Fundraising Party is $35 and you get to stand around a parking lot for four hours drinking beer with your backcountry buds. Of course, it’s all in the name of a cause that could very well save your life and the lives of those friends. I suppose the price is in the realm of value when you consider that we also spent $4/beer and $7 for a cheeseburger at the Cow Ballet. And then there are the benefits that keep out the riffraff. I volunteered at the Friends of the Animal’s Barking Ball the night before and tickets were $100 a pop! Granted, you got hors d’ oeuvres and wine included and an excuse to dress up but the Cow Ballet offered something those fancy bashes don’t- a benefit to share with the whole family. Plus, you have a lot more money in your pocket to spend on the silent auction.

So what exactly is the cow ballet? A bunch of big kids dressed in cow costumes, dancing to songs about cows and making their friends and families laugh out loud.

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Locals’ Days Coming To PC Main Street

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by altopower

 

It’s still not free parking 24/7 but downtown Main Street is trying- just a little- to lure us locals to Main Street this fall. You can already use those 2-for-1 coupons in the Park Record and Restaurant.com for dining deals around town. Now, they’ve added this “Shown’ the Love” program Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. through October 20. First off, we get free parking all day. Then there are discounts up to 25 percent at retailers and 50 percent at restaurants. You don’t have to ‘prove’ you’re local, just mention the offer to see if you get a deal. You know, say something like, “Can I get a locals’ discount?” It works for me at Park City Bread and Bagel, and the owner of Wasatch Bagel LOVES locals. If you ask me, the best thing Historic Park City can do to get us into town and away from all the fun stuff at Kimball Junction is to crush those f*&king meters into dust. If they’re worried about squatters, enforce the same two hour limit that’s on Park Avenue near the Art Center.

Oh, and please coordinate the lights on HWY224 so it doesn’t feel like we’re navigating the 405. Thank you.

To see specific deals at participating businesses, head over to www.historicparkcityutah.com.

Favorite Finds at Outdoor Retailer Pt1

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You could easily get lost among the major players on the main floor of Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace Convention Center. The big guys like Mountain Hardwear, Teva, Black Diamond, Kelty, attract immediate attention from the buyers while the little guys in the Ballroom and the recently added New Exhibitor Pavilion get less love. However, it wasn’t long ago that Cloudveil and KEEN debuted on the fringes. The showcase for next year’s summer gear was literally bursting at the seams so the newbies had to go somewhere. You never know what you’ll find sitting vigil so smart buyers made sure to pencil in time to see those green brands.

THE BALLROOM

They’re not necessarily built for the trail but Rockport has joined with Adidas to create a footwear line that brings a bit of the outdoors to the city. The company is not necessarily small but they’re not huge in the outdoor market…yet.

No one ever said that bikes must be seen solely at Interbike in Vegas. Scott and a few others dared to spin their wheels at this year’s Summer Market. It makes sense. The commuter bike market has blown up. Clothing manufacturers like Gramicci and The North Face have added specific pieces just for this market of road cyclists.

Ah, the Packs

What you’ll see most at the Outdoor Retailer Show are packs- backpacks, dog packs, kid packs. You name it. What makes Mile High Mountaineering unique is that the company is comprised of three college-age tattooed white guys who decided running their own business would be better than working for someone. “We don’t want to wear a white collar,” they chant. The packs are innovative but the prices are high. The Salute34 on the lower left features a top to bottom zipper that makes it easy to access everything in your bag. You can even spread it out and use it as a climbing rope tarp. It retails for $200.

The LittleLife Animal Daysacks are a must for anyone with tots. Kids under three can’t wait to have you strap the ladybug, butterfly, shark or bee on their backs. They don’t even care that it has a detachable “rein” so parents can keep them on a leash. The stowaway rainhood completes the animal effect. The company also makes kid carriers and backpacks for older children.

Crazy Creek busted the camp chair market wide open but they’re not the only game in town. Comfortable, low profile for concerts, made of mesh to catch the breeze on those hot summer nights, backpack straps and a stash zipper make the Kelsyus Lounger a rockstar.

Sock manufacturers Darn Tough and FITS stayed inside and out of the way of their more recognized competitors in the center – Thorlo, Smartwool, Lorpen, Fox River- but they are no less durable or attractive. What’s more, everyone is starting to play with color and patterns for next year. It’s hard to tell the difference anymore between companies so your purchase will come down to price and style. Everyone features durable, technical fabrics and lifetime guarantees.

THE NEW PAVILION

OR organizers resurrected the New Exhibitor Pavilion to house 165 newcomers to the market. The last time they needed the tent it took a twist in the 1999 tornado that hit Salt Lake City. The homeless vendors piled into the main hall as those with bigger booths offered to share. Up until now, the convention center had just enough space not to need the tent. But with more than 1000 exhibiters attending it was finally time. The jury’s out as to whether the tent was helpful or lame. Some vendors bemoaned the pseudo banishment while others saw attention they don’t think they would have gotten if they had to compete in the main space.

Egos aside, popularity probably had more to do with the product than the venue. Geopalz, an inventive colorful pedometer meant to get kids walking and interacting seemed to be a hit with media and buyers. The more they walk, the more points they get and the more products they can purchase with those points.

One guy who was destined for disappointment at least had the courage to take himself seriously even if we didn’t.

Just that really is a sleeve for a water bottle on that girl’s neck. Believing that we all take a cold bottle and stick it to our neck when it’s hot, the ‘inventor’ spent his life’s savings coming up with this gem. Maybe you get it. But wouldn’t it just be easier to pour the water on your head?

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