Itsy Bitsy Trips

02/09/2010

How Your Family Can Relax Like Movie Stars

If you’re interested in visiting the Annenberg Beach House – the historic pool complex on Santa Monica Beach – you need to become a planner like me. If you don’t plan your visit, I think you’ll be out of luck. It really is not surprising to find the Beach House at capacity on a lovely summer day as ...

28/08/2010

One Big Reason to Visit the Skirball Cultural Center

We’re always searching for new family-friendly adventures – and we’ve gone to the four corners of Southern California to find them. But last week, we made a delightfully short trek to the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles. No car seat meltdowns or long drives home trying to make it befo...

24/08/2010

Universal City -- Kids' Style!

One of William’s favorite television programs of all time is the Wiggles. If you have kids, you know they’re like the Beatles for the preschool generation. Well, the Wiggles were giving a concert at the Universal Amphitheater here in Los Angeles last weekend so we had to go.

20/08/2010

Five Reasons to Visit the Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier is the closest you can come in Southern California to an old-fashioned carnival midway. Lying on the western end of old Route 66, the pier boasts amusement park rides, an arcade, and even a few freaks walking down its wooden planks.

04/08/2010

A Toddler Goes to Montana (Avenue)

We were looking for something fun to do with Will last weekend - and realized we'd never taken him to Santa Monica's Montana Avenue. It's a quite a long drive from our home just to walk down a street, but we figured Montana would be worth it.

23/07/2010

Two Things to Avoid on Monarch Beach

On our second day at the St. Regis Monarch Beach resort, we decided to go to the beach. This is more of an adventure than the resort’s name would suggest because the place doesn’t actually sit on Monarch Beach – it’s high on a cliff overlooking the water. Guests take a ten-minute shuttle ride from...

14/07/2010

Kids-Stuff at the St. Regis Monarch Beach

When we arrived at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel and Spa, we knew it would be luxurious. Located in Dana Point, California, the resort is a feast for the eyes.

06/07/2010

A Toddler at UCLA

UCLA boasts one of the most beautiful college campuses on the West Coast. Jeni and I know that first-hand – we’re both proud Bruins. That’s why we decided to take our 18-month old son to that hilly, tree-filled campus this past weekend when we were looking for a fun stop before running a few erran...

30/06/2010

The LA County Museum of Art for Kids

Before William, Jeni and I occasionally went to the LA County Museum of Art (known in these parts as LACMA). We went to members-only parties in the evenings, listened to jazz in the courtyard, saw classic movies in the theater, and hit some of the better exhibits when we had time.

20/06/2010

Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel & Resort

The Grand California is the most expensive and luxurious of the three hotels on the Disneyland property. We’ve stayed there several times with our young son Will and find it to be tons of fun.

16/06/2010

Disneyland Character Interactions that will Change Your Life

Most kids who go to Disneyland look forward to seeing and talking with the characters who live there – from Mickey and Minnie to Pooh and Tigger. But it’s not easy to do – since so many visitors flood into the park each day with the same goal!

16/06/2010

Disneyland Character Interactions that will Change Your Life

11/06/2010

LA's Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants

We often find it’s usually hard to enjoy a restaurant meal with William – unless the restaurant itself helps us out. Our boy is so excited about life to sit still for more than a few seconds to eat. So we’ve developed a list of the most kid-friendly restaurants in Southern California -- when you c...

09/06/2010

SoCal's Best Family-Friendly Attractions

http://www.itsybitsytrips.com/index/socal-s-best-family-friendly-attractions

04/06/2010

LA's Natural History Museum

As we walked through LA’s Natural History Museum last weekend, Jeni and I half-expected some of the people and animals on display to magically come alive – just as they did in the movie Night at the Museum.

02/06/2010

6 Ways to Have Fun at the Westside Pavilion

The Westside Pavilion used to be one of Southern California’s most iconic malls. Located in the heart of West Los Angeles, it’s now an aging shopping center. But don’t let its dated appearance fool you.

28/05/2010

Family Friendly Fun on South Beverly Drive

Whether you come from another part of Southern California or another part of the country, most people who visit Beverly Hills check out the downtown area and feel they’ve seen the city. However, the locals flock to another part of town – South Beverly Drive.

26/05/2010

Downtown Beverly Hills with Kids

Tourists and locals alike flock to Beverly Hills to see its world-renown shops, restaurants, and celebrities. Of course, our kids have a different agenda – they want to have fun wherever they go.
That’s not easy when the family is in the midst of Dior and Harry Winston, Tiffany and Dolce & Gabana –...