Travel tip

Fun Adventure – Metrolink Friends and Family 4 pack

My almost 4 year old son has been obsessed with trains ever since I can remember. He loves every kind of train, from miniatures to the commuter trains he sees everyday.

He will be taking a field trip with school to Union Station soon and he is so excited he can’t stand it. He talks about it every single day! I think he forgot that just a few months ago, we took this same trip ourselves. We parked our car at the Fullerton Station and took off on our adventure to Union Station. We had a great time touring the beautiful station and actually wound up riding the subway from Union Station to Hollywood and Highland. It was an inexpensive but very fun trip that my daughter still talks about. My son actually only remembers the subway segment and nothing else.

Needless to day when I read about this great deal from the folks at Metrolink, I had to pass it on.  You can purchase a family four pack of round trip tickets on Metrolink for $29 to use on the weekends. I would highly recommend taking the train to Union Station, touring the station, riding the subway to Hollywood and Highland and having a fun lunch at Hollywood and Highland. I can’t rave enough about what a great time we had as a family when we did it.

Here are the details..

The Metrolink “Friends and Family 4-Pack” (FF4P) is a ticket package specifically geared toward weekend travellers. It consists of a package of four individual round trip tickets that can be purchased from any Metrolink ticket vending machine (TVM).  The FF4P round trip ticket will allow a group of up to four persons to travel together on Metrolink all day on either Saturday or Sunday for only $29.

  • Press the “Friends and Family 4-Pack” button on the ticket vending machine ONCE only.  Four individual round trip tickets will be dispensed from the ticket machine.  DO NOT PRESS THE “FRIENDS AND FAMILY 4-PACK” BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE FOR EACH SET OF 4 TICKETS.
  • Future dated (advance purchase) FF4P tickets are also available through the TVMs.
  • FF4P is good for weekend systemwide travel on date of purchase.
  • FF4P is also available for Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Friday and New Year’s Day.

Restrictions for the FF4P include:

  • Valid for Saturday or Sunday travel only
  • Up to four persons may travel together, as a group, not separately, on the FF4P
  • Not transferable to Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains
  • Not valid for free transfers to EZ Transit Pass operators including the Metro Rail Lines and bus operators.
  • No refunds for this 4-Pack tickets

It is a great deal! To learn more about the Friends and Family Deal head here. Happy exploring!

Crystal Cove Cottages

I usually blog about daytrips , outings and events. Today I wanted to blog about a place some of you may or may not know about- Crystal Cove Cottages in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach. The cottages are state owned and offer you an opportunity to stay in a beachfront bungalow at a very reasonable rate from one to seven nights. available on Saugatuck Michigan rentals Think of it as camping on the beach in style. In fact to reserve a spot in Crystal Cove you must use the reservation system used by all California campgrounds and parks- Reserve America.
The cottages are extremely popular and you can rent them on the first day of the month at 8am. You can sign on to the system and start trying at 7:50. If you want to make sure to snag one a night or two make sure to browse through the website for the cottages and let the agent know the one you are interested in. You can also call and see if there are cancellations for perhaps a last minute outing or book a cancellation online through Reserve America. You make a reservation 6 months in advanced. For example if you were to book a cottage on Mar 1st , you would be booking for your stay in September.
The Cottages are newly restored and are either Individual or Dorm-style Cottages Crystal Cove Beach Cottages offer gorgeous ocean views, charming historic details, and a glimpse of a uniquely Southern Californian beach community from a bygone era. Located in the heart of Crystal Cove State Park’s 3.5 miles of pristine coastline, the Historic District first developed as a South Seas movie set due to its seclusion and tropical aura. The community thrived and became beloved for its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and picturesque landscape, and in 1979, the Crystal Cove Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can stay in one of 11 Individual or 3 Dorm-style Cottages. Located directly on the beach or overlooking it from a bluff top, each cottage has been painstakingly restored and furnished to recreate Crystal Cove’s unique historic beach culture and ambiance. Reservations are available year-round.
I know that we are facing some tough economic times and the thought of renting a beach home or vacation sounds like a far fetched dream for many- but thanks to Crystal Cove you can afford a beachfront retreat for around the same price as spending a night at your local Marriott. Rentals are around $180.00 for a flat rate of 4 people. This does not include children 4 and under. There is an additional charge for more than 4 people over the age of 4.
I’m planning on renting a little cottage for one night.. I hope you can also and spend an unforgettable day or days at the beach.
For additional information click here and for reservations click here
Reserve America
Reservations 1-800-444-7275
Customer Service 1-800-695-2269

Tote a Tot

If you are planning on flying with an infant or toddler and plan on bringing along a carseat you must get your hands on a Tote a Tot. I know you are wondering what’s a Tote a Tot and why do I need one so badly?? Here’s the scoop on the Tote a Tot- It allows you to transport your child, a piece of rolling luggage, a carseat and a diper bag all in one hand. It’s basically a snap on attachment that allows you to connect your carseat to your rolling luggage. It’s fantastic – we bought one and I highly recommend it if you plan to travel with your little ones. The attachment is easy to install- It took me less than two minutes. The best part is that it comes with a built in diaper bag and it’s easy to store. For more info go to www.toteatot.com.