90
MAY 2013
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
Enfants Terribles
Taking our tots on a cultural
expedition ended up being the best
mistake we ever made
During the run-up to our recent Quebec City
trip, people kept saying we should go to Disney
World instead. We scoffed, convinced our 3-year-old
girls would
love
Quebec—different culture, different
language, different cuisine.
Oops.
Dad and I spent most of our vacation gazing longingly
at sidewalk cafés while trying to keep the girls from
tumbling down L’Escalier Casse-Cou (“The Breakneck
Steps”). While other vacationers shopped for art
in the Rue du Trésor, we were either at a local
playground or holed up in our rented condo
watching
Elf
.
But we developed a strategy: Before venturing into
a restaurant, we’d stop at a candy store and load up on
maple drops for the girls. This allowed us to make it
through our
crêpes au fromage
in relative peace. A er-
ward, we’d let the girls run the sugar off on the Dufferin
Terrace, which essentially meant that diners at the
Château Frontenac got a front-row seat as our children
reinforced American-tourist stereotypes.
There were some pleasant surprises, though. Dur-
ing one of our final candy-fueled restaurant visits, our
daughter Audrey turned to the approachingwaitress and
said “
bonjour
”
without prompting. As far as souvenirs
go, that beats mouse ears any day.
—
STEPHANIE TYBURSKI
KIDS WANT THE
DARNDEST THINGS
A HOTEL CONCIERGE RECALLS
HIS STRANGEST REQUEST
F
AMILY
TRAVEL
BY THE
NUMBERS
THE BAGEL BUG
Turns out, you
can
go back again
Early in our courtship, my better half and I
spent a few days in New York City. One morning I
convinced her to go to my favorite bagel joint, which
I’d failed to mention was a 45-minute trip from the hotel.
With each subway station, I could sense her hunger turning
to anger, the bypassed breakfast sandwiches mounting like
counts of treason. ¶ Even now, my beloved hasn’t fully forgiven
me. If a “Jeopardy!” answer was “Reasons that Tony doesn’t plan
trips anymore,” the question would be “What is dragging me 80
blocks in the rain for a bagel?” ¶ Years later, we went back to
New York with our son, and he wanted to try these amazing
bagels his mother was always talking about. She was happy
with the arrangement, as long as she didn’t have to come.
So Mom ordered room service while we boys went off
to find bagels. The kid still talks about them, about
how they’re the best bagels he’s ever had.
Because they are.
—
TONY WARE
A CLASSIC FAMILY
TRAVEL MOMENT
CLARK GRISWOLD:
There's Buckingham Palace,
kids. That's where the queen
lives and works.
AUDREY GRISWOLD:
Works? What does she
do, Dad?
CLARK GRISWOLD:
She queens ... and vacuums.
—
From
National Lampoon’s
European Vacation
(1985)
Each year at least
5
million
U.S. family
vacations include
representatives
from three
generations
Parents traveling
with children
make up
approximately
30%
of U.S. adult
leisure travelers
Grandparents
traveling with
grandchildren
represent
7%
of U.S. adult
leisure travelers
Family travelers
take an average of
4.5
trips each year
(
with grand-
parents often
footing the bill)
65%
of Americans who
have been on
family trips
describe the
experience as
relaxing
“
We had a dog
rental
request once. A family
wanted to rent one
to see how their child
would like it. I think we
got someone on staff to
bring in their dog.”
WARNER BROS./GETTY IMAGES (GRISWOLDS); JAVIER BROSCH/SHUTTERSTOCK (DOG)
