If your family is like mine, you’re regularly traveling with several handheld electronic devices. For us, typically, that’s 3 smart phones, 1 cell phone, 1 iPod Touch, 1 Kindle, at least 2 cameras, 1 GoPro and sometimes 1 Nintendo DS. (Don’t judge.) Inevitably something needs charging along the way, when we’re in a plane or car — usually it’s a phone or an iPod Touch. While we, of course, always travel with our car charges and wall chargers, I love the idea behind a portable unit that can be used in instances when a) we can’t find a coveted wall outlet at an airport or b) we’re on a long plane ride.

Enter the Enercell High-Capacity Universal Portable Power Bank. This handy item, combined with the Duracell Instant Charger we already own, keeps us charged when we’re on the go. It’s a handy little product that is great for those instances when you need emergency power. (And I’d call an iPod Touch going dark on a six-hour transpacific flight an emergency; I’m looking forward to bringing our Enercell with us on our long plane trip to the Big Island this spring!)

The Enercell — smaller than a deck of cards — gets its power when you swing the USB plug out to connect with a USB port (say, in your laptop; we also have a USB port that plugs into a wall outlet). You’ll know its done charging when you press a little button and all four LEDs turn green.

When you need to charge your handheld device, simply connect to it from the Enercell Portable Power Bank using the included USB cable (and micro USB adapter if necessary). If it’s an Apple product you need to charge, a USB cable is included for that, as well (or use the one that came with your iPhone or iPod Touch. Voila! Your device is charging and/or ready to use.

Marketing materials say the Enercell Portable Power Bank can provide up to 8 hours of “extra talk time.” I haven’t quite put my devices to the test, but I do know that when I plugged in my Droid phone (when its power had been depleted to 10 percent), the Enercell Portable Power Bank charged it full of power in just over one hour (and the Enercell was depleted of juice, so I had to charge that up again).

I have a small, zippered cosmetic case in which I store the Enercell and the two cables (and mini USB adapter) for travel. Otherwise, those cables would go missing in a heartbeat! For future versions made by Enercell, I’d recommend selling a small pouch to store the product and cables — then again, an additional piece would jack up the price a bit. I suppose I don’t mind supplying my own travel case.

The Enercell Portable Power Bank retails for $49.99 and is sold at Radio Shack.

I received a complimentary product for purposes of review.

Jen, Beth and I are delighted to announce that The Vacation Gals earned three different prizes in the 2011 North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Annual Awards. Most significantly we placed in the Best Travel Blog category, earning a Bronze designation, following our friends Tim Leffel, who won Gold for his Cheapest Destinations Blog, and Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere, who earned  Silver.

I also won a Gold award in the Budget Travel category for my service article, Affordable Aulani: How to Vacation at Disney’s Hawaii Resort on a Budget, and Jennifer Miner picked up a Silver in the Eco Travel category for her thoughtful Saving Endangered Sea Turtles in Costa Rica.

We congratulate all of the travel writers, editors, photographers, podcasters and visitors bureaus in the full list of NATJA 2011 Award Winners!

Beaver Creek has long been a favorite Colorado ski resort for families. New programming dubbed Beaver Creek Loves Kids emphasizes the resort’s family-friendly nature even more with special events that take place during peak winter holiday weeks. Fun activities include Disco Skate Nights, Family Friday Afternoon Club and Rail Jams. Teenagers aren’t left out of the fun with Beaver Creek Loves Teens events, such as a Pizza & Snowshoe Party and Teen Trick Class at an Anti-Gravity Center. (Can adults sign up?! The trampoline center sounds cool.)

Even if you aren’t at the resort during peak family-vacation times (Christmas holidays, President’s Day Weekend and spring break weeks), Beaver Creek always rolls out the red carpet for kids with ongoing events and activities, as we found during our late January stay. Events are detailed on “This Week @ Beaver Creek” flyers found at lift-ticket desks and other places around the resort. Check out the schedule for kid-friendly activities like on-mountain story time, a glowstick ski-down that ends with fireworks (!) or complimentary family snowshoe tours. This coming weekend is focused on adult fun, with the Beaver Creek Food and Wine festival taking place January 26-28. But I’m certain more kid programming will return for the rest of ski season and again in the summer months!

I saw firsthand last weekend how Beaver Creek appeals to families. Here’s a peek:

Family FunFest: Under white tents in Beaver Creek Village, my tweens played carnival games to earn tokens that they could turn in for prizes. This took place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 on Saturday afternoon, and it was an entertaining way for visiting kids to pass some time after the chairlifts closed for the day and the dinner hour arrived.

Chocolate-chip cookies every day at 3 p.m. Toward the end of the ski day, chefs in white hats share platters of freshly baked cookies with guests at the base of the mountain. Like flies to honey, everyone flocks to the sweet treats! Somehow my kids each nabbed two cookies; daughter snagged one that had fallen into (clean) snow!

Haymaker Tubing Hill: This tubing adventure — with a covered conveyor belt lift so you don’t have to schlep your tube up the hill — is ideal for younger kids, say, ages 4 to 7. My 9- and 11-year-olds found it a bit tame, compared to the much steeper tubing runs at Vail and Keystone. The Beaver Creek tubing hill is for kids who are 36 inches or taller; there are even small tubes for preschoolers (unlike the other Vail Resorts hills that only have big tubes and are for anyone 42 inches or taller). When we were at the hill last weekend it was snowing, so that slowed our rides down; it’s faster in the late afternoon when the sun’s out and the chutes get a bit slick with melting snow.

My kids actually had more fun playing in neighboring Marmots Maze — a series of plastic slides and big tubes through which children (and adults) can crawl. The game became, “Let’s run down the hill, on the slides and through the tubes and try to beat Dad to the bottom.” Indeed, it was all fun and games until my daughter slipped and smacked her leg at the top of a slide. (No harm, no foul; just a bruised shin.) Marmots Maze is open to families who have paid for tubing ($29 per person for an hour); Children’s Ski School participants also go and play in the maze when they need a short break from the slopes.

Ice skating. Our plan for Saturday called for some late-afternoon skating at the huge ice rink right on the Beaver Creek Village plaza, but the bruised leg coupled with the dumping snow, we decided to pass. It’s open daily through the ski season from noon to 9 p.m., with skate rentals available (only $5 entry if you bring your own skates). Here’s a shot of the ice rink I snapped before it opened, and before the flakes started to fall.

Ski School: My kids didn’t ski last weekend, but we saw plenty of munchkins enrolled in the Children’s Ski & Snowboard School. The Ranch at the top of the Buckaroo Express is the new 4,000-square-foot on-mountain center (where the kids in group lessons eat lunch) surrounded by awesome beginners’ terrain. At the very base of the ski mountain, the littlest ski school participants can sample the slopes via a magic-carpet ride before even hopping on a lift. Group lessons are available for kids ages 3 to 14, and during holiday periods, teenagers can meet others their age at teen group lessons (otherwise, ages 15+ are grouped with adults).

With all of the family-friendly activities and programming at Beaver Creek it’s hard not to have fun at this upscale alpine resort! My family certainly had a ball on our Beaver Creek weekend getaway, and I’d recommend it to others in the winter months, for sure.

Thanks to Vail Resorts for providing tubing tickets!

Humongous fireplace and hearth in Antler Hall, where Park Hyatt guests gather for apres-ski drinks, snacks and entertainment.

I’ve long been a fan of the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for it’s incredible Allegria Spa, spacious rooms with dark wood and sophisticated accents, and its enviable location at the base of the Colorado’s Beaver Creek mountain — easy access to skiing in the wintertime and hiking in the summer. I think I’ve overnighted at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek four times now (yes, I love the resort hotel that much), but last weekend was the first time I brought along the kids. They, too, give it double thumbs’ up. Here’s why the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is so family friendly:

1. Welcoming atmosphere for families in the huge lobby and lounge area. As soon as I walked into the Park Hyatt to check in, I noticed just how many kids were clomping around in ski boots, sprawled on overstuffed couches and snacking on apres-ski treats in Antler Hall. It was about 4:30 p.m., and an acoustic guitar player was entertaining the crowd, engaging with guests: “First person to come up here with red hair wins a prize!” The roaring fireplace, giant antler chandelier, huge floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the mountains outside and friendly bartenders just set a welcoming scene — not only for adults, but kids, too.

2. Five hot tubs and heated outdoor pool. My family and I weren’t skiing last weekend, so we spent late morning Saturday just hanging out in the outdoor hot tubs and heated pool. We nearly had the place to ourselves at 11 a.m., since everyone else was on the slopes! The kids had a ball, creating some game that involved snow on the bellies. Then there was a “throw the snowballs at Mom and Dad in the hot tub” activity. I swam laps in the large rectangular pool (with a rope set up to designate a lap lane). What a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours with the family!

One of the five Park Hyatt hot tubs has a waterfall.

Snow on the tummy is hilarious!

3. Camp Hyatt. We didn’t take advantage of this babysitting service, but I can appreciate that the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek has a big, colorful on-site room for child care. It’s staffed with counselors (5 kids to 1 counselor ratio), with arts and crafts, board games, toys, video games and other activities. Outdoor fun might include making snow angels and scavenger hunts around the property. Yes, it costs: $60 for a half-day session; $90 all day. But if you do want to spend some time on your own, sans kids, and they’re not into ski school (more expensive than Camp Hyatt), this might be a place where they can meet other children and be cared for in a safe, secure environment.

4. 8100 Mountainside Grill. This is a hotel restaurant that both kids and parents will love. The seasonal dinner menu is exquisite — just try to pick only one side dish from the array of goodness: Organic Bleu Cheese Grits, Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Grilled Leek Mascarpone Risotto to name a few. Entrees from awesome wood fire grill include Espress0 Chili Crusted Filet of Beef, Berkshire Pork Chop and Organic Shetland Salmon — hearty food with a slight Southern twist from Chef Christian Apetz, who’s been at the helm of the kitchen for the last seven months. Kids can choose from standard hamburger, hot dog and pasta, or perhaps a nice flat iron steak or skinless chicken breast. Breakfast brings a generous a la carte menu, as well as a hot buffet and continental cold breakfast. I enjoyed my custom omelet; my daughter was a fan of the oatmeal with brown sugar and pancakes with chocolate chips (surprise, surprise).

Check out the wood-fired grill in the exhibition kitchen. Bacon wrapped asparagus, lobster tail and steak - yum!

Savory charcuterie tray available at the lively bar (or just ask for it at your dinner table). Delish!

Pork chop topped with a vanilla cider poached plum. Yes, it was incredible.

5. S’mores at 4! Every day at 4 p.m. during ski season, the Park Hyatt lays out a spread of graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate and homemade marshmallows for guests to roast around a fire pit, then make their own s’mores. While we were there, the kitchen made orange, mint, vanilla-bean and coffee-flavored marshmallows — and yes, I believe my children sampled each one! (Store-bought “regular” marshmallows are on hand, too.) The fire pit was packed at 4 p.m. when staff brought out the extra-long skewers for roasting — good thing, though, since the fire pit was roaring hot!

Make your own s'mores by a roaring fire at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek.

Indeed, those are orange-flavored marshmallows in a big ol' bowl. (No dearth of supplies for s'mores making here.)

Who needs a graham cracker when you can eat a burnt marshmallow right off a stick?

Other nice family-friendly services and amenities include pint-sized bathrobes for kids (just call down to guest services for as many as you need) and an on-site video-game room (it’s a bit tucked away; my kids never found it and I never pointed it out). I appreciated the delivered morning newspaper, in-room Keurig coffee and complimentary overnight shoe shine — my black leather cowboy boots look like new! Note that there is a $20 per room, per night resort fee charged to cover some of these amenities and services, as well as in-room wireless internet, bottled water and use of the fitness center and ski valet. We found the service to be quite good while we were there; even during a busy winter weekend, the valet staff, bellmen and front-desk receptionists were efficient and friendly.

Again, you can’t beat the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek’s location — literally steps away from the Buckaroo Express (which whisks skiers to The Ranch’s friendly beginner terrain), the tiny slope at the base for ski school’s littlest rippers, the ski school registration building, plus all of the shops and restaurants (and awesome ice rink!) in Beaver Creek Village. It’s truly in the heart of all the action at Beaver Creek.

Thanks to the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for hosting me and my family.

Ah, the joys of finding a versatile, multi-season piece of clothing for wear at home, on the plane and throughout my travels! This wrap dress from GGO Clothing is made of 88% organic bamboo and 12% Lycra — it’s a wonderfully soft fabric that remains wrinkle-free when rolled up for a suitcase, is naturally antibacterial and wicks away moisture better than cotton. This dress is quality made — the fabric feels like a blend between cashmere and silk, and not flimsy at all. In fact, I was surprised at how heavy the dress felt in my hands before I put it on. However, once I slipped on the knee-length dress, I never felt weighted down — but surprisingly sexy!

Of course my feeling a little “ooh la la!” could be due to the fact that the V neckline is quite plunging (more so on me than the way it appears on the model pictured above). I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable wearing it without a camisole or strappy tank underneath it. (Perhaps at a Mexican all-inclusive resort after a couple of margaritas…)

Indeed, here in Colorado in the dead of winter, it made perfect sense to pair my navy dress with a black tank top, black leggings and boots for a friend’s cocktail party the other night. It will look equally good, I think, dressed up a bit more with grey tights and flats when I pack it to wear to dinner in Beaver Creek this weekend. In the warm-weather months: bare legs and strappy sandals, all the way.

The cut, style and fabric of the dress does make it form fitting, but it’s a figure-flattering silhouette. I’m not nearly as thin as the model wearing the dress in the photo at left, so the sash didn’t cinch my waist as much as it does on her (i.e. I didn’t have as much sash hanging down after I knotted it in the front). Still, I think it’s a dress that will be worn regularly in my upcoming travel year — with a sweater and leggings if I get chilly on the plane, and worn alone if I step off a plane into a tropical clime. This dress comes in seven colors and retails for $135.

GGO Clothing has a huge collection of casual ready-to-wear items for women, all manufactured with similar, eco-friendly fabrics. Catching my eye are the Drift Cardigan ($90), Eco-Thermal Hoodie ($70) and the hot Topanga Drawstring Lounger ($75). GGO Clothing also makes yoga practice apparel and men’s clothing.

Thanks to GGO Clothing for providing my wrap dress!

I wasn’t exactly sure what my family and I were getting into when we secured tickets to experience THE RIDE. I tried explaining what little I knew to my mom, who’d planned to accompany me on the tour: “We get on a bus, with stadium-style seating, so we’re sitting sideways and looking out at Manhattan through huge windows. There will be people who will entertain us on the streets. — sort of like an improv show.”

Indeed, THE RIDE is a little hard to understand and explain before you set foot on the huge, $1.3 million, retro-fitted motorcoach. Even after I experienced it with my mom, kids and husband during our Thanksgiving vacation last year, I’m hesitant to share all the details about our 75-minute midtown tour, since the element of surprise — “What’s coming up next?” “What wacky person will we meet now?” — is so fun!

THE RIDE begins at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

Upon entering the bus, we made our way to the top of three rows of theatre-style seats. Not only could we see the cityscape in front of us, but also the early evening sky via windows above. We were greeted by two upbeat hosts, who started cracking jokes and interacting with the riders immediately.

That's one of our hosts in the corner, dressed in holiday finery.

As we passed various landmarks, such as Grand Central Terminal, we learned city history and trivia.

We certainly attracted a lot of attention as we made our way from Times Square toward Rockefeller Center and up toward Columbus Circle. The bus is the tallest mode of transportation allowed in New York City, and the exterior is brightly colored and illuminated. Of course, the moving theatre is hard to ignore when THE RIDE hosts turn on the speaker so that people outside on the streets can hear them. Couple that with a a few dozen strangers waving  from the bus, and innocent bystanders must be thinking, “What the heck is this?”

Along the way, hosts introduced us to key landmarks in midtown Manhattan — sharing historic facts in an entertaining way, namely by talking to the bus (aka the personified “THE RIDE,” which spoke in a booming voice) and detailing trivia via interior screens.

THE RIDE shares info about places seen on the tour and tells jokes in a booming voice.

The highlight of the entertainment, though, was definitely when we encountered professional performers planted on the streets. Again, I don’t want to spoil all the fun by sharing too many details, but chances are when you go on THE RIDE, you’ll meet singers and dancers who let it rip on city sidewalks. The most entertaining part? Watching nonplussed New Yorkers stride right by the break dancers and tap dancers, as if nothing out of the ordinary is going on!

We met this New York City newcomer, who was looking for a Broadway theatre, late for an audition!

I’d say the only drawback of THE RIDE is that at times it felt like we were going in circles, passing some of the same buildings and Times Square billboards. It would be cool if THE RIDE could have taken us a bit further afield. I recognize, though, what an endeavor it is to put together such an intricate itinerary, with performers on the streets waiting for the big ol’ motorcoach to appear to do their thing. The logistics of what might happen if a traffic accident occurred in the midst of a tour could also get messy if we were many blocks away from our startend point of Times Square. Plus, if the tour ventured into other neighborhoods, it would be longer, and the cost would escalate.

Indeed, THE RIDE is a pricey experience for NYC visitors — $69 per person for the 75-minute event (no discounts for children; with no toilets on board, the tour is recommended for children ages 9 and up). That said, what isn’t pricey in New York City? If you’ve already been-there-done-that on typical Manhattan sightseeing attractions — like the double-decker bus tours — I would indeed recommend THE RIDE.

THE RIDE operates mainly on the weekends for the next couple months, with more weekday times added in March and April. Check out the schedule to see if there’s a tour that might fit in with your next visit to the Big Apple.

Thanks to THE RIDE for providing tickets for me and my family to experience this unusual attraction in New York City!

Three years ago, we spoke with Kayt Sukel, a freelance writer and Travel Savvy Mom, about her favorite family travel destinations–and her favorite travel memories with her son, Chet.  Since then, she’s made a few changes.  She has moved back to the states after six years in Europe, got divorced and has just published a book about love and the brain called Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex and Relationships. But, naturally, she’s still traveling.  Today, she talks about how her time in Europe changed her view of the states, the call of the Mouse, and why you never have to choose between love and travel.

1.  Last time we talked, you mentioned Chet had been to 20 countries.  What’s his count now?

With trips to the Galapagos and Mexico this past summer, he’s now at 38. I think it’s a good number–and since we’ll be traveling more in the states in the next few years, it’s respectable enough to stick with for a while.

2.  You recently returned to the states after several years in Europe.  How is that changing your travel style?

I miss Europe–and it would be easy to moan about all the things that Europe has that the U.S. may lack. Not to mention, how easy it is to travel there. But the truth is, being in Europe for so long got me really excited about exploring more of the U.S. It’s such a huge country with so many regional attractions and cultures.  It’s probably time I got out there and experienced more of it firsthand.

3.  Has Chet’s favorite destination changed?

Kayt's son Chet at Disney's Castaway Cay.

Yes.  While he still appreciates running around and seeing new things, he’s become a full-fledged Disney fanatic. He adored our trip to Disneyland Paris before we left Europe and became thoroughly hooked on the Mouse after our cruise on the Disney Dream. He now wants every trip to include some kind of Disney component.

4.  I know you write things beyond travel but was surprised to see that you were writing a book about love, sex and the brain.  How did that happen?

I know it sounds odd but it was a really transition for me. One of my other beats is neuroscience. I actually studied it and thought I was going to go into a career in academia. That didn’t happen, of course, but my fascination with the brain remained. And I’ve been writing about it ever since. So when my marriage started to fall apart, instead of heading to the self-help aisle for answers, I went to the brain journals.  And as I learned more, I realized there was a lot of great information that people might not know. So Dirty Minds really is my exploration of all the ways our neurons can wreak havoc with our hearts–and what we can learn from just paying better attention to our own biology.

5.  So what’s better? Love or travel?

No one should ever have to make that choice! It would just be mean. So I’ll just say that my work on Dirty Minds showed me just how much love and exploration are tied together, and you can see it in areas of the brain involved in reward and risk processing. I think there is a deep biological reason that so many of us are compelled to explore and seek out new experiences. And like love, they are often too strong to be denied.

6.  What’s next on your travel agenda?

Now that Chet is older, we’re a bit limited by his school schedule. But we’re actively spending our weekends exploring our own background and the greater Houston area. And I’m already actively thinking about every and all of his school breaks–Montana and Wyoming are calling!