Video Games and Vacations

When I was in the San Diego airport a couple weeks back I noticed several kids and adults roaming the concourse with guitars on their backs. But they weren’t just any guitars — they were the controllers to the video game Guitar Hero. I know. I am a mom addicted to Guitar Hero. In fact, there happens to be a lot of other moms (and dads) who have fun playing it. So what does this have to do with traveling? Well, if you or your your kids can’t stand the thought of not having access to their beloved video games while away for vacation you can:

A. Bring your own console (and guitar controllers - if that’s your poison).

B. Stay in a hotel that has consoles in the room such as The Block in Tahoe (PS2).

C. Neither A or B, but you may be missing out on some serious family bonding you never thought possible.

I have stayed in dozens of hotels offing video game consoles and game libraries; some charge while others include the consoles. The only way to know for sure what type of console (if any) the hotel offers is ask the individual hotel.

If you are bringing your own Wii on vacation and need some guidance on hooking it up to a hotel room TV check out this blog from RandomFool.net. If you’re going on the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship, you can leave your Wii at home because they provide them.

Family vacations are all about family bonding and after a day of snowboarding or hanging by the pool instead of turning on the TV, test your talent on Guitar Hero and start jamming to Sweet Child O’ Mine (GH II) or maybe Ballroom Blitz (Rock the 80’s) and you might just find out you earn the title of “the cool mom who plays Guitar Hero” — and trust me, it’s a pretty cool title to own.