London's two best pubs

By Sean O'Neill
October 3, 2012

Roger Protz has a great job. He's the editor of The Good Beer Guide, an annual guide to Britain's best beer (which also comes as software that can be installed on major GPS devices).

Protz belongs to the Campaign for Real Ale, a 90,000-member British group that "promotes good-quality real ale and pubs." The organization has its work cut out for it. Every week, 36 pubs close in Britain. The smoking ban and higher taxes on beer have caused fewer and fewer people to visit pubs—and more and more pubs to close.

On a happier note: Protz makes a living sampling the country's pubs. (Nice work if you can get it!) He has visited thousands of pubs across Britain. His latest picks are out in London's Independent, and here's what he liked in London.

London: the Buckingham Arms, Petty France, SW1

"This superb Young's pub built in the 1840s and hidden in the back-streets of Victoria is one of only 10 pubs to appear in all 36 editions of Camra's Good Beer Guide. It has also survived a recent upgrade and has retained its individuality and excellent beer." (See a photo of the exterior.) 44 (0)20 7222 3386

London: the Star Tavern, Belgrave Mews West, SW1

It's one large room with a horseshoe-shaped bar. According to the Ultimate Pub Guide, "its walls are covered with historical cartoons, framed beer mats, a framed advertisement for Fuller’s beer and a large mirror. Hanging beneath the pressed paper ceiling are several chandeliers...It has two fireplaces, both of which feature a bucket of coal and an open fire on a cold winter’s day." 44 (0)20 7235 3019

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Inspiration

GoCar: Sightseeing tours with you in the driver's seat while the car talks

There are a few things I'm a little obsessed with. Some that fall in the travel category are sightseeing tours, GPS devices (oooo, gadgets!), and those cute Smart Cars. So imagine my delight when I found GoCar, which sort of combines all three. The company hawks GPS-guided tours in San Francisco, Miami, San Diego, Barcelona, and just recently, Lisbon. The bright yellow, three-wheeled cars are available for rent. Start driving, and the GPS device kicks in automatically. The fun comes when the device starts "talking" to you—not only giving directions but also providing a running commentary on the sights that you're passing. Think of it as an overly chatty but very informed local giving you directions and a tour—only you're in the drivers seat. The brand-new Lisbon operation has 10 cars in its fleet, with four available tours. On the East City Center tour, you'll quickly circuit the city, passing such important sites as St. George's Castle. There's also an optional detour into Lisbon's more secluded neighborhoods. And with those painfully cute, two-passenger, open-air cars, there's no telling what conversations you can start with the locals. You can reserve a GoCar in the U.S. in advance on the website or by calling 800/914-6227. For Lisbon, email reservation-pt@gocartours.com or call 011-351/210-965-030. Rates are 25 euros ($35) for the first hour, 20 euros ($28) for the second, and 18 euros ($25) per hour after that. Or, rent a car for the whole day for 89 euros ($126). Rentals are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Allowances for kids: Readers share their tips

Should parents give their kids cash on vacation? We asked that question in a blog post recently. Here were some of the most interesting suggestions: The idea that worked best for us was a garage sale. The kids cleaned their rooms and playroom and put toys, books and clothes that were not longer used in a pile for a garage sale. They helped the day of the sale. At the end of the day, the proceeds were split between the three children with the instruction that it had to last the whole trip. It worked very well-the kids were motivated to clean because they would make more money and it took stress off me during the vacation.—Jan Z We have a marble system, the children earn marbles for helping around the house and doing good things, practicing instruments, reading chapter books, and for A's on tests and report cards. They lose them for bad behavior, bad grades, messy rooms, etc. When we get ready to go on vacation each marble equals $1.00. That is their money to spend on vacation and when it's gone it's gone! It worked wonderfully and our 7 year old even came home with some money!—Vickie When my parents took my sisters and me on long car trips, we were given $1 each day (not bad money in the '60s). However, if any child asked "how long 'til we get there?" or "when do we get there?" or any variant of that awful question, she would be fined 10 cents. The idea was to encourage the kids to learn navigation and how to figure distance and time. I could ask for the map, I could ask how fast we were going, I could see from the road signs how far we were from the destination, I could check my watch for the time -- but asking "when do we get there?" would cost me money I wanted to spend at the next Stuckey's.—Marmorgan We plan our family vacations a year in advance. What we found works great is once we plan where we are going to take a trip i.e Hawaii, I will go to a craft store and buy a large clear plastic container with a lid for each child. I then go to the sticker isle of the store and buy tons of stickers that go with the type of location we are visiting. So, with Hawaii, I would be buying stickers of Hawaii, fish, luaus, flowers and then we have a party of decorating each of our jars...and yes...I get one too. Each week, I give the kids a set amount of money to place into their jar and by the time the trip arrives, everyone has quite a nice little stash of spending money. As the kids have gotten older, the more fun it has become.—Barbara Patrouch On our last year's summer vacation my four kids were given a set amount of money to spend per person. The way I worked it was I am not a 'change' spender but tend to accumulate bowls here and bowls there. In early June I have the kids round up all the change and then we go about rolling the coins. This takes days as we do it by hand. It is a great math exercise and actually rather relaxing and rewarding when the $$ are adding up. I told the kids that whatever the total was that they could split it as their spending money but each has to help roll it and count it. Well, when they saw that we had like $200.00 they were very impressed. We took it to the bank and the bank teller gave them each their share in little envelopes. They were so happy with this system that this June they said they needed to start rolling change again as we recently spent 2+ weeks in southern CA.—Carol J When we go on vacations, we always give our 6 kids a little bit of spending money... We give a certain amount to each child depending on age and put the money in an envelope.... We find with the envelope that they can see exactly how much money they have left. There have been times when they have decided against buying an item because it would take all their money. Doing it this way also helps them with their math skills. They are told upfront that the money in the envelope is all they have and once it is gone, it's gone. I have been surprised at how well this works. Even with our younger children.—Tammy H When my children were 10 and 12, we went to NY. I made them "earn" their spending money.....meaning, if they were good, didn't fight with each other and did pretty much what I asked....they would receive money as "payment". It worked really well.—April We've traveled quite a bit with our kids, ages 13, 10, and 5. I find that it's good to give them each a small amount in each city we visit. $5-10 gets them something small and usually tacky, but makes them very happy (and keeps them engaged as we shop). However, on each trip, I also help them pick out a t-shirt or sweatshirt--wearable trinkets that do double-duty at home...clothe them and remind them of our fabulous travel memories!—Lisa Bergen The real test is a parent's ability to refuse when the amount needed to complete a purchase is small and you can easily supply it. Giving in and handing over the dollars defeats the entire purpose of a travel allowance. The goal is to teach budgeting and smart purchasing decisions. With younger children, strongly suggesting that they wait, that they may see something they want more, will help them develop a keener eye. If a travel allowance accomplishes these things, it's a good idea.—Susan Newman, Ph.D. When I was a kid my parents kept a giant change jar where they put loose change at the end of the day. Before we left for a trip we went to the bank to have the money counted. My brother and I always got to split whatever was in the jar as our spending money for the trip! I always looked forward to it!—Anne (Prê t à Voyager) MORE ON FAMILY TRAVEL The Family Travel Logue Budget Travel's Family Travel Resource Page

Inspiration

This Weekend: Santa Fe has transformed an old railyard into a fantastic park

Santa Fe, N.M., was a critical railroad junction during the late 1800s and early 1900s. But in recent decades, its 50-acre railyard fell into disuse. Officials wondered what to do with the railyard. In 1995, the city bought the 50-acre site with a plan to revitalize it. This weekend, the city is celebrating the grand opening of the Santa Fe Railyard Park and Plaza, 10 acres of which are a revitalized park, two more acres of which are a plaza and a trail system for bikes and jogging, and the rest of which is a set of local art galleries and residences. The former railyard is now the center of the city's new arts-and-culture corridor. It'll also be the permanent home of the Santa Fe Farmers Market. As for this weekend's festivities, there are loads of free things to see and do: park tours, a model train display, hands-on chalk drawing for kids, a tree-planting ceremony, movie screenings (including The Wizard of Oz), live music, a Corvette show, a time capsule burial, and free ice cream samples (see the full schedule here). You can also get a little nostalgic for the good ol' days and—at a depot a short walk away—take a short train ride on the Santa Fe Southern Railway. Guadalupe and Paseo de Peralta streets. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.