California Airports for

By Dennis McCafferty

California, here we come?

For many families with infants and young children, that’s certainly the case. The climate is terrific for retirees, so a trip to see grandmom and grandpop is inevitable. There are the Disney and Universal Studios attractions. And, of course, there are lovely beaches all along the state’s wide-sprawling coastline.

Even wine country has something to offer: In Northern California, the ever-popular Napa Valley Wine Train (www.winetrain.com) offers day and evening excursions. And Monterey, Calif., (http://www.monterey.com/mc2/mc2.html) the fourth largest wine grape growing region in the world, recentlyd “Splash Zone” at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Designed for families with children, from infants up to 9 years old, the attraction features nearly 60 species, including South African blackfooted penguins, leafy sea dragons, colorful corals, moray eels and tropical sharks. There are also more than 30 hands-on exhibits, staff-led educational programs and specially designed play areas to help children appreciate ocean life.

Many families with young children and infants will find themselves equally entertained at airports: They offer innovative attractions to keep children occupied during those unexpected but ever-more frequent flight delays.

In this second of a series of monthly installments, will update parents with a regional look at what California airports can offer to make it easier on parents with infants and toddlers. (For airport maps, click on the Web links as most airport home pages provide them.):

San Jose International Airport (www.sjc.org)

Attractions: Smack in the heart of Silicon Valley, this airport doesn’t lack for lively attractions for children. “KidPort” is the product of a 50-employee “Imagination Team.” In the Terminal C main lobby, the redwood-framed KidPort’s two video monitors display actual planes taking off and landing on the Airport's real runways. Headsets allow children to listen in on the air traffic controllers' conversations with airline pilots via the airport's tower. There’s also a slide with lighted, runway markings. “It’s a great multi-level mock-up of a make-believe airport control tower,” says Rich Dressler, of the San Jose airport. “The facility provides an opportunity for children to expend some of their energy in a positive, creative way.”

Also, a map of the United States there lights up with each states' capital city in sequence. In addition, the airport features the “Tech Museum of Innovation Display” across from Gate A5, to highlight the region’s noted Digital Age creations.

Eating/shopping: Burger King and other fast food, mainly. No Disney Store or an equivalent, but various shops sell toys and children’s books.

San Diego International Airport at Lindbergh Field (www.san.org)

Attractions: Talk about eye-catching displays. What toddler isn’t fascinated with dinosaurs? From now into fall, the San Diego Natural History Museum is loaning to the airport a Brachiosaurus head used in the movie, “Jurassic Park”; a tail vertebrae of a "Duck Bill" dinosaur; and a claw of Tyrannosaurus Rex that is up to 100 million years old. If parents feel that their young children would instead be frightened by the display, then fair warning: It’s located just beyond baggage claim in terminal 2.

Also in terminal 2, there’s a replica of Lindbergh’s famed "Spirit of St. Louis." The runway observation area in terminal 2 also features artwork such as “Cloud Experience,” which is a dome-shaped circle that contains clouds mysteriously floating through space.

Eating/shopping: Various eateries, including two McDonald’s. There’s also a Global News store in terminal 1 that sells items from the world-famous San Diego Zoo.

Sacramento International Airport (http://airports.co.sacramento.ca.us/smf)

Attractions:

Play stations on both concourses feature make-believe airplanes, buses and clouds. But, more intriguingly, there are also imaginative, interactive art pieces in the airport that delight young children.

"Chromatic Oasis” features sounds recorded in the Sacramento region, such as horses’ hooves clopping on Old Sacramento’s cobblestone streets; and birds from the Sacramento and American Rivers. The swirl of colors, skylight and music send the senses dancing. There’s also the off-beat "Samson,” — two vertical pillars of suitcases that reach all the way to the ceiling. Children wonder how such precariously stacked luggage remains standing, and adults laugh upon first-sight. "Sacramento Edge, Sacramento River," expresses the beauty of the Sacramento River in a 570-foot horizontal stained glass piece. "Traveling Light,"consists of a series of lighted silk sculptures, suspended in various positions. Eating/shopping: Food areas include Manchu Wok, La Salsa, Burger King, California Pizza Kitchen, Juice Works, Cinnabon, Pretzel Works and TCBY Treats. Nelson's Books and Magazines sells both educational and entertaining reading material. Other stores include Details, PGA Tour, Sky Shades and Travelite.

Oakland International Airport (www.oaklandairport.com)

Attractions: Tower Lounge is the best place to check out the runways, with great views of San Francisco Bay, downtown San Francisco and downtown Oakland. Snacks and sandwiches are available there too. The Oakland Museum of California puts on rotating exhibits at the airport, providing toys, baseball displays and other kid-pleasing items. The Western Aerospace Museum located at North Field (the site of the original airport) has a number of airplanes on display, including a 1946 Short Solent four-engine Flying Boat that was featured in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The museum isWednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the future, the airport plans to expand and add a play area and nursery.

Eating/shopping: East Bay Trading Company has a good assortment of children’s travel items such as crayons and workbooks, as well as toy airplanes. The shop also stocks popular items such as Star Wars characters, local sports team merchandise and items from TV shows. Currently the store is carrying Rollie Pollie Ollie merchandise. Restaurants include Round Table Pizza, 360° Gourmet Burritos and Frëshens Yogurt.

San Francisco International Airport (www.ci.sf.ca.us/sfo)

Attractions: There’s a child play area and tornado exhibit in boarding area; “Underwater Planet,” an aquarium that features fishes of the world near boarding area C; and “Antique Toys” which is a collection of old car, boat and fire engine models, in boarding area A.

Eating/shopping: Food shops include Pizza Hut, Noah’s Bagels and California Connections. Stores include the Discovery Channel; Aviation Inc., which sells flight-related models and videos; Shift n’ Gears, which specializes in transportation-themed toys; and Awesome Atoms, which carries stuffed animals, glow toys and puzzles.

Los Angeles International Airport (http://www.lawa.org/lax/welcome.htm)

Attractions: Surprisingly, the airport management concedes that there’s not much to offer. “LAX is an origin and destination airport,” says spokesman Thomas Winfrey. “So families are in and out as quickly as possible.” Well, perhaps L.A. officials should try waiting out an inevitable flight delay with an infant and a toddler sometime soon. As a frequent, family and business traveler, I’ve often been held up in L.A. and have watched anxious, young parents struggle to keep antsy toddlers occupied during the lull. You can’t help but feel their pain.

When an airport provides little or nothing, here’s some advice from experts: Bring a favorite soft toy from home that’s easy to pack in a diaper bag. Use a magazine to play impromptu “peekabo” while waiting to board. “You have to have comforters for your child along the way,” says Dr. Stevanne Auerbach, a child psychologist who reviews children's products and author of last year’s Dr. Toy's Smart Play (St. Martin’s; $13.95). “They're going into a strange situation with new sounds and not every baby is comfortable with that. So they may get anxious."

Eating/shopping: Apparently, any space not devoted to airport business goes toward revenue-generating retail, as LAX packs plenty of food offerings, including numerous Burger Kings, California Pizza Kitchen, Cinnabon and other familiar names. There’s also Galleria Leather, Crews-Gift and News, Sunglass Huts and the “What a Character” Disney store, among many others, sprinkled throughout the surroundings.

Award-winning journalist Dennis McCafferty has been writing and editing at USA Weekend magazine since September 1997. In 2000, Dennis received a "Best of the Web" award from CNET for excellence in online, consumer travel reporting. Dennis lives in Old Town, Alexandria, Va., with his wife, Laura, and their young son, Ryan.

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