A recent feature, Twitter Lists, makes it a lot easier to find all kinds of interesting folks on Twitter, grouped by topic area.

The right sidebar of your Twitter profile now shows the Lists that you’ve made, and which lists include your Twitter name.

To help sort the ever-growing List pile, take a look at Listorious, a searchable database of Twitter Lists. Here’s a whole page of travel Lists on Listorious.

For a few more ideas specific to this blog’s topic….

***  The Family Travel Twitter List from Family on Bikes

***  The Family Travel Twitter List from DeliciousBaby

***  The Family Travel Twitter List from Glennia at the Silent I

***  The Family Travel Twitter List from SoulTravelers3

***  The Family Travel Twitter List from Fodors Travel

***  The Family Travel Twitter List from UpTake

I’m sure I’ve missed some since these change by the minute, and there is some duplication across these Lists, but if there’s ever any doubt that people who blog about travel with kids are also active on Twitter, you just send ‘em right here!

I’m happy to consider hosts for upcoming Carnival editions in December, January and February.

If you’d like to host the Carnival on your blog, please email me at Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com.

Off we go….

Cities in Europe

Dingle, Ireland Shannon ODonnell presents A Little Subtlety…Dingle’s Quite Charm posted at a little adrift: a rtw travelogue, saying, “Fungie the dolphin and local bars with Irish charm are two top reasons to visit Dingle, Ireland.”

Stockholm, Sweden Jack Norell presents Gamla Stan, Stockholm posted at Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips, saying, “One of my favorite places in the world, Gamla Stan retains some medieval and renaissance charm in the middle of the very modern Stockholm.”

Madrid, Spain Travelrat presents Walking Around Madrid posted at Travelrat’s Travels.

Paris, France Catherine Forth presents Taking the kids to Paris without going broke posted at Have Kids Will Travel.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Jaybot presents Give Me One Day and I’ll Give You Amsterdam, Part 1 posted at Jaybot7, saying, “This article is a humorous account of how many attractions and sites you can see in Amsterdam within 24 hours.”

Berlin, Germany Marcus Hochstadt presents Reflecting And Celebrating The Fall Of The Berlin Wall posted at The Germany Blog, saying, “The Berlin Wall left a major mark on German life. 20 years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Germans gathered at the Brandenberg Gate to reflect on the impact and celebrate the collapse of the Wall.”

Cities in Asia

Taipei, Taiwan Sander presents Taipei 101 posted at Searider Zander, saying, “I’m writing about my own experience with the tallest building in the world here.”

Cities in the Americas

Lyons, New York, USA Seth C. Burgess presents Pumpkin Roll in Lyons posted at Wayne County Life, saying, “The Pumpkin Roll is a brand new fun and exciting event in Lyons, NY - an Erie Canal Community that is all about festivals.”

Washington, District of Columbia, USA Jon presents Celebrate the Annual Beaujolais Nouveau in DC posted at The PlanetEye Traveler - Washington DC, saying, “Other than Paris, can you think of a better place than the French Embassy in Washington, DC to celebrate the annual Beaujolais Nouveau festival?”

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Pam Mandel presents A Visit to Iolani Palace in Honolulu posted at Nerd’s Eye View, saying, “A visit to ‘Iolani Palace turns out to be all about the details.”

Flores, Guatemala Marina K. Villatoro presents Flores - The Colorful Island City by Tikal - Family Travel posted at The Travel Expert(a), saying, “Traveling with the family to Flores and Tikal in Guatemala.”

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA June Tree presents How One Homeless Person Lives: Coping With Homelessness posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Here’s a story of a homeless couple in Las Vegas and how they’ve coped with their plight.”

San Francisco, California, USA TSW presents H1N1 Flu Vaccine Shortage: All Flu Vaccines In Short Supply! Grrr. posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “The H1N1 flu vaccine is hardly available in the SF Bay Area, CA. Is the vaccine available where you live?”

Hamilton, Ohio, USA hall monitor presents 8th-grader suspended for wild Bengals haircut posted at DetentionSlip.org, saying, “A young Bengals fan must change his haircut to stay in school.”

San Francisco, California, USA Kristie presents The Cable Car Ride In San Fransisco posted at Norway - An American In Oslo.

Alva, Oklahoma, USA Sheila Scarborough presents Keeping small towns special: murals in Alva, Oklahoma posted at Perceptive Travel Blog, saying, “Rather a stretch to call it a city, but bear with me!”

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA minnemom presents Family Day at Minneapolis Institute of Arts posted at Travels with Children.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Zhu presents Copacabana And Ipanema posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying, “Rio de Janeiro is most famous for its picture-perfect beaches, mostly Copacabana and Ipanema.”

Beverly Hills, California, USA Dane Arthur presents Beverly Hills, CA posted at Beverly Hills Real Estate Group, saying, “The post is real estate-related but has tons of great information about Beverly Hills.”

Jacksonville, Florida, USA Apryl Chapman Thomas presents Discovering (and Enjoying) Jacksonville, Florida posted at Planet Eye Traveler Road Trips.

New York, New York, USA Dorian Wales presents A Temple Restaurant and a Clearing House for Tickets – Two Observations of New York City posted at The Personal Financier, saying, “New York City is my favorite destination in the world. Any opportunity to visit again, whether on business or pleasure is a joy. With each visit a new light is shed on some other aspect of the city. I’d like to share two such spotlights with you.”

Boston, Massachusetts, USA Martin Andrews presents Travel Guide Book Explores Boston Travel posted at Cheap Flights.

Newport Beach, California, USA Joanne presents Newport Beach Gondola Ride posted at Newport Beach Vacation.

Chelsea, Michigan, USA Dominique King presents Chelsea, Michigan, maintains small-town charm while developing as a Midwestern arts center posted at Midwest Guest, saying, “It’s not difficult to see why actor Jeff Daniels chose to return to his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan, to raise his family and establish the Purple Rose Theater. The professional theater helped spur Chelsea’s growth as an arts center, while the 175-year-old town retains much of its small-town character.”

Carmel, California, USA Beth Blair presents Romantic California Hotel: Highlands Inn of Carmel posted at The Vacation Gals.

That concludes this edition, and thanks very much for visiting.

Submit your (one, non-spammy) blog post about any aspect of ONE, single city (or fair-sized town) to the next edition (December 2, 2009) of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Until we run out of states, I’ll be posting about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin, West Virginia,  Washington,  Virginia,  Vermont,  Utah, Texas,  Tennessee,  South Dakota,  South Carolina,  Rhode Island,  Pennsylvania,  Oregon, Oklahoma,  Ohio, North Dakota,  North Carolina, New York and now we’re moving on to….New Mexico!

Their state tourism organization is on Twitter at @NMTourism. I found a Facebook Fan Page for New Mexico but I’m not certain that it is controlled by the state’s tourism office (they should fill out the front page bio to confirm that.)  There’s a Flickr Group Pool for New Mexico, but no YouTube channel, although I did find Albuquerque tourism on YouTube.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for New Mexico

***  From Elmer Boutin via @rehor on Twitter:  I love Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, NM. Carlsbad Caverns is fun, too. Deming is a great little town, though not really a touristy place.

***  From Debbie Dubrow via @DeliciousBaby on Twitter: Explora Science Museum in Albuquerque has tons of hands-on fun. (More on ABQ and New Mexico on this page of her site and here is her Santa Fe info.)

***  From Donna L. Hull via @DonnaLHull on Twitter: You might consider El Morro National Monument for your New Mexico blog post.

***  From Betsy Drager via @BetsyDrager on Twitter: Christmas at Taos Pueblo is awesome; brings all peoples together.

*** From Rachel Farris via @MeanRachel on Twitter: White Sands, museum of the horse in Riudoso, hiking in the Lincoln National Forest, Casa de Patron B&B in Lincoln-Billy the Kid town!

*** From Kara S. Williams via @karasw on Twitter: Santa Fe Children’s Museum has loads of hands-on exhibits. Climbing into cliff dwellings at Bandelier Natl Monument - fun for kids.

Facebook Travel Tips for New Mexico

***  From Marilyn McCray on Facebook  –  New Mexico has so much for families. Start with the pueblos….

The 8 Northern Pueblos have a travel organization that helps plan visits and shares etiquette since these are living communities . The public dances are a look back in time. The Turtle Dance at San Juan and Taos are two of my favorites. A visit to Taos is amazing since people have lived there for over 1,000 years.

Santa Fe is also a great destination where all three cultures come together. The various museums in the Museum of New Mexico system are definitely worth visiting as is the plaza. The Santuario at Chimayo is another must see. It is one of the only churches that still has the original art work, not to mention the healing dirt. The small restaurant in the back parking lot is run by one of the most notables and has great tamales. I think her name is Leona. Rancho Chimayo is one of the best places for Northern New Mexican cuisine.

***  From Scott Ingram on Facebook  –  Go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival (Balloon Fiesta) in Albuquerque. Super family-friendly. On of the most memorable trips of my life and I think I was 10. Can’t wait to take my kids there.

***  From Martha Swenson Hall on Facebook  –  White Sands and a sand board for sand surfing.

***  From Jodell Durkee on Facebook  –  I enjoyed touring through Old Albuquerque.  We took our kids to Carlsbad; it was great too. There is a mystery by Nevada Barr called Blind Descent - she is a National Park Ranger and EMT. She tells a lot about Carslbad, if you like mysteries.

***  From John Holmes on Facebook  –  In NW New Mexico, Red River is an undiscovered but great little four-seasons town. Close to it is Eagle Nest, which has an excellent, huge fishing lake. Both are close to Angel Fire Resort, which has really grown in terms of activities in recent years. All of these are a very easy drive from the Santa Fe-Taos area.

Thanks so much for the contributions!

The Family Travel Guide New Mexico-related posts are here and the BootsnAll Travel Network has a New Mexico Travel Guide.

The next state in the series is New Jersey.

Send your New Jersey highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (please tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own New Mexico suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

That’s right, it’s the Thanksgiving holiday, so have some Tums (or your antacid of choice.)

If you insist on flying, remember that the airline experience these days is often similar to the worst bus trip you’ve ever taken. I’m sorry to be such a cynic, but it’s me against them when it comes to incredibly unpleasant US air travel.

Consider these survival tips:

***  Drive rather than fly if you can, and take some back roads while you’re at it.  Arm yourself with detailed maps before you go. GPS is nice, but map backups always boot up!

***  Shift the crazy travel days….work right up till Thanksgiving or even till noon Thanksgiving Day, but then take the following Monday and/or Tuesday off.

***  Heck, grab some last-minute fares and leave the country! I’d be all over Thanksgiving somewhere in South America or Europe.  Asia’s great but the flights take too long from where I live. If your family’s in Hawaii, however, go for it.

General flying tips:

—->  Do not check your luggage. You will pay extra fees to check on most airlines (one reason so many love Southwest Airlines, which still doesn’t charge to check.)  For the privilege of paying a fee, they may lose your stuff. No, thanks, they aren’t getting their paws on mine. I pack lightly (see video tips below.)

—->  Everyone in your family rates one carryon suitcase and one personal item. That means each kid can pull a wheeled carryon and carry a little backpack, if he/she is old enough and physically able.  Their clothes and shoes probably won’t fill their suitcase, so use that space for “spillover items” from Mom and Dad.

—->  The last time I flew, the airlines were suddenly very strict about not allowing women to carry a purse and a laptop bag.   If you bring a laptop, empty your purse, pack it in your carryon suitcase for use at your destination, and carry aboard one laptop bag that can handle everything.

—->  Always check in online and print your own boarding passes.  The late check-ins get bumped on those overbooked flights (this is you versus whatever the airlines will try to do to you, remember?) and with boarding passes in hand and no luggage to check, you can go straight to the security lines at the airport and start having all that fun pulling off your kid’s shoes and demonstrating your little quart-sized bags of 3 oz. liquids.

—->  Everyone in the family should carry empty water bottles through security and fill them up at the water fountain on the other side. Everyone should have energy/snack bars in hand.  NEVER assume there’s any food aboard the plane other than crap that you have to buy, even if the flight is long or during a mealtime.  Tote your own food.

—->  Hey, you can probably buy diapers and wipes wherever you’re going, right? Take only enough to get you through the flight and first day on the other end.

—->  Stop lugging so much junk that you and the kids don’t wear and don’t need. Mail things ahead and mail things back to your house. If you forgot something; well, they have Gap, Old Navy and Target everywhere. Remember - fewer shoes is usually the answer.

Here’s my video (originally posted on the Perceptive Travel Blog) about how I packed for two conferences in two cities over six full days….hopefully you find it helpful!

Here’s the URL of the how to pack video if you’re an RSS reader or can’t see the box below.

The town has three different places listed in one of my favorite references, Jane and Michael Stern’s Roadfood.

I couldn’t find Jobe’s and Sid’s was closed, but by golly I found Johnnie’s Grill so I stopped for their famous onion burger.

I adore onions. My kids aren’t really into them. Since this was a business trip, they weren’t with me to turn their noses up, so hah.  I got my onions.

The onions are mashed up into the burger meat while the meat cooks on the grill - you can get a burger without them if you ask.

Sides are extra, so let the waitress/waiter know if you want fries, for example.

Just to give myself a complete arterial-clogging experience, I ordered a Dr Pepper float to go with it all.

They don’t take credit or debit cards, but there’s an ATM across the street.

Get your kicks, and your onion breath….

I simply want to get back and forth and have a decent night’s sleep and shower while I’m there. My best experiences are usually OFF the aircraft and OUTSIDE of the hotel.

So, while living in Europe, my family and I did fly the notoriously cheap Ryanair a few times, because how else could I get from the Netherlands to Pisa, Italy and back for a family of four for about US$150?

The wise traveler must know what he/she is getting into with cheapo airlines, however, which is why I think this video spoof of discount airlines is so funny. They pack in almost every problem you’ll run into - surprise extra fees, ground tours that may suck, fees for luggage (especially checked luggage) and of course satellite airports that are MILES from their namesake.

In Europe, Frankfurt/Hahn Airport is quite far from Frankfurt, and as we found in Norway, Oslo/Torp Airport is not very close to the city of Oslo - especially when your kid has to use the bathroom and the bus toilet is frozen because it’s March. Bummer.

The Pisa airport, I will note, is right in the city of Pisa, and it’s an easy train ride to Florence from there, so that one worked very well.

So, grab those fares if you just want to get back and forth, but caveat emptor (buyer beware) when you do so - this video is uncomfortably close to the truth.

(Thanks to Shashank Nigam for sharing this in his SimpliFlying blog post: Five and a half secrets for airlines to drive revenue from social media.  He spoke at a conference and his blog post contained his presentation deck on SlideShare, then he shared it with us in the “Travel 2.0″ LinkedIn Group.)

For my RSS readers and anyone who can’t see the video box, here’s the link to the “Those Sneaky Low-Cost Airlines” video on YouTube.

I did have time to run down to Seattle’s Pike Place Market with good friend, fellow travel blogger and ukulele maestro Pam Mandel.  For all the parents out there who run their lives in an overly-caffienated manner, I offer you this photo of my pretty mid-afternoon latte from Le Panier down near the Market.

Parenting coffee moment  –  once when my daughter was maybe two, she asked for an iced mocha at Starbucks and we got her a small decaf version.

You should have SEEN the “Bad Mommy!” looks we got from passersby, and I was thinking, “Do we look so stupid that we’d give an already jacked-up, hyper toddler any more stimulation?!”

At the Yorktown Victory Center in Virginia, there are all sorts of kid-friendly demonstrations like this one on Colonial-era doctoring, and as a bonus, this coming weekend is a special two-day Yorktown Victory Weekend to commemorate the American Revolution’s Battle of Yorktown.

There will be encampments with reenactors, demonstrations and interpretive tours - you can take one of my favorite fall scenic drives, the Colonial Parkway, to get there.

Just keep that scalpel and those tooth-pullers away from me, okay?

The Family Travel Guide is the host blog for this Carnival, but it’s been wandering about since July being hosted (every other week) by the Perceptive Travel Blog, the Talking Trekaroo, Sheila’s Guide to the Good Stuff, Emm in London, Wandering Educators and the Happy Hotelier. Thanks so much to all of those generous hosts!

The next edition will be over on The Vacation Gals site on October 21 - if you’d like to bring the Carnival to your blog, please email me at sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com.

Cities in the Americas

Ketchikan, Alaska, USA Nancy Brown presents Best Things to See and Do in Ketchikan, Alaska posted at What a Trip, saying, “From crabbing on the Tongass Narrows to the best place to get your picture taken, travel writer Nancy D. Brown gives you her insider tips on Ketchikan, Alaska. What a Trip!”

Washington, DC, USA Elizabeth Hargrave presents Ten Great Places to Hike Around DC by Public Transportation (and counting) posted at The Natural Capital.

Half Moon Bay, California, USA One Family presents Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay – A Trip Report posted at One Family’s Blog, saying, “Our experience and opinion of the Pumpkin Festival that happens every October in Half Moon Bay, CA.”

St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Beth Blair presents Twin Cities Free Attraction: Como Park Zoo and Conservatory posted at The Vacation Gals, saying, “This travel-writing mom gives props to a FREE attraction in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

Denver, Colorado, USA Lance Myers presents Randolph’s Restaurant and Bar, a review posted at Examiner.

Poughkeepsie, New York, USA John presents Old Railroad Bridge Becoming a Trail Across the Hudson posted at A DC Birding Blog, saying, “I thought some readers might be interested in this.”

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Andi presents Charlotte airport rocks! posted at Misadventures with Andi.

Winnipeg, Canada Twyla Motkaluk presents Will The Pre-Accused Please Rise posted at bitchabout, saying, “This blog is about The City Of Winnipeg. In it, I comment on the things I see all around me.”

Chicago, Illinois, USA Dominique King presents Tour Chicago history by boat with the Chicago Architecture Foundation posted at Midwest Guest, saying, “Knowledgeable docents offer an interesting, authoritative look at Chicago architecture and city history on Chicago Architectural Foundation’s boat tour.”

Washington, DC, USA Jon presents Dadaist Man Ray’s Photos in Washington, DC posted at PlanetEye Traveler saying, “A new exhibit at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC showcases over 100 photographs of mostly African themed images from revolutionary American artist Man Ray who is known as leading the Dada and Surrealist art movements.”

Cities in Asia

Choushi, Japan Tony Alexander presents Chiba Prefecture: Choushi 銚子posted at The Soul of Japan, saying, “This post is a three part series of a journey through northern Chiba!”

Stone Town, Zanzibar Kim presents Zanzibar - The Spice Island posted at Measure of All Things.

Bangalore, India AdmirableIndia.com presents Madiwala lake or BTM lake Bangalore: Part 1 Karnataka posted at AdmirableIndia.com.

Cities in Europe

Paris, France Shelly Rivoli presents Ask Shelly: Tips for juggling toddler naps while visiting Paris? posted at Travels with Baby Tips, saying, “Tips to help get the most out of your Paris stay with jetlagged toddlers in tow.”

Edinburgh, Scotland Keith Kellett presents Edinburgh Bus Ride posted at Travelrat’s Travels.

Falun, Sweden Jack Norell presents The Mining Museum in Falun posted at Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips, saying, “This intriguing Mining Museum, like Falu Koppargruva (Falun Copper Mine), is awarded two stars in the Guide Michelin. The collection of portraits of important people connected to the mine began in the seventeenth century.”

Rome, Italy Liz Wright presents Mangia Bene: Recommended Restaurants in Rome posted at Travelogged.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands mizdi presents Amsterdam Bicycles posted at Chat is not for Dummies.

Bristol, England Heatheronhertravels presents A walk around the harbourside in Bristol - Video posted at Heather on her travels, saying, “Heather presents a video post in which she invites you for a walk round Bristol’s harbourside area, sharing a local’s insight on the best things to do, see and eat.”

Stirling, Scotland Shannon ODonnell presents a little movie history…they can’t take our FREEDOM! posted at a little adrift: a rtw travelogue, saying, “Stirling, Scotland - cool history and a neat castle and definitely worth a day trip!”

Paris, France Robin Locker presents Travel Tip Tuesday: Best of Paris posted at My Mélange.

London, England Victoria Wallop presents Brick Lane posted at It’s a small world after all, saying, “This post is about one of London’s most diverse streets, Brick Lane, a centre for immigration since the 17th Century.”

Rome, Italy Stephanie presents 8 Free Things to Do in Rome posted at Twenty-Something Travel.

Edinburgh, Scotland Martha presents Cashmere Scarf Shopping in Edinburgh posted at Wanderlust Journey.

Berlin, Germany Theodore Pappas presents Berlin, a City on the Move posted at Britannica Blog, saying, “From Britannica’s stellar stable of travel writers, here’s a wonderful post by Lisa Lubin, with outstanding photos, on Berlin.”

That concludes this edition, and thanks for visiting.  If you like what you’re reading, we’d love comments either here or on any of the blog posts listed above. Remember that linking to good posts is how the Web highlights quality information, so feel free to do that as well.

Please submit your (one, non-spammy blog post about any aspect of ONE, single city, or fair-sized town) to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

I have rather strong opinions about bloggers who get freebies, including free travel, and then don’t disclose to their readers when content is based on those nice opportunities.

For myself, I think there are rules about that sort of thing, so I’ve posted my thoughts in a new permanent Page: the Blog Disclosure Policy for the Family Travel Guide.

You can see the link in the upper right corner of the blog Home page, under Family & Travel Resources.

In sum, I say that if I get free stuff to write about, you’ll know it because I’ll disclose it.

I prefer to pay for my own stuff, though, so I can be truly mouthy about it.  But you kind of expected that from me, right?

For more detailed thoughts on the new FTC rules, you may wish to bounce over to one of my other blogs and read: What do new FTC blogging rules mean for press trips and fam tours?

Keeping it real, so you know what you’re getting….