We're back in Shanghai where spring has completely sprung with the leaves are fully out on the trees. It's a welcome sight. It was a beautiful week on the beach in Sanya at the resort and I'm proud to report that I did manage to cross one of my 2011 travel resolutions off my list:

• Leave the resort and check out Sanya city during spring break. (We go down to Hainan Island for a week every spring over the school break - it's the perfect time, not too hot, not too cool. But with kids, it's easy to let each day melt into the other and never leave the resort. Not this year! I resolve to check out the city.

I had heard there was an interesting market in Sanya and asked about it at the resort. The staff shrugged their shoulders and looked at each other. "You mean supermarket?" No, I didn't mean supermarket. But my description (and I speak decent Mandarin) was lost on them. Finally they got out the map and pointed me to Sanya's "Tourist Zone". That sounded good. We could see what was on offer and my son could get rid of his allowance that was burning a hole in his pocket.

From the Intercontinental Resort into town is less than 15 minutes. The taxi driver parked and sort of waved his hand in the direction of a shiny mall. "No, no, the tourist zone," I said, getting out the map. He looked at it and then nodded. "Yes, this is it."

The "tourist zone" in Sanya consists of a new mall (that we didn't bother going in), a feeble group of amusement rides (that I steered the kids away from), the beach (we had one of those at the resort) and a derelict building with a fruit stand in the front and a stack of inflatable rings outside. We made our way there to see what fantastic tourist items we could pick up.

The first shop, aside from a collection of souvenir food items, tacky jewelry and mobile phones, had the most random assortment of junk I've yet to see in China. There was a whole wall of stuff that must have fallen off the back of the truck delivering Halloween items somewhere - fake cut-off hands, monster teeth - and another complete collection featuring various body parts fashioned in plastic - on pencils, ashtrays and key chains. Neither were something I wanted my five-year-old to spend his pocket money on, so I steered my team out the door to the next shop.

Jackpot, here was a shop filled with everything made from seashells, or rather, plastic things with seashells floating inside. You could buy a whole bathroom set made of clear plastic and seashells. Beautiful. I set my son free to buy at will and looked around for something tasteful for a friend. We were both successful: I came away with a lovely soapdish and my son managed to buy three wooden axes with the words "Sanya Beach" written on them in Chinese (one for him, two for friends).

Striking off my resolution afforded me - and you, readers - the knowledge that "tourist zones" are sometimes better left unvisited. But I am glad to have found this out first-hand.

Photos: top - the fruit stand in the Tourist Zone; middle - a typical Sanya city hotel (stick to the beach-side resorts); bottom - the seashell shop in the Tourist Zone.  © 2011 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

Picture coconut palms shuddering in the tropical breeze, a beautiful suite overlooking the ocean, empty chaise lounge chairs beckoning from the miles of swimming pools...and two small children sick - really, really sick - with the flu. Now picture me in the midst of all that.

Oh was I glad that I followed my own advice this trip. When I pack to go away with my kids I look like I'm leaving for months. I bring a small suitcase full of snacks and fresh vegetables and food so I don't have to have to ring room service for snack attacks, enough diapers to weather the possibility of diarrhea and my first-aid checklist including rehydration powder.

Fortunately, the kids are on the mend, the weather is clearing up and we've got a few more days before we head home to Shanghai. There's nothing worse than having sick kids in a hotel, except maybe having sick kids in a hotel and being unprepared.

Read more:

• Packing Advice for Travel with Kids
• Intro to Sanya, Hainan Island
• Intercontinental Sanya Resort

Last week a friend of mine from Seoul came to visit us in Shanghai. We planned a girls' night out to celebrate and instead of the usual bistro+bar we usually hit, I suggested we go slightly upscale and try Flair. Since I've been covering the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, I have been wanting to try their rooftop lounge. It's ultra-chic so not a place a working mom like me (or my girlfriends) would normally frequent. But Flair had a special draw: a Thai food promotion led by Ms. Nooror Somany Steppe, Founding Partner and Director, Senior Corporate Executive Chef of Blue Elephant who was over for the week from Bangkok.

After several separate elevator rides you reach Flair. Perched atop the hotel on the 58^th floor, it touts the highest open-air terrace in Shanghai and spectacular views of the Bund, Pudong and the city skyline. We sat inside, sunk into deep velvet couches by a cozy fire. The Thai food was delicious - as fresh and fragrant as any in Thailand - it is a shame the promotion did not last longer, I would have liked to go back again to enjoy the food more. Admittedly, we spent more time catching up than focusing on the food! Meanwhile, the service was excellent - no sooner did the last drop of champagne go down than we were asked if we needed refilling.

The night passed too quickly but before we left for the evening we went out on the terrace to get a group photo. Unfortunately, the gentleman helping us out in this endeavor had a few too many of those signature cocktails and only got our heads!

If you're looking to really impress a date or client or are looking for a glamorous place to catch up with girlfriends, I highly recommend Flair. At prices to match the altitude, it's not a place one goes everyday but it certainly is worth it once in a while.

Taking my own advice over the weekend, we headed off as a family to our new-favorite park, the Jing'an Sculpture Park. It has wide areas of grass, fun large-scale sculptures, water features, rocks - all the things a five- and one-year-old could desire.

After spending a very long time watching the dancing fountains near the entrance at Shimen Yi Road and Beijing Road, we made our way to the wide-open grassy space where large sculptures of cows sit placidly and children were gallivanting around. The kids immediately ran over to play and we followed after them.

***WHISTLE***

Our tranquil, happy mood was interrupted by the omnipresent guard in a gray uniform hooting at us to get off the grass. "But look at all the people?" I asked in wonder. Why us? Why were we being singled out? "Only kids," he answered in a huff. "Adults are not allowed."

We looked around and sure enough, all the adults were sitting around the edge of the grass, only the children were playing. Ridiculous. Usually the whistle is blown at all of us and usually the children are the transgressors. To have this lovely green grass to run around on and not allow the adults is utterly stupid, in my opinion. But rules are rules. We broke it surreptitiously, sneaking off of our concrete perches to pick the one-year-old up from her frequent face-plants in the grass.

So intrepid travelers, be warned. You're in a park, you hear a whistle (that somehow you can always tell is directed at you) and you'll just have to get off the grass. There are a few parks where rollicking on the green is allowed and you'll be able to tell because it will look like a normal scene in a park - kids kicking balls, adults flying kites, yet probably no unlawful grass activities (whatever they may be).