We Go With Kids!

Category: nancy

  • Things to Do in Kauai with Kids

    Things to Do in Kauai with Kids

    Kauai has long been high on my list of destinations to visit. Having just moved from the East Coast to the West Coast last summer, a trip to Kauai suddenly became much more feasible for our family of four when it was no longer a 12+ hour journey. When time came to plan our spring break, I did some quick research and within hours had my family of four booked (flights + hotel) for a week long stay in Kauai for next to zero dollars out of pocket.  A busy work schedule coupled with two kids in different schools prevented me from doing as much research as I would have liked, prior to our trip to Kauai. Thus, we ended up embarking on a relatively unscheduled and unplanned week in Kauai, with just broad notions as to what we would like to do, but not actually having activities scheduled in prior to departure. We ended up having a ast in Kauai and I would say it is one of my Top 5 Family Vacations – perhaps even Top 3!  Here’s my list of things to do in Kauai with kids!

    1. Shaka Guide North Shore Kauai Driving Tour

    Shaka Guide offers guided GPS tours on four Hawaiian Islands: Oahu, Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. In 2013, my family visited Maui with our then 4 year old and did purchase a guided CD tour of the Road to Hana. I don’t believe Shaka Guide was available at the time, but given the rave reviews online, I decided to download the Shaka Guide prior to our trip to Kauai and it turned out to be a great decision. The Shaka Guide North Shore Kauai Driving Tour provides three hours of audio guidance and although my husband was skeptical at first, it ended up introducing us to some of the highlights of our trip, including the “Gilligan’s Island” Beach and our hike down to “Secret Beach,” all of which we likely would not have found had it not been for the Shaka Guide.

    Gilligan’s Island Beach; likely my favorite beach on the planet.

     

    The walk down to Secret Beach; we followed a woman carrying a surfboard on her head because, of course we did.
    Secret Beach

    The beaches we experienced as part of the Shaka Guide were so great that we ended up planning a whole day around a return trip to one of the featured beaches, Gilligan’s Island Beach. Our Shaka Guide tour ended up being approximately 3.5 hours, including numerous stops and hikes down to various places, like Secret Beach, so for $10, it was money well spent. Our kids enjoyed it as we were definitely off the beaten path in Kauai.

    2. Kayak Hanalei Bay

    One of the fun memories I have of my pre-college years is kayaking with my brothers. When I was in high school, we had some crazy kayaking adventures in Catalina Island and San Diego. Suffice it to say, kayaking is high on my list of things to do, anywhere we are, and my husband and kids have become accustomed to my building in kayaking time wherever we are.

    Kayaking Hanalei Bay was one of the kayaking adventures I was really hoping to experience in Kauai. Although my four year old has kayaked with us before (usually as the middle person on a two person kayak), I didn’t know if he’d be able to go the distance as part of a larger kayaking excursion. Kayak Hanalei offer double kayak rentals at $60/day for pre-1pm rentals and at a reduced price of $45 for post-1pm rentals.  After a morning spent exploring the North Shore, I decided that we might as well see how my four year old would do on the kayak. Given that it was after 1pm, we paid $90 for two, double kayak rentals, which came complete with wet bags.

    He was so comfy, he fell asleep on the ride down to the confluence and had to be shaken awake

    To my surprise, we had a fabulous time! We barely made it back by closing time, 5pm, as we decided to extend our little kayaking excursion from the bay to the confluence; but long story short, we saw sea turtles, disembarked to enjoy a snack (and beer for the adults),  and just overall enjoyed being out on the water. I highly recommend this adventure with kids.

    3. Spend the Day at the Beach

    My husband and I are busy people who like to be on the go when we are on vacation. Our kids, however, can happily spend the day at the beach. We made sure to build in plenty of beach time and Kauai’s unspoiled beaches were the perfect backdrop.

    To get the most of our beach days, we actually spent a few dedicated beach days going from beach to beach. Some beaches offered protected areas for snorkeling and others were just good for general lounging.  We simply packed a picnic lunch, stocked up on towels from the hotel, and took off for the day. Apply sunscreen as I definitely got a bit singed one day!

    4. Coffee Plantation

    Lyndgate Farms chocolate farm on Kauai offers a three hour “branch to bar” tour and tasting. Knowing full well that tour wouldn’t hold my kids’ attention, we skipped right to the important part: the chocolate tasting. Lyndgate Farms offers free tasting of all its chocolates and my kids each got to pick their favorite.  We purchased a number of bars and I was glad to see they came with complimentary cooler bags to keep them from melting. My kids also enjoyed swinging on the giant swing in the parking lot, before getting back in the car.

    5. Attend a Luau

    Although I’ve been to Hawaii a handful of times, I never attended a luau until this trip. Although hokey and probably not worth the money to experience again, I’m glad we did it this time. As an added bonus, my kids loved the fire dance.

    6. Take a hike!

    There are a number of great hiking opportunities in Kauai and we took full advantage of these great adventures. On a rainy morning, we took a short hike near our hotel in Kapaa, and the boys not only managed the whole thing on their own two legs, but had a great time as well.

    Anyone else hearing the Jurassic Park theme song here?

    7. Hawaii Shave Ice

    No trip to Hawaii is complete without Hawaii Shave Ice. We happened to stumble across Jo Jo’s, a Kauai classic, after a long hike up Waimea Canyon, and were happy to partake.

    8. Miniature Golf

    Mini-golfing at Kauai Mini Golf, located at Anaina Hou Park is a wonderful way to spend a few hours with kids. Not only is the course littered with native plants, but my kids really enjoy mini golfing, something that we rarely get to do in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

    9. Visit Waimea Canyon

    We spent a full day hiking Waimea Canyon and absolutely loved the experience even with our four year old in tow. But, for those who aren’t up for the day long hike, know that there are plenty of ways to experience Waimea by car. There’s not only a great lookout near the main parking area, but we took a tour down a road (that ended up leading to a restricted military base) and climbed a random hill (yes! all four of us) where we were treated to some amazing views. Do it. You won’t regret it.

    10. Sunset Cruise of the Napali Coast

    Experiencing the Napali Coast was a non-negotiable item on my list of things to do in Kauai. I’m glad we were able to find a vehicle in which to do it — Captain Andy’s Na Pali Sunset Cruise.   Click here for my review of Captain Andy’s Na Pali Sunset Cruise.

     

    Our family trip to Kauai was such an amazing experience that I really think I’ll be hard pressed to ever be persuaded to go on a beach vacation somewhere else. I hope our list of things to do in Kauai with kids will help inform your trip to Kauai!

  • Review of Captain Andy’s Na Pali Coast

    Review of Captain Andy’s Na Pali Coast

    Spanning 17 miles along the North Shore of Kauai, the Napali Coast of Kauai was high on my list of things to experience. There are many ways to experience the Napali Coast, but simply driving up to it is not one of them. There are air and sea options, of course, as well as the Kalalau Trail hike, which runs along the Napali Coast and is a rough 11 mile hike.  In April 2018, a massive flash flood incident resulted in the closure of many roads on the North Shore of Kauai. The roads were just beginning to open up during our visit in April 2019, but I was glad that hiking the Kalalau Trail was not an option due to road closures as the thought of even attempting an 11 mile hike with young children is not something I’m eager to do.  Having done a bit of internet research, however, I quickly decided that our best bet for experiencing the Napali Coast was to book a sunset cruise. Given that one member of our party of four is not only four years old but also prone to sea sickness, I did quite a bit of internet sleuthing before deciding on Captain Andy’s. Here is my review of Captain Andy’s Na Pali Coast Sunset Cruise!

    Booking:

    Online booking is the easiest option and as an added bonus, the website show very clearly the number of spots left on any given day so even though I was a bit worried things would book up if I delayed too long in booking, I just simply logged in every day or so and checked to make sure there were ample tickets. I was mostly concerned about weather/rain, but about a week prior to our trip, the forecast looked clear for our first full day in Kauai so I decided to go ahead and book the trip.  At $135/adult and $105/child, tickets are not cheap, but given that our hotel and flights were essentially free, I felt like we could splurge a bit on this boating excursion, despite having my concerns about how my four year old would respond to being contained on a boat for hours.

    The Experience:

    We arrived at the harbor at 2pm on the day of our excursion and were able to quickly check in. Each group was given a card upon check in with their boat information written on it. It turns out that Captain Andy’s has the ability to run multiple boats each evening (I believe there were four going out that evening), so we all sat around waiting for our boarding assignment to be called.

    As our Captain introduced himself and walked us down to the dock, we were reminded that shoes are not permitted on board.  We all took off our shoes and loaded them onto a wheeled shoe rack, before walking onto the boat. After the basic instructions were given (where to stand, where to sit, bathrooms, no picking children up, etc), the boat took off and, well, my four year old loved it.

    The boat ride out to the Napali Coast took a while and we mostly just enjoyed the sea water.  Once we got close to the Coast, however, the water was definitely choppy and people got wet. It’s no surprise then that alcohol and dinner is not served until the ride back to shore.

     

    My nine year old absolutely loved the experience and stayed out front nearly the entire time. He got sprayed by water on numerous occasions, but thoroughly enjoyed being able to wander around himself. My four year old, husband, and I mostly hung out near the back of the boat as it was much calmer there, and although I did experience some motion sickness myself, my four year old was fine the entire time.

    The Napali Coast itself is gorgeous and we ooohed and aaahed the entire time.

    The Captain did a fantastic job of explaining various features along the coast, including where old fishing villages had been located and pointing out small waterfalls that we likely would not have noticed on our own. Once we reached the end of the coastline, we turned back for the smooth ride home.

    Dinner was served buffet style and the drinks flowed readily. The crew was really top notch and my notoriously picky eater of a husband even said that the food was “not bad,” which is high praise coming from him.  The crew was really great about bringing out more food when the supply got low, and they also came around and made sure to refill drinks. All in all, it was a pleasant experience and despite my concerns, we had a great time.

    Final Thoughts?

    I am definitely glad we experienced the Napali Coast and Captain Andy’s Na Pali Sunset Dinner Cruise was a great way to do it, given our kids. Had they been older, I likely would have explored a snorkeling or kayaking day long adventure, but there was simply no way of guaranteeing that we would be able to be on board for that long a time with our four year old (not to mention many activities have age limits that he would not have qualified for).  The Sunset Dinner Cruise is advertised to last four hours and indeed, it lasted every minute of the four hours. I felt bad for one woman who had a horrible case of motion sickness and spent three of the four hours with her head in a bucket. My four year old definitely got tired and the waves helped lull him to sleep after dinner. In fact, I even found myself lying down to enjoy a little bit of shut eye on the ride back, having gotten up at 4am for conference call that morning!

     

  • Review of Courtyard Coconut Beach in Kauai

    Review of Courtyard Coconut Beach in Kauai

    With two young children, my husband and I typically opt against staying at a hotel when planning a week long vacation. Earlier this year, we found ourselves in possession of two seven night stay certificates at a Category 1 – 4 Marriott hotel that were set to expire in mid-July. After a few hours of online searching, we were happy to secure a seven night stay at the Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach during our kids’ vacation.  My review of Courtyard Coconut Beach in Kauai, however, is decidedly mixed. On the one hand, we paid zero dollars out of pocket for our stay (there was a $20/night resort fee that was waived for our stay) that would have otherwise cost just over $4,000; however, the level of construction the hotel was undergoing was well beyond what had been disclosed. While we found the initial appearance of the hotel and the noise to be jarring, at least we had some inkling of the construction. Many other vacationers had no idea that the hotel was under construction, much less that the hotel’s pool and dining facilities were largely nonexistent. While I heartily recommend the Courtyard Kauai Coconut Beach for its location and the amazing staff that did everything they could to accommodate its guests, Marriott’s handling of the situation was subpart and has me re-thinking brand loyalty going forward.

    The resort’s “entrance” during our stay.

    The Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach is located approximately 30 minutes from the Lihue Airport.  There is a large parking lot and it is easy to walk right into the resort. Given the construction, however, the main lobby was not open and thus, the makeshift lobby was all that was available during our one week stay. Upon checking in, I was somewhat dismayed that there were just folding tables set up for check in and that there were extra staff on hand to help guide guests. During the check in process, I also received no explanation of the amenities, which I guess should not have surprised me given that well, there were none available during our stay due to construction; I was not provided with a map of the “resort,” nor was I given a map to the nearby hotel with the reciprocal pool access. I was simply told “construction, 7 days a week from 9-5pm and the pool down the road at the — hotel is available for use.” This was definitely a sign of poor things to come in terms of both the level of construction, as well as the staff’s ability to manage disappointed guests.

    My four year old has extremely sensitive ears and the jackhammering was too much for him.

    After checking in, we went up to our room, which was located on the top (4th) floor.

    As described, it was a two bedroom, ocean view room. While surprisingly small (even my 9 year old commented on the small size and he’s not one to notice these things), it was newly renovated and as described. The view of the pool from directly from our balcony, however, left much to be desired.

    Particularly when, during our stay, the hotel’s website and app still boasted about the “pool” features as one of its available amenities.

    Admittedly, we did not spend much time at the hotel, opting to leave early every morning after breakfast to explore the island. However, it would have been nice to have had the option to sit by the beach/pool and order drinks or even evening snacks. A few evenings, we simply picked up pizza before returning to the hotel and ate in our hotel room, since there was no suitable outdoor seating.

    Another aspect in which we were disappointed was that while the website/app advertised its “dining” options as “HIGHLIGHTS,” there was, in fact, only one very limited option for dining.

    Indeed, the main dining room was completely boarded up during our stay and the only option was this banquet/conference room that had been converted into a makeshift dining area.

    That said, my Titanium Elite Status provided us with a complimentary credit of $20/day to use towards food and beverages and kids under 5 eat free so we ate breakfast every single day before departing for our days’ adventures and the food, and the service, were both quite excellent in the dining department.

     

    Papaya/Granola bowl we requested one morning “to go.”
    The children’s menu offerings.

    During our stay, I briefly peeked into the gym, but it was small and not enticing in the least. I chose to spend my days kayaking and hiking instead, which I also encourage you to do if you find yourself in Kauai. Of course, the option of a treadmill or elliptical is always nice to have and at least this portion of the hotel was not under construction and available for use.

     

    As advertised, the hotel does have access to a beach which is a very short and easy walk from the rooms. We enjoyed the beach tremendously and it was the first place we went after dropping off our bags.

    Path down to the beach. Note the heavy construction.

    That said, the hotel did not have any feet washing stations or towels available at or near the beach. Instead, towels had to be picked up at reception and dropped back off at reception, so that was a tremendous hassle in terms of using the resort’s beach. Because we could not clean off our feat easily, we didn’t end up spending anytime with the kids at the beach.

    I would have loved the option of sitting in one of these chairs, ordering drinks, while watching the kids play in the sand, but alas! Not this time.

    At bottom, the hotel’s lack of amenities did not have any significant impact on our vacation, given that we were using a certificate for a free stay. A few nights into our stay, a group of new guests arrived and were clearly incredibly dismayed by the level of construction. There were angry words at reception and lots of disgruntled guests wandering around.  One group approached me and asked if we had been aware of the construction, in particular the pool closure, and it was clear that they had no idea prior to their trip and that the lack of amenities was going to significantly impact their stay. At that point, I spoke with the hospitality manager who was entirely sympathetic to our claims (and waived our $20/day resort fee without us even asking), but she noted, sadly that there was nothing she could do. My only guess is that there is some issue between the hotel being unable to finance construction while closing the hotel down for operation and that it is staying open during construction because it has to. Although I don’t know where the blame rests (Marriott or the hotel itself), and I imagine it to be some combination of both, I think the negative impact will be mostly felt by Marriott as anyone who stayed during this massive upheaval will likely negatively reflect about the Marriott experience. The hotel’s central location on Kauai’s eastern shore and it’s gorgeous beach access means that it will always have a steady supply of visitors, but I know that this stay definitely has me questioning the benefits of maintaining Marriott status.

    Final Thoughts?

    There are a number of things that the hotel did poorly, in particularly, failure to disclose the level of construction. But it would be unfair not to point out the things the hotel did well:

    • excellent food at the operating dining room, including incredibly patient servers, despite the fact that they were clearly understaffed and operating in sub optimal conditions;
    • availability of beach towels for use on and off property; and
    • availability of beach chairs and bicycles for use on and off property.

    The only ways we were truly impacted by the construction was that we couldn’t really enjoy the hotel’s beach as much as we likely would have had it been operating.  That said, we also probably saved money by not ordering expensive drinks at the resort and had there been a pool option, we likely would have had to negotiate with the children about spending a day hiking and kayaking and generally out and about as they would have definitely advocated for staying put and just swimming the day away.  In the future, I would definitely stay at the hotel again, on a return trip to Kauai, but I suspect this construction will bump the hotel from a Category 4 to a Category 5 hotel, thus raising significantly the redemption costs. And that is a real shame.

     

  • Costa Rica Rental Car Insurance and Vamos Review

    Costa Rica Rental Car Insurance and Vamos Review

    Last year, my family traveled to Costa Rica for spring break. We scored some awesomely inexpensive tickets from DC to Liberia, but I was completely stumped when trying to figure out an affordable rental car. Rental car prices for our one week stay varied from extremely cheap ($80) to cost prohibitive ($900+) and the insurance requirements were indecipherable. Even more troubling were the numerous reviews from unsuspecting vacationers who booked a seemingly affordable rental car, only to be hit with excessive fees upon arrival. After a few hours of research, I was able to figure out a way to ins and outs of Costa Rica rental car insurance and after reaching out directly to a number of rental car agencies, decided to book with Vamos. Here’s what I learned about Costa Rica rental car insurance and my review of our experience with Vamos.

    Costa Rica Rental Car Insurance:

    Rental car insurance is a government monopoly in Costa Rica and thus, every rental must have liability insurance from the INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros). The mandatory insurance costs anywhere from $10-$20/day, depending on the vehicle you rent and provides only minimal coverage (it does not cover your rental car at all, only damage to other people, their cars, or property). Thus, if you want coverage for any damages to your rental car, you must purchase supplemental collision ($15-40/day, depending on rental car company and vehicle) or, if you have it, rely on your credit card’s rental car coverage.

    My husband and I both carry the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which offers primary collision as an included benefit. Primary insurance means that the Chase’s rental car insurance benefit kicks in before our regular car insurance and, for those who might not have a vehicle and thus, do not carry car insurance, the Chase benefit serves as your insurance policy when renting a car on travel. Prior to travel, I called the phone number on the back of my Chase Sapphire Reserve card and inquired about the rental car benefit. I was transferred to Card Benefit Services and, upon confirming my personal details, was emailed a letter verifying my CSR insurance benefit and the terms of coverage. A redacted copy of the letter can be found here.

    Choosing Vamos Rent-A-Car:

    When researching Costa Rica rental car options, Priceline.com and various independent car rental websites were willing to rent me a car for the entire week for as little as $100, without any insurance. Reading numerous online reviews, however, I feared that we would suffer the same experience as many: showing up and being held hostage at the rental car line and being told we needed to add on hundreds of extra dollars of coverage to our car.  Of all the car rental companies I researched, Vamos Rent-A-Car was the only one that allowed me to: (1) select the mandatory liability insurance and (2) waive the collision insurance during our reservation. As an added bonus, Vamos also included one free child car seat rental and a free cooler. Although the quoted price was just over $300 and thus $200 over the least expensive option I could find online, I valued Vamos’ transparent booking process (and the numerous positive online reviews didn’t hurt either). Moreover, after reserving our vehicle, I emailed Vamos to confirm that our credit card collision coverage would be sufficient. I attached a copy of the letter from Chase’s Card Benefit Services and within hours, received a reply that it was fine and would be accepted. My husband reports that he had no issues when picking up the vehicle and that the final estimated price was the quoted price online.

    Why book a rental car?

    I’m sure you’re asking — why book a rental car? The honest truth is that we are not resort people. My husband and I (and our kids) get antsy if we are in one place for an extended period of time and, traveling with young kids means that we have very little desire to be stuck on hotel shuttles and guided tours.

    Moreover, although our resort offered shuttle services to and from the airport and to other nearby locations, utilizing the cheapest transport option of a private shuttle for our family of four to travel from the airport to the hotel would have cost $280 round trip. Thus, the cost of the rental car was essentially the same as taking a shuttle to/from the airport… but we would also have a rental car available for us to use for the duration of our stay.  Note: it ended up costing us $338 to rent the car for the duration of our trip.

    Car Seats in Costa Rica:

    It may come as a surprise to many, but car seat laws in Costa Rica are significantly more stringent than laws in the United States. Indeed, all children under 12 must be secured in an appropriate car seat when traveling by car in Costa Rica.  Vamos graciously offers one car seat or booster free of charge for the duration of your rental, which was one of the immediate benefits to renting from Vamos as both our kids would require car seats.  I’m a bit of a car seat junkie and almost always insist on bringing our own car seat on trips. For this trip, my intent was to utilize the IMMI GO Child Car Harness. Unfortunately, when my husband arrived at Vamos, he learned quickly that the IMMI GO’s LATCH attachments would not work with our Costa Rican rental car. This being our first international rental car experience with a car seat that wasn’t just a simple booster, we had neglected to consider that international cars may have different attachments. Luckily, Vamos was great and provided us with a rental car seat for my not quite four year old. Although Vamos’ original quote included only one free rental car seat and I had selected a booster seat for my nine year old as our “free seat,” the attendant noticed that my husband was unable to get the IMMI GO to install properly in our rental vehicle and supplied us with a convertible car seat at no extra charge. The convertible car seat was in excellent and clean condition and I was immensely grateful.  Had I been aware of the issue, I would have likely packed the RideSafer Travel Vest, or just brought a booster for my older kid and used the free car seat option on a convertible car seat, which is more cumbersome to travel with.

    Snug as a bug in his Vamos car seat.

    Getting Gas in Costa Rica:

    Our rental car came with a full tank of gas and we only ended up having to fill up once, immediately prior to returning the vehicle. I’m no expert in getting gas in Costa Rica, but our experience was that all of the gas stations are full service – meaning you cannot pump your own gas. While getting gas, we were approached by an individual offering to clean our windshield. I have on idea whether that was a complimentary service, but we declined by waving the individual away. We were able to pay our bill via credit card and I was thankful that we had change from our trip to Rincon, so I could tip the individual who pumped our gas.

  • 10 Best Travel Books for Kids

    10 Best Travel Books for Kids

    We are often asked for recommendations for great travel books for children.  My  kids truly love seeing new places and all enjoy reading fiction and nonfiction books about places we have visited or are on our never ending “list.”  My kids have had a love of travel and books from a young age, so books about travel have always been popular at my house.  We are regulars and our local libraries, and my children used to attend multiple story times each week before preschool.  My four year old is an emerging reader and can sit for hours listening to stories.  My eight and eleven year old boys spend hours cuddled up in their beds turning pages of their current book. 

    We have come across quite a few books that inspire us to visit new places or help us reminisce about recent trips.  Our list of best travel books for kids includes a range of reading levels and interests.

    Best Travel Picture Books

    #1: 13 Architects Children Should Know 

    13 Architects Children Should Know is part of the 13 Things Children Should Know book series, which has truly inspired our travel experiences.  We were first introduced to these books when my middle child brought home 13 Architects Children Should Know from his school’s library as a Kindergarten student.  He closely examined every page and was excited to find Christopher Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral that we had visited in London the summer before.  But, the two architects he was most interested in were Gustave Eiffel and Frank Lloyd Wright.

    He was not at all familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright before reading 13 Architects Children Should Know but fascinated by pictures of Fallingwater.  He had no idea where Fallingwater might be in proximity to our home, but asked me after I finished reading the description, “Mommy, will you take me there?”  Fallingwater happens to be just a three hour drive from our home in Cleveland, and I readily promised him that we would plan a trip.  Within six months, we toured Fallingwater with my college roommate and her daughter, and my six year old son had a permanent smile on his face the whole time.  After checking Fallingwater off his bucket list, my son focused his efforts on the Eiffel Tower for two years until we took a family trip to Paris.   – CMD

    #2:  Where the Wild Things Are

    Maurice Sendak’s 1963 Where the Wild Things Are has inspire young travelers for more than 50 years.  Young Max dreams he is visiting an island inhabited by enormous beasts.  After playing with the “wild things”, Max decides to return home for dinner.  This classic does not include an actual destination or weave in historical, cultural or artistic concepts.   However, it embodies the desire explore new places and then head home to recharge. – CMD

    #3:  Paddington

    Paddington Bear first appeared in Michael Bond’s 1958 A Bear Called Paddington.  Paddington is a bear from Peru who is adopted by the Brown family after they meet him in London’s Paddington station.  The book series includes over 20 books, and several television and film adaptations. Paddington, the 1998 reissue of the classic story, is a frequent bedtime story for my four year old daughter.  She has a vague recollection of our 2015 visit to London, which included a train ride from Kings Cross station and double decker buses that are also featured in this children’s picture book. 

    All three of my children also enjoy watching the recent film adaptations, Paddington and Paddington 2.  The films feature well-known London hot spots, including the National Museum of Natural History, Portobello Road, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Notting Hill and Paddington Station.  The Paddington books and films remind my children of their time in London but can serve as inspiration for travel to London. – CMD

    #4: Olivia Goes to Venice

    Before our family trip to Italy in July 2018, I requested Olivia Goes to Venice from our local library to introduce our daughter to Venice.  Olivia is a young pig who is always ready for adventure, and this 2010 book features Olivia’s spring break trip to Venice.  Author and illustrator Ian Falconer combines illustrations with photographs of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Doge’s Palace, the Grand Canal, St.  Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs.  Olivia enjoyed a gondola ride and chasing pigeons in St. Mark’s Square just like our daughter.

    Olivia Goes to Venice introduced our daughter to the canals and buildings that we saw in Venice.  Now, she enjoys reading the book and remembering our time in the City of Canals. – CMD

    #5:  Good Morning Canada

    Andrea Lynn Beck’s Good Morning Canada is an excellent introduction to Canada for any child.  Our copy was gifted to us by one of our children’s favorite nannies who left us and moved to Saskatchewan.  This 2014 picture book features Canadian landscapes and national classics, including the Mounties, maple trees, hockey and common animals such as the beaver, moose and goose.  Our copy is extra special because our former nanny annotated it with sticky notes.  – CMD

    #6:  Katie and the Mona Lisa

    James Mayhew’s Katie and the Mona Lisa features the story of Katie and her grandmother visiting the Louvre.  Katie is entranced with Mona Lisa’s smile.  In the 1998 picture book, Katie is walks right up to the Mona Lisa and while she is examining the painting, she notices her grandmother has fallen asleep on her comfortable chair at the end of the gallery and climbs into the frame and into the picture where she finds Mona Lisa seated in the corner of a grand room.  Mona Lisa is sad because she is very lonely, so Katie takes her out of the picture and back into the museum.  The pair climb inside several different paintings in the Louvre.  Mona Lisa enjoys their adventure so much that she assures Katie she now has something to smile about inside her painting. 

    This book definitely takes some artistic license to teach children about Renaissance art.   The depiction of the Louvre is completely unrealistic, and the other paintings included are not actually exhibited in the Louvre.  The size and location of the Mona Lisa are completely wrong, and the painting is hidden behind bullet proof glass and protected by a handful of guards.  Even with a bit of fantasy thrown in, this book is still a fabulous introduction to Italian Renaissance for even the youngest artists.  – CMD

    #7:  Rome Reconstructed

    Rome Reconstructed is a gem we found in the gift shop of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin in Rome.  Our eight year old picked it up and asked if it could be his souvenir.  This archeological  guide uses cardboard flaps overlaid on top of pictures of existing structures to depict the original Roman buildings, most of which are at least 2,000 years old.  These layered illustrations really help kids visualize what ancient Rome looked like.  

    After we visited Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, our children focused on the portions of the book featuring these sights.  The short descriptions of each building are easy to read and provide informative historical information about each sight.  We are heavy library users and typically only buy books that we think will be read again and again.  However, we are glad that we added this book to our personal collection and know our kids will enjoy the pictures and explanations for years to come.  – CMD

     

    Best Travel Chapter Books

    #8: Harry Potter

    The Harry Potter series is hands down one of the most delightful reading experiences I have ever shared with my children. When my older son was in second grade, I wanted to encourage him to read and so I urged him to start reading the Harry Potter series. To sweeten the pot, I agreed to read along with him and further agreed that we would watch the companion movie after he finished each book in the series AND that we would go to Universal Studios Orlando upon completion of the series. Much to my surprise, my son not took on the challenge, but he ended up voraciously reading through the Harry Potter series and we ended up having a fantastic weekend exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter the following October.  – NKC

    My boys also devoured the Harry Potter series last year while I followed along listening to the audio books.  While we have not visited Universal Studios, the London locations specifically reminded us of our 2015 trip to London.  Filming locations for the companion movies include St. Paul’s Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, and the iconic telephone booths are also featured.  – CMD

    #9: Island of the Blue Dophins

    Anyone who didn’t attend fourth grade in California probably has not heard of the Island of the Blue Dolphins, a sad yet beautiful story about a young Indian girl who ends up spending 18 years alone on an island before she is rescued by Spanish missionaries. I won’t spoil the details, but the girl-turned-woman ended up living her life at the Santa Barbara Mission. Having read and fallen in love with the book at a young girl, I not only made Santa Barbara Mission a point of interest to visit once I was older and could dictate my travel schedule, but I have now also introduced family and friends to the Santa Barbara Mission and shared with them the story of the Indian girl buried on the grounds. I’m thrilled that my son is in fourth grade and will be reading this book later this year.  – NKC

    #10:  Percy Jackson

    My eight year old son recently discovered Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, which features the adventures of a Percy Jackson, young demigod who lives in New York City.  Percy discovers at age 12 that he is the son of Poseidon.  He and his friends have an odyssey that takes them around the United States of their own that spans over the five Percy Jackson books and then extends into Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series.  The series intertwines the stories of Greek mythology with Percy’s quest to save modern civilization.  Some cities featured in the series include New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas.  Not surprisingly, Athens is now on my son’s bucket list. – CMD

    These are some of our to 10 travel inspiration books for our kids.  What family favorite books have we missed?

  • We Go With Kids Wins the Liebster Award

    We Go With Kids Wins the Liebster Award

    We Go With Kids is excited to announce that we have received a Liebster Award.  We were nominated by Sydney from A World in Reach.  We are honored that Sydney reached out and acknowledged our fledgling blog.  It is definitely exciting to be nominated by one of our peers, especially as two hobby bloggers who work on this blog in our nonexistent free time.

    Photo credit – The Global Aussee

     

    What is the Liebster Award?

    The Liebster Award is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers. In German, “liebster” means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.  So, the Liebster Award is given to bloggers who convey this meaning across their blog! If you want to learn more about the Liebster Award, check out the official rules.

     

    The Rules of the Liebster Award

    Find all the details on the Global Aussie’s Liebster Award post.

     

    Why We Go With Kids

    We are two lawyers by trade by who met at a law firm in 2005 – well before either had kids. Thanks to the wonders of social networking, we have stayed in touch as each of our families have grown.  With five kids and more than two dozen countries traveled between the two of us, we decided to launch this website in July 2017 after returning from trips to Iceland and Africa!

    Our hope is to not only share our adventures and trips on traveling with kids, but also to inspire others to “go with kids” when traveling both near and far!  As a side benefit, blog posts help us record and remember details of our family vacations.  Our own kids enjoy reading and reminiscing.  Some of them bemoan the fact that we regularly choose not to post pictures of their faces, but due to scary facial recognition technology and safety concerns, We Go With Kids noticeably includes countless photos showing the silhouettes of our wee ones.

     

    Sydney’s Questions:

    1. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your travels?

    Catherine:  Flexibility is key!  There will inevitably be a few bumps along the way, so don’t let delays, increased costs or basic mistakes negatively effect the trip.

    Nancy: As a young couple, traveling without kids, my husband and I made every effort to maximize every single minute of any vacation or trip. When traveling with kids, it’s important to adjust expectations and perhaps even spend an afternoon resting at the hotel instead of visiting yet another site. Remember: the important thing is that we’re traveling together as a family!

     

    2.  What’s your favorite part of traveling? Least favorite?

    Catherine:  I love seeing new places and eating amazing meals.  I endure long flights and regular delays for that luxury.

    Nancy: I love experiencing new foods and cultures and definitely make every effort to find something that is a “local gem” versus geared towards tourists. Travel delays and the logistics of hauling kids and baggage is my least favorite part of traveling, but a necessary evil.

     

    3.  Do you collect any souvenirs from your travels?

    Catherine:  I collect turtles.  It’s totally random but all started when a small stone turtle caught my eye on Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana way back in 2005.  There were hundreds of similar turtles at every souvenir shop, but I wanted only one.  My husband haggled a bit and walked away when he was unsatisfied with the price.  Ultimately, I did bring it home.

    Nancy: Just photos and memories!

     

    4.  What is the most unique experience you’ve had with a local while traveling?

    Catherine:  I was an exchange student at the University of York in my junior year of college and lived as a local for six months.  I was occasionally mistaken for a local myself.

    Nancy: In July 2017, my husband and I visited a Ndebele homestead during a trip to Zimbabwe. We were able to tour the family home and have lunch, cooked on site.

     

    5.  If you could travel with one person you’ve never traveled with before, who would it be?

    Catherine:  It would be super fun to do a two family trip with Nancy and her crew.

    Nancy:  I would love to visit China with my grandmother, who was born in China, left in her teens, and has never been back!

     

    6.  How did you come up with your blog name?

    Catherine:  I’d have to pull up the insanely long Facebook messenger discussion, but it involved lots of online research and consultation with my favorite trademark attorney.  Nancy secured gmail and social media accounts for a slightly different name before we settled on We Go With Kids.  My husband takes full credit.

    Nancy: Ditto what Catherine said! I definitely give Catherine and her husband full credit for the final name we chose!

     

    7.  What tip would you give to a new blogger?

    Catherine and Nancy:  Don’t wait 18 months to start learning SEO techniques.

     

    8.  Is there a book or a movie that has inspired your wanderlust?

    Catherine:  Not really, but I’d really do like watching movies set in cities I’ve visited and really want to re-watch Under the Tuscan Sun.

    Nancy: Not really. Occasionally, a movie will inspire me to visit a particular destination, but my desire to travel has always been present.

     

    9.   What are the top 3 things on your bucket list?

    Catherine:  Currently, Thailand, Argentina and an African safari are the big three, but I’m also hoping to make it to my last eight states before I turn 50.

    Nancy:  I’d like to take my youngest to Hawaii for his first time, but I’d also like to visit Hong Kong and a country in the Middle East, where I’ve never been.

     

    10.  What is your biggest travel regret?

    Catherine:  I wish I took a year off before law school and traveled around the world.  If only travel blogging was a thing a million years ago.

    Nancy: Apropros Catherine, I didn’t spend enough time traveling in my younger days. I wish I had taken more time off and dedicated more resources to travel, but then again, I didn’t really have the resources until I grew up and got a real job so I’m not sure how far I would’ve gotten!

     

    Our Liebster Award Nominations

    We have been following a number of other family travel bloggers over the past year and a half.  While we haven’t met any of these wonderful blogging parents personally, we are encouraged and inspired by them as we all strive to open doors for our children around the world.  All of these bloggers have shared travel stories and tips on We Go With Kids, and we love following their journeys.

    Our Questions

    1.  What is your best travel advice to new parents preparing to travel for the first time?
    2.  What is the scariest travel experience you’ve ever encountered?
    3.  What travel destination surprised you the most in terms of what you expected and what it was.
    4.  What are three things you love to do in your hometown that you recommend to visiting families?
    5.   Are there any food items that you always sample whenever you travel (e.g. coke, ice cream, McDonald’s)?

    It’s been so much fun answering Sydney’s questions that we can’t wait to read nominees’ answers.  Thanks again, Sydney, for acknowledging us!

  • RideSafer Travel Vest Review

    RideSafer Travel Vest Review

    One of the top questions on every parent of a young child’s mind prior to travel is always: what should we do about carseats? Having traveled around the world with my two kids (ages 4 and 9), I can say without a doubt that one item we have loved having in our bag of travel tricks is the RideSafer Travel Vest.

    Review of RideSafer Travel Vest

    Crash tested down to 3 years old and 30+ pounds, the RideSafer Travel Vest does not take the place of a convertible car seat for kids who have outgrown their infant bucket seats, but who haven’t met the age and weight threshold for the RideSafer Travel Vest. However, once your child reaches the 3 and 30+ pounds threshold, definitely consider adding the RideSafer Travel Vest to your travel arsenal.

    On a recent trip to/from the airport, I decided to strap my nearly four year old into the RideSafer Travel Vest for the ride from our home to the airport. Unlike most car seats which are designed to lift the child up so that the straps fall across their body at the appropriate spots (hence the term “booster”), the RideSafer Travel Vest brings the strap down to the child and secures it in the appropriate spots. Although the number of straps and clips may appear daunting at first, it is a very quick and easy process, having done it many times before.

    Although this was my guy’s first time in the RideSafer vest, he took to it easily.  About halfway through our journey, however, he did start to complain that he was hot. I should have known better and had him take off his hoodie before strapping him into the vest. Aside from that, the travel vest was comfortable enough that he even fell asleep in it on the way home (sans hoodie, which I did remember to take off before strapping him in).

    One of my favorite things about the RideSafer Travel Vest is that it travels in its own little carry on pack and fits easily in your luggage or swung across your shoulder.

    Our family ended up loving the RideSafer Travel Vest so much that we have it in both small (pictured above) and large, which is typically for children over 5 and 50+ pounds. Indeed, when my oldest son was in first grade but my youngest was still in a convertible, I used the RideSafer Travel Vest for when we needed to carpool and bring another child along with us. Three kids can easily fit in the backseat if using the RideSafer Travel Vest, even if one of those car seats is a convertible and the other is a high back booster!  We have also used the RideSafer for any number of taxi rides in large cities where we otherwise would not need a car seat and it’s a convenient item to just keep in my trunk, in the event we want to safely transport another child.

    For more car seat reviews, check out our full write up on car seats: Travel Tips: Traveling with Kids and Car Seats

     

  • Spotlight: LA Zoo with Kids

    Spotlight: LA Zoo with Kids

    When people think of visiting Los Angeles, beaches and Hollywood immediately come to mind. It’s a rare person who thinks of visiting wild animals and despite having grown up in Los Angeles, I never thought much of the local zoo, favoring the San Diego Zoo and then, of course, being partial to the National Zoo while living in DC. This past summer, I was delighted to not only discover the LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens with my kids for the very first time, but I was thrilled to learn that it’s a well managed zoo that offers opportunities and experiences that are not available at other zoos!

    The LA Zoo is much larger than I expected an in fact, one of the more delightful discoveries was not only that the zoo has giraffes (which are noticeably missing from the National Zoo), but that for a $5 fee, visitors can participate in daily feedings of the giraffe between certain hours!

    This hungry guy was happy to accept our offerings!

    My three year old son, always the adventurer, was thrilled to engage in the activity and we were both startled when the giraffe’s big black tongue reached out to snag the branches we had ready for him!

    A close second favorite experience at the LA Zoo was the petting zoo, called Muriel’s Ranch. Free with admission, the petting ranch offers the opportunity to get up close and personal with the zoo’s residents goats and sheep. I was thrilled to be handed a brush on our way into the petting area and my three year old and I had a great time, brushing the very docile and friendly goats.

    In addition to our giraffe and goat experiences, we were enjoyed the general layout of the zoo as well. Despite visiting during record hot temperatures in the high 90s, we found plenty of shaded pathways and even indoor exhibits, which offered much needed respite from the relentless heat.

    The indoor reptile house.

    The Australia house where, even though it was hard to see the hidden marsupials, we delighted in the cool air.

    Although technically outdoors, this exhibit provided some much needed shade and entertainment for my three year old, who enjoyed hiding behind corners.

    Finally, in addition to the normal panoply of zoo animals, the LA Zoo also has a “Botanical Garden” component which I initially dismissed but soon discovered was severely underrated.

    I appreciated the the opportunity to not only visit animals that visit the rainforest with my kids, but to also show them the rainforest and provide a small visual of how the rainforest has changed over the years.

    Moreover, although not quite the same scope as Arashiyama bamboo forest in Japan, this mini bamboo forest right in the middle of Los Angeles was a real treat, especially for my three year old who has only visited Arashiyama in utero.

    Fun artistic displayed littered throughout the zoo.

    Pro Tips for those considering an LA Zoo visit with kids:

    • Parking is ample and free, but I hear that the lot can get extremely congested during the weekends as the parking lot is shared with a number of nearby attractions such as the Autry Museum of the American West.
    • There are quite a few dining options, although, as expected, pizza and burgers, and chicken tenders are the general fare. There is one cafe that offers Mexican options and another that offers gourmet pizza and craft beer, so be sure to keep and eye out for whatever suits your fancy!
    • In addition to the giraffe feeding experience, the LA Zoo offers a few other animal experiences for an additional fee. For instance, there is the Flamingo Mingle, which is $25 per person and offers the opportunity for guests to “mingle with flamingos.” There’s also the hippo encounter, which allows guests to get up close to a hippopotamus.
    • The LA Zoo also offers “attractions” such as a carousel ride for $3 per ride, and a “safari” ride around the zoo, which is essentially a tram that drives around and unloads at various spots. We did not experience the carousel, but we did opt for a safari ride at one point when we were extremely tired and hot.

    “Safari” ride around the LA Zoo.

    The LA Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles and is open to the public seven days a week, from 10am – 5pm, 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day).

    Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Los Angeles with kids! And, be sure to visit the LA Zoo with kids!

    Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fun locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!

  • Blogiversary

    Blogiversary

    One year ago today, we officially launched We Go With Kids.  We had no idea where this new endeavor might lead, but we were excited to share our family travel experiences.  We hoped that this website would encourage others to travel with kids but didn’t realize that We Go With Kids would further inspire our own wanderlust.  Despite our respective full-time lawyer gigs, we fit in quite a bit of travel – most notably with Nancy taking her three year old on his first international trip and embarking on her first solo mother-son trip abroad and Catherine booking a 17-day European vacation 5 1/2 weeks before departure.  We’ve certainly learned quite a bit about blogging, SEO and social media and also met a whole host of amazing family travelers along the way.  And, after 10 years, we also met up for a quick 24 hours of sightseeing at the National Mall and squeezed in a few relaxing hours reminiscing in Gaithersburg.  We can’t wait to see what adventures the next year holds and hope we can get our combined five kids together again sooner rather than later.

    First Year Stats

    Countries visited

    • Catherine – 5
    • Nancy – 3

    States visited:

    • Catherine – 12
    • Nancy – 8

    Flights taken

    • Catherine – 21
    • Nancy – 16

    Posts published:  186

    Total followers – 2,891

  • Spotlight: Discovery Cube With Kids! (Orange County)

    Spotlight: Discovery Cube With Kids! (Orange County)

    The Discovery Science Foundation is a Southern California based organization dedicated to hands-on science education for kids. With three campuses located in Southern California, the Foundation has four core initiatives: STEM proficiency, early childhood education, healthy living, and environmental stewardship. On a recent visit to the Foundation’s original center in Orange County, California (Discovery Cube OC), my three year old and I had the opportunity to see first hand the real world implementation of the Foundation’s four core initiatives.

    Our visit happened to coincide with “Dino Summer” – a large exhibit dedicated to huge animatronic dinosaurs.

    It was a truly impressive display, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully peruse as my three year old decided that the dinosaur noises were too scary! I should have prepared him for the noises and large scale dinosaurs prior to entry, evidently!

    Luckily, there was plenty to explore aside from the Dino Summer exhibit. My little one particular loved the full scale grocery store replica, where he could walk around with a shopping cart and ring up items for “purchase.”

    He also loved the recycling/environmental hazards center, which prompted him through specific tasks.

    Being a rambunctious toddler, however, his absolute favorite section was the downstairs level which was comprised of various STEM activities that he could either observe and/or engage with his hands.

    We ended up spending a full two hours at the museum before lunch and nap time forced us to leave. My son loved the museum, but honestly, I think that children ages 5+ would likely benefit from it more as my son, at only 3.5, did not quite fully grasp the concept of many of the things he was engaging with. Nonetheless, Discovery Cube was a great way to spend a few hours on an exceptionally hot day, and I would absolutely encourage anyone to visit Discovery Cube with kids – particularly on hot and/or rainy days! Finally, the Orange County location is close to Disneyland and would be a fantastic “break” from Disneyland, if you find yourself in need of one! We could have easily spent more time there and, an added bonus, Discovery Cube is a ASTC Passport Program participant, so you can take advantage of the reciprocal benefits program if you happen to be a member of another ASTC facility and are traveling outside of your home area.

    Discovery Cube OC is located at 2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA and is open daily from 10am-5pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas).

    Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Los Angeles, California with kids and check out other ASTC centers we’ve visited!

    Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fun locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!