We Go With Kids!

Author: Nancy Canter

  • Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Final Thoughts

    Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Final Thoughts

    Traveling to Iceland with kids is something I would recommend without reservation.  I absolutely loved our time in Iceland and it was a perfect destination for our first mother-son international trip. Thanks to Catherine’s extensive write ups on her family’s trip to Iceland last summer, I was likely more prepared for this trip than any international trip I’ve ever taken. That being said, there were still a number of things that came as a surprise that anyone traveling to Iceland with kids should be mindful of.

    Our 5AM Arrival to KEF Airport:

    Our 5am arrival to KEF Airport was rough. Although I am generally a great sleeper on planes, a number of things conspired to keep me from getting any rest on our red eye flight from BWI to KEF. First, the flight departed BWI at around 9pm, a few hours prior to when I usually go to sleep, and it’s really a rather short flight at just over 5 hours, so there wasn’t a lot of time to get relaxed and tired before we landed at 5am. I did not end up sleeping, at all, on the flight over, and I paid for the lack of sleep dearly as I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open on the long drive from KEF to Reynisfjara. I had visited a number of forums online prior to our trip and I knew this was a common problem prior to our trip and one that many people choose to remedy by visiting the Blue Lagoon immediately upon arrival and then staying in Reykjavik that first night just to ease the transition. That said, although the first day was difficult, I was glad that we quickly adjusted to the time change so that we could maximize the rest of our trip. Luckily, my son is a seasoned traveler and at almost nine years of age, he had no problems sleeping in the car and rebounded quickly. Those traveling with younger children will need to plan ahead, depending on their child’s ability to manage the time change and red eye flight. While trolling the online forums prior to our trip, I read that a number of hotels in Reykjavik are extremely accommodating to the flight schedules and will often have rooms available for check in as early as 8am. If you’re staying in Reykjavik, this is definitely something you might want to consider as it would allow you a quick nap and time to freshen up upon arrival.

    The Price of Gas, Groceries, and General Dining Out:

    I had been told that Iceland was expensive, but I didn’t quite realize how expensive it was until I was eating our $45 lunch of burger and fries our first afternoon in Vik. That said, I didn’t particularly mind how expensive the food was as my nine year old is a relatively picky eater and thus, I didn’t fully expect to be dining out as much as I would have been had I been traveling solo or with my husband. We ended up picking up spaghetti supplies at the local grocery store and making a meal out of it – for a total of less than $10 USD. While grocery store prices were slightly higher than typical in the US (for example, $3 for the smallest bag of spaghetti versus $1.50 or $1.99), this was without a doubt a more economical option than dining out and for a traveling family, this can result in significant cost savings.

    Prices a fish and chip restaurant in Reykjavik.
    Home to our expensive, but delicious $45 meal of two burgers, fries, and a beer.

    While restaurant prices were high, I will note that the quality of the food was very good. My friend, who traveled to Iceland last year as part of a couples trip, reports that while prices at mid-level restaurants were high compared to the US, prices at fine dining establishments were comparable to prices in the US, which may be something to keep in mind for those traveling with older children who can appreciate a fine meal or two.

    Note: Airport food is generally more expensive than non airport food and the prices at KEF airport are simply outrageous. We ended up at KEF airport on the day of departure with quite a bit of time. We had spent the day traveling between The Lava Tunnel and The Blue Lagoon and had not eaten much more than a nibble here and there, so I simply decided we would grab something at KEF, which ended up being one of our most expensive meals. And, unlike food quality outside of the airport, the pizza was mediocre and the soup was pre-made and simply sitting in a giant vat.

    My $22 bowl of soup and my son’s $18 pizza.

    As with food prices, I was surprised by the gas prices. I had been warned previously that most cars are diesel and that prices were high, but I did not expect to pay nearly $100 for a full tank of gas. I also was slightly unprepared none of the three gas stations I visited would accept a credit card – I was required to enter a pin each time I sought to purchase gas and thus, I was glad to have packed my ATM card.

    Also, do not underestimate just how remote and far between gas stations can be when driving outside the city. My gas light went on at some point while we were driving around in Reykjavik prior to leaving for the Blue Lagoon, but I just assumed that since it was a relatively heavily traveled route that there would be gas stations along the way. Boy was I wrong. I ended up driving nearly 10km on empty and it was a rather panicked trip the entire time as I feared not only running out of gas with a nine year old, but possibly resulting in some kind of delay that would have us missing our departing flight home.

    Get gas and get gas often, even if you think there is surely a gas station along the way!

    Tax Refund:

    One surprising aspect of our trip to Iceland was how simple the country made obtaining a tax refund for purchases. During our day in Reykjavik, I purchased a vase that cost approximately $70 as a souvenir for my mother-in-law and had been given a tax refund receipt. I did not expect to actually pursue obtaining a refund as past experiences traveling abroad had suggested that it was simply more trouble than it was worth.

    After checking in for our return flight home, I spotted the tax refund booth and decided to go ahead and investigate. It turns out that all I needed to do was fill out a form, present my receipt and passport, and the taxes paid would be automatically refunded to my credit card. The whole process took less than 10 minutes and I confirmed that my ~$7USD refund was credited shortly thereafter. If you find yourself purchasing lots of goods to bring home, be sure to save your receipts and check out the Tax Refund booth at KEF!

    Note: Cash refunds are an option, but will involve a processing fee that is some portion of the refund.

    Currency:

    Speaking of money, we had no issues using our credit cards at just about every destination, with the exception of when purchasing gas. I did withdraw approximately $100 USD upon arrival at KEF and although we never needed the cash, I did use it on occasion simply for the novelty of the experience.

    At most retailers, the credit card machines were prominently displayed at check out and I was given the choice of selecting whether to charge the amount in my native or local currency.

    • Note: Bring a chip enabled credit card (visa or mastercard) and always select native currency rather than local currency when purchasing abroad.

    Driving in Iceland:

    I had no trouble driving in Iceland and hardly needed a map as the Ring Road is pretty self-explanatory. I brought our Garmin GPS, which was helpful for maneuvering within Reykjavik, but otherwise, simply followed the signs along the major highways to reach our destinations. There are a number of portions along the Ring Road where the highway narrows from two lanes to one, particularly when crossing rivers and streams, so just be aware and pull off to the side in the face of oncoming traffic.

    Language:

    Everyone, without exception, spoke English. I did not expect to have any language barrier issues and there were none with the exception of our car! Our car was programmed in Icelandic and would frequently ding out warnings at me, which completely freaked me out while attempting to drive. I managed to take some photos of some of the warnings and googled them later when we had arrived at our destination for the evening… turns out, the signs were telling me I had reached the speed limit and should slow down.

    Note: Although the car was telling me to slow down, I was frequently blown off the road by passing motorists. This was particularly the case when driving in inclement weather.

    Kid-Friendly:

    Iceland is a very kid-friendly destination. Granted, I was traveling with my nearly nine year old that has literally traveled the world, but there were kids everywhere and as I have mentioned, kids under 12 were generally free or admitted at a reduced price at many destinations. Although I had some initial apprehensions about visiting The Blue Lagoon with my opposite-sex child, it ended up being a non-issues as there were a number of attendants in the men’s changing facilities that were happy to help him maneuver the facility.

    WiFi/Cellular Reception:

    As a Verizon Wireless customer, I enabled TravelPass which provides access to my regular data and cellular plan for $10/day when traveling to certain countries, Iceland included. We had WiFi available at our accommodations every evening, but I wanted to add the data coverage given that I was driving solo with my young son in a foreign country. Although we did not need the coverage for directions, it was handy to have while driving on the Ring Road for looking up specific address or dining options. It was also just a great peace of mind, knowing that if we ran out of gas (oops) or ended up with a flat tire, I did actually have a means of contacting someone.

    Planning to visit Iceland with kids?  Be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland

  • The Blue Lagoon with Kids!

    The Blue Lagoon with Kids!

    If you’re traveling to Iceland with kids, I’m sure you’re wondering whether a stop at the Blue Lagoon with kids is worthwhile. Our last scheduled activity for our whirlwind long weekend in Iceland was to visit The Blue Lagoon. Although Iceland is filled with natural hot springs, The Blue Lagoon is filled with runoff water from a nearby geothermal plant. While planning our trip, I had read numerous reviews online suggesting that The Blue Lagoon is crowded and not preferable to smaller, natural hot springs, but I also knew that for our first visit to Iceland, I wanted to visit The Blue Lagoon as it was a top tourist destination. The only wrinkle in my plan was that I would be traveling solo with my not-quite nine year old opposite sex child. The Blue Lagoon’s website states that opposite sex children can accompany a parent into a restroom up to the age of 6. Prior to booking our reservations, I confirmed with my son that he wanted to visit The Blue Lagoon, although he would likely have to go through the changing area himself. Having participated in numerous swim teams in the past few years, my son stated that he was comfortable with the process and so, I booked our reservations to just prior to our return flight home.

    As with The Lava Tunnel, children under 13 are free, although you must register them in advance. Although I was initially hesitant about spending ~$70USD on an hour or so at a hot springs, the fact that my son was free definitely lessened the blow.

    Getting to the Blue Lagoon:

    The Blue Lagoon is about 45 minutes outside of Reykjavik, much closer to Keflavik Airport than the city of Reykjavik. Thus, most people recommend The Blue Lagoon as a stop either immediately upon arrival or immediately prior to departure.

    I planned our trip to The Blue Lagoon to coincide with our departure and allotted approximately 2 hours to the spend at The Blue Lagoon. I also allotted a full hour to drive from The Lava Tunnel to The Blue Lagoon, so the experience should have been a pleasant one, but for two critical errors. Using my GPS, I typed in The Blue Lagoon and my GPS sent me from The Lava Tunnel back to a small cafe in Reykjavik called The Blue Lagoon. Although I had some built in cushion time, the erroneous instructions left me slightly panicked about making it to The Blue Lagoon in time for our reservation. Our gas light went off right around when I realized the GPS direction error and I decided to just wait until we got out of the city to get gas – thinking it would be easier than trying to maneuver a gas station in Reykjavik. This was a terrible mistake as once we left Reykjavik, there was literally no gas station until Grindavik, the town nearest to The Blue Lagoon.

    Fortunately, we managed to make it to The Blue Lagoon in time (and we also made it to the gas station after driving a harrowing 6.7km on empty).

    Checking into and changing at The Blue Lagoon:

    The night before our reservations at The Blue Lagoon, my son casually asked “so, what are we actually wearing while we are there?” Oops. For some reason, I had completely blanked and managed to not pack any bathing materials. A panicked google search later, I learned that The Blue Lagoon has rental swimwear and in fact, some people prefer to rent the swimwear as they don’t have to worry about ruining their own clothes with sulphur and/or flying home with smelly, wet clothes.

    Main entrance to The Blue Lagoon.

    I’ll admit, I wasn’t thrilled about renting a swimsuit, but I had no choice so I decided to go with it. Upon arrival, I presented the check in lady with our reservations and she inquired as to my son’s age. Children under 9 are required to wear flotation devices, so he was given a red wristband, indicating that he was under age 9. I was given a blue wrist band, which not only could be used for charging items to our account, but also used to open and close the lockers.

    Asking for the rental swimwear was not an issue at all and we were quickly provided with options. My son was originally given a pair of teeny tiny swim speedos, which he very quickly rejected in favor of the swim trunks.

    After checking in, my son and I separated ways. The women’s changing rooms were bright and spacious. There are actually two changing rooms for each sex – one on the first floor and one on the second floor and the staff monitors each room and closes them off when they are filled to capacity. I ended up on the first floor women’s changing room and my son ended up on the second floor of the men’s changing rooms.

    After changing into my borrowed suit, I headed into the showers. The Blue Lagoon mandates that you shower naked prior to entering the hot spring. Luckily, there are private stalls in which you can do this task privately.

    Upon exiting the changing room, I found myself near the simple cafe with prepackaged foods and drinks available for purchase. While waiting for my son to exit the men’s changing room, I perused the menu which, not surprisingly, was quite pricey.

    My son eventually appeared from the men’s changing room and I was pleased to see that a staff member actually escorted him out. Evidently he had some trouble managing the self-locking lockers (the kids’ bands aren’t programmed to operate them), so a staff member helped him lock the lockers and then escorted him through the showers and out of the changing room until we were reunited.

    The Blue Lagoon Experience:

    Once reunited, we quickly looked around and saw the zero entry indoor option, which we chose not to take. I can certainly understand why this is an appealing option to many, as it was freezing cold outside.

    We hung our towels up on the provided racks and made haste to get into the water.

    The water was not very blue the day we visited and per this website, the reason why is because the blue-green algae that thrives in the water was in bloom, thus turning the water green. 

    My son and I were able to enjoy just hanging out in the water and although there were plenty of people there, we didn’t actually feel crowded, except when we pulled up to the mud mask bar and/or the drinks bar.

    The pull up mud mask bar.

    After about 30 minutes in the water, I decided that we should treat ourselves to some drinks. My son opted for a icee/smoothie and I had a beer, all of which was charged directly to our account via the provided wristband.

    My son was entertained by the fact that his $9 smoothie/icee was called “Krap.”

    My favorite part of the Blue Lagoon experience was the overly attired lifeguards, who looked more like Secret Service officers than your typical lifeguards!

    After about 90 minutes in the water, we decided we had had enough and went back to shower and change. The check out experience was seamless – they simply scanned my wristband, gave me my total for add ons (drinks), paid, and we were off. Curiously, we were not charged for the rental swimwear, but I think that was an oversight. When we checked in, I had inquired as to rental charges and was assured that they would just be added in and settled at check-out.

     Would I recommend The Blue Lagoon?

    I would absolutely recommend The Blue Lagoon experience. Although I was initially disappointed that our only hot spring experience would be in a manmade geothermal pool (versus a natural hot spring), The Blue Lagoon one of those things you should experience while in Iceland. Although sitting around in hot water isn’t our usual thing, my son and I enjoyed the novelty of The Blue Lagoon experience. We particularly loved the little nature path immediately outside the main facility and on the way to the parking lot.

    Curiously, the water on the outside of the main facility was picture perfect blue, versus the green we encountered inside. If you aren’t interested in spending the money to visit The Blue Lagoon, consider stopping by on your way to/from the airport regardless as the outdoor pathways are open for walking and parking is free.

    I’d also recommend the experience to families as my son had a lovely time and the staff was incredibly helpful. For parents traveling alone with opposite sex children, note that even though the website says only children under 6 are permitted to enter opposite sex changing rooms with a parent, at check in, I was assured that my son could enter the women’s changing room with me (and it didn’t seem to be a big deal, especially since she had just immediately prior confirmed his age). The attendants in the men’s changing rooms also helped my son lock and unlock his locker as his wristband was not programmed to do so.

    Finally, try only word of caution is to heed everyone’s advice and keep your hair out of the water! The sulphur really does ruin your hair and no amount of pre-conditioning or post-conditioning helped it. I received an email about 12 hours prior to our reservations, stating that I should consider leaving conditioner in my hair while in the lagoon. Although I did so, my hair was still completely destroyed for about 48 hours after the experience, which made for an unpleasant trip home.

    Planning to visit Iceland with kids?  Stay tuned for Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Final Thoughts, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go ToIceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

  • Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: The Lava Tunnel Raufarhólshellir

    Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: The Lava Tunnel Raufarhólshellir

    Traveling to Iceland with kids means doing advance research to determine whether or not a specific activity is a viable option. Thankfully, Catherine’s experience at the Lava Tunnel was so outstanding, that I knew it was a “must do” activity one mu own trip to Iceland with kids.

    The drive from Reykjavik to the Lava Tunnel Raufarhólshellir was approximately 30 minutes and was every bit as beautiful as the drive down to Vik.

    Catherine and her family toured the Lava Tunnel in June 2017, and this was something I absolutely wanted to experience. When planning our Icelandic adventure, I had really wanted to experience a glacier cave, but unfortunately, found that late May is too late for most ice cave experiences.

    Fortunately for us, the Lava Tunnel ended up scratching that itch and then some!

    The experience begins with a debriefing and a warning as to what is permitted and what is not permitted. We were told that helmets must stay on at all times and to please refrain from disturbing the ice. The main guide traveled ahead of the group and narrated, while another Lava Tunnel employee followed at the end of the group, presumably to make sure that no one got lost in the shuffle.

    The opening to the Lava Tunnel.

    The Lava Tunnel formed 5000+ years ago and, we learned, travels the road leading from Reykjavik to Raudfarholshellir. Prior to embarking on our tour, we were told the experience is like “walking inside a leaky refrigerator and staying there for one hour.” This ended up being spot on as the heavy rains from the preceding days had created a very damp and moist environment. I was surprised to see the three openings up to the sky (I didn’t expect openings) and loved when we reached the furthest part of the tunnel that our tour was permitted to travel. We turned off all our lights and spent a moment in complete darkness. There we were told that no matter how long you stayed in the dark, your eyes would not adjust and there was simply no light to reflect.

    Along the way, we were thrilled to see the ice formations and were told by the guide that the ice was rapidly melting and would not be there in two weeks time.

    Although there was ice on the ground for some portions of the tour, it was perfectly manageable. My son and I wore sneakers and had no problems. Per the guide, it can be extremely slippery if visiting in the winter, so proper hiking shoes may be needed.

    My son absolutely loved the Lava Tunnel experience and this may have been the highlight of his entire trip. The Lava Tunnel offers a 3-4 hour “extreme tour,” which takes guests further into the tunnel. Unfortunately, the minimum age recommended is 12, so we are still a few years shy from qualifying. Our one hour standard tour of the Lava Tunnel cost $64 (kids free!), which was a real bargain and I highly recommend this experience. Catherine’s two year old daughter was happy to ride in a carrier last summer when they visited, but I was happy that my 3.5 year old was not with us on this adventure as he would not have been satisfied in the carrier and there was just enough rocky climbing that I would have nervous the whole time. My almost nine year old had no issues.

    Pro Tip:

    Although there is a sign for the Lava Tunnel on the road about 10 minutes prior to arrival, there is no Lava Tunnel sign at the actual pull out. I managed to drive past it and had to flip a tight u-turn, so keep your eyes peeled for the Raudfarholshellir sign, which will indicate that it’s time to pull off for the Lava Tunnel.

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Stay tuned for Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: The Blue Lagoon, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

  • Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: 18 hours in Reykjavik

    Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: 18 hours in Reykjavik

    Following our hike out to see the downed Navy DC plane on Solheimasandur Beach, we continued our journey to Reykjavik, where we had approximately 18 hours to spend. Although the weather was mostly dry, with maybe a slight mist during our walk, the drive into Reykjavik was extremely stressful as we encountered near white out conditions from the rain. Not being comfortable on unfamiliar roads, I drove at or below the speed limit and kept getting passed by other drivers!

    When we finally arrived in Reykjavik, it was almost 3pm and we had not eaten anything but some yogurt for breakfast and crackers for lunch. My priority was to find a light snack and a friend, who had traveled to Reykjavik two years earlier, recommended the Reykjavik Fish Restaurant. We were in extreme luck as I managed to find parking directly across the street from the restaurant and, although metered, parking is free on Sundays so we didn’t even have to pay!

    My son can be somewhat of a picky eater, so not knowing precisely how the fish was prepared, I simply ordered one serving of fish and chips to share. Our one order of fish and chip, a side sauce, and a beer (for me!) was $28.

    After our snack, which was just enough to tide us over, we headed to our guesthouse to check in for the night. Earlier that day, I had received check in instructions via email with access codes for both the main entry door and our private room + bath. The guesthouse was easy to find and I appreciated the free and ample parking outside.

    Our room was small, but clean, and provided everything we needed for our overnight stay. The downstairs level contains a small kitchen/dining area with free coffee/tea, but we did not use any of the amenities. Nor did we take the time to check out the rooftop spa on the deck, but it was nice to know that we had options if desired.

    After checking in to our room, we headed off to attend the vigil mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Although not as unique as Catherine’s mass experience in Akureyri, the Cathedral was beautiful.

    After mass, I decided it was time to get my son some actual food. Although he had eaten some fish and fries at lunch, he had really eaten very little during our entire trip. I searched around online for pizza places and quickly located a recommended restaurant only 15 minutes away from the Cathedral.

    The food at Eldofninn Pizzeria was very good, but also extremely pricey. There was one pizza that I was intrigued by, but at $33 for a personal pie, I decided to skip it and just go for a slightly more reasonably priced option. Our total for dinner (two pizzas, one soft drink, one 175ml bottle of wine) was $63. After eating our fill, we headed back to our guest house for the night.

    The next morning, we woke up bright and early and the weather was surprisingly clear. We quickly packed up our stuff and headed into town (the guest house is about 10 minutes walking distance from the main town, but I decided to just drive to save us time). With a noon reservation at the Lava Tunnel, we had about 2.5 hours to pass before we needed to be on the road.

    I was happy to find a coffee shop with pastries, which we gladly indulged in.

    My $3 small coffee!

    Afterwards, we wandered across the street where we happened upon Hallgrimskirkja. I remembered that Catherine had visited Hallgrimskirkja and that she even mentioned it again as something we should strongly considering taking the time to experience while in Reykjavik. Since the weather was beautiful and we had time, we decided to go ahead and head up the observation tower.

    Although the inside of the church was nothing to write home about, the views of Reykjavik from the top were simply astonishing. We spent a good 20 minutes just checking out the city from every angle.

    There is only one elevator that brings visitors to the top and capacity is limited to 6 (although people definitely squeezed in more), so there is a bit of a wait to get to the top. Luckily, the one elevator set up helps to limit the number of people on the observation tower. My son had a great time pointing out the coffee shop we had just had breakfast at 20 minutes prior. Admission for one adult and one child under 12 was just under $10.50.

    The Hallgrimskirkja experience from start to finish occupied almost an hour of our time, so by then, it was time to make our way back to the vehicle and get on the road to our next adventure, the Lava Tunnel!

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Continue reading Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: The Lava Tunnel Raufarhólshellir, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

     

  • Solheimasandur Beach With Kids

    Solheimasandur Beach With Kids

    One of the few things that many traveling to Iceland with kids end up skipping is the hike to Solheimasandur Beach. For obvious reasons, making the four mile hike to Solheimasandur Beach with kids may not be everyone’s idea of fun and, I can only imagine that Iceland’s whimsical weather causes its own fair amount of disruption. Luckily for me, my trip to Iceland with kids involved only one kid and, at nearly nine years old, I knew that barring extremely inclement weather, we would be able to make the hike out to the downed navy plane on Solheimasandur Beach.

    In 1973, a United States Navy DC plane ran out of fuel and crashed on Solheimasandur black beach, on the south coast of Iceland. Everyone on the plane survived and it appears the reason for the crash was that the pilot switched over to the wrong fuel tank. The remains of the wrecked plane are still on the sand and when planning our trip to Iceland, I knew this was one stop that I definitely wanted to make.

    As you may recall, my original hope was to visit Solheimasandur on the drive from Reykjavik to Reynisfjara on our arrival date. I under estimated how tired we would be after a red eye flight from Washington, DC, so, with my son completely passed out in the backseat of the car, I decided to skip the hike on drive south. I did, however, pull off into the large parking lot to do a bit of reconnaissance. I was happy to have done so as the sign informed me that the hike was 4 miles out and back and suggested that we plan to spend 3-4 hours for the round trip.

    I wish we could have taken the hike on our arrival date as the weather was gorgeous. But alas.

    The morning of our return journey from our beach cottage on Reynisfjara to Reykjavik, I was thrilled to see that the rains had mostly stopped. I decided then and there that we would be making the hike to the plane wreck.

    The hike itself was not extraordinary. It’s basically a flat two mile walk out to the plane on a rocky path. Although the rain had stopped, it was still extremely cold and windy so my son and I were glad to be bundled up and he was glad to have a warm hat on. The air was moist so we ended up slightly damp, even though there was no rain.

    For most of the hike there was nothing to see but then all of a sudden, the plane appeared in the mist. It literally is right out there in the middle of nowhere.

    If you look closely, you can just spot the plane and the other visitors in the distance.

    Personally, my favorite thing about the whole experience was that we could explore the plane.

    My son loved climbing in and around the plane and checking out all the nooks and crannies. We spent about 15 minutes checking out the plane before turning around for the cold walk back.

    Pro-Tips:

    • There are absolutely no facilities – no bathrooms, no emergency phones, nothing. So be sure you have what you need and are in good condition for a 4 mile out and back walk.
    • There was a steady stream of other hikers the entire time and about 15 other people at the plane when we were there.
    • The sign (close up below) recommends allotting 3-4 hours for out and back hike, but my son and I completed the entire thing in about 90 minutes. The cold weather definitely helped us walk quickly.

    Overall, I was glad that the weather cooperated sufficiently for us to take the hike. Although clear blue skies would have been preferable, it was well worth the stop and definitely something you should cross off your bucket list!

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids? Continue reading Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: 18 hours in Reykjavik, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

     

  • Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon With Kids

    Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon With Kids

    Jökulsárlón is a glacier lagoon in southeast Iceland, filled with chunks of glacial ice and one of Iceland’s most popular attractions. When booking our trip last November, the first thing Catherine mentioned when suggesting must-see destinations was Jökulsárlón and taking a glacial boat ride quickly became the excursion that I built the rest of our trip around. Here are my tips for experiencing Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon with kids!

    On Saturday morning, our first full day in Iceland, I woke up ready for our long scheduled glacial boat ride at Jökulsárlón. I had reserved our tickets in March (2+ months prior to our arrival) and the plan was to make the 2.5 hour drive from our cottage on Reynisfjara with plenty of time to take in a number of stops along the way. Our boat ride was scheduled for 1:10pm and I had long since planned on an early departure to allow us plenty of time to meander and check out the sites, which included Eldhraun Lavafield, Fjaðrárgljúfur, and Vatnajökull.

    Unfortunately, overnight, the rains had poured in so it was extremely dreary outside. So dreary in fact that we could not even see the beach from our rental cottage located less than 5 minutes walking distance from the beach. My son looked at me with heavy anticipation, clearly inquiring as to what our game plan would be. Having grown up in Los Angeles, rain is my absolute least favorite weather, so I wasn’t too keen on making a bunch of stops along the way and ending up damp and wet for the long day in the car. I also wasn’t necessarily looking forward to a boat ride on a glacial lagoon, but since I had already pre-booked our tickets (which were no longer refundable), I decided to push back our departure time and skip the various pre-planned stops along the way, in the hopes that the weather would be tolerable for our boat ride.

    Our 2.5 hour drive went pretty much according to plan. The intensity of the rain varied throughout our drive such that at times, it was so violent I could hardly see despite having our windshield wipers on high. On other occasions, the rain seemed to stop and/or barely sprinkle down, so I was hopeful that our boat ride might still take place.

    Glacier Lagoon Cafe

    At around 11:45, we arrived at Glacier Lagoon, an outfitter that provides amphibian boat tours. I quickly parked and walked to the ticket book located immediately to the left of the dining room/cafe. I confirmed our reservation for 1:10pm, but then inquired as to whether there were any earlier scheduled tours with availability. Fortunately, there just happened to be two spots left for the 12:40pm boat ride, which I happily exchanged our 1:10pm reservations for.

    With less than an hour to kill, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat inside the Glacier Lagoon cafe.

    The self-help counter at the Glacier Lagoon Cafe.

    Not fancy by any stretch of the imagination, the Glacier Lagoon cafe contains pre-made sandwiches, two soup offerings, a few other pre-packaged/pre-prepared food items, and your choice of beverages. I picked up a ham sandwich for my son and chose to try one of the soup offerings for myself. Our two items cost just over $20 ($13 for the soup and bread, $10 for the sandwich). Not fancy by any stretch of the imagination and certainly costing well more than they were worth, the fact that we were actually able to get something to eat was not lost on me as I’m not sure where the nearest restaurant alternative would have been.

    After finishing up our simple meal and using the restroom, we went back to wait in the car. By then, the rain had slowed to a mist. Considering the deluge we had woke up to, this was really the best of all possible circumstances.

    Five minutes prior to our scheduled tour, I saw the amphibian boat pull up to the free-standing stairway and we walked over to line up. An attendant checked our tickets, handed us life vests and we were quickly off. It took less than 2 minutes to get from the boarding area into the water and a short 15 minute boat ride later, we were well surrounded by floating glaciers. My son really enjoyed taking pictures on the journey out and once stopped, a john boat that was following behind us approached and handed the tour guide a large chunk of glacial ice.

    The ice hand off.
    The guide’s explanation of lagoon formation and ice transitions.

    The guide explained that the lagoon was formed by glacial melting and that the lagoon gets bigger every year as the glaciers continue to melt. The different colors of the ice are typically a result of how long the ice has been floating in the water and how much of that ice has been exposed to direct sunlight. The guide cut off pieces of glacial ice for everyone to taste and also handed out a large chunk for people to hold and pose for photos with.

    The guide, handing my son his own small chunk of ice.

    My son really enjoyed getting to touch the large chunk of ice and getting to taste the small chunk of ice that the guide cut off. After about 10-15 minutes, the boat started up again and we returned to shore. The entire experience lasted approximately 40 minutes.

    While the weather on the day of our visit was not ideal, Catherine and her family got a better view of the surrounding area, and particularly, Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest icecap, on their trip to Jökulsárlón last year.  They also saw icebergs washed up on the shore of the black sand beach located on the other side of the Ring Road.

    Pro-Tips:

    • Our one adult/one child ticket cost $77. While there is no discount for advance purchase, you are subject to availability if you show up the day of. I didn’t want to run the risk of not being able to take a boat ride, thus, I purchased our tickets well in advance of our trip.
    • Individuals must be seated while the boat is driving, but once the boat is in the water, passengers are free to get up and walk around.
    • We each wore thermals with rain pants layered over our thermals. We also wore heavy duty fleece and rain jackets as our outer layer. Unfortunately, we did not pack gloves, which I sorely missed, although for the short time we were out on the water, it was fine. There were many individuals there who were very poorly dressed and clearly freezing and/or getting drenched. Although the rain was mild (nothing more than a slight drizzle), it was cold enough that being damp was unpleasant.

    After our boat ride, we simply turned around and drove back to our cottage. It may seem slightly insane to drive 5+ hours for a 40 minute boat ride, but it was well worth it. I’m glad we didn’t let the rain deter us (it helped that we didn’t have anything else planned) and I was glad that the rain seemed to be more mild down near Jökulsárlón than near Reynisfjara. On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up spaghetti supplies just to have handy. I’m glad I did as the rain picked up and after having showered and put on dry and warm clothes, we had no desire to make even the short 5 minute walk or 1 minute drive down to Black Sand Restaurant for dinner. Our spaghetti supples (sauce, noodles, and ground beef) cost less than $12 total, so it was a cheap and satisfying way to end our day.

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Continue reading Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Solheimasandur Beach, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

  • Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Getting to Iceland and the First 18 hours

    Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Getting to Iceland and the First 18 hours

    When I decided to take a trip to Iceland with kids, I never imagined that the opportunity would present itself for my older son and I to take a solo mommy-son trip. We were super excited for our trip to Iceland as it was really a stolen weekend of sorts. My 3.5 year old was spending the week with his grandparents and this really gave me and my eight year old an opportunity to bond and enjoy each other’s company.

    Our Wow Airlines Flight from Baltimore to Keflavik:

    The night before our departure, I eagerly logged on at exactly 23 hours and 59 minutes to check in for our flight. I was prompted to enter our passport information and within seconds, confirmed that we were checked in and seated next to one another. Wow did not give us the option of changing seats or even seeing the seat map to ascertain how full the flight was. But, I was pleased to have been seated next to my son (in a window and aisle seat – our preferred and default seating arrangement when traveling just the two of us).

    The drive from our home in Alexandria, VA to Baltimore Airport took nearly 90 minutes, so I was very glad to have left with plenty of time to accommodate the heavy traffic. Upon entering the airport, we quickly dropped off our one checked bag and made our way over to The Club BWI, which I was able to enter for free using the Priority Pass membership that comes with my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.

    Although The Club was very full, we were able to secure two adjacent seats and I was more than willing to take advantage of the complimentary beverages, including not one, but two manhattans (it was a long drive up there after all)! After about 30 minutes at The Club, we made our way over to the boarding gate, noting, along the way, a few extremely family friendly features about the Baltimore airport: playground and nursing pods, like the ones they had at Kidspace in Pasadena.

    The kids’ playspace at BWI

    Once on board, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was ample leg room and available charging ports. A lot of people complain about the fact that Wow doesn’t provide free beverages but I just picked up a bottle of water at a shop on my way to the gate. I also planned to purchase a meal for my son as it was essentially our dinner time, and the $15.99 WOW Deal was perfect.

    I appreciated that for $15.99 my son could get a pizza, drink, and a candy bar (which we shared) and to my surprise, the flight attendants did not heat up the pizza until after we ordered, so it was basically as fresh as it could be given that we were up in the air.

    The only negative thing I can think of to say about Wow is that the boarding and deplaning process was extremely slow. I’m not sure what the issue was, but on both legs of our flights, there was a lot of waiting on the boarding bridge and then a lot of sitting after the plane doors opened before we could get off the flight. Nevertheless, given that I went into the Wow experience with bated breath, I was pleasantly surprised by just how enjoyable the experience was. In fact, the standard seat we were assigned seemed just as roomy if not roomier than some of the most recently revamped American and United flights I’ve been on.

    Our arrival at Keflavik Airport and Viking World:

    Everyone gushes about how amazingly beautiful Iceland is, but I certainly did not expect to be greeted with an arrival rainbow.

    Our arrival rainbow at KEF

    The customs experience and baggage retrieval was standard and within an hour of our arrival, we found ourselves in a shuttle on our way to the rental car. Picking up the rental car was a seamless process. They quickly found our reservation and went over the terms of the agreement with me. I was moderately perturbed by the excessive bolded warnings that damage from wind, hail, and gravel was not included in the provided insurance as… well, Iceland is the land of wind, hail, and gravel. I was also surprised when the rental agent recommended that I take photos documenting the car prior to leaving the agency and then again on my return back. I had read before that Iceland takes its rental cars very seriously and this was clearly the case.

    I really enjoyed driving an X1 around, despite the heartburn over every possible flying rock that might hit the car and cause me to incur additional liability.
    My rental came with a broken rear view mirror, which I documented heavily prior to departure.

    Once I had taken about 100 photos of the rental car, we made the 10-15 minute drive over to Viking World, which has an exact replica of a famous Viking ship as well a Viking millennium exhibition produced by the Smithsonian Institute called Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga. Importantly, Viking World also opens at 7am and has a cafe. Having not slept, at all, on the red eye flight, I desperately needed something other than a 2.5 hour drive down to Reynisfjara to wake up a bit.

    Knowing that I needed something to eat, I signed my son and I up for the Breakfast Buffet, which includes museum admission. For a total of ~$32USD, we spent the next hour snacking and wandering around the museum.

    The breakfast buffet that I was thrilled to nibble from.

    My son’s favorite part of the museum was, as expected, the replica ship that we could actually walk on to and explore.

    On board the Icelander.

    Personally, I loved the Settlement of Iceland exhibit, which deals with archaeological findings from the Suðurnes/Reykjanes region, including remains from the oldest occupation on Reykjanes peninsula from the ninth century.

    icelandic burial at sea?

    After spending about an hour indoors, we went to check out the traditional Icelandic settlement located just outside the museum’s doors. Unfortunately, it was so bitter cold that we really could not stand to spend much time outside. I’ll also note that there did not seem to be much by way of explanatory information, so we were clueless as to what we were looking at.

    The outdoor viking settlement.

    Our drive from Keflavik to Reynisfjara:

    After nearly freezing our tails off exploring the outdoor settlement, we piled back into the car and began the journey down to Reynisfjara. I knew that it would be a long drive with multiple stops along the way, but I was not really prepared to find that most of the attractions were on the second portion of the drive. In other words, although the scenery was beautiful, it was a long hour to 1.5 hours before we hit the first item on our list: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.

    My son quickly fell asleep in the backseat of the car and I had to pull over a full times and step outside just to wake myself up and get some air. Luckily the scenery was so gorgeous that I didn’t mind the detours and stops.

    Taken on one of my many “fresh air” stops.

    By the time we reached Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, I was tired enough that I knew we weren’t going to be able to get out and explore every item on our original list of things to do. I parked and took a quick peek at the waterfall and was happy enough that my son stirred enough to go “oooooo…waterfall!” In other words, despite Seljalandsfoss being one of the waterfalls that you can walk behind, we did not actually walk to the falls. We just enjoyed it from the parking area and were happy to continue on our journey.

    Despite the novelty of walking behind a waterfall, I also really did not want to get wet, so opted to just enjoy the waterfall from the parking area.

    The next stop on my list, Eyjafjnallajokull, the site of a major 2010 volcanic eruption that required the evacuation of 800 people living in the town immediately below the volcano. Although there used to be a Visitor’s Center, which featured artifacts and a 20 minute video of the eruption, the Visitor’s Center is now closed, with no signs of reopening. We were only able to enjoy the information signs located outside the Visitor’s Center, which is located across the road from Eyjafjnallajokull.

    View of Eyjafjnallajokull from the now shuttered Visitor’s Center.

    View of the area surrounding Eyjafjnallajokull.

    From Eyjafjnallajokull, my next intended stop was Gljufrabui Waterfall, which is partially hidden by a large rock wall. With my son happily snoring in the backseat, I had no desire to wake him up and go searching for a waterfall (which I was previously told required wellies to discover). I simply continued on driving to Skogafoss waterfall where we again admired the waterfall from a distance. My original intention was to walk the path leading to each and every waterfall (after all, when in Iceland…), but I don’t regret that we did not. We were literally so tired that my goal was just simply to get to our cottage in Reynisfjara in one piece.

    View of land around Skogafoss.

    As you can see, the country is so beautiful that simply being there and taking in the entire surroundings was plenty. From Skogafoss, I stopped quickly at Solheimasandur Beach to take a look at the walk and signs, knowing that the walk to the US navy plane wreckage would have to take place on our return journey, if at all.

    After Solheimasandur, I decided that it was really time to get to Reynisfjara. Although it was only 1pm, that was a good 8 hours after our arrival at Keflavik airport after not having slept at all on the plane. Although the drive from Reykjavik to Vik is billed as 2.5 hours, the numerous stops and detours we had taken quickly added to the driving time and thus the late hour. Our cottage check in was not until 4pm, however, so my son and I spent a few minutes on Reynisfjara after locating our cottage, which was located just above the beach. In fact, I was thrilled to see that our cottage was one of three cottages that are the closest accommodations you could secure to Reynisfjara beach and would highly recommend it to anyone looking.

    Our two nights at Reynisfjara were spent at the middle cottage.
    basalt columns at Reynisfjara

    At the beach, I noted the existence of Black Beach Restaurant and filed it away as a possibility for the next night, our second night at the cottage.

    Black Beach Restaurant, located within walking distance from our rental cottage and literally on the beach.

    Given that we had some time to kill before we could check in, we ventured into Vik for lunch and some groceries.

    Our cottage was only a short 15-20 minutes drive to Vik and just prior to entering the village, I spotted a sign indicating the existence of a brewpub, Smiojan Brugghus. A burger, fries, and a beer was just what the doctor ordered.

    The service was great, with the servers offering me samples of their various brews before having me commit to one. My son devoured his burger and I relished very bite of mine. I ordered the combo meal, which included burger, fries, and a non-alcoholic drink and my son had the kid’s burger which came with fries. In addition, I ordered a beer (giving my soft drink to my son) and the total for our meal was approximately $45 USD. A tad steep for two burgers, fries, and a beer, but the quality was good.

    After lunch, we stopped at the grocery store, Kronan, where we picked up a few essentials: milk, salami, crackers, and yogurt, before returning to Reynisfjara where we were luckily able to check in about 90 minutes prior to the stated 4pm check in. The cabin was small, but included everything we needed: a small kitchen, microwave, private bath, and wifi! My son was pretty energetic, having slept most of the journey down to Reynisfjara, but I really needed a nap, so I set him up on his iPad and took a very glorious 2 hour nap.

    Upon waking up, we briefly contemplated what we wanted to do for the rest of the afternoon/evening, before deciding that we really just wanted to enjoy the quiet. Having had a large, late lunch, we decided to just snack on salami and crackers (luckily, I had a bottle of wine I picked up from the duty free shop on our way out of the airport).

    Photo taken at 11pm at night – it never got dark!

    Our evening at the cottage was peaceful and just what we needed. From our front window, we could gaze out at Reynisfjara beach and eventually, we noticed that sheep were wandering over and all around. That night, we slept with one window open and could hear the crashing waves and the sheep baa-ing well into the night.

    Although there was a lot that I had hoped to accomplish on our first day but did not actually accomplish, I was so thankful to get us down to our cottage in one piece. Everything had worked out smoothly, I simply decided to just make up what we missed on Day Three, during our drive back up to Reykjavik. Fortunately, my son is pretty easy going and was perfectly content to be along for the ride. The fast wifi was definitely a bonus and he had no trouble hanging out and relaxing in the cottage with me.

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Continue reading about our Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Our Rainy Day Journey to Jökulsárlón, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

  • Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Logistics and Itinerary

    Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Logistics and Itinerary

    The inspiration for We Go With Kids came last summer, as Catherine and I were busy sharing notes following our respective vacations to Iceland and South Africa. For years, I’ve been intrigued about traveling to Iceland, which numerous friends and family have recommended as an ideal honeymoon or baby moon location from the East Coast. My husband and I never quite made it to Iceland, however, largely due to lack of time and availability of fight options. In 2012, Wow Air, an Icelandic low cost air carrier, began offering incredibly affordable direct flights from Baltimore International Airport to Keflavik. As a serious miles and points junkie, however, I never seriously considered flying Wow Air until after reading about Catherine’s experience. Prior to reading about Catherine’s experiences, I truly did not consider Iceland with kids to be a viable option.

    On a whim, last November, I happened to check for flights to/from Baltimore to Keflavik and found round trip flights over Memorial Day weekend for $225/person. Within a matter of hours, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to jet off for a long weekend with my oldest son, who would be just two weeks shy of his ninth birthday on our trip.

    View of Reykjavik from Hallgrimskirkja

    Booking Flights:

    In November 2017, I booked two round trip tickets on Wow Air from Baltimore to Keflavik for $567.06. The total includes the $99.98 fee for checking a bag to/from, but otherwise, I did not pay for any other up charges or services, including advance seat selections or carry on baggage. The flight was scheduled to depart on Thursday night, arriving at Keflavik at 5am on Friday and departing Keflavik on Monday at 9pm.

    Booking Accommodations:

    With four full days and three nights to fill, I consulted with Catherine who strongly suggested I make it over to Jökulsárlón Lake. Luckily for me, I was able to take advantage of her Iceland With Kids: Suggested Itineraries post before deciding that we would spend two nights in Vik and one night in Reykjavik. At Catherine’s prodding, I also began looking into accommodations in Vik and Reykjavik around Thanksgiving of last year, which seemed extremely early to me, until I remembered that Catherine’s family experienced difficulty securing accommodations despite beginning their search five months prior to their trip.

    Our rental cabin, taken from Reynisfjara beach

    After a few hours of poking around online for options, I discovered that Catherine was quite correct and that numerous guest houses were showing up as rented through early May and up to mid-May. Spurred into action, I decided to book two nights at a cottage on Reynisfjara Beach and one night at a guest house in Reykjavik. Having previously had only a less than stellar experience with an Airbnb rental, I had originally hoped to stay at a hotel. But, there aren’t very many hotels and certainly none that were affordable. A basic Hilton in downtown Reykjavik was asking $300/night, whereas our one night stay at Nina’s Guesthouse was a much more affordable $185. Our two night stay at the cottage on Reynisfjara beach $515.99.  Since both the cottage and our room at the guest house included a private bath and free parking, I decided they were our best bet and went ahead despite my initial misgivings.

    Booking Rental Car:

    I knew I wanted to rent a car to get around Iceland, instead of relying on tours or groups. After searching around online, I decided I wanted to rent from a local Icelandic rental car company (versus a national chain) and I ended up on the Holiday Autos website, which provided me with quotes for various local Icelandic rental car companies. I secured a vehicle from Route 1.IS via Holiday Autos. The rental for the four days, three nights cost $359.36, and provided for an automatic transmission, four wheel drive vehicle, which included taxes, airport fee, breakdown assistance, collusion damage waiver, personal accident insurance, third party liability protection, and unlimited mileage. Although there were certainly cheaper options, knowing that I would be traveling solo with my eight year old, I really did not want to have to worry about anything beyond ensuring that we were safe, so this seemed to offer the most security and peace of mind. Unlike most rental car reservations, however, Holiday Autos charged us at the time of booking (November 2017), but the cancellation policy provided for a full refund if the reservation was cancelled 24 hours prior to pick up.

    Scheduled Itinerary:

    Having booked our flights, accommodations, and rental car, I mapped out the following itinerary:

    Day One:

    • 5am arrival at Keflavik Airport
    • Viking World, located just 15 minutes from the airport and opening at 7am
    • Driving to Reynisfjara Beach, visiting Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Eyjafjallajokull, Skogafoss, Solheimasandur Beach, Solheimajokull, Dyrhalaey rocky outcrop, and Reynisfjara sand beach along the way.
    • Staying at Reynisfjara cottage

    Day Two:

    • Making the 2.5 hour drive to Jökulsárlón for the glacial lagoon amphibious boat ride, visiting Eldhraun Lavafield, Fjaðrárgljúfur, and Vatnajökull along the way
    • Returning to Reynisfjara beach cottage for the night

    Day Three:

    • Driving back to Reykjavik and staying at the guest house

    Day Four: 

    Although I had a long list of things I wanted to and hoped to see on the drive to/from Reynisfjara, I purposely did not over schedule our third day with activities, knowing it was extremely likely that we would not actually be able to see everything we hoped to on our first day. This ended up working out great, because after our red-eye flight, my son slept most of the way from Reykjavik to Reynisfjara on our first day, so we ended up using the third day to make up for what we missed on Day One.

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Continue reading about our Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Getting to Iceland and the First 18 hours, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

  • Spotlight: Manassas National Battlefield Park with Kids! (Virginia)

    Spotlight: Manassas National Battlefield Park with Kids! (Virginia)

    Located approximately 45 minutes south of Washington, DC, Manassas National Battlefield Park is the perfect destination for families. Administered by the National Park Service, the battlefield provides a great hands on opportunity to experience American history, while providing some fresh open air and solitude away from the city.

    On a recent weekend, I decided to venture out to the battlefield with my two children, ages 3.5 and 9. Little did I know this would end up to be a great way to spend a beautiful spring day!

    Upon arrival at the main welcome center, I was thrilled to see a clearly marked sign, indicating the turn off. There was ample parking, and we made our way into the facility to pick up a map, use the restrooms, and visit the gift shop. My boys were immediately enamored by the replica canons and the other Civil War memorabilia available for purchase, and we also spent quite a bit of time perusing the indoor exhibits, which also include a short film depicting the progression of the Bull Run (both the First and Second battles).

    After a short 20 minutes or so indoors, we ventured out into the battlefield and that’s when my kids really went wild. They loved the canons, loved the historic buildings, and just loved being out in the wide, open expanse of field. While my 3.5 year old dedicated himself to blowing as many dandelions as he could, I explained the battlefield set up to my 9 year old. We made our way down to the various historical markers in the main battlefield area, taking in the historic burial ground and the other monuments.

    To give my kids the full experience, however, I really wanted them to see just how large the battle of Bull Run had been. That is, I wanted to disabuse them of the notion that the battle was limited to the space we were standing. The map we had picked up earlier had a driving tour of the two Battles of Bull Run, so we piled into a car and made our way to 3-4 other stops on the driving tour.

    The Stone House served as a Union hospital during the first Battle of Bull Run, with the dirt floor of the cellar covered in injured and dying soldiers throughout the battle.
    Marking where the First Battle of Bull Run began.

    I was thrilled to see that many of the stops were well marked and included not only historical signs, but also restrooms and facilities! My oldest son definitely got a sense of just how large a battlefield can be and how even though we refer to the battles as “the First Battle of Bull Run” and “the Second Battle of Bull Run,” that the battles really took place over a series of weeks, if not months, and that it involved covering a very significant area of land under harsh conditions (no four wheel drive vehicles and air conditioning, that’s for sure!).

    In total, we spent about 2 hours visiting the main battlefield and touring the various stops along the driving tour. It was a surprisingly captivating experience for my 9 year old and it made an impression even on my 3.5 year old as for days thereafter, he recreated “the Manassas Battlefield” using his toys and has repeatedly asked if we can go back for a second visit. With only 900,000 visitors annually (versus the roughly 15 million visitors who descend upon Washington, DC annually), the Manassas Battlefield is such a welcome reprieve from the mass of tourist and congestion while also providing a great hands on opportunity to where a significant part of American history actually took place. That it’s just a short 45 minutes drive outside of Washington, DC makes it a great destination for those looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience.

    The Manassas Battlefield Park is located at 6511 Sudley Road in Manassas, VA and is open daily from dawn until dusk. The Henry Hill Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30am – 5pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) and is a great place to start your visit. The orientation film is shown daily at the top of every hour, from 9am – 4pm and admission is free.

    Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC with kids! We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC 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!

  • Spotlight: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with Kids (Washington, DC)

    Spotlight: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with Kids (Washington, DC)

    Chartered by a unanimous act of Congress in 1980 and located adjacent to the National Mall, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for documenting, studying, and interpreting the Holocaust. Open daily from 10am – 5:30pm (closed Yom Kippur and Christmas), I recently visited the museum (without kids) and was delighted to find that one of the exhibits, “Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story,” is an ideal way to expose young elementary age children to the horrors of the Holocaust.

    Growing up in Los Angeles, I distinctly remember visiting the Museum of Tolerance shortly after its opening in February of 1993. As a child of approximately 10 years of age, I remember the weeks leading up to our visit that our curriculum focused on the Holocaust and the events leading up to and surrounding World War II. Coming from an immigrant family with busy parents, the Holocaust simply was not something that had ever been discussed as a family, and it was not something I had come across in my movies or books prior to learning about it in school.

    Decades later and now a parent myself, the Holocaust is something that comes up frequently in our readings and even in popular cultural references. My son, who is not quite nine years of age, has asked questions about the Holocaust, but without any training in how to expose or introduce young children to such a sensitive topic, we’ve largely kept it to the basics. I quickly realized during my recent visit to the Holocaust Museum, that the Daniel’s Story was just the roadmap I needed to introduce my young son to the Holocaust.

    Daniel’s Story allows visitors to experience the Holocaust from the perspective of Daniel, a young boy living in Germany during the Holocaust. The exhibit begins with a short film, narrated by Daniel, and then carriers visitors through Daniel’s world as it changes throughout the Holocaust. Daniel’s diary entries serve as the primary text of the exhibit and the story begins in Daniel’s home in Nazi Germany and takes visitors through their transition to the ghetto, the concentration camps, and finally, to the end of the War.

    As depicted in the photos above, the exhibit allows children to actually touch and feel the environment. Here we are in located in the ghetto, and there are rules posted on the walls and objects littered throughout the room. Similarly, when in Daniel’s home or the later concentration camp rooms, visitors have the opportunity to sit at the tables or lay on the “beds.”

    After touring Daniel’s Story, I quickly popped upstairs to the permanent exhibit. From March 1 to August 31, timed entry tickets to the permanent exhibit are required. Same day tickets are available online and in person, but it is also possible to request tickets in advance online. I requested an advance ticket (which cost $1), but free tickets were available in person on the day of my scheduled entry. Note that it is not possible to enter prior to your scheduled visit time.

    The Museum recommends visitors allocate one to three hours to visiting the permanent exhibit and I concur. Even for my mid-day visit in early March, there was a heavy group of people and it took quite a bit of time to see everything. Moreover, the permanent exhibit is large – it winds throughout the building and presents a chronological narrative of the Holocaust using artifacts, film footage, and photographs. It is easily an exhibit that I could have devoted an entire day to exploring, and I was sad that I did not have as much time as I would have liked to have spent there.  That said, I am glad that my first visit to the Holocaust Museum was unaccompanied by third grader as I believe the permanent exhibit would have been too much in terms of his first visual exposure to the Holocaust. I have already planned a return visit for Daniel’s Story, with my son soon, but will wait another year or so before visiting the permanent exhibit with my eight year old.

    The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is located at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW in Washington, DC.

    Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC with kids! We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC 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 fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!