We Go With Kids!

Category: nancy

A Long Weekend in Seattle With Kids!

In May 2011, I was given the opportunity to travel to Seattle for work. On a whim, my husband decided to accompany me along with our not-quite-two-year-old for a four day mini-vacation. The decision to accompany me on the trip was inspired by the fact that my son was still able to fly for free (two and under travel free as “lap children” on domestic flights) and we had sufficient points for my husband to fly for free on the same flight I was scheduled to travel on. Although many thought we were insane to take a trip across country for essentially a long weekend with a toddler, it ended up being one of the best family trips we’ve ever taken and I still have fond memories of it, six plus years later. For those debating a long weekend in Seattle with kids, here are my tips for what to do on a weekend in Seattle with kids!

Seattle

Pike Place Market

Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever been to and my husband and I keep remarking that we need to plan a vacation wherein we rent a house near Pike Place Market and spend the week eating and drinking ourselves to oblivion. Even if you’re not planning on purchasing fresh salmon to fly home, I recommend you spend some time at the market – just soaking in the experience. There are tons of vendors selling everything from giant salmon to crafts to cheese! It’s really an experience that no trip to Seattle is complete without.

Pike Place is full of eateries, both inside and around the market and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Although we made a pilgrimage to the original Starbucks, located just around the corner from Pike Place, we stumbled across the Crumpet Shop one morning and were tickled to find that they had “Green Eggs and Ham” on the menu!

Green eggs and ham crumpet!

Seattle Aquarium

Also within walking distance to Pike Place Market is the Seattle Aquarium. I am a big fan of aquariums and make a point of visiting them whenever we’re in a city that has one, but the Seattle Aquarium was unique to me in that it was regionally focused. The adults learned a lot about Puget Sound and the local marine life and my son loved the open space to run around.

It’s an easy walk from Pike Place to the Aquarium.

The REI Store

If you know us, you know that we spent time at the REI Flagship store in Seattle. We didn’t need anything in particular, but there was a small play area for kids and we enjoyed walking around and getting some active play.

enjoying the play area at REI

Although I would not call it a must visit, it is a nice way to kill some time, especially when the weather is overcast and wet. It’s also a handy spot to pick up a fleece or two, if you find that you’re heading to the snow and you didn’t plan ahead for it!

Ballard Locks

In 2013, on our way home from Hawaii, we worked in a 24 hour layover in Seattle during which time we visited Ballard Locks with my then 4 year old.

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, or Ballard Locks, is a complex of locks at the west end of Salmon Bay, in Seattle, Washington‘s Lake Washington Ship Canal, between the neighborhoods of Ballard to the north and Magnolia to the south.

The Ballard Locks carry more boat traffic than any other lock in the US, and the Locks, along with the fish ladder and the surrounding Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens attract more than one million visitors annually, making it one of Seattle’s top tourist attractions.The construction of the locks profoundly reshaped the topography of Seattle and the surrounding area, lowering the water level of Lake Washington and Lake Union by 8.8 feet (2.7 m), adding miles of new waterfront land, reversing the flow of rivers, and leaving piers in the eastern half of Salmon Bay high and dry.^[5] The Locks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the American Society of Civil Engineers Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.

I was surprised by how fascinating it was to see the locks system and to watch the salmon climb the fish ladders. This is just one of the many amazing ways in which Seattle has focused on the local ecosystem and environment and made it accessible to its residents and visitors alike. And, although our trip to Ballard Locks did not take place during the same weekend in which we visited all the other sites in this post, it is easily something that can be squeezed into (and should be squeezed into!) a long weekend visit to Seattle.

Olympic National Park

After my work obligations in Seattle, we departed for Olympic National Park. Located approximately 2.5 hours by car from Seattle, we decided to head to Olympic because I had never been, but also because we were interested in the different climate that Olympic would have to offer. Instead of driving from Seattle, though, we took the Edmonds Kingston Ferry, which was a fun experience for all of us because we got to drive our car on board and then ferry across! It ended up taking about the same amount of time that it would have taken us to drive directly from Seattle, but it was a nice break from riding in the car and a new experience for all of us.

enjoying the Edmonds Kingston Ferry

We visited in late May, but upon arrival, found that Olympic was still definitely in the throes of winter.

snow covered Olympic

The roads were well plowed so we took a short walk near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor’s Center. The novelty of the snow packed up high along the roads was enough to entertain my son for a duration of the walk and I believe this is still the most snow he has ever seen to date!

Port Townsend/Discovery Bay

After our brief stop in Hurricane Ridge, we continued on to Port Townsend, where we had rented a cabin in Discovery Bay, through Adelma Beach Properties. Although we were surrounded by snow three hours prior, we suddenly found ourselves in a warm beach town where we took off our shoes and were able to relax for the next few days.

the private pier off our cabin

The house was well equipped with everything we needed and we ended up being very glad that we had rented a house instead of staying at a hotel, because it gave us the option of cooking meals and enjoying them quietly after putting our son to bed. Since there were two bedrooms, we could easily put my son down for a nap or his bedtime, but still enjoy having our own space to relax and talk, without risk of disturbing him. Luckily for us, there was a small organic grocer in Port Townsend, which was only five miles north of the house we were staying in, so we did our grocery shopping there by day and ate like kings at night.

one of the many fresh seafood meals we cooked

We basically spent the next two days eating, napping, and enjoying quiet walks along the beach. We did not even spend any time, if at all, in the town of Port Townsend. My husband ventured in by day to pick up groceries and wine, but I mostly stayed close to the house with our toddler and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Seattle is one of those cities that I will go to whenever given the opportunity. There is SO much to do in Seattle that we have not gotten to do yet, but I know we will someday. For a long weekend in Seattle with kids, however, we had a great time on our escape from the hustle and bustle of real life and enjoyed some quiet family time.

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September 27, 2017
The Final Frontier Part III: Wrangell-St.Elias With Kids!

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest area managed by the Park Service with an area totaling over 13,000,000 acres. It is 25% bigger than the entire country of Switzerland and can encompass six Yellowstone National Parks. The second tallest mountain in the United States is Mount St. Elias and Mount Wrangell is an active volcano. The Park also has a number of glacial features. Source.

Although it was initially on the radar as a possible place to visit, after a neighbor, who had recently returned from a trip to Alaska, identified Wrangell-St. Elias as a must visit, it quickly shot up the list and became a priority. My husband, son, and my in-laws ended up spending two nights in Wrangell-St. Elias and, by all accounts, it exceeded expectations.

How did they get there?

The night before Wrangell, they stayed in Tok, Alaska at an RV camp. It wasn’t the nicest of places, but it was sufficient and they were able to get in a long bike ride on the way to dinner – a nice break from riding in the RV.

biking to dinner in Tok, AK

The next day, it was a four hour drive from Tok to Chitina, where they boarded a small air taxi for a 20 minute flight to Kennicott Glacier Lodge. The decision to fly into Wrangell was made entirely due to the fact that there are only two roads into Wrangell-St. Elias and both are dirt/gravel roads maintained by the state of Alaska, not the Park Service. There are no fuel options within the Park or services along either road, so the decision was made to leave the RV parked in Chitina and fly into Wrangell, instead of possibly risking a vehicle incident that would impact the rest of the trip. The road that they would have taken into Wrangell is only about 60 miles, but would have taken hours had they driven the RV.

Both my husband and my father-in-law loved the flight into Wrangell. The views from the air were incredible and had my husband, who was a private pilot in a former pre-kid life, dreaming of giving up the nine-to-five workday for a bush pilot gig in Alaska. Predictably, my son slept through most of the flight and my mother-in-law, who is not a fan of flying in general, said it was “tolerable.”

“The flight in is spectacular, giving you a great view of the Wrangell Mountains and views of Mt. Blackburn and the Kennecott Glacier as well as big horn sheep and the occasional moose wading in small ponds.” – Charles

Where did they stay?

Kennicott Glacier Lodge, located right in the middle of Wrangell-St.Elias was their home for three days and two nights. Due to the remoteness of the location (and thus, lack of competing options), the decision was made to book one of the special packages that included three meals a day, lodging, and the flights in and out of Wrangell. The Lodge itself was nice, but unremarkable. The views, however, were incredible. The lodge sits several hundred feet above the valley floor and my father-in-law recommends getting a glacier facing room with private bath. He also recommends the meal plan as there is not anywhere else to eat in Kennicott.

What did they do?

There are two vendors that provide guided activities in Wrangell – St. Elias Alpine Guides and Kennicott Guides. Both outfitters offer similar activities and my father-in-law decided to sign my husband up for a day of ice climbing while he, my mother-in-law, and my son went on a half day hike on Root Glacier with St. Elias Alpine Guides. Since the ice climbing was also taking place on Root Glacier, my son was able to see his dad hang on the ice both coming and going from his hike. All activities were booked and confirmed via the internet well before their arrival. Unless you are experienced in ice hiking yourself, my father-in-law would not recommend going on the ice without a guide. The guides make it easy and safe to explore with kids.

chatting with the guide about glacial ice

Crampons on and ready to go!

my ice-climbing husband

My husband really enjoyed his ice climbing experience and the hike on Root Glacier was a great experience for my son. They provided him with (the required) crampons to walk safely on the ice and he managed the approximately 5 mile hike without incident. The guide was also nice and enjoyed conversing with my son, instead of dismissing him as “just” a kid. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience for everyone’s full day in Wrangell-St. Elias.

What did they eat?

All dining took place at the Lodge as they had booked the plane ride + lodging + food package. The food itself was unremarkable. It was perfectly suitable but as my husband reports, “you weren’t there for the food.” The meals were served largely buffet/family style and one night was salmon, the other night was steak. Although my son is not the most adventurous eater, my husband was able to get enough to accommodate his taste buds.

Is Wrangell-St. Elias a good experience for kids?

My son really enjoyed hiking on the glacier with crampons. The guide did a really good job of engaging with him and he was just old enough to experience, remember, and enjoy it. My husband also enjoyed his ice climbing experience. The days they spent in Wrangell-St. Elias ended up being unseasonably warm, so they found themselves quite hot, despite being surrounded by ice. Nonetheless, the views and the experiences made the trip into Wrangell-St. Elias worthwhile and my husband can’t wait to go back. He’s already said, however, that he would like to wait until the boys are older so we can do some back country hiking and camping – which may very well mean that it will be a guys’ trip!

Return to The Final Frontier Part I: Five Days in Seward, Alaska

Return to The Final Frontier Part II: Talkeetna and Denali National/State Park

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September 20, 2017
Travel Tips: Taking Advantage of Flight Deals
featured image photo credit

If you’re like me, you subscribe to any number of websites that send you travel deals. And, if you’re like me, you aren’t able to take advantage of most of the incredible flight deals that come your way because there are too many schedules to juggle. With two working parents and one school age child, our opportunities to “get away” are limited by school schedules, vacation availability and work obligations, and if we’re seeking to sneak off as a couple, grandparent availability.

In the past few weeks, however, I’ve been fortunate to take advantage of two incredible flight opportunities that have come across my desk.

Washington, DC to Liberia, Costa Rica for less than $400 per person roundtrip

white sand beach at the Andaz Papagayo

photo credit

In 2014, while expecting our second, we explored traveling to the Andaz Papagayo for a few days just to relax. Unfortunately, flights to and from Liberia (LIR), the nearest airport, were either non-existent or cost prohibitive and the thought of flying to San Jose, Costa Rica and then making the nearly six hour drive to the Andaz Papagayo was less than appealing to a pregnant woman. Over the years, I have come across a number of reviews from other travel bloggers who have traveled to the Andaz Papagayo, heartily recommending it not only as a vacation destination, but as a family vacation destination. Consequently, although not quite the couples getaway we had initially intended it to be, I mentally filed the Andaz Papagayo away as a possible family vacation spot, especially as my youngest has gotten older and more flexible.

To my happy surprise, an email alerting me to a flight deal from DC to LIR for less than $400 per person crossed my desk a few weeks ago and within 1 hour, I was in possession of four roundtrip reservations to the Costa Rica for the Spring of 2018 for under $1,600. Here’s how it happened.

First, I checked online and confirmed that there actually were four tickets available for our desired travel dates. The deal involved two separate airlines – outbound on United Airlines and back home on Copa Airlines. Thus, I had to check on both sites to confirm availability before proceeding to my next step: calling my husband and confirming that he was able and willing to travel to Costa Rica. Upon learning that he desired a suite at the Andaz Papagayo instead of a single room, I decided to go ahead and book the flights and sort out the hotel logistics later (we planned to redeem Hyatt points so availability was not guaranteed). To make this possible, I booked four one-way tickets on United from DC to Liberia (LIR) for $653.16, making sure to note that the fare was subject to United’s 24 hour flexible booking policy. Next, I reserved four one way tickets on Copa from LIR back to DC for $941.22, taking advantage of Copa’s 24 hour “reserve and pay later” option.

At copa.com you can put reservations on hold. Simply select the option “Reserve and pay later” and copa.com will keep your reservation active for 24 hours, and you will have this time to make payment. This reservation may be paid for later using a credit card in the Manage your booking section.

Source

Knowing that I had round trip tickets for four secured to LIR for our desired dates at just under $1,600 (the total was $1,594.38), I was able to relax and comfortably explore options for reserving our stay at the Andaz Papagayo. At some point that evening, I touched base with my husband, confirmed that we had our stay booked at the Andaz in suitable accommodations, and went back to Copa’s website to pay for our reservation.

Washington, DC to San Francisco, CA for $99 per person round trip

If you’re sitting there with your mouth open, you’re in good company. I did not believe this fare could exist and frankly, almost didn’t bother clicking to check because I figured the dates would be so limited that there was no way we could take advantage of the deal. On a whim, I decided to check for availability over Martin Luther King weekend and to my surprise, found four round trip tickets from DC to SFO at the promised rate of $99 per person round trip. I was all set to book when I paused and thought – do I really want to haul my children out to San Francisco over a long weekend? The answer: no.

I quickly revised the search down to two round trips tickets and found even more availability at the promised rate of $99 per person round trip. Knowing that I could cancel the tickets within 24 hours if, for some reason, we were unable to take the trip, I decided to proceed to booking. Imagine my surprise when I learned that American Airlines offers a 24 hour free hold. In lieu of the 24 hour cancellation policy, American allows you to hold the reservation for 24 hours – fee free. I gladly selected this option as it meant I could avoid entering credit card information and the hassle of cancelling the ticket if the grandparents ended up not being available.

Luckily for me, I was able to confirm that evening that my amazing in laws were available and willing to come and babysit while my husband and I jet off to San Francisco for four days. That night, I logged onto the American website, retrieved the reservation, paid for the ticket, and received our confirmation for two round trip tickets from DC to SFO for a grand total of $200.22.

How can you take advantage of these deals?

Here’s what I do to make sure that when an appealing deal comes across my desk, I am able to take advantage of it before it expires or runs out.
- I subscribe to many flight alert websites and I also “Like” many on Facebook. It’s not enough just to “Like” the flight alert pages on Facebook, however, you must, if you want to take advantage of the deals, make sure to prioritize these pages so that they appear on the top of your feed. This way, whenever you log into Facebook, you’ll immediately see the top travel deals before scrolling through to learn what your friend’s kids’ ate for dinner.
- You must be on the same page as your spouse in terms of travel interests. It does nobody any good if you are dying to go to Thailand and ride elephants, but your spouse’s number one nightmare is being stomped to death by elephants.
- You must be organized and have clearly set dates for when you are available for travel. Every year, I anxiously await the release of my son’s academic calendar. Once given those dates, I enter them into my calendar and cross reference them with holidays and three day weekends. Whenever a flight deal pops up, I can just flip to my calendar and find a list of all the dates in which my son is not in school and we are available to travel.
- Be ready to book immediately. Even if you are not able to reach your spouse because s/he is in a meeting, you can book a flight reservation and cancel within 24 hours without fee or penalty, provided your trip is more than seven days out. The U.S. Department of Transportation imposes this requirement on airlines operating within the United States and this gives you an easy way to reserve a ticket, without worrying about being stuck with non-refundable fare and/or a fee if you are unable to actually take the trip. Although airline policies may vary, the general rule is cancel within 24 hours for trips more than seven days out for a full refund. You will see the fine print prior to completing the purchase, so always make a note of it before you hit “CONFIRM PURCHASE.” If you’re lucky, you’ll hit upon an airline like American or Copa that offers you a fee-free 24 hour hold, saving you the hassle of worrying about cancelling the ticket if it turns out you can’t take the trip.
My two favorite websites for airfare deals are The Flight Deal & Secret Flying, although there are many more options and you never know when one will alert you to the perfect fare deal!
September 20, 2017
Travel Tips: How miles and points have helped my family see the world
This post contains links to credit card / bank applications that may earn me a modest referral credit. You don’t have to use these links and if you find a better available offer, by all means, use the better offer. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Why do I bother with miles and points?

Growing up, my family took maybe a small handful of “trips.” We traveled to Utah one winter to see family friends who were living there temporarily, we traveled to Taiwan one winter to visit friends and my grandparents, and, we made small trips to San Diego and to Northern California to visit my brothers, who were attending college away from home. We never took a true vacation – one that didn’t involve visiting family/friends.

The first true vacation I took wasn’t until after I met my husband. At the time, we were unmarried, in school, and had zero money. His parents generously rented a house on the Madison River in Wyoming, and we spent a magical week hiking, fishing, and enjoying the beauty that is Big Sky Country.

My first real vacation with my now husband, then boyfriend, to Yellowstone in 2003!

Once we graduated from school and were gainfully employed, we could no longer depend on familial charity to subsidize our travel. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that travel involved significant costs – airplane tickets, accommodations, food, heck, even the taxi ride from our house to Dulles Airport runs $60-80 one-way! When we were first married, we lived in Cleveland and were childless, so given the low cost of living and lack of other expenses, we only slightly dabbled in miles and points. Sure, we had a Starwood Preferred Guest account that accumulated miles for stays, and we had Continental Airlines frequent flier accounts where we banked points for travel. But, we never really explored miles and points until we moved to DC and had kids.

The first trip we took using miles was a babymoon that we booked shortly after finding out I was pregnant with my first child. We went to Paris for one week over Christmas, “paying” for our airfare in coach with points, and “paying” for our hotel with some combination of American Express Membership Rewards points and money. I don’t recall the exact details of that trip, but I do remember being thrilled that we were spending a week in Paris for less than $1,000 out of pocket (for airfare and accommodations, not food and other expenses incurred during the trip).

Paris, December 2008

After my son was born, my husband approached me one evening and said that he was thinking about applying for a credit card that had a large signing bonus. A sign-up bonus is something credit cards offer to entice you to apply – they’re frequently tethered to a minimum spend requirement, so a standard sign up bonus can be something like: 75,000 points after $4,500 in spend in the first three months! Companies may also offer to waive the first year of the annual fee and/or include other benefits, such as credit for Global Entry fees, access to Priority Pass lounges, etc. At the time, we had only one credit card that required an fee – the American Express Gold card that my husband had long before we were married. As someone who obsesses over the details, I didn’t necessarily agree with the idea of applying for credit cards that had annual fees, but I agreed to go along with the experiment to see where it took us.

Where did it take us?

In 2013, our points took us, literally, around the world. For 360,000 United MileagePlus points (transferred from our Chase Ultimate Awards accounts) and $242.10, my husband, son, and I traveled from DC to Japan and back, with an overnight stopover in Munich. We also used points to pay for three day/two night stay in Kyoto in a Japanese style room and we used points to stay at the Hyatt Regency in Tokyo for five days/four nights.

Most recently, in 2017, my husband and I paid for a pair of round trip business class tickets from DC to South Africa with 320,000 United MileagePlus points (again transferred from our Chase Ultimate Rewards accounts) and $150.72.

We spent three nights at the Andaz Fifth Avenue on points in May of 2013, so splurged on room service.

Those are shining examples of how we have been able to travel on points in style. Without careful and creative use of points, we would not have been able to travel in business class and we likely would have had to cut back on spending during the trip. In addition to those two trips, we have also used points to defray the cost of last minute airline tickets and on numerous hotel stays (including an upcoming one week stay at the Andaz Papayago booked entirely on points. We are staying there for 15,000 points / night versus the average daily rate of $450).

The first solo trip I took with my son was partially funded by Chase Ultimate Rewards Points – I had to travel for work and booked his ticket using points at the last minute.

Is it worth it to pay an annual fee?

If you’re like me, the first question you need to ask is: “am I okay with paying an annual fee on a card?” I never had an annual fee card until I married my husband and became an authorized user on his American Express Gold card. Paying an annual fee for a credit card was verboten – so my favorite card was a Discover card that gave me 1% cash back on spend. When my husband first suggested applying for different credit cards, I didn’t actually believe we could do anything with the points accrued. However, that all changed after our trip to Paris and I have done a complete about face since our trip to Japan. As our family has grown and our travels have become more extensive, I’ve also realized that there are benefits to certain credit cards that can reduce the annual fee such that it’s “essentially” free.

Two credit cards that come immediately to mind that I carry in my wallet every day are:
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve – Although this card has an annual fee of $450, there is an automatic $300 annual travel credit. If you book airline tickets the day you get the card, you will receive an automatic $300 credit to your account, thus reducing the fee to $150. The card also includes a Global Entry of TSA Pre-Check application fee credit of up to $100 (once every four years), primary rental car collision coverage (meaning you don’t have to go through your car insurance!), you pay no foreign transaction fees, AND you get free access to Priority Pass lounges. During our recent trip to Africa, we visited six Priority Pass lounges – although not critical, it definitely is much more comfortable than hanging out in the general waiting area – at least there are clean bathrooms and abundant charging stations. These are all the benefits of the card you get on top of the signup bonus and the 3x points on travel and dining.
- The Chase Marriott Rewards Visa – The Chase Marriott Rewards visa is a card that has earned its spot in my wallet for one reason – the annual free night at a Category 1-5 hotel. The card has an $85 annual fee, but the free night is easily worth that. Most recently, I used the free night in Johannesburg, near the airport, as an easy pit stop before our early morning flight to Zimbabwe. Although the hotel rates were *only* in the low $100’s, it was an easy way to use the free night reward and offset some of the cost of our trip. Currently, the card comes with 80,000 points after $3,000 in spend in the first three months and earns you 2x points on airline, car rentals, and dining and 5x points on spending at Marriott hotels.
Another card that we renew every year when the annual fee comes up is the United Mileage Plus Explorer card. Although the card carries a $95 annual fee, it also comes with a free checked bag for you and your companion when traveling on the same reservation, access to priority boarding, and two one-time United Club passes annually. Although these benefits are, in my opinion, decent, they aren’t enough alone to compel me to keep the card. BUT, United now gives cardholders access to additional Saver level award seats. When booking award tickets, there are typically four different award classes: Economy, Saver Economy, Business, Business Saver. Although you get the same seat if you book Economy or Saver Economy, the Saver fares usually require half as many points to redeem. The same goes for the business award seats. As you might expect, the saver fares get snapped up quickly, so having access to more saver fares is definitely a sufficient enticement to hang on to the United card, even with the $95 annual fee.

being a cardholder can open up otherwise unavailable rewards

One of the things I love about flying premium class is the international dining course. This is the Ethiopian sampler that we were presented with en route to Addis Ababa.

How do we do it?

With full time jobs and two kids, we aren’t able to take as much advantage of traveling on points as we could, but this is the formula that works for us.
- Hold two accounts of the same credit card. My husband and I each have our own Chase Sapphire Reserve card, our own Alaska Airlines Bank of America Card, etc. We hold separate accounts instead of signing up as authorized users for two simple reasons: the sign-up bonus and the benefits outweigh the costs. When the Chase Sapphire Reserve card launched, it was offering a 100,000 points sign up bonus for 4,000 spend in the first three months sign up for the card during this time, thus netting us 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, right off the bat. We also each hold the Alaska Airlines card because it includes one companion fare pass per year, which entitles the cardholder to purchase one round-trip coach companion fare on Alaska or Virgin America from $121 when traveling with another passenger on a paid, published coach airfare on the same flight. Because we frequently travel from DC to the West Coast with our family of four, this companion fare has helped us to significantly offset the cost of travel. For example, when my toddler and I flew to Anchorage to meet the rest of the family in July 2016, the base fare for my ticket was $1,544.26. My companion fare son’s ticket, however, was only $99.
- Put all of your spending, that you can, on your credit cards. When I say we use our credit cards for everything, I mean everything. I even pay our water bill on our credit card, even though there is a $1.49 flat fee for all credit card payments. I figure the $1.49 fee is offset by three months of postage stamps, so I simply charge $200-300 every few months and carry a positive balance on the account, refilling it when it gets low. The internet is full of people who have researched the cost/benefits of paying estimated taxes or your mortgage with a credit card, but we haven’t quite reached that level of detail in our household (yet!).
- Put your spending on the card that nets you the most benefits. For instance, we charge all Starwood hotel stays onto our American Express Starwood credit card, all dining and travel onto our Chase Sapphire Reserve card (which offers 3x the points on travel and dining), and we also carry the Chase Freedom card which has different bonus spending categories every quarter. For example, for the third quarter of 2017, Chase Freedom is offering 5x the points on restaurant spending. Thus, although I typically use my Sapphire Reserve card for restaurants because I get 3x the spend, I have been using my Freedom card this quarter instead of my Sapphire for the extra 2% bonus. I try to keep it to a relatively simple set of categories because I only have so much mental bandwidth to spare these days, but if you want to see how detailed the analysis can get, read this article on how a man put a $45,000 car on his credit card for miles but made a big mistake.
- Finally, although we do not accrue points in this way, I do maintain a Charles Schwab checking account which includes free ATMs anywhere. I use this card exclusively for withdrawing cash at ATMs around the world. The fees are automatically credited at the end of the statement closing period and I don’t worry about having our main bank accounts compromised.
This is how I organize my cards in my wallet, so I don’t even have to think about which card to use. Just follow the labels!

Would I recommend this?

Yes! I definitely recommend everyone explore the world of travel and points. Even if you aren’t inclined to carry five different credit cards each (because it does take a lot of work to track!), it is possible that there is a way for you to spend the same amount, but on a different card that nets you significant benefits. The only caveat is this is that I would caution you not to get into this hobby if you are unable to pay your bills on time. If you are carrying a balance on your credit card, you should focus on paying the balance off before you start diving into the world of points.

There are tons of resources online to help you get started if this is something you’re interested in. This New York Times article from 2015 includes links to a number of miles and points bloggers I follow. Do not follow the recommendations in the article, however, as they are outdated. Instead, visit the individual bloggers and search for their most recent posts on “best cards.” I’ve included, below, a few links to the authors I have relied upon most heavily in the past.
September 12, 2017
Safari With Kids? Muchenje Safari Lodge Review

In June 2017, my husband and I took a much needed anniversary trip sans children to Africa. Although our itinerary included stops in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, we worked in two separate safaris: Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati Game Reserve just outside Kruger National Park in South Africa and Muchenje Safari Lodge just outside the Chobe National Park in Botswana. Both stays were four day, three-night stays, thus allowing us sufficient time to explore all the camps had to offer. The question of whether to safari with kids is one that I’ve gotten numerous times and, although our children did not travel with us, this Muchenje Safari Lodge review will hopefully provide you with an idea of whether a safari with kids is a good idea given your personal situation.

To read about the Umlani experience, go here.

Muchenje Safari Lodge

Muchenje was recommended by a travel agent who described Muchenje as a “medium rated but proven to be well operated lodge” that offers a “personalized experience.” With a maximum capacity of 24 guests, the lodge, although bigger than Umlani (which accommodates a maximum of 16 guests), still maintained its intimate and personalized feel. The managers, Toff and Kiddy, were a warm and welcoming pair, pouring drinks for us from behind the bar and entertaining us with tales of their exploits in Botswana.

our inviting room upon arrival

view of the river from our room

Muchenje seems to have hit upon a true “formula” for a successful safari For those staying two nights or more, the full day experience at Muchenje includes a boat cruise along the Chobe River. For those who desire, here is an optional early morning game drive, followed by breakfast before departing for the full day cruise. The drive to the river takes you through Chobe National Forest, before arriving at the Chobe River, where you board what can only be described as a large jon boat with seating for approximately 10 people. The boat ride lasts for a few hours, during which you are treated to lunch and an incredible amount of wildlife – we saw more hippos, elephants, and large expanses of plain filled with zebras and buffalo. Although it was also winter in Botswana, it turns out that due to Muchenje’s proximity to the Chobe River, it is actually their high season when we visited simply because all the animals are collect near the water source.

I’m not sure what I expected before embarking on the full day boat cruise, but I know I did not expect to see an elephant “washing” its food before eating it!

+Photo Credit: Diane Toole

Although there were a few hiccups during our stay at Muchenje, none can be blamed on the lodge. Indeed, we had an incident involving a genet that had taken up residence in the thatched area above our hut, which required us to be moved to a different room, and we also had a day where the electricity was completely out due to electrical work taking place in bordering Namibia. Although we had survived just fine without electricity at Umlani, being unexpectedly without electricity was a hurdle that the staff overcame with grace.

The daily schedule is similar to that at Umlani – the lodge offers an “early morning” game drive that begins at around 6am, followed by breakfast at 8:30am and a morning game drive at 9:30 am. Upon return, guests enjoy quiet time and some rest and relaxation, before departing for the evening game drive around 3pm, returning in time for dinner. The only modification is that when on the “full day cruise,” you don’t return to the lodge and have lunch on the boat. The Botswana experience is unique in that the terrain was very different from the Timbavati – much more wide-open expanse versus heavy brush.

surrounded by buffalo on our last game drive

Although we could not go off the paths since we were in Chobe National Forest, I never felt like we were missing out – the sheer number of animals was awe inspiring.

During one of our last game drives, we happened upon a pride of lions… and watched two mama lions take down a giraffe.

+Photo Credit: Sean Toole

+Photo Credit: Sean Toole

+Photo Credit: Sean Toole

My husband and I enjoyed our time at Muchenje. The accommodations were definitely a step up from the accommodations at Umlani, with electricity and a full bar of wines and spirits. The camp itself is also much larger – there were many guests that we did not get a chance to meet or talk to just because of the larger crowd. During the four days and three nights we were there, however, walking safaris were not an option. Although they were advertised online and many reviewed that they loved the walking safaris on TripAdvisor, we inquired upon arrival and were essentially told that the ranger that usually does walking safaris was on leave.* Nonetheless, our guide, Rambo, quickly got the sense that we were antsy from not being able to walk or exercise, and on our last full day at the lodge, he drove just my husband and myself into town to see the sights, including a visit to his own home, and allowed us the option of taking a two mile walk back to camp while he followed in the land cruiser. If bush walks are critical to your party, definitely inquire beforehand.

photo of the health clinic across the street from the school

a shade shanty

I do not know the lodge’s official policy on children, but on the last day of our stay, two families with young children did arrive. The youngest child in the group was eight – exactly the age of my oldest, so I believe school aged children would be appropriate for this camp.* Overall, I was happy that we had the opportunity to experience a second safari. Seeing the difference in terrain and the sheer number of animals was well worth the trip, and it gives us a good idea of what to expect, generally, when we next safari with the kids. I will note, however, that it appeared, at least to us, that the employees working at Umlani were much more comfortable with speaking English than those in Botswana. Although we had no problems communicating, there was less overall communication and discussion on the game drives and so we definitely learned a lot more during our game drives in Umlani. As with our experience at Umlani, however, I would not recommend Muchenje for those with small children.

Finally, there is a long walkway that leads from the central lodge/dining area to the individual huts in which guests sleep, but there is no large central space for toddlers/young children to run around. If your kids are young enough that they simply must have space to run around and burn off energy, a safari lodge would be a difficult place to keep them safely contained.

If you happen to be a birder, Chobe is the place to be! We saw more beautiful birds than I have seen anywhere else. My son is a big fan of birds (his earliest animal obsessions involved the kori bustard, which we saw on this trip, and the emu!).

+Photo Credit: Sean Toole

Do I recommend safariing with kids?

Yes. Safaris are an amazing experience and I would absolutely recommend taking your children. I would even bring my toddler, knowing what I know now, but would have to be prepared to sit out game drivers and/or plan to spend long afternoons at the camp, swimming in the pool or thinking of creative ways to keep him busy. There are many camps that simply do not permit children under a certain age, but there were no restrictions at either camp that we stayed in, suggesting to me that your child/toddler won’t be the youngest child/toddler the staff has seen and accommodated. The staff at both locations was also prepared to ask, upon arrival, whether there were any special dietary restrictions or requirements. Since the food is served buffet style, the kitchen at both lodges was willing to make separate dishes if nuts / gluten / dairy was an issue. I happily noted that milk and peanut butter was available at both locations, so I knew there would be something for my kids to eat had they been present. Finally, we happened to get lucky in Africa and did not have any trouble with mosquitoes. Both locations had mosquito netting for the beds and abundant insect and mosquito repellent – but I saw nary a mosquito and did not get any bites. My husband and I were both on anti-malarial medication, which is strongly recommended when traveling to Africa and can cause some people mild to moderate discomfort. Considering whether you want to bring your children to a location where anti-malarials are recommended (as well as the typhoid vaccine) is also something to take into consideration when planning a trip to Africa with kids.

*Although it varies by camp, it appears that camp employees typically live on site for 30-60 days, returning home for a few days or a week between rotations.

+One of the unexpected joys of the safari was meeting an awesome couple, Sean & Diane Toole and their two teenage daughters. We bonded during the course of our long day on the boat and a few mishaps that could have seriously altered the course of our respective vacations but did not. In our case, it was a “misplaced” dSLR that was subsequently recovered, in their case it was no electricity on their check out day, thus requiring an emergency cash loan. What happens in Africa stays in Africa!

September 11, 2017
Safari With Kids? Umlani Bushcamp Review

In June 2017, my husband and I took a much needed anniversary trip sans children to Africa. Although our itinerary included stops in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, we worked in two separate safaris: Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati Game Reserve just outside Kruger National Park in South Africa and Muchenje Safari Lodge just outside the Chobe National Park in Bostwana. Both stays were four day, three-night stays, thus allowing us sufficient time to explore all the camps had to offer. The question of whether to safari with kids is one that I’ve gotten numerous times and, although our children did not travel with us, this Umlani Bushcamp review will hopefully provide you with an idea of whether a safari with kids is a good idea given your personal situation.

To read about the Muchenje experience, go here.

Umlani Bushcamp

Words cannot begin to express how much I loved our experience at Umlani Bushcamp. For our party of two, our four day, three-night all-inclusive stay (which included pick up from Hoedspruit Airport and departing shuttle from the Timbavati to Johannesburg National Airport) was less than $1300.

I loved the arrivals and departures board at Hoedspruit!

I’ll admit that my husband and I were both skeptical because it seemed so cheap. Indeed, I comparison shopped and a four day, three-night stay at a five-star lodge in the Timbavati would have cost $3,692.31 the same dates we were there! Suffice it to say, I was worried going into Umlani that it would be an awful experience, but I left deeply in love with the camp and can’t wait until my children are old enough to bring them back.

The Timbavati, I learned, is a private game reserve that was set up by a number of landowners in the 1950s. The reserve borders Kruger National Park and there is no fence between the two, meaning the animals are free to roam the two areas. Some of the land had been used previously for cattle farming and during our game drives, we did see evidence of its cattle farming history.

There is no electricity at Umlani, so everything is solar powered, including the Wi-Fi, which is available during daylight hours (although if you ask nicely, they will turn it on in the evenings so you can text your in-laws and check in on the children, while gloating about the fabulous rhino pictures you took). There’s a central charging station, located in the gift shop, where I felt perfectly comfortable leaving my cell phone and camera batteries to charge during the day. There is no age restriction on guests; however, if I remember correctly, children under age one cannot ride in the safari vehicles and children under a certain age (I believe 6?) are not permitted on bush walks. I asked our head ranger and was told that although children aren’t permitted on bush walks, they can arrange for shorter walks around the camp if children are well behaved. The camp can also arrange for an overnight stay in the Treehouse, which we did our second night.

the treehouse, where we stayed our second night

The camp’s daily schedule is: 6AM bush drive, followed by breakfast, lunch at 1PM, 3PM bush drive, followed by dinner. An optional bush walk, guided by a ranger, is available after breakfast. We arrived at camp around 12:30pm, and there was only one other guest at the time. We enjoyed lunch together and then it was time to depart on our first game drive.

view of our eco hut

the inside of our eco hut, complete with bottle of champagne to celebrate our anniversary

Umlani game drives all take place aboard open-air vehicles. Because the Timbavati is a private reserve, off-roading is allowed, unlike in a national park where vehicles must stay on the major roads. At Umlani, each game drive took place with two staff members – one driver/ranger and one tracker, seated on the front of the jeep. We were given a number of instructions prior to our first game drive, including, but not limited to, stay in the land cruiser, do not stand up unless given permission to stand up, and wear neutral colored clothing to avoid drawing attention to yourself, etc…

view from the inside of the land cruiser

Hanging out in the land cruiser, while the early morning snacks get set up

My husband and I were dedicated safari-goers, participating in every morning and afternoon game drive and requesting the optional bush walk after breakfast every morning. On our first game drive, we saw a white lioness, and on our very last game drive we saw a leopard – in between, we saw the other three animals which form the Big Five (the elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros) and countless zebra, giraffes, and other local game. Because off-roading is permitted, we were able to get much closer to the animals than our subsequent safari, which took us through Chobe National Park.

I have about 1,000 photos of birds on game…

my husband, taking a photo of the hippo in the lake while I enjoyed my sundowner (wine and snacks)

the white lioness we saw on our very first game drive

completely surrounded!

buffalo!

Viewing the animals in their natural habitat was an incredible experience and it did not take long for me to understand why people fall in love with Africa – it is intoxicating. But what made the Umlani experience was the people who work there. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, going the extra mile to ensure that we were comfortable. They encouraged us to ask questions, volunteered information about living and working in the bush, and every night, at least one member of the staff joined us for dinner. We definitely felt like we got to know the employees and they also took an interest in our lives and hearing about our children back at home. By our second day, the staff knew that I liked white wine at the sundowner, red wine for dinner, and that I had two little kids at home, staying with their grandparents, and thus needed to spend a fair amount of time on the Wi-Fi, ensuring everyone’s happiness and well-being.

dining area in the light of day

inviting place settings at every meal

every dinner began and ended seated around the fire in the boma. many fond memories of conversations with other guests and staff there

the boma area

Shadreck, our amazing Ranger, explaining the rules of the bush walk just prior to taking off

On top of that, I found this article about Umlani after our trip and found myself loving Umlani even more! During our stay, I got a sense of how wonderful the camp is to its employees – including welcoming the children of employees to stay with the staff on camp and join along on game drives when they aren’t full, but learning that Umlani has actually changed lives really brought home just how unique Umlani is. My husband and I both found ourselves commenting that we needed to get back to Umlani soon and often because rarely in life do you find something so special.

Practically speaking, Umlani would have been an outstanding experience for my eight-year-old, but a terrible experience for my two-year-old. Because we’re out in the bush, there’s very limited open space for kids to play and cause ruckus. My two- year-old likely would have had a difficult time getting his energy out in a safe manner. Logistics aside, it would seem awfully inconsiderate to bring a toddler on a safari unless you have a large enough party that you require an entire vehicle on the game drives. I cannot count the number of times I have gotten fed up with the constant toddler chatter, demands, whines, etc in the car; I would never think to subject other paying vacationers to the same experience. The safari schedule is also rather rigid – you must get up and be ready to depart at 6am for the game drive; there is no waiting or dawdling and so, if you need to be able to manage your child’s schedule in a way that it conforms to the safari routine, without inconveniencing others. Consequently, while Umlani does welcome children of all ages, I would not bring a non-school aged child on safari without understanding that there are significant draw backs to doing so (including having to sit out on certain experiences and/or not being able to participate in bush walks) and tempering my expectations accordingly.

The lack of electricity, however, was not an issue, and I found myself surprised by just how comfortable the accommodations were. In the evenings, everyone gathered for a dinner in the dining room (served family style), and then staff members escorted you back to your room. Although some people stayed to have an additional drink in the boma, most people went back to their room and went to bed, to get ready for the next morning’s game drive. I believe the only thing that is out of the question at Umlani is the hair dryer, but I never expected to “do” my hair while on safari anyway, so I didn’t miss it.

A note about the return transfer to Johannesburg Airport. Our travel agent suggested that we take the shuttle from the Timbavati back to Johannesburg Airport as we had a full day and were not scheduled to fly to Victoria Falls until the following morning. We were booked onto Ashtons Tours, but, through no fault to the company, I would not recommend this drive with small children. The drive from the Timbavati to Johannesburg took approximately six hours and it was a long time to spend in the car. Moreover, there was only one short stop of about 15 minutes, and I cannot imagine children enjoying this ride. I would recommend either driving yourself, although this is not without risk as portions of the road are in horrendous condition, or simply returning to Hoedspruit and flying on to your next destination. In hindsight, we should have taken a flight from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg and flown directly to Victoria Falls from there, without our overnight at the Johannesburg airport. This would have saved us a day and a very long ride in the shuttle. If you are shuttle bound, however, Ashtons is not only affordable but honest. My husband, in his haste to unfold himself from the car, left our DSLR in the vehicle. When I emailed the next day inquiring, I was informed it had been located and they happily arranged to drop it off at our airport upon our return to Johannesburg for a very nominal fee.

small shops selling trinkets along the road to Johannesburg

To read about the Muchenje experience, go here

September 9, 2017
Africa Part I: Africa with kids?
Last night, I was flipping through twitter and came across Nomadic Matt’s live tweets from South Africa. His safari photos were enough to prompt me to open up a bottle of South African wine and begin reminiscing about the amazing trip we took to Africa earlier this summer. In June of 2017, my husband and I celebrated our tenth anniversary with a nearly 2.5 week-long vacation in Africa. It began with three nights in Cape Town, one night in the Cape Winelands, three nights at Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve just outside Kruger National Park, two nights in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and finally, three nights at Muchenje Safari Lodge in Chobe National Park. Although this was a rare kid-free vacation for us, I did spend most of the trip missing my eight-year-old, who I think would have enjoyed the trip tremendously, while at the same time keeping an eye towards just how quickly we could return with both kids (because the trip was not ideal for toddlers and I know the “baby” won’t want to be left behind when we go!).

View of Cape Town from Table Mountain

Why Africa?

Neither of us had ever been to Africa and knowing we had just over two weeks of time, it seemed like a great place to explore for the first time without kids. Our decision to travel to Africa was cinched by the fact that I was able to book two round-trip business class flights from Washington, DC to Cape Town and then from Johannesburg back to Washington, DC for 320,000 United miles (which we transferred from our Chase Ultimate Awards account) and $150.72. Knowing that we would could make the trip to and from Africa in relative comfort for almost nothing out of pocket was a major factor in deciding on Africa.

A second major factor in our decision to go to Africa was that it would be winter in Africa during our summer! Living and working in Washington, DC, I was adamant against going somewhere where it would be hot and humid. That meant most of Asia was out of the question, as was much of Central America. Although we briefly considered a walking tour of Switzerland, it did not come to fruition as my husband (who lived in Switzerland one summer in college) had no time to plan the trip and I quickly lost interest in the notion of taking a nomadic journey across Switzerland on foot. Traveling to South Africa in June ended up being perfect. Because it is the middle of winter, the climate was generally in the mid-60’s and thus, perfectly comfortable for the hiking and walking we wanted to do. Moreover, the biggest tourist season is during their summer – which spans December and Christmas. According to one of our guides, it would be a 90 minute wait to get down to the Cape of Good Hope during high tourist season. We were able to pop in and out without any trouble.

Travel Logistics / Itinerary:

The logistics of travelling to Africa were slightly overwhelming at first as neither of us had been and there was a lot to figure out – immunizations, transfers from one side of the country / continent to another, visas, etc. Luckily, I had a coworker who had just returned from a trip a few years prior who had a few recommendations. Initially, the thought was to spend a few days in Cape Town, a few days in the Winelands, and then travel to Kruger for a safari. However, as I researched, I realized that given the length of time we had reserved for the trip, we could easily squeeze in a second safari. This decision was reinforced by a travel agent, who based on our interest, was able to recommend a few different medium-priced safari lodges. Ultimately, we decided to stay at Umlani Bush Camp in the Timbavati, which billed itself as a “rustic” three-star safari lodge, followed by a stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge which was recommended by our travel agent as a medium-high end safari experience. The two stays at the safari lodges and the transfers to/from each lodge were booked by the travel agent, who was able to secure a cheaper rate than had we booked it directly ourselves, but I was able to book everything else myself, including our three intracontinent flights and hotels in Cape Town / the Winelands / Johannesburg / Victoria Falls.

Our itinerary was as follows:

Day 1 & 2 – 5:30pm arrival in Cape Town, followed by two nights at the Protea Hotel Cape Town Victoria Junction
- Private Hike up Table Mountain via Skeleton Gorge with Table Mountain Walks
- Private Cape Peninsula Tour with Vineyard Ventures
Day 3 – Babylonstoren
- Private wine tour with Tsiba Tsiba Wine Tours
Day 4 – Overnight stay at Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray, in preparation for next day flight to Hoedspruit, South Africa

Days 5-7 – Morning three-hour flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit
- three days, two nights all-inclusive food/drinks/game drives at Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Day 8 – Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport, in preparation for next day flight to Victoria Falls

Days 9&10 – Morning two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on day 9 and then two night stay at Batonka Guest Lodge
- Batoka Gorge walk and village tour with Shearwater Victoria Falls
- Victoria Falls walking tour with Shearwater Victoria Falls
Day 11-14 – Transfer from Batonka Guest Lodge to Muchenje Safari Lodge
- three days, two nights all-inclusive food/drinks/game drives
Day 15 – Two-hour flight from Kasane, Botswana to Johannesburg Airport, overnight stay at Ten Bompas Hotel in Johannesburg

Day 16 – Fly home

The Highlights:

Cape Town:

My husband and I were both blown away by Cape Town. It is easily one of the most beautiful cities we have ever been to, easily rivaling San Francisco in terms of its beauty, climate (at least while we were there in the middle of their “winter!”), and devotion to good food and wine.

Our first full day in Cape Town was spent hiking up Table Mountain via Skeleton’s Gorge. Our hike was led by Pietro of Table Mountain Walks and his style of guiding and pace was a perfect match for what we were looking for. Despite our late arrival at the hotel the prior night, he called to confirm our meeting time the next morning and also to suggest what shoes/clothing to wear given the weather. We met Pietro the next morning in the hotel lobby after a light breakfast and proceeded to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, the designated starting point for our five-hour adventure. Although my husband and I greatly enjoyed our hike Skeleton’s Gorge, it does involve climbing ladders and a very wet rock gorge. Since it had rained the few days preceding our planned hike, there was so much water actively streaming down the gorge that I simply thought it was a waterfall and asked Pietro when we got to the landing, “now what?”

photo credit

one of the most interesting rock formations at the top of Table Mountain

Although we had a blast climbing up the gorge and then walking across Table Mountain before taking the cable car back down, this is not something I would recommend with young children. If I were to return with young children (not yet teenagers), I would recommend riding the cable car to the top of the mountain and then walking the flat part of Table Mountain, Smuts Track. You can spend as much time as you want walking the flat trail and there’s plenty of views and rocks to see – just be cautious, in adverse weather conditions, the cable car will stop running and if that happens, you will be left with the option of sitting and waiting for it to reopen or a near vertical climb down.

Our second full day in Cape Town was spent with Andrew at Vineyard Ventures. Vineyard Ventures offers only private tours and can custom tailor the tour based on your particular needs and interests. Our tour began with an early hotel pick up, and we immediately proceeded down to the Cape Peninsula, the Cape of Good Hope, and the penguins at Boulders, before dropping us off at our hotel. Along the way, Andrew drove us through Constantia, Cape Town’s “wine country” and provided us with tons of information regarding the local architecture, political climate, and other historical insights that we would not have been privy to without his company.

panoramic view of the shore and large number of cormorants near the Cape of Good Hope.

Unfortunately for us, my husband and I came down with a mild stomach bug the morning of our planned Cape Peninsula Tour. Although the stomach bug was short lived and well-managed with antibiotics and other medications we picked up from the pharmacy, it still affected our ability to really engage and fully appreciate the day. I will say, however, that having hired a private tour for the day (and a private wine tour the next day) really saved those two days we were down with the stomach virus in Cape Town / Winelands. If we did not have pre-arranged transport and someone else to do the driving, there is almost no chance we would have attempted to do it ourselves. Overall, I was thrilled with the quality of the guiding offered by every single company/vendor we engaged in Cape Town / Winelands and would not hesitate to recommend them going forward.

Winelands:

Andrew conveniently dropped us off after our Cape Peninsula tour at our accommodations for the evening – Babylonstoren, the highlight of my time in Cape Town. Babylonstoren is a Cape Dutch Farm that has an operating fruit and vegetable garden, bee hive, winery, restaurant, spa… Although our stay was too short to arrange for a spa treatment, our accommodations (a single room with bath in a free-standing dutch home) were exceptionally well appointed and dinner was also lovely. We took a quick tour of the gardens the next morning and loved seeing the different fruits and vegetables and, my personal favorite, the jumping chickens.

outside view of our cottage that we called home at babylonstoren

From Babylonstoren, Eileen from Tsiba Tsiba Wine Tours took us on a private tour of six different wineries. Although Eileen chose the wineries, she did so with prior information regarding our tastes and preferences and chose a wide variety of wineries – some that we would be able to find in the United States and others that we could only enjoy in South Africa.

representative of the scenery in the Winelands

Would I recommend Cape Town / Winelands for those traveling with children?

It depends. If you’re planning on traveling with young pre-teen children, I suggest that your time would be better spent on safari than in Cape Town and the Winelands. Although there are definitely things to do with young children in both areas, the real attractions – to me – in Cape Town and the Winelands are the food, the hiking, and the wine. Of course, if you’re not someone who is called to four course meals* with wine pairings and/or full day wine tasting adventures, by all means, enjoy the small hikes in Cape Town and the surrounding mountains and even take your kids to Babylonstoren – they likely would love to spend a day in the gardens, learning about harvesting, growing, and jumping chickens. But, my husband and I both agreed that given the opportunity to travel to South Africa again alone, we would spend a long weekend or a week in Cape Town / Winelands, saving the kids for the big game safari adventures.

Regardless of the age of your traveling dependents, however, South Africa was an ideal place to visit in mid-late June. School age children will be on summer break, the temperature will be moderate (for us East Coasters used to extreme fluctuations), and the crowds were practically nonexistent – we encountered no other climbers on our hike up Skeleton’s Gorge, and there were very few people on the cable car and/or touring the Peninsula. I wouldn’t hesitate to plan a summer vacation next time, but I would not recommend going in our summer (their winter) if you are not keen on crowds.

* we had numerous, amazing fine dining experiences that blew our minds during our stay in South Africa. Not only was the food and wine inventive and delicious, but the portions were huge, and the checks were not! Our four-course dinner for two with wine pairings on our last night in South Africa came out to $140 total, tax and gratuity inclusive – cheaper than what we usually pay for a four-course meal with no wine pairings for one! If you’re interested in specific dining recommendations for South Africa, let me know. I’d be happy to share our experiences and send along recommendations.

Interested in safariing with your kids? Read about our experience at Umlani Bushcamp and Muchenje Safari Lodge. You can also read about our experience in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe here.
September 8, 2017
Denali With Kids

Following our stay in Seward, we headed off to Talkeetna, our home base for exploring Denali with kids!

Why Denali?

Denali is the tallest mountain peak in North America and so there was no question as to whether or not we would visit. I had the good fortune of having a neighbor return from a 2 week vacation to Alaska the fall before we were slated to go and had the foresight to meet her for coffee one afternoon to discuss her trip and highlights. She ended up providing us with the most insightful piece of advice I could have received – skip Denali National Park in favor of Denali State Park and visit Wrangell St. Elias instead if we had time.

Now you might be asking – why would you end up in Alaska only to skip Denali National Park? As the National Park Service website notes:

Denali has just one road, and private vehicles can only drive a short portion of it in summer. Most sightseeing in Denali is done by bus (either a narrated tour bus or a non-narrated shuttle bus).

My neighbor reported that her experience in Denali National Park was an 8 hour shuttle bus with pre-planned stops at pre-designated areas swarming with other tourists and buses. Knowing that I was traveling with two kids, one under 2, I had no interest in boarding a shuttle bus for the day and having no flexibility in terms of scheduling or stopping. My husband and his parents are also avid “do it yourself-ers!” and so this quickly became a nonstarter for them as well.

Where did we stay?

Having decided that we would not attempt Denali National Park ourselves, we decided to stay in Talkeetna, an adorable Alaskan town bustling with food, shops, and things to do. Again, we rented a house via VRBO as our designated home base and decided to just take our time in Talkeetna easy, just simply exploring the town and enjoying each other’s company. The house was the perfect setting for it as we did not see any major hotel chains, just a few small B&B type residences. The rental house provided us with a nice yard and garden for exploring and was a block and a half off the main road, so although we were close to the activity, we never felt like we were being crowded by the foot traffic.

As an added bonus, the house was located squarely between town and the Talkeetna Riverfront Park:

Where else can you walk to the end of Main Street and find yourself at the confluence of three wild rivers, overlooking a 20,000-foot peak? Close to downtown, this large, river-centered park offers wide open, untouched spaces, along with great panoramic view of the Alaska Range.

Come here to see the mingling of 3 swift glacial rivers: the Talkeetna, Susitna, and Chulitna join to form the “Big Susitna River.” Walk right to water’s edge, or just take a romantic stroll on the gravelly, scenic sand bars. You might see people enjoying a campfire while sitting on huge, fallen cottonwood trees; rafters floating by after a day on the river; or jet boat drivers speeding by in the broad expanse of water.

We took advantage of our proximity to the riverfront and took many walks down to see the various shades of Denali throughout stay.

view of Denali from Riverfront Park on our first night in Talkeetna

How did we get to Talkeetna?

We drove, of course! It is approximately 240 miles from Seward to Talkeetna so if you happen to find yourself making the drive from Seward to Talkeetna, I highly recommend a road trip via Whittier, Alaska. I had been looking for things to do and easy stops we could take to give the kids a break from riding in the car and happened across the Whittier Tunnel. My father-in-law is a land surveyor, so I knew a 2.5 mile one-way tunnel through a mountain would be something even the adults appreciated!

our ride to Whittier took us past Portage Glacier and lots and lots of floating ice in water

Our drive from Seward to Whittier happened to take place on a brutally miserable day. It was cold, dark, and rainy. But, we made it!

The weather was unpleasant and so all we did in Whittier was take a quick walk down the pier for lunch. I don’t remember the name of the lunch place, but they had outstanding crab soup that even my 7 year old enjoyed. While we were there, we saw a cruise ship docked in the sound – but otherwise, the entire town seemed quiet. As we were leaving Whittier, I happened to google “where do people live in Whittier, AK” and happened across a number of articles about The Alaskan Town Under One Roof. Although I was thrilled to have visited, I instantly regretted that the weather had not been better and that we did not have a chance to explore the town, including Begich Towers, the high rise building where everyone lives and also contains a grocery store, post office, and the local government offices.

Since the weather had been so uncooperative in Whittier, we attempted to stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The rain did let up while we were there, but the walking paths were all mud, so it was an extremely messy walk through the conversation. Nevertheless, we did appreciate getting to stretch our legs, and my toddler enjoyed seeing some of the animals there.

What we did:

The only pre-planned activity for Talkeetna was a flight on the Talkeetna Air Taxi for my husband, son, and father in law. They had been on a small flight to Wrangell St. Elias a few weeks prior, and my husband said it was spectacular. Knowing that this would likely be the only way to see the mountain range, I had booked the three of them for the Grand Denali Tour, complete with glacier landing! At $395/person, this was not cheap, however, I did appreciate that they refunded the difference between my son’s original adult fare for a child fare on the day of the trip, since I had just booked three full priced tickets online.

snowball fight on the glacier

The morning of the scheduled flight, we received a call from Talkeetna Air Taxi saying that the weather was absolutely gorgeous and clear, but that it would be getting turbulent later, during our scheduled flight time. So they asked if we could be ready to go in 30 minutes! Exactly 26 minutes later, my guys arrived to take off, and they absolutely loved the flight. If this is something you are able to do, I encourage you to do so!

While the guys were taking the flight, my mother-in-law, I, and my toddler were enjoying the sights of Talkeetna, which had a decidedly artsy/hippy bent.

Talkeetna, an artist’s paradise

Denali State Park:

Just because we weren’t planning on visiting Denali National Park, that didn’t stop us from driving up to Denali State Park for a hike! Denali State Park is only an hour north of Talkeetna and my neighbor had said it was a low key park – easy to drive through and hike on your own.

heading off on Little Coal Creek Trail

Denali State Park

We picked a short, manageable hike on Little Coal Creek Trail, which was perfectly manageable with two kids. We did spy a bear or two off in the distance, so beware – if this is something you’re not comfortable with, definitely join a tour group or hire a guide!

We enjoyed our short stay in Talkeetna, and I’m glad that we were able to experience it with a toddler in our party. Although many with young children tend to limit their vacations to strictly kid-centered places (read: Disney World), I’m a big fan of introducing my kids to all that the world has to offer. Although we have visited Disney our fair share of times, I’m grateful to have shared Alaska with them at such a young age. Moreover, having experienced Alaska once now, I can safely say it is a state that we would like to visit time and time again. The fact that it’s “only” a short 3-hour flight from Seattle makes it much more desirable than many international locations, and let’s be honest, the fact that I don’t have to worry about keeping track of passports, exotic immunizations, and international data plans makes it all the more palatable!

Continue to The Final Frontier Part III: Wrangell-St. Elias

September 6, 2017
Seward, Alaska With Kids!

Why Alaska with Kids?

In July of 2016, my family of four, along with my in-laws, traveled to Alaska in celebration of my father-in-law’s milestone birthday and to cross off my husband’s 50th state with his parents! The 49th state was Hawaii, which we visited with my in-laws in September 2013. Although some might wonder whether a multi-generational trip to Alaska makes sense, it turns out traveling to Alaska with kids and grandparents was perfect as there was always something for everyone to do! Our favorite spot in Alaska was Seward and even now, years later, I have fond memories of our time in Seward. For those on the fence, definitely consider visiting Seward, Alaska with kids!

How Did We Get to Alaska With Kids?

My husband and then-seven year old drove to Alaska with his parents in an RV. Yes – you heard right – my husband and son flew from DC to Ohio, where my in-laws picked them up and proceeded to drive to Alaska! Over the course of 10 (leisurely) days, they camped throughout the eastern United States and Canada before 10 crossing back into Alaska and exploring Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Homer, Alaska.

Since our youngest was only 18 months at the time, I opted out of the RV ride and flew with my toddler to Anchorage, where we joined the rest of the family for the second portion of the trip: Seward and Talkeetna (our home base for exploring Denali).

Although it was my toddler’s first long flight (over five hours), he did great. Having traveled extensively with my oldest, I was prepared for just about everything including breaking out the diaper hats when everything else had lost its entertainment value.

Although I had packed two spare outfits for the 13 hours of travel time, I still found myself dressing my little one in a zip up jacket after running through three separate sets of clothes. You can never pack enough spare clothes and having extra is always preferable to not enough.

my three guys, together again

Where did we stay?

Upon arrival in Anchorage, we were quickly and happily reunited with my husband and older son, whom we hadn’t seen in over two weeks. We then went to our hotel for the night, the Sheraton Anchorage. The Sheraton Anchorage was a decent accommodation for our stay in Anchorage, but I was disappointed that although they confirmed our reservation for two adjoining rooms, we were told, at check in, that adjoining rooms were not available. My in-laws were thus on a different floor than us, although that ended up not being an issue as we were three for less than 24 hours and I was just happy to have to let my toddler run around and also to spread out and take a much needed rest!

The next morning, we headed off early for Seward. At the time, the McHugh fire was spreading near the Seward Highway, and we were worried they were going to close the road and thus, our only means of getting down to Seward. The trip itself is roughly 120 miles, however, the time it takes to make the trip varies greatly depending on road conditions as it is a two lane highway.

Seward Highway, one of the most beautiful roads in America

photo credit

view of the McHugh fire snaking its way down to the Seward Highway

We stopped to pick up the RV on our way down to Seward, so of course my toddler had to test out the driver’s seat!

We rented a place in Seward through Seward Vacation Properties to accommodate our group of four adults and two children, and it ended up being spectacular due to its proximity to town, furnishings, and gorgeous view of Resurrection Bay. The house was well equipped with a master suite that looked directly out at Resurrection Bay and its own washer/dryer set (!), and also had a large living room space for my toddler to stretch his legs. My favorite thing about the house, however, was the front deck with high plastic guard rail that overlooked Resurrection Bay. It was the perfect place to relax and the first time I felt truly like I was truly “on vacation” since my toddler was born 18 months ago!

We made many amazing meals in Seward, purchasing almost all of our seafood from Captain Jack’s Seafood Locker

Relaxing with my toddler on the deck of our rental house

What did we do?

We spent five days and four nights in Seward, and it was action packed. I absolutely loved visiting Seward with kids and can highly recommend all families pay it a visit. It has been nearly three years since we visited Seward and I am itching to go back, knowing that there are abundant opportunities for family fun in Seward.

Kayak Adventures Worldwide:

I recommend, without reservation, Kayak Adventures Worldwide. We did two trips with them, the first to Aialik Glacier with just my husband and myself, and a second private half-day kayaking adventure with our then-7 year old in Resurrection Bay. I was able to correspond with them before hand to ensure that they were able and willing to accommodate a 7 year old, and the guides we had on both trips were outstanding. The best part was that there is no up-charge for a private trip, they only ask that a minimum of 3 people book. Since there were three adults and one child that planned to take the trip, we had no problems reserving a private tour and had a great experience.

The full day trip to Aialik Glacier is not something I would recommend with pre-teen children. It is a long, cold day in a relatively small boat, and there is no option to turn back or quit since you are with a group of other people. Another family with two teenage children seemed absolutely miserable on the trip – likely due to the freezing cold rain and choppy waters the entire three hour boat ride to our kayak starting point. Although the weather cleared up considerably and it ended up being a gorgeous day for kayaking, I felt sorry for that family who clearly wished they were somewhere other than kayaking in Aialik Bay. Tip: kayaking in Alaska is not like any other place I have been kayaking before. It is not the sunny, gorgeous open air kayaking you may have experienced in Hawaii. It’s cold, you wear a lot of gear, and the water can be extremely choppy. In fact, the colder and gloomier the weather, the less choppy the water. Had it been a gorgeous sunny day to start, it likely would have been too rough to kayak safely.

my husband and I, triumphant at having reached Aialik Glacier

My 7 year old and my father-in-law, kayaking in Resurrection Bay.

snack break during our half-day Resurrection Bay kayak trip

During our half-day kayak trip on Resurrection Bay, we found ourselves suddenly kayaking in the middle of a pod of Dall’s porpoises.

A few weeks later, a kayaker had a close encounter with a killer whale in the same area in which we had been kayaking! Suffice it to say, please be careful and listen to your guide!

my son enjoyed walking the shore and collecting shells during our rest stop

The Alaska Sealife Center:

The mainstay of our trip to Seward was the Alaska Sealife Center. We all had a great experience touring the facility, which was an easy walk from our rental house and included plenty of sights for our toddler and our 7-year old. The main event, however, was the Puffin Encounter, which I booked for my in-laws, my husband, and our 7-year old. Since the website indicates a minimum age of 10, I inquired with the Sealife Center prior to our trip and was essentially advised that if I booked all of the spots, it would be “fine.” Since we had four planning to attend, I booked the appropriate time slot and crossed my fingers that there would be no issues.

feeding the puffins during the private puffin encounter

There were none. My husband reports that no one asked my son’s age and my son reports that he had a great experience. I highly recommend exploring the Alaska Sealife Center and if you have any hesitations, reach out before hand and speak with a live person.

Seavey’s IdidaRide & Exit Glacier:

As a big fan of creative uses of miles and points, I am a big fan of MommyPoints. Inspired by her trip to Seward and experience with Seavey’s, I inquired with the booking agent at our vacation rental, who said

Seavey‘s is a blast, I take my little one every year. They do offer a ‘Real Alaska Tour’ where they do the dog sledding, a historic tour of Seward, and a hike to Exit Glacier.

Booking through our vacation rental helped save us a few $$ and also helped alleviate some of the logistics for me. So, on the day of our scheduled reservation, we simply showed up and enjoyed the experience.

The tour began with a 20 minute introduction by Dallas Seavey, son of Mitch Seavey, the oldest musher to win the Ididarod! We learned about how the dogs are kept, daily care and basic maintenance, and the dogs’ exercise needs.

Afterwards, we got to ride the slide! We shared our sled with another couple and, although the sled had ribbon rails on the side, there were no seat belts or other straps. My 7-year old was able to ride in the sled safely by himself, but I tucked my toddler into the Tula carrier just to be safe.

After the sled ride, we met the new puppies and checked out the indoor training facilities! I cannot recommend Seavey’s enough. Although I was distracted by the toddler, my 7-year old seemed to really enjoy himself, and the other three adults in our group loved learning about the science and technology behind mushing. I am now a follower of the IdidaRide and think about the Seavey’s come race time! It turns out dog sledding with kids is a perfect Seward activity!

Exit Glacier:

Having booked the full day Real Alaska Day Tour, we went from Seavey’s to Resurrection Roadhouse, where we enjoyed a fine dinner before departing to Exit Glacier for our hike. Our tour guide ended up being our shuttle bus driver and he was outstanding – from explaining local scenery and highlights, to stopping off to see salmon spawning, he was a friendly, native Alaskan who was eager to show us the sights.

our poor toddler was completely pooped at this time, but happy to sleep in his Deuter Carrier

The hike to Exit Glacier was an easy walk – the first portion of it is easily wheelchair or stroller accessible, but the second portion is an actual hike up a path and thus, I would not recommend a stroller. Note also that the wheelchair accessible portion was extremely buggy while we were there in mid-July – lots of flies in our face. I ended up covering my head in my sweater hood, but wished I had an overhead bug cover instead!

My 7-year old loved the experience, and my toddler woke up just in time to wonder where he was and why there was a giant block of ice behind him!

Kenai Fjords National Park Tour:

The full-day Kenai Fjords National Park Tour was the major coup of our trip. Although our trip did not take place until July 2016, we started planning years in advance and on Black Friday 2015, I happened to notice that all tours were 40% off that day! I booked our six reservations that day for $573.12! Without the discount, our total would have been $860!

There are a number of tour options online, some half day, some full day, some including lunch / dinner stop over on Fox Island, a privately owned island in Resurrection Bay.

taking a much needed stretch break on Fox Island

my toddler, looking out over the railing at Aialik Glacier

My toddler is not a good napper on the go, so the last hour or so of the trip ended with him crying in the carrier while I attempted to soothe him just outside the main cabin. Although it was windy, I stayed outside in an attempt to drown out his cries and to prevent him from disturbing all the other guests. A number of other guests came outside and assured me that they wouldn’t mind his cries, which I thought remarkably nice!

Our group enjoyed the Kenai Fjords day tour, although I’ll admit, it was a long day with a toddler. For adults, it is the easiest way to see a number of glaciers, mountains, and all of the beautiful birds on the different islands. The boat itself is large and comfortable and sold light snacks, for those desiring. Strollers were not allowed on board, so I was happy to have my Tula baby carrier, which was the only way I could securely contain my toddler. Having said that, I’m not sure I would recommend the full day cruise for an older toddler/pre-schooler. My son, who is now 2.5, would be almost impossible to placate and contain if we were taking the same trip today. Although the boat is large enough to be relatively steady, it is still a boat and can jerk suddenly without warning. I can only imagine that my nerves would be completely frayed after a full day of attempting to keep a toddler from going overboard!

Potter Marsh Wildlife Viewing Boardwalk:

Although only about 20 minute south on Anchorage on the way to Seward (so not technically Seward), the Potter Marsh Wildlife viewing area ended up being a gem of a find. We saw signs indicating Potter Marsh bird viewing area just off the highway and decided to stop on a whim. It ended up being an ideal location for my two to burn off some energy prior to our long flight home.

watching for spawning salmon

abundant salmon visible throughout the park

my toddler loved the freedom he had to run the boardwalk and I loved the high rails which kept him safe

For over an hour, our entire party of five, ranging from 18 months to 62, enjoyed walking (or running) the boardwalk, gazing at the birds and abundant spawning salmon, and just enjoyed being outside in nature. My toddler loved having an open area that he could run around in and I loved the high rails which kept him safe. At one point, both boys were engaged in a vigorous game of army – perfect energy burning activity! This was a surprise discovery and I wish we had something like this close to home – we would be regular visitors, without a doubt!

I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to Seward with kids. I had no idea that traveling to Alaska with kids would be so much fun and I can’t wait to plan our return visit! Continue to The Final Frontier P art II: Talkeetna and Denali National/State Park

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September 5, 2017
Travel With Infants and Toddlers: Diapers

Traveling with an infant or toddler wearing diapers means that you need to make sure to have diapering supplies and are able to do diaper changes when necessary.

Diapers

When traveling with a child who wears diapers, the first question is – should you pack enough diapers for the entire trip or plan to purchase at your destination? Some parents always pack and others always plan to purchase.

On our first trip abroad with an infant, I brought only enough diapers for the first few days and planned to purchase diapers in London. Diapers were definitely available (something that is not the case in every destination). Unfortunately, I could not purchase the diapers, and even though we calculated our son’s weight in kilograms before buying, the ones we purchased were not ideal in terms of fit and nor were the second box we bought.

Since that first trip, having the right type of diaper became a travel essential. The last things I want to deal with on the road are additional diaper blow outs or leaks. I never took an international trip with a child in diapers without packing enough diapers for the entire trip again. However, if wipes were likely to be available in my destination, I often planned to purchase when needed.

While diapers are certainly available in large, metropolitan areas like London, they are not available in all destinations. We vacationed at all-inclusive resorts in Riviera Maya twice, and I noted that the on-site shop carried only one bag of exorbitantly priced size 3 diapers. Diapers might be available nearby off the resort but would definitely be challenging to locate. We also traveled to India with a toddler in diapers. Although we did not specifically look for diapers, selection was certainly limited, and we were extremely glad that we had what we needed.

I did purchase diapers a few times when traveling domestically a few times, but I had identified in advance a store that I planned to shop at when we arrived at our destination. While diapers are certainly bulky and take up a significant amount of precious baggage space, I found that packing diapers became an additional packing challenge that ensured that there would be some space to bring home souvenirs.

Our favorite diapers

Diapering

Diapering can be a bit of a challenge while traveling, especially if you are not traveling by car. Unlike nursing, diaper changes in public spaces, particularly restaurants or coffee shops, raises valid hygiene concerns because no one wants to sit and eat on a bench where a diaper has been changed. At least one diaper station is available on each flight, but not necessarily in every bathroom, so you have to check the sign on the door. There are many more diapering stations in restrooms than in the past, especially in tourist sites, but they are definitely not universal. But, a diaper kit, paper towel dispenser and standing diaper changes can make diapering easier.

Sign indicating diaper changing facilities

I was never a fan of carrying the traditional diaper bag in addition to my own handbag. Instead, I created diaper kits using the clear plastic packaging that onesies come in with a flap and snap opening. I liked these containers because the plastic was thicker than ziplocks, and the snap was easier to open. I added a few diapers, wipes, a diaper pad and a change of clothes. I had a few of these stocked at any one time in each car and my handbag.

It has been almost a year since I have needed to carry diapers, and we no longer have any diaper gear, but Nancy took some illustrative pictures of her similar diaper set up. She used the super cute and compact diaper clutch to carry a few diapers, wipes and a diaper liner in her handbag.

Nancy’s diaper clutch

Typical contents of Nancy’s diaper clutch

While having a few diapers very accessible is key when traveling, you also need to make sure that you have more diapers than you expect to need at any one time and backup supplies in your luggage. Nancy and I both used gallon sized ziplock bags to hold larger quantities of diapers and wipes while traveling.

Nancy’s back up diapering supplies

I discovered that the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom can be your ally. While air dryers may be better for the environment, paper towel dispensers can help you line whatever diaper changing area you plan to use. I always carried disposable diaper pads, but saved them to use only when paper towels were not available. No one ever commented that I used too many.

Nancy purchases these disposable diaper liners that you sometimes find in baby changing stations in bulk. Considering the exorbitant cost of other disposable diaper liners, I think this is a genius move that I wish I knew about. Those liners would definitely come in handy at all the bathrooms with air dryers.

Also, standing diaper changes are so much more sanitary than laying a baby down. I learned about standing diaper changes from my son’s day care and was skeptical at first until I realized that only my child’s feet end up touching the diapering surface. As soon as my children were confident standers, I had them stand during diaper changes in public restrooms whenever possible, and even on changing stations. This was typically not possible in tiny airplane restrooms. In restrooms with no diaper facilities, I would stand my child on the toilet seat or on the floor in a stall and do the change.

When you are outside with no accessible bathrooms and in an emergency situation, you can move your stroller to an unobtrusive location, turn it away from view, recline the seat and quickly change the diaper. Before you know it, diapering will just be a distant memory. Thankfully, that is what it is for me now.

September 4, 2017