We Go With Kids!

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  • Spring Break ’17 Part II: A Week in Monterey With Kids!

    Spring Break ’17 Part II: A Week in Monterey With Kids!

    Although I have driven from Southern California to Northern California more times than I can count, I had only been to Monterey once prior to our family trip this spring. As an avid fan of aquariums, however, I have long wanted to take my husband there and when I started researching options for things to do in Monterey, I quickly realized that it would be a wonderful place to spend the week with the kids. In Part I of this series, I discussed the logistics of our flight from DC to Los Angeles and our decision to spend the night in Santa Barbara and take our time driving up the Coast. In this post, I’ll describe the activities we packed into a seven day trip to Monterey.

    What did we do?

    Carmel Mission Basilica

    My Fourth Grade year was spent studying California history, which included an exhaustive series on California missions. I spent a lot of time as a child wondering about the missions and intrigued by their history. Although I did not get a chance to visit many as a child, my husband and I have explored many together through the years.

    If you spend any time driving up and down the California Coast, you’ll invariably see signs indicating that you are traveling on the Historic Camino Real, the road connecting the 21 Spanish missions.

    photo credit

    Happily for me, the house we rented was just a short 25 minute drive to the San Charles Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, or the Carmel Mission, and it was the perfect location for our Easter morning mass.

    The mission was built in 1770 and many parts of it show its age. Luckily, it is now the home of a vibrant parish and school. The early morning mass we attended (7AM) was completely full, with seats in the courtyard for the overflow. Since I had a defiant toddler with me, we ended up exploring a lot of the grounds during mass. Unfortunately for me, a Southern California native, it was much much colder than I expected so I was freezing by the time my son and husband were done. Definitely do not underestimate how much colder it is in Northern California than it is in Los Angeles!

    Juniper Serra, the Franciscan priest who founded the first missions in California is actually buried in the sanctuary floor. My then-seven year old, who had learned about the Spanish missionaries during Spanish class  was intrigued by the historical significance of the Mission and we stopped by the gift shop to purchase some items to bring back and share in class.

    Being that it was Easter, we, of course, did an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids.  The garden at the vacation house provided the perfect spot for hiding eggs.

    Monterey Bay Aquarium

    As you might expect, we spent a lot of time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This was the driving force behind our decision to visit Monterey and we visited every single day for a few hours at a time. The house we rented came with two guest passes to use for the duration of our stay and children under 3 are free, so we really only needed one more ticket. One day admission is $49.95 for an adult, so we decided to go ahead and purchase a $95 annual membership for my husband to use. Had our house not come with the two guest passes, we would have purchased a family membership which, at $250, is a bargain for a week of entertainment.

    Many of the days ended up being rainy, so the aquarium was the perfect place to let off some steam and get some toddler energy out. My seven year old never got bored and my toddler loved the playspace.

     

    The only downside to the experience is that my husband and I didn’t learn a single thing while there! We were too busy chasing our toddler (who thought it particularly fun to run like a maniac through the dark aquarium gallery). I did catch this video of the sea gooseberry, which was probably my favorite organism at the aquarium.

    My kids loved the sardines swimming in an endless circle. I remember being fascinated by this very aquarium as a child, so it was neat to see my kids experience it as well, even if it is much smaller than I remember it being!

    Dennis the Menace Park

    Monterey happens to be home to the Dennis the Menace Park.  Unfortunately, our stay occurred while it was under construction, so we did not get a chance to actually experience the park.  The park, however, is adjacent to Lake El Centro, where you can rent paddle boats from El Estero Boating.

    We took advantage of a sunny afternoon for our first family paddle boating experience.

    my fearless munchkin

    The water was calm and as we were there in the middle of the week, it was not crowded. I believe we were the only people on the water that day. Now that the Dennis the Menace Park has reopened, this is an easy place to spend the afternoon with kids.

    Asilomar State Beach

    Our vacation rental was only a 15 minute drive from Asilomar State Beach, which turned out to be a surprisingly delightful place to visit. Across from the beach is the Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve:

    where a landmark stile stands at the gateway to this preserve and the Asilomar Conference Grounds. A ¼ mile boardwalk meanders through 25 acres of restored sand dune ecosystem where visitors can discover the native plant greenhouse where more than 450,000 plants, representing 25 species, have been grown and planted in the effort to preserve the dunes and coastal bluffs. Several boardwalk outlooks provide panoramic views of Asilomar State Beach and the blue Pacific Ocean.

    coastal trail @ Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve

    Both my kids enjoyed the boardwalk and so did we! It was not crowded and the wooden pathways were easy for my toddler to manage on his own. Although it would be a bumpy ride for a stroller, it is certainly manageable – the bigger concern would be sand from wind. My seven year old had a blast playing army on the walk with his cousin while my toddler enjoyed stopping and throwing sand every few feet.

    Later that week, we returned to the beach for some play time in the sand and despite the stiff wind, both kids had a great time.

    Jacks Peak Park

    My husband and I are avid hikers and there was no doubt that we would try to sneak in as many walks as we could. Of course, it is necessary to adjust your expectations when hiking with kids and we try to find small walks that they can enjoy.  Jacks Peak Park fit the bill. Although there is a nominal fee to park (I believe it is $5/car), it was well worth it.

    Looking out over Monterey with the map pointing out major destinations.

    The trail was well maintained such that my toddler had no trouble walking most of the path himself.

    Dad was happy to give him a ride when he got tired!

    Although this is not a stroller friendly spot, it is a relatively easy walk without too much elevation change and the path is maintained such that I would not hesitate to bring a child in a carrier. Most of the walk was shaded and cool – especially with the ocean breeze coming in from the west.

    Jump-N-Around

    Being in Northern California, there were many days in which it rained too much for us to do anything other than go to the Aquarium. One day, we took the kids to the Aquarium in the morning, but were desperate for indoor activities for later in the afternoon. My brother (who was visiting with his wife and two kids) ended up taking all the kids to Jump-N-Around, a local chain bounce house. My kids had a great time and it provided them with some much needed jumpin’ around time (pun intended).

    Wine Tasting

    Although we did not intend to do much, if any, wine tasting while in Monterey, we spent one afternoon exploring the Monterey tasting scene after we discovered there were a number of tasting rooms all centrally located in one area, thus saving us from having to drag the kids to and from wineries. One of the tasting rooms we visited was Georis, located in nearby Carmel.

    The day we visited was pleasant enough to be outside and there is a little garden where kids can play without disturbing others (although there are cacti, so be careful)! Georis also has a limited menu, which we did not take advantage of, but it would have been easy to get a snack for the kids and keep them entertained while we sipped. Many of the other wineries we visited had similar set ups and it was definitely a more laid back environment than Napa. I would not hesitate to bring my kids along for some wine tasting next time we are in the area.

    Relax

    Reading through this post, it sure does surprise me how much we managed to work into a week long stay in Monterey! My husband and I each worked in a few visits to the Monterey Sports Center, where we paid a nominal fee for a day pass so that we could get some exercise in and we also spent plenty of time sitting around and just enjoying the cool, ocean air from the comfort of our rented backyard. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how much there was to occupy ourselves with and we never got bored. We tend to focus on big, exciting places to visit – London, San Francisco, DC, New York – visiting the sleepy town of Monterey was a nice change of pace and there was plenty to do while also providing us with some much needed down time.

    And just like that, it was time to pack up the car and the kids and head back to Southern California. Continue to Part III – Driving Back Down the California Coast

  • Spring Break ’17 Part I: Crusin’ Along the California Coast With Kids!

    Spring Break ’17 Part I: Crusin’ Along the California Coast With Kids!

    Having grown up in Southern California, where most of my family still lives, traveling to and from Los Angeles is something that has become routine. My oldest has made the cross country flight more times than I can count and my youngest thinks nothing of a five hour plane ride. That said, over the years, we have exhausted the number of things to do in the greater Los Angeles area and when I suggested taking a trip to Monterey over Spring Break, my husband jumped at the opportunity as he and our sons have never been.

    How did we get there?

    Monterey is located approximately two hours south of San Francisco International Airport and five and a half hours north of Los Angeles International Airport. When pricing flights, direct flights to and from Los Angeles were significantly cheaper than San Francisco and with four tickets to purchase, we elected to fly in and out of Los Angeles and take a mini road trip up and down the coast with the kids.

    A few years ago, we started renting vehicles from Silvercar when flying in and out of Los Angeles. Not only is an Audi A4 a much nicer car to drive than your usual compact rental car, but one of the perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is that I receive 30% off the cost of the rental car. Our nine day rental ended up costing approximately $500 out of pocket, which we were happy to pay considering it saved us from having to wait hours in the rental car line after a long day of travel. All vehicles are also equipped with WiFi and GPS, which was an extra bonus considering we intended to spend hours in the car with both boys, neither of whom are particularly fond of long car rides.

    Buckled up and ready to go!

    In order to break up the trip, we decided to stay in Santa Barbara on the day of arrival and in the Los Angeles area on the night prior to departure. This would not only give us time to do some sightseeing along the coast, but it would also give us an opportunity to visit family while also letting the kids stretch their legs.

    Where did we stay?

    Our first night was spent at the Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara. My husband used the free night certificate that comes with being a Hyatt cardmember and so our room was completely free. The room was right across the street from the ocean and although we were on the ground floor (which I usually do not prefer), our room also had a nice little private patio which was a nice place to sit and people watch.

    Not a bad room for a free room!

    For the seven days spent in Monterey, we rented a vacation home via Homeway. There are so many options in terms of vacation rentals, but the one we ultimately decided on seemed a bit off the beaten path and also had sufficient space to accommodate friends and family who would be coming to spend some portion of the week with us.

    lovely rooftop deck where we enjoyed many a glass of wine while the little one napped

    For the last and final night of our vacation, I redeemed Marriott points for a room at the Residence Inn in Pasadena/Old Town to help cut down on overall expenses from the trip. The hotel was newly remodeled and, as an extended stay location, came with a small kitchen and microwave. Although we were only there for one night, I wanted to check it out and see whether it would be a good location for future stays and visits (answer: yes, I would happily stay there next time I’m in Pasadena).

    What did we do?

    Although it was only 10AM when we landed in Los Angeles, we had been up since 2AM local time due to the time change and travel time. We stopped for a quick burger at In-N-Out before heading to our first stop of the day.

    The Santa Monica Pier

    Although largely believed to be a tourist destination, I happen to love the Santa Monica Pier. There’s a parking lot that makes it easily accessible, great ocean views, and lots of wonderful people watching. We actually had photos taken in our wedding attire after our ceremony/reception at the Pier, so it was great fun to return with both kids for some sightseeing.

    As an added bonus, Santa Monica Pier is a known Pokemon Go hotspot and unless you’ve been living under a bridge for the last year, you can imagine how excited my seven-year-old was to do some Pokemon catching in a new location.

    We spent about an hour at the Pier before climbing back into the car and heading up north to Santa Barbara for our next destination, the Santa Barbara Zoo.

    The Santa Barbara Zoo

    Although I’ve been to Santa Barbara many times, I wasn’t even aware that there was a zoo until my husband suggested it as something to do to let our toddler run around. We had no idea what the zoo would be like, but the location of the zoo (less than one mile from the hotel) and the perfect weather convinced us that it was just the right thing to do before turning in for the night.

    The zoo ended up being a perfect way to spend the afternoon! My toddler, who loves animals, was thrilled to run around and see animals after a long day of traveling and being cooped up and we loved being able to stretch our legs while breathing in the fresh ocean air. It’s a small zoo and thus had a more intimate feel than our usual zoo – the Smithsonian Zoo here in DC. If you happen to find yourself in Santa Barbara, perhaps doing some wine tasting, this would be a great place to spend a few hours in the afternoon, with or without children.

    After a few hours at the zoo, we grabbed a quick bite to eat before turning in for the night.

    Solvang

    The next morning, we woke up bright and early thanks to our jet lagged toddler and quickly packed up and headed up the coast towards Monterey. Our first stop, however, was Solvang, a Danish Village in the Santa Ynez Valley, less than an hour from where we were staying. My brother attended UC Berkeley and so I’ve been visiting Solvang for years with my family as it is an easy pit stop between Los Angeles and Berkeley. My kids were wowed by the pastries, but unfortunately, we could not visit and do any window shopping because it was still incredibly early (before 8am) and none of the shops were open.

    Pinnacles National Park

    After our stop in Solvang, we drove three hours north on the 101 (US-101 N) to Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles National Park is worthy of a visit for its unique rock formations and in recent years, it has become a hatching location for captive California condor.

    Although our hiking options were severely limited by our toddler, we did manage a short walk from the Visitor’s Center up to one of the hiking trails. Parking is extremely limited and although the website states that a “section of the Bench Trail between Peaks View and South Wilderness Trail may be accessible to visitors in wheelchairs,” the parking options would make it undesirable, for me, if I had a child in a stroller. Luckily, my toddler was able to walk and/or be carried through the hike and although my husband had to run back and forth (about 1/2 mile) from the main parking lot to the overflow lot, this was a nice off-the-beaten-path detour on our drive up the coast.

    Continue reading for Part II – A Week in Monterey

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  • Best Family Resorts on Riviera Maya

    Best Family Resorts on Riviera Maya

    Riviera Maya was such a perfect family vacation spot during my maternity leave that we did it twice.  For both trips, we chose an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico with our kids (aged from two months to six) because we thought it would be the most laid-back and relaxed trip we could take with an infant.  All-inclusive hotels are not prevalent in the US, but they are common throughout Mexico and in several Caribbean islands.  Both trips definitely were low key and different from our normal vacations filled with exploring new cities and sites, but we did get to plenty of time at the beach and pool.  There were also some cultural opportunities with traditional food, speaking our limited Spanish with the staff and attending market nights and cultural events.  We enjoyed our stay at two of the best family resorts on Riviera Maya.

    We traveled during peak hurricane season in August and October, so the resorts were not crowded.  We spent most of our days between the pool or beach and had plentiful food options at convenient restaurants and evening entertainment.  Because of the all-inclusive nature, we did not have to guestimate how much food, drinks and entertainment for the trip might cost.  We just added a few hundred dollars for tips, souvenirs and special activities and had a relatively certain total cost of the trip at the time of booking.

    Great view for a family photo

    Booking a Trip to Riviera Maya With Kids

    Both vacations to Riviera Maya were Apple Vacations trips.  We had taken a trip to Punta Cana through Apple once before we had kids, and it was very relaxing.  Apple is a major package travel operator offering flight and hotel packages that also include airport transportation.  Apple rates hotels based on an apple system with the highest rating designated as six golden apples.  We have always chosen an all-inclusive beach-front hotel in the six golden apple category and read hotel reviews on Trip Advisor before making our selection.

    Online resources make it easier than ever to create your own vacation package by booking your own flights, hotels and transfers in Mexico.  However, we found the Apple package cost was lower than what we could book separately.  We also booked both trips through Doylestown Travel, a travel agency with very helpful and knowledgeable agents and offers a best price guarantee for Apple Vacations and any other vacation they book.

    I can never get tired of this view

    Accommodations in Riviera Maya With Kids

    We two Now Resorts in Riviera Maya stayed at the Now Jade in 2010 and the Now Sapphire in 2014.  Both were amazing properties located about 20-30 minutes from the airport in Puerto Morelos.

    Now Jade With Kids

    Upon check-in at the Now Jade, we were informed that we had been upgraded to an ocean-front suite in the preferred club for the entire week.  This was a great way to start off the week.  The centrally located ocean-front suite was beautiful and had a stunning view.   With the jacuzzi tub located on the patio and basically unusable for our infant and toddler, we figured out quickly that to shower with our four-month-old. 

    View from the patio of our ocean-front, preferred club room
    Our bedroom

    The preferred club was a perk that we had not even considered booking due to the substantially higher per person cost, but we thoroughly enjoyed the ocean front suite and the quiet, air-conditioned club lounge with specialty snacks and a full bar.  At the time, the daily cost for WiFi was rather exorbitant, and it was great to have occasional use of the free computers to check email.  We also had access to the adults’ only preferred club pool, but my husband and I could use it only one at a time while the other stayed with the boys.  The few times we tried this were brief visits during the kids’ afternoon naps and wished a little that we could spend more time there.

    Now Jade’s facilities were contemporary and clean.  We made nightly dinner reservations and tried out all of the restaurants, except for the one that was designated as adults only.  Our toddler particularly enjoyed Hibachi (and, he still does).

    We spent most of our days lounging at the pool or the beach.  Our son particularly enjoyed the shallow toddler pool, which was conveniently situated right next to the resort’s main pool.  We actually chose Now Jade over Now Sapphire because the only toddler pool at Now Sapphire was located within the Kids’ Club area.  Because our kids were too young for the Kids’ Club, we wanted a resort with a usable toddler pool and became friends with a family from England who also spent their days lounging next to the toddler pool.

    This is the life

    Other than yoga by the pool, which my toddler and I both enjoyed, we did not really participate in any of the activities during the day.  However, we often watched the evening entertainment, which included acrobats and dancers in an indoor, air-conditioned theater.

    Now Sapphire With Kids

    When we decided to make a return maternity leave trip to Riviera Maya four years later shortly after our daughter was born, we decided to stay at Now Jade’s sister property, Now Sapphire.  We loved our time at the Now Jade and definitely wanted to stay at a resort of the same standard but also wanted to try something slightly different.  Because our boys were now four and six, they could enjoy the main pool with floaties.  So, it was no issue that Now Sapphire’s only toddler pool was located inside the Kids’ Club.

    We again booked through Doylestown Travel and inquired about extending our stay to 10 nights rather than the standard seven-night vacation.  Because the flights are a substantial portion of the vacation cost, we discovered that adding an additional three nights only cost an extra $400 (total, not per person!).  Because we really enjoyed the preferred club status at Now Jade, we decided to upgrade from a regular junior suite to a preferred club tropical junior suite.  The cost of the upgrade without the ocean view was not substantial, and we decided that we really wanted the perks more than a room with a view.  The upgrade turned out to be better than expected when we learned only preferred club guests could reserve the poolside cabanas and also received free WiFi throughout the resort.

    Reserving pool cabanas was one of the highlights of our trip.  Especially with an infant, it was so wonderful to essentially spend much of the day relaxing on a large shaded bed at the side of the pool.  As preferred club guests during low season, we were able to reserve a pool cabana every other day of our stay.  We spent cabana days mostly by the pool.  Because our daughter could nap in the cabana, going in for an afternoon nap was not necessary.  So, between breakfast and dinner, we just ventured out for lunch.

    Cabana paradise

    Now Sapphire found creative ways to deliver guests an afternoon snack, like fruit skewers on a kayak.

    The preferred club lounge was a nice, air-conditioned and quiet place to go before or after dinner.  It was set up like a large living room with couches and several chess sets, which were a particular hit with our oldest.  While our preferred club guest room was a “tropical” view rather than “ocean-front”, it was clean and nice, and honestly, we really spent very little time in it during daylight hours.

    Our boys were old enough to spend time at the Kids’ Club, but they only had a few brief stays at their own request.  It was a great place to play video games on a rainy afternoon, and my oldest joined the group for beach soccer another morning.  The kids in the club always seemed well-supervised and happy, but we really wanted to spend as much time with them as possible during our trip.

    The nighttime entertainment was also particularly memorable.  We stopped in at the air-conditioned theater most nights after dinner and usually ended up staying longer than we planned.  Our favorite was the fire show on the beach, but the acrobats, musicians and magicians were also fun for all ages.

    We had a few unusual challenges with our middle child falling sick with a mild flu just after we arrived, but 24-hour room service was certainly useful there.  We thoroughly enjoyed the Now Sapphire.  I would go back in a heartbeat if my husband, but my husband prefers more doing and seeing vacations.

    Packing for a Trip to Riviera Maya With Kids

    Packing for our Riviera Maya vacations was complicated by the fact that you cannot pick up forgotten items at Target or Boots.  The resort store does carry a number of the essentials, but your options are both limited and extremely expensive.  And, you cannot guarantee that what you need will be available. One resort store carried diapers only in size three and no swimming diapers.  If you’ve ever had a baby, you know that “close enough” doesn’t really work with diaper sizing, and a baby needs a swimming diaper to go into the pool.  These are not items for forget at home.

    We met a guy on his honeymoon who forgot flip flops and a suit and spent about $75 purchasing the only suitable options at the resort.  It’s definitely important to bring at least two complete swim outfits (suits/shirt/cover-up) per person because you will be wearing those most of the time.  Also, it is important to bring with you goggles, floaties (arm bands and rings), snorkels, fins, beach balls, sand toys and children’s ibuprofen when traveling with kids.

    During our first trip, I had two boys in diapers and had to keep track of how many diapers each went through on a daily basis in advance to guestimate what we would need.  We did have some regular diapers, swimming diapers and wipes left at the end of the week, but not too many, which I counted as a win.  I had underestimated the amount of sunscreen we would need, and we would have had to buy one of the $25 bottles in the resort store if we had stayed one more day.  I made sure to bring significantly more sunscreen than I thought we would need the next time.

    Neither resort we stayed at had washer or drier available for guests.  The resort offered dry cleaning service on a per piece basis only.  We did bring some liquid detergent to do hand washing of suits and essentials, but we generally packed more clothes than we typically do on vacation, particularly for our infants.  Because we were in suits most of the day and only changed for dinner, we were also able to wear clothes more than one time without an issue.

    The US dollar is the typical currency at Mexican resorts.  Everyone tips in dollars, and purchases like excursions and souvenirs are all quoted in dollars.  ATM machines not only charge a fee but also convert your withdrawal from US dollars to Mexican pesos and then back to US dollars.  We learned this the hard way.  It is definitely helpful to bring with you more cash than you expect to need.  If you can’t bring a stack of dollar bills for tipping, bartenders are very willing to help you get change.

    Items that are not needed include towels, snacks (except for the plane ride there) and toys/books from home.

    Excursions from Riviera Maya With Kids

    Apple Vacations offers a number of daily excursions from Riviera Maya hotels with transportation included.  Trips include a Chichen Itza tour, swimming with dolphins, ziplining and visits to Tulum and Playa del Carmen.  In 2010, we did an afternoon shopping trip to Playa del Carmen but chose to stay on the resort when we returned with three kids in 2014.  However, my husband hired a guide with a boat to take him and our six-year-old son snorkeling after he spent many days practicing in the resort pool, and that experience was the highlight of my son’s trip.  He came back with a love of ocean life and chose a hand painted ocean scene as his souvenir to bring home.

    Watching an artist create ocean scenes at market night

    Tips in Riviera Maya

    While all tips are “included” in your all-inclusive stay, tipping servers, bartenders, housekeepers and concierges is relatively common and definitely appreciated.  The service staff work hard and clearly rely on tips in addition to their salaries.  The common 15-20% gratuity is not required, and people who do not tip do not get bad service.  However, people who tip receive extra special attention.  For example, we regularly tipped about $3-$5 daily during our buffet lunch, and after the first day, servers would call to us to sit in the best table in their section as soon as we walked through the door and make sure we all had what we needed.

    Riviera Maya – Kid Caution

    The main safety concerns in Mexico are sunburn and unsafe food or water.  Because both of our infants were exclusively nursed at the time of our trips, there was no concerns about unsafe food or water or safely cleaning bottles.  Note that an infant must be at least six months old to get a Hepatitis A vaccination, and there is definitely added risk to taking a child who is not exclusively nursed and has not received that immunization.

    At Now Sapphire, there was clearly high attention paid to dietary restrictions.  Our daughter had a milk protein allergy that developed after we booked the trip.  She could be affected by any dairy that I consumed, and I was concerned about unknowingly eating food cooked with butter.  However, the servers were amazing at informing me which dishes were prepared with butter and also finding the resort’s stashes of Kirkland soy milk so that I could get some calcium during my stay.  Due to their diligence, I did not mistakenly consume any dairy during the entire trip.  I came home feeling confident that it wasn’t so challenging eating out with dietary restrictions – until a few weeks later when a restaurant near our home clearly made an error when preparing my dish.

    We specifically chose resorts where there were no reports of food or water problems and took extra precautions avoiding any raw or cut fruit and vegetables that may have been washed in tap water.  Despite all our carefulness, our oldest child contracted a bacteria infection from ingesting pool water in 2010.  We did not realize until his diagnosis just how dangerous pool water could be.  Because toddlers and young children regularly swallow pool water, we decided after that trip that we would not return to Mexico until after the toddler years.  We had no issues with bacteria infections on our return trip, and our infant daughter did not even dip her toes into the pool or the Caribbean.

    Now Jade pool

    The resorts offered plenty of shade options near the beach.  For our infants, the canopies from both the stroller and infant seat and sun hats provided extra sun protection. But, our favorite days were the cabana days when we had built in shade and open air. Because we traveled with infants under six months old, we used California Baby sunscreen, a non-chemical sunscreen.

    Is Riviera Maya Kid Friendly?

    Both Riviera Maya family resorts that we stayed at were extremely kid friendly.  While there are some safety concerns with infants and toddlers, this was probably the easiest to take with young kids.  I’m not sure vacationing with kids can ever be completely relaxing, but both trips were glorious, nonetheless.

    Note:  These trips were taken in 2010 and 2014, and safety of travel in Mexico has changed since those trips.  Please check all travel advisories before booking a trip to Mexico with kids.

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  • A Long Weekend in Seattle With Kids!

    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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  • Africa Part I: Africa with kids?

    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
    Day 3 – Babylonstoren
    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
    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?”
    AAEAAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJDViYWM5NzZiLWM4ZTMtNDhmOS1iZDhlLTNjNzM4YjQ1MmQwOA
    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.
  • Seward, Alaska With Kids!

    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 Part II: Talkeetna and Denali National/State Park

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  • Visiting Maui With Kids

    Visiting Maui With Kids

    In September 2013, my husband, my four year old, and my in-laws took a trip to Maui. Our motivation for traveling to Maui was simple – his parents had taken him and his younger brother to all lower 48 states together before my husband started professional school. My husband and I had traveled to Hawaii for our honeymoon years ago and had visited both the Big Island and Oahu, but we had never been to Maui, so we decided to travel together to Maui for his mom’s upcoming milestone birthday. Visiting Maui with kids is truly an amazing experience and we were happy to work in a number of experiences, including exploring Kaanapali, Paia, and the Road to Hana with kids.

    Shortly after we decided to travel to Maui, my husband learned that the Maui Marathon was scheduled to take place while we were there and decided to enter. The Marathon became a good home base for planning our trip. Since we had a good 10 days in Hawaii, we decided to spend a few nights at the Maui Westin, which was sponsoring the Marathon, before moving on to a vacation rental we secured via Homeaway.

    The Westin Maui Ka’anapali:

    The Westin is located on Ka’anapali Beach in Lahaina. It’s a wonderful resort spot for tourists and if you find that off putting, rest assured, it’s nothing like Waikiki. It’s a much slower paced vacation town than Waikiki and at no time did we feel overwhelmed or crowded.

    The Westin’s facilities were amazing – they had numerous pools (water slide included!), and it was a great home base for the three things we had planned in Ka’anapali – the Maui Marathon, a submarine ride on the Atlantis, and my son’s first real introduction to the ocean.

    Because we were there in late September, the resort wasn’t busy and the beach was relatively deserted. We had no trouble doing whatever we wanted to do – swim in the pool, eat at the restaurant, fly kites on the beach.

    While we were there, the hotel was in the middle of major renovations and so, while our room was outdated, it is my understanding that all of the rooms were part of the renovation.  And, although the room was more worn down that I would have liked, it was perfectly serviceable, and the remaining facilities at the hotel were so outstanding that it did not diminish our visit.

    The Maui Marathon

    The main event of our stay in Ka’anapali was the Maui Marathon, which was exceedingly well organized. My husband had no issue getting his race bib the night before and the opening festivities, which included their own Hawaiian flair.

    One thing we definitely noticed about the Maui Marathon was that the race truly embodied not only the island spirit but also included personalized flair that I certainly have never experienced in any other run we have participated in. Each runner was identified by name and hometown as they crossed the finish line, and when my young son decided to run across the finish line with his dad, the announcer actually added in the fact that my husband was being joined by his young son in the race to the finish! In any other race, this likely would have caused a security uproar – but the Maui Marathon took it in stride and seemed to welcome and enjoy the break from protocol.

     

    celebrating the marathon finish @ the Maui Brewing Company

    Atlantis Adventures

    Our next big adventure after the Marathon was  a submarine ride on the Atlantis. I’ll admit to thinking this was relatively silly when booking online, but a co-worker of mine highly recommended it as she had done this a handful of times with her young child. Surprisingly, this turned out to be an adventure that the adults enjoyed even more than the kid!

    The Atlantis begins with a boat ride out to the submarine, after which you climb down  the ladder into the submarine. Per the website, children must be at least 36 inches and able to navigate the ladder themselves, so while this is something that worked great for my 4 year old, this would likely not work with a child under 3 years of age.

    Once inside the submarine, a digital screen showed the depth of the submarine in relation to sea level.

    As we descended, there wasn’t much to see initially, but as we got closer to sea level, we saw schools of swimming fish before coming to the Carthaginian.  Per the website,

    Atlantis embarked on creating an artificial reef in December 2005 by sinking the aged Carthaginian replica of a 19th century supply vessel. The sunken Carthaginian, which needed major repairs and would have been scuttled at sea otherwise, is anchored to a sandy bottom in 95 feet of water that is devoid of coral reef. The resulting artificial reef will develop into a self-sustaining habitat for indigenous fish, coral and other marine life.

    Our group of five thoroughly enjoyed the submarine ride and would highly recommend it. The adventure lasts just under two hours and reservations are highly recommended. We booked ahead of time online and were able to find coupons that ended up allowing my toddler to participate for free. I believe if you were to attempt to book onsite, not only might you run into reservation/space issues, but you would also be paying full price!

    Paia:

    After a few nights at the Westin, we moved on to our vacation house in Paia, a Hawaiian Plantation Village on Maui’s northern coast. Here, we stayed for 4-5 nights and were able to do small day trips.

    Makena Beach Kayaking/Paddle Boarding:

    My hands down favorite activity while in Maui was when we rented kayaks/paddle boards and went snorkeling with my son. Unfortunately, the resort that we rented the paddle boards from, the Makena Beach & Golf Resort, closed on July 1, 2016, but I would highly recommend looking into paddle boarding or kayaking during your stay in Maui. There are a number of different outfitters that will plan kayaking / snorkeling / paddle boarding adventures for your family and having done this now in both Maui and Alaska, I can say that with a knowledgeable guide, this can be fun for children as young as 3 years old! At age 4, I felt comfortable with my son kayaking and snorkeling in calm water with a life vest on. Although he did not paddle board in Maui, I think he will be ready to do so when we travel to Costa Rica next year!

    Road to Hana:

    Another day trip involved driving the famous Road to Hana. Although many websites suggested taking a tour instead of attempting to drive it ourselves, we decided to just drive in our rental car using one of the many guided CD’s available at grocery stores in the area. As we were staying in Paia, we began our drive to Hana by picking up a picnic lunch before embarking on the full day long drive. The drive itself was interesting, but it was also extremely winding and, as someone who is not a fan of long car trips, it ended up being more than I was really interested in. Although we saw interesting things like a poi (Hawaiian for taro) plantation, enjoyed shaved ice, and made friends with the numerous stray but friendly cats who came out to say hello at the various stops, this is not something I would willingly do again with small children. There are also some necessary precautions that you must make, including ensuring that you have a full tank before leaving Paia because there are no gas stations between Paia and Hana!

    One surprising and necessary stop on the Road to Hana was the Garden of Eden Arboretum.

    Not only did the Garden of Eden provide a necessary break from the long car ride, but it also was a nice provided some nice views of the ocean!

    My favorite thing to do in Paia, however, was to just enjoy the beautiful weather and location. Our house was conveniently located only one block from the ocean. A short 5 minute walk and we were in paradise.

    The house was well equipped with sand buckets, boogie boards, an outdoor shower, and my personal favorite: a hammock.

    The house was within walking distance to the town of Paia so we enjoyed being able to just walk into town for dinner. The town has a number of small artsy stores, a wonderful little hippie grocery store, and little walks that take you to spectacular ocean views.

    Although the house no longer appears available for rent, I highly recommend this off-the-beaten-path kind of Hawaiian vacation stay. Although the resorts are lovely, they are also difficult places to enjoy things like rocking away in a hammock for a few hours. It’s also much more comfortable for a traveling family to have space to spread out, instead of being cooped up in a hotel room!

    To this day, Hawaii remains one of my favorite vacation destinations.  I was thrilled to share Hawaii with my young son, but also experience Maui for the very first time together as a family of three. Although it has now been four years since our trip to Maui, my son still has fond memories of snorkeling together and kayaking in the ocean. When asked just this week, during his first week of third grade, where he would like to visit, his response was “Hawaii.” It’s moments like these when I am really thankful that we have been able to travel with him and take him to the places we have been together.

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  • East Iceland Things to Do

    East Iceland Things to Do

    East Iceland is rather desolate, but the scenery is unbelievable. When driving in this area of the Iceland, make sure that you have a full tank of gas and stop at any bathroom you come across.  We took a recommendation to divert slightly from the Ring Road and take the beautiful drive along the fjords.  The landscapes were beautiful and reminded me of my the scenery between Bergen to Flam that I saw in Norway ages ago on my post-bar trip.  We found an amazing picnic lunch spot, saw hovering birds and passed through tunnels. Our night in Eskifjörður was a pleasant surprise.  Both of us thought we had booked in Egilsstaðir, but it was really Eskifjörður, which we loved.  Here our favorite East Iceland things to do:

    #1:  Travel the Ring Road in East Iceland

    The Ring Road follows the coast for most of the stretch between Höfn and Djúpivogur, and the ocean views are amazing.  We stopped for a lunch at a picnic bench on the Atlantic at this most amazing vista.  I wish I would have noted the GPS coordinates because it was one of the highlights of our trip. We were the only people there

    • Kid Moment:  We stopped several times for the boys to skip rocks, and my daughter started a rock collection.

    My daughter’s love of rocks began in East Iceland

    There is always an adventure around the next curve in Iceland.  We pulled off the Ring Road to get a closer look at one of the many waterfalls and found this narrow bridge that my husband was desperate to traverse to test the capabilities of our Suburu Forrester.  I absolutely refused to allow him to make the attempt.

    We saw these beautiful hovering birds and realized that they were looking for food.

     

    #2:  Djúpivogur Iceland

    Djúpivogur is a small fishing village on the Berufjörður fjord. The information center is especially helpful with a wide selection of maps. Eggin í Gleðivík is a sculpture of 34 eggs representing local birds located on the waterfront. We drove by on our way out of town and missed the opportunity to take a picture, but it is a beautiful harbor.

     

    #3:  Eskifjörður Iceland

    Eskifjörður is a fishing village with about 1,000 residents along the Reyðarfjörður fjord. Across the fjord is the stunning Holmatindur mountain, which seems to rise out of the water. For Eskifjörður accommodation, we recommend Hotel Apartments. Our comfortable one bedroom apartment included a full kitchen and laundry room with its own washer and dryer, which we took full advantage of after a few wet and muddy days.

    Holmatindur mountain

     

    #4:  Helgustaðanama Crystal Mine

    Helgustaðanama Crystal Mine is a spar crystal mine along the shore east of Eskifjörður. You follow the trail up the hill to the mine. Our kids were dazzled by the crystals, which you cannot take with you.   The weather was perfect for a hike the evening we were there, but rain was predicted in the morning.  The benefit of 24 hours of daylight is that we were able to take advantage of the weather and headed to the mine at about 9 pm.  When we returned after 11 pm, we noticed so many people (including young children) outdoors roaming around that it appeared to be the middle of the day.

    The friends’ team hiking to the spar crystal mine
    The spar crystal mine

     

    #5:  Eskifjordur Swimming Pool

    The Eskifjordur pool is a geothermal pool with excellent water slides. Despite exceptionally cold and rainy weather, we had the pool to ourselves when we visited mid-morning and enjoyed it thoroughly. Our host was kind enough to call to to confirm open times.  We were not permitted to take pictures of the pool area.

    East Iceland may be a rather desolate area of the country, and we did not run into many other tourists.  However, we are glad we traveled the entire Ring Road and didn’t miss out on this amazing region – a hidden gem of Iceland.

    Continue to Iceland Part VIII – North Iceland.  Interested in finding out more about Iceland with kids?  Join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, which is a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.  Also, be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts.

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  • Southwest Iceland Attractions

    Southwest Iceland Attractions

    We loved Southwest Iceland even though it was wet and windy for most of our time there.  The sites we visited were all on or near the Ring Road.  Due to scarcity of hotel availability, we traveled from near Seljalandfoss to Höfn in one day.  It was a long day with a lot of amazing stops, but it would have been preferable to stay near Vík or Kirkjubæjarklaustur and spend two days exploring this area.  Here are six Southwest Iceland attractions we recommend.

    #1:  Seljalandfoss Iceland

    Seljalandfoss is a 200 foot waterfall that visitors can walk behind by following the path into the cave behind the falls. The Seljalandfoss hike is a bit of a trek, but our seven and nine year old boys easily handled the trail.  I walked carefully as I carried my daughter in our Beco carrier.  Seljalandfoss falls is easily accessible from the Ring Road.  

    • Seljalandfoss Facts:  Plans to build an information center near Seljalandfoss caused controversy in May 2017 because opponents worried the building would spoil the view and natural look of the area.
    • Seljalandfoss Kid Moment: Make sure to take the path from the cave down to the edge of the water and get a closer look at the waterfall.
    • Seljalandfoss Kid Caution:  Seljalandfoss is viewed from below rather than above and therefore less dangerous than many waterfalls in Iceland.  However, the path that winds behind the falls can be slippery because of the constant mist.  Also, rain gear is probably necessary even on a dry day.
    • Seljalandfoss Coordinates:  63°36′57″N 19°59′34″W

     

    #2:  Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

    The Eyjafjallajökull volcano is known throughout the world because of the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption that caused the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War I.  My mother-in-law and sister-in-law were stuck for an extra few days in the US when transatlantic flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash.  We viewed Eyjafjallajökull from the Ring Road when we stopped at an unmarked overlook to take some pictures.

    • Eyjafjallajökull Facts:  The resulting volcanic ash of Eyjafjallajokull’s eruption disrupted air traffic over Europe and the Atlantic.  The pronunciation of Eyjafjallajökull became a news story of its own at the time.  Check out this video to learn how the correct Eyjafjallajökull pronunciation.  We were not able to master it.
    • Eyjafjallajökull Kid Moments:  Show your children video of the 2010 eruption, which did not cause any injuries, and discuss some of the most destructive volcanic eruptions.
    • Eyjafjallajokull Location:  63°37′12″N 19°36′48″W

     

    #3:  Skógafoss Iceland

    Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls with a width of 75 feet and drop of 200 feet. Skogafoss was probably the safest and most accessible waterfall we visited as the viewing area was located on the river bank below the falls and just at the edge of the parking lot.  Don’t miss Skogafoss falls right off the Ring Road.

    • Skogafoss Kid Moment:  Look for rainbows, which are common at Skógafoss, due to the amount of spray.
    • Skogafoss Coordinates:  63°31′47″N 19°30′50″W

     

    #4:  Sólheimajökull Iceland

    Sólheimajökull is a beautiful outlet glacier of the Myrdalsjokull glacier. We took a short walk on a path from the parking area to view the glacier.  Sólheimajökull glacier tours were generally not offered for children under 10.  While this is one of the easiest glacial tongues to reach, we did not take attempt a Sólheimajökull glacier hike on our own.  Here is the correct Sólheimajökull pronounciation.

    • Sólheimajökull Glacier Facts:  A glacier is a body of dense ice that is moving under its own weight. Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of fresh water on Earth and appears blue because water molecules absorb other colors more efficiently than blue.

     

    #5:  Dyrholaey Iceland

    Dyrholaey is a coastal bird sanctuary located on a peninsula at the southernmost tip of Iceland. It’s a short walk to the lookout point, and we spotted a few puffins in the caves.  Note – This is not a black and white picture, but it was really that gray during our visit.

    • Dyrholaey Facts: Dyrhólaey means “doorway hill island” because it was originally an island
    • Dyrholaey Kid Moment:  Highlights include the Dyrhólaey puffins during the summer months and a view of the Dyrhólaey arch.
    • Dyrholaey Coordinates:  63°23′59″N 19°07′35″W

     

    #6:  Reynisfjara Iceland

    Reynisfjara Beach is a black sand beach with a phenomenal basalt sea cave, Halsanefshellir.   The Reynisdrangur sea stacks are visible from the beach.

    • Reynisfjara Beach Facts:  A scene in Rogue One was filmed at Reynisfjara Beach in which Jyn unsuccessfully tries to save her wounded father.
    • Reynisfjara Beach Kid Moment:  Compare the basalt columns to a church organ.
    • Reynisfjara Beach Kid Caution:  While this appears to be a safe beach, it was the only place in Iceland where we saw cautionary signs regarding recent tourist deaths that occurred in 2016 and 2017.  The Reynisfjara waves here are very dangerously unpredictable, and the undertow is extremely strong.  During our visit, our nine-year-old tripped and fell running away from a wave that came inland much further than previous ones, and he was covered by the water. My husband pulled him out before the wave retreated, but it was a very scary experience for all of us.  Luckily, the only casualty was the pair of shoes he was wearing.

     

    Continue to Part VI – Southeast Iceland.  Planning a family trip to Iceland?  Check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, which is a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.