We Go With Kids!

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  • New York City With Kids: Five Fun Family Activities

    New York City With Kids: Five Fun Family Activities

    New York City is the most populous city in the United States with over 8.5 million people — more than the entire population of Virginia! Having lived on the East Coast for over fifteen years, my husband and I have spent years making at least twice annual trips to New York City. My best friend from college lives there, so we frequently traveled to NYC for food, wine, and entertainment. Then we had kids. And it took us nearly four years to go back. Why? Because after years of traveling to NYC as single adults and then as a double-income-no-kid couple, the thought of traveling to NYC was daunting.

    Prior to my son’s fourth birthday, I decided our NYC hiatus had gone on long enough and we made plans to travel up to NYC for the weekend, just a short Amtrak ride away from DC. We quickly discovered that many of the things we had enjoyed previously were not off limits just because our son was with us and, as an added bonus, we discovered other activities that we would not have experienced if we weren’t traveling with a child.

    #1: New York Public Library and Bryant Park

    We stayed at the Andaz 5th Avenue, which was conveniently located across the street from the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. Both provided excellent space and people watching, particularly from the coffee shop directly across the street from the NYPL and around the corner from the Andaz. Being located near Bryant Park also provided my son with opportunities to run around in an open space and, we picked up lunch at one of the many eateries located at the Park on our last day there, which we happily ate on the Amtrak ride back down to DC (we picked up sandwiches from ‘Wichcraft, which sadly closed in late ’14/early ’15,  but there are many other options available, and I encourage you to try them and enjoy Bryant Park’s open space).

    eating breakfast across from the New York Public Library

    #2: Central Park / Victorian Gardens

    My godparents live in NYC and recommended meeting up at Central Park one morning during our stay. While my husband and godfather went on a short run through the Park, my kiddo and I decided to check out Victorian Gardens, the amusement park located within Central Park. It ended up being an ideal location to spend a few hours and my son absolutely loved his first exposure to roller coasters. A few weeks after our trip, I happened to mention our trip to NYC to the parent of a classmate of my son, who grew up in Manhattan, but who had never taken her two kids to the city before! When I mentioned what a fabulous trip we had, she realized that she had been remiss in not taking her two kids and planned a trip almost immediately after I reminded her of the existence of Victorian Gardens.

    The roller coasters in Central Park were the perfect introduction!

    #3: Shopping / People Watching / Dining Out

    There are a few things that always spring to mind immediately when NYC is mentioned, including food, Broadway, and shopping.  After our stop in Central Park, we visited FAO Schwarz (now closed) on Fifth Avenue. My godparents insisted, actually, and my son loved it as he has been to only a handful of toy stores in his entire life (thanks to Amazon.com!).

    He also loved wandering around SOHO that afternoon and just taking in all the street vendors – something that we don’t have in DC.

    Although you might think that Fifth Avenue is boring and not a place for kids, my son found the large buildings and the throngs of people to be fascinating. He also found the Sak’s shoe elevator to be fascinating and, during a subsequent visit to NYC years later, enjoyed popping into St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a window-shopping break.

    The Shoe Elevator!
    Popping into St. Patrick’s to light a candle.

    #4: The Highline

    The first time we visited the Highline, a 1.5 mile elevated park built on a former railway, was with my son. The Highline opened in June 2009, the same month my son was born, so this was not something we could have done in any of our prior visits. The day we visited, the weather was absolutely perfect.  Although the significance of the park as an urban revitalization project was likely lost on my son, it was a great way to spend a few hours.

    Family photo on the Highline.

    #5: Empire State Building

    The 86th floor of the Empire State Building has an open-air observation deck, which my son absolutely loved on a later visit to NYC, when he was nearing his sixth birthday. Tickets are steep ($62 for adults, $60 for seniors over age 62, $56 for children ages 6-12), but because my son was just shy of his 6th birthday, he was admitted for free.

    Open air observation deck at the Empire State Building

    Final Thoughts

    Living in DC, we took the Amtrak from DC to New York which my son loveland helped prepare him for a trip to Japan the next year, which involved extensive train travel.  New York City is one of my favorite places to visit and I am glad we waited until my son was older to visit. Because he was over four years of age, I also felt comfortable packing a backless booster for him to use in short rides around the city (whether Uber or my friend/godparents’ vehicle). If he had been any younger, we would have had to either lug around his big convertible car seat or restrict ourselves to traveling via Subway, as I am not comfortable with young children riding without car seats, even though I know they are legally exempt when riding in taxis.

    Waiting for our train!
    In the backseat of an Uber.

    Although my son has no recollection of our trip to NYC, I loved that we finally “ripped off the band-aid,” so to speak, and took him to a place that many do not think of as a great place to bring young children for a weekend. Obviously, there are people who live and work in NYC who have young kids, but for those of us who only experienced the City as young adults, it was hard to envision the logistics of getting around Manhattan with a young child and even more questionable as to whether we would enjoy the City as much as we did before kids. I’m happy to report that we had a lovely long weekend visiting NYC with kids and am looking forward to doing it again and varying up the activities now that my son is older.

  • A Weekend in Kerala With Kids

    A Weekend in Kerala With Kids

    Our family spent three days exploring Kerala during our trip to India last year.  We spent most of our time in India visiting relatives in Bangalore but spent one long weekend in “God’s Own Country,” which is a favorite holiday destination for Prince Charles and Camilla.  Located in South India along the Arabian Sea, Kerala has been known for exporting spices such as pepper, cardamom, turmeric, cloves and ginger for at least five thousand years.  It is baffling to think of a single region known for one trade for that long and no surprise that the food is glorious.  Literally, every bite of every meal was perfection, and we loved visiting Kerala with kids.

    Why Kerala With Kids?

    We were most excited about houseboat tours through the backwaters, which are the most popular tourist attraction of the area.   These boats, traditionally called kettuvallams were originally used to transport rice and occasionally as living quarters for royalty.  The boats have more recently been converted to accommodate tourists for day and overnight leisure trips, complete with a staff to drive the boat and prepare meals.  We were also drawn to the area’s Portuguese influence.  The spice trade brought Portuguese traders to Kerala in the 15th century and paved the way for the Portuguese colonization of the area.  As a result of the Portuguese influence, Christians in Kerala comprise almost 20% of the population, compared with a mere 2.3% in the entire Indian population.

    Visiting Kerala With Kids

    Many Indian travel companies require payment in local currency or a physical credit card and therefore cannot make advance bookings from the outside of India.  Arrangements for our flights, hotels, driver and houseboat tour were all made locally through Atlas Hoppers, but we understand that Atlas Hoppers can accept electronic payment and make advance bookings for foreigners.

    Transportation in Kerala With Kids

    We hired a driver named Kiran who picked us up at the airport in Cochin (also known as Kochi) in a specially requested six-passenger vehicle and stayed with us for three days while we explored Kumarakom, Alleppey (also known as Alappuzha) and Cochin.   A private driver may seem like a major indulgence – especially on the smaller, more rural roads, but it was really a necessity on this type of trip.

    Kiran not only transported us safely from place to place but also served as our guide.  He pointed out local sights, flora, cashew nuts trees, roadside coconut stands, jewelry emporiums and even a local temple elephant.  He did not quite understand my need to take the boys to the Arabian Sea, but he took us to the beach nonetheless.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Kiran, who tailored our trip according to our preferences and made sure we did not miss the very best parts of Kerala.

    Kerala roadside
    Kerala’s greens and blues
    It’s not every day you see an elephant, but Kiran knew just where to find this one
    Fresh coconut water is divine

    Kumarakom and Alleppey 

    Accommodation in Kumarakom With Kids

    We spent two nights at the spectacular Vivanta by Taj – Kumarakom and absolutely loved the property.  This lakeside retreat featured luxury rooms, a private lagoon, boats, bikes, a playground and even bunnies.  The guest rooms were separate cottages situated around the lagoon, so we needed to walk through the beautifully manicured grounds to reach it.  Our room had a wonderful view of the pool, which we had to ourselves the entire stay.  Except for our houseboat excursion, we ate all our meals at the resort and generally enjoyed the activities provided by the resort, evening entertainment and scenery.

    Lagoon
    View of sunset over the lake from the resort
    Duck, duck, goose?
    Breakfast
    Pool fun

    Alleppey Houseboat Tour With Kids

    Most people travel to Alleppey to tour the backwaters on a houseboat.   Day or overnight trips are available, and we booked a five-hour tour through Lakelands Cruise.  There are a wide variety of boats, ranging from pretty basic boats to those tricked out with satellite receivers and air conditioning.   Each boat is staffed with a captain to steer and a chef who prepares traditional Keralite meals.  Even though every meal we ate in Kerala was superb, our lunch on the boat was the absolute best.

    Our boat had covered deck with a large chaise lounge swing and dining table at the front of the boat, an air-conditioned bedroom with an attached bath in the middle and a kitchen at the back.  The front was definitely not baby-proof, so we had to be careful not to let our daughter near the low railings.  I spent most of my time onboard lounging on the swing with our daughter relaxing on my lap.  We also retreated to the enclosed bedroom a few times so that she could run around.

    View out the front of the boat
    A chaise lounge swing is an amazing spot for a nap
    Another houseboat similar to ours

    While traveling the backwaters on a houseboat is pretty amazing in itself, the real excitement for us was really getting a chance to glimpse into the lives of some of the villagers who live on or near the water.  There was constant activity on the river banks as the villagers went about their lives.  We saw many locals bathing, washing clothes and utensils in the water.  For who definitely take modern plumbing for granted, watching people wash in the river is the first thing both boys remembered about this excursion.

    Washing in the river
    Washing dishes
    Doing laundry

    We also saw workers on the rice fields, children walking to or from school, people boating in the river and riding their bikes along the banks.  When we docked by a rice field, the boys got to explore the riverbank, examine the rice plants and see the various states of processing the crop goes through before rice makes it to the plate.

    Paddy field workers
    Coming home from school
    Boat transport
    Biking
    Rice

    In this region, many men wore a traditional wrap cotton sarong called a mundu.  Mundus are usually white or cream with a simple border and are worn folded by laborers and as a symbol of masculinity.  With very high temperatures while we were there, it is also a very practical attire.

    Mundu

    We also saw some beautiful birds along the river, including cranes, egrets and kingfisher birds.

    So many beautiful birds

    I admit that I thought five hours was going to be way too long to spend on the houseboat with three young kids.  At the beginning of the trip, I worried it might be an exhausting day wrangling our daughter.  Luckily, she was very happy to sit with me on the swing and thoroughly enjoyed the excursion.  I found myself more and more relaxed throughout the day and thought we could have enjoyed another hour or two when we docked. Nevertheless, I was glad that we chose not to spend the night on the houseboat with young kids and much preferred our overnight accommodations at the Taj, which were far more luxurious.

    Alleppey Beach With Kids

    On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Alleppey Beach .  I really wanted the kids to have a chance to see the Arabian Sea.  They really do love beaches and not so surprisingly, they needed to dip their toes in the water.  Alleppey is known more for its backwaters than its beach, and this one was almost empty during our visit.

    Dipping their toes in the Arabian Sea

    Cochin

    Accommodation in Cochin With Kids

    After our second night in Kumarakom, we headed back to Cochin along the Malabar Coast.  We stayed at the Vivanta by Taj – Malabar, an exceptional hotel on the harbor.  The highlight of the room for the kids was glass walled bathroom with a privacy blind that raised and lowered electronically with a switch, but they also enjoyed the view from or room.   We had a scrumptious dinner and breakfast at the hotel.  Although, after a busy few days, all three kids fell asleep before dinner was over (a first!).  The outdoor grounds of the hotel were lovely, and our son enjoyed a swim in the pool in the morning.

    View of the harbor from our room
    So sleepy
    Fun elephant sculpture
    The grounds were beautifully manicured
    View of the Arabian Sea from the pool

    Fort Cochin With Kids

    Before colonization, Cochin was a fishing village.  The major tourist attraction of the area are the Chinese fishing nets, which are located at the Cochin Beach and symbolize the history and culture of the region.  These nets were erected in the area starting in the 13th or 14th century and each operated by about six fishermen.  While they have been replaced by modern fishing techniques, they are open for tourists to experience first-hand. Local fisherman are even happy to allow tourists to raise and lower the nets.  My kids absolutely loved our hands on experience pulling up the net.   We visited Cochin beach in the evening and were treated to a beautiful sunset as we wandered through the nearby fish market.

    Chinese fishing nets
    Counterweights
    Helping out

    The nearby farmers’ market offered fresh catch, mostly from boats rather than the nets.  We enjoyed souvenir shopping at the stalls nearby.

    St Francis Church was the first European church built in India.  After his death, Vasco da Gama was buried here for 14 years until his remains were returned to Portugal.

    St. Francis Church

    Inside St. Francis
    Biking is such a common mode of transportation that the church yard is full of them

    We also enjoyed a Kalripayattu martial arts performance and were the only members of the audience.  Kalripayattu techniques include combinations of steps and postures and use a variety of swords and blades.  At the end of the show, the boys got a chance to participate with the performers.

    The performers’ strength was amazing

    We had a luxurious and truly spectacular vacation in Kerala.  Although we enjoyed seeing the tourist sights, I hope to spend more time relaxing at the beautiful resorts next time we visit.

    Planning a trip to India with kids, check out our posts on planning and Bangalore.

  • Visiting Bangalore With Kids

    Visiting Bangalore With Kids

    Bangalore may be known more as an IT mecca than for tourism, but this “Garden City of India” is a great place to experience India. With a population of 8.4 million, it is the country’s third largest city and the capital of Karnataka.  We spent two weeks visiting family in Bangalore when our kids were 20 months, 5 and 8 and had an unforgettable trip.  We can’t wait to return to Bangalore with kids.

    When I first traveled to Bangalore over the 2007 New Year, I saw no more than three other blondes during our five-day visit.  That trip was the first time that I had ever been a minority.  I definitely attracted attention and a fair number of double-takes, but no one ever approached me on the street.  Minorities in the US have historically been treated with suspicion or viewed negatively, but that was definitely not my experience in India.  Indians seemed to be merely intrigued or interested in my uniqueness but not viewed in a negative light.  I was clearly identified as a tourist and constantly encouraged to enter stores.  When we visited again in 2016 with our three kids, we saw far more tourists in Bangalore and “blended in” a bit more.  Here are our favorite five family activities for visits to Bangalore with kids:

    #1:  Eating Out in Bangalore With Kids

    We ate like royalty in India.  Our family’s favorite cuisine is Indian, and all of our kids enjoy some spice in their food. With many meals, my husband and I enjoyed Kingfisher, the most popular Indian beer.  Kingfisher is available in the US, but only a version that is also manufactured in the States and does not taste like the Indian Kingfisher.

    Kingfisher, our favorite Indian beverage, complete with never-ending bubbles

    We ate lunch out daily and enjoyed some phenomenal restaurants, including:

    • Tandoor features palatial decor and traditional tandoori cooking and is located on MG Road.  The butter chicken, milai chicken and roti are our favorites  We loved Tandoor so much that we ate here twice.
    • Chutney Chang is a buffet offering Indian and Chinese dishes where we ate Easter lunch.  The buffet is so large that you have to do a quick preview before you start serving yourself.  And, save room for the delicious desserts.  Our kids particularly enjoyed the cotton candy.
    • Le Brassierie at Le Meridien was another unbelievable buffet where we dined for lunch on our last day in India.  La Brassierie’s buffet offers North Indian, South Indian, Japanese, Chinese and continental food.  When the server heard that we were celebrating our son’s birthday, they brought out an entire cake inscribed with Happy Birthday.  My little dimpled guy has never smiled so big.

    #2:  Bangalore’s Lalbagh Botanical Garden

    After a few hours in Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, it will be clear why Bangalore is known as the “Garden City” in this outdoor oasis located within a crowded city.  We hired a guide to take us around the gardens in an expanded golf cart and thoroughly enjoyed a few hours away from the hustle and bustle (and honking) of the city.

    We particularly enjoyed the 300 year old silk cotton tree, bird watching and generally exploring the foliage.

    #3:  Shopping in Bangalore With Kids

    Shopping was one of our favorite activities in Bangalore.  Almost everything available in India is offered at a fraction of the price you would find in the US.  Additionally, handicrafts made in India and jewelry are so much more unique and interesting.  We made a number of purchases, including a tailor-made suit made to measure for my older son’s First Communion, prescription glasses, jewelry, shoes and clothes.  While I never had trouble with substandard products, shopping at a government emporium is a good way to ensure quality at a reasonable price.

    Some of our favorite shopping areas include:

    • Brigade Road/Mahatma Gandhi Road (aka MG Road) is a popular tourist shopping area with a wide variety of popular international stores including Nike and Adidas.  Both Brigade Road and MG Road are very busy streets, and you have to be careful when crossing, but there are sufficient sidewalks for pedestrians.  Make sure to cross when the locals do.  There are often stalls set up on MG Road, and we purchased belts personally fit to each of us and a Panama hat for our younger son at one of these stalls.  Bargaining at all stores except emporiums and international chain stores is common.  Fast food chains McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Dominos are all available, but we definitely did not waste any of our meals on fast food and didn’t choose “Western food” once.
      • Cauvery Emporium at the intersection of Brigade and MG Road is a can’t miss for authentic handicrafts, including textiles and sandalwood and rosewood products.
      • Cottage Industries Emporium is another government  emporium located a short drive away where we always find amazing Indian handicrafts.
      • PN RAO is a tailor that specializes in made to measure suits.  After picking out your material and pattern, your custom-made suit is ready for a first fitting about a week later.  We had a suit made for our eight-year old who was about to make his First Communion.

        Brigade Road at night
    Handcrafted wooden toys that you can sometimes see being made outside of Cauvery Emporium
    • Commercial Street is one of the oldest shopping areas in Bangalore.  It is extremely busy shopping street known for sale of clothes, shoes, jewelry and electronics.  Sidewalks are not consistently available, and the main street is shared by parked cars, moving cars and a fair share of pedestrians, so you need to use extra caution with kids here.  Soch (my favorite Indian clothes store) and Mex both have large stores here.  I was thrilled that Soch shortened my  kurti to my desired length for no additional charge and had it ready in about an hour.
    • The Forum in Koramangala was India’s first shopping mall development that includes five stories of shops and a multiplex movie theater and a food court.  Soch also has a store here.

    #4:  Religious Celebrations in Bangalore With Kids

    Spending Holy Week in Bangalore was a truly unique experience.  While Hinduism is the most common religion in India, there are almost 20 million Catholics.  My husband’s ancestors come from Goa and Mangalore, which are areas with large Catholic populations.  While some Indians were converted to Christianity at the time of Christ, most were converted during the Portuguese and British colonial periods.  In Goa, it was common for Indians to change their names to Christian names after conversion.  They often adopted the Portugese surname of the missionary who converted them.  As a result, there are about 50 very common Indian Catholic surnames.

    Holy Thursday and Good Friday services at our church at home are well attended but there are always plenty of seats.  If you arrive 20 minutes early on Easter Sunday, you are pretty much guaranteed a seat.  The services we attended in India gave “standing room only” a new meaning.  Multiple services are held almost hourly in different languages, and hundreds of chairs are set up outside with large screens live video streaming the Mass.  We arrived at least 30 minutes before each service began to park and then wait outside the doors for the prior service to finish.  As soon as the prior Mass ended, people would rush in to find a seat.  Everyone was dressed up and reverent and patient with the large crowds.

    Easter 2016 coincided with Holi, a Hindu Spring festival known as the “festival of colors” that is popular with non-Hindus as well.  People cover each other with brilliant colors and spray each other with water guns and water balloons.  We enjoyed watching this joy-filled celebration.  We worried about the color getting in the kids’ eyes and didn’t participate in the bright celebration, but found a great list of tips for celebrating Holi in India.

    Waiting for Mass
    Throwing color to celebrate Holi

    #5:  Sporting Events in Bangalore With Kids

    With two boys, sporting events are always high on their list.  Our trip occurred during the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 cricket tournament, and we watched cricked almost every night.  It was amazing to see my boys fall in love with the sport that their dad grew up with.  Cricket is an extremely complicated game, but they started picking up the rules and the lingo.  My husband purchased tickets to a match held in Bangalore between West Indies and Sri Lanka, and the boys couldn’t wait.  Unfortunately, our oldest spiked a  high fever on the day after we arrived in India, which was the day of match and was crushed to watch from home while his brother had an experience of a lifetime.  West Indies went on to win the tournament in a heart wrenching game against England.  Admittedly, even I enjoyed watching that.

    The boys also had unique experiences playing soccer in the school yard of their dad’s school, St. Joseph’s.

    Our older son also played soccer every night he could with neighbor children in the complex we stayed in.  His brother opted for swimming in the pool where he made a few friends himself and taught himself to swim during our stay.

    We were lucky to have about two weeks in Bangalore and explore at a slow pace.  To make the most of a short visit, check out this ultimate Bangalore itinerary.

    While both boys note that visiting family was the best part of our time in Bangalore, we really enjoyed exploring the city, which was so different than our everyday lives.  Visiting India with kids, check out our posts on planning and Kerala.

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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

  • Things to Do in North Iceland

    Things to Do in North Iceland

    We traveled from East Iceland through the highlands to reach North Iceland, which is known for whale watching, Lake Myvatn and waterfalls. The largest metropolitan area in Iceland outside of Reykjavik is Akureyri, which is located on a fjord in North Iceland.  Some of our favorite things to do in North Iceland include:

    North Iceland Waterfalls

    Waterfalls are among the many highlights of Northern Iceland.  During our three days in Northern Iceland, we saw three stunning waterfalls – Dettifoss, Hafragilsfoss and Gulfoss.

     

    Dettifoss Waterfall in North Iceland

    Dettifoss Waterfall  is the most powerful waterfall in Iceland on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River, within the Vatnajökull National Park. The milky-gray water comes from the Vatnajökull Glacier. There is about a 10-15 minute walk on a gravel path with steps from the parking lot to the overlook.   We really enjoyed the Dettifoss hike and viewing this powerful waterfall from the top.  65°48′52.8″N 16°23′04.1″W

    • Dettifoss Waterfall Facts:  The stunning Dettifoss falls are 330 feet wide and drop 144 feet down to the Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon
    • Dettifoss Waterfall Kid Moments:  Count the steps leading down to the waterfall to make the journey more exciting
    • Dettifoss Waterfall Kid Caution:  The walk to the falls was more strenuous than most, but our two year old did most of it by herself.  The view of Dettifoss is from above, and it is an extremely powerful waterfall.  I held my two younger children’s hands at all times and left the picture taking of Dettifoss entirely to my husband.  Make sure children stay well back from the edge, especially on a windy day.

     

    Hafragilsfoss Waterfall in North Iceland

    Hafragilsfoss is a waterfall just downstream from Dettifoss. 65°49′57″N 16°24′00″W

    • Hafragilsfoss Kid Caution:  We visited Dettifoss and Hafragilsfoss on a particularly windy day, and the hike up to the Hafragilsfoss viewing area was steep with cliff edges.  So, I chose to stay in the car with the kids while my husband took hiked up to view the falls and take a few pictures.

     

    Godafoss Waterfall in North Iceland

    Godafoss Waterfall in Iceland is a beautiful waterfall with amazing rock formations surrounding it located right on the Ring Road between Myvatn and Akureyri. It is considered the “Beauty” to Dettifoss’ “Beast.” 65°40′48″N 17°32′24″W

    • Godafoss Falls Facts:   Goðafoss means “waterfall of the gods” and was named by Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi Thorkelsson, who made Christianity the official religion of Iceland in 999 or 1000.  At that time, he threw his pagan statues into Godafoss.  A window in Akureyrarkirkja illustrates this story.

     

    Places to Visit in North Iceland

    Husavík, Iceland

    Husavík is an idyllic fishing village known for whale watching.  Whale watching in Husavik is so popular because visitors are more likely to see different species of whales than any other whale watching destinations in Iceland.  The humpback is the most commonly viewed whale in Iceland, but tourists in Husavik often see other types of whales.

    Photo credit Asa Brandis from Pixabay

    We spent a night at an adorable apartment right near the harbor specifically to take a whale watching.  The three whale watching tour providers in Husavik are:  Gentle Giants, Salka Whale Watching and North Sailing.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with us, and whale watching tours were cancelled due to weather.  We thought about trying to ride out the storm, but the radar did not look favorable, so we headed to the Myvatn area instead. It was wet and rainy the whole time we were there, but the view was still beautiful.  We picked up take out fish and chips and ate in our apartment.

    Photo credit:  Christian Klein from Pixabay

     

    Lake Myvatn

    Lake Myvatn is a pretty significant tourist area with many attractions. There is a tourist office in Reykjahlid next to the supermarket that offers great maps of the area and advice.  We spent an entire day in Lake Myvatn, and families with more time in Northern Iceland could easily spend longer exploring the beautiful natural wonders surrounding Lake Myvatn.

    • Dimmuborgir is a lava field with volcanic caves and unusually shaped rocked collections. There are paved and unpaved, kid-friendly trails that our family particularly enjoyed exploring. There is a tourist center with a gift shop and restaurant located off of the parking lot.  The Dimmuborgir area was formed about 2300 years ago by a collapsed lava tube where lava pooled over a small lake.  Lava pillars were formed by vapor that rose through the lava.  “Dimmu” means “dark”, and  “borgir” means “castles.”   Our kids were amazed that Dimmuborgir’s geology is so unique that the only similar locations exist on the ocean floor. 65°35′25″N 16°53′58″
    Dimmuborgir

     

    • Holfdi Viewpoint is a peninsula that stretches into Lake Myvatn. There are a number of hiking trails in this forest. We took the one that went up to the overlook and saw more trees on this hike than anywhere else in Iceland. It was buggy, but none of us were actually bitten.

     

    • Grjótagjá consists of two portals into a small lava cave that each have a thermal spring filled with blue water that used to be a popular location for swimming, but the water temperature has risen after volcanic eruptions and is now too hot. Apparently, the temperature is falling, and there are times when it is safe for people to enter, but no one was in the water during our visit.  Grjótagjá was closed in the summer of 2018 to protect it from damage and may not be open to visitors.
      • Grjótagjá Facts:  Kids may be interested that Grjótagjá was the filming location of an iconic Game of Thrones scene, but the actual scene is not kid-friendly.
      • Kid Caution:  The climb in is a bit steep, but our seven and nine year old boys had no difficulty.  We chose not to bring in our toddler due to the risk of hot water.
    Grjótagjá

     

    • Hverir is a large geothermal field of bubbling mud pools, steaming fumaroles and cracked mud that seems right out of Star Wars. It was the muddiest part of our trip, and many tourists had those blue shoe coverings, which I was a bit envious of for the first time in my life. The kids enjoyed exploring but wished there was some way to cover up the sulfuric smell (like rotten eggs). While Yellowstone’s geothermal area is more extensive, Hverir is unique in that you feel like you are truly visiting another planet.   Hverir is a great place to talk about what it would be like to live on another planet.
      • Hverir Facts:  A fumarole (meaning “smoke”) is an opening in the Earth’s crust often found near volcanoes that emits steam and gases.
    Mud pools

    Akureyri, Iceland

    Akureyri in Iceland boasts a population of 18,000, which makes it the largest metropolitan area outside of Reykjavik and the fourth largest municipality (after Reykjavík and two of its surrounding municipalities).  Akureyri is a quaint town located on the Eyjafjörður fjord. We stayed at an AirBNB in the center of town, around the corner from the Lutheran church, Akureyrarkirkja. There are a few shopping streets, similar to those around Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik. There are also both Chinese and Thai restaurants and Indian takeaway. You can go whale watching in Akureyri, but most people choose to go in Dalvík or Husavík. We also visited the Akureyri Thermal Pool, just outside the center of town. We had a lovely time even though construction was underway on slides at the time of our visit.

    • Akureyri Facts:  Guðjón Samuelsson, the State Architect who designed Hallgrímskirkja also designed Akureyrarkirkja, which was completed in 1940.  Akureyrarkirkja contains a 3,200 pipe organ, and its central window above the altar came from Canterbury Cathedral in England.
    Harbor view from our AirBNB
    Akureyrarkirkja

    Whale Watching in North Iceland

    Because our whale watching trip in Husavik was rained out, we opted to go whale watching in Dalvik, Iceland the next day  Dalvik is a town located on the Eyjafjörður fjord north of Akureyri that offers whale watching. We chose to do a tour through Artic Sea Tours because of Dalvík’s proximity to Akureyri and because the tours include a fishing portion, which interested my sons. My daughter had just woken up from a nap when we arrived at the office and was not happy about the red jumpsuit she was offered to wear.  Although she had never before had an issue with the color of clothing, she yelled, “But red is not my favorite color!” for about 10-minutes straight on the bus we took to the boat.  Luckily, the others in our tour were highly amused, and she ultimately decided that putting on the red jumpsuit was a wise choice.  The humpback whales were amazing, and the views of the Eyjafjörður fjord were breathtaking. We particularly enjoyed bird watching. Near the end of the tour, fishing rods are distributed, and all fish caught are cleaned and grilled upon your return to be shared by the members of the tour. My boys caught a total of three large cod, which they enjoyed possibly as much as seeing humpback whales. Our picnic afterwards included the freshest fish we had ever tasted.

    Many Iceland visitors miss North Iceland, but we were glad it was part of our itinerary!  On our trip back to Reykjavik, we ignored our GPS’ suggestion to divert from the Ring Road and immediately shaved an hour of time off our journey.

    Continue Iceland Part IX – Suggested Itineraries or check out a listing of all of our Iceland with kids posts.

  • Best Things to Do in Reykjavik With Kids

    Best Things to Do in Reykjavik With Kids

    Reykjavík is the northernmost capital of the world, and is tiny compared with other European capital cities.  With a population of about 120,000 in the city limits and 215,000 in the region, a significant portion of Iceland’s 335,000 residents live in this area.  But, there is a marked difference from London’s 8.8 million residents.  These are our recommendations for the best things to do in Reykjavik with kids.

    A large concentration of Iceland’s shopping, restaurants and tourist sites are in Reykjavík.  There are also significantly more accommodation options than other parts of the country, and our three bedroom AirBNB about 10 minutes from the city centre provided our least expensive nights of the entire trip.  The Blue Lagoon, the most popular tourist site, is located between the Keflavik Airport and Reykjavík, and the Golden Circle and thermal pools were fabulous, but the city center itself was not as exciting as most other parts of our trips.

    We spent part of the first day in the Reykjavík area and then had about three full days at the end of our trip.  We thought we would take a day trip to the Snæfellsnes peninsula but decided to limit driving at the end of the trip and stay closer to our accommodations.  Looking back, we probably would have preferred to spend an extra day in the Southwest, but Reykjavík certainly has lot to offer visiting families with kids within a 90 minute radius.

    Central Reykjavik

    • Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran Church in Reykjavik that is visible throughout the city center.  The statute of Norse explore Leif Erikson in the front of the church was a gift from the US on Iceland’s 1,000th parliamentary anniversary in 1930.  Erikson was the first European explorer to discover the continental North America around 1000, almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus’ journey.   64°08′30″N 21°55′36″W
      • Kid Facts:  Hallgrímskirkja is the final work of State Architect Guðjón Samuelsson, who also designed Akureyrarkirkja.  It was commissioned in 1937, and construction lasted from 1945 to 1986.  The church houses a 50 foot pipe organ that has 5,275 pipes.
      • Kid Moment:  Kids enjoy the view from above.  The church doubles as an observation tower that you can access via elevator (2,000 kr or about $19 for our entire family).  Most cathedrals I visited were built well before elevators were invented, and if you want to get to the tower, you need to climb many flights of stairs.  There is not as much adventure in riding an elevator, but it is definitely convenient.

    Hallgrímskirkja and view from the observation deck

    • Harpa is a beautiful concert hall and conference center on the harbor that was completed in 2011. There are a variety of shops and a Sterna Travel office that offers day trips on the main level. 64°9′1″N 21°55′57″W
      • Kid Facts:  Construction of Harpa was delayed by the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis.  For several years, it was the only construction project in Iceland.  Both the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera perform here.
      • Kid Moments:  Our kids enjoyed the exploring the souvenir shops but actually preferred building rock towers across the street even more.
    View of harbor from Harpa
    Harpa exterior
    Building rock towers across from Harpa
    • The Sun Voyager is a stainless steel sculture by Jón Gunnar Árnason located on the sea front near Harpa.
      • Kid Facts:  The Sun Voyager was completed in 1990 and was not intended to symbolize a Viking Ship but a dream boat as an ode to the Sun.

    • Baejarins Beztu Pylsur is a very famous hot dog stand. Lines are regularly long for 400 kr ($3.75) hot dogs, but we were there at about 9 pm and had almost no wait. My husband and boys ate two each.  64°08′53″N 21°56′16″W
      • Kid Facts:  Baejarins opened in 1937.  Bill Clinton visited in 2004.  The name translates to “The Town’s Best Sausages.”
      • Kid Moments:  Eat at the picnic tables and use the hot dog holders.
    • Thermal Pools:   There are four thermal pools in Reykjavík.  We visited Laugardalslaug and Salalaug Kopavogur.  Laugardalslaug is Iceland’s largest thermal pool and extremely popular. It was the only thermal pool we visited where there were more tourists than locals. Please make sure to review our post on pool etiquette before you visit.  64°08′46″N 21°52′48″W

    Near Reykjavik

    • Blue Lagoon is the most popular tourist attraction in Iceland located on the Reykjanes Peninsula about 20 minutes from the airport and 50 minutes from Reykjavik. The man-made geothermal pool is rich in minerals such as silica and sulfur that are supposed to improve the skin.  We chose a 9 pm entry because it was available, gave us a full day to spend in Reykjavik and meant we would not have to eat a meal while we were there and our kids never fully adjusted to the Icelandic time zone and regularly stayed up past 11 pm during our trip.  It turned out to be a relatively quiet time, and we were the only family with young children as usual.  The water is approximately 100° F, and visitors bathe rather than swim.  Pool rules are slightly different at the Blue Lagoon than other thermal pools around the country.
      • Kid Facts:  The water in the Lagoon comes from a nearby geothermal power plant and is replaced every other day.  Silica creates the water’s milky blue coloring.
      • Reservations:  It is absolutely necessary to book in advance during the summer months and likely all year.  Reservations can be made directly on the website.  You book a specific hour of entry (but can stay until close after you enter), and admission cost varies based on how far in advance you book and which entry hour you select.  I thought I would book after getting a better idea of weather, but when I logged onto the website about a week in advance, I found very few options.
      • Lagoon Etiquette:  While it is required to shower before entering, there are individual shower stalls rather than communal showers.  Also, visitors bring their towel, bath robes and flip flops outside with them rather than leaving them on racks near the showers.  If you have long hair, make sure it is wet before you enter the lagoon and leave conditioner in while you bathe (it is not recommended that you go under water) to protect your hair from the silica.  Use conditioner again multiple times when you are done and use plenty of lotion.  Also, make sure you are dry before entering the change rooms.
      • Kid Rules:  There is no charge for children at the Blue Lagoon, but children under age two are not permitted.  No proof of age was required for our petite almost three-year-old.  There was no visible prohibition regarding use of swimming diapers, but I did not see anyone using them, either.   Additionally, all children under aged eight must wear arm bands.  Everyone receives a wrist band at check-in to wear throughout the visit.  The band is used to lock and unlock the lockers, and the color indicates a child’s age or adult’s package.  The adjustable band kept expanding.  Helpful guards periodically pointed out to me that mine needed to be tightened, and we ended up putting the kids’ on their legs.
      • Kid Moment:  Make sure to get silica masks for the whole family!
    • Lava Tunnel Raudfarholshellir is located about 30 minutes from Reykjavik and started offering a family-friendly one hour Standard Lava Tunnel Tour in June 2017. I used my Beco carrier for my two year old and learned at the end of the tour that she was their youngest visitor yet. A four year old in our tour walked on her own with no issues. N.63º 56.407 / W. 021º 23.742
      • Kid Facts:  A lava tube is a natural tunnel formerly occupied by flowing lava.  This tunnel was formed after the Leitahraun eruption about 5,200 years ago.
      • Kid Moments:  Notice all the step marks on the cave walls that mark the various depths at which the lava flowed.  Also, enjoy the moment of darkness when the tour guide switches off the lights inside the cave.

     

    Golden Circle – Check out our post on the Golden Circle in southwest Iceland.

     

    Continue to Iceland Part V – Southwest Iceland.  Interested in finding out more about visiting Iceland with kids?  Check out our listing of all Iceland blog 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.