Go With The Kids: Traveling with Children

Taos, New Mexico      We started traveling as a family when my children were young.  The trips started as small weekend trips and trips to visit family.  I love the memories we made and decided that we would travel as often as we could; and we did. Many times, when I would tell friends and family about our upcoming trips they would say, "You're going with the kids?!"  My reply, "Of course!"  We faced criticism at times.  People said they wouldn't remember, or enjoy the trip or that they were too young.  We kept going an I am so happy that we did.  They memories that we made as a family cannot be replaced.  I will cherish them forever.      Now we are empty nesters.  My oldest is 23, a college graduate, and gainfully employed.  My youngest is a junior in college, and is planning to attend law school.  Now, those same people who thought they were too you are asking, "Are you going with the kids?  Are...

View of Arenal from The Lost Iguana      Making memories is one of the most important things for me when it comes to family travel.  Our first trip out of the country with our children was to Costa Rica.  My children were young, five and seven, but they talk about it today like it just happened.  I wondered if the were too young and maybe they wouldn't remember a "once in a life time" trip. We made memories that we still laugh about and saw things that we are still in awe over.  Our first Costa Rica trip was 12 years ago.  Our second trip was 9 years ago.  Next year we are going again.  Costa Rica quickly became one of our families favorite places to travel!      While we expected to see natural beauty and animals living in their own habitat, we didn't expect it to be so..well.. amazing.  There is no other way to describe the feeling that you get when you realize that you are a guest in the animals habitat or h...

   This won't be my usual post about an amazing family vacation, but instead a trip that leaves me with a tear in my eye.  Today I dropped my oldest child off at college.  As much as I love to travel this trip  was bitter sweet.     Together we took a nine hour journey from Houston to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Nine great hours of laughs and conversation that you don't always get with a 19 year old boy. There is something so great about being in the car on the highway.  No distractions, nothing to do but talk. I learned so much about what he was looking forward to and what concerned him.  It was an amazing opportunity.   I soaked up every minute of it.      My son travels like me.  We don't believe that being on the road means fast food and bad meals.  We used Tripadvisor and found a good spot and had a nice long meal. I was determined to stretch out this time and enjoy every second.  We will s...

Santorini Sunset      I finally made it to Greece.  I have been dreaming of this trip for, what feels like, my whole life.  It has been on the top of travel bucket list and I am going to leave it right there.  Not going to check it off the bucket list because I am going back!  It was everything I looked forward to and more.  Exceptional beauty everywhere we looked.  The people...even more beautiful.  They are kind, generous and they want you to love their place.  It was a great place for a family vacation!      I was always stopped from booking this trip by the +2 days that it seemed to take to get there from Houston.  When I learned that British Airways flies direct to Santorini from London that was it.  I booked a trip the next day.  Five days in Santorini, four days in Naxos and three days in Athens.  Even with the direct flight from London travel time was 18 hours.  That didn't includ...

     Packing is a lot like putting a trip together.  It takes planning and organization.  Without it you might find yourself exhausted before you even walk out the door. Packing for family travel is much different that packing for one or even two adults, but there are some simple tricks to making it easier. 1 .  Make a list  - I make a list for each person in my family, except my husband, he is on his own.  This keeps me from forgetting someones individual need, for example a medication.  As I get things put together I mark off the list.  This reduces the stress of wondering if you are forgetting something.  My children are old enough to pack themselves at this point.  They still get a list from me.  They are responsible for pulling the things that they need.  The controlling part of me still looks over what they have chosen for clothes.  We don't always share the same dress standards:/  It is easy to ...

                                                            Photo: Grand Hyatt Kauai      Bucket list travel is on my mind these days.  Mostly because I am a few weeks away from checking a dream trip off of my list.  This year we are going to Greece.  Twelve days split between Santorini, Naxos, Mykanos and Athens.  And YES! I am going with the kids.  I could not be more excited about a trip than I am this one.   My children bring a new dimension to our vacations.   They force us out of our chairs, and often out of our comfort zones to go exploring.  I have seen and done things, like ziplining, that I never would have done with out my children's "encouragement".  They see things that we don't always see.  When you travel with your children give them a camera....