Heading North After Naptime

We are moving!

2009-06-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Site names that is!!! I have owned the domain and have had web hosting for www.twokidsandamap.com for several months and have come up with one excuse after another to get it up and running. My template is still being designed (and has been for awhile) so there will still be some changes, but Two Kids and a Map now resides at www.twokidsandamap.com. We would love for you to visit us there. If you have our site on your BlogRoll or if you have bookmarked this site, I would greatly appreciate an address update if you don't mind! We will slowly but surely be adding everyone to our new site in the next week or two! Stay tuned for the official blog launch!

Thanks so much for sticking with us as we get settled in!

Jennifer

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-06-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

I have missed Travel Blogger Tuesday for a few weeks but school is out and I am ready to blog. I am anxious to introduce you to this great blogger! Peace with the Cairns Family Holidays really knows how to get out there and explore with kids. She does some of the coolest things with her family! Every time I read her blog, I want to move a trip to Australia higher on my list! The website is awesome and covers everything you could imagine if you were traveling to Australia with your kids. Her blog covers all of her personal adventures. Some of my favorite articles include:

Photo Friday: Quoll -- Had no idea what this was until I read this article!

Clifton Beach -- My kids would love this playground and beach area. One of the best parts about traveling with kids is that you get to add all those great playgrounds on your must see list!

Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walk -- This is something my entire family would enjoy!

Oh my!

2009-06-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

My last post was on Thursday night of last week! YIKES!!! I would like to take a moment to say thanks to all of my loyal readers. I appreciate you all continuing to visit the site. Things have been crazy here! I am finishing up the school year and as a teacher that entails a LOT of work! We are finished on Monday and although I am sad to say goodbye for a summer, I am so excited about spending the summer traveling with my family! At the same time, I have been working on migrating this site and creating a new site!

Lately, I have been reading Mother of All Trips as she writes her "Mondays are for Dreaming" and I know it isn't Monday, but I am going to leave you with a picture that shows you what I am dreaming about...this dessert in Garmisch, Germany!

Falling Waters State Park, Florida

2009-05-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

When we went camping a few weeks ago, we stayed at Falling Waters State Park. It is home to Florida's highest waterfall. Standing at 73 feet, the waterfall flows into a sinkhole. The waterfall had more water than we expected due to the crazy rain we have been having in the Florida Panhandle. The waterfall ranges from completely dry to a moderate flow but is usually a trickle.

The waterfall

The sinkhole that the water flows into

A view from above the waterfall

Thanks to Debbie at Delicious Baby for hosting Photo Friday!

Five Things You Might Want to Take Camping with Your Toddlers

2009-05-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

We recently went camping for the first time in a loooong time. It had been awhile and there were a few things we forgot. We also had a few things with us that made us thankful we remembered them!

1. Bug spray-The bugs are out in full force. If you remember to spray yourself down, it will make your camping trip will be more enjoyable!

2. Pillows and a "lovey"- We forgot pillows...what a disaster! This made for a restless night amongst all of us. As for the lovey, luckily neither of my children have an attachment to a blanket or stuffed animal but if they did, I would be glad that we had it!

3. Outside toys - Baseball and bat, water guns, soccer ball, etc. - all of these toys will keep your kids occupied in between feeding sessions and nature walks.

4. S'mores Ingredients - Marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars are a must for a fireside dessert. The kids will love toasting their own marshmallows and putting together this tasty treat!

5. Portable DVD or other electronic - I say this last suggestion with much trepidation. This is not a must and we left ours at home. We love camping and getting outside to play so even if I had brought a DVD player, my kids would not have been interested. That being said, there was a time late in the night when the adults were trying to hang out around the campfire and the kids refused to settle down and go to sleep. Who could blame them? Owls were hooting, crickets were chirping and the wind was whistling through the tent. To my 4yo, it didn't matter that we were right outside the tent...he was jealous that he wasn't with us and a little bit scared to be in the tent alone with his sister. One 25m episode of Go Diego Go! would have settled him down right away, allowed him a piece of home, and allowed all of the adults time to hang out. That being said, I don't know if I will bring the DVD or the Nintendo DS on the next trip.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

2009-05-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

For one glorious night, Daddy J and I left Big S and Little S with their aunt and we drove 3 hours to Montgomery for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. As an English teacher, I have always enjoyed watching plays come alive. We saw Three Musketeers and enjoyed it thoroughly. The actors were all great and the costumes were amazing. The grounds are beautiful. There is a huge park where you can enjoy a nice picnic lunch. I love this fountain in front of the theater. The water seems to disappear! The featured plays right now are Comedy of Errors, Othello, Three Musketeers, Misalliance, and Beehive.

The entrance to the theater

The Fountain

On our way to the Shakespeare Festival, one of our favorite places to stop is Priester's Pecans. It is at just the right place for a restroom break. The restrooms are clean, the shop has lots of great trinkets and Bama/Auburn goods, and the pecans are fantastic! I love the Pecan Divinity and the Praline Pecans.

Travel Blogger Tuesday - Have Baby Will Travel

2009-05-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

Have Baby Will Travel is an awesome resource for those of you traveling with little babies and toddlers. I love that everything on this great website is geared toward traveling with babies. Many of the websites I have found talk about how great traveling with kids is but most of the kids are at least elementary age. This website focuses on travel with the younger set. There is a great Trip Report section where parents just like you and me write about their trips. Some my favorite articles include:

3 Ways to Save on Your Next Family Holiday - Great tips to save money while you travel

The Five T's to Traveling with Toddlers - It is all about the Timing, Toiletries, Toys, Treats, and Temperament!

Carry-on Packing List - You might not need all this, or you might need more. Either way, this is a great way to get your carry-on packing list started!

Stuck in bed! Photo Friday

2009-05-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is the seventh part of a series of posts in which I am sharing pictures and thoughts from my first major trip with children. You can read the first six posts here: Trier, Germany; Kelty Convertible Backpack; American Cemetery and Memorial; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Zermatt, Switzerland and the Matterhorn; and Grand Place Brussels, Belgium.

One of the funniest things that happened on our Europe trip of 2005 was that Big S kept getting stuck in the bed! Most of the hotels we stayed in had two twin beds pushed up next to each other. Each bed was made as a separate bed...not as one. As our little man crawled all over the place, he inevitably got stuck in between the beds!

Stuck in Amsterdam!

Stuck in Brussels!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-05-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Have Kids Will Travel is such an amazing resource! It is full of family friendly travel advice. There is a section on kid friendly destinations and another section on travel gear. I especially love the checklist section. There are several different checklists that you can use alone or add to what you have already written. Packing for Preschoolers is pretty darn accurate! Some of my favorite posts include:

Top 20 Family Travel Blogs and Websites -- A great list of some fantastic travel blogs out there (and we actually made the list...number 18...that was such a cool surprise!!)

Five Family Travel Books to Get You Going -- We only own one of these books, but I want to pick up at least one or two of these on my next trip to the bookstore. I love the 500 Places book. I have already bookmarked several spots to take the kids this summer!

Creating a Kid Friendly Itinerary in Europe -- There are some great tips on this post. I have traveled twice with my kids to Europe and these tips would have helped immensely on our first trip!

The tablecloth makes the roadside picnic!

2009-05-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

I spent Sunday with my mother, my sister, and the four fantastic children in this family! When it came time to exchange gifts, I was so excited when I opened up my Mother's Day gift and saw that she had bought me a vinyl tablecloth. There were several other great items that went with the gift (a very cool insulated tote, sandwich Tupperware, ice packs, etc) but the tablecloth made all three of us laugh out loud. You see, when we went camping recently my husband gently made fun of my sister-in-law for bringing a tablecloth for the picnic table. I chided him and told him that some of my fondest memories of roadtripping and camping included a brightly colored vinyl tablecloth. When we got home, I told my mom the story.

I can't remember a single roadside picnic without a beautiful swirly or flowered patterned table cloth. The roadside picnics often included a tuna kit and chips (in baggies of course!). Even though I have already taken several roadtrips with my kids, I can now continue the tradition of the multi-colored tablecloths.

The Southern Magnolias are bloomin', y'all!!!

2009-05-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Not many flowers can claim that they are the size of dinner plates. Southern Magnolias are blooming all over the south right now. The trees are various sizes...some are gigantic and majestic. Others are little shrubs or saplings. No matter the size of the tree, they still grow these humongous flowers that have always reminded me of my grandmother's fine china dinner plate with a tea cup on it!

The blooms are just about to open up!

The Wisteria is blooming, too!

Be sure to stop by Delicious Baby to see all the other great Photo Friday pictures!

PhotoRescue 3

2009-05-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever taken fantastic vacation pictures on your digital camera only to return home and realize that your memory card is corrupted or no longer works? Luckily, this has only happened to me once but it is because I accidentally launched my camera into a glacial river in Switzerland. I learned the hard way to save my photos to the computer every evening and upload them to a web service of my choice to back them up to ensure that I would never lose my photos again.

What happens if your memory card is suddenly wiped clean or corrupted? Tonight, I had a memory card with 350 pictures from a weekend photo shoot get corrupted mid-save. After a massive panic attack (one where I pitched a card reader across the room and mumbled several unmentionable words), I started doing some research on the Internet. I found several photographer message boards that discussed memory card corruption and the general consensus seemed to be that PhotoRescue 3 is the best thing for recovery. I was shocked...I didn't even realize that you could recover photos from a corrupted memory card. We tried the card in two card readers, two separate laptops and two different cameras.

I went to the PhotoRescue website, read through the terms of service and downloaded the trial version with the PhotoRescue promise that if the trial works (meaning it shows the thumbnails of the pictures that I wish to rescue) it will only cost me 29.95 to recover my pictures. After running the trial version, it appeared as if it was able to recover my photos. I purchased my software and in just a few minutes I had a registration code and was able to complete the process.

I could cry tears of joy right now...PhotoRescue rescued all 350 photos from my photo shoot. I immediately burned a cd of them and saved them to the computer, the hard drive and a flash drive!!! Not only did it save those 350 photos, but it also saved 900 other photos that I had taken on this memory card and have since deleted. And a bonus--it is a one time fee of $29.95 for a non-expiring license. If this happens again, I will have PhotoRescue ready to go!

On a side note, while I was researching memory card recovery I did note that many people said that Lexar 4GB cards seem to give them trouble. Now that I am charging for my pictures and my time, I definitely am going to upgrade my memory cards and will limit them to 1 or 2GB. This will insure that I will not lose too many photos if this ever happens again.

THANK YOU PHOTORESCUE!!!

Travel Blogger Tuesday - The Q Family Adventures

2009-05-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

I love the tagline on The Q Family Adventure blog. This mama invites you into her travel blog by saying "Come join our family adventure through vacation, weekend trip, grocery trips or anything in between." This is so great because any good traveler knows that you don't have to travel thousands of miles to enjoy a vacation. She has traveled to so many great spots! Some of my favorite posts:

The China's Terra Cotta Army in Atlanta -- What a cool exhibit! I wish that we had made the drive up to Atlanta to see this.

DC with Kids Day 5: The National Zoo -- This is one of our favorite zoos so it was fun to read this family's view!

The Real Florida Passport from the Florida Park Service

2009-05-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we went camping at Falling Waters State Park (blog post on camping with toddlers to come...I have plenty to say!). My mom had told me that she had heard about the Real Florida Passport for the Florida State Parks. My husband laughed at me as I asked the park ranger about this passport. I was expecting a flimsy little booklet...however, for a small fee of $8.51 I got this fantastic 188 page resource!

As I flipped through the passport, I immediately wished I had gotten one of these a long time ago. The book is broken up into regions of the state (Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest, and Southeast FL). Each state park has its own page. On the page, you will find a description of the park, special notes about the park, directions to the park and hours of operation. There is also a spot for you to write the date of your visit and any notes that you may want to make about the park.

The best part about this book? It is a passport!!! I don't know about you, but I love to collect passport stamps. If my passport isn't stamped, I seek out someone who can stamp it. I love running my hand over the freshly inked stamp and I love to look back through my stamps and remember those special trips. When you visit one of the Florida State Parks, you can stop by the ranger station and get your passport stamped!

Our first passport stamp!

As I was flipping through the book on the drive home, I was surprised at how many parks we have in this state. There are so many near me that I didn't know about. My husband and I can't wait to start collecting passport stamps!

Whiteside Mountain - North Carolina

2009-04-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Highlands, North Carolina is known for its beautiful hiking. There are hikes of all lengths and levels. We traveled to the Cashiers area and spent four amazing days relaxing, hiking to waterfalls, and touring the Biltmore grounds. One of my favorite parts of the trip was our Whiteside Mountain hike. If you love to get out in nature and go hiking with your kids, Whiteside Mountain is perfect. We did not have kids yet, but we were traveling with friends who had a 3yo and an infant. Whiteside Mountain is a 2 mile hike that the website lists as moderate. If you are an avid hiker, this will be a nice and easy walk for you. Some spots might be challenging for those who do not hike often. The 3yo that we were hiking with walked almost the entire hike on his own. Our friends carried their infant in a front carrier.

The kids will love the many waterfalls that are found all over Cashiers and Highlands as well. Dry Falls is a great waterfall to see because it is easily accessible for families and part of the path goes behind the waterfall. The children will also like riding in the car as you drive under Bridal Veil Falls.

Thanks to Debbie at Delicious Baby for hosting Photo Friday. Stop by to see all the great travel photos!

Grand Place - Brussels, Belgium

2009-04-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is the sixth part of a series of posts in which I am sharing pictures and thoughts from my first major trip with children. You can read the first five posts here: Trier, Germany; Kelty Convertible Backpack; American Cemetery and Memorial; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Zermatt, Switzerland and the Matterhorn.

When we decided to make the trip to Europe with our 10mo in 2005, so many people thought we were nuts. They asked us how we would be able to enjoy ourselves. How were we going to go out and have a good time? And the most common question we got from our 2o something friends? What about all the great beer?

I will admit that planning this trip was much different from planning the trip we took recently (Christmas 08). Big S was still small enough that he was content with sitting in our laps or the stroller for many minutes at a time. Even though we were traveling with our little guy, we still got to enjoy so many activities geared towards the big kids! The Grand Place is the perfect example of this!

The Grand Place is the central square in Brussels, Belgium. We stayed in Brussels for one night as we were passing through on our way to London from Frankfurt. Brussels is a beautiful city. The Belgium lace, the Belgium chocolate and the Belgium beer certainly lived up to their reputations. It was absolutely surreal as we enjoyed a meal while sitting in the middle of the Grand Place. I wish that I could remember the name of this great little restaurant/bar. They had the most amazing les Carbonnade Flamandes, a beef stew made from hearty Belgium ale, and pommes frites, french fries that are fried not once but twice.

Manneken Pis

This funny little cutout was in the chocolate store where we shopped for what seemed like hours!

And the beer you may ask? We enjoyed that too! My favorites were: Framboise (a rasberry beer), Kriek (a cherry beer) and Kwak (an amber beer that is served in this very cool glass).

Enjoying that great rasberry beer!

Travel Blogger Tuesday - Keeps Me Smiling

2009-04-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Lorraine, from Keeps Me Smiling, is the co-owner of My Busy Kit and the blogger on Keeps Me Smiling. Lorraine knows firsthand how crazy traveling with kids can be because they have been all over the place! I enjoy reading her blog because she throws a little bit of everything into the mix. I especially love the pictures that she shares on her Photo Fridays. A few of my favorite posts:

Top Ten Reasons Why I am Still Blogging -- I agree with every single one of these. Number 5 made me laugh out loud!

Kids in Space -- My son was in heaven when he saw these pictures

Families that Travel Together

On a side note, check out her business website, My Busy Kit. Please note: I have not tried the My Busy Kits out nor did I get asked to write a review. I need to pick up two for my children! These travel kits are full of great activities to keep your child busy on the road. They are perfect for the mom who doesn't have time to sift through the toys at home and pick out the appropriate ones for travel or for the dad tired of packing all the 2 foot action figures! Lorraine and her business partner have already done that for you!

Camping? Book your campsite early!

2009-04-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

Twice now, we have tried to book a campsite a few days in advance and they were all booked up. We were not picky either. We looked at all campsites within a 100 mile radius of us (that included three different states!) and couldn't find a single one during the weekend of Easter and the weekend after Easter that had tent campsites left. Yesterday I booked a campsite for next week and we got the last tent site available. I remember when you could just call the day or two ahead and book two or three sites without a problem. I would imagine that this trend is going to continue as families continue to cut back on travel costs. I think more families are giving camping a try. I have several friends who used to love to camp but haven't since they had children. Now that travel is something that is easiest to cut out of the budget, my friends are finding camping as a great alternative!

We have always loved camping...ok...my husband has always loved camping. I tolerated it for awhile and now I love it! We have been camping all over the place: the beach, the woods, the zoo, even our front yard when our power was out for two weeks due to a hurricane. I have even been camping at 8.5 months pregnant (my family will tell you that I was miserable to be around on that trip...an air mattress and a pregnant belly do not mix!). We haven't been camping in awhile so I think this trip will be different from other camping trips. I am used to my little ones being content to sit in my lap all day while I read a book and then going to bed as soon as it gets dark because we lock them in the packnplay. This time though, we will have two very active children with us. I will keep this in mind as I pack for the night and plan activities. Keep an eye out for the follow-up post after the camping trip!

Camping in the front yard after Hurricane Ivan

Getting ready for bed while we are camping at the Zoo

Hanging out in the tent!

Who needs toys while camping?!?

Zermatt, Switzerland and the Matterhorn: Living out #4 of my Bucket List

2009-04-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is the fifth part of a series of posts in which I am sharing pictures and thoughts from my first major trip with children. In 2005, my husband and I headed to Europe with our 10mo son. We had a computer hard drive disaster and I thought that I had lost all of these photos. I was so thrilled to come across a CD with them; I wanted to share these first travel adventures with our little guy. You can read the first four posts here: Trier, Germany; Kelty Convertible Backpack; American Cemetery and Memorial; and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

When we were planning our trip to Europe, my dad (with whom we would be staying for part of the trip) asked me if there was anywhere else I really wanted to see but didn’t think we could do it. We had already packed this trip full, but I decided to mention the fact that #4 on my Bucket List was to see the Matterhorn. I have always been fascinated with the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland and I had taught a great book called Banner in the Sky to my 7^th grade class. It is about a teenage boy and his rite of passage into becoming a man. He loses his father to a mountain climbing accident and then gets to climb that same mountain. The mountain and town are loosely based on the Matterhorn and Zermatt, Switzerland. Some of you may remember an old Disney movie titled Third Man on the Mountain. That movie is based on the book. This story only cemented that need to see the Matterhorn.

Imagine my excitement when we were able to add a trip to Zermatt in to our itinerary! Zermatt is this neat little town at the foot of the Matterhorn. There are no cars allowed, so you park at the bottom and take a tram up the mountain. When you arrive, there are these little cars that pick you up and take you where you want to go.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel called the Park Hotel-Beausite. This is quite possibly the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in! The rooms were spacious and beautiful. Although this was a very ritzy, expensive hotel, they welcomed my 10mo son with open arms. They had a beautiful crib put in the room. It was made of the same light wood that all of the furnishings were made of. This may seem trivial but the thing I loved about it was that it made us feel posh even though we were traveling with our little guy. The dinner included was sinful and it was where we tried some of our most exotic foods.

While in Zermatt, we took a ride in the tram up to the mountain so we could get the perfect view of the Matterhorn. We had wine in the Glacier Paradise, the ice bar carved out in a section of the glacier. We even bought a bottle of Matterhorn wine to bring home with us. They make the wine and store it the glacier! My husband got to ski the mountain in the middle of June.

Luckily, we were traveling with family because Big S was too little for the ride up the mountain. Because of the elevation, he could not go. My stepmom kept him while my dad, Daddy J and I made the trek. If you are planning a trip, be sure to check the age limits to make sure your children can go. If my stepmom had not been able to take him, the hotel did offer a babysitting service that we could have looked into using.

I am glad that we added this trip to our itinerary at the last moment. If you can't go, check out these live webcams of the mountain. It is gorgeous!

Tips for Attending the Blue Angels Practice Session behind the Naval Aviation Museum - Pensacola, Florida

2009-04-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Pensacola, Florida is the home of the United States Navy's Blue Angels. When they are at home, the Blue Angels hold practice sessions twice a week on most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (and a few other days depending on the week!) at 8:30am. These practice sessions are located behind the National Naval Aviation Museum on NAS Pensacola. Two weeks ago, we took the kids to a Friday practice session. It was amazing! I grew up in a military household so I am used to seeing the Blues and other aircraft, but seeing the Blue Angels so close was unreal!

It is a short walk to the flight line for the show!

A front row seat on the flightline waiting for the show to start!

After going to our first practice session, I have a few tips for those attending for the first time!

1. Call the Blue Angels' office ahead of time on the morning that you go. According to the website, the schedule is subject to change because of weather or other unforeseen events. I was glad we called before we left because they had changed the start time from 8:30 to 8am.

2. Bring earplugs. If you are sensitive to noise you will want earplugs. My husband and I were fine, but our kids were happy to have their earplugs. They sometimes have vendors selling them for 75 cents, but if you have your own make sure you bring them.

3. If you are going with children, bring chairs or a blanket to sit on. There are bleachers but they fill up pretty quickly. There was still space in the bleachers but we decided to sit on a blanket so the kids could move around. Make sure you get there early so you can get a good spot.

4. If you can pick your day, head to the practice session on a Wednesday. On Wednesdays, after the practice session, the museum holds an autograph session with the pilots. What a great opportunity for your kids! I plan on doing this at least once this summer. My son will be ecstatic! After the autograph session, let your children sit in one of the Blue Angel cockpits in the museum!

5. Bring your own water. The Pensacola humidity is tough in the summertime!

6. If you get there early enough, get a seat near one of the volunteers. The volunteers have walkie talkies that you can hear the #1 pilot communicate through. The volunteers also keep the kids informed of what is going on.

Here are other pictures from the practice session.

Check out other travel photos at Photo Friday over at Delicious Baby!

Busch Gardens Tampa with Toddlers

2009-04-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, I hit Busch Gardens Tampa with 40 high school students on a journalism conference field trip. While there, I scoped out all the great kiddie activities. When you think amusement parks with toddlers or young children, the first amusement park that probably comes to mind is Disney. Busch Gardens is known for its amazing roller coasters. Montu, Sheikra and Kumba constantly show up on many top ten lists of the best roller coasters in America. These coasters alone will keep the kids over 54 inches tall happy! This is where our high school students hung out!

Sheikra suspends you looking straight down for 4 of the longest seconds of your life!

Cool off by standing at this spot. When Sheikra goes by, a huge spray of water will hit you!

However, while we were walking around, I noted all of the great activities they have for the not so tall or old enough!

The theme of Busch Gardens is African Safari and you can see pieces of this everywhere you look. There are animals all over the park, the flowers and trees are amazing and the rides are all designed with the theme in mind.

Jungala, a fairly new attraction, has Bengal tigers and you can actually poke your head into their habitat! There are bird gardens, gorillas, Clydesdale horses, elephants, and much much more!

The little ones will enjoy playing in the Land of the Dragons, one and a half acres of activities perfect for the little ones. Throw a change of clothes in your bag or put your kids in their swimsuits because there is a great water feature that they won't want to leave. There is a height restriction so you can be sure that your little guys will be able to play without being run over by the big kids! There is also a great train that plows through the park and through the Serengeti Plain where you can see lots of animals roaming. If you need a break from rides and playing, check out KaTonga. The little ones will love this musical about African storytellers and animal folklore.

If you are a coaster enthusiast and don't want to spend all of your time in the Land of the Dragons, Busch Gardens offers a baby swap program.

As you can imagine, tickets are a bit costly. Right now, you can buy a 1 day pass and return all year for free. If you live close enough for the drive, this is a great deal! Check out the ticket prices here.

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-04-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

I missed last week's Travel Blogger Tuesday edition because I was chaperoning 40 high school students at a journalism conference. Because of that, I am going to showcase a website run by not just one but four hip mamas for today's edition. I found Traveling Mamas when I was trying to decide on a domain name for my own travel blog. I was so disappointed that someone had thought of it first until I realized what a wealth of information I had found! These four mamas have great names: MudslideMama, DesertMama, CajunMama, and MountainMama! They discuss things from traveling with kids of all ages, gear that works, and getaways for moms! Some of my favorite posts include:

Women, Travel and Hotel Safety: The Door Stop Alarm -- This is a review of a door stopper that is a great way to feel safer at night in a hotel by yourself.

Tips for Finding Adult Drinks in Disneyworld -- This cracks me up because anyone who has been to Disney knows that sometimes you just need a little cocktail to help you relax!

Six Free Things to do in Denver, Colorado -- I wish I had seen this list before our trip to Colorado last summer!

Exploring Louisiana Monroe and Ruston -- I love the idea that this mama has...she is giving her kids a few choices for their summer vacation and letting them guide the way. What a great way to get your older kids involved! Her theme for this year is "learning about where you live" and I think that is so important because so often we travel all over the world but haven't checked out what is in our own backyard!

Amsterdam, Netherlands with Infants

2009-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

For the fourth part of my series of posts titled Europe 2005, I am going to share our impressions of Amsterdam. If you ask people to tell you what the first thing they think of is when they think of Amsterdam, it probably isn't "a great vacation spot for infants!" However, Amsterdam is actually one of the most welcoming and child-friendly spots that we visited while on that trip. There were families, both locals and tourists, wandering around everywhere.

We stayed in Hotel Atlanta, a very small family run hotel in the center of everything! Because it is family run, this hotel welcomes children with open arms. I distinctly remember the person checking us in making sure that they said hi to my son! We stayed in the twin standard room and although it was so small, we still had enough room for all three of us. The hotel is located in the perfect spot...overlooking Rembrandtsquare, a famous part of town.

While in Amsterdam, we walked around Dam Square, toured the Heineken Experience, and took a canal cruise at sunset. My favorite part of the trip was the visit to the Anne Frank House.

The Anne Frank House

One of our most memorable meal experiences was in Amsterdam. We wanted to give Indonesian food a try and the hotel suggested a restaurant in the square. We walked in and realized it was one of the fanciest restaurants we had ever eaten in. We were very worried about bringing a 10m old into this environment but the waiter welcomed us in quickly! He found a high chair in the back of the restaurant and quickly got us settled. We ordered Rijsttafel. Warmers were placed in front of us and soon dish after dish started coming out from the kitchen. They brought out crackers for our little guy to chew on while we ate.

Have you been to a spot in this world where you felt like your children were welcomed more warmly than other places? Please share with us in the comment section!

The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama -- Photo Friday

2009-04-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

The Wharf in Orange Beach is a shopping center, marina, amphitheater and resort all rolled into one right near the beautiful beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast. One morning, we decided that we needed to get out of the house so we made the 45 minute drive to check it out. We haven't stayed the night yet, but I hope to head out there one weekend this summer. While we were there, we had lunch at Johnny Rockets which is perfect for the kids because it is SO loud! Then we let the kids each make a stuffed animal at the Build-a-Bear workshop. All that was lots of fun and it was great to hang out together as a family, but the best part was watching the kids stare at the Ferris wheel. There is this great Ferris wheel in the middle of the shopping center. We decided not to ride it because Big S was not thrilled with the idea! He must have left his sense of adventure at home that day! However, we sat and stared at the Ferris Wheel as it went round and round for about 30 minutes from the bench across the street. The kids loved it!

Be sure to visit Debbie at Delicious Baby to see other great travel photos from around the world!

Panhandle Activities: There is so much more to FL than just Disney!

2009-04-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

We love to travel around our little city and the surrounding area as often as we can. Instead of sitting around the house on a free day, we make a point to hit the road and explore what our city has to offer. Please take a moment to check out my guest post at Ciao Bambino titled Five Activities in Florida North of Mickey's House. In this article, I wrote about 5 of our favorite Panhandle activities! While you are there, check out Amie's great blog and all the reviews of family friendly properties.

Fun Activities with Kids in the San Francisco Bay Area

2009-04-11T08:28:00.001-07:00

By Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino

What makes the San Francisco Bay Area so unique is the number of different places you can visit within a relatively short drive. I also love our micro-climates—if you don’t like the weather where you are, just drive 15 minutes and it will change! This is particularly key over the summer months when it can be foggy and cold, especially in San Francisco and along the coastline.

We all know that the easiest travel plan with kids, particularly young kids, is to establish a home-base where you can unpack and minimize the hassles of continually moving. The beauty here is that the driving distances are relatively small so families can decide if they want to experience a new environment and change hotels, or simply stay put and check out sights via day trips.

San Francisco

Of course, this is the key urban attraction in Northern California. For good reason—San Francisco is a spectacular city with incredible cultural diversity. Any good guidebook will outline the main tourist attractions—Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, North Beach, Golden Gate Park—all places that should be included a first-time visit. My 6-year-old likes to remind me that “just walking around” all the time is not fun. Break-up traditional sightseeing with more active stops. I love Chrissy Field, the oceanfront park leading up to the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a sandy beach that is always full of kids and dogs, plus there is a fantastic flat walking path leading right to the base of the bridge. Visit the Chrissy Field web page for special kid-focused programs and activities. Energetic families will love the thrill of walking across the Golden Gate Bridge although it is 1.7 miles across, so a partial walk will be in order for young kids.

Another active stop that is unique is heading to Golden Gate Park on a Sunday to enjoy traffic-free bike riding on the park’s main street, JFK Drive. There are so many people out and about from all walks of life—parents and kids alike will get a kick out of the fantastic people watching opportunity. This SF Gate article has a good general breakdown of the park and includes information about bike rental options near the park.

Another highlight in the park is the de Young Museum with an extensive permanent collection and there is always some kind of amazing special exhibit happening (Warhol Live is there now through May 17^th and King Tut is coming in June). Yes, kids have a limited attention span for art, but one fun thing at the de Young is Friday Nights at the museum when the museum stays open until 8:45p with hands-on kids activities and a no-host bar for dinner and drinks. A fun way to expose kids to art!

I also must mention that our recently re-opened California Academy of Sciences is supposed to be extraordinary. I say “supposed” intentionally—it is so great that the lines are long and I haven’t gone yet, although everyone else I know has been there—highlights are the aquarium and 4-story rainforest. Buying tickets ahead of time is a must.

These are just a few ideas that are top of mind for me—there are so many things to see and do in San Francisco (we have a wonderful zoo too). A fun hotel base in the city is Hotel Del Sol in the Marina. This is a great location for accessing main sights with many kid-friendly inexpensive restaurants within walking distance. The entertaining part about this property is that they really cater to families in the summer months and host a free Friday night BBQ around the pool.

North Bay

Marin County is an outdoor paradise. Locals from around the Bay Area head to Marin on weekends to enjoy the spectacular scenery. Muir Woods is a must-see stop on any North Bay itinerary. These awe-inspiring redwood trees never cease to amaze me and even really young kids fall under the spell of this place. The paths through the immediate forest are easy to navigate with little legs and strollers. Nearby, the Pelican Inn, modeled after a real English pub, is a terrific spot for lunch. On a nice weekend, many families will park themselves on the grass outside the inn. Just down the road is Muir Beach, ideal for a picnic in nice weather (note, planning is required as there are no stores in the immediate area).

Downtown Sausalito is touristy, but it’s still a fun place to stroll and enjoy the unique views of San Francisco from across the bay. If you’re not planning on other stops, it’s also fun to take the ferry over from San Francisco instead of driving. Tiburon is another maritime-focused North Bay tourist attraction and the highlight there for me is Guaymas, a Mexican restaurant that has been around forever with outrageous guacamole and views—a great combination.

I did a post a few weeks ago on my Favorite Spring Excursions in the San Francisco Bay Area, on that list is Rodeo Beach, a popular local beach with some nice, short hikes to fantastic vantage points. Tennessee Valley is another place to take an easy hike with kids—the 3.1 mile loop is a good one for kids that are 4 and up (unless you have a backpack).

It’s not necessary to stay in the North Bay to enjoy the various sights—everything mentioned above is within an hour’s drive from San Francisco. That said, there is something fun about staying outside of San Francisco too in a less urban environment. We have a few good options on Ciao Bambino including Cavallo Point, a stunning eco-friendly retreat in the original Fort Baker army post. There are many room configurations that work with kids, but my favorite are the apartment-like suites with multiple rooms. Adjacent to Cavallo Point is the Bay Area Discovery Museum with terrific hands-on exhibits optimized for young kids. Yes, many cities have kids museums, but this one is special with the integration of local themes (like a mini Golden Gate Bridge) and truly fantastic views of the city and bay. One of our community members recommended The Lodge at Tiburon—it’s certainly a great location just 3-minutes from the ferry with a swimming pool and value-oriented room rates for the quality.

East Bay

The East Bay has a culture and feel of its own. There are many great spots locals go with kids, but for a visitor I’d point out one in particular that is special. Tilden Park is an enormous 2,000+ acre park with lakes, golf, a botanical garden, even a carousel. The steam train is a stand-out activity for young kids—the mini-train goes on its own little track on a ride through tunnels and trees. The giggles begin when the conductor blows the whistle and everyone gets excited. This is a must-see stop for Thomas the Tank Engine lovers!

There are so many more fun activities to enjoy in the Bay Area with kids but it’s impossible to fit all the information into a single post. Bay Area Kid Fun has some good additional ideas and resources.

Amie O’Shaughnessy lives in Oakland, CA with her husband, and 6-year-old son. She publishes Ciao Bambino, a family travel blog and worldwide guide to the best family-friendly hotels and resorts.

American Cemetery and Memorial - Netherlands and Luxembourg

2009-04-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

For the third installment of "Digging into the Archives-Europe 2005," I would like to share photos that are very special to my family. We visited the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial and the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial on our way to Brussels from Frankfurt.The Luxembourg American Cemetery is located in Hamm, Luxembourg and General S. Patton is buried here. Then we headed to Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial where my husband's great uncle, Winder Lane, is buried. He went to fight for our country during World War II and was killed in action in his early twenties. Our visit to the grave site was the first family visit in over forty years. It was such an honor to see that cross and to be able to see my husband experience it. It was a true honor to bring pictures to my husband's grandfather, Winder's brother, of my husband and son with the cross. It is a moment that I will treasure forever.

The Mourning Woman Overlooking the Reflecting Pool

Thanks so much for stopping by and allowing me to share this important family moment with you.

Head over to DeliciousBaby for other Photo Friday pictures.

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-04-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

The Talking Trekaroo is a blog maintained by several of the founders of Trekaroo. Trekaroo is this awesome family travel website. It is kind of like a Trip Adviser for families. Recently they opened up the site for reviews in all 50 states. Once each state has enough reviews, they will be unlocked. Right now, California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts are currently unlocked. I love the fact that the founders of this website maintain a blog of their own. On the blog, they have had posts with travel deals, updates on their website, and posts that help you get to know the members behind the Trekaroo website. They are real people. Make sure you check out the blog and then go check out the website, Trekaroo. I can't wait to see where this site is going!

100th post!

2009-04-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

Today, April 6, marks my 100th post! When I started this blog, it was to journal about all of the trips that we take as a family. If someone saw it and could benefit, great! If not, I would have a great way to backup photos and memories. Once I started blogging, I realized that I enjoyed sharing this info and meeting all of the great travel bloggers and readers out there. Allow me to brag for a second while I showcase a few of those who have helped me get where I am today!

The most exciting accomplishment since starting this blog was to be able to participate in Passports with Purpose. Even though I was just starting out, I was welcomed with open arms by travelbloggers, Beth (Wanderlust and Lipstick), Debbie (Delicious Baby), Michelle (Wandermom), and Pam (Nerd's Eye View) and was able to participate in this great fundraiser. Travel bloggers all over the world helped to raise over 7000 dollars! Wow!

Since I started this website, the second most exciting accomplishment was being mentioned in the Top 20 Family Travel Blogs and Websites on Have Kids Will Travel. The funniest thing about this was that I was reading the list thinking "Wow...what a great group of people. I love reading all these blogs" and holy cow...there I was....#18!

Travels with Children has chosen two of my articles for her Finding More Fun column. Once on 12/6/08 for my article titled Thirteen Things to do in New Orleans When Traveling with Small Children and also on 4/1/09 for my article titled Five Things to do in Washington DC with Children Under 5.

I had an article on Things You Should Do about one of my favorite local restaurants, Atlas Oyster House.

I have also been mentioned at SixSuitcaseTravel and am included on lists by Nick Bowditch titled Travellers on Twitter and also on the Travel Tweet Directory compiled by @TravelTweet.

I am following some awesome travelers on Twitter and have 276 followers myself.

Travel Blogger Tuesday is my new favorite thing to post. I love to hunt the web for great travel bloggers to showcase every Tuesday. I have featured 10 great travel bloggers so far and can't wait to continue!

One of my favorite pictures from our Europe vacation was featured on Bootsnall's Photo of the Day.

Here are the articles that you and I have liked the best:

Cherry Blossom Festival
Five Things to do in Washington DC with Children Under 5

In which direction is this blog headed? I have purchased the domain name and have set up hosting for my website. In the next few months, I hope to have my new website up, running and ready to launch. I look forward to exchanging articles with other travel bloggers out there. I am also looking forward to my first giveaway!

Kelty Convertible Baby Backpack

2009-04-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

This is the second post in my series where I will be reminiscing about our 2005 Europe trip. I was so thrilled to come across pictures from the trip on a CD. I thought the pictures had disappeared with our crashed hard drive so I want to share them with you!

There are not too many things that we must have when we travel, but this is definitely one of them. We were a little concerned about taking the big stroller to Europe, but we didn't want to just rely on a backpack carrier. After scouring the Internet for days, I finally decided on the Kelty Convertible Baby Backpack.

This backpack is very pricey but it was worth it. We used it as a stroller as we walked from gate to gate in the airports. Once we were in Europe, the stroller was fantastic as a backpack as well. We converted it to a backpack if we needed to walk up the stairs or stroll through the cobblestone streets. It converts quickly and is easy to put on as a backpack. We used it for several other trips after we got home from Europe. After trips to Europe, Washington DC, and San Francisco our little guy was not so little anymore! We had to retire the backpack stroller. Fast forward a few years and we were making another trip to Europe...this time with two kids! Little S was almost 2 and we were concerned that it wouldn't work. We had to oil the wheels but it was just fine for her. The stroller made it through another three week trip to Europe. We probably won't be able to use the stroller again...it was pushing it on this trip because she is so tall. Both kids loved to use the stroller in backpack form the best. They were high up and could see everything. Another benefit to the backpack stroller was that it sits a little higher than other strollers. It made for a great high chair at feeding time when there were no high chairs to be found.

Using the stroller as a backpack

Walking down the rainy streets of Berlin

Waiting for the Changing of the Guard in London

Riding the tram to Zermatt, Switzerland

Smart cars were not popular yet and many people hadn't even seen one yet. We thought it looked very similar to our stroller!

Disclaimer: I did not receive this stroller free or to review (although it would have been nice because it cost over 200 dollars! :-). This is a piece of baby gear that we chose to purchase on our own (long before this blog) after reading many reviews on this and other products.

Photo Friday -- Digging into the archives!

2009-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

The first major trip we took as parents was a three week whirlwind vacation in Europe. We landed in Frankfurt and then traveled to the following cities (with other stops along the way) by car or train: Brussels, Belgium; Hamm, Luxembourg; London, England; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Berlin, Germany; and Zermatt, Switzerland. Big S was about 10m old and Little S wasn't even a twinkle in our eye yet! As a matter of fact, we couldn't even imagine having two kids at that point!

For this Photo Friday post, hosted by Debbie at Delicious Baby, I am digging into the archives. Actually, I thought that these pictures had disappeared with our crashed hard drive. I was thrilled when I came across this CD recently as I was archiving pictures. It hadn't been labeled and I was so excited when I realized what it was. I had a blast looking at these Europe photos from our trip in 2005. In the next few weeks, I will continue to reminisce about our experience and post photos from that first major adventure.

These photos were taken in Trier, Germany. Part of the Roman Empire, Trier is the oldest city in Germany. There is a cathedral, Roman ruins to view and some great little cafes.

The view of Trier from the Porta Nigra, the Roman city gate

Big S playing in the ruins

The Basilica

A view of the baths

More bath ruins

Daddy J, Big S and me in front of the Porta Nigra

And to give you a laugh, the car ride to the next stop!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-03-31T17:47:00.001-07:00

Kids Go West is a great little corner of the web where Carolina talks about traveling with her small child. Her blog lists some great tips and ideas for traveling with small children. When I read her blog it makes me feel like we are discussing travel plans over coffee while our kids play in the corner. Some of my favorite posts include:

Today's Tip: Make a Day Trip Tradition -- This is something that my family and I do together. There is so much around or outside of your city to do...you just have to look for it and make a tradition out of it!

Today's Tip: Disneyland During Spring Break -- We didn't make this mistake as rookies, however we did still make the mistake! We hit Disneyworld during spring break and we won't ever do it again. Read why here!

Kids Go West Guide to the Best Campgrounds in California -- We love to camp so if we ever head west, we will definitely give one of these campgrounds a try.

Five Things to do in Washington, DC with Children Under Five

2009-03-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite US destinations is our nation's capital, Washington, DC. Any child who has had a class in American history can appreciate or at least tolerate the monuments, museums and memorials even if they complain the whole time. But what do you do with your toddlers? You know the children I am talking about! The ones that are too big to throw in your front carrier, too big to be content sitting in the stroller but too small to be expected to walk quietly all day long through museum after museum with their hands by their sides?!? We have two of them ourselves, so we understand your trip planning issues! These are our five most favorite things to do in Washington DC with kids under the age of five.

National Museum of Natural History -- The toddlers will be captivated the minute they walk through the door and see the gigantic African bull elephant. There is a great discovery room on the first floor. Big S's favorite part-and my least favorite-was petting the Madagascar hissing cockroach. Gross.

Play on the National Mall and Memorial Parks -- Start near the Smithsonian Metro stop and head towards the Washington Monument. Have a picnic in the grass, toss a football, watch a game being played or play tag. After your playtime, walk around the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. The kids will enjoy looking at the fountains. If you are feeling energetic, head to the Lincoln Memorial.

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum -- See real rocket ships up close! When you get there, stop by the desk and see if there is a story time event while you are visiting. There is a great hands-on discovery section in the "How Things Fly" room. Stop by the gift shop and pick up a package of Space Ice Cream!

National Zoological Park -- This zoo will keep your little ones busy all afternoon. The panda bears are so funny to watch and the kids will be surprised by the Komodo Dragons. We loved watching the seals play and the big cats stalk around. Our son didn't want to leave the elephant house even though it smelled! A note to parents: The website says that the zoo is a "short walk" from the metro. With toddlers in tow, it isn't very far but I wouldn't qualify it as a short walk!

Hop on the Metro -- The metro is our favorite mode of transportation while in DC. We do not have a metro in my city so my kids are always fascinated! From riding the escalator to watching the metro zip by, the children will be entertained for just a few bucks. For added excitement, get off at Dupont Circle. Cross the street to Hello Cupcake and pick out a scrumptious cupcake for just three bucks.

An added bonus? Except for the Metro, everything listed here is free!

My First Guest Article!

2009-03-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

When I first started this little bloggy blog, I was really just looking at journaling my travels with my family. Friends always ask me how and why we travel with our children as much as we do. I thought that this blog would be a good way to chronicle our adventures, both in writing and in pictures, as well as serve to show the public that it is easier than you think it is. I have had such an awesome time making online connections with other people in the travel blogging world. I am hoping to attend TBEX '09 and meet many of them. Still trying to iron that out, but we will see. Recently I had the opportunity to write my first guest post on Things You Should Do. I wrote about one of my favorite restaurants, The Atlas Oyster House. Thanks so much to Julie for the opportunity to guest blog. If you have a blog and are looking for a guest blogger, I would love to participate. If you would like to do an article exchange, please let me know!

Cherry Blossom Festival--Photo Friday

2009-03-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

In honor of this weekend's Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC, I am going to show off some of my cherry blossom and Japanese Tulip pictures for Photo Friday. Check out some other great travel photos at Delicious Baby. The Cherry Blossom Festival is great for families! The flowers are absolutely gorgeous and make for a great backdrop for a picnic or family pictures. Some of the festival events that I wish I was up there attending this weekend: The Smithsonian Kite Festival, The Lantern Lighting Ceremony, and the Fireworks Show. If you are in the DC area, make sure that you stop by some of the events and tell me all about it!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-03-24T06:44:00.001-07:00

I first found The Carey Adventures when I was doing an Internet search for Peru (Imagine my excitement when he commented on my blog the other day!). Daddy J and I have decided that Machu Picchu ranks high on our list of things to do in the near future. Barring extenuating circumstances, we are looking into a trip to Peru for our 10 year anniversary next year. If not, definitely for the 15 year! When I start researching a new place, I love to check out the blogs that have been written about the area. Peter Carey went on a trek to Peru and blogged about it the whole way. I love reading his account of the trip. The story begins here. The Carey Adventures also features a Photo of the Day and many guest photographers. My favorite photograph is titled Glimpse.

A few of my other favorite articles:

Healthy Family Travel Tips #16 Scrapbook Together -- I love to scrapbook both digitally and with the actual paper and pictures. This article showcases the importance of working together as a family after your trip to chronicle your adventures.

7 Tips for Helping Fight Headaches on the Road -- Very important for the traveler! Everyone gets a headache once in awhile so use these tips to help fight or prevent them!

Are you preferred?

2009-03-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am a bargain hunter. I have very few loyalties when it comes to companies. If I have found a great deal with a certain company and was happy with the service, I will certainly check with them first before I start hunting for another deal. But if I don’t find a deal, I will move on. Because of this, I have a hard time racking up the frequent flyer miles, hotel points, and free deals. Recently, I was talking to my mom and she said that she always signs up for the reward programs. Even if she might never stay in that hotel or fly that same airline again, she will still sign up. I decided to take her advice and when I booked a room at a Holiday Inn online a few months ago, I signed up for their Priority Club Rewards Program and didn’t think twice about it.

Fast forward to the trip.

I arrived at the hotel and was greeted pleasantly. They informed me that they had my Priority Club Reward number on file and they handed me all kinds of free stuff! I got a room upgrade because the room that I had booked was not available yet. I also received two breakfast coupons for their diner, one for each day that I was staying there. When I went to breakfast the next morning, I found out that each coupon was for any item on the menu up to 12 dollars total! Wow!

Since I am new to the reward scene, I would love your input. Are you a reward card carrying member? Which rewards have paid off? Which rewards are easy to use? Which rewards have you found difficult to redeem?

I Dream of New York -- Photo Friday

2009-03-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my sister got to enjoy a wonderful extended weekend in New York City. She got to see a play (Chicago...her favorite!), take the ferry past the Statue of Liberty and wander around Times Square. Just color me green with envy. I am insanely jealous. Really. I mean, look...how can you not be jealous of that view?

New York City is one of my top five places to visit. It ranks up there with the Matterhorn and the Sound of Music Gazebo (cheesy I know!), both of which I have seen. It also ranks up there with the Great Wall of China and Kenya, neither of which I have seen! I have visited or at least driven through just about every state in this grand country! Unfortunately, New York is one of the states I haven't made it to.

I would love to visit New York during Thanksgiving. I want my children to see the Macy's Day Parade balloons. I want to wander down the streets and check out the store windows. I want to walk in Times Square. I want to take my children into FAO Schwarz. I want to see the lighting of the Christmas tree. There are no fewer than 10 musicals that I would love to see on Broadway. I want to see the sights mentioned in all my favorite books. I want to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. My list could go on and on and on! However, I will stop here and share a few of the great pictures from her trip. Thanks, M, for sharing!

The Statue of Libery

New York Skyline

Central Park

The piano from Big...ok...now I am dating myself...I loved that movie!

St. Andrew's Oaks By the Bay in Panama City, Florida

2009-03-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to visit Daddy J's brother Matt while he was visiting their mom and dad in Panama City. While there, we had a family friend take our family pictures. I take most of the kid's pictures (no more Walmart or Sears for us!), but I didn't want to just set the self timer for these. Adria Peaden at Adria Peaden Photography took our pictures at Oaks by the Bay...you can check out our pictures here. After we took our family pictures, I grabbed my camera and took some pictures of this beautiful park!

There are beautiful trees with all this moss hanging off of them and the flowers were blooming. There is a boardwalk over the dunes that the kids can run out on and it leads out to the water. The Marina is just a few blocks away. You can check out the boats or eat at Pappy's German Restaurant. We didn't eat there, but my hubby definitely wanted to try it. It is a very small restaurant with amazing smells coming out of it! It was packed! There is a beautiful gazebo where many residents have had their wedding ceremonies.

This tree is known by many locals as the "four headed palm tree"....so bizarre looking!

The boardwalk over the dunes heading out towards the water

One of many boat docks that have fallen apart due to old age or hurricane

So many cool angles and shots of boats in the marina

We found this dilapidated, old boat just hanging out in the water. There were a lot of people fishing right by it, so it must be a great hang out for the fish!

Some of the storefronts

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-03-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

Gary Arndt, of Everything Everywhere, is living my dream (I am sensing a theme here!)! In 2007, he sold his house, packed up his possessions and headed out on a tour around the world. He has traveled to over 50 countries. His Daily Travel Photo is one of my favorite parts about his blog. The pictures are fantastic and have made me add many new places to my own "Places to See" list.

Daily Photo -- This one was taken in Thailand

731 Days Later: My 2 Year Travelversary -- A reflection of his travels during the past two years

Be sure to check out his Travel Scorecard on the homepage and his comprehensive Travel Blog Directory.

McGuire's St. Patrick's Day Run

2009-03-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

McGuire's Irish Pub is one of our favorite places to take friends and family when they come to visit us. There are all things Irish decorating the pub and thousands of dollars hanging from the ceilings. The pub serves up great food...I recommend the Shepherd's Pie. They serve up great beer...I recommend them all but my favorite is the Raspberry Wheat. There is great live entertainment...if you don't participate you will be asked to kiss the moose! There is a bagpipe band and the bagpipers are often found playing in the dining areas. Besides its food and atmosphere, McGuire's Irish Pub is famous for its Annual 5K Race. This year, the 32nd McGuire's St. Patrick Day Run brought out over 9,400 people. It was a sea of green! I wasn't able to go because we were spring breakin' it with family in Panama City Beach but thanks to M, I am able to share these pictures!

A sea of green

The Marines running in formation!

Controlled Burn at Gulf Islands National Seashore

2009-03-15T17:59:00.001-07:00

On our way to Panama City this weekend, we saw this humongous cloud of smoke billowing out of the National Seashore. We almost turned around to hit the Interstate because we thought that whatever the smoke was coming from was probably going to keep us from moving through the area quickly. At the last minute, we decided to forge ahead. We soon found out that it was a controlled burn site. Behind the clouds of smoke, you could see the sun trying to shine through.

Why I Love Living in Florida

2009-03-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

The following pictures were taken on March 8--still in the tail end of winter in most states. It is on days like this that I love living in Florida. In the middle of the winter, it can get colder than you would think and in the dead heat of summer walking out into the humidity can make you feel like you just stepped into a shower with your clothes on. However, in the middle of October when many cities are getting their first sleet or snowfall and at the beginning of March when most people are still trying to dig out of their homes wondering when it is ever going to end, something magical happens on the Gulf Coast.

The weather is absolutely beautiful. Blue skies with puffy clouds. Slight wind. Whitecaps on the waves. Powdery white sand. No jellyfish. When we woke up in the morning, we knew we had to hit the beach. The water was a little cold but it didn't stop the kids from jumping right in. It was such a beautiful day and we can't wait to head to the beach next weekend!

Thanks to Debbie at Delicious Baby for hosting Photo Friday. Check out other great travel photos every Friday!

Peeps in Places

2009-03-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Intelligent Travel Blog at National Geographic Traveler introduced its Peeps in Places Photo Contest. Now those of you who know me, know that I judge springtime by when the peeps appear on the shelves. I have been able to wean myself over the years, but now that I have children of peep consuming age the habit is trying to peep in!!! This is right up my alley. As soon as I read about this photo contest tonight, I started thinking of all the great places I could take my Peeps! It reminds me of the Flat Stanley challenge. Where would you take your peeps?

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-03-09T17:45:00.001-07:00

Midwest Guest maintains a blog about "mostly midwest meanderings". Her photographs are beautiful and her articles make me want to travel to the one area of the United States that I haven't been to yet...the Midwest. She is an avid geocacher and writes about her adventures trying to locate the spots. Some of my favorite articles:

Fishing and hunting paradise in Dundee -- I had recently seen a tv show about Cabela's when I read this post and it was great to read more information about the store. I would like to see how it compares to a Bass Pro since that is all I have been to.

Photo Friday -- Lighthouse -- I love lighthouses and fell in love with these beautiful pictures of a snow covered lighthouse. For some reason (could be the fact that I am from the south where we never see snow!), I don't associate snow with lighthouses so it is a funny contrast to me.

Photo Friday -- Parade -- My son loved these pictures of the parade preparations in Chicago.

Wonders of the World

2009-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Recently I came across a website called Hillman Wonders of the World. I looked through the list and realized that although I have done much traveling, there are so many things I still have left to see...and that is only from this list in particular! Here are the wonders that I have seen:

#40 -- Louvre Museum
#80--Yellowstone National Park
#83--Matterhorn
#86--Eiffel Tower
#89--British Museum
#92--Yosemite National Park
#97--Neuschwanstein
#99--San Francisco

9 out of 100...not a very good percentage! Now, the 1000 Wonders of the World list on the same website...that is another story. I think I have seen about 50 of those...still not a great percentage though! Looking at this list makes me want to start planning another big trip...unfortunately it isn't in the works for this month... That being said, Daddy J and I have some travel plans. Together, we are going to Panama City, FL to visit family. Josh is headed to hike another portion of the Appalachian Trail. I can't wait to get the pictures back from that trip! How many wonders have you seen? What is on your list to see next?

Thermopolis and Snake River

2009-03-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

While I have been trying to meet a deadline at my "real" job, I have been working 14 hour days and have had to take a week long hiatus from my unpaid bloggy blog. I'm baaaaaack!!

For Photo Friday this week, I am breaking out some pictures from the vault! Last summer we headed to Wyoming (see related posts about Hell's Half Acre and the buffalo of Yellowstone). We visited Cody, Casper, and Yellowstone, as well as Denver, CO. On our way back to Casper where we were visiting family, we stopped in a little town called Thermopolis for a driving break. At this point, the kids had been in the car for 16 hours straight with a hotel break in the middle...Yellowstone is HUGE (that will be another miserable post later this week...let's just say we will always rent a minivan from now on!). Thermopolis was right in the middle of Casper and Cody. Thermopolis is famous for their hot springs and dinosaurs. They are still completing archeological digs and finding dinosaurs in the land. We took a break to wander through the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, modest but full of information. The Dinosaur Center would probably not keep a teenager busy for more than 20 minutes, but my 2 and 4 year old had a blast! It only takes about 30 minutes to walk through the exhibits. You can pay a little extra to take a bus tour to the dig sites. We decided not to experience this because our children might have disowned us if we put them back into a moving vehicle at that point. There is a very small cafe where we enjoyed a soda and let the kids play on the rocking Triceratops! It was a nice break and the kids were very happy the rest of the way to Casper! We drove along the Snake River for most of the last leg home.

Real teepees along the Snake River! Probably not real, but Seth thought they were cool!

Thanks to Debbie at Delicious Baby for hosting Photo Friday!

The King and Queen of Spain -- Photo Friday

2009-02-26T16:50:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 19, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia joined the 450th celebration of Pensacola. This year, Pensacola is celebrating it's 450th year. Pensacola was actually settled in 1559, as the first settlement. Unfortunately, a hurricane wiped it out so it isn't considered the longest continuous settlement. King Carlos gave a speech at Plaza Ferdinand. They had a lunch and explored different parts of the city that celebrate the common heritage. I didn't get to see too much because I was working, but we were able to wave at the motorcade as they drove past! Thanks A for letting me use your pictures from the speech!

King Juan Carlos and his wife, Sofia

Walking by the crowd before their speech

Saying hello

Gathering before the King's appearance

Check out other great travel photos at Delicious Baby!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-02-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...it is actually Wednesday night, but I am trying to meet some deadlines for work (you know...that real job that pays the bills!). This week, I would like to introduce you to The Mother of All Trips. Mara is a mother who loves to travel! Every Monday, she writes an article called Mondays are for Dreaming. Here, she writes about the places she dreams about visiting or has visited in the past. This week she was dreaming about Jaipur, India!

Some of my favorites:

Is traveling relevant? This mom says yes. -- In this article, Mara talks about how travel is relevant even though the economy is in the state that it is. I agree with everything she said!

The Top 5 Reasons for Traveling with Children -- My favorite is number 4!

Big and Little in Boboli Gardens -- Great picture of her little one next to a very cool statue!

Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival

2009-02-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

I just saw that the dates for the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival have been announced. They have probably been out for awhile, but I just checked out the website today. The 5th Annual Balloon Festival will take place on June 19-21. I am so excited to take my kids!

Last summer, my friend and I took the hour drive over to Foley, AL with BigS to see the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival. We almost didn't go because it was getting a little late and the weather wasn't great, but we are so glad we decided to chance it! BigS loved the balloons until he got up close to them and saw how big they actually are. He wouldn't get in one even though I told him that they didn't go far up in the sky and he didn't want me to get in one either. I guess I will have to fulfill that dream another time! We got great pictures and had a fantastic time.

Once it got dark, there were a bunch of people selling these light saber swords. BigS had to have one! There was so much to see and do at the festival. The balloons were amazing to watch as the sun set. When they lit up, everyone was just in awe. Besides taking a tethered balloon ride, there were other kid's activities and a great list of bands playing all day long! We can't wait to attend with both children this year!

Swarovski Crystal World--Innsbruck, Austria

2009-02-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

According to my husband, this is one of the strangest places we have ever visited. I was so excited to see this place...I am still not sure how I feel about it now. We waited at the train station for the shuttle that runs to Crystal World. It is about a 20 minute drive. While in the bus (with lots of other tourists), we listened to soothing music...almost like windchimes (or crystals!) clinking quietly together. When we arrived, we bought our tickets and headed into this strange place! We walked into the "giant's lair" and checked out all of the art. There is a whole room dedicated to the Giant (see below). It was a bizarre compilation of art pieces. After exploring the many rooms of art, we were able to wander the Swarovski Crystal store. There were pieces that ranged from just a few bucks to a few thousands. Check out other great photos at Delicious Baby, host of Photo Friday.

The giant's lair

Jewelry display

The "giant's" ring

Hmmmm...

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-02-16T14:41:00.001-08:00

This week's travel blogger is SoulTravelers3. This is a family of 3--mom, dad, and little one--traveling the world. They are in their third year of an open-ended world tour. With their daughter in tow, they are experiencing the world and giving her an education unlike any other. I can only imagine the stories that she will be able to tell her own family someday. They can be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and their blog. There are amazing pictures and stories from their travels.

Some of my favorite spots on the blog:

Reflecting on Our Family Travel -- They recap 2008 and link you to amazing posts throughout the year.

Where in Heaven is Mozart -- A video found on Youtube of little Mozart playing violin in many of the countries she has visited.

Photos -- Check out all the beautiful photos they have taken on their journey!

Hofbrauhaus in Munich

2009-02-16T11:08:00.001-08:00

Do you like brats and beer? Do you like a loud atmosphere and lots of people? If so, you will love Hofbrauhaus in Munich. This beer hall has a very rich history. The Hofbrauhaus began operation in 1592 and was founded by Wilhelm V, the Duke of Bavaria. The menu consists of typical German fare. The Hofbrauhaus is a fixture at Oktoberfest. You can hear the singing down the street as you walk towards the beer hall. Don't be alarmed if someone asks to sit with you at your table. The tables are long and hold many! Just make sure that when you get a table, you don't sit at one marked for the regular patrons. You will know that the table is reserved when you see them marked "Reserviert" or "Stammtisch." When it gets busy, you might find yourself making new friends! During the day, the Hofbrauhaus is a great place to take the kids if they like pretzels!

Fairy Tale Lane -- Innsbruck, Austria

2009-02-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

Fairy Tale Lane is a wonderful place to take the children during the Christmas holidays. We couldn't believe our eyes as we walked down the street. Through Old Town Innsbruck, there are fairy tale characters hanging all over the buildings. Of course I love these scenes...I am an English teacher!

Check out the other great travel photos at Delicious Baby, host of Photo Friday!

Partnachklamm or Partnach Gorge

2009-02-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the alien landscape that we saw in Wyoming at Hell's Half Acre last summer. While we were in Germany, we saw another crazy landscape that looked like it was formed in some other world. The Partnachklamm is a gorge that at some points is 80 meters deep. To get to the Partnachklamm, you start at the 1936 Olympic Ski Jump Stadium.

The 1936 Olympic Ski Jump

It is about a 20 minute walk from here. I imagine the walk is absolutely beautiful in the summertime. We saw it during the winter. There was fresh snow on the ground; there were horse drawn carriages and sleds everywhere. I will admit that with our two children, our walk was a bit longer than 20 minutes!

On our way up to the gorge

Once at the gorge, you pay a small fee of 1,50Euro per person. During the summer, the gorge is full of flowing water and huge waterfalls. During the winter, it is like you have just landed on another planet...a very far-from-the-sun planet! The waterfalls are frozen in time, yet the river is still flowing right under the falling ice. The pathway is an easy walk and you can turn around whenever you like. We saw many children and adults of all ages.

There is a bridge that you can take but it is only open in the summer so unfortunately we missed it.It was an easy walk for our 4yo and he couldn't believe what he saw!

The family posing for a picture!

On our way into a spooky tunnel!

Our ride back to the car!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-02-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

When I log on to Nomadic Matt's website, the first thing I look at is his Travel Goal list that runs down the left side of the blog.

I. Love. This. List.

It has so many cool goals on it...many of which are the same as my own travel goals! The blog is aesthetically pleasing and I continually drop by to see which new photos he has added. Matt's photo gallery is absolutely amazing. There are over 4000 photos from all around the world. I love this photo taken in one of my favorite southern cities, Savannah, GA, and this photo makes me want to move Australia up higher on my list! He has some great travel tips and a comprehensive list of travel bloggers from around the world.

Here are a few of my favorite posts:

Choosing the Right Backpack -- Had we read this list before shopping for my hubby's pack to walk the Appalachian Trail with, we would have been saved from countless headaches! The Gregory Baltoro is the first pack on the list...and the last one out of 100 packs my husband tried on. He decided on the Baltoro and would be thrilled to see it on the top of this list!

Best Places to go Scuba Diving -- The pictures in this blog post are incredible. The blue of the ocean and the brightly colored fish make me (who is scared to death of sharks) want to get my scuba certification!

Travel Blog Exchange: A Place to Meet Travel Bloggers -- An interview with Travel Blog Exchange founder Kim Mance

The Secret to Long Term Traveling -- Matt answers the one question travelers often ask...how are you able to continually travel?!?

Seville

2009-02-08T18:08:00.001-08:00

It is Seville Quarter...not Sevilles like many out-of-towners think...yes, I know there are several bars in one, but there is still only one Seville...for some reason that drives me nuts. You say "I am going to Seville tonight, do you want to come with?" not "I am going to Sevilles tonight, do you want to come with?"....Seville...Seville Quarter. Last night, we celebrated a birthday with a Girl's Night Out. We started at Global Grill where we had tasty tapas and amazing cocktails. Luckily, we all get along and we were able to share nicely. We had the following:

Mixed Imported Olives in Flavored Oils
Baked Brie with Wild Berries
Fried Green Tomatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
BBQ Gulf Shrimp New Orleans Style
Homestyle Potato Chips with Bleu Cheese
Andouille and Manchego Cheese Empanadas with Cucumber Cream

It was amazing! After that we headed to Seville Quarter to enjoy a little dueling piano. We happily got carded at the door...it makes us very sad when they just wave us in! We were out very early (got those families to take care of) but were entertained nonetheless.

Edward Ball Nature Trail on the University of West Florida campus

2009-02-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite places to take a walk in Pensacola is the UWF Edward Ball Nature Trail. It is a great place to wander around looking for animals. There are fantastic photo spots as well. As you wander through the woods, you come to a beautiful boardwalk. The boardwalk was restored after a 2004 hurricane, but you can still see remnants of Hurricane Ivan.

Sitting on one of the many benches

We saw a lot of wildlife...the kids spotted most of it on their own! While we were wandering, we saw turtles, a rabbit, birds, butterflies, and a SNAKE! Big S found it first and pointed at it saying "Mommy...look at the big worm!" After I secretly freaked, I told him it was a snake and we never touch snakes. The snake didn't seem bothered by my children screaming but he was not happy when I snapped this picture.

Here are a few of the kids:

Check out other great travel photos at DeliciousBaby, the host of Photo Friday!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

This week's Travel Blogger is Teacher Meets World. The author of Teacher Meets World, Monna, is a Canadian living in Barcelona, Spain living what is admittedly my dream job! She is a teacher overseas. She gets to do the two things that I love to do...teach and travel Europe! And what a cool teacher she is...she and her hubby have a travel club! I am constantly admiring her photography and was amazed to learn that she takes most her pictures with a point and shoot. Monna has a fantastic eye for an amazing picture. That being said, she is also a fantastic writer. Her posts are full of thought provoking questions and meaningful statements. If she asks a question and you choose to answer it, she will post back to you.

Some of my favorite posts...

The way it is for little girls in Paris -- This series of photos is beautiful. The little girl is just adorable and the post is great!

Palace Moments, Vienna -- The picture in this post made my heart skip a beat. It is how I hope I look when someone sees me with my children!

Possibilities (a photo and two poems)

Disney Dreamin'--Photo Friday

2009-01-29T20:02:00.000-08:00

Now that my son is a bit older...Big S is 4.5...and my daughter is at an age where she loves the Disney Channel...Little S is a little over 2...the Daddy J and I have been thinking about DisneyWorld Orlando. The last time we went to Disney was in 2005. We went twice in one year...once for a wedding and once for a family trip with the in-laws. Both times, During the trip pictured, Big S was only 12 months old and Little S wasn't even a twinkle in our eye! It poured the entire afternoon but we were able to make the best of it by protecting ourselves in restaurants, rides and under the monorail. Oh, we also bought those really cheesy ponchos with a big Mickey head on the back! We are getting excited about the prospect of going to Disney, but Holy Tickets Batman! Has anyone noticed that Disney's ticket prices are at 75 bucks now? Despite the price, I think we might try to make the trip in March or April for a long weekend. If you have any great budget tips for Disneyworld, let me know!

Disney Dreamin'...Dreaming of blue skies and a bright sun!

Big D and Big S and Big me...64 lbs ago...

This is the great park that was down the way from our hotel room...we spent a lot of time there!

Thanks to Delicious Baby for hosting Photo Friday. Check out other great travel Photos here.

Do you Twitter?

2009-01-28T19:50:00.001-08:00

So Twitter is not very new, but it is definitely new to me. I am still trying to figure it all out! @twokidsandamap has been featured alongside other travel twitter users and bloggers in a comprehensive list called TravelTweet Directory at Travel Notes. Check us out under TravelTweeters/United States/Florida tweeters and make sure you stop by some of our fellow twitter users and bloggers!

Wordless Wednesday--Hotel sign in Innsbruck

2009-01-27T13:06:00.001-08:00

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-01-27T06:48:00.000-08:00

Kim Mance, of Galavanting, has been quite busy the past week or two! Not only does she keep up with the fantastic Galavanting website, but she is also the founder of Travel Blog Exchange. The Travel Blog Exchange is really the first of its kind. It is a meeting place for all things travel! There are message boards and places to blog. Even though it has only been up and running for a short time, the membership has grown exponentially! I was member number 145 on the 2nd or 3rd day! When I became a member, she took the time out of her day to drop me (and all the other new members!) a welcome message that was personalized. Kim Mance also writes for several other places on the Internet -- Marie Claire and the Huffington Post. She is co-host of the Travel Blog Exchange 09 Meetup in Chicago later this year...hopefully I will be able to attend! Some of my favorite articles...

Great US Destinations for a Romantic Weekend -- I was thrilled to see New Orleans on this list. My hubby and I honeymooned there and we return every year or two with the kids. Since Hurricane Katrina, the rebuilding is still continuing but the spirit of New Orleans is still very much alive.

Historic Christmas Markets--Colmar, France -- This destination was on our Europe vacation list, but unfortunately we didn't have the time to go. It was great being able to see the markets via the blog instead!

National Naval Aviation Museum

2009-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those typical gloomy days...rainy, cloudy, and just downright depressing! We decided that we had to get the kids out of the house but we didn't want to spend another day at the mall or Target. We decided to head to the National Naval Aviation Museum on Pensacola NAS. This is a great museum and we have been to it several times. Big S was cracking us up because he kept telling us that he wanted to get in the planes. He remembered the last trip where he got to climb inside the planes.

The Air Museum is great for all ages. There are so many exhibits, an IMAX theater that shows several movies a day, a small restaurant, a flight simulator, and lots of hands-on activities!

We started out the morning by snapping some pictures of the huge "jet plane" out front. Once inside the museum, we were given a schedule of the IMAX movies and then headed to the Cockpit Trainers. This is our favorite section of the museum! Little kids and big adults alike are encouraged to climb into the cockpits of helicopters and planes. The levers and switches still move! While you are pretending to be a pilot, you can hear sounds of fighter jets and cockpit radio transmissions played over a loud speaker. Today, you could also hear my kids counting down, yelling "BLAST OFF" and "bombs away"!

We watched the flight simulator twist and turn. We chose not to pay the extra money to try it out but the kids loved to see it move around.

If you get hungry, the museum has a restaurant called the Cubi Bar. We decided to just run through McDonald's on our way home, but you should still drop in and see the Cubi Bar. The Cubi Bar was a bar in the Philippines. Now the plaques and pictures hang in the museum as not only a restaurant, but also another exhibit.

Free guided tours of the museum and the flight line are offered several times a day. When the Blue Angels are at home, you can go out to the museum early in the morning to watch their amazing morning practice.

After visiting the museum, we took a drive past the Pensacola Lighthouse.

All in all, we had a great time and it was nice to get out of the house on this gloomy day!

Photo Friday -- The rooftops of Innsbruck

2009-01-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

When we were in Innsbruck, we climbed the Stadtturm (148 steps if I remember correctly!) to see the view of the city. As we walked around the outside of the entire tower, I snapped a bunch of pictures of the city. I was excited about how cool some of them turned out when I was reviewing them at home! The rooftops are absolutely beautiful. Some have gardens on them. Many of them are a gorgeous rust red color.

My favorite rooftop picture!

I spotted our hotel--it is the bright pink looking one!

More roofs!

The Goldenes Dachl

The Stadtturm (City Tower)

See other travel photos at Delicious Baby!

Royalty in the deep south!

2009-01-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

Big things are happening in my hometown! Pensacola is celebrating 450 years! Pensacola was actually America's first European settlement, settled in 1559 by Spanish sailor Don Tristan De Luna. Unfortunately, a hurricane wiped out the settlement so it is not considered the longest constant settlement. To celebrate 450 years, the celebration is big! Everyone has been gearing up for this year long celebration! The highlight of this celebration is a visit from the King and Queen of Spain! They will be visiting February 18 and 19th and there will be several opportunities to see them. Stay tuned!

Also, according to this article, Pensacola was named one of the top ten family friendly vacation spots by Trip Advisor. I tried to locate the actual Trip Advisor article, but was unable to find it. If anyone finds it, please send me the link or post it in comments!

Wordless Wednesday--Appalachian Trail

2009-01-20T17:05:00.001-08:00

Thanks, K, for sharing these pictures of your hiking trip with your hubby and mine! My poor hubby is looking dejected at his choice of food!

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-01-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

Travels with Children is written by a woman who has plenty of experience...she travels regularly with four children! She writes often about her travels through Minnesota. On Fridays, she writes an article called "Finding More Fun" where she includes links to other articles about family travel. On her holiday road trip, she kept a journal that I tried to tune into on a daily basis even though I was on my own vacation! Some of my favorite articles include:

Hotel Rooms for Big Families -- I only have two children so I don't have this problem. However, I often think about what it would be like if we had another child. Where would we put him/her and how could we afford to continue to travel? This article reviews the website SixSuitcaseTravel.

Party Time at Famous Dave's -- This restaurant looks like a place my family would love to go! Check out the sparkler sundae!

Flight 93 Crash Site and Memorial near Shanksville, PA -- A pictorial account of their trip to the crash site. The pictures are incredibly moving and tastefully done.

Wedding Weekends

2009-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was in a dear friend’s wedding. We had a blast spending the entire weekend preparing for the special day. As I watched M and C walk down the aisle, I reminisced about my fantastic wedding day…it is hard to believe that it was almost nine years ago! M and C’s wedding was absolutely perfect and I am so happy for them. The bridesmaid dresses were a gorgeous color, M’s dress was just right, and the men looked great in their tuxes.

M and C at the rehearsal

Josh and I at the wedding

Bridesmaids all dolled up and ready to walk down the aisle!

Even though you might not be traveling for your wedding, many of your friends and family are spending a lot of money to travel to you! Most of the time, your friends and family will spend more than just the day of your wedding in your hometown. You will be busy with your own plans…let’s admit…it is one of the few times that you can be self-absorbed! Create a visitor goody bag for all everyone who is traveling from out of town.

The first tip I have is to start collecting the below items and information early. Some places limit the number of items you can pick up at one time. Other places might not have enough for you at the time you stop by. By beginning early, you can ensure that you will have a goody bag for everyone.
A month or two before the wedding go to your local tourism office and pick up whatever free items they have! Get lots! Our beach office gives away free plastic bags with the city name on them as well as these little bags to go collect the gorgeous white sand that characterizes our beaches. Use these bags and other items to put together a little goody bag that you can give your guests as they arrive in town. If they offer city maps for free, pick up a bunch of those as well.
Drive around your city and make some stops at the hot tourist spots. Go to museums, amusement parks, bars, restaurants, and malls…all those places that will help entertain your guests while you are busy. Pick up pamphlets at each stop so that you can throw them in the goody bags.
Make a list titled “Top Ten Things to Do in (your city here)” Include a brief description of each place, cost, and the amount of time they might spend. Make a special note of kid-friendly places to visit.
If you live within an hour of some other great tourist spots, make a note of that.
Create a list of emergency numbers. Include the local hospitals and urgent care offices. Decide who will be the contact person for your guests. Make sure that cell and home numbers are included. The contact person should be someone who will not be incredibly busy all weekend (leave the bride’s mother off of this list!). Do you have a close friend who might be willing to be this person?
Include an itinerary of the wedding weekend with a note of who is expected to be at each event. For example, if out of town guests are invited to the rehearsal dinner make a note of that.
If the budget allows, include an already stamped postcard so that your guests can send a little note home.
Purchase or print off a city map (or see number 2!). Make notes on it highlighting the spots that you have told them about. Photocopy a map for everyone.
Plan a few outings that people can sign up for…you are the director of this cruise ship! Meet in a central location and show everyone a little bit of your town!

Photo Friday

2009-01-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

While in Europe, my children were most fascinated by checking the sewer drains to see if anything was there and seeing who could spot the "Old McDonald's" (aka MickeyD's) first! They also looked for birds and horses. However, nothing could top the excitement of spying yet another dog and yelling out at the top of their lungs "LOOK MOMMY!!! ANOTHER DOGGY!!! TAKE A PICTURE QUICK!!!!" I give you "The Dogs of Europe"!

Check out some other travel photos at Photo Friday at Delicious Baby!

Pardon our dust, we are remodeling!

2009-01-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

For my daily visitors, you will notice that I have made some changes to the blog today! I have been blogging since October and now that I am consistently posting I have decided to make some changes to my blog.

I have been working on a banner for the top of the blog and I am not sure what I will do...I am working on a second one as well. I have also changed the background color no fewer than ten times while trying to decide what I like!

This week, I started Travel Blogger Tuesday. I will feature a different travel blogger each Tuesday. If you have any suggestions let me know!

I have signed up for a Twitter account. You can follow me at @twokidsandamap. Still trying to figure out how the whole Twitter/tweet/stumble/retweet works! Still not sure what all that means! Leave me a note so I know how to follow you as well!

Thanks so much for dropping by and please pardon my dust as I try to figure out where exactly I would like to take this blog...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T05:04:00.001-08:00

Travel Blogger Tuesday

2009-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog a few months ago, my main goal was to share my own experiences to show how easy and how important it is to travel with your children. Traveling with children is not as taxing on the brain, body and wallet as some people may think it is. I have discussed my traveling on my family blog since 2007, but I wanted to expand. Once I started this blog, I found that there were so many resources out there. The travel blogging world is bigger than I could have ever imagined! With my participation in Passports with Purpose, I was welcomed into the travel blogging world with open arms even though I had only been travel blogging since October of '08. Travel Blogger Tuesday is my way to say thank you! Each Tuesday, I will be showcasing a travel blogger. As I continue to showcase travel blogs, I will add them to my links on the right side of the blog!

If you have any blog suggestions or are a travel blogger yourself, leave me a comment or send me an email at twokidsandamap at gmail dot com!

Today's showcased travel blogger is Debbie at Delicious Baby. Delicious Baby is the first blog I found about traveling with kids. What a find! Delicious Baby is all about "making travel with kids fun"! There are great travel tips and reviews of products that are useful while traveling. She writes all about her experiences about traveling with her children, as well as showcases other writers and their experiences. You will find comprehensive city guides that include kid-friendly restaurants, hotels, and activities. Delicious Baby moderates Photo Friday, where travelers all around the world post their travel photos once a week.

Some of my favorite articles at Delicious Baby include:

Why Travel? -- Reasons why you should travel with your kids

Ten Tips for Keeping a Toddler Busy on a Plane -- Our favorite is tip #3!

Phoenix with Kids Day 3: Taliesin West and the Arizona Science Center -- A funny (well maybe not so funny to Delicious Baby!) account of a plan that went awry...it is nice to read that other people have "must see items" that probably should have been "must see without the toddlers" too! We have all been there, done that...my must see was Schloss Neuschwanstein...what a disaster!!

Check out Delicious Baby here!

5 Vienna Sights to See with your Kids

2009-01-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

While in Vienna, we saw many of the touristy sights and many off the beaten path sights. These are our top 5 favorite places to take your kids while in Vienna, Austria!

1. The Tiergarten Schonbrunn -- Vienna Zoo -- This zoo is considered one of the oldest zoos in the world. It is on the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace, which was built between 1695 and 1713. Much effort was made to keep many of the original buildings so the zoo has an old, fancy feel to it. The kids checked out the animals that were held in buildings that have been around for hundreds of years.

2. The Hofburg Palace -- The Hofburg is a beautiful complex that housed many emperors and is now home to offices, tourist stops and the Lipizzaner Horses. We chose to avoid the tourist stops, like the museums, because the kids were getting rowdy. Instead, we wandered through the square and let the kids run around, chase each other, and laugh until they had tears in their eyes!

3. Spanische Reitschule -- The Spanish Riding School -- When we decided to go to Vienna, I couldn't wait to see these amazing horses. It is hard to believe that these stark white horses are born with dark hair. We knew that our kids would never make it through a full performance of the Lipizzaner Stallions. The morning exercises are held from 10am-12pm several mornings a week. Tickets are only 12 euro and go on sale at 9:30, according to the office. That being said, we were able to purchase our tickets around 9:15 and then we headed back to Hofburg square to kill some time. Even though the practice is two hours long, we only stayed for about 30 minutes. There were only four or five horses that were working out at the time. They do not do the entire performance...this is just a workout! It was just the right amount of time and the kids had a great time watching the horses practice their dancing. It was noisy so it was okay for the kids to talk out and be excited about the "horseys"! You can also walk across the street and see the horses in their stables. There is a glass window so the kids can see them. If you time it right, you can watch the horses walk across the street to their practice!

4. Cafe Demel -- Although I don't recommend actually taking the children into the cafe unless they are able to keep their hands to themselves, I don't think anyone should miss this place! It is full of amazing treats and makes for a perfect place to take a break! There is a very small seating area in the back. We chose to just pick up some Sachertortes (a wonderful chocolate cake covered with apricot jam and then covered in a rich chocolate) and a few chocolate bars for the road.

5. The S-Bahn -- Even if you live in a big city with public transportation, the underground train never gets boring! We could have ridden it all day long with both our kids. They loved navigating around and looking for the right color train!

2008: A Year of Travel in Review

2009-01-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

I know that we are already 9 days into 2009 but I wanted to post a few of my favorite travel moments from 2008.

We finished out 2007 in Gatlinburg, TN...

We saw snow in Wyoming...IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE...

We learned that we will always rent a mini van from now on so that the little ones can see out the windows on road trips...

I found out that my husband had never ridden a horse before...he and kids checked that off their list of "nevers"

and we all rode an ATV for the first time...

We got in as many beach days as we could all over the Gulf Coast...

I celebrated my 30th birthday with my closest friends in Biloxi, MS...

We had a much needed staycation in Destin, FL...

Enjoyed a family reunion in Ashland City, TN

The hubby got to reenact Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods...

I got to live out a childhood fantasy of mine (don't laugh...I quietly sang "I am 16, going on 17" in front of THE gazebo)...

We closed out the year in Europe...

Where will we be adventuring next? Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for a Brazilian Jiu jitsu Camp, Machu Picchu...if we make it to South America, Disneyworld for a magical weekend, St. George for a relaxing time, Italy to see Rome and Venice, Greece if we can swing it and back to Germany to visit family, we would also like to see Chicago or New York...these are just a few ideas we are tossing around...who knows where we might end up!

Any suggestions?

Where will you be traveling this year?

Photo Friday!

2009-01-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

For this week's Photo Friday at Delicious Baby, I have decided to take a break from our Europe adventure (we certainly have enough Europe stories to continue posting all year!) and share a little piece of Wyoming!

On our summer road trip through Wyoming, we pulled over to take a look at this awesome sight. It looks like it just doesn't belong there. Hell's Half Acre is kind of like the Badlands. It is a 150 ft deep gorge where Native Americans slaughtered herds and herds of bison. It is also where Starship Troopers was partly filmed.

Unfortunately, the tourist attraction (a restaurant and info booth) is closed and Hell's Half Acre is fenced off so you can't see very much without trespassing...at least that is how we felt. Of course, if you are traveling with kids you won't want to get to close anyway! We were able to read about the area because the information sign is still standing and snap a few pictures before continuing on to Jackson Hole.

Wordless Wednesday...sort of!

2009-01-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

We are back home after 24 hours of traveling...this is just one of the many ways we entertained ourselves!