Today I am linking up with my good friend, Lisa from Coast to Coast and talking about traveling. If you know me at all you know that I live for travel. I even decorate my house with things that remind me of traveling. Today I'll tell you my top tips for traveling with young children and a few of my favorite places we have been (with and without kids)
Tips
Mindset- You can't travel with kids and have a good time without a relaxed mind. Yes there is lots of preparation that is required, but it isn't worth anything if you don't have a happy and go with the flow mindset. So take a deep breath, accept that things are going to get messy, and learn to laugh when it all your preparations and expectations crumble.
Electronics- I know this will be controversial to many, but electronics are a life saver. If I allowed it, that is all my 5 year old would do on a plane flight. Living in Hawaii, the shortest flight we have, when going to the mainland, is 5 hours so I definitely take advantage of a tablet.
Packing- Don't over pack. Especially your carryon. Remember you have to carry that backpack around and you have to be able to find the things you need. Don't weigh yourself down with unnecessary things.
- Diaper an hour (5 hour flight, 5 diapers),
- Wipes
- Travel pack of disinfecting wipes (to wipe down the surfaces at your seat),
- Snacks (small, bite sized snacks work best because they occupy them for the longest. Think goldfish and raisins)
- Coloring book and small pack of crayons
- Tablet and headphones
- Small toy. When my oldest was younger, and before she really knew about the glorious iPad, she loved to play with Mr. Potato-head on a plane flight. I would only pack enough accessories so that everything fit inside. She loved laying the pieces on the tray table (that I wiped down before takeoff) and making lots of silly combinations. I would make sure and hide the toy for several weeks before we left so it was new and fresh. I actually recommend hiding any toy you plan to take, several weeks before the day of travel.
Destinations
England- I lived in England for 4 years. It is where my husband and I met and were married and where we had our first child. It feels impossible to narrow the entire country down to one city, so I'll just share a few of my favorite photos. I can assure you the country is filled with beautiful scenery, culturally rich food, and historical sites for days and days.
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| Tower Bridge |
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| Tower of London |
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| Headland Hotel and Fistral Beach, Cornwall, England. |
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| Lavenham, England. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was written here. |
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| Liverpool, England |
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| St. Paul's Cathedral London, England |
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| Land's End, Cornwall, England |
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| 2012 Olympic Games London |
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| Towan Beach, Cornwall |
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| White Cliffs of Dover and the English Channel |
Paris- I have been fortunate enough to visit Paris twice. Once when I was a newlywed, and again with my husband, sister, and oldest. I love the romance of the city. The architecture, the art, the cheese... Oh, how I love all the cheese. ;)
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| Cathedral of Notre Dame |
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| The Louvre |
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| Arc de Triomphe |
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| Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House) Home of Phantom of the Opera |
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| THE Mona Lisa |
Oregon Coast- My best friend and I took a road trip with our 5 children earlier this month and we had a blast. We drop from The Bay Area up to Portland. On the way back we took the scenic route and drove down on Highway 101, along the coast. I cannot tell you how many times we gasped at the beauty of the rugged coast. It is absolutely breathtaking and words simply cannot describe its beauty. I also love all the interesting sites we saw along the way. A prehistoric garden, a house made from a single log, and a towering statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Besides being such an exciting vacation (did you catch the math? 5 kids and 2 moms?) it was such a fun experience having a road trip with my best friend. I would do it a thousand times over again. Maybe just pack a few more bottles of Dramamine and ibuprofen.
I love exploring the world and seeing how different people live. It's wonderful to discover that people living in the same country can have such a different culture. I feel like travel is the best way to grow as a person and what better way than exploring with those that we love. What is your favorite tip for traveling with kids and your favorite destination?
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Great tip about having a positive mindset- Our car trip is going to be LONG so I've got to set the tone so that we don't show up on my aunt's doorstep as a bunch of grumps! Oregon is definitely on my bucket list! Thanks for linking up today!
ReplyDeleteYes, without a happy disposition it is hard to deal with long trips for sure! I hope you have a great trip! This is my first link up. I knew it was for me when I saw it was about traveling. :)
DeleteI love your diaper math tip!!! And you know I'm all about a disinfecting wipe...LOL. Hiding a toy or two before the trip is a great tip too and London and Paris are on my "kinda sorta" bucket list. You know me and travel...LOL Yay for your first link up friend. I'm glad it was ours. XOXO
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it was yours as well. I have my calendar marked for the others! So glad you liked my tips. I feel like I have so many things to say it was kind of hard narrowing it down.
DeleteXOXO