Karilyn Owen, Author at No Back Home

7 Tips on How to Travel More

November 9, 2019January 13, 2017 by Karilyn Owen

I often get asked how I am able to travel so much with my son. Do you homeschool? Are you loaded? Is your travel free? All valid questions. Traveling with a family is difficult once children are in school and have limited time off, but it is not impossible. Travel is also much more expensive than solo travel when you could sleep in less than stellar hostels or easily couchsurf and travel in dodgy local buses. But, again it is possible for most families to add more travel into their lives with a few small changes in their lifestyle and knowing where to look for cheaper travel options.

I am a travel blogger, which means I do get to go on some trips for free (or actually I would say for a barter if you count the countless hours I spend writing about them), but by and large most of the trips I take are self funded in some way or another. So how do I do it?

The Essential Guide to Visiting Pismo Beach Sand Dunes

September 4, 2019January 5, 2017 by Karilyn Owen

If you are heading up the Pacific Coast of California, you must make a stop at Pismo Beach Sand Dunes. Everyone knows about California’s array of famous national parks, but what some don’t realize is that there are also a ton of really great state parks that are well worth visiting. Pismo Beach Sand Dunes, also known as Oceano Sand Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, near Pismo Beach on the Central Coast of California is one of our favorites.

This park is perfect for a weekend getaway for those living in Southern California as well as those in the central valley areas of California. It provides outdoor loving families an amazing opportunity to experience a park like few other places in the US.

2017 Travel Dreams

January 3, 2017 by Karilyn Owen

Happy New Year!! I hope your 2017 is off to an active and exciting start. For the 3rd year in a row I am laying out my travel dreams in writing. I haven’t quite gotten prepared enough to actually purchase any tickets this year, but I am putting my lofty aspirations out there so the universe can work it’s magic!

Last year I was able to do quite a bit from my 2016 Travel Dreams list. San Francisco, Seattle, London, South Africa and Ireland were all crossed off the list. Unfortunately Yellowstone was not. Instead, we added Central Oregon, which was amazing. Either way, it was a fantastic year for travel. I also did not get to do many of the things on my personal to do list, but I will try again this year.

Being obsessed with travel means having a never-ending list of places to visit. Since this list basically includes almost everywhere in the world, it is hard to actually narrow it down to what will happen THIS year. Right now, based on our family’s interests these are the top priorities that we hope to make happen. But I already know some are pipe dreams in the works, that we hope to accomplish in a few years! We do not have any set in stone trips planned for this year yet, so I am not quite sure what the year will turn out to be, but it will be fun and full of adventure even if it’s closer to home than it was last year.

Year in Review | 2016 Summary

May 30, 2024December 29, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

This year for many has been a tumultuous year. With the election and feelings of uncertainty moving throughout the world, 2016 has just felt hard for many of our friends and family. Even though we have had a fantastic year of travel, I have to also admit that it’s been a hard year for us. Between buying our first home, renovating it, my 40th birthday and our beloved Xena kitty’s death, it has been a busy year filled with ups and downs, lots of stress and lots of excitement.

Exploring Saguaro National Park in One Day

November 14, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

One of our main reasons for our recent visit to Tucson was to explore Saguaro National Park. And to get a other junior ranger badge of course! Reading the name saguaro, you might not know exactly what it is (or even how to say it!), but once you see the iconic cactus often associated with Arizona and specifically the Sonoran Desert it will click. Considering how iconic this cactus is, you might be surprised to learn that this is the only part of the world that these famous catctus grow. The national park itself houses over 2 million saguaros, making it the most dense population of saguaro anywhere.

Researching the park was a bit confusing because the park bookends the city of Tucson with an east and west section. It is the only national park in the US that is not connected fully. Driving between the two districts takes a little more than an hour, so it’s important to know which area you want to visit if you have limited time. While reading about the park in advance of our trip, we couldn’t figure out which section was best, so we decided to explore it all and share the results with you here.

Visiting Manzanar National Historic Site with Kids

November 3, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

Visiting Manzanar Historic Site with Kids — Photo via Flickr

If you follow us regularly, you know we are national park obsessed. But it’s not just nature parks that we love to go to, we also enjoy visiting many of the monuments and historic sites that are part of the national park system. Through these other parks, we have been able to learn more about the history and culture of this great country.

On our recent visit to see fall colors in Bishop, we passed by Manzanar National Historic Site. As soon as my son saw the NPS badge on the road sign, he was obsessed with stopping to check it out. In researching our trip along Highway 395, I had read about Manzanar, so I wasn’t exactly sure if it was appropriate for my 6 year old. I gave him a brief history of the site and then we decided to see if they had a Junior Ranger program for him to complete. I felt confident that if they had a program, they must feel it is accessible to younger children. However, I admit I was nervous about our visit and wondered how it would impact him.

Guide to Legoland California

October 24, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

Even though we live only 90 minutes away from Legoland in Carlsbad, it has taken us years to finally get there. My son isn’t a lego fanatic, so we weren’t pushed to make the trip. I regret now that it took us so long to get there. Being annual passport holders at Disney just up the road, we know the amusement park thing well. Don’t think of Legoland as a rival of Disneyland, but as a totally different entity that needs to be enjoyed in addition to the larger parks up the road.

On Safari at MalaMala Game Reserve

December 6, 2018September 29, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

In February, we headed off to one of the few continents I had yet to visit, Africa. I am an ardent animal lover who has passed that love on to my 5 yr old son, thus a safari excursion was the perfect birthday present for me and the entire family. If you read our planning a trip to South Africa post, you will know that it was not easy to find a hotel that would allow our young son to fully participate in the safari experience. Luckily, our diligent research paid off and we found MalaMala Game Reserve in Sabi Sands, on the outskirts of Kruger National Park.

Sabi Sands is known as one of the finest Big 5 areas in all of Africa. There are no fenced borders between the reserves and Kruger National Park, so the animals move freely, making their way to the two year round rivers in the area. Due to the near constant water supply, it is almost guaranteed that you will see the Big 5 during a visit, and often even during a single day.

Our trip was all that we had imagined and even more. Exactly what I had wanted for my monumental birthday. Being in the bushveld as a visitor to the animal kingdom was awe-inspiring. It’s taken me months to digest it and try to put it into words. It put in perspective how insignificant we are in the scheme of life on earth but also how detrimental our short existence has been to those who were here before us.

After flying on 3 flights and for more than 30 hours, we finally landed at the small MalaMala airstrip. I loved flying low over the bush spotting animals far down below. But that excitement was nothing compared to seeing our first animals up close and personal. Get ready to fall in love with one of the most majestic places on earth. I really hope it wasn’t a once in a lifetime experience because I am dying to return!

England’s Outdoor Secret – Adventure Play Forests

September 22, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

It’s all over my Facebook feed these days about how children do not get enough outdoor time. One article even said “The average American child spends four to seven minutes a day playing outdoors and up to seven hours a day staring at a screen.” That seems totally crazy to me. But then I look around and realize so many of our friends rarely go outdoors, even in Southern California where we have beautiful weather year round. For many families, it is not a priority to go outside, or perhaps they don’t feel they have the time or are just not inspired by the options for outdoor play.

During our summer trip to England, we found the answer to this family dilemma with the Forest Department’s Adventure play trails located in forests across the country. During our visit, we were lucky enough to visit two of these play forests. I am obsessed and would love to find out how to get one in the US. It is exactly what children need – safe places to push their boundaries, explore and learn while using nature as their playscape.

Copenhagen Card – Should You Purchase It?

August 29, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

On my first trip to Europe as a backpacker I was given a sound piece of advice that I’m honestly still not always great at following: Don’t fret over the cost of attractions. Recognize that you may never visit again and the cost of seeing something that is a little over your budget is much cheaper than going home and living with regret for years that you didn’t do it only because it was a few dollars more expensive than you had planned.

I still struggle with this occasionally. I sometimes get so caught up in the moment of saving money that I forget that I am on a holiday and this may be the only time I ever visit. Given this propensity of mine, I find that city savings cards aimed to save travelers money are often good bets for me. This allows me the ability to see more than I would pay for as individual admissions and allows me to let go of the saving money stress for just a bit!

Uthando: A New Way of Visiting the Townships of Cape Town

August 25, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

There is much controversy in the so called “poverty tours” – do they provide a learning experience or is it just a way to gawk at those less fortunate? Having lived in Mumbai working in many poor and slum communities I am particularly aware of this type of tourism and it’s many sides. In some ways, it is educational for the people visiting to actually see with their own eyes how so many people throughout the world live, survive and often thrive on so little while we in the West spend our days focusing on our “first world problems”. However, looking at the other side, would you want to be a poor person having their lives, homes and livelihoods being treated as entertainment? Probably not. Hence the dilemma for us on our recent trip to South Africa.

As a former non-profit worker and advocate, I was quite interested in seeing the townships of South Africa in person that I had heard about for years, however I didn’t want to just take a bus there on our own to essentially gawk at the community members. I was lucky enough to find a really great alternative that met my desire to see and experience the townships, while also not putting people and their homes on display like they live in a zoo.

Medieval Times or Pirate’s Dinner Adventure

August 15, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

Visitors flock to Southern California for vacation looking to fill their days and nights with as much fun as they can afford! If you are visiting Buena Park or nearby Anaheim you probably have on your itinerary to attend an interactive family dinner. The decision is which one to attend – Medieval Times or the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure. Having visited both, I will say they are both fantastic and provide great fun for the family, but there are some differences to keep in mind depending on your children’s interests, ages and what you hope to get out of the experience. To help you make your decision, we have outlined the basic information and our pros and cons of each.

Top 3 Boutique Hotels in Kerala

August 8, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

One of my favorite things about traveling in Asia are the amazing luxurious hotels at reasonable rates. During our years in India, the country in general was often behind the game when it came to boutique hotels, which meant most of the time we were trained to look for the international chain 5 star hotels if we wanted some luxury. However, Kerala was a different story. The southern most state of India always seemed to have a leg up on the rest of the country with an abundance of cute, inspiring boutique hotels. On our last visit, we had the opportunity to stay at several that we think are well worth checking out.

8 Great Things to Do in London with Kids

September 12, 2019July 28, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

Are you heading to London? Overwhelmed with all the things to do in London with kids? If so, this is the post for you!

It goes without saying what an amazing, world class city London is. Having visited many times prior to having a child, I was excited to see it anew through my son’s eyes. There is no shortage of things to do in London with or without children. Rather, the challenge is to narrow down what you can reasonably accomplish in a short visit.

Coming from another major metropolis, I tend to shy away from things that can be found in many cities – zoos, aquariums, etc. Instead, I look to do things that are unique about the destination. Even taking things like the Natural History Museum (which I hear is fabulous still!), the zoo, etc off the table, we were still overwhelmed with how much there was to do in London. Loving everything we did in London, it’s hard to come up with just a few, but below are the best things to do in London with kids in our opinion.

Sky’s the Limit Observatory in 29 Palms

July 25, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

One of the best places in Southern California for star gazing is in and around Joshua Tree. We have been out several times specifically to do this, but only recently learned about the Sky’s the Limit Observatory in 29 Palms. On our last visit to the northern part of Joshua Tree we noticed the observatory’s white building contrasting in the desert landscape, but didn’t really know if it was open to the public, so we didn’t stop. On my most recent trip however, I heard that they offer free weekly viewings, so I went to check it out.

Living so close to Griffith Park Observatory, I am no stranger to star parties, so it’s not always easy to impress me with telescopes. But I have to say that the Sky’s the Limit Observatory was fantastic in more ways than one.

29 Palms: A Joshua Tree Hidden Gem

July 21, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

We have been to Joshua tree too many times to count, but we continue to find new areas to explore. On my most recent trip, I had the opportunity to stay in Twentynine Palms near the Oasis of Mara entrance. In all my times to the park, I have only visited this area twice. Now I have a new reason to return.

The city of Twentynine Palms is a wonderful destination as well as place to stay while exploring Joshua Tree. The town itself is super cute, bursting at the seams with a creative vibe that is inspiring. This part of Joshua tree is less touristed than the main visitor center, but there are plenty of reasons why you should make put Twentynine Palms on your must visit list.

Central and Southern Oregon Road Trip Itinerary

January 24, 2022July 18, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

For our third annual multi-family summer vacation, we created an amazing Oregon road trip itinerary. We had initially hoped to start in Portland and work our way around the state, but quickly realized how much there is to do in the US’s 9th largest state. Instead, we opted for a loop, focusing on the central and southern parts of the state, starting and ending in Eugene, Oregon. Taking in 3 national park/monuments, numerous rivers, forests and the coast, it proved to be an ideal itinerary for our outdoor focused families.

However, if you have time or your flight takes you through Portland, there are a ton of great things to do there to begin or end your visit.

Oregon really is a nature lovers dream come true. Snowy mountains, looming volcanoes surrounded by fields of lava rocks, fir forests, icy cold streams, lakes and let’s not forget the beautifully rugged coastline. Central and Southern Oregon’s diverse landscape is sure to please everyone.

We had an amazing time on our 10 day Oregon road trip that I thought I would share it here for anyone looking to do the same. Our itinerary was somewhat dictated by availability of accommodation, but overall I would do the same itinerary with only minor changes.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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Exploring Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland

October 24, 2023June 20, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

Ever since I first visited Ireland in 2004 I have wanted to get to the north to see the Giant’s Causeway. Even though my husband was born and bred in Dublin he had never made the 3 hour journey to the north due to growing up during ‘The Troubles’. A visit to the north wasn’t super high on his list which meant it has taken me 12 years of visiting Ireland to finally get there.

Days before our departure friends began to tell us that we shouldn’t get our hopes up, it wasn’t that impressive. I started to worry that I’d been building it up all these years even before the popularity of Instagram photos luring people places. However, after visiting it, I have to say it was spectacular, and totally worth the wait to do it with my rock climbing obsessed 5 year old.

Witnessing a Lion Kill on Safari

June 13, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

There are many reasons people go on safari in Africa; but, it’s safe to say, the main reason is to see animals in their natural habitat, untamed and free to be wild. Not every person comes to see the same thing, either. Some come for the close-up photo opportunities, some for the less well known mammals or birds, while some go on safari for the exhilaration of seeing a kill.

Prior to our trip to South Africa, we spent weeks checking out the Mala Mala Instagram feed surveying the animals we would soon see in person. It is there that we first saw a video of lions attacking a buffalo. It was horrifying, mesmerizing and addicting. I was too squeamish to watch with the volume on, however, my 5 year old was hooked. Seeing the circle of life in action quickly became the *must see* on his South African adventure wish list. Mine was a bit simpler.. only to see a herd of zebra grazing peacefully on the open savannah. But would either of us get our wish, we weren’t sure when we set off on our adventure across the world.

Rickshaw Run FAQs

June 9, 2016 by Karilyn Owen

If you have found yourself here, chances are you are considering or have already signed up for the Rickshaw Run that happens several times a year in India. If you have an adventurous spirit and a little bit of the crazy gene, a desire to see India in a way most people don’t and are willing to risk limbs for it, then this is something you should aim to do. Don’t panic though, it will be amazing. Driving an auto rickshaw across India in the name of charity continues to be one of the most adventurous things I have done in my life. And it ruled. Ok. Truth be told, it actually probably sucked more often than it was awesome at the time, but now looking back, it was the most exhilarating adventure I had in my many years of living in India. Even with years of Mumbai living under my belt, the Rickshaw Run is what truly opened my eyes to the greatness of India and her people.

In the years since doing the Rickshaw Run, we have been asked the same questions over and over, so I decided to finally collate my years of emails and share the answers here with you.