familytravel

6 Amazing Stops on Route 66 Los Angeles to Grand Canyon That You MUST Visit

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Are you heading out on the iconic Route 66 Los Angeles to Grand Canyon route? Traveling on the notorious Route 66 is a dream for many. While it takes a lot of time and planning to drive the entire length of the road (all 2,451 miles of it!), it is possible to drive sections of the road without much of an effort. We haven’t fulfilled our quest to drive the entire length of the road, but we were able to get a good taste by driving Route 66 from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon. It was just enough to know that we will be back for more. (Update: We did it again going all the way to Oklahoma!)

Starting the drive on Route 66 from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon, we happened across some awesome sites that are worth the detour and longer drive times.  The most difficult part of this drive is continually rerouting the GPS to stay off of Interstate 40!

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11 Magical Things to Do in Iceland with Kids

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Are you considering taking a trip to Iceland with kids? Do it! Iceland is the darling jewel of travel destinations these days and as such it has come to the forefront as an ideal family destination. With an abundance of amazing things to do in Iceland with kids from dramatic waterfalls, erupting geysers and other fabulous natural wonders, it’s no wonder it has soared to popularity. 

That said, planning a trip to Iceland can also prove to be overwhelming. The sheer amount of information on the internet combined with the fact that very few of the names are even remotely pronounceable can make it frustrating to plan a trip there.

After weeks and weeks of sorting through blog posts and visiting the country ourselves a few times, we have come up with the ultimate guide to Iceland with the best things to do in Iceland with kids or without! Many of these things can be done throughout the country depending on your itinerary which is nice since you don’t have to drive all over the place to do a few amazing things. While some activities require kids to be older, most are things all families can enjoy together. Read on for our top things to do in Iceland with kids along with suggestions on where to stay and how to get around.

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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Where to Stay in Mumbai: An Insider’s Guide to the Best Hotels in Mumbai

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Heading to India and wondering where to stay in Mumbai? We have you covered with our insiders guide to the best places to stay in Mumbai from hotels near the Mumbai airport to hotels in Bandra and beyond. Some of the best hotels in the city are not located in the main tourist areas, but … Read more

Family Gap Year: Traveling the World with My 8 Year Old

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I am travel obsessed. The more I travel, the more I want to travel. In 2004, I set off on a round the world (RTW) trip, but got ‘stuck’ in India with my now husband. Ever since my first attempt at traveling the world, I have ached to try again. This desire to have a family gap year has only gotten stronger as my son has grown each year.

We travel a ton as it is, but it never feels like enough. Each summer we take 4-6 weeks to travel, just the two of us, and I am never ready for it to end. We have spent time in London, Denmark, Sweden, Brazil, Borneo and all over the western US visiting national parks.

This past year was a little rough for my son at school, so we began entertaining the idea of taking the next school year off to travel. The seed was planted.

Soon I realized that 3 back to back trips scheduled in the first weeks of school would take my son away for a month. It felt like the perfect opportunity to extend it further and just take the whole year off.

Reading that back, I realize my extreme logic! You broke your toe, so we cut the whole leg off! I know, I’m crazy! This is what happens when you become obsessed with travel.

The positives for doing it now – my son is in 2nd grade which is a great age to travel with, an age I can still assist with homeschooling and he still wants to hang out with me! I’m sold.

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Tips for Flying with a Baby: Carry-on Essentials

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Flying with a baby is daunting for most parents. Preparing and packing carry-on essentials is one of the most important aspects for your baby’s first flight. In my son’s first 2 years of life we traveled from India to Ireland to the US and back racking up platinum status with Delta! After so many flights … Read more

Your Questions Answered About Your Baby’s First Flight

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Preparing for your baby’s first flight is daunting and nerve wracking. I remember it well. My son was born in India where we lived as expats. As you can imagine, the grandparents were chomping at the bit to see him. India not being the easiest country to pop into meant that we had to do … Read more

Central and Southern Oregon Road Trip Itinerary

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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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Planning a Trip to South Africa with Kids

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Photo via Flickr

This year is my 40th/10th (leap day baby) birthday. I decided I wanted something epic. For years the plan had been to go to Tibet to chill with the monks, but with the addition of a child on the scene, I realized that the chill in February might be a bit too much. Instead, our sights turned to Africa, one of only 2 continents I have yet to step foot on. And so the planning began!

I’m not one to shy away from destinations because they are ‘difficult’ or ‘dangerous’, but we definitely have felt the odds stacked against us more than once in planning this trip with a child. Here is some of what you need to know when planning a trip to South Africa with a child.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Fiji

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5 reasons why you should visit FijiWe have just returned from a “once in a lifetime” trip to Fiji. I put it in quotes because I really hope that it is not actually just once in my lifetime! I wasn’t sure what to expect other than it looked similar to Hawaii, is known as a honeymoon destination and a getaway for the rich and famous.

Without fail, everyone we talked to about Fiji said it was their dream to go someday. Rightly so, who wouldn’t want to go to an idyllic paradise with beautiful white sand beaches in the middle of crystalline waters? Even with the weather not cooperating for most of our trip, I have to admit that it was still magical, but not for the reasons I had initially thought. Read on for the 5 reasons why you should visit Fiji too.

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Our Epic Utah and Arizona Grand Canyon Road Trip

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Road tripping is the quintessential American summer vacation. We joined the masses this year with a 10 day road trip through Arizona and Utah.  Our epic journey took us to 4 national parks as well as some classic American gems –Route 66, the wonders of the Grand Canyon, rafting down the Colorado River and hiking through a … Read more

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with Kids

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One of the main reasons we chose the Big Island over the other Hawaiian Islands was to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. My son had seen a brochure about the park at a friend’s house last summer and has wanted to go ever since. Turns out, this was the highlight for all of us. There is so much to … Read more

Dream Travel Destinations for 2015

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I live and breathe travel. If it was up to me I would be traveling full time, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now. So instead, I dream up all the trips I hope we can take. I plan them out in my head and often on paper, holding on to … Read more