We were late in planning our Spring Break 2023 trip. With just two of us traveling, an Amtrak trip across the country was an easy choice. We had enjoyed our winter 2021 trip from Denver to San Francisco, and a few other journeys were on our list. Seattle and Chicago aren’t beach destinations, so… Continue reading Seattle to Chicago: 48 Hours on the Amtrak Empire Builder
Seattle’s iconic Space Needle turned out to be one of our favorite activities, even on a rainy and cloudy day. Tickets were included with our pre-purchased Seattle Pass. Walking into the lobby immediately felt like we were entering an episode of the Jestsons. This made sense, because the Space Needle was built during the 1962… Continue reading Space Needle- Seattle Spring Break 2023
Seattle Center, WA 2023 Public transportation is always intimidating in a new city, and it’s nearly always easier (and far more expensive) to get a ride share with a few taps on my phone. But there’s a special satisfaction that comes with successfully navigating a city by bus or train, and Seattle made it relatively… Continue reading Exploring Seattle by Light Rail & Monorail- Spring Break 2023
I have seen Dale Chihuly’s works at many exhibitions throughout the country, including the Franklin Park Conservatory, where many of his works are part of the private collection. But none compared to the Chihuly Garden and Glass. The artist graduated from the University of Washington and the collection in Seattle Center is considered a long-term… Continue reading Chihuly Garden and Glass- Seattle Spring Break 2023
We started Spring Break 2023 with a girl's weekend trip to Seattle. Over three days in downtown Seattle we found ourselves lured to Pike Place Market four times. Stacked over five floors, it was easy to lose time. On our first morning, we arrived while the fish were still frozen and before any of the… Continue reading Pike Place Market- Seattle Spring Break 2023
In just one afternoon we were able to take a deep dive (figuratively) into learning about Puget Sound and the land around it. We started at the Seattle Aquarium, then walked to the nearby Pier 55 for a Harbor tour with Argosy Cruises. We enjoyed being on the water so much that we followed the… Continue reading Puget Sound by Boat- Seattle Spring Break 2023
Primarily Pacific Puget Sound Sea Life The Seattle Aquarium is located on the waterfront downhill from the Pikes Place Market. In just over an hour we were able to experience all of the museum exhibits, but families with younger children would likely spend more time enjoying the shows and play spaces. I could have also… Continue reading The Seattle Aquarium- Spring Break 2023
Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle, WA 2023 Staying in downtown Seattle was the perfect jumping off point for most of the major family-oriented attractions. Reliable and affordable public transportation made car travel unnecessary also. We used the monorail system for less than $5/each round trip to get to Seattle Park. The Chihuly Garden and Museum,… Continue reading The Museum of Pop Culture- Seattle Spring Break 2023
Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA 2023 Staying in downtown Seattle was the perfect jumping off point for most of the major family-oriented sites. Reliable and affordable public transportation made car travel unnecessary also. We used the monorail system for less than $5/each round trip to get to Seattle Park. The Chihuly Garden and Museum, the… Continue reading The Pacific Science Center- Seattle Spring Break 2023
The American Museum of Natural History was scheduled for Sunday morning on our long weekend itinerary, and we used our New York Pass by GoCity for admission. We arrived at 9:45am for the 10am opening, and the entry line had started to wrap around the museum along Central Park. For an hour we were able… Continue reading American Museum of Natural History, NYC
Is Times Square a tourist trap filled with unorganized chaos? Absolutely. It's best to just embrace the insanity while you dodge sketchy Spidnermen (Spidermans?) and try your best not to be in the street performer's TikTok videos. We found that visiting at night during even slightest drizzle will deter some of the sightseers. In this… Continue reading New York City with Kids: Times Square
Edge NYC, New York City, 2023 Over two trips to NYC in 2022 and 2023, we have seen the city from the three major mid-town Manhattan observation towers.In 2023 we used the New York Pass by Go City. For a high upfront fee, we were able to visit all of the observation attractions. Although the… Continue reading Midtown NYC Observatories- 3 Views from the Top
Where We Stayed Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort Because we arrived at the New Year, we chose to stay outside of the strip, at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort. The resort is adjacent to a shopping and dining center which was largely deserted, outside of the fireworks show on NYE. We did have a… Continue reading Kid-friendly Las Vegas, Nevada
Departure from NYC The Manhattan Cruise Terminal was a breeze for us compared to Port Miami, although the size of the ship may have accounted for that also. We arrived at the tail end of our 11:30am-12pm boarding time and walked through security/check-in and onto the ship with no lines. We spent the afternoon on… Continue reading Cruising on the Disney Magic NYC-Bermuda
July 2022 We have visited the museums DC countless times, but have not been there as a family since the fall of 2019. For this three-day trip, we concentrated on seeing new installations and temporary exhibitions at the Smithsonian Museums. It was also our first trip during the summer, so it was fun to see… Continue reading Washington DC with Kids: What’s New in ’22
June 2022 InterContinental Miami, an IHG Hotel, Florida, June 2022 Staying in Downtown Miami The evening temperatures were far more manageable than I expected in southern Florida in the summer, with low humidity and a cool breeze as long as we were on the water. From our downtown hotel, the Intercontinental by IGH, we had… Continue reading Miami, Florida
June 2022 Kimpton Angler's Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, June 2022 Staying in South Beach The Kimpton Angler’s Hotel was a perfect location for a family with young children. Despite Miami Beach's rightfully earned reputation as a party destination, we were able to escape into our quiet room and enjoy the lush and shady gardens.… Continue reading Miami Beach, Florida
Spring Break 2022- Day 2 Savannah, GA 2022 Savannah, Georgia to Fernandina Beach, Florida Juliette Gordon Low Historic DistrictForsyth Park Spring Break 2022- Day 3 The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, 2022 St. Petersburg to Treasure Island, Florida Imagine MuseumDali MuseumFort Desoto Park https://videopress.com/v/dmM0aGpT?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Spring Break 2022- Day 4 Sand Key Beach, Clearwater Clearwater,… Continue reading Spring Break 2022- East Coast from Tampa, Florida to NYC
Rockefeller CenterWashington Square ParkBryant ParkGrand Central TerminalSt. Patrick's CathedralLittle Italy Rockefeller Center, NYC 2022 Rockefeller Center Our hotel, the Hilton Club West was beyond perfect for our purpose of exploring the top tourist sites in midtown Manhattan. On the corner of 57th street and Sixth Ave. we were equal walking distance to Central Park and… Continue reading Manhattan, NYC, Spring Break 2022
Central Park CarouselBelvedere CastleBethesda TerraceCentral Park ZooThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Central Park, NYC, 2022 Sites Around Central Park We knocked out a few of the major sites on our first visit to Central Park in August of 2021, including the Central Park Lake. In spring of 2022 our hotel, the Hilton Club West, was… Continue reading Spring Break 2022: Central Park in NYC
Shedd Aquarium Shedd Aquarium is directly across from the Field Museum, on the Museum Campus near Chicago South Loop. There’s easy access from the L, and it’s a 20-30 minute walk from the canal. Because we are Members of the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, we were able to receive ½ off Admission through the AZA… Continue reading Chicago with Kids: Shedd Aquarium & Lincoln Park Zoo
Art Institute of Chicago This was my second visit to the American Art Institute in Chicago; my first was on a 40th birthday trip with my high school friends. We were disappointed that the cafes had yet to reopen after covid (I’m always more introspective about art post-wine), and the museum was very crowded. We… Continue reading Chicago with Kids: Art & Architecture
The Field Museum I was beyond excited to see the Field Museum, considered one of the most historic but also innovative natural history museums in the world. It was massive, and we could have spent the entire day easily, but were limited by our timed afternoon tickets for the Shedd Aquarium. Our American Science Museum… Continue reading Chicago with Kids: Science & Natural History Museums
Our 2-week winter holiday started in the Colorado Rockies and ended in sunny San Diego. Learn more about each destination by clicking on the links in the timeline. The Amtrak California Zephyr took us from Denver to San Francisco. A series of road trips allowed us to see the California Coast and to Joshua Tree… Continue reading Winter Vacation 2021- Denver & Reno on The Amtrak Zephyr & The California Coast
San Diego Museum of Nature & Science Our last full day in California included brunch with friends, followed by a visit to Balboa Park. With more time, we would have spent a day at the San Diego Zoo. But on a busy Saturday on a holiday weekend, we opted for the Natural History Museum instead.… Continue reading San Diego, California Christmas 2021
The Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Garden Before heading to San Diego, we stopped at The Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden. The zoo’s central theme is a collection of plants animals from desert and savanna biomes around the world. The backdrop of the California desert made an excellent habitat for the giraffes and other… Continue reading Palm Desert to San Diego, California Christmas 2021
Monarch Butterfly GroveEcho ParkThe Living Desert Zoo & Botanical GardensVenturaSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor CenterLos Padres National Forest Headquarters Pismo Beach, CA After staying in downtown San Francisco, the Oxford Suites Pismo Beach was a nice change, with large rooms and a garden courtyard.Our morning started in the Butterfly Sanctuary, where we immediately… Continue reading Pismo Beach to Palm Springs, California Christmas, 2021
Japanese Tea Garden We started our second day in San Fransisco at The Japanese Tea Garden. This five-acre garden is a spot to spend just an hour or an entire day, as our tour guide, Jocko, often does to write and reflect. From the Japanese Garden we stopped at the Music Concourse and the Shakespeare… Continue reading San Francisco Part 2, California Christmas 2021
Christmas Day in San Francisco We woke up on Christmas morning to our less-than-traditional tree and gifts from Santa. We were in San Francisco during an uncharacteristically rainy Christmas week, so we were especially happy to just enjoy the view of the city and Golden Gate Bridge as Karl (the affectionate name for the fog… Continue reading San Francisco Part 1, California Christmas 2021
Coastal Maine Botanic Garden Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA Winterthur Children's Garden in PA New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx Camden Children's Garden in New Jersey
