Travel Tips

Travel Tips with young kids:

• Start small, start early and just start going. I started with each of my kiddos taking them on small road trips and taking them each on a flight as they were babies. Breastfeeding and changing diapers on a flight is not the thrill of lifetime, but it gets you and your babies a start and foundation of traveling, prepping for the trips and gives you that base foundation to build upon. "Well, if I can fly with these babies, then I can with toddlers and pre-schoolers and so on."

• Small trips leads to big trips: Those 1 hour flights, leads to a 2 or 3 flight, to the 5 or 6 hour flights, to international flights. That 3 hour road trip, overnight getaway, weekend getaway leads to the week or two long road trip. 

• Weekend Camping trips, leads to long backpacking treks in the mountains. 

To Prep for a big plane trip for your kids, I reccomend these tips:

• Discuss the actual process and timeline for getting to and through the airport in as much detail as you possibly think of. We need to leave a certain time, to park and get to the gate by "x" amount time. We will have to go through security, and so on. 

• Make sure you have snacks, a book to read, video games, movie options in your seat, music, ear plugs for electronic devices, head pillows, etc. Whatever "it" is for entertainment and to make your child comfortable, make sure you have it. The prep time and ensuring everything is packed will make your travel day so smooth. 

• Good backpacks for their carry on: make sure you get a good backpack for your kids for their carry on and have them be responsible for their things. I started this around when they were 4,  5 or 6 years old on flights. At that time it was nothing too extravagant, just books, coloring books, colors, their favorite stuffed animal, etc. It gets them used to keeping up with their bags. 

Prepping for a week or 2 week long (or more) road trip with your kids, here some of tips:

• Make sure you have snacks, a book to read, movies, electronic devices, ear plugs, head pillows, whatever they need for the car for entertainment. 

• For younger kiddos, 12 and under I reccomend not driving more than 8 or 9 hours in a day. I mean you can drive longer, you'll probably end up regretting it, as they start to revolt against you. LOL! 

• Plan for at least 1 nice long break during an all day drive, in addition to those quick bathroom stops. Taking an hour or 2 break in the middle of trip, stopping at a good rest stop, going inside an establishment for a meal or your picnic, or stopping to see a cool landmark will really help break up an all day drive. 

• If you are driving 2 or 3 days in a row to get across the country, I highly reccomend staying in a hotel with a pool. along the way. Whether you are Howard Johnsons type of kid like me (that was the jam when I was growing up), or a always stays at a Hilton or Marriot these days, regardless make sure there is a pool for your kids to play in the evening or a morning swim before you get back on the road. It's relaxing, fun and helps get that kept up energy after a long day. Great for us parents also to help relax after a long day drive. 

Need a passport, here are my tips on getting yours and your kiddos fixed up for those international trips:

• In 2022 I have renewed both mine and my kiddos passports, it took 7-8 weeks to get them updated and back to us (non-expedited service). So whenever you think you need it, I would plan and process at least 3 or 4 months before you need them for travel. At the very least, it allows if something goes wrong with your application, you can correct it. There is also an expedite option, but you pay an extra cost and it still a 3 week on average turn around time. 

• For applying for your passport for the first time: Click Here

• Renewing your passport: Click here

• When we renewed our passports, we did everything at the nearest Post Office that handles passport services. It was a one stop shop: They can do your new updated photo (for a fee), assist with the paperwork (processing fee) and then handle the correct type of mailing, return mailing or passport, also a fee. I highly reccomend finding the nearest post office in your neck of the woods, making an appointment doing the process all in one place. *Yes, you can get your passport photo done in other places, however those photos do not always meet the requirements for a passport and will get kicked back to you and I would rather spend an extra few dollars at the Post Office who handles this service on the daily to do it all correctly.  Cost these days to renew or get your passport, ~$200 per person (includes photos, processing & mailing fees).  *BTW, you will need a check or money order for the passport processing fee you send in with your application. If you don't do checks, the Post Office has money orders, another good reason to do the whole process at the USPS. 

• Will you get your old passports back? Yes, you will get it back in a separate mailing envelope, after it gets expired, they send it back to you for that souvenier you always wanted, your old passport photo. 

• Kid's birth certificates: For the kids passport, you will need their *ORIGINAL birth certificate   (I reccomend making a copy of them before you mail them with their passport application). The birth certificates and their old passports (if renewing for kids) will come back to you in a separate mailing enevlope, usually day or two after your receive their updated passports. 

My Destination choices for our family travels have been pretty random and it is all based on my gut feeling, our personal bucket list of places we want to get to and of course, how much fun can we have! Things I consider when I pick our next destination:

• New Scenary: City, Countryside, Mountains, Beach, National Parks. We are going to see something and see new views, regardless of it is a sleek downtown backdrop or a Mount "something or other."

• Seasonal: The time of year or if is traveling to certain pockets of the world, all angles are definitly considered. In a tropical paradise, think about is it the rainy season or dry season? Going anywhere in the Atlantic, avoid hurricane season. Want to see humpback whales? Go to Hawaii from December-March or go to Alaska to June-August and so on!

• Special Events: One of my favorite trips ever was a "Race-cation" in New Orleans in February 2017 (that story later). A mild New Orleans weather in the winter and half marathon/marathon, yes, please sign me up! Want to see a special concert at Red Rocks or into a big Comic Com, knocking out a few birds in one trip: A fun event, checking out new tourist spots and checking off that new destination off your list, it is all gravy!

I highly recommend a Friend's trip at some point in your travels. Whether you get together once in a decade with your best friends or it is an every year occurance, it really feeds the soul to travel with your best friends. I have been very fortunate to have gone a a few trips with friends, most recently to Belize and Costa Rica (those blogs coming at a later date) and I dream of our next trip! Will it be Italy, Greece, Sicily, "White Lotus" anyone? Or will it be Ecuador, Peru or Spain? I have been daydreaming of our next Friend's trip lately and cannot wait til we go! Hey Ladies, where are we off to next? *Tell us where you think we should travel to next by taking this poll.