Swamps, alligators, snakes, big cats and lemurs never get old, and if you find yourself in south Florida, tear yourself away from the shopping at Sawgrass Mills for a few hours to do a tour. Not only can you hold a baby alligator and pet some epic snakes, but there are many other rare animals to encounter. As a National Geographic Kids Insider, I have learned a bunch about big cats, but this is certainly the place to see them in person. I was pretty sad seeing them in cages, but hoped they get to roam and run freely as much as possible in order to keep the species healthy.
People have called me a romantic on steroids. Personally, I think they are actually underestimating my tendencies. There are two hoop skirts in the closet, and summer must include multiple picnics with a book of poetry tucked into the basket. You can imagine my glee when we rolled through the flag-draped town of Lake Placid and pulled up to the historic Mirror Lake Inn.
Guess what I did once? I checked all of my baby’s diapers and changes of clothes in our luggage. On a 4 hour flight. Thankfully, a kind gentleman on our Air Canada plane saved the day by buying diapers during the stopover and sending them to me on the plane! Little did I know that Air Canada keeps necessities like this in airports for bad parents like me. (I still recommend taking your own though!) With so many families exploring the world, Air Canada is doing even more to enhance the experience of traveling with kids.
As we sailed away from the skittles-coloured Lunenburg buildings I started humming Stan Rogers tunes. Sailing on the ship that graces our Canadian dime is a treat I hadn’t experienced since I was 8. My boys, avid sailors themselves, had never had the pleasure. On our most recent trip to Nova Scotia, they got to explore the Bluenose II.
Ottawa, our wonderful nation’s capital, is both the political and technological center of Canada. As far as a vacation destination, it has a lot to offer, from shopping and dining to fun things to do with kids in Ottawa. Here are some of the high points!
Late in 2021, my sons were in a sailing regatta in Miami’s Coconut Grove. Two days after Christmas, I was given a special holiday present from one of the coaches.. I tested positive for Covid on the PCR test that was required in order to return to Canada. All 4 other people in our AirBNB were fine but I knew I would be spending 14 nights alone. In the sun. Without any responsibility. Every Mom’s dream until you have to pay for the hotels and are forced away from the kids!
After travelling to Beaches Resorts three times, both in Turks and Caicos and Negril, Jamaica, I’m convinced that despite these all-inclusive meccas providing being luxury-level vacations, they are also very budget-friendly. I have 7 awesome reasons why. In addition, there is freedom and relief when you arrive at a resort that gives the highest level of service and quality, and you need not open your wallet the entire time you vacation. It’s as if the relaxation has double the effect.
Not sure where to start. I’m not really as cool as I like to think I am. And the Drake is a bit out of my league on the funkiness scale. With a photobooth in the lobby, a balloon chandelier, and 1970’s touches in the studio (‘crash pad’) rooms, this place was.. the bomb. On a cool scale? I felt 200%. The bathroom is incorporated into the room, kind of at the end of your bed. The staff have nose rings and tight plaid pants like the hip golfers in the PGA Tour.
Every time I enter DisneyLand, Walt Disney World or one of the Disney cruises, pixie dust fills my lungs, families get giddy and stress is stomped like a marshmallow. Not this year. Like most of us, hugging Mickey has not been in the cards due to pandemic travel bans. Sometimes, even with being showered with love and good fortune, I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t always recognize the blessings around me. I allow myself to get stampeded by life and *gasp*, complain sometimes. In past travels to California and Florida, Disney taught me several things, and my goal for 2021 is to incorporate as many of the lessons into my own life as I can. Even when I can’t go there at the moment. Here are my 12 Disney-inspired New Year’s resolutions.
When offered the opportunity to do a day trip or two in the new 2020 BMW X3 30e, our family was giddy. OOOH the possibilities! The whole province could be our oyster! Where to first? We decided to take at least one night away. Not having been to a hotel since March when the world changed, this seemed like a brand new stage for us. Super-careful since being whisked home from Florida before more cancelled trips, a getaway seemed so foreign. We didn’t count on the idea being so widespread when we decided to explore Prince Edward County!