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A Lifetime of Travel
Today’s post is written by a special guest, my Grandfather, who is one of the most well-traveled people I’ve ever met. My Pampa is this blog’s biggest fan and he has contributed a bit about the travel lives he and my Mama (Cal and Marcia) have led as well as his top 3 tips for travelers. They have 4 daughters, 10 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. In 2018 they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They are currently retired and living in Austin, Texas.
They definitely have travel cred! They had 4 children in tow for many of these journeys. From Cal (Pampa):
Jessica is Marcia’s, and my, oldest granddaughter. To appreciate how true she is to her ancestral roots of travel appreciation I need to describe a bit of family history. Her father, who was born in Malaysia, went to France to get a Ph.D. in international law. Her aunt went to Germany to get a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Her mother went to Austria to take piano lessons from a renown pianist who was a friend and student of Franz List. Her mother and father met and were married in German when Hitler was running the show. Her father at the time was a diplomate for China in Berlin. When Germany formed the axis with Japan and Italy China broke off diplomatic relations and all of their diplomats in German-occupied areas had to return to China. They could not travel east, however, because Germany was at war with Russia. The diplomats traveled west via Italy, Spain, and Portugal and then to the U.S. They crossed the States by train and then took a ship to get to China, but first stopping in Manila. Unfortunately, they landed in Manila shortly before Japan invaded and most of the diplomats were killed. Marcia’s parents, however, had not been allowed to get on the boat in San Francisco because Marcia was about to be born. Marcia was born in the Chinese hospital in San Francisco and remained there for several months until her father was assigned to a diplomatic post in South Africa. They stayed there for about 3 years until her father was appointed to be the Consul General for China in Tahiti. Marcia then lived in Papeete until she was 16 years old and had completed her French secondary education. The family returned to Taiwan by boat via Australia and other stops along the way. In Taiwan, Marcia went to an American high school for two years to improve her English before traveling to California for college. She did her undergraduate studies at U.C. Berkeley.
Baoni, Marcia’s mother, was the eldest of 5. Jessica’s grandfather (that would be me) did not have as much foreign travel heritage as Marcia but did have some. My mothers family immigrated to California before she was born but went back to Wales for a year when she was in grade school. My grandfather was born in New York to immigrants from North Ireland. He left home at 16 to homestead in North Dakota. He moved his family to California when my father was 12 years old. My father graduated from UCLA then went to Seminary in Philadelphia. When my folks were married they moved to New Jersey and were there until I finished 2nd grade. We moved to Manhattan Beach in California where I finished 3rd and 4th grades. We then moved to Seattle where we lived until I finish 9th grade. We then moved to Pittsburgh where I finished high school and graduated from PITT. After my Freshman year, I had the opportunity to spend a school year at a mission in Western Ethiopia. Coming home from Ethiopia two friends and I spent 3 months visiting Egypt and hitchhiking across Europe. When I graduated from Pitt I went to U.C. Berkeley for my Masters in Engineering.
Both Marcia and I were residents at the International House in Berkeley where we met and became good friends, though we did not date. When I graduated I went into the Army and spent the majority of my time in Korea where I took my discharge. I then spent 3 months traveling to Australia via Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore. In Australia, I worked for a year in the Snowy Mountains for a professor I had met in Berkeley. On my way home I spent a week hitchhiking around the southern island of New Zealand. My next stop was in Tahiti where friends of Marcia hosted me for a week. I returned home via Mexico.
In the meantime, Marcia had finished her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and had gone to the U. of Michigan to do graduate work in Genetics. She had planned to do her Ph.D. there but could not put up with the winters. She took an MS degree and beat it back to Berkeley.
We both arrived back in California at the same time. I went to work for Kaiser Engineers and Marcia was accepted to work on her Ph.D. at U.C.Berkeley with the stipulation that she would not date engineers because they would marry her and take her away from the program.
Ignoring the advice of the professors we began dating and about 2 years later confirmed the foresight of her advisers. We married and within 2 months moved to Kentucky and launched our travel filled careers. We worked in Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Iran, California, Wyoming, Australia, Georgia, and Massachusetts before settling down in California. During those work years, Marcia finished her Ph.D. in Cincinnati and took whatever teaching opportunities that were available. Before finishing her teaching career she had taught at some level or another in all grades from Kindergarten through medical school. Also during those working years, we had some great vacations visiting England, Norway, Denmark, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China, and Japan. Since retiring we have visited Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Argentina, Chile, France, Holland, and Germany.
Cal and Marcia with their 4 children in Bunbury, Australia. We have been enjoying Jessica’s posts about traveling with children. We could have used her advice many times on our trips.
Having done as much traveling as we have done I should share some things that we have found enhance any given trip.
- Take photos which are unique to your experiences on any given trip. For example, when we visited Argentina I bought a soccer ball and included it in many pictures. This was fun during the trip and guaranteed my photos were unique.
A curious penguin in Argentina. - Trips to locations that do not get much attention can be much more relaxing due to lack of crowds and friendlier inhabitants. Locals can sometimes get quite fed up with tourists (deservedly so). Tonga is such a place and one of our all-time favorites.
- Off-season travel is not only less expensive it also reduces the crowd factor.
After all those trips, Mama and Pampa have plenty of wonderful stories and pictures to share with their great-grandchildren! Thanks for sharing Pampa! I hope one day to repeat some of your wonderful experiences!
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Gift Ideas for Men who Travel 2017
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Christmas is coming up fast and I need to get some shopping done! Shopping for the children is easy as cake but shopping for the men in my life is a whole different story! Since this has been a big travel year for everyone, I am starting my shopping looking for gift ideas for men who travel.
Whether your man likes to travel for business or pleasure, he’s sure to appreciate any of these thoughtful gifts to keep him comfortable on the road!
Oh, and you don’t have an unlimited budget? There are multiple products for every category, so you can choose the best option for your budget!
Gift Ideas for Men who Travel
Travel Backpack
My brother has accused me of gifting him too many backpacks, but I firmly believe that a good travel bag is one of the very best gift ideas for men who travel! If you get the right pack, it can go with him on the plane, around town, in and out of cabs, and to the beach!
Some features you might want to look for when picking out a travel backpack are:
Theft-resistant: This could mean cut-proof straps or it could mean zipper placement, either way, it’s good to have.
Water-resistant: You never know when his neighbor on the plane is going to spill their coke all over him. Protect his laptop by gifting him a water-resistant or water-proof bag.
USB charging: If he has power on the go, he’ll be more likely to call and check in!
Here are some options with tons of features that are stylish to boot!
- Kopack Backpack <$40
- NAWO Backpack <$30
- Markryden Backpack <$50
Travel SweatshirtSometimes the best gifts are the ones that the receiver didn’t even know existed. If more people knew about the all-in-one travel hoodies on the market, we would see a lot more of them in airports! The men on my list like to travel light but be comfortable. So how about a hoodie with a built-in neck pillow and eye mask plus tons of compartments for essentials like phones, passports, and earbuds?
Toiletries Bag
Even if the man on your list isn’t into mousse or cologne, he’ll still need a place for his basics toiletries. If there are extra pockets, toiletry bags make a great place to stash extra chargers and electronics. Just make sure they’re stored in closed waterproof compartments!
- Melouher Toiletry Bag <$20
- Vasker Hanging Toiletry Bag <$30
- BUBM Hanging Toiletry Bag <$15
- Hanging Rugge Toiletry Bag <$20
Travel Razor
My husband uses an electric razor on a daily basis, but he loves to sport a “vacation beard” when he’s away from home. If the man on your list doesn’t appreciate the scruff or works in a field that is less forgiving, a small battery operated razor could be just the thing. Batteries mean he can always pop new ones in and won’t have to worry about forgetting the charger. Keeping it small means he can stick it in his pocket, for a quick shave during his layover. Bonus: Their small size means they make great stocking stuffers!
- Norelco Travel Shaver <$35
- Braun Pocket Mobile Shaver <$15
- Panasonic Men’s Shaver for Travelers <$25
That’s all I have so far, but let me know in the comments if you have any great gift ideas for men who travel! I see a lot of online shopping in my future!
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Teach Kids About London Before Visiting
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We are taking the kids on their first jaunt to Europe this fall with a whirlwind trip to London! We have 3.5 days for the whole family to enjoy the city before we have to head back home. Why are we going so far for such a short trip? Because the tickets were cheap and our vacation time is dwindling. That’s why.
On our recent trip to Hawaii, we did a bit of preparation beforehand and it really enhanced the trip for the children. Even though they are only 2 and 4, they have the capability to recognize their surroundings and put their experiences into perspective.
It’s a bit hard at this age, because I’m not ready to introduce my children to some of the more gory aspects of London’s history, but fortunately, London has tons of history and culture that can be age-appropriate!
This collection is aimed at the preschool (pre-Harry Potter!) age group. At this age, just reading them fun books or watching a movie together can be educational and help set the stage for an awesome trip. So here we go!
A London Education for Preschoolers
Picture Books
London A Book of Opposites
by Grosset & Dunlap
Good Night London by Goodnight Books
Pop Up London by Lonely Planet
All Aboard the London Bus by Francis Lincoln Children’s Books
Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans
Luke Goes to London by Hyde Park Editions Ltd
Katie in London by James Mayhew
Read-aloud Chapter Books
My kids are just getting to the point where we are reading them chapter books. These are also great to bring along on the trip for bedtime since they tend to be lighter then picture books and they are often available on Kindle.
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Magic Tree House: Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne
Kid’s London Guidebooks
Guidebooks may not be the correct word, but these are all books designed to teach about London, instead of stories that take place in London.
This is London by Miroslav Sasek
London City Trails by Lonely Planet Kids
Kids’ Travel Guide London by Flying Kids
We completely must go to London by Lauren Child
A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino
London for Children by Matteo Pericoli
Big Picture Book of London by Usborne
Activity BooksThe best thing about activity books is you can save them for the plane ride! That way pull double duty as a distraction on the plane and an educational tool that will be fresh in their mind.
Things to Spot in London Sticker Book
Peppa’s London Day Out
London Children’s Map
Movies set in London
Again, movies are a great resource to save for the plane ride. Our flight to London will be overnight so I’m hoping they’ll sleep a good portion of the trip. I know they aren’t going to sleep 13 hours though! So we’ll need a movie or two to keep them occupied. These have the added advantage of just being great movies!
101 Dalmations
Peter Pan
Mary Poppins
The Great Muppet Caper
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Music from the UK
My children are not particularly educated when it comes to great music, they still prefer Old McDonald, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the time for an introduction! I could list hundreds of modern and classic bands here, but since my kids already know the Beatles, we’ll be listening to them before our trip.
Abbey Road by the Beatles
Toys
If your child has a favorite book about London, consider getting a coordinating plush that they can take pictures with around town.
For some kids, it might be more fun to pick out a special new toy while in London. For other kids, having something special to take on the trip and have throughout would make the whole trip more exciting.
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What To Do at Home Before Leaving Town Checklist
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Alternate title: “Things I wish I had done before I left town” or “How not to return to a smelly messy home” or “How to avoid stress and tears on the front porch after a long day of travel.”
Today’s post is another collaboration between a group of travel bloggers. Previous collaborations were: Tips to Reduce Stress while Traveling with Kids and Finding my hometown.
This month Meldrums on the Move, Travel with Jess, and Adventures in Family Travel are also sharing on the topic “Things a Traveler Must Do Before Leaving Home.” Everyone has a unique perspective on preparing for travels!
This checklist is on preparing your home for your departure. Following this checklist will ensure that returning home is pleasant and you don’t find any nasty surprises waiting when you walk in the door!
What To Do at Home Before Leaving Town Checklist
#1 Take out the trash
This is an obvious one, but don’t neglect it! Survey all the trash cans in the house, you never know when the kids will have snuck a banana peel in the office wastebasket!
#2 Clean the fridge
Eat, compost, or dispose of anything that will go bad before you return. A bad fridge odor can corrupt all the good food, and you don’t want to return to that.
#3 Put your mail on hold
Our mailman is great, but he does get annoyed if we let the mailbox get too full. If you live in the US putting a hold on your mail is easy and free.
#4 Hide a key
What is it about a vacation that makes me lose my keys? I generally stash them somewhere “safe” and out of the way in my purse or luggage but after not using them for a week I forget where they are! While I always find them eventually, I prefer to do it at my leisure and not in a panic on the front porch. Hide it well though, you don’t want it found while you’re away!
Bonus: If you need a friend or neighbor to check on something while you’re gone, you can just point them to the hideaway.
#5 Make a plan to feed your pets or water your plants
Should this have been first? Yes, it should have. Fortunately, my pets are super low maintenance but I still need to make sure to feed them extra before I go out of town. Since they eat compost, I knock this out at the same time as #2.
#6 Clean the house
This is my least favorite and so I often neglect it, but coming home to a clean house is 100x better than coming home to a messy one. We always make a big mess unpacking so if the house was already messy it can reach tragic levels remarkably quickly.
#7 Set the thermometer
The environment and your wallet agree that you should not be running the AC when you aren’t home. We don’t worry about this one anymore now that we have a Nest.
#8 Catch up on laundry
When we return home we usually have bags full of dirty clothes. If we get home late Sunday night that’s not the time we want to realize we have nothing to wear for Monday.
#9 Crack a window
This is up for debate, but cracking a window or two is a great way to keep fresh air circulating in your home while you’re away. Chose a window with a screen that is not visible or accessible to passerbys or likely to get rain inside.
#10 Unplug your electronics
Even when not in use, those electronics are drawing some energy. Unplugging them will also protect them from any power surges that occur in your absence.
Everything on this list is simple and quick (except maybe cleaning and laundry) but they will all make a big difference when you return! We just got back from a quick 2-night camping trip and I’m cursing myself for not catching up on laundry before we left!
Be sure to check out the posts by Meldrums on the Move, Travel with Jess, and Adventures in Family Travel on the same topic!
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Family Friendly Oahu 5 Day Itinerary
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We just got back from our second family trip to Oahu and my third trip overall. The first time we had to figure out how to navigate Hawaii with a baby but this time we had 2 little preschoolers to deal with! We made very few plans, but in hindsight, a little more structure would have been nice. At the very least, it would have cut back on time we spent deciding what to do!
The home-base for this itinerary is Haleiwa on the North Shore but you can adjust it to meet your needs. We explored most of the island and didn’t hesitate to drive because nothing was further than an hour away! One advantage of staying on an island!
We stayed with family this trip, so we tended to eat a lot of meals back at the house. (Thanks for cooking Auntie! ?) Even if you’re staying in a hotel without a kitchen, you can still save a lot of money by eating cereal and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. Restaurants in Hawaii are expensive and eating out is just not fun for the kids, so easy low-maintenance meals are perfect!
Oh, and if you don’t want to see my pictures or read my commentary, jump ahead to the condensed version of the 5 day Oahu itinerary!
Unbelievable beaches in Haleiwa. 5 Days on Oahu Itinerary
Day 0: Arrive in Honolulu
Grab your luggage, hop in a rental car (or bus, shuttle, taxi, etc.), and check-in to your accommodations. Unpack and make sure to toss all of your beach gear in the trunk of the car. When you head to the beach, make sure it’s the closest one. There’s no reason to spend extra time in the car today.
Make sure everyone drinks plenty of water and spends as much time as possible outside. Staying hydrated and spending plenty of time in the natural light will help combat jet lag.
We spent the entire first day hanging out with our family. We could probably have squeezed in a quick trip to the beach, but it was good to catch up!
Day 1: First Full Day on Oahu
We took advantage of our jet lag and hit the beach early! We drove to the east side of the island to watch the sunrise and then eat breakfast on the beach. We purchased compostable spoons, bowls, and some special vacation cereal and kept it in the trunk of our car. On any given morning we just had to grab milk from any grocery store or gas station and we were ready for breakfast on the beach!
From where we were staying on the North Shore, Hukilau Beach was convenient and a wonderful place to watch the sunrise. This was also our favorite sunrise beach back in 2014! There is a Foodland 2 minutes down the road, so you’ll be all set for breakfast.
Since we only had to overcome a 3 hour time difference, Day 1 was the only morning we got up early enough to watch the sunrise. Take advantage of that time difference and prioritize this early in the week. Waking up will get harder and harder and you don’t want to miss this! After the sun comes up, you can still enjoy the beach! Just remember to protect yourself from the sun. On our first morning we set up the tent and I read while the kids and Chris made sand castles. The highlight of K’s morning was watching a couple of labradors splashing in the waves.
My dog-loving boy was delighting to see these pups playing in the waves! My children still take afternoon naps and by 11 am, the whole family was ready for a siesta. We headed back to the house for sandwiches and snoozes.
I wish we had stopped by Laniakea Beach to look for sea turtles. We only ended up seeing one on this trip (whereas we saw dozens back in 2014) so I wish we’d made a point of looking for them earlier in the week.
Reading on the beach in paradise. I didn’t even wear sunscreen because I stayed in the tent. After your nap, head to Waimea Falls to hike and swim. The hike is paved and less than a mile, so don’t let it scare you off! Taking the kids swimming at a waterfall is really a special experience.
K and I posing for the camera! Day 2: Exploring Oahu
We had reservations for the Paradise Cove Luau on Day 2, so we planned the entire day around that.
After breakfast, we drove down to Ulua Lagoon #4 to enjoy some time at the beach. There is free parking, but the line for it was crazy, so we used the $10 all-day parking lot next to the marina. If you want the free parking, get there early. It also happened to be a holiday weekend when we were there, so there may have been more locals than usual.
The beach itself has white sand and wasn’t too crowded. Maybe it was because everyone was in the water or maybe people were choosing to leave their stuff on the perfectly manicured lawn. We set up our tent, but someone from the resort came and told us there were no tents allowed. Whether or not he had the authority to enforce that on a public beach was a little unclear, but we took it down.
The water was more crowded, but we still had plenty of space to swim. The lagoon does get quite deep pretty quickly, so be prepared with floats for your non-swimmers.
The water looked quite crowded, but there was plenty of room to swim around. Chris tried snorkeling here, but it was too cloudy and he didn’t see anything. 
With floats and goggles, my kids were happy swimmers! We watched them like hawks, but they never needed help in this calm water. After a morning at the beach, we had a delicious lunch at Longboards in the Marriot. We sat outside and had views of Lagoon #3 while we ate. Lunch was delicious and it was also cool to see all the landscaping and water features that were part of the Marriot. I can definitely see the appeal of a place like that, even though all the pools seemed quite crowded.
We spent naptime on my Aunt and Uncle’s boat in the marina. I read on the deck while the rest of the family snoozed in the cabin.
We finally had to wake the children up to take them to the Luau. We should have gone an hour earlier and we ended up missing some of the activities, but the children were tired and needed to rest. The luau itself was great fun and I definitely recommend attending a luau if you have young children. Even though they are a bit touristy, they do convey some of the history and culture of the Pacific Islands. This was the first trip where we taught the kids a bit about Hawaii before we came and the luau really helped reinforce what they had learned.
Hula dancer performing during the luau. Day 3: Adventures on Oahu Continue
We greeted the day with another low-key morning at the beach. My children never get tired of building sand castles or playing in the waves. Hawaii is definitely the perfect place for that and you could easily spend a full week doing nothing but exploring the beaches.
Tired of the beach yet? Never! For lunch, we drove into Honolulu for Dim Sum at the Golden Palace. If you are coming from California this may not be as exciting since there is lots of excellent Dim Sum in California, but when we came from NC in 2014, this was a trip highlight! There are large Chinese and Japanese communities in Hawaii and the excellent food reflects that!
After lunch, we stopped at Pearl Harbor. We didn’t take any of the ship tours, but we walked around and looked at the monuments. It was a short trip since the children were uninterested, but it’s an important part of history and I’m glad we went.
When the children are older we’ll have to do a history lesson on WWII and Pearl Harbor before we visit again. For now, we’ll shelter them a little bit longer from the horrors of history. Chris dropped me off to get my hair cut in Pearl City while he took the kids to a playground. At home, I always feel like there are too many things going on to take the time to get my hair done, knocking it out on vacation felt like a smart move! If you don’t need a haircut, maybe convince your spouse to let you have an hour at the spa. ?
New haircut selfie! The proof is you can still see bits of hair on my shirt! I was really happy with the service I got at Bravos in Pearl City! Day 4: Oahu Windward Side
We started Day 4 with a special Disney Character Breakfast at Aulani. It was the week of HJ’s birthday and it was a fantastic way to add a little *extra special* to our vacation.
Aunty and Minnie at the Aulani Character Breakfast. Since we were already all the way in Ko Olina, we decided to spend the day making our way to the North Shore while exploring the windward side of the island.
We cut straight through the island to start the tour at Lanikai Beach, but if we hadn’t done the Disney breakfast we would have started the day at Haunoma Bay.
Lanikai was our favorite beach back in 2014 and it didn’t disappoint this time either! The sea was calm, the water was clear, and the scenery was perfect. Chris went snorkeling and saw an eel and a sea turtle. He said there weren’t quite as many fish as at Shark’s Cove but there was more diversity and the water was clearer.
On this trip, all our snorkeling was just Chris going solo while I watched the kids, but we ran into someone with a full face snorkel mask for kids and she let HJ try it out. The concept of staying underwater and continuing to breath was new for HJ but I’m sure she could have mastered it with more practice. I’m definitely going to look into getting one of these for our next tropical trip.
Chris did swim with HJ on his back and tried to point out fish when he saw them. She had goggles on, but she always told Chris she couldn’t see them. When they came back to shore she told me she saw hundreds of fish. A mystery.
My favorite kid-friendly beach on Oahu. Just be aware that the beach disappears at high tide! 
The view towards the shore while swimming at Lanikai Beach! When we were all beached out we loaded up the car and started the longish drive up the east coast. The highway stayed right next to the water most of the trip and there are some incredible views. It’s truly a can’t-miss drive.
We stopped once for shave ice and again for fresh coconuts, but mostly drove without stopping until we grabbed an early dinner at Fumi’s. By this point in the trip, I was drooling for some shrimp and we ended up choosing Fumi’s at the recommendation of my Aunt and Uncle.
Most of the shrimp trucks are cash-only and we were down to $24 cash, but it turned out to be plenty for all of us. We got 1 order of garlic shrimp, 4 corns, and a couple bottles of water. If we had been there at dinner time proper we would have needed more, but for a 4 pm dinner it worked out great! HJ usually doesn’t eat shrimp but she gobbled up 3 of them!
Fumi’s shrimp! Nom nom nom 
The shrimp came with some of the best rice I’ve ever had. The trick is lots and lots of garlic! After dinner, we headed to Shark’s Cove to let Chris snorkel some more!
On the North Shore, Shark’s Cove is the place for snorkeling. Chris saw tons of fish but found the water slightly foggy. You will definitely need Keens or something similar for walking over the rocks to get to the water. There is also no sandy beach surrounding Shark’s Cove, but you can find a sheltered sandy area just about 100 yards to the North. The kids and I played there while Chris was snorkeling.
Oh, and if “Shark’s Cove” sounds like a terrible place for snorkeling? It gets its name from the rock formations that look like a shark’s mouth. Quite a few people were snorkeling when Chris was there and no one got eaten. ?
Sunset at Shark’s Cove. Day 5: Wrap Up Oahu
Day 5 is the day I really think we would have benefited from having a plan. So, instead of telling you what we did (which involved a lot of aimless driving, showing up at beaches with no beach, bickering, etc.) I am going to tell you what you should do!
Wake up early and drive out to Makua Beach. It’s a bit of a drive, but it’s supposed to be a beautiful and uncrowded beach where you can often see dolphins or whales. Pack your lunch because this area is not built up and there won’t be lunch options.
After playing on the beach (or maybe before?) take the hike to Ka’ena Point. Remember to bring the kid carriers and comfy walking shoes.
Yes, this day could have been improved on with a little pre-planning, but can I really complain about a day I spent here? We spent our last night at Haleiwa Joe’s with my Aunt and Uncle. It was such a wonderful trip and we are so lucky to have family that live in this beautiful place!
Day 6: Pack up and Aloha!
My Aunt made us Loco Moco for breakfast and we were able to spend a few minutes together before we headed back to the airport. We also had time to grab a last-minute gift from the Black Pearl Source! Other than my magnets, jewelry makes the best souvenirs!
The airport was easy to navigate and we found ourselves at the gate with plenty of time to spare. Aloha Hawaii! We can’t wait to come back! ❤
HJ kicking back and enjoying life at Lanikai Beach. TLDNR? (Too long did not read?) That’s OK, feel free to just follow our compressed Hawaii kid’s itinerary below:
5 Days on Oahu Itinerary
Day 0
- Aloha!
- Arrive and get settled.
- Remember to stay hydrated!
Day 1
- Watch the sunrise at Hukilau Beach.
- Beach time!
- Swing by Laniakea Beach to try to spot turtles.
- Waimea Falls to hike and swim.
Day 2
- Ulua Lagoon #4 for beach time!
- Lunch at Longboard’s right next door.
- Luau at Paradise Cove.
Day 3
- Beach time! Dealer’s choice!
- Dim Sum at the Golden Palace in Honolulu.
- Pearl Harbor
- Spa for Mom while Dad takes the kids to the beach!
Day 4
- Character breakfast at Aulani.
- Beach time at Lanikai Beach.
- Scenic drive up the East Coast.
- Fumi’s shrimp truck! Remember to bring cash!
- Snorkeling at Shark’s Cove.
Day 5
- Drive to and enjoy Makua Beach.
- Hike to Ka’ena Point.
- Dinner at Haleiwa Joe’s.
Day 6
- Pack up and get to the airport.
- Aloha!
I hope our Oahu itinerary is helpful as you plan your own trip! Having a plan is great, but keep it loose and allow for spontaneity! Hawaii is a great place to just kick back and relax!
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Hikes and Rambles: Waimea Falls (North Shore, Oahu)
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My Aunt and Uncle live on Oahu only a few miles from Waimea Falls. This makes it a must-visit destination when we are staying with them on the North Shore! It especially helps that the hike to the falls is short and incredibly kid friendly!
When you turn off the Kamehameha Highway and into the Waimea Valley, you’ll have a short drive before arriving in a large parking lot. Aim for a spot in the shade or don’t forget to set up your car seat shade.
Before you can enter the botanical gardens, you’ll pass through a large building with a gift shop and cafe. As you walk by the gift shop, check out all the movie posters on display. Each poster represents a movie that was filmed right here in the Waimea Valley.
After the building, you’ll come to a ticket box where you can purchase tickets to explore the botanical gardens and waterfall. Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for children 4-12. They offer discounts for seniors, students, military, and Hawaii residents.
While you’re at the ticket office, decide whether you are interested in the shuttle. It’s $6 one-way or $10 round trip. The total hike to the waterfall is only 3/4 of a mile and it’s paved the whole way. You can also rent a wagon for $10 if you’re bringing a lot of gear or small children.
After you buy your ticket you can start exploring the botanical gardens or make a bee line for the waterfall at the end. The botanical collection includes many native plants but also plants from nearby islands that share ancestors with the native plants. It’s always fascinating to see how the flora/fauna can differ just from one island to the next!
This photo was taken shortly after entering the botanical gardens, you can see the entrance building behind the trees. The botanical gardens are open from 9-5, but when we entered at 3:30 we were told that we just needed to be out by 6. We still decided to hustle to the top and not stop to take pictures. We tossed both kids in the Tula carriers and headed straight for the waterfall. We didn’t notice any elevation change on our way there, but coming back there was a bit of climbing. It’s an easy hike no matter how you look at it! We saw lots of families with strollers
We didn’t notice the elevation change on our way there, but coming back there was a bit of climbing. It’s an easy hike no matter how you look at it! We saw lots of families with strollers.
When you’re almost to the falls you’ll pass by the Wailele Snack Shop and some vending machines. If you’re there around lunch time or just looking for a snack, it’s a very convenient location! Carrying cash in Hawaii is just a good rule of thumb, but we didn’t stop here and I can’t speak to whether or not it was cash-only.
After the snack shop, you’ll cross a wooden bridge and get your first view of Waimea Falls. Time to get your camera out!
Chris thinks we need to invest in a selfie stick. I’m thinking there is going to be one in his stocking this Christmas. Also, this picture is post-swimming. We weren’t really that sweaty! The first building on your right will be changing rooms and there’s even an outdoor shower complete with hot water. We skipped the changing rooms since we wore our suits under our clothes, but we used the shower on the way down.
At the waterfall, there is a seating area with shade and you can stash your stuff there while you swim. The lifeguard will be handing out the required life vests and you’ll have to listen to a 1-minute safety talk before you’re allowed in the water. I think the may rules change depending on the conditions, but when we were there the rules were:
- Wear life vests.
- No jumping off the rocks into the water.
- Avoid the shaded area in case of falling rocks.
A little pre-swimming apprehension from the little ones! We had to be really careful scrambling down the rocks in our bare feet. Water shoes or Keens would definitely have come in handy here. We each took one child by the hand and led them to the water. Children have especially difficult navigating the rocks while wearing life vests and should be watched carefully.
I was expecting the water to be frigid! The last time we were here it was May and Chris wouldn’t even get in! In September the water was actually really pleasant. Perfect for a leisurely swim to the waterfall.
K agreed with me that the water was nice and the waterfall was awesome. HJ definitely did not agree and was very vocal about not wanting to get her splinter wet. (The splinter had been removed, but it still hurt.) I thought she was fine and just whiny so I made her touch the waterfall even though she cried most of the time. As I swam with her I told her that we should sing that ABCs but every time she cried I got confused and forgot the order. It went a little like this:
Mom: “A.B.C.D.E.F.G…”
HJ: *Whimpers and cries*
Mom: “Q.R.G.D.P.S.T…”
HJ: *Laughs*
Repeat.
It made for a very interesting mix of laughing and crying all the way to the waterfall. After she touched it I let her get out with Chris while K and I stayed to swim some more.
Am I a terrible Mom for forcing her to touch the waterfall when she clearly didn’t want to? Maybe. But she was really excited to tell Auntie and Uncle that she’d touched the waterfall though. She didn’t tell them anything about the crying or whining.
Life vests make water activities so much easier with kids. Look at this guy, swimming like a pro! After we returned the life vests I would have like to tip the life guard, but I didn’t have any cash. Again, carrying cash in Hawaii is always a good idea.
We all rinsed off at the outdoor shower. It’s brand new, has hot water, and an incredibly beautiful lush green backdrop. The guy in front of us was even taking shower selfies! (The reason I know that is the shower isn’t private at all, it’s right next to the path with no enclosure.)
The walk back to the car was more leisurely, but we didn’t stop to take many pictures like we’d planned. It’s difficult to get those good close up shots of plants when you have small children. Next time.
This was my third visit to Waimea Falls and I definitely think it should be on every visitor to Oahu’s list. It’s hard to beat swimming under a waterfall, no matter who you are.
We lucked out by coming so late in the day. There were hardly any crowds and the sun wasn’t quite as scorching. -
Paradise Cove Luau Review
Our recent trip to Hawaii was the first trip where we felt the kids were old enough to learn about the destination before we got there. Since a lot of the books and movies had focused on traditional Hawaiian culture, we decided to take them to a Luau to get a live glimpse into that culture.
When we were on Oahu in 2014 we went to the Chief’s Luau and had a great time, but really wished that it had been on the beach. This trip we decided to return to the Paradise Cove Luau which I had attended back in 2007 because we knew it was right on the beach.
I’m sharing this Paradise Cove Luau review to help you decided whether this is the right luau experience for your family. If you have had experience with Paradise Cove please leave your own experience in the comments!
Paradise Cove Luau Review
We booked online a month in advance, but we would have been able to buy tickets the day of. It is definitely easier to have the peace of mind that comes with advance reservations, but if you are looking at the last minute, this one runs every day and has tons of capacity.
They offer round trip transportation for $16 or they have a large lot with free parking. The transportation buses arrive at 5 but you are allowed to check in at 4. If you want time to browse the activities without a crowd, aim to arrive right at 4. We had a weird vacation nap schedule to accommodate and arrived at 6. As a result, we didn’t get to participate in hardly any of the activities because the lines were so long at that point.
When we arrived we checked in at the desk and they gave us color coded stickers which told the staff which package we had purchased. They also gave us drink cards to spend at the bar, on pictures, or the gift shop. HJ’s card clearly stated “child” and could not be used to buy alcohol.
After checking in we went through the gate and wound through a garden entrance area. There was a little waterfall with a pond full of lily pads which was perfect for snapping a pre-luau family picture.
Can you tell we had to wake them up from a nap to get them here? If we had been there earlier there may have been a line, but we continued right to the welcome drinks which were sorted into alcoholic/non-alcoholic. The staff gave us each a cup and both versions were sugary and delicious.
We had a short wait for the next station where they presented us with fresh flower leis and took our picture with two of the dancers.
Next, a hostess led us to the table and allowed us to pick our seats among those remaining. She wrote our choice on the table so we weren’t required to leave any belongings to claim our spot. This is where coming late really bit us because we were all the way in the back. Fortunately, this turned out OK as we had more room to stretch out and the kids could take up more space.
Most of the seats were empty right up until dinner time. The last 4-8 seats at each table were empty throughout the entire evening. We wandered over to the activities and got in line to hold some tropical birds. While we were in line the demonstrations were going on nearby and we could hear that they were teaching the crowd how to open a coconut. We wouldn’t have been able to get close enough to see it, so we stayed in line for the birds. The next demonstration moved right next to us though, and the bird line had to pause and wait for the line to move on. A performer climbed to the top of a coconut tree and opened a bag of fresh flowers onto the crowd. It was pretty cool, but the bag didn’t open much so the actual “shower” was more like a quick drop.
Up in the coconut tree ready to send down the flowers. K really loved getting to hold and pet the tropical birds. If you are set on getting good pictures of this, try to do this earlier in the evening. When it was our turn the canoe demonstration was going on and there were hoards of people in the background instead of a beautiful beach. They won’t let you use your own camera, so your only option is to pay $20 each for prints that they take.
Next, we headed to make bracelets out of braided leaves and flowers. The line was quite long but there was lots of space nearby for the kids to play and Chris went and got drinks while I waited. HJ was pretty excited about her bracelet, but I didn’t make it quite tight enough and all the flowers fell out. Oh well.
Mai tai and flip flops, a good combination! 
K playing while I waited in line to make bracelets. While we waited in line to make bracelets, most of the crowd headed to a small arena where the final demonstration involved removing the hog from the underground pit where it had been cooking all day.
People heading over to watch the pig be taken out of the pit. They have this setup so you can get the full view of the sunset during this demonstration. After bracelet making, all of the stations were shutting down for the night. We missed out of woven headbands, face painting, spear throwing, and canoeing. The kids had wanted to get their faces painted but they handled the disappointment really well. (It might help that I’ve started painting their faces at home on a regular basis.)
Instead of seating ourselves right away, we took advantage of the now-empty beach to snap a couple pictures of the sunset.
The only people left on the beach at this point were the last groups at the canoe demonstration. 
This is exactly why I wanted to attend a luau on the beach. Sunset is such a magical time to be at the water’s edge. By the time we made our way over to the tables, someone was waiting to excuse us to the buffet. The line was short and moved quickly and there were plenty of food options for everyone. I thought HJ would be really excited to try poi because it was purple, but she was still a bit ornery from her nap. I was really impressed with both the chicken and the pork. They were both moist and flavorful. The buns, veggies, and dessert were all buffet-standard.
I loaded up to share with the kids, but they didn’t want much other than buns. After dinner, the real luau started! They introduced each dance and the island it was from. The dances covered all the Pacific islands and not just Hawaii. Both kids really enjoyed seeing the costumes and the dancers, but HJ had a much longer attention span for it.
If we had arrived earlier we could have been closer to the stage, but we still had a pretty good view. After a few dances, they invited the audience up on the stage to learn to dance the Hula. Both of the kids were excited about this and we joined what seemed like half the audience on stage. They stacked everyone two deep and there was hardly enough room to do the motions, but the kids had fun and received a certificate afterward.
My sweaty happy boy! When the children lost interest in the dancers, I took them to look at our family pictures. I ended up buying the welcome picture and one of the pictures of K holding a parrot. ($40 for both, prints only.) I like the pictures, but the Aulani photo packages were a better value.
After we picked out their photos, the fire dancers had started and the kids watched that with new appreciation. The dancers and singers were all great and entertaining but the show was a little long for my small tots.
I particularly liked that the dancers (both male and female) came in a variety of body types. They definitely weren’t the Rockettes trying to be identical heights and weights.
HJ and K were convinced this was Moana! We ducked out right before the last song so we wouldn’t have to fight in the parking lot.
Next time we’ll probably try a different Luau, just to experience something different, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Paradise Cove to anyone. It’s one of the largest luaus and that comes with crowds, but if you plan accordingly you could still fit everything in. The food and programming were good and the location is top notch.
It would have been nice if they had allowed the activities to overlap dinner by half-an-hour or so, but we weren’t upset about anything we missed.
I chose the Orchid package because of the fresh flower leis. I wasn’t disappointed because the kids were so darn cute! We chose the “Orchid” package because I wanted the kids to experience the fresh flower leis and it would allow the kids a slightly better view of the stage than the cheaper “Hawaiian Luau Package”.
All of the packages list children’s pricing for kids 4-12 and allow kids under 4 in free. The caveat is that any children without a paid ticket are not supposed to have a chair or their own plate at the buffet. We chose to bring K (2) in free and pay for HJ’s ticket (5 days before her 4th birthday) so that we wouldn’t have to hold them both on our laps during the show. In retrospect, we should have brought them both in for free. There were plenty of empty seats by us (in the back) and no one raised any concerns about K having his own plate at the buffet. The staff also provided K with a welcome drink and a flower lei even though he didn’t have a sticker.
If you have a child who is under 4 but close and might want their own seat, consider which package you are getting. The “Hawaiian Luau” and “Delux Luau” packages were mostly full and you would not be likely to score an empty seat in those sections. There were plenty of empty seats in the “Orchid Luau” and “Royal Box” sections, so it might be worth saving the money in those sections and trying your luck. In the “Orchid Luau” section you definitely need to sit in the back to have a chance to spread out!
Have you attended a luau in Hawaii? Which is your favorite one?
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Disney Aulani Character Breakfast Review
Our family trip to Oahu happened to fall the week of HJ’s birthday. Obviously, a trip to Hawaii was already pretty special, but I wanted to find something extra exciting for her celebration. Both kids loved meeting characters on our Disney Cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean so I decided to enlist Disney for a little birthday magic!
We had passed Disney’s Aulani resort on a previous trip to Hawaii and I was pretty interested in checking it out! Just not interested enough to pay $500/night when we had free lodging available! The character breakfast seemed like a great way to experience a bit of the resort, meet some characters, and celebrate together.
I made reservations online 3 months in advance which was not necessary, but you definitely want to book in advance. I checked again this morning and had to go out 11 days before I could get a reservation for a party of 6. The online reservation system is super easy and fast, there’s no reason not to use it.
Our reservation was at 9 am and we arrived at the parking garage at 8:30. I remembered to bring my parking ticket (they validate!) but spaced in the elevator and hit the *1 button instead of the lobby level. So instead of going straight to the restaurant through the lobby, we wandered down to the beach and then wove through the resort pool area.
The beach is beautiful and sheltered so the water is great for family swim time. Remember that there are no private beaches in Hawaii, so if you want to check out this beach you can do it even if you aren’t staying at the resort. There are bathrooms available and beachside restaurants.
The beach area right in front of Aulani. Remember, this is a public beach so feel free to check it out if you’re in the area! 
Even the resort bathrooms by the beach are open to the public! The resort pool area included several pools, a lazy river, a playground, restaurants, and a fish pond with viewing area. The entire area was decorated with rocks and greenery to complete the tropical theme. Getting from the beach to the lobby is very indirect and the path weaves you all around. It probably took us 10 minutes to make the walk but that included getting distracted by the various decorations.
I snuck a look at the resort’s daily schedule and saw that they feed the fish several times a day. I’m sure the kids would love to be here while they are being fed! 
I was sorely tempted to strip off my clothes and go for a float in here! The pools are only for resorts guests though and you have to have a wristband to get in. 
The lobby looked close from the beach, but we had a lot of walking before we got there! Once we reached Makahiki’s we waited in a short line to check-in. The woman at the desk gave HJ a birthday pin and handed us a ticket with our name and party size. We were instructed to wait in line for pictures with Mickey and then check back in at the desk. The line for Mickey was about 20 minutes long but there was fruit-infused water and chairs available during our wait.
I love fruit infused water! Especially when you’re waiting in line on a hot day. As I’ve come to expect from Disney, the picture taking experience was great. They had a photographer and another cast member to take pictures with our camera. They allowed us to take a big group photo and one of just the kids and we never felt like we needed to hurry. The line might have gone faster if they rushed through the pictures, but this way the kids really got to enjoy their moment with Mickey. He gave them both hugs when we got to him and high-fives when we left.
Mickey was all decked out in his Hawaiian gear. Aloha Mickey! After Mickey pictures, we checked back in at the podium and then sat in the waiting area for another 10 minutes. Had we been really hungry when we first checked in, we would have been starving by the time we were seated 30 minutes later. We were fine though and pictures with Mickey was worth the wait.
Once we were seated outside (I definitely recommend sitting outside if you are able. The weather was beautiful and the light was much better for pictures.) the waiter came quickly to take our drink orders and release us to the buffet.
The birthday girl was so excited to be seated and ready for breakfast! The buffet included made-to-order omelettes and many traditional buffet options. Just about anything you could want was available on the buffet: local Hawaiian Loco Moco, red velvet waffles shaped like Iron Man, biscuits and gravy, Miso soup, doughnuts, cereal, fruit, salad, and more. We each loaded up our plates once and went back for a little something extra.
The food was good and plentiful and the waiter was on hand with an extra spoon as soon as we needed one.
This is what HJ chose for her first trip to the buffet. She finished this off with a big bowl of oatmeal. My big concern as soon as we were seated was what happens if the characters come to your table while you’re at the buffet? That’s exactly what happened and Goofy got to our table just as HJ and I were returning. HJ hugged him and posed for a couple pictures but he was gone before K got there. I told the waiter and he happily arranged for Goofy to swing back by with a special hug just for K.
Goofy made his stop before we even started eating and Minnie didn’t make her way over until we had just finished, so most of our breakfast was free for eating and conversation.
Aunty provided the breakfast entertainment moving between the tables singing Hawaiian songs and playing the ukelele. Twice during the breakfast, she invited all the children to parade around the restaurant behind her and one of the characters. When following Goofy all the children held fish puppets and sang about fish. When following Minnie all the children shook maracas as they wove between the tables. There was even a special birthday hula dance held in one corner of the restaurant. HJ was thrilled to show off her dance skills with all the other birthday girls.
Aunty and Minnie leading the children on parade! Minnie (and all the other characters) made a big show of pointing to HJ’s birthday pin and clapping or otherwise gesturing congratulations. The characters were all great and they moved throughout the restaurant without handlers or photographers. So make sure you have your own camera ready!
HJ was a little star struck! Just when we were about to leave the waiter reminded us that he still had to bring HJ’s birthday treat. It was so windy he had a hard time lighting the candle, but HJ loved being sung to and sharing a sweet treat with her brother.
They blocked my shot as they protected the candle from the wind. I like it this way though, it tells a story. Overall we were really happy with the Aulani Character Breakfast. The service was great and came with the Disney smile we’re so accustomed to, the food was good, we didn’t feel hurried or rushed to give up our table, and the kids were thrilled to see the characters. The singer struck a good balance of entertaining if you listened and pleasant to have in the background if you would rather have a conversation.
Towards the end of breakfast, a cast member was weaving through the restaurant showing diners their Mickey pictures. She didn’t quite make it to us so we were directed to check them out in the gift shop upstairs. We purchased 1 printed photo plus a CD with all the photos for $45. Getting the CD really makes it worthwhile and they got a great shot of HJ hugging Mickey! If they don’t offer you this package, make sure you ask about the “Character Breakfast” packages.
My one complaint, although it wouldn’t stop me from returning or recommending the experience, was that there were only 3 characters. On the Disney cruise, we saw all of the fab 5 at the character breakfast and it would have been nice to see them here as well.
The price was $37/adults and $18 for kids 3-9. K got to eat for free since he’s still 2. They validated parking and the buffet price included juice and coffee, so there were no surprises on our bill.
Have you been to Aulani? If you go make sure you say “Aloha!” to Mickey for us!
The pools at Aulani were so inviting, we might have to come back and stay here! -
5 Tips for Visiting Hawaii with a Baby
Hawaii is a fantastic destination no matter your age. On our first trip to Hawaii with a baby, HJ was 8 months old and we had a wonderful time. It was the first trip where we realized having kids could enhance the trip instead of just being something to work around.
We just returned from our second trip (with a 2 and 4-year-old) and had just as much fun! The tips specific to visiting with a toddler and preschooler are coming soon! You can also read about the things we did to prepare our kids to appreciate Hawaii.
#1 Embrace the jet lag
We were coming from the east coast of the US, so we had a 6 hour time difference to contend with. Every morning we would wake up before the sun, walk down to the beach, and play in the sand as the sun rose. By the time the hottest part of the day came along, we were all so tired we spent a few hours in the house napping and watching TV. We watched a good portion of Merlin on this trip.
If we had somewhere specific we wanted to visit on a given day, we would load up the car and be there right as they opened, always making sure we stopped by the beach to watch the sun come up! You can’t beat pictures like this one!
#2 Rent supplies
It’s hard to travel with a baby, and the less gear we can take the better. That being said, the more gear we have the better. So what do we do? We found the Paradise Baby Company on Oahu and were able to rent a high chair, a playpen, and a beach pop-up tent for relatively cheap. They delivered to our house and even brought a free rental of beach toys! In addition to the items we selected, they have baby carriers, car seats, strollers, and even little toddler bikes!
Whether you rent or buy, there are a couple things you will definitely want for the beach.
- A pop-up sun tent. You can see the one we had was on the small side and really only appropriate for HJ to nap, but one of us could lie down with her if our legs were hanging out. On our second trip, we bought a tent that was big enough for the whole family to lie down in. I love to sleep on the beach but we are the pastiest family you’ll ever meet and should not be sleeping in the sun. In addition to napping, the sun tent also provides a sand-free place to change diapers.
- A baby float. Depending on the beach, sometimes the waves were too rough to have her float, but we found a couple sheltered beaches and she just loved to bob along. Daddy would snorkel while HJ and I floated. At one point a sea turtle swam right by us! We bought ours off Amazon, but I would try to rent it next time.
#3 Cover up
Sunscreen is messy to apply and easy to miss a spot so we choose to protect soft baby skin with clothing instead.
- For swim suits, we like the full body style for babies or rash guards and swim tights for toddlers and kids.
- We used the iplay sun hats to cover baby neck and ears and after they outgrew those we switched to SunDay Afternoon that also offers neck and ear protection. SunDay Afternoon hats are better for swimming because they have a more rigid brim that stays out of the eyes.
- If you aren’t using a footed swimsuit, a nice pair of swim socks will keep the sun off the toes and also protect from the hot sand. My kids do like to take the swim socks off though!
- It’s always been difficult for me to keep sunglasses on my kids, but we have had some luck with goggle style polarized glasses for babies.
- After all that there will still be a few spots that require sunscreen. Use a mineral based physical barrier brand to protect any exposed skin, included the face which will get UV rays reflecting off the sand and water.
#4 Babywear
This applies to life in general, but there is no better time to wear a baby than on vacation. This allows you to get your cuddles in while taking long walks on the beach or hiking to a waterfall.
At the time of the trip we were using a Baby K’Tan but we’ve since fallen deep down the Tula hole and will definitely be using those on our next trip. Both Tula and K’Tan have a breathable version for warm weather, but I’ve never tried them out. A Tula Coast is on my list of must-haves for any future babies.
#5 Take advantage of nap times to travel
Oahu is a small island, and we checked out pretty much the entire island during our trip. Young babies sleep so frequently that we tried to always line up nap time with car time. For instance, if we wanted to go to a Luau on the other side of the island, we’d pop her in the car for a nap, she’d wake up for the event, and be ready for another nap on the way home! It really is a wonderful age when they are still taking 3+ naps per day! My experience has always been that the younger the baby, the easier they travel for this reason.
When we left the car during the day, we always tried to cover the car seat with a blanket. They make covers specifically to solve this issue and they look like they would work well for fairly cheap. The blanket worked well for us, but every time we forgot we had to run the air conditioning for 15 minutes before we could put her in her seat. I live in fear of car seat burns!
Also, if you have a rear facing baby it’s probably worth bringing your car backseat mirror. We forgot ours and it meant a lot of climbing into the back to take a peak.
Any other great tips? We just completed our second trip to Hawaii as parents, so another post specific to toddlers and preschoolers is coming soon!
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Finding my hometown
This month a group of travel bloggers are all asking ourselves the same question, “Where do I come from?” The idea is that everyone will share something about their hometown. (This is the same group that wrote last month about how to reduce stress while traveling as a family.)
I have had major writer’s block because I don’t even know which town to write about! In 28 years I have lived in:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Windsor, Connecticut
- Americus, Georgia
- Rincon, Georgia
- Sumter, South Carolina
- Cary, North Carolina
- Blacksburg, Virginia
- Durham, North Carolina
- Mebane, North Carolina
- Graham, North Carolina
- Menlo Park, California
If forced to choose I would say that I grew up in Sumter. I was there from when I was 7 to 15 and most of my earliest childhood memories took place here. I had wonderful friends and I remember my time here fondly. However, visiting Sumter doesn’t feel like “going home” anymore. It’s been too long and too much has changed.
I do still regularly visit Cary. My parents live there and I still have friends in the area, but since I only ever lived there for 3 years, I never considered it my hometown.
The strongest pull on my heartstrings is for Blacksburg. Oh Blacksburg, I love you. Possibly because this was the first place I chose to live. Possibly because I made incredible friends here. Possibly because I met my husband and married him here. Possibly because Virginia Tech is the most beautiful campus in the world and is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Even though I love Blacksburg and it holds an incredibly special place in my heart, going back doesn’t feel like “going home” either. Since it’s a small college town, all of my friends had left within a couple years of graduation, and there’s not much occasion or opportunity to go back. We swung through town 4 years ago on our babymoon but that’s the last time we’ve been.
My time in Blacksburg was so special, but it is strongest and sweetest in memory. You can bet it’s going to be a stop on HJ and K’s college tour though! No matter where we’re living!
So I’ve lived in all these places and I remember them fondly, but where am I really from? Is not knowing bad? Am I missing out on something? Do I want the same for my children? Do I want different?
Honestly, I don’t care if my children have a hometown or not. Maybe where we live now will turn out to be it, or maybe we’ll move on after awhile. I do hope that they will have a very strong sense of home, but I don’t want or need that home to be a physical address.
When we moved growing up there were always a ton of changes, but a few things stayed the same no matter where we went. I always had my parents and I always had my brothers. Starting over in a new place is hard, but it makes you rely on the relationships that matter.
I’ve already mentioned that my parent’s town doesn’t feel like home, but their house does, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the building. My parents could move to Japan and visiting them would still feel like going home.
The thing about attachment is that it’s a learned skill and it’s not limiting. All those years I spent moving around with my parents and brothers taught me the importance of family and allowed me to go into the world and start my own. Now I have two homes: the one I chose with my husband and children and the one I was born into.
That is what I want for my children. I want them to know that wherever they go in the world, they will always be loved and looked for. And I want them to be skilled and practiced in love and commitment, so when they start their own family, it is strong. I want them to know that home is truly where the heart is.
My first family. My first home. Here we are moving my brother into college on his first day. 
My chosen family. My chosen home. So where are other travel bloggers from?
Going Where the Wind Blows doesn’t have a hometown either, but click the link to learn more about their home story!
Travels with Jess is from Hervey Bay in Australia.
World Schooler Exchange is from Sterling in Scotland.
Lots of Planets have a North is from Victor Harbor in Australia.
Border Free Adventures writes about what home means to them.
Magnets From Everywhere
Dreaming, planning, inspiring family travel. Starting here, starting now.
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This is London
London City Trails
Kids’ Travel Guide London
A Walk in London
London for Children
Big Picture Book of London
Things to Spot in London Sticker Book 
London Children’s Map
Peter Pan
Mary Poppins
The Great Muppet Caper
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Abbey Road
Padding Bear Stuffed Animal
Magnets From Everywhere 