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The Most Inspiring Family Travel Blogs to Follow in 2017
Today I want to encourage everyone to head over to MeldrumsontheMove to read their post which includes 27 new travel blogs to follow!
Everyone on the list is taking their kids to amazing places but doing it a bit differently! Many of the bloggers are digital nomads who stay on the road full time, some fit their travel in whenever they can around traditional jobs, and some are on long sabbaticals before getting back to the daily grind.
There’s really something for everyone, but the common theme is that you absolutely can travel with children! Check those doubts at the door!
Is she dreaming about all the places she could go? Or is she just enjoying watching the plane go by? -
W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir (Wilkesboro, NC)
Taking a road trip with a 2 and 3-year-old means there will be stops. We like to be as intentional as possible about stops that allow the kids to get some energy out but also don’t take forever. The ideal stop is close to the highway, has clean restrooms, and a play structure. If it’s meal time and not a Sunday, Chick-fil-A is our go-to! When we don’t need a meal or just had Chick-fil-A yesterday, we seek out public parks.
On our trip from Raleigh to the Virginia Creeper Trail, we decided to swing through the Cookout drive-through and then check out W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir. From the map, we could tell it was close to the highway and would have some space for the kids to roam.
We paid $5 for a day use pass and proceeded to the beach area. We passed multiple trail heads, a really nice playground, and picnic shelters complete with stone fireplaces. It would definitely be a great location for a family reunion or birthday party.
The beach area turned out to have a nice swimming spot roped off from passing boats. We grabbed a picnic from Cookout and afterward Chris took the kids for a quick swim.
The entire stop was probably an hour and a half but could have easily been less if we hadn’t opted to go swimming. The swim did wonders for the kids in the car though, it really wore them out!
If you’re passing through Wilkesboro, W. Kerr Scott Dam is a great place to stop and stretch your legs. It’s right past all the fast-food available in Wilkesboro, so you won’t be short on options for a picnic!
I’ve driven this route probably 25 times, but I had no idea this was here. If you regularly hit the road with kids, take a look at the parks along your route. You might find some hidden gems! I just need to remember to follow my own advice!
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Tubing in Boone, NC with Wahoo Adventures
Last week was the first time in 10 years I had gone tubing! We were coming from Green Cove in Virginia but opted to go tubing in Boone so a high school friend could join us. We went to Wahoo Adventures which is actually in Todd and had a great time. Pro tip: Don’t plan on having cell service there!
We didn’t make reservations and just showed up on a Thursday. They had space for us, but I would recommend making a reservation as they could easily sell out, especially on a weekend or holiday. If you find yourself in this situation, try River Girl Fishing right down the road.
Whether you reserve your spot or not, expect the check in process to be lengthy. There was a big group in front of us and the liability waiver and payment processes were inefficient and slow. It was probably 45 minutes from our time of arrival to when we actually climbed onto the shuttle. Just know that every adult participating has to fill in the form completely in front of the staff. They would not allow me to fill in a form for my husband and have him come just to sign it.
The wait wasn’t a problem for us since we could wade in the river directly in front of our cars. The river there is beautiful, calm, and there isn’t much traffic going by.
This area is right in front of Wahoo Adventures and perfect for splashing around. Pricing as of July 2017 is:
- Standard tube single run – $20
- Standard tube all day – $25
- Premium tube single run – $25
- Premium tube all day – $30
- All day cooler tube – $10
- Shuttle (bring your own tube) – $10
The premium tubes have a back, cupholder, and floor. They are ideal for older tubers who need more support and for small children who want to sit in the tube without getting wet. We booked 2 premium tubes for the grandmas in the group, but one of them was quickly commandeered by my 2-year-old son.
We booked a standard tube each for everyone else in the family. This was overkill and we ended up abandoning one of them before we even got in the water. Neither of my kids (2 and 3) could use a standard tube on their own. You’re better off either ordering them a premium or planning to share.
We also booked a cooler tube which worked great. We tied it to one of the other tubes and enjoyed a lovely picnic mid-way through our float.
The shuttle driver had plenty of rope and happily tied the tubes together in whatever combinations we wanted.
The cooler tube just floated behind us the whole way. Totally worth the $10 to have cold drinks and sandwiches on the trip. Last time I went tubing, we started in the river by the store and ended up catching the shuttle back to our cars. Wahoo Adventures is set up so you take the shuttle first and end up back at the parking lot. This is definitely the way to go since you’ll get any waiting out of the way while you’re still dry.
Before we got underway the guide gave us instructions on what to do if we fell out. His instructions were to stand up. The New River doesn’t get deep enough in this area to cover a standing adult and there are no undercurrents. The children all wore lifejackets, but it was about as safe as floating in a pool, and a whole lot more fun!
The kids started out sharing a tube with each other and then passed themselves around. K ended up sleeping for over an hour in this tube! My daughter immediately jumped out of the float and “swam” back and forth between various floats before wearing herself out and climbing soaking wet onto my lap. My son dipped his toes in a couple times but never worked up the nerve to actually jump in!
The whole trip back to the parking lot took about 3 hours. We quickly lost the people who had taken the shuttle with us and had the river to ourselves for most of the float.
The river in this area has a minor road running by it, but the only cars we saw were infrequent and mostly carrying groups of tubers!
Total relaxation! The hardest section is a low bridge where you have to float under on your back along the right bank. If the water level was higher we may have had to get out and walk around it! It was very easy to navigate and I wouldn’t let it discourage anyone thinking about tubing here.
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth it to go tubing with young children, it definitely is! We had a 15-month-old, a 2.5-year-old, and an almost 4-year-old. They all had a blast! The best part is they were naturally contained so the grownups got to have full conversations without pausing to run after anyone. My daughter did swim between tubes some, but she had a life jacket, and we were always within diving distance, so we didn’t worry about actually keeping our hands on her at all times.
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth it to go through a company versus bringing your own tubes, that’s something more to think about. Personally, I think having the shuttle drop us off was worth the money. If you live in the Boone area though, you may want to invest your $20 in a new tube and figure out the logistics of drop off and pick up. It’s definitely an instance where you are only paying for the convenience.
Have you been tubing in Boone? Any recommendations on places to go in Northern California? I have the bug now!
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How & Why to Make a Vacation Home Meal Plan
The number one perk from renting a house or an apartment (vs. most hotels) while vacationing is that it will come with a kitchen. Having a meal plan and preparing your own meals can save big bucks when you travel! For us, our family’s vacation home is in the mountains and eating out isn’t even an option without driving 40+ minutes!
Because of this, I decided to make a solid, healthy meal plan before we left and therefore streamline the grocery shopping and plans for the week. I even thought I’d make a casserole or two before we left!
So… none of that happened. We still had a great trip and ate well, but the whole thing would have been more seamless if I’d made the plan. I’ve documented what we ended up eating for each meal and next time we might just duplicate it!
All the way at the bottom I have a downloadable PDF of our meal plan, feel free to snag it and customize it to your heart’s content!
Why Make a Plan?
# 1 Few things are more frustrating then group decision making.
Either everyone has an opinion or no one does, but it’s hard to get things moving.
# 2 Eating out (with kids) isn’t as fun as it used to be.
I remember when Chris and I were new parents lugging our sleeping baby to breweries and bars and thinking that we were winning at parenting and would never have to give anything up. Then came reality. I love to eat out, but it’s never as relaxing as I imagine.
# 3 Spread the load.
If you have multiple families vacationing together, splitting up meals is a great way to make sure everyone gets to relax at some point. If not everyone is willing to prepare a meal or two, you can assign them to buy the groceries and do the shopping. You can’t ask them to shop if you don’t have a list in hand!
You can either split the week by meals or split each meal into salad, side, entree, dessert, etc.
# 4 Control costs.
Knowing exactly what you need really cuts down on grocery bills. If I only have a vague idea what I’m looking for, I’ll end up with extra stuff. When you make your plan, you can choose to utilize the same ingredients for multiple meals, enabling you to buy in bulk and save money.
# 5 Make healthy meals.
When you control what goes into the meals, you can feel better eating them. If someone in your group has allergies this is a huge plus, but even “cheat” meals are often healthier at home.
# 6 Reduce trips to the store.
When you figure it out as you go, you often forget key details. A couple extra trips to the store aren’t that big a deal, except when they’re taking away from your vacation time!
K loved the salad toppings! He wasn’t big on the salad though. How to Make the Plan
#1 Build around the must-haves
Does your Grandma always make lasagna and garlic bread? Go ahead and fill those special requests in first. Space them out throughout your stay to make them more special.
#2 Choose an “off” meal
Most people don’t need to eat 3 hot meals a day, even on vacation. For us, breakfast was self-serve every morning. We had cereal, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, etc. on hand for whoever wanted it. If someone was making eggs they would take a quick straw poll on how many to make, but they wouldn’t try to factor in anyone who was still sleeping.
Some people may prefer to make lunch the “off” meal if the group typically splits up during the day. Lunch is easy to grab on the go and then you don’t have to worry about getting everyone together at the same time midday.
#3 Factor in eating out
Whether you have a favorite seafood spot in town or you like to order pizza, go ahead and put this on the schedule. For me, if I try to completely eliminate eating out I’m likely to go out on an impulse and then have leftover groceries for the meal I had planned to make.
#4 Include healthy options
Vacation can be a time to cheat on your diet, but you don’t want to go overboard. For us, this mostly meant serving a salad with every meal. We also tried to make some veggies but we didn’t stress if we had a meal with just salads.
# 5 Keep it simple, don’t spend all day in the kitchen.
I tend to be a fairly competitive chef when I’m cooking for a crowd. This means I reach for the most complicated recipes with the most moving pieces and then I get bent out of shape if the level of praise doesn’t match the effort. On vacation, it’s really not worth it. There are plenty of crowd pleasers that can be prepared in an hour or so max.
#6 Make it special, you’re on vacation!
Make food you really like! Our special night was grilling steak, shrimp, and veggies Friday evening, but we had good food every night. The key is not to look at your weekly rotation for ideas, think about meals that are really a treat. Maybe something you usually only usually have at the holidays?
Salads in summer can be so special if you load them up with fruit. Our vacation home meal plan
I’ve already admitted we didn’t plan this in advance, but here’s what we ended up eating for the week. There’s also a downloadable plan so you can customize it to meet your needs.
Remember, breakfast was our “off” meal, so it’s not included.
Tuesday
Lunch
- Travelling, fast food on the road.
Dinner
- Summer salads loaded with fruit and topped with grilled chicken.
Dessert
- Ice Cream Sundaes
Wednesday
Lunch
- Picnic, Pasta with veggies and homemade pesto.
Dinner
- Taco night!
Dessert
- Brownies
Thursday
Lunch
- Picnic, Sandwiches made on the go with roast beef, ham, and salami. Sides of chips, fruit snacks, cookies, and pudding cups.
Dinner
- Macaroni & Cheese with hot dogs. Large salads with watermelon and peaches.
Dessert
- Brownies
Friday
Lunch
- BBQ lunch in town for half the group, the other half ate leftovers.
Dinner
- Steak, shrimp, and veggies on the grill.
Dessert
- Blackberry cobbler
Saturday
Lunch
- Sandwiches from the local gas station/ deli.
Dinner
- Fresh caught trout and grilled chicken. Plenty of salad on the side.
Dessert
- Home-made ice cream.
Sunday
Lunch
- Burgers and hot dogs on the grill, baked beans, salad, and chips.
Dinner
- Shrimp Jambalaya
Dessert
- Ice-cream bars.
Download the customizable spreadsheet here, Vacation Meal Plan.
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Southwest Virginia Update
We are currently on vacation in the mountains of Southwest Virginia! Wi-fi at our house is terrible so I am not able to post pictures as I go, but I’m currently sitting in the Abingdon library and thought I’d share a couple quick updates. Enjoy!
Every year on our anniversary we get family pictures taken. We love to watch our little family grow! While we were in town we had Holly Dwan take them, and we are so pleased with the result! I can’t wait to get one framed and up on our wall of pictures. 
We stopped at W Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir in Wilkesboro, NC on our way to the mountains. It turned out to be the perfect spot for a quick dip after lunch. Entry to the park cost $5 and it was less than 5 minutes off the highway. 
Enjoying ice pops after biking the Virginia Creeper Trail and enjoying a picnic lunch in Damascus. Ice pops were complimentary with the shuttle service we used. 
It was our first time tubing together as a family! Chris and I had never even gone together. We used Wahoo Adventures and had a great time. 
Oma Leni took HJ to see ‘Cinderella’ at the Barter Theatre Stage II. She was so excited to get to meet Cinderella after the show! If you’re interested in our previous trips to the area. You can check out my posts on Abingdon, Damascus, the Virginia Creeper Trail, and Grayson Highlands. I’ll be updating those posts with new pictures and info after this trip!
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How to Prepare your Kids for a Red-Eye Flight
We just finished our first red-eye flight as a family of 4. I was worried about it and there were definitely some hitches, but the kids did great! Fantastic really! Here’s why we took the red-eye and what we did to prepare them.
Why Take the Red-Eye?
To maximize time at the destination.
In our situation, taking the Thursday night red-eye meant Chris didn’t miss work Thursday or even need to leave early. We arrived Friday which gave us a comfortable buffer so we didn’t have to worry about flight delays causing us to miss the Saturday wedding we attended.
Sleeping kids make for easy flights.
Once the kids fell asleep on the plane, that was it until we disembarked for our layover. The lights went off as soon as the plane started moving and everyone was asleep before take off.
To minimize the carry on luggage needed.
Since the children would be sleeping, we packed fewer toys and distractions for the plane than usual. We also didn’t need as much food, and really enjoyed traveling so light.
Why Not Take the Red-Eye?
What if the kids don’t sleep?
I can’t imagine anything much worse than being exhausted on a plane while trying to keep an overtired toddler quiet. You have to really know your kid to know if this would likely be an issue. If so, I would avoid the red-eye like the plague. Personally, I knew my kids would sleep and I took steps to ensure it (see below!)
After the flight, their schedules will be wrecked.
True, but we were switching 3 time zones anyway and were going to struggle no matter what. In actuality, the red-eye kind of shocked their systems and made them more open to a new schedule upon arrival.
What if the adults don’t sleep?
Chris and I definitely got less sleep then the kids and were absolutely exhausted when we reached North Carolina. We knew we were visiting family who could help with the kids while we grabbed a nap and everything turned out OK.
What if the flight gets delayed?
We loaded up for our midnight flight all ready to close our eyes immediately, only to disembark because the brakes were broken. We took off on another plane at 2:30 am. Both my kids were awake at 2:30 am. It was rough but they handled it like rock stars.
HJ was still awake at 2 in the morning! As soon as the lights went out, so did she! How to Prepare your Kids for a Red-eye
Push for a later nap that day
My kids usually nap from approximately 1-4. I took them to a playroom they’d never seen before and let them play until 2. My son passed out on the way home and slept until 5. My daughter napped from 3-5:30. This ensured their energy would last beyond their usual bedtime.
If your kids don’t nap anymore, this is still a great day for an extra-long quiet time.
Wear them out
Activity, activity, activity. For us this meant we spent the day at library storytime, exploring Wal-Mart, playing at a playroom, and splashing in the pool. Outdoor activities are best for wearing them out and the pool is especially awesome.
Dress them in their pajamas
Bonus if they’re cute and matching! Just make sure they are comfy and warm. Overnight flights can get chilly. Pajamas also set the mood for the flight: sleepy!
Take the shuttle
Or have someone drop you off. We took SuperShuttle and saved some money over long term parking for our trip, but the big benefit was we got dropped off at the door and didn’t have to navigate the parking lot with all our stuff.
Get TSA PreCheck
When we went through security at 10:30 pm there was a 20-30 minute wait to go through the normal security line. We walked right through the PreCheck line with no line at all. It was late, we were tired, and waiting in line was the last thing we needed.
Bring comfy blankets and pillows
Overnight flights are cold and it can be hard to get comfortable on a plane. Travel pillows and blankets go a long way in making a little tot more comfortable.
If your airline offers blankets on overnight flights, take advantage of them! Since we switched flights, our family of 4 ended up with 8 blankets. I shoved them in every nook and cranny I could find.
Talk about sleeping on the plane
We spent several days leading up to the flight talking about how we wouldn’t have any screen time on the plane because we would be sleeping. We specifically told them that the coloring books, etc. we had brought were for the second flight. This set the expectation before we ever set foot on the plane.
Schedule a non-stop flight
We didn’t do this because of cost and availability, but we wish we had. The kids did great on the whole trip, but they would have slept longer if it had been one 5.5 hour flight instead of broken into two pieces. K and I snagged some sleep during the layover but HJ was awake the rest of the trip after the first flight.
I snapped this picture before I joined K on the floor. All in all, the trip went great! The kids really rose to the occasion and I’ll be less nervous about book red-eyes in the future. What’s your experience with red-eyes? What should I be adding to my list?
If you’re interested in more of my travel tips, check out Tips for Flying with a Baby and Toddler or my Hands-Free Carry-On Packing List.
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Blogger Recognition Award
Blogger Recognition Award
I’m excited to say that Magnets from Everywhere has been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award! A big thank you to Maria from Dapper House Designs for the nomination! Hop on over to her site for a great blog on home decor, DIY, and organization.
The Blogger Recognition Award is basically a big group hug for bloggers! Each nominee has to do a couple of things to accept the award:
- Thank the nominating blogger. (Thanks again Maria!)
- Write a post about the award. (You’re reading it!)
- Share the story of how and why I started the blog.
- Offer at least two pieces of advice for new bloggers.
- Pass on the nomination to another 15 bloggers.
- Respond to the nominating blogger with a link to this post on their blog.
So how did Magnets from Everywhere get started?
Over the Thanksgiving break this last year we found ourselves in California for the holiday. We had originally planned the trip to see family, but the opportunity to interview at a couple companies had come up and those got added to our itinerary. We spent a lot of time that weekend driving between family and friends and had a lot of time in the car to talk.
Moving to California was certainly a topic of discussion, but it wasn’t something we were taking seriously. Chris had a great job and we had family in NC. The do-nothing option was very appealing.
What we talked about seriously was the direction my career was going. I had been working for the same company since graduating 5.5 years prior. I was an engineer, making good money, respected at my job, had lots of flexibility, and I was unhappy. We had been talking about me quitting for awhile but could never make traction towards it because we didn’t know what else I would do. It almost seemed like a decision that couldn’t be made without outside influences. I kept hoping that something would happen to force my hand one way or the other, but it never did.
I still don’t know what was different about the conversation we had driving around San Francisco, but somehow we decided that I was going to stay home with the kids. We had noticed that over the vacation I was much more relaxed with the children. We had more fun together, despite the difficulties associated with travel. We had a hunch that stress with work was causing my stress at home.
Wednesday morning I went home and told my boss. He wasn’t surprised and we made arrangements for me to serve notice for the month of December.
My family couldn’t believe I had actually done it. I felt awkward the whole month, but also free and happy. The #1 worst part of it was letting our nanny go. I still get tears in my eyes when I think about it.
That same day Chris came home from his interview glowing. He’d met so many cool people working on amazing projects and eating ridiculous food all day long. He was happy at his job, but this was an opportunity to try something new and exciting.
A week later he was offered the job. If I was still planning to work the decision would have been agonizing. We would have fought, we would have stressed, and I’m not sure which way we would have ended up. God’s timing is perfect though and the only question to ask was: do you want to take this job?
He requested a late start date and we found ourselves with 2.5 months to serve notices with both companies, celebrate Christmas, go on a family vacation, pack up, and move.
The first month of my stay-at-home-mom journey didn’t really count. I had so much to do and the grandparents were so eager to spend time with the kids that I only spent marginally more time with them during the days. Somewhere amidst that whirlwind of packing, I formulated the idea of this blog. I had thought of doing some contract writing and this would be a great way to generate a portfolio. I started a WordPress blog with the intention of posting once the dust settled.
The dust has now settled, I’ve written 80 posts, and we are happily situated in California soaking up the sunshine. I am pouring myself into this blog and have learned so much about SEO, WordPress, and social media. I have barely scratched the surface and the more I dig the more there is to learn! The idea of contract writing has pretty much gone out the window. I love my little blog and I’m not willing to split my time with someone else, even if they did pay me!
To date, I have made $0.43 from my blog (woohoo!!!) but I’m optimistic that I can turn this into a profitable business. I’m smart, I’m learning, and I’m excited! What could go wrong?
The absolute best part of this blog is it pushes me in life. The kids and I have done so much hiking these last couple months, I’m making an effort to get to the beach at least once a week, and I’m staying inspired by other bloggers in the community. The blog is also keeping me sharp and giving me goals to work towards.
Advice for New Bloggers
- If you haven’t started your blog yet, go for self-hosted right out of the gate. My biggest blogging frustration was making the switch from wordpress.com to wordpress.org. I remember wanting to tear my hair out because my site wasn’t working and saying, “I only have 9 readers, I can’t lose them!” Even if your end goal isn’t to get rich off your blog, you will want monetization to be within your control, and you need to be self-hosted for that.
- Pace yourself! Don’t try to tackle posting, SEO, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram all at once. Grab your usernames on all those accounts, but feel free to let them sit. Start with the social media platform you like the most. The more you enjoy it the more natural your engagement will be and the more successful you’ll be. There’s a lot to learn, but it’s better to be started and creeping forward, then stalling out of the gate.
The Next Round of Blogger Recognition Nominees
Take a look at each of these blogger’s sites. They come from all over the world and each offers a unique perspective on travel, food, parenting, blogging, or life!
Bless Your High Heels
Connie is a Mom blogger based out of Atlanta. She blogs about faith, fashion, travel, and living in Atlanta.
With Love Wen
Wendy is based in NYC but originally from the Dominican Republic. She uses visual storytelling to blog about beauty and fashion.
Lavender Daydreaming
Clare and Erika share this blog about fashion, lifestyle, and travel. They offer a country-wide perspective, being based out of Milwaukee and Phoenix.
SimplySaidy
Saidy in a Houston based travel and lifestyle blogger. Her site is full of incredible pictures!
EG Management Consultant
Stephanie offers services for bloggers and online businesses to help with marketing. If you can’t swing paying for help right now, her blog is full of free useful tips and perspective.
Priya Creates
Priya is a Mom blogger who blogs about DIY projects, recipes, and travel. She also throws in the occasional post on business and blogging.
Signorina Spaghetti
Linda is an Italian food blogger living in Brussels. She posts yummy recipes with great pictures!
Bohemian Nation
Allie is a California blogger with a lifestyle blog. Her tagline is “eat good food. make pretty things. practice radical self love.”
Fina Style Blog
Maria is a fashion and design blogger in Vancouver. She has beautiful fashion and style pictures and offers interior design services.
Modern Honey
Melissa is a food and baking blogger with drool-worthy pictures of her recipes. She also blogs about travel and home.
This Chick Writes
Dani is a novelist living in Wales who started this blog to help female writers. She gives book suggestions, writer profiles, writing tips, and challenges.
Girl Sees the World
Christie is a young blogger living all over the world. She’s originally from Boston and she blogs about her adventures and travel.
Girl from the Lighthouse
Katharina is a student blogger from Germany who writes about her travels, studies abroad, and her time as an au pair.
Tara Teaspoon
Tara is a food blogger with a great background in the food publishing industry. As a result, her recipes and pictures look fantastic!
Bebe Shamo
Shamira is a travel and fashion blogger from the Phillippines and Ireland. She travels and dresses on a budget and share pictures and stories from her adventures.
I looked through over 50 blogs to come up with these 15. Make sure you check them out!
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Flying Tips: Baby and Toddler
We have definitely done our share of flying with babies and toddlers. In fact, we have a trip coming up this week! We no longer have a baby to fly with, but our niece and nephew have an upcoming trip to Hawaii and asked for our tips.
Choosing the Schedule
When possible, fly direct. It is nice to get out and stretch everyone’s legs, but it is not worth the extra travel time.
We fly early in the morning to maximize our time at our destination, but I actually recommend late morning flights. This gives the kids time to play a little, eat breakfast at home, get to the airport, clear security, play a bit at the gate, and then hopefully be ready for lunch and nap on the plane.
When we fly early (generally 4 am wake up) my 2-year-old son will take a nap on the plane but my 3.5-year-old daughter is awake until afternoon nap time.
Choosing the Seats
Unless we have a tight layover, we always aim for the back of the plane. Stuff gets scattered over the course of the flight and we want to be able to stand in the aisle and gather our stuff without an impatient line behind us. The bonus is we are close to the bathrooms and the stewards/stewardesses.
Ultimately the goal is to maximize the space for your family to use. Once you’ve done that, the car seats go on the outside of your zone. You don’t want to have to reach over a car seat for anything.
This model gives you two chances to win an extra seat! Packing
Check everything you don’t need for the plane. The less you carry on the better, and you will have your hands full with what you do need for the plane. I have published my packing list for flying solo with 2 toddlers, but a baby in the mix requires some adapting.
Being organized is key in these situations. You don’t want to desperately need a pacifier and have to dig through several bags to find it.
You can bring a carry-on and a personal item per person on most airlines. That means a family of 4 can bring 8 bags on the airplane! Don’t. Compress down to what you really need.
Emergency Bag
This is the bag you’ll put in the overhead compartment and hopefully not touch. Extra changes of clothes, diapers and wipes beyond what you think you’ll need, baby Tylenol, etc. Remember to bring at least a change of shirt for Mom and Dad, we are often victims of the children’s messes!
Essentials Bag/ Diaper Bag
Store this under the seat in front of one of the children and keep it within arms reach. This will have diapers and wipes, pacifiers, snacks, and everything that is essential for your family!
Small Soft Cooler
Depending what you pack for lunch, you may be able to skip this and store all your food in your essentials bag. Sometimes I bring one, sometimes I don’t.
Fun Bag
For us, this is a little backpack that the kids help us pack. They know exactly what is in it and they can open it as soon as we are on the plane. It generally includes a board book or two, a couple fun toys, and a bouncy ball.
Surprise Bag
This is where we keep the good stuff! Coloring books (I love the “magic” ones because you only need 1 marker and the kids never see these at home), new books, new toys (dollar stores are great for these), stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.
If you bring along a tablet for the kids, keep this in here too. We always bring our Amazon Fire and soft headphones.
The surprise bag should also include some special snacks. For us, this could mean lollipops (help with ear pressure!), chewy fruit snacks, breakfast cookies, etc.
The important thing is that the kids never get a look inside the Surprise Bag! This bag is strictly as-needed and you don’t want your kid going through it in the first 5 minutes.
Day of Travel
- Decide in advance how you’re going to handle drop off. It works for us to have Mom and toddler take all the bags and check them while Dad and baby park the car. If you can get someone to drop the whole family off, even better!
- Use the baby and toddler carriers to navigate the airport. You can keep them on during security! We have long since abandoned taking a stroller through the airport, but if you’re bringing car seats you might as well. You’ll have to gate check the stroller and you may want to consider a stroller bag.
- Spend the $5 to push your stuff around on a cart. You can load up the car seats and carry-ons and be able to focus on the kids. We grab one before and after security if available.
- Kids under 12 are included with an adult’s TSA Precheck. Shorter lines and not having to take your shoes off is a huge deal when you have little ones! Definitely worth the cost and effort of applying.
- Take deep breaths, it’ll be over a few hours and you’ll be on vacation!
Interested in what not to do? Check out my Top 5 #AirTravel Fails. Interested in Hawaii? Check out my tips for visiting with a baby.
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San Gregorio State Beach (near Half Moon Bay, CA)
San Gregorio State Beach happens to be the closest beach coming over the mountains on Highway 84. I am not-so-secretly planning to visit every beach from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, but this week I just wanted the closest bit of sand and ocean possible.
Once we turned onto Highway 1 the turn into the San Gregorio parking lot was only about 400 feet. The cost to park is $10 or they accept the California Explorer Pass, which we have.
The kids and I stopped at the bathrooms and then walked down the path to the estuary.
Not a bad first glimpse, San Gregorio State Beach and estuary The estuary was warmer than the ocean and several children were swimming or floating. I was waiting for a call so we played here for 30 minutes where the cell signal was strong. The kids climbed on the rocks and trunks and on the side of the cliff. HJ claimed the cliff as her throne and K fell into the estuary and busted his lip.
If she can do it, why can’t I? K climbed on the trunk to copy his sister and fell in on his face. He was soaking wet with a busted lip. Is it bad parenting to tell your kids “I told you so?” After I’d taken care of my call we continued to the beach. There is no path and people seemed split between climbing over the rocks or wading around them. We went over and found it pretty easy, even with the kids.
I chose to bear right at the beach and found a nice quiet spot near a sea cave. The sea cave smelled like bonfires but was in good enough shape for the kids to explore and play. I picked up some trash, but only enough to fill a small sand bucket. Names and messages were written all over the cave in
Everyone loves a sea cave! From there it was just plain old beachy goodness! The kids made friends, we stuck our feet in the water, and we built sand castles. The kids also did some more climbing on the cliffs.
There were some paths on the cliff but we didn’t have time for hikes. I will definitely check them out in the future, especially since this beach is so conveniently located!
If you’re interested in other beaches we’ve checked out in the area read Hikes and Rambles: Gray Whale Cove and Trail, Natural Bridges State Beach (Santa Cruz), Wilder Ranch State Park, and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (near Half Moon Bay). Once I get everywhere from Santa Cruz to San Francisco I’ll put together a master post of my favorites. In the meantime, I just have to get to all those beaches! What a sacrifice. ?
If you have pint-sized children like I do, check out The Ultimate Beach Packing List for Babies and Toddlers.
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Roaring Camp Railroad (near Santa Cruz, CA)
We live less than 2 blocks away from the CalTrain station and the kids love to watch it go by. I’ve been promising them a train trip since we first moved to California, but I was having a hard time finding a route that is both desirable and affordable. A friend suggested we check out Roaring Camp Railroad for a play date and it ended up being the perfect fulfillment of my promise! I still want to take them on a real Amtrak trip, but I think I bought myself some time!
Tourists have been taking the train from Roaring Camp to Santa Cruz since 1875. The beach train takes an hour each way and drops off at the historic Santa Cruz Boardwalk, one of the last classic seaside amusement parks in the world.
The train to Santa Cruz cost $25 per person since we were there during a “Kid’s Fare” special. Normally adults would pay $31. Up front it seemed a little steep, but I was happy in the end. They did charge $10 for parking though, which I was not thrilled with.
Before our train left, the kids played with some toy trains set up in the re-created 1880s logging town. Also, as part of their summer free heritage events, the kids learned how to make candles. Each child had a wick to dip, alternating between wax and cold water.
Understandably, HJ had a longer attention span and worked hard to make a bigger candle then K. Unfortunately, hers was the one we left behind. 
We almost missed the train but had plenty of seats to choose from once we boarded. There was an entirely open-air car, a car with a sunshade, and an interior car decorated for Christmas. We chose the shaded car and sat on the benches ready for a trip through the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The redwoods were amazing, of course, and the conductor gave a running commentary on the history and ecology of the area and the railroad.
I really love this picture! So serious and sweet! 
I don’t have many pictures because there were no seatbelts and I had to keep the kids from tumbling off the side, but the San Lorenzo River was beautiful. Looking down the steep hill to the river, we could see hikers and swimmers waving up to the train.
Before we reached Santa Cruz we went through a 900-foot tunnel in pitch blackness. I’m talking can’t-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face darkness. I had my arms around the kids and kept kissing them, but they seemed to do fine. Except for some reason K kept his ears covered the whole time!
Arriving at the beach was a huge hit! We went to the first car and sat on the floor as we were arriving. It was so easy to imagine making the trip 100 years ago and excitedly pouring from the train onto the boardwalk. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the kids were stoked for the beach.
We only had an hour on the beach and we definitely didn’t want to miss the train! The kids got right to work digging in the sand and splashing in the waves. They don’t waste a second of beach time!
The ride back was more subdued since the kids were tired, but it was just a really pleasant ride. The train isn’t so loud as to prevent conversation or so fast as to be uncomfortable. It’s leisurely in every way.
Walking back to the parking lot. They also have a Steam Route which involves an 1.5 hour loop through the redwood forest. I’d like to try this one out, but I was really very smitten with the Beach Route and will likely take that one again next time we have guests in town. Also tempting are the special events like the Great Train Robberies or the Moonlight Train Dinner Party.
Magnets From Everywhere
Dreaming, planning, inspiring family travel. Starting here, starting now.
Magnets From Everywhere 