1. National Zoo – introduce then to different animals we have. They will definitely enjoy what they will see when they get to see those animals in person. They have Pandas there.
2. Smithsonian Museums – this is very educational for the whole family. Kids will enjoy what they will see.
3. National Park – can go picnic in the park and you get to have nice view of Washington, D.C. Around you.
4. Beach (Virginia beach and Ocean City) – take them to the beach, there are a lot of things to do there, they have boardwalks and everything. Virginia has dolphins, sometimes you’ll see them. The 2 most recent visit that we did, we saw them, oh my daughter was jumping for joy.
5. Live music at the Plaza (National Harbor) – on Fridays they usually have this free show. This is relaxing for the whole family, some kids was just dancing everywhere.
6. Family fitness (National Harbor) – there are free programs for the whole family, it is usually Wednesdays.
7. Jones Point Park – they have bike, jogging trail, basketball courts, playground, very clean and nice restroom, fishing area.
8. Stroll at The Old Town Alexandria – when I am in this area specially the King Street I feel like I am in Europe.
9. Rock Creek Park – this is a planetarium sponsored and they have a tour of night sky.
10. Kite Flying (Washington Monument) – take your kites with you and this is a big space for kite flyers. Or you can just watch those kit flyers there.
If you are an adventurer , lover of nature and a photographer. Then this is a place to be for you your eyes and your lens will definitely enjoy all the views. A wonderful site when you’re around Virginia (Shenandoah Valley area). There are also other amazing views and places to go to after you visit the caverns.
In the cave You’ll get to see another wonderful creation Mother Nature has. Like in your mind you’ll ask how was this rocks formed. It was so gorgeous that you would want to just take pictures after pictures. When we went there it was September so it was already a little chilly but it wasn’t bad. In there, they also have guided tours and they will talk about the history of the cave and who discovered it.
Luray Caverns also have other attractions like the Car and Carriage Museum where you’ll get to see different cars they used back in the day and the Luray Valley Museum. They also have a gift shop to get yourself some souvenirs.
After your trip make sure to blow up one of your best picture because it’ll definitely a be good addition for your home decor.
Overall experience was great. 2 thumbs up, the whole family enjoyed. Not a common place where everybody have already seen it.
It was a gloomy day but that did not stop us to go visit this museum. My 5 year old daughter was so excited to see those airplanes and space shuttles. So After work we headed straight to the Museum.
Admission is free for all, parking fee is $15 but it is free after 4pm, you can also get a refund for parking if you are just dropping off.
They have a souvenir shop, vending machines for drinks and Mc Donald’s inside so you will not get hungry.
In the Museum, there were lot of things to do and to see. We got to see the airplanes used during the World War II. A lot of Nazi airplanes, trivia and facts about those planes and who flew them.
They also have those commercial planes exhibited there. Like the Concorde airplane, which was the fastest commercial plane, NASA space shuttles, rockets, the things that the astronauts had when they went in space. It was really educational for everybody.
IMAX theater, observation tower, flight simulators, free group tour around the facility are the other things to do.
We ran out of time because they were closing soon, we didn’t get the IMAX because it was 35-45 min long and my 21 month attention span is not that long. We tried the flight simulators, It was a nice ride, my 5 year enjoyed it. She really thought that she flew the space shuttle.
Flight simulators
NASA Discovery Space shuttle
Adi entering one of the flight simulatorsIf you’ve seen one of the transformers movie you probably seen this.
Overall, it was a nice educational trip for the whole family. My mom was with us too. She also enjoyed it.
You can also visit their website to plan your trip. Link below.
https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center/
I have been blogging about fitness and I am just so happy to be living closely to these areas Washington, D.C. Arlington and Alexandria, Va. That was just named the most fit city in the U.S. For 2015.
According to USA today, Access to parks and paths for jogging, walking and biking helped make the Washington, D.C. area the fittest of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., according to a study out Tuesday.
I live at Fort Washington, MD which is like 10 mins away from Jones Point Park and Belle Haven Park in Alexandria, Va. It was just across the bridge.
Let me give you a glimpse of Jones Point Park by sharing wonderful pictures of it. You’ll see the Potomac River and when the weather is good you’ll see a lot of people sailing with their sail boats.
Coming from the other end of joints point park is Belle Haven Park which is from the foot of the bridge on Va side and when you cross the bridge it’ll take you to the National Harbor, MD side.
We also have one that we go to in Fort Washington, MD which is the Tucker Road Park.
Our area is really nice to live in specially if you raising a family. As a parent, we are being a good example to our kids. Since their generation is more on technology like the iPad generation. We let them move around and be kids like these DC activities.
If you follow my blog I share a lot more about Metropolitan DC area like places to see.
If you are in to nature and want to see some of the wonders of the world. Niagara Falls is another God’s creation of a beauty that never fails. It was a looooooong drive from Maryland to Niagara Falls, New York. But it was all worth the long ride.
We first visited Niagara Falls back in September 2009. It was only me and my husband and some friends, no babies yet. Oh when we got there I could not explain the feeling of being able to see such an amazing sight of beauty, It was breathtaking!
View of the falls from the USA side
Rainbow bridge connecting USA and CanadaFerry boat ride maid of the mistViewing deck from USA side
Cave of the winds
PicnicCave of the winds
Last year, our relatives from Italy came to visit us last summer and we wanted to share that whole experience to them. It was such a great family trip. My daughter appreciated the view too. Nature has a lot to offer for us, we just have to take care of it.
With the whole family
As for things to do while you’re there. They have the ferry boat ride (maid of the mist) where they can take you closer to the falls. They also have a cave of the winds experience, you’ll be at the side of the falls. Be prepared to get wet even though they’ll provide you with ponchos and sandals. You can get these experience from both sides.
Back in 2009 we got to view the falls on both sides. The New York side and Canada side. See which view do you like.
Overall, it was such a great experience for everybody. As you can see even though it was a very long drive (8-10hours depending on the traffic) we still went again for the second time. You can never get tired of this view.
I started traveling with my daughter when she was 3 months old. It was tough, every travel is an experience. I travelled with Adi (was 3 months old) and with my mother in law. I am not saying I am a pro but I can give some tips that we learned from our travels that will make your travel very comfortable and convenient.
1. If you travel with little kids who doesn’t know how to swallow during take off and landing. For them not to cry, give them milk or anything they can drink so they will not feel the pressure on their ears. It always works for me.
2. If you are traveling with infant in lap. You can request bassinet from the airlines. Most of them offer it for free. In that case you baby will be able to sleep well during the flight. Everybody happy, right?
3. Bring toys that they like, that will entertain them or it can calm them down. Like my daughter, her companion was her Daisy Duck stuffed toy. It was a charm, she’ll just hug it and it made her go to sleep.
4. Some older kids can be entertained by your gadgets, tablets, iPads and the likes. Because not all airlines has TV screen on every seat specially if it is a domestic flight. Mostly international flight does.
5. Bring in some of their favorite snacks. Because they might not like what the airline offers.
6. Check in online if you can if you are traveling as family so that you can have the seat together. Because on the day, even if you are early at the airport to check in and if the flight is full. There are a lot of people who also checked in online. You do not want to be seated apart or asking other people to switch seats for you.
7. Do not forget to pack first aid kits and your child’s medicine if they have any. You might need it along the way and some places might not have the medicine your child need. Adi at 2.5 years old with her Minnie Mouse and iPad en route Philippines. At Taoyuan International airport, Taiwan.
Adi at 4 playing with bubbles and Aidan at 19 months. En route Las Vegas from Maryland.
Happy travels! I hope these tips will help you.
We were in Taiwan for 19 hours waiting for our connecting flight back to the USA. When I booked my tickets two way from NY to Manila and Manila to NY I already know that the connecting flight was long because I prefer to get the cheap ticket. You all know how it goes if you buy cheap flights.
I was thinking we can tour Taiwan for half a day and see what they have there. Another country to visit. So I went ahead and booked a hotel for us since we have our 2 year old daughter with us then.
What I didn’t know was China Airlines has a complimentary hotel already booked for us included in flight itinerary.
So here’s what happened….
We were on our way back to the U.S., arrived in Taiwan and went to China airlines kiosk to ask how we can get to our hotel. The receptionist was very helpful, they gave us a sticker with the name of the hotel so the driver who’s gonna pick us up can see us right away. Didn’t pay attention at the sticker since he was the one who put it on us. When we get to the exit the driver was already there and helped us get in the car.
While en route the hotel, I was wondering why we were traveling for almost 15 mins because as far as I remembered it should only be 5 mins away from the airport. But I didn’t say anything.
At the hotel, I found out we checked in at Taoyuan hotel. All the staff was nice, they gave us the keys and stated that we have a free breakfast and then tomorrow morning the driver will drive us back to the airport so we can catch our next flight. So went along but I already knew that I had to call the airline and ask when they took us to this hotel.
We cheked in the room, it was descent. Not the hotel that I booked which was much better, The Novotel.
After putting everything down any resting for a little hit. I started calling the airline. We were worried we’re gonna have to pay for this hotel. Plus I want to stay to the hotel that I booked.
Here is what happened. Since I booked my plane ticket from cheapoair.com there was no agent who informed me that China Airlines gives complimentary hotel since the layover was 19 hours. So it turned out that I didn’t have to pay anything for this.
Kudos to China airlines!! we were also pleased with their airline staff. They were very helpful.
So what we did was checked out and we took a cab to get to Novotel (the hotel that I separately booked for us). The difference between Novotel and Taoyuan was that Novotel was new, 5 mins away from the airport and it is nicer.
Freeway.Taoyuan Hotel lobby.
Taiwan’s side street.Novotel rooms.
Authentic Chinese noodle soup.
Novotel lobby
The other hotel that the airline booked for us was an older hotel but still nice and clean, staff was also nice and helpful too.
That was one hell of an experience.
Before I forget, another stupidity on my end. I didn’t’t looked at the whole itinerary. Before we get to Taiwan the pilot announced that we were approaching Osaka, Japan. And I panicked because I thought we went to the wrong flight. Mu husband was like check the itinerary. He doesn’t know any thing about the whole trip because he left it under my hands. I found out too that the flight was from JFK-Osaka-Taiwan-Manila and vice versa going back. I guess I was just too excited about this trip that I didn’t pay attention to all the details since I haven’t been back home for 4 years.
We saw Taiwan by all the en route driving we. Took to get to the hotel. We saw that their salons are all glass made. They also have advanced technology. They are nice to tourist.
The moral of the story was. First of all, Double check the flight details, make necessary calls to the airline and ask if they have a hotel set up for you if you have a long layover. I am not sure if all airlines do this complimentary thing. Second of all, make sure you know all the layovers so you will not be shocked and you’ll know if it was gonna be a tiring trip. And if the ticket are cheap check what is the catch. But if you are up to an adventure. Book it!
Learn from my mistakes. Be an educated traveler. Overall, it was still an experience. It was an adventure for us. My daughter was fine the whole time she was just sleeping. My little jet setter.
It is gonna be summer time before you know it. The reason why I wanna blog about this. Just to give you guys an idea on where to head for the season.
And being it Cinco de Mayo today. We learned that was the Mexican victory over French men.
Coming to Cancun, Mexico was the most relaxing vacation we have been too as a family. We really enjoyed it!!
We went there September 2014 for my birthday. Since it is off peak I was able to book it on a cheaper price. Since that is the start of the hurricane season for the Caribbean.
If you will be traveling with kids. There are a lot of choices of hotels where you can choose from. I suggest get the all inclusive ones so you do not have to pay for anything that you wanna eat in the hotel for the rest of your stay there.
We stayed at Grand Oasis palm, this hotel is family friendly. The staff was nice and helpful. The food was good and the good about our stash there was. Mexico was celebrating their Independence Day. We have the same birthday!! So the hotel had a feast and they had different shows for the guest and some free stuff.
Another reason why I chose Cancun was because we can do a side trip to see the Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the world. It was in my bucket list.
Before our trip, I already booked everything online as far as the transportation And the tour guide. I booked it using orbitz and chose the grayline. They have a very helpful and friendly staff. And they are always on time. Their vans were very convenient to ride on. It was so convenient specially we were traveling with our kids. They give free bottled water too.
The travel time from Cancun to the Chichen Itza was 3 hours back and forth. So be prepared for that ride if you wish to go there. We were able to hear the stories about the Mayans. Which became very famous for that 2012 prediction end of the world.
It was such a nice experience. It was like an educational field trip for us visiting the Mayan ruins. The beach was of course relaxing. They have different restaurants there to choose from. They also have the kids club where you can leave your kids if you wanna stroll with your partner. They also have baby sitters if you prefer that. We just had our daughter stayed at the kids club. She really enjoyed it because there were a lot of kids too.
I recommend this trip if you are planning to have some getaway with your family, specially if you will be traveling with kids.
Bohol is another island in the Philippines that has nice white sand beaches. Just like Boracay that I was talking about on my blog regarding how I got to love traveling.
This place is also heaven and is not as crowded as Boracay. They also offer a lot of side activities if you want to be off the beach.
Other fun tour activities, point of interest:
Baclayon church – it’s a Catholic Church which is made of coral stones.
Whale and dolphin watching at the Pamilacan island.
Loboc river cruise – it’s like having a buffet party while cruising the river with live music and they have stop over some waterfalls and natives.
Chocolate hills – these are small mountain formation. Must see!!!
Tarsier – smallest primate in the world. They are the cutest!
So if you happen to travel Asia, stop by the Philippines and head on to Bohol. From the international airport you can connect to tagbilaran airport. They have lots of nice beach hotels to choose from. It’s nice to have some island life. It is summer there now 🙂
“Travel to a new place you’ve never been before.” That was one of the things my husband and I agreed to do starting this year. Instead of collecting things we want to collect memories. And that’s what we did…
I can’t believe It has been a month already since we visited Las Vegas, Nevada.
Why did we choose the “Sin City?”
I believed that this place has a lot to offer aside from their casinos and night night clubs. I also know this is close to the Grand Canyon and LA if we want to side trip. So will this place be a good one for a family travel with the kids?
When it comes to travel, I always research about it and asked people who have been there to get some insights.
I have asked some of my family friend who’s been there with their family. They said that Circus Circus will be a nice place to stay with the kids from the name itself.
So I checked www.orbitz.com and found a deal for that hotel+flight and booked it. That was hubby’s post birthday celebration and Spring break for our family.
Since that was the first time we’ll be traveling to the west coast. I took the opportunity to contact some of my friends who lives there to come meet us if they have the time. And she did say yes! We haven’t seen each for a good 10 years but we’re always in touch.
So all was set and booked. Calendar was marked.
Day 1: We arrived at night so we were not able to do anything except to unpack, ate dinner and checked out what’s in the hotel.
Day 2: We met our friends with their son who also stayed in the hotel with us. We used up all the time in the hotel’s Adventuredome. The kids and us too enjoyed the rides and other games which we won some cute stuff. We were also able to see live circus since that was also a part of their attraction. every 30-45 mins they have different circus or magic acts. It was one good experience for the whole family. As for the dining experience. There were a lot of places to choose from. As for us, we went to all the Filipino restaurants that we did not have in the East coast and ate there. It was a blast!
My friends left that night. They just really wanted to meet with us that day. Since my mom was with us too. My husband and I was able to enjoy the night out. Went out to the Casino and also had some drinks. We got to see the beauty of Vegas strip at night.
Day 3: Another Family adventure that we’ve never done before. Instead of going to the Grand Canyon, We just went to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area since we did not have much time. Plus it will be too tiring for the kids. This place was 30 mins away from the strip. They have a scenic drive and many different hiking trail.The view was amazing!!! We don’t have that in the East Coast.
In the afternoon, we went to The Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
I recommend that if you will be traveling with kids, go rent a car. There is always parking there. You can book your rent a car online. Try www.rentalcars.com/las-Vegas-airport. The companies listed there will only have you take 1 shuttle ride. Less of a hassle. Because what happened to us was… We did get fox rental online. I didn’t know that from the airport we had to get 2 shuttle transfers to get there. The company was good but that was the down side. It was too much for us since we traveled with 2 strollers and 3 lugages.
Another fun filled memorable trip for us. I hope I inspired you all.
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