January 2015 – Let Kids Travel

January 22, 2015December 24, 2017

Visiting Oahu: 2012

As I look back on the pictures to write this post it seems so surreal. Once upon a time we were a family of three and my 3 year old was only 7 months when we took this trip. People always tell you how your kids will grow up so fast but you never understand it until it happens to you or for me when you look back at pictures and are amazed at how big your kids have become.

This was our first trip to Hawaii. Wells was a perfect age to travel with and one I really recommend at 7 months. He wasn’t crawling yet so it was easy to contain him. We took a red eye so he was great in the carrier. Also, he was a very smiley baby so he made lots of friends wherever he went. From Seattle, Hawaii is about a five hour flight. It was a perfect relaxing trip for us to take.

We stayed in Waikiki a couple blocks from the beach and our place had a kitchenette. We were able to cook a lot of our meals in our place which helped eliminate a lot of the cost. Also, we rented a car which I find essential when you go to Hawaii. We were able to drive to the grocery store. We did eat out a few meals particularly on the North Shore. We loved the atmosphere over there and this Hawaiian shave ice store in the little town became a favorite. My husband also fell in love with the Honolulu Cookie Company.

We did quite a few activities on Oahu. The most strenuous was probably climbing Diamond Head. We used our Ergo carrier for the hike and I had to nurse Wellington at the top. It definitely made for a memorable climb. It took about an hour. I would suggest bringing lots of water and the earlier in the day the better because parking can get difficult.

As I mentioned earlier we loved the North Shore. We spent a lot of time over there watching the surfers and taking drives. Towards that area we toured the Dole Plantation. We really came to love dried pineapple.

The swap meet at the stadium was a fun couple of hours. It is the perfect place to get souvenirs for much cheaper than you can find in the shops. We bought Wells a Hawaiian outfit which he wore to a luau, which was about an hour drive. Traffic in Honolulu is very bad, usually in the top 5 in the nation. I would avoid driving anywhere during rush hour. You will have a much more relaxing vacation if you avoid that at all costs.

Also, hanging out in Waikiki was a lot of fun. There are a lot of shops. Driving around the island was another highlight. There are so many viewpoints to stop and see. This made a perfect nap experience for Wells. We spent a lot of time on the beach. Wells loved playing in the sand and experiencing swimming for the first time. He looked great in his swimsuit.

Another must visit is Pearl Harbor. The tour is free and a very moving and touching experience. I wouldn’t miss this in Hawaii. It was about a half day. Wells did great on the boats and through the exhibit.

If you live on the west coast Hawaii is a perfect winter destination with lots of deals on airfare. I would suggest using Airbnb or other condo sites to find a place. This is much more cost effective than a hotel.

If you have any questions feel free to ask or message!

January 10, 2015December 24, 2017

Traveling Abroad: Athens

We have come to the last city on our European adventure of 2014. Hard to believe we went to all these cities. I am so happy to have blogged about it so the memories will always be there. I am a little sad writing this one as I fear it could be our last Europe trip for a long time. I mean travelling to Europe with 3 kids seems like a daunting prospect. I think I will just cross my fingers that my husband’s job will one day be there and we will have the chance to call Europe home. For now I will give this last account.

In Athens we were able to stay in the city center through Airbnb. The location was perfect for us as it was close to food and public transportation. Our Airbnb hosts were great and with little fuss we were in the apartment. It had two bedrooms and I spent the nights with Isla while Ian stayed with Wells. It was great to be able to make the kids’ food as there were grocery stores where we could easily get supplies. We ate a lot of olives and brought quite a few home with us!

Our host provided us with tickets to see the major attractions! It definitely helped us keep down on costs. We hit the Acropolis first as that is what we were most excited about. It was as beautiful as I imagined. However, it was under construction and in keeping with the rest of Greece had a lot of hired people standing around. I would highly recommend it but be sure to wear walking shoes as it is a bit of hike. Also, sun protection and lots of water are a must. My husband was lamenting that he forgot sunglasses and a hat! Wells had a good time posing for pictures and we met a really nice family while we were there who took a lot of our pictures for us! There are lots of different parts to see so I recommend carving out a half day to see everything.

Another must see is the new Acropolis museum. I have been to a lot of museums and this is one of the best planned and aesthetically pleasing museums I have ever been in. I could definitely have spent a lot longer there than we did if our kids weren’t getting so hungry! There are also helpful guides in the museums to answer a lot of your questions.

There are lot of little sites to see throughout Athens. There were several temple ruins throughout the city, some of our favorites were the Stoa of Attalos (huge modern reconstruction financed by Rockefeller!), the Temple of Hephaestus. I would say three days is enough to see all Athens has to offer unless you plan to make a day trip outside of Athens. I can’t imagine how hot it must get in summer, but for us April was the perfect temperature and weather.

I hope you have enjoyed our tour of Europe. In further travel posts I will be recounting the European trip I took with my son and husband in 2012. Also, our upcoming trips to California and Kauai. Our third Hawaiian trip with Wellington and Isla’s first! I hope you will join us for those and feel free to ask any questions you may have. I am happy to share more of our in-depth research with you!

January 2, 2015December 24, 2017

Traveling Abroad: Easter on Naxos

Easter is a big deal in Greece. We were told that we would probably be invited to a local family’s festivities. Coming from America this was a totally foreign concept to us, and we didn’t believe it would happen, although my husband was holding out hope.

10357645_10100620112731114_5994488491410993604_o — Sphinx overlooking the Mediterranean

Love Isla's face in this picture — Love Isla’s face in this picture

We arrived on Naxos and were picked up by the hotel. Most hotels on Naxos seem to offer this service as there were several vans waiting to pick-up people. We stayed in an apartment-like hotel room where the bedroom was separate from the living area which had a small kitchen. As we assumed most things would be closed for Easter we figured having a kitchen would be useful.

A playground by our apartment — A playground near our apartment

We walked to the grocery store to pick up food as there was a nice one within walking distance. It was larger and had quite a few options. Also, there is a local bodega more in town that has a decent selection. For food there are always gyro places around, and you really can’t go wrong as long as the meat is fresh. We usually try to scope out what they look like before making our selection. On Naxos, as everywhere else in Greece, they had “Greek Frappés”. They were incredibly popular (especially with the men). We actually liked them a lot and they were decently priced. Most importantly in the castle area there is a bakery that makes wood fired bread fresh every morning. It was a daily stop for us and you could usually get it while still hot. It is a little difficult to find in the winding streets the but so worth the trek.

There is quite a bit to see on Naxos. We decided against renting a car but there is plenty to do on the island if you choose to and more historical sites to see. We found lots to do within walking distance of our hotel, which was just south of the downtown area. We visited the Portara, a beautiful arch facing towards Delos which is Apollo’s birthplace. You could go right up to it to see and take pictures. It really makes an awesome site on a sunny day and you can see most of the island. After that we hiked up the mountain to a chapel located there. It looked down all over the town and was breathtaking. It was a pleasant hike but with a baby on your back and toddler to carry can be difficult. Luckily, there was a very nice lady who drove us up to the monastary. Also, she spoke Greek which was so helpful for getting us in. I don’t think we could have made it without that ride. The monastary was a nice place to visit on Easter and the nun was very accomodating.

Wells and the monastary — Wells and the little chapel

View from the monastary — View from the chapel

View inside the chapel — View inside the castle

Wells has the best hair in front of the Portara

After that as we were walking home and close to our place we stumbled upon a family having Easter dinner. They offered us some amazing food and warm hospitality. They really are kind in Greece, and particularly on the laid back, less touristy islands like Naxos. It was a perfect way to spend Easter, getting a glimpse into this warm culture. My husband and I often wish we had come from such a tight-knit culture.

On another day we visited the town to explore. There was a Venetian castle we visited. The town has so many nooks and crannies to visit. For us it became a daily visit after the first time so we could find the amazing bread. We stayed right by the water and we walked along the beach and spent time playing in the water and sand. It was an idyllic time to rest and recuperate from our journey.

I hope you enjoy our pictures of Naxos as much as we did. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. From there we headed on a high speed ferry to Athens. It was very packed and uncomfortable, difficult to find seats. I would really suggest taking Blue Star everywhere.