Planning a family vacation can be chaotic and time-consuming. To make the most of your time and money, there are some things you should keep in mind. When planning a family vacation, it is important to be realistic about what you can afford. If you are able to plan for a more expensive trip, then it is worth the extra cost. However, if your budget is limited, then look for less expensive destinations that will still provide plenty of fun things to do. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about traveling with a family.
WOW! What an epic day! I’m literally speechless (and extremely thirsty and tired), but definitely blown away by the magnificent natural beauty of the Antelope Canyon X! I’m getting ahead of myself, first, if you haven’t already, check out the itinerary, and second, what’s the Antelope Canyon?
After are gorgeous day at Grand Canyon National Park we grabbed a quick bite to eat for dinner before heading up to Lowell Observatory. (For our full itinerary of the week CLICK HERE)
Every family has different priorities, some want the land and the huge house, others the latest and greatest vehicles, still others could live small and travel big and the best part about it is, there is no right or wrong way to live! This is your life, you only get one, and the way you prioritize it is entirely up to you and others’ opinions about how you do so are irrelevant. For me personally travel has always been on the top of my list.
Do you have a place, a destination, or a trip you’ve always wanted to take either with your family or spouse? Hocking Hills was my place. I’d always wanted to go. We talked about it multiple times over the course of 19 years of marriage but something always came up, often other financial obligations that took precedence over a trip to Hocking Hills. An excuse always presented itself, such is life. We tend to put off the things that will really matter in the long run, like planning family vacations and getaways with your spouse to reconnect, spend quality time together and make the memories that strengthen the marital bond. Ultimately putting off what is vital for the family and marriage for some other short-term gain or for something we assume should take priority over the need to take a break from all the work and really remember why we do all the work we do, who we do it for, what we do it for, we’re so American!
If you’re looking for a great place to spend your next family vacation, Colorado is the way to go. You’ll never run out of exciting sights and activities for everyone. The only question is when you’ll go. A lot of visitors to Colorado will tell you about skiing down slopes in the winter or exploring national parks in the summer, but there’s something special about visiting in the spring. Check out these reasons to visit Colorado during the spring season and plan a memorable trip the whole family will enjoy.
Looking for a fun adventure to take the kids on that’s not too far from home? A place to explore, to learn, swim, & tool around in a golf cart? Kelleys Island is the perfect family day trip, overnight, or extended weekend destination!
Woot Woot!! Newport Aquarium!! We have arrived and are precisely 205 miles from Toledo…kids got a kick out of the sign, had to take a pic!
Our little biologist nearly lost her mind! She was beyond excited to see the number one thing on her list, the Shark Rays, which to be honest, I thought she was just making up; I didn’t even know they existed. But she was right, they do exist and they are such a magnificent creature.
A cross between a Ray and Shark, duh! Wonder where they go the name? LOL! So we zoomed past most of the World Rivers and Shore Gallery aquariums in order to make certain we had the chance to see the Shark Rays being fed and boy am I glad we did, it was so awesome! They fed them lobster. Here is a clip (don’t worry it is short, promise).
How cool was that, right!?
Then our next big MUST SEE was Shark Central where we could pet a shark….we did manage to stop briefly to see this guy…..he was HUGE!
Then we rushed by other tanks in order to PET SHARKS! The children were so excited, even the little one who was so terrified of a thunderstorm that she literally made herself sick & threw-up was overjoyed at the idea of petting a shark. What have I done to these children? Haha! They each ran up and claimed there spot and listened to the handlers instructions. As the handler jokingly said, “Use only two fingers to pet the shark so that you still have three fingers left for future use” , I started to wonder what kind of mom was I, I am letting my children pet sharks!? I glanced around at the other adults and children in the crowd; they all seemed to still have their digits in tact so I figured what the heck and joined them! The shark felt unlike anything I had imagined. I always thought they were smooth and silky to the touch. Boy was I wrong, they were actually quite rough.
Then it was on to the Penguin show where we learned about all the different types of Penguins, their diet, climate, mating, etc. we learned so much!
And at the end the handler who was located inside the exhibit had a microphone outside the exhibit so she could hear questions from the crowd. And wouldn’t you know all 3 of my kiddos had questions. Haha! I was not surprised that our little biologist had a question and it was a great one, one not covered or discussed during the show. Her question was what are predators of the Penguins? Our son, the 1st grader asked why the King Penguins were not as active as the other Penguins? And then the preschooler, I was a little nervous about her question. God only knew what she would ask. She already asked me if we could have one for a pet and I had to break the news to her gently, so I knew she wasn’t going to ask if we could take one home. Then I started wondering what other crazy thought, idea, or family secret she might share in public over the microphone. Preschoolers and microphones are a horrible combination it is like drunks singing karaoke; you never know what is going to come out of their mouths!! So she proudly walked up to the microphone, cleared her throat, and clearly expressed that she liked the handler’s bows in her hair. PHEW! That was a close one! Lol!
We had such a wonderful time at the Aquarium we were sad to leave but not before hitting up the gift shop! The children save up money from birthdays and holidays for these rare and special occasions. So we spent 4 hours at the aquarium and I am fairly certain one of those was in the gift shop. I firmly believe God gifts you with such remarkable souls, little souls that help make you a better person and on that day he was making me a more patient soul. Haha! Our little biologist eventually made her final decision and we headed off to dinner. Dinner at Red Lobster, anyone see the irony in that? Haha! But man was my salmon and shrimp delicious! Then we went back to the hotel and swam like fish!
It was quite the aquatic day. I shall treasure the memories for always because we will go back again but I will never go back again with a 9, 7, and 4 year old.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 