Hi there and thanks for stopping by!
We’re an Orlando based family of four trying to squeeze out every extra moment we have exploring this amazing planet with kids in tow, one long weekend at a time.
We’ve always been passionate about traveling. We’ve been so fortunate over our lives to have visited 50 countries. In 2011 before we had kids we took a leap of faith, quit our jobs, cashed in years of frequent flier miles and savings, and took a bucket list around the world trip for a year. Overland travel and hitchhiking through places like Africa for three months and the Middle East gave us some for real perspective. It was genuinely life changing. We came back to our lives, moved back into our house, resumed work, and decided to embark on the ultimate adventure…having kids. We felt we could translate our intrepid travel style to traveling as a family- we wanted them to also experience the benefits we felt travel brought into our lives.
then we actually had kids.
If you have kids then you know ‘challenging’ can be an understatement when it comes to embarking on a family vacation. From managing tantrums, picky eating and potty training to getting your older kids to unplug it can feel downright intimidating getting your family mobile and on the road. I mean, are you even a parent on vacation if you haven’t heard “are we there yet?” from your kids? We have had to adjust our travel style for what works for us and our family. But, we continue to love to explore and if you’re on this site then you want to as well.
We still believe in the magic of getting out there as a family and attempt to do so whenever we can. We’ve learned a lot the hard way and want to share ways to make it all just a little bit easier while toting tiny humans around the globe.
My mission with this site is to help you meet your family travel goals. We believe strongly there’s not just one travel style for everyone. Travel is a personal journey, one that is influenced by your preferences, comforts, children and budget. We get it! We both work and we operate on limited vacation schedules while trying to not burn through our kids college savings planning our next getaway. We’re trying to squeeze in all the things like everyone else. Your ideal family vacation may be an all-inclusive beach resort in Mexico, an exotic waterfront bungalow in the Maldives or a nearby State or National Park. Exploration and adventure can take many forms all with their own benefits.
We absolutely love sharing information with fellow family travelers so if there’s a great vacation destination, travel product or hotel we stumble across we want to share it in hopes you’ll also be inspired to make the most of your next family vacation. Most of all, we hope this will be a source of information, motivation and support for those who are trying to make family travel a priority without losing your sanity. Solidarity parents.
elizabeth
The voice behind this blog. Primary Care Physician Assistant. Age: ‘had a cell phone in college but had to toggle number 1 three times for a C’ years old. If you watched 90210 and Dawson’s Creek but missed out on One Tree Hill you get it. Loves a good bloody mary. In love with unique travel experiences and accomodations. Favorite travel experience with kids: Costa Rica.
jeff
Hobby Collector. Attorney. Dreams of sailing around the world which Elizabeth states his second wife will absolutely love. Lives for local experiences and off the beaten path travel. Christmas baby. Happiest outside in nature. Loves National Parks, hiking, SCUBA, and golf. Favorite travel experience with kids: Yosemite National park.
lucia
Four. Intensely suspicious of all theme park characters and avoids them at all costs. Can’t get enough of unicorns. Would make art all day if my parents let me. Loves telling jokes. A true Florida girl who complains of being cold if the temperature goes below 75. Thinks big kid status is when you’re allowed to eat gumballs. Pasta and corn are life.
tristan
AKA wild man. Two. Hates shoes and takes them off at every opportunity. Will eat almost any type of food. Loves all things cars, trains, trucks and dogs. Currently substitutes F for T which makes shouting Firetruck pretty hilarious. Biter. Will probably be the cause of my parents nervous breakdown due to my penchant for jumping off of things.