The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
This morning my middle son, Isaac, left for a college application seminar at his school. I still find it hard to believe, Isaac-the little boy with the infectious laugh is now a senior in high school and about to pen that rite of passage-the college essay. When my kids and I embarked on this project to explore all 50 states 11 years ago I hadn't even thought about how all these adventures and memories might come … [Read more...]
When I told my kids our first stop was Baltimore they were a little put off with images of gritty city life with run down streets. I will admit Baltimore does have some sort or tough urban reputation to those not in the know but once we set foot in the city any illusions we had were quickly shattered. We found ourselves in a beautiful city rich with cultural heritage and diversity set against the backdrop of deeply … [Read more...]
Over 11 years of travel in 16 trips through 43 states, as a family we've racked up all kinds of experiences. My kids and I sat down and decided to list our favorite airline, hotel, car rental companies and other travel associated businesses and share our top picks with you our dear readers. I want to plainly state that these are NOT paid endorsements and we've received nothing at all from any … [Read more...]
I don't know if you've been following the news, but Disneyland just raised it's price of admission to $99 for anyone 10 and over and $93 for kids under 10. Wow, if you are an average family of 4 you need to spend roughly $400 just to get through the turnstiles (as of today, March 5th 2015 a trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL will now cost $105 per person). Once inside you are under attack from vendors at every … [Read more...]
I'm sure you've figured out by now if you've been reading my blog, that I am a sucker for those wacky family photo opportunities and seek them out everywhere we go. One of my all time favorites was a portrait drawn by this photo booth contraption called "Leonardo" (which I'm assuming is named for Leonardo DaVinci) that we happened to discover at Adventure Landing in Dallas-a really cool family fun zone type of place … [Read more...]
I don't know about you, but traveling with my family often feels like I'm traveling with a bunch of food critics, travel reviewers, and nit-picky never satisfied types who have something to say about everything. I am glad everyone's brain is engaged and they have something to share, but hearing that no one's excited to try something new, or that something "sucks" can be a real downer. After all the time and effort … [Read more...]
Since we've moved to Orange County, California and fly out of a small regional airport, we're almost always taking connecting flights. On more than one occasion when our first leg left late we've had to run like mad to get to the other gate to make our connection. We've had quite a few close calls but never actually missed one. My daughter Lilia is coming home from college for winter break and has a very tight … [Read more...]
During our trip to Alaska, due to no fault of my own, a flying object hit my windshield causing a crack for which I was responsible. For the first time ever in all my years of renting a car, I finally had to put my credit card coverage to the test. You can read my previous post about it by clicking here, but after it was all said and done, I still had to come out of pocket about $125 to cover what the credit card … [Read more...]
We've all seen those crazy commercials ... Samuel L. Jackson demanding to know "what's in your wallet" or better yet, Jennifer Garner playing musical chairs with airline seats that are impossible to get. I can so relate. I've got several credit cards from various airlines and hotels and it is true-trying to find seats or rooms when you want to travel once you've accumulated points can be near impossible. So what IS … [Read more...]
My boyfriend Jordan is not a huge fan of travel, in fact on the rare occasions when we travel together he can't wait to get back to the comforts of home. A cozy bed, great water pressure, the creature comforts of your own living environment- of course I miss those things too when I am out on the road, but for me the thrill of new discoveries and unique experiences are worth the inconveniences I have to deal with … [Read more...]
