I recently got back from a fall girls trip to the Seattle area. It had been quite a few years since our Pacific Northwest family road trip, so I was excited when my friend invited me to tag along on her visit to see family in the area. We stayed in a house on the water in Bremerton, with amazing views of Mount Rainier. Given what I knew about Seattle weather, I was prepared for cold, rainy weather. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to have sunshine the entire time! Our plans included my friend sharing a few of her favorite places around Seattle and Bainbridge Island, along with a food tour at Pike Place market. We took advantage of both the Bremerton and Bainbridge Island ferries to get back and forth to Seattle on foot. Read on to learn about 4 fun things to do in the Seattle area and bookmark this page for your next visit to Seattle.
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Every year at the end of August, my husband looks forward to a week of outdoor adventure with the guys backpacking in the wilderness. Whether they are hiking parts of the popular Pacific Crest Trail, or heading to the Cascades, the backdrop is the spectacular scenery found in the Pacific Northwest. This year, the original plan to backpack for several nights near Buck Creek Pass in the Central Cascades fell through just a few weeks out. With a non-refundable airline ticket in hand, the silver lining was that it gave my husband a chance to spend more time with extended family and take a series of 4 interesting day hikes around the Seattle area. I recently had a chance to sit down with him to learn more about what he enjoyed about each of the hikes. He also shared some helpful tips along with a few photos. Keep in mind that he is an experienced hiker and backpacker, so some of these hikes may not be suitable for beginners. And always check the weather, especially with winter coming, and understand that conditions can deteriorate rapidly, especially at higher elevations.
*This post was updated August, 2022 
Sometimes you just need a few days to recharge and spending an extended weekend in Hilton Head, South Carolina was just the thing after a busy summer. If you have not been to Hilton Head Island, you might be interested to know that the island has earned the top spot for islands in the continental US in the Condé Nast Traveler Awards for several years in a row! It’s the type of place where families come back year after year, and after two visits in the past few years I see why. There are so many fun things to do on Hilton Head Island that a weekend is definitely not long enough, but it was certainly a fun way to get a flavor for many of the activities the island has to offer.
Washington, DC is a wonderful place to visit, and we are fortunate to live in the suburbs of this popular city. How many other towns can boast about such an amazing collection of galleries and museums with no admission fees? Over the years, we’ve learned about animals, airplanes, history, and art by visiting many of the Smithsonian museums. But we’ve also had the chance to enjoy some of the other unique museum offerings in DC. While some might not want to pay admission given all the free museums nearby, I think these 6 other museums in DC that aren’t part of the Smithsonian complex are worth considering. Many are popular with both tourists and locals for their unique exhibits, and we have enjoyed visiting them over the years. Always check online before you go, as you may find a discount for the museums that charge admission.
*This post was originally published in January, 2016 and updated January, 2024. 
We recently got back from a very relaxing family vacation on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a Caribbean island filled with spectacular natural beauty. You may remember hearing that St. John was one of the islands hard hit during the devastating 2017 hurricane season. Since then, a great deal of hard work by locals and business owners has gone into bringing the island back to normal. If you aren't familiar with the island, St. John is the smallest of the 3 main islands that make up what's known as the USVI (along with St. Thomas and St. Croix), and over half of the island is protected as a part of Virgin Islands National Park. Although there are still some businesses across all 3 islands that have not reopened post-hurricane, St. John and its residents are hoping that tourism will continue to rebound, as it plays a crucial role in the island’s economy. So if you are looking for a special place to make vacation memories in the Caribbean, here are some things to know about taking a vacation on family-friendly St. John.
Growing up on the east coast, I always considered myself lucky that the ocean was just a few hours away. Like many families in the Mid-Atlantic area, our yearly ritual was taking a beach vacation to nearby Delaware, so it was easy for me to assume that the best water vacations had to be near the ocean. Then I found myself reading more and more about the many scenic lakes scattered throughout the USA. When this blog post was originally published back in 2015, I had been inspired by an article that highlighted some of the beautiful beaches on the Great Lakes. While we still haven’t taken that Great Lakes beach to beach road trip yet, over the years we’ve had the chance to explore a few other lakes. Here’s five places to consider for a summer lake vacation, including a few accessible by car from the DC area, and some that are still on my USA travel bucket list!
*This post was originally published in April, 2015; updated May, 2022 
Head east, less than 40 miles from DC, and you will find the charming town of Annapolis, Maryland. On warm, sunny days, locals and tourists alike fill the streets of this capital city, relaxing by City Dock and enjoying the small town ambiance. Filled with history, boats of every shape and size, and some of the best seafood in the area, there are plenty of things to do during a visit to Annapolis. But there is no easier way to get to know the city than to take a tour with a local guide. Keep reading to learn more about the Original Annapolis Seafood Crawl before you plan a visit to Annapolis.
If the first thought that comes to mind when road trip planning is where to begin, then you are not alone. Over the years, we have taken several longer family road trips, along with many shorter ones, and initially the planning was overwhelming. With so many cool places to visit in the USA, it’s hard to even know where to begin. Now with many miles under our belts, I can say that we definitely learned a few tricks along the way. Here’s 5 tips to use for planning your next family road trip.
*This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2024 
If I told you that winter is a perfect time of year to visit Virginia Beach, you might wonder why you would want to visit any beach during the winter that’s not in Florida or the Caribbean. Well for one, you might be surprised to find out that Virginia Beach is a popular place along the east coast for winter whale watching, as many humpback whales journey up the coast between the months of December and February. Besides whale watching, visitors can take advantage of the often mild winter temperatures and enjoy some of the natural beauty that Virginia Beach has to offer without the summer crowds. We were fortunate that during our recent January visit, we had a perfect blue sky day with temperatures in the upper 40’s. Read on to hear why I think it’s worth exploring Virginia Beach during the winter months.
As the new year begins and the coldest winter months set in, many of us will start daydreaming about a warm weekend escape. I don’t know about you, but a winter getaway to a destination like Arizona or Florida when it’s not 100 degrees in the shade sounds pretty appealing to me. So whether you need a short break from frigid temperatures, or just a quick recharge from everyday life, here’s 5 suggestions of places known for mild winter weather along with some ideas for things to do during a long weekend getaway.
*This post was updated November, 2024 |
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