We lived in Kitty Hawk, NC for about two years, and you can’t do much better for a summer vacation spot. We’ve gone back every year since we left, and recently headed down there with my mom for three days to see old friends and re-explore our old haunts. First thing’s first, we headed to the ocean. Kids don’t seem to mind too much that sand is one of the worst
Four Days in Minneapolis/St. Paul with Kids
We recently attended a wedding reception in St. Paul and, being inclined to take any excuse to travel we can find, stuck around for a few extra days, through July 4th, to explore what the Twin Cities has to offer. We were very pleasantly surprised. The area has plenty to offer for families with kids of all ages, and is a great place to spend several days. First, I have
Breaking the Rules is Fun in Minneapolis’s Lake Parks
While in the Twin Cities for a wedding reception, we decided to linger for a few extra days and see the sights. One of those days was filled by exploring Minneapolis’s interconnected lake parks. We loved it. Being that it was Fourth of July weekend, it was incredibly busy. Our plan was to get lunch and rent one of those big quad bikes and ride it around the trails until
A Day with the Beasts at the Minnesota Zoo
We Waleses are a nature-loving bunch, and I will take just about any chance I can get to teach our kids about nature. They never get enough of it. When we were in Minneapolis recently for a wedding, we decided a trip to the Minnesota Zoo was in order. Nestled in the broad, leafy suburbs of Minneapolis, the zoo sits on a large acreage, and offers generously sized enclosures and a decent layout.
The Mall of America in a Day (and a Half)
When we decided that we were going to Minneapolis for a wedding, the only thing I really knew about the area beforehand was the Mall of America. I remember being astounded by the very concept of an indoor theme park when I first heard about the mall as a kid. You mean, like, there’s roller coasters and swings and games and stuff, but INSIDE? Inside a MALL? *Swoon* I could
Eight Hours in Wilmington, NC (With a Toddler)
Or: How to Trick a 3-Year-Old girl into Getting Excited About a Battleship I do cherish the concept of the daddy-daughter date, and as such, I decided to take my little girl to Wilmington for the day. She loves the beach, I love warships with a thousand guns, and Wilmington has both. Done deal. Wilmington is a simple two hour drive from Raleigh. We awoke early to maximize our time,
Singapore Nature Outings for Kids
Singapore was recently memorialized by the BBC in an episode of Planet Earth 2 as a city that has done great things in the arena of inviting nature into the city. Indeed, the island nation has done a far better than average job at preserving its natural habitats. It has one of the best track records of conservation of any city in Asia. Yes, if you do some Googling, you’ll
A Vaguely Successful Trip to See the Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms 2017
Trish and I are big time nature lovers, and DC was offering up the opportunity to catch the blossoming of the elegant, picturesque cherry blossoms fringing the tidal basin. The blooming of the cherry blossoms is well-hyped every year, and with good reason. They’re beautiful. In fact, they’re so popular, the city puts on a festival every year to celebrate the flowers, and the ties between the United States and
On The Art of Traveling With (Very) Young Children
Many of the advice columns out there in relation to traveling with children tend to offer advice for somewhat older kids. Like, from four or five years old and up. There are a few doling out ideas for younger children, but I think the dearth of articles geared towards young children/toddlers/babies is due to the lack of parents bringing out their young kids, which in turn is due to the
How – And What – to Pack for Traveling with Young Children
Many new parents find the idea of traveling with young children, like infants and toddlers, intimidating, for many understandable reasons. But with a little preparation and anticipation, you can pack efficiently and effectively, and give yourself one big reason less to be stressed about traveling with little ones. We have done it many times, and have developed strategies for packing that have eased our burdens dramatically. The seemingly daunting challenge