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Mar 24 2012

Mom Traveler Spotlight: Julie Henning

One of the great things that I’ve found about social media is that it has made the world even smaller by connecting us to people of like minds that we wouldn’t ordinarily meet. It’s been great to meet so many exciting moms that share the passion of travel like I do, whether it be travel in the U.S. or travel abroad. Our shared love for family travel and experiences exploring the world with our kids is what brings us together. This week, I’m very excited to introduce you to our next Mom Traveler, Julie Henning (@RoadTripsFeedMe). Julie is an Editor at Road Trips for Families and Madison Mamas, for her Wisconsin adventures. Come, let’s learn more about Julie and her journeys.

Julie has three kids, ages 5, 6, and 8.

WHERE JULIE LIVES

Madison, Wisconsin has been our home since 2009.

THINGS FOR FAMILIES TO DO THERE

I’ve compiled hundreds of ideas for family-friendly fun in my two iPhone apps: Madison Loves Kids and Milwaukee Loves Kids. From a day trip to the University of Wisconsin, to a short drive to the “big city,” our family goes on an adventure any chance we can get. Two years ago we learned about a high tech treasure hunt called geocaching where we use a GPS to find hidden containers (called “caches”).

Geocaching in Florida_small — Geocaching in Florida

WHERE TO STAY

Madison has a plethora of hotels; for a first-time visit try and stay near State Street or the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus (rooms fill up quickly during football season). A few weekends ago we had a lovely time in Fond du Lac, a community located on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin’s largest inland lake.

TRAVEL STARTS

My first solo plane trip was at the age of five, flying from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Orlando, Florida for a visit with my snowbird grandparents.

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD REMEMBER WHEN TRAVELING WITH KIDS

Learning this lesson the hard way, we’ve learned to lower our expectations on the number of things one itinerary can hold. We’re still rolling with the punches (pink eye in Kentucky) and letting fate intervene (why drag everyone back to the hotel pool if they’re having a blast throwing rocks into a lake). We also keep an emergency kit in our trunk, including rechargeable battery with jumper cables.

P1040968 — Getting Friendly with Colonel Sanders in Corbin, Kentucky

BIGGEST CHALLENGE TRAVELING WITH KIDS

Traveling without another adult is hard. Without adult conversation or a general concept that mom’s need privacy in the bathroom, solo travel can be exhausting if you try and accomplish too much. Next summer we’re leaving a Frisbee and soccer ball in the trunk – moms need to burn off steam too.

PLACES YOU’VE LIVED AND TRAVELED

I lived in Longmont, Colorado while working and going to grad school. Three words: white water rafting!

FAVORITE DESTINATION

Milwaukee. The best-kept urban secret in all of the Midwest, Milwaukee has culture, festivals, and food like you wouldn’t believe.

MOST SPECTACULAR RESORT YOU’VE STAYED IN

No lie, our room at the Wild Dunes Resort near Charleston, South Carolina was extracted straight from a Laura Ashley catalog. The Resort at Squaw Creek in Tahoe was equally amazing.

NEXT STOP

We’re heading to Austin, Texas for spring break the first week of April. On our loose itinerary is Barton Springs, Enchanted Rock, the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas. One night we plan to watch the famous Congress Avenue Bridge bats on their nightly feeding.

Our dream is to travel to one new country/year. With kids’ out of diapers and not taking naps—it’s time to earn a few stamps. That said, even traveling to different regions of the country, we feel fortunate to have so many experiences and opportunities.

Mar 15 2012

Mom Traveler Spotlight: Holly Rosen Fink

Meet world traveler Holly Rosen Fink (@theculturemom).

Holly has two kids, 8 year-old Olivia and 7 year-old Max. She lives in Larchmont, NY in Westchester County, just 15 miles north of NYC. Here’s Holly’s spotlight:

Screen shot 2012-03-05 at 8.29.57 PM — Holly & Olivia at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

ABOUT LARCHMONT

There are many families who come here from abroad to live here for short stints, many to work for the U.N. There’s a French school, French bistros and a French wine shop. I’m married to an Englishman so we are very comfortable here as all of our friends are from other countries.

NYC is a short train or car ride from here, just 30 minutes, so it’s easy to take advantage of the city’s cultural offerings, or we can easily shoot over to Queens and Brooklyn for ethnic fare, like Indian food in Jackson Heights, Greek food in Astoria Thai food in Bayside. We love strolling around Williamsburg and exploring its boutiques and art galleries. During the summer, we go to the beach and go sailing right here in our town. The rest of Westchester is beautiful, and there are many hiking trials located throughout the county or we can drive to the Hudson Valley or Rockland County for great views of the river and for a bit of Bohemian culture.

TRAVEL STARTS

I started traveling at age 16 when my parents sent me to live in Israel to study. I returned to the country a few years later as a college freshman and traveled from one end to another, learning Hebrew and living amongst Israeli natives on a kibbutz and moshav (Israeli settlement) and studying at Hebrew University. I returned several times during college and right after senior year, I moved abroad to live in London. Before settling, I traveled through Greece and Italy and after my working visa was up, I went back to travel through the rest of Europe on my own. I visited the concentration camps, roamed the streets of Paris, went to an opera in Vienna and had the time of my life. Life has never been the same since.

When I met my British husband, we bonded over our love of travel and it has always been a big part of our lives. Having children has not slowed us down in the slightest. On the contrary, it has inspired us to share the world with them. My daughter took her first trip to the UK at age 1, my son at 6 months.

MOST IMPORTANT THING PARENTS SHOULD REMEMBER WHEN TRAVELING WITH KIDS

When they were very young, we realized that sticking to a routine was impossible, and that it was fine to be flexible while we were away. Kids can always bounce back at the trip’s end. Before we’d depart, I’d pack their special suitcases with a dozen or so new items from a $1 store to make the plane rides extra special and keep their attention for the long plane rides abroad. It’s also important to remember that your trips aren’t going to be like the ones you took pre-kids. You can’t do everything on your wish list, you have to spend more time on playgrounds with toddlers and cater to their needs. But it’s our trips to Iceland, Scotland, France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany that are most memorable for us…and them.

ALL THE PLACES HOLLY HAS LIVED AND TRAVELED

I’ve lived in Jerusalem, London and NYC. I’m actually from Atlanta. We’ve been to much of Europe, Israel, Egypt, Mexico and various parts of the Caribbean. We went to Belize and Costa Rica on our honeymoon.

MOST SPECTACULAR HOTEL/RESORT HOLLY’S STAYED IN

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Lake Como.

FAVORITE DESTINATION SO FAR

With children, I love Italy. Italians love children, the food is wonderful and the whole country is stunning.

NEXT STOP

We are headed to England next month, to Manchester, London, to spend Passover with my husband’s family. We’ll spend 5 days in London roaming the streets and sites while my husband is at work, giving us the opportunity to explore the city’s museums.

HOW HAS TRAVELING ABROAD CHANGED THE WAY YOU VIEW THE WORLD AND YOUR PLACE IN IT

It’s definitely opened my eyes to see how other people live, eat and speak. I want my children to have these experiences, too.

Read more about Holly’s travels in New York and abroad at www.theculturemom.com.

Mar 13 2012

Keeping Family Traditions: Celebrating Easter

Easter falls on Sunday April 8th this year. I know not everyone celebrates the holiday but it’s one of my favorites, and not because of the awesome chocolate, but because of what it means to me in terms of family tradition and spirituality.

When I was younger, while my grandparents and aunt were still alive, Easter dinner was a big family tradition. We all gathered at my grandmother’s house, my mom, my siblings, aunt, and occasional friends. It was a good time to be together, laugh, tell stories, listen to family history and feast.

Things have changed for us since the passing of my grandparents and aunt when it comes to gatherings. My sister and I have realized that with our small family, it’s our turn to wield the baton of tradition. My grandfather was very big on this and sadly, we’re not doing a good job of it. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems like families all over don’t gather as much as they used to. Sunday dinners, summer barbeques, and family reunions were commonplace but I don’t hear too many of my friends mentioning them anymore. I asked my husband if his family still gathered regularly for holidays other than Thanksgiving and Christmas; with a face of longing, he replied “no”.

Tell me some good news. Does your family regularly gather for Easter or other holidays/special occasions? I need to be inspired.

One thing I can say, is that I haven’t lost the tradition of explaining to my children what Easter really means, spiritually. This, I will not give up. My sons understand that it’s more than just white bunnies and milk chocolate. In this respect, I think my grandparents may still be proud.

Mar 10 2012

Mom Traveler Spotlight: Candice Broom

Mom Traveler Spotlight: Meet Candice Broom(@MomMostTraveled):

Candice has two kids. Here’s her adventure:

WHERE DO YOU LIVE

Currently I live in Brooklyn, New York, but the inspiration behind starting MomMostTraveled.com came when I lived in Laos, a small country in South East Asia. I lived in Asia from 2002 until 2010, first in Beijing, and then in Vientiane, Laos.

TELL ME ABOUT LAOS

It might surprise you to find that Laos is a very family friendly destination. Lao people love children, and having kids with you makes you more approachable. This levels the playing field for all kinds of “authentic” travel experiences.

In Vientiane, the capital, families will enjoy visiting Patuxay, a giant monument modeled after the Arch De Triumph. From the top you have the best view of the city! Buddha Park is a short drive away. It is a sculpture garden created by a tripped out monk. A very interesting place to spend a few hours.

THE FOOD

Vientiane is an international city; it is an amazing place to eat. You can get real Italian food made my real Italians…I’m talking about hand made pasta for less than $7 a plate…real French food, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Belgian, Chinese…its all there, all cheap, and all delicious.

ACCOMMODATIONS

I would check out lodging in the downtown area near the Mekong River, where all of the action happens.

YOUR TRAVEL ROOTS

My dad traveled a good deal for work, so we always went places together as a family in the summers. He had a yearly convention that we typically traveled to with him. I don’t ever remember not traveling.

MOST IMPORTANT THING PARENTS SHOULD REMEMBER WHEN TRAVELING WITH KIDS

I think the most important thing is to RELAX. Your children mirror your emotions back to you. If you are tightly wound and stressed when you board the airplane with them, they are going to pick up on that. Just chill, you will get through it, I swear!

BIGGEST CHALLENGE TRAVELING WITH KIDS

My kids are 4 and 7 now, but I did find it a bit frustrating to juggle nap times in the early days when we were out and about. It really limited how much action we could fit in to one day. Other than that, my biggest challenge was flying more than 36 hours
with the two of them, as the only adult. I did that more than once between Asia and the US.

ALL THE PLACES CANDICE HAS LIVED AND TRAVELED

My whole life history of places I have lived includes Florida, Texas, Alabama, New York, Belize, Laos, and China.

I have traveled to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahamas, Jamaica, England. US: Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

FAVORITE U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION

My favorite US destination was Lancaster County, PA. I loved hanging out with the Amish people and I had dinner in an Amish home. I also went to Hershey Park and I was really impressed with how nice and clean it was. I guess they call it “dirty south” for a reason. Am I right? 😉

My favorite international destination might be Hoi An, Vietnam. It is an adorable historic port town and much more laid back and artsy than the other parts of Vietnam I have been to. I also had a great time in Bali, staying on Nusa Dua beach and exploring Ubud, the art district.

MOST SPECTACULAR HOTEL/RESORT YOU’VE STAYED IN

Hmm. As for the resort itself, Atlantis Resort Bahamas is probably the most expensive place I have ever stayed. My room wasn’t that special but the property as a whole is impressive. In Bali I stayed at a Novotel resort, I believe, in Nusa Dua. It was
our airline miles rewards. The rooms were really pretty and it had a kids club for ages 4 and up that my older son didn’t want to part from!

NEXT STOP

I’m not sure, but I recently won a week in US Virgin Islands at the Buccaneer Resort! I will be taking that trip some time before December 2012 when my voucher expires. 🙂

HOW HAS TRAVELING ABROAD CHANGED THE WAY YOU VIEW THE WORLD AND YOUR PLACE IN IT

I was already laid back, but I think I’m even more “go with the flow” now as an adult than I was before I lived abroad. I love trying new things and meeting new people, and I think I’m more likely to examine “why” people do things or think about things in a certain way, rather than judging their way as right or wrong.

Mar 08 2012

Introducing the Mom Traveler Spotlight

I’ve been wanting to do a traveler spotlight for quite some time now. I’ve had it written on the white board in my kitchen for almost a year and I’ve erased all around it but kept it there as a reminder TO DO.

I’ve met several amazing women on my travels and in social media over the past 15 months. We’re all travelers and write about traveling with kids. Their backgrounds are so interesting and their travels so diverse that I wanted to learn more about them while sharing them with you in the process.

I’ve met these women in different places: online, Tennessee, D.C., Jamaica. I have plans to “bump” into them again as social media has shrunk the world for all of us. Check in every week as I feature a new Mom Traveler. Read their stories, see where they’ve traveled, check them out. It’s a diverse group that’s traveled and lived all over the world (Israel, Laos, Ireland, Belize, Malaysia, Costa Rica…). They can probably answer a question or two for you that I can’t ;).

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