Traveling Yields Family Benefits

We have had the pleasure of traveling with our children at various ages, from an infant through the late teen years. Regardless of the road traveled, traveling as a family has numerous benefits:
1. Allows us to "relax" together without worrying about laundry, running errands, work, and daily life.
2. We're away from the TV, so we can explore the local culture, spend time on the water (which is one of our favorite places), and partake in activities that all ages can enjoy.
3. One of my favorite trips was on a Western Caribbean cruise on Princess Cruises with my then 15-year-old son (before little sister’s arrival) and watching him bond with his father as he passed on his "knowledge" of certain things that he did not know how to do, such as learning to snorkel.
4. Spending time together traveling, we are able to really "talk" and bond together with our joint interests and try something new. On a cruise last year with our then 18-month old, we were at Grand Cayman and since we did not want to spend our entire time in port on a beach with a little one, we researched and found other activities that our child might like and we went to the island's turtle farm, which we all really loved. To this day, she still carries around her stuffed sea turtle and loves talking about how "do you remember when I touched a sea turtle's flipper feet?".
5. Traveling with children is like preparing for Christmas...the same excitement. We really build it up and show them pictures, books, videos to where we're going. We get so much joy watching them ask questions and get so excited about our upcoming adventure.
6. Vacations also have an important educational element...even for just our toddler. It's amazing what she is able to retain. Last August when we stayed at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, she was in heaven with the aquarium and the water park area. She loved going to the marina area and watching/dancing with all of the live entertainment. We could just watch her forever when she's in these environments.

As we have explored the islands and other tropical destinations, we've adopted a few traveling tips to help us prepare when traveling with kids, especially infants/toddlers. We do have a portable DVD player that has helped us in the long airport waits or the drives to Disney or the cruise piers. We also have her help us pack her own special backpack with a couple of her favorite books, some coloring items and most importantly, there's something new that really keeps her occupied (well, at least as long as a 3-year-old can stay focused on something)! We also always take snacks for her, a change of clothes, layers (airplanes can be cold), and some other essential carry on items.

--Bill & Jenn Thomas

Key West with Kids, Part 1

Recently we cruised on Royal Caribbean with our toddler and one of our ports of calls was Key West, Florida. At first we were skeptical, as all of our past visits to the Keys have been pre-kids. Doing some reseach, we identified a few kid-friendly activities that would peak our then 2-year-old's interest and that were easily accessible and close to the pier, which is located at Mallory Square. Here's a quick recap of some excursions to consider if you find yourself in Key West with Kids!

--Key West Aquarium: Our child loves Nemo and anything fish related, so this attraction was a natural fit. It is only a few steps off of Mallory Square and from the cruise ship pier. While this aquarium is small (especially when you consider Baltimore's Acquarium or SeaWorld), it is full of colorful ocean life. We arrived in time for a shark feeding, which our little one loved. Bonus: Kids Under 4 are free!


Pirate's Soul Museum: Our 2nd stop of the morning and located close to the Key West Aquarium is the Pirate's Soul Museum. Our toddler sings the Pirate Song (Yo ho, Yo ho, a Pirate's Life for Me, ARRRRR) and is fascinated with Peter Pan and Treasure Planet, so this was a great pick to tour. She loved seeing the treasure and walking across the mock pirate ship. Caution...it is a little dark, but we incorporated this into our adventure!

We concluded our visit in Key West with some ice cream before boarding the Majesty of the Seas cruise ship again. Unfortunately due to sail away time, we missed the sunset celebration at Mallory Square, which we have done as "adults" and is a great family activity if you have time. Something else our child wanted to do while in port was ride the train; but, we opted to not do this due to time constraints and we did not believe that she would sit still for the 90-minute tour. Next time!

Coming up...Key West Part 2, A Mommy/Daddy Weekend without Child

--Jenn & Bill Thomas

Family Time in Naples, Florida

Living in paradise, it is still a treat to escape as a family to a new tropical destination. My husband, daughter and I spent three nights at the Naples Grande Resort in Naples, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. Taking advantage of a work conference, we decided to discover this hidden gem in Southwest Florida. A few things we enjoyed during our stay, particularly with a toddler, included the following:
--swimming pool with a shallow entry point (great for kids to play in)
--a swimming pool slide that our child ventured up and down excitedly more than a dozen times
--great bar service (for the parents)
--towel service area had some pool toys available for sale (not overwhelming) if you did not pack yours
--poolside menu with healthy options
--crystal clear waters (and warm) at Clam Pass Park with a long stretch of soft, white sand
--activity choices available at the beach
--beachfront amenities (i.e. "oceanfront" restaurant, towel hut and the most important bathrooms)

The walk to the beach is just over a half mile, but your traverse through a shaded boardwalk full of wildlife and mangroves. Our daughter played "jungle" during our hike! Naples Grande Resort does offer a shuttle for those wanting something a little less active.
--Jenn Thomas