TRAVEL

lobby of the wayfarer in San Luis Obsipo

Connecting rooms at the Wayfarer hotel in San Luis Obispo for California family travel with teens

February 1, 2023

Just 10 minutes from Pismo Beach and in one of the friendliest small towns in the nation is the Wayfarer in San Luis Obispo, and it is a perfect family-friendly hotel especially if they keep the Super Mario arcade game in the hotel restaurant. (This hotel just changed over from being the Kinney if you […]

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Aint to Proud the life and times of the Temptations Musical in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre

Ain’t too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations Musical at Seattle Paramount Theatre (don’t miss out)

January 25, 2023

I admit that when I first got the media invite for Ain’t too Proud: the Life and Times of the Temptations Musical in the mail I almost didn’t go. I had a lot going on this week and I hadn’t heard anything about it. But then I asked Alexa to “Play the Temptations” to give […]

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Audain Art Museum in Whistler (for free)

How to go to the Whistler Audain Art Museum for free if you are from Seattle

January 24, 2023

I checked Whistler for the kids’ mid-winter break and it looks like all of Seattle must be headed there. The prices are sky high! I think President’s Day now coincides with BC’s family day holiday so this is one reason why it’s getting more difficult to visit the area during that time. But there are […]

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pool at best western plus Santa Barbara a family friendly hotel with apartment style suites

Best Western Plus Santa Barbara: an Airbnb alternative for families with a pool

Big checkmark for the Best Western Plus Santa Barbara because it has the pool that all families seem to need when we travel with kids. By teenager stage, the pool is no longer the biggest selling feature for a hotel on a holiday but it’s still something I look for and helps a place rank […]

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Asean Streat Food Hall Hainanese Chicken Rice

Asean Streat in Westlake Center: a unique place to eat in downtown Seattle

January 17, 2023

We have been needing a food hall like this in Seattle forever and thank goodness Asean Streat has manifested itself in the heart of our downtown. Westlake Center is such a perfect spot in the center of our city, attached to Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Center with the Monorail. But it’s been a bit […]

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inside Kafka's Coffee on Richards near a playground in Vancouver BC

Kafka’s Coffee in Vancouver BC with a playground next door

January 9, 2023

Kafka’s Coffee has been part of our Vancouver adventures for decades now- my best friend baked for them years ago and they have really delicious coffee and food. But the newest Kafka’s Coffee location is so perfect for Vancouver families (and Seattle families visiting Vancouver) so I needed to talk about it here. It’s next […]

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Ireland travel 5 days from Seattle to Dublin with teenagers

Is 5 days enough time for a family to visit Ireland with a direct flight from Seattle to Dublin?

December 18, 2022

Yes, travel is about bucket lists and places we dream about. But it’s also about budget too. So when we booked our Ireland trip from Seattle we were actually dreaming about going to Japan. We found that tickets for Japan were on the spendy side and we only had 5 days (with teenagers who have […]

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best view of Seattle skyline taken from Argosy Cruises 2022 (Harbor Cruise)

Our Seattle favorite things of 2022 for all of your holiday lists

November 30, 2022

Who says that the holidays need to be hectic? I love December for celebrating and reflecting on all the joys of the year. This year I’m really thankful to have partnered with many local shops and activities that have become part of my family’s daily life in Seattle. And many of these places will be […]

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Pike Place Market in November in Seattle

Things to do in November in Seattle

November 1, 2022

I love November because it starts off holiday season and even in October, I start to get a bunch of November notifications in my inbox. We should all sip at least a million pumpkin cream cold brews to ward off any early snow in Seattle and so far we’ve been lucky but it is suddenly […]

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Club level room at Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre hotel with a family from Seattle

Because I keep getting asked where to stay in Vancouver BC if you’re traveling from Seattle with a dog

October 31, 2022

How many of us added furry family members in the past couple years? Scout, our yorkie poo pup joined our family in May 2020 and our travel life has not been the same since. Thankfully, Vancouver BC where we we grew up is only a 3 hour road trip from Seattle and as of October […]

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park view room view at the Westin Anaheim hotel right across from Disneyland

Things you might want to know about the Westin Anaheim Hotel across from Disneyland if you book with Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

October 17, 2022

It seems like bookings with Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts are popular at the Westin Anaheim Resort because that is the tone we felt when we checked in. And we were apparently way too early when we checked in but we just wanted to drop our bags and head to Disneyland. And sometimes we get […]

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Disneyland last minute at Star Wars ride

These are the things I learned from booking at trip to Disneyland last minute from Seattle with my teenage kids

October 10, 2022

One of my dearest friends I went to university with in Vancouver BC had a trip to Disneyland planned with her family this October and we had to cancel a big trip together in 2020 (it was supposed to be to Newfoundland) so we decided last-minute that it would be fun to tag along. She […]

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what the constitution means to me at Seattle Reperatory Theatre

A play you need to see in Seattle : “What the Constitution means to me” (and when it goes beyond our city you need to see it too!)

October 6, 2022

Have you ever watched as much news or followed as much politics as you have in the past 3 years? Sometimes I feel like all I hear is sadness and scary things and I just want to turn it off and make it stop. But it won’t stop even if we don’t pay attention and […]

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seattle in October

Things to do in Seattle in October

September 28, 2022

Suddenly it’s October isn’t it? I was just reminiscing about our October last year where we started the month with a last minute trip to Disneyland (October was a great time to go by the way-we pretty much did it all in one day)and escaped a bit of the smoke we had. This year there […]

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Conrad midtown Manhattan hotel

Staying a the Conrad Midtown Manhattan NYC (and yes we booked with Amex Fine Hotels again too)

September 20, 2022

At the beginning of the summer our teenage boys went on their first solo trip with their school. It was at the height of the June pandemic outbreaks where people who hadn’t got Covid for two years were all getting it and we were a bit worried that they might get Covid too but we […]

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Scout the yorkie poo jumping at the Beach at Expedia Group park on Seattle Waterfront

Where we park in Seattle to go to the beach at Expedia Group (Scout’s Favorite Park)

September 13, 2022

If you follow along on my instagram, we tend to visit the beach at Expedia group with Scout quite frequently. It used to be where we parked to go biking with the kids when they were small. It’s near where the cruise ships dock and it’s also where you’ll find the closest lupine patches growing […]

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walking at the fish ponds from the Kamilo at Mauna Lani on a multigenerational family trip

Revisiting the Island of Hawaii at the Kamilo at Mauna Lani: A multigenerational trip

August 25, 2022

If there is one thing that got our hearts through the past couple years, it’s been the hope of revisiting Hawaii Island (you might know it as “the Big Island”) with our family. We went with my parents and my sister and her family in 2019 and it was one of the most special places […]

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Empire State Building pictures thanks to our New York CityPASS

When you learn you should have listened to New York City CityPASS and booked things ahead of time but your trip still works out

August 23, 2022

I love getting CityPASS when we travel because it’s often a great way to bundle a bunch of activities we know we are going to see and it makes sure we get a discounted price and often it helps with lines during busy seasons too. I was given two NYC CityPASSES on our recent trip […]

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Kenmore Air flight at Paine Field to San Juan Islands with Pilot Christina

Kenmore Air adds a new way to get to the San Juan Islands with a short flight Paine Field

July 21, 2022

How incredible is it that we can fly? I often forget that small planes are also an option in our area when we are trying to get to local places. We’ve used Kenmore Air before for their seaplane to Vancouver Island. I just learned that they also have land planes too. And now there is […]

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inside of room at Shutters on the beach with family of 4 on a California Trip

How to get nearly two days for the price of one at Shutters on the Beach

July 13, 2022

There are some hotels that I see in those “dreamiest hotels in the world” posts and stash away for just in case one day we might be able to stay there too. Shutters on the Beach was one of those hotels. It’s right on the beach in Santa Monica, California. It feels like one of […]

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