Babytravels is the newest member of the DTM crew (and the most important member) and it occurred to me the other day that no one knows anything about her. She was born in October of last year in Salt Lake City. Traveling is in her blood. And she does it quite well. Here are some quick facts about the cutest dottingthemaper.
Two Memorial Day weekends ago, we last minute decided to hop on a plane and head to Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska to be exact. And what began as a last minute quick trip turned into a life changing experience. I learned a lot of things from that visit and it has changed my perspective on traveling altogether.
Normally when we visit a new city I tend to get a little antsy. There are so many sites I want to see, places I want to experience, etc. And worst of all there is so little time. I try to set a schedule to cram it all in but it never really works out. Reid has the opposite approach, where he likes to go with the flow and explore and just let the experiences present themselves. Normally I get a little upset, but because of his mindset we have been able to experience some pretty amazing sites on our various travels.
One of these times manifested itself in Alaska on the highway from Seward to Anchorage. He saw a sign for some fort or something and took a turn off the highway. I was nervous and definitely resisted. But then we turned the corner and we saw the most breathtaking view (pictured above). Reid immediately pulled the car over and rushed for his camera. I sat in the car pouting for a minute, but then I opened my eyes and was stunned. There was no one else around. It was quiet and although it was May the air was crisp and cool, enough to give you a good chill. I stepped out of the car and walked to the water’s edge. It was so quiet you could hear the ice move and it was the most beautiful sound. I took a deep breath of the salty but clean air and wished the moment would last forever.
Sometimes not having a plan is the best plan of all. And that is the lesson that has stuck with me.
When choosing a hotel the amenities that mattered to me were simple. Location, price and rating were what determined whether or not if I would choose to book a room. A posh and chic hotel located downtown was always on my wish list. But due to recent events in my life, priorities have changed. The transition from couple to family has changed my perspective on vacations and traveling and what’s important when I am choosing a hotel.
So what exactly makes a family friendly hotel? Is it just offering cribs and free breakfast to children under 12? Perhaps it’s more. Perhaps it involves the overall attitude of the hotel. There are definitely hotels built for romantic getaways or hotels that are built to be five star extravagances catering to the rich and famous. Maybe family friendly hotels are built from the ground up with an attitude of fun and adventure. Maybe it’s more than just a checklist of a few amenities.
Just wanted to let my readers know that I am now eligible to write tips on traveling with children as of a few days ago! It will be a few weeks before we take the baby on a plane but we will be looking for advice to make traveling with an infant more enjoyable and will definitely be sharing our tips and trips!!
I wish I could sit down and figure out how much time over the past two years I have spent in an airport. I have a love-hate relationship with airports now because of all the quality times we have spent together. Some airports I find endearing while others just the thought of causes me to ball my fist with a sense of fury. I won’t name any names as to not cause any hurt feelings. Although most of the time it wasn’t really the airport itself that caused my anger and hatred. But a well designed airport and its amenities can make a huge difference in the experience of a traveler, especially when the airport is a connection city.
This all came to mind as an airport employee at MSP asked me to participate in a survey (luckily for them they didn’t ask me two days later on my way back through MSP, would have been a totally different survey response!). I would hope all airports would care so much to think about the amenities they offer their travelers and the ease of transition from gate to gate, offering free WIFI, as well as the quality of dining experience and parking facilities. We all know traveling can be such a nightmare so it really is the little things that matter.
It leads me to think about my favorite airports in this country- at least the ones I have been to so far, and how they are all so unique and different. And when you have had as many layovers, delays, bumps, missed connections as I have, you really begin to appreciate them for what they offer.
Three of my favorite Airports:
John Wayne International Airport (SNA): There is much to be desired of this airport when you use it as an alternative to overcrowded, confusing, and sometimes extremely obnoxious LAX. The quiet more relaxed nature of SNA makes it a great airport to fly into and out of easily because it is so small and intimate, plus they have a fantastic candy shop selling gourmet treats. I do however wish it had more of a variety of food options, McDonalds and Starbucks are great but a little more variety would be nice- but it isn’t a connection airport, so it’s really not a necessity.
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