Tag: Day Trip

Roller Coasting Through Knoebels

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Knoebels is an amusement park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. From Silver Spring (MD), it took us about three hours, taking us through Harrisburg. We had never been to this theme park before but it came on my radar because it’s a free park with free parking AND you can bring your own food into the park. All of this piqued my curiosity and I started researching if it would offer a good variety of rides for my husband, my 6 year old (47 inches) and me. The answer – why yes it did! And for under $100, we were able to enjoyed nearly 7 hours here on Sunday of Labor Day weekend (temps around 78 F and sunny).

Family time at Knoebels! | TeamTravelsBaby

Parking

This is free. Employees direct you to spots. There’s a tram offered as well. We arrived around 2 pm and parked in Parking Lot B, which was an easy walk into the park. We brought our stroller. We saw many people with wagons. There is paved and gravel in the park, so definitely bring something that you don’t mind pushing on gravel. And when we exited the park, we drove out the back exit, which seemed to be a lot faster then the people trying to exit Lot A and make a left onto the road out of the park.

Tickets versus Wristbands

Every family will have to consider their riding desires, the age/height of kids, amount of time at the park, day of the week visiting the park, etc. Start with this Knoebels page. For us, I started with reviewing the ride heights for the three wooden roller coasters (Flying Turns, Phoenix and Twister at $5 each) and the two water rides (Giant Flume and Skloosh at $4 each) to make sure we could all ride since my daughter (6 years old) is 47 inches tall. For our family of three to ride each of these five rides one time would have cost $69. I compared this with the various bands and found that on Sunday night we could get a “Sundown Special” (unlimited rides, excludes Haunted House from 4-9 pm) for $35 for each adult (48 inches or higher) and $24 for each kid (under 48 inches) for us a total of $94 booked directly online the night before going. This became a no-brainer for us!

But if your child is younger or shorter or is newer to rides, you may want to consider the tickets since the kiddie rides are less expensive (think $2-3) and perhaps only one adult will ride or no adult will ride. If you do decide on tickets, all the advice I read said to buy the ticket books (which never expire) at Weis Markets for a discount. If your child is younger, I would also highly recommend considering Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This is a family fave!

Free play area at Knoebels | TeamTravelsBaby
Free character meet up at Knoebels | TeamTravelsBaby

Free Fun

If you just want to experience the park, it’s free to enter. Check out their entertainment schedule as they often have music playing, puppet shows, magic shows, etc. You can definitely walk around and enjoy the vibe. You can also meet the characters for free and play in the kids play space for free next to the character meet spot. After we walked the park to get a feel for the layout, see the bald eagles by Black Diamond and located the rides we wanted to ride, Addy met Dexter the Raccoon and then played in the free play area before we went to redeem our tickets for our unlimited wristbands at 3:45 pm (this is the earliest you can get the bands and all people must be present). We made sure to get there a few minutes early and were among the first people to redeem and went straight to our first ride.

Our Ride Schedule

  • $4 x 3, Giant (log) Flume (we all got wet)
  • $5 x 3, Phoenix, wooden coaster (the first time was intense and felt like we came 4-6 inches out of our seat, so be prepared; this ended up being our favorite ride)
  • $4.50 x 3, Black Diamond (indoor dark ride, glad we did it once, but not a favorite)
  • $2.50 x 2, Paratrooper (you go up facing out and then they drop you)
  • $5 x 6, Twister (wooden roller coaster, super fun)
  • We rode all of the above between 4-6 pm
  • $4 x 3, Skloosh (we got soaked and it’s super short)
  • $5 x 3, Flying Turns (super unique bobsled type ride, one of a kind, long line but glad we did)
  • $4 x 3, Giant Flume
  • $3.50 x 2, Bumper Cars (Addy has enjoyed in the past at other places, but didn’t like here)
  • $3.50 x 4, Italian Trapeeze (swings that go up and out, not my jam, but Addy loved)
  • We rode all of the above between 6-8 pm.
  • $5 x 23, Phoenix (Addy and Mike rode 8 times and I rode 7 times; it was a literal marathon of riding and it was such an incredible experience; the excitement and energy were unmatched)
  • Phoenix over and over again from 8-9 pm.

In total, this would have cost our family $250.50! In other words, there’s no way we would have ridden this many rides without the unlimited pass and the $94 unlimited passes were a great value!

Rides at Knoebels over Labor Day weekend | TeamTravelsBaby

Other Rides

Many people recommend the Carousel because you can try to grab the brass ring. The Ferris wheel also looked nice, especially lit up at night and the scenic ride up the ski slopes looked pretty (believe it takes 20 minutes). There was a roller coaster (Impulse) and a huge dead drop ride that Addy was too short for. She also wanted to ride the Antique Cars (the ones that smell like gasoline), but opted for the coasters instead. In total there are at least 60 rides to choose from!

Crystal Pool

In the middle of the park is a waterpark. It has a huge spring fed pool (so it was cold when we visited), slides, diving boards and a splash pad. This is a separate cost and looks like it would be fun.

Labor Day Weekend

I did not know what to expect. The ride attendants said Saturday was absolutely packed. But I did not feel that way at all on Sunday. The longest we waited for a ride was 45 minutes and this only happened for two rides (Flying Turns, the trackless coaster like riding a bobsled and Black Diamond, an indoor dark ride). The rest we didn’t wait more than 15-20 minutes.

Hopefully you can see that for us $94 unlimited bands paid for itself. We absolutely loved it – here’s a link to my IG post if you want to save! If you’ve been before, share your tips in the comments. If you’re thinking about going, what questions do you have?

People are blurry on the Swings ride, which is lit up at Knoebels Amusement Park.
Swings at Knoebels | TeamTravelsBaby

Maryland Ice Cream Trail Adventure

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Have you heard of the Maryland Ice Cream Trail? It’s a real thing and there are prizes too! This was a highlight of Summer 2024 for us as my daughter (5 years old at the time) and I traveled to each of the cow to cone places, supporting small businesses while enjoying some of the most delicious ice cream. It was such a great motivation to explore new areas and took us from western Maryland to north of Baltimore to the Eastern Shore. Review the official site for the current dates, check out the interactive map and make sure to photograph your visit to each one and consider sharing on social media for prizes. In 2024, we won a cute ice cream squishy in one of the weekly social media contests! Check out my Instagram highlight.

Broom’s Bloom Dairy, Bel Air (Saturday, 7/20/2024)

  • We visited this one and Prigel Family Creamery on the same day. Our adventure included White Marsh Mall, the Bel Air Library (a Harford County library, see my pics of this amazing location) and Annie’s Playground (double check if this has reopened if you plan to go).
  • You could also consider pairing this with Havre de Grace which is an adorable city to explore with another incredible library, a great coffee shop, unique shops and street art. Plus don’t miss Millard Tydings Memorial Park and the boardwalk path to see the lighthouse. Check out my IG highlight.
  • We loved the colorful spoons here and the wall paintings inside. Lots of outdoor seating too.
Outside at Broom’s Bloom Dairy | TeamTravelsBaby

Chesapeake Bay Farms, Berlin (Wednesday, 6/19/2024, Juneteenth)

  • We paired this with historic Berlin and Ocean City! Ice cream post on IG here.
  • Check out my comprehensive Maryland’s Eastern Shore post with tons of ideas by city called, Explore the Eastern Shore.
Chesapeake Bay Farms | TeamTravelsBaby

Deliteful Dairy, Williamsport (Saturday, 8/31/2024, Labor Day weekend)

  • We visited this one and Moo Cow Creamery on the same day. While we visited as part of a long weekend trip, this could easily be a day trip. Surreybrooke is a whimsical garden store that my daughter and I wandered around. Bring a dollar or two for a snack.
  • You could also consider pairing this with a beach day at Greenbriar State Park (just remember to reserve and pay for your ticket beginning in 2025) or a relaxing day exploring the small town of Middletown (the library is beautiful here).
  • This was our last stop on the trail and it was my least favorite because it’s soft serve (I’m just not a soft serve ice cream person), but my daughter loved it! We loved going outside to see the highland cow, donkeys, horses and cows.
Inside Deliteful Dairy | TeamTravelsBaby
Animals at Deliteful Dairy | TeamTravelsBaby

Happy Cow at Grand View Acre Farms, Union Bridge (Sunday, 7/28/2024)

  • We visited this one and Woodburne Creamery on the same day. We started our day with strolling Carroll Creek and the downtown Frederick’s C. Burr Artz public library (which has a huge kids room with toys, games and usually a scavenger hunt) followed by the Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center which is free to explore. You can see real animals, walk the trails and also enjoy the shaded playground.
  • Of course, if you haven’t been, you must check out the Big Wooden Slide at Mt. Tabor Park. Check out my IG reel! This was super fun and free!
  • This was one of my favorites and I recommend picking a nice day to visit. We opted for a milkshake here. There are lawn games, a small playground, sand to play in and animals to see (if they decide to come within view). The goats came right up to the fence for us.
Game at Happpy Cow | TeamTravelsBaby
Playground at Happy Cow | TeamTravelsBaby

Keyes Creamery, Churchville (Tuesday, 7/16/2024)

  • After a fun overnight trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and the Cartoon Network hotel, we stopped here to break up our drive home, northeast of Baltimore. We then continued our drive and popped off the highway into the Storyville at the Rosedale Library in Baltimore which is free and similar to the Woodlawn Library location.
  • This location had shaded benches under a pavilion and we enjoyed a flight (4 flavors) here.
Flight at Keye’s Creamery | TeamTravelsBaby

Lockbriar Farms, Chestertown (Saturday, 8/24/2024)

  • If you don’t mind crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (make sure to have an EZ pass), this is a great day trip. Many Eastern Shore libraries are closed on Sundays, we opted to do this trip on a Saturday so we could check out the Queen Anne’s County Library which was a great stop.
  • After the farm, we went to downtown Chestertown which happened to have a back-to-school free fair. Addy had the best time collecting things and everyone was so kind. Then we headed to Wilmer Park for the playground and a walk by the water. If we had known, I may have visited downtown earlier in the day to visit KidSPOT Children’s Creativity Center while it was opened since my daughter loves art.
  • This was one of our favorites! The fruit flavored ice creams are super flavorful and the sweetest cat hung out with us while we ate. One of the owners was so kind to walk us around with the dog, and take us inside the chicken coop where Addy got to hold an egg. The u-pick garden here is stunning.

Misty Meadows Farm Creamery, Smithburg (Sunday, 7/21/2024)

  • We visited this one and Rocky Point Creamery on the same day. We ate our ice cream on the shaded porch.
  • We wanted to check out the Discovery Station (kids museum) in Hagerstown and it’s free the third Sunday of each month. My daughter’s favorite is the top level with the art supplies and painting on an easel. We also enjoyed walking to the downtown library which has a cute kids section and finding the large painted butterflies around town. IG highlight here.
  • This one is super family friendly with a butterfly maze, sunflowers (we went past peak and they were 25 cents per stem), large tires to climb, little ride on vehicles and a playground. Inside we got a few free bits of broken up waffle cone to feed the goats and visited the cow and donkey too. I would love to return to this one.

Moo Cow Creamery at Walnut Ridge Farm (bonus location), Middletown (Saturday, 8/31/2024)

  • We started our day here for a long weekend adventure that would ultimately include: Surreybrooke, the C&O Canal in Williamsport (to earn a Junior Ranger badge), Deliteful Dairy (another stop on the ice cream trail), Winchester (VA), Berkley Springs (WV), Cumberland (MD), Frostburg (MD) and the Paw Paw Tunnel.
  • We loved the street art here and seeing the sweet kitties and golden retriever. This location does not scoop ice cream so we bought a 1/2 pint to share and a chocolate milk.
Moo Cow Creamery | TeamTravelsBaby

Prigel Family Creamery, Glen Arm (Saturday, 7/20/2024)

  • We visited this one and Broom’s Bloom Dairy on the same day. This could also be paired with a day in the Baltimore area. I have a whole highlight of ideas here.
  • Don’t miss a picture with the colorful cow outside. This location offers workshops and a kids’ Wonderfarm Club. If these may interest you, check out the dates and information online to sign-up and plan accordingly for your visit.
Prigel Family Creamery | TeamTravelsBaby

Rocky Point Creamery, Tuscarora (Sunday, 7/21/2024)

  • We visited this one and Misty Meadows Farm Creamery on the same day. In between the two ice cream stops, we popped into the Francis Scott Key Mall which has a Barnes & Noble to turn in Addy’s summer reading paper and get a free book.
  • This location was quite busy which was fun to see! We got our picture on the cow bench and then stopped at Rio Washingtonian on the way home.

South Mountain Creamery, Middletown (Saturday, 6/29/2024)

  • In my personal opinion, make sure to check out the creamery location instead of the storefront location. On the way here, we visited Pinecliff Park which is pretty large and also has a built in scavenger hunt. We then visited the Middletown Library – don’t miss the beautiful porches. Of course if you’ve never been to Sophie and Madigan’s Playground, this would be my top choice for the area playgrounds. I have more ideas in my Frederick highlight.
  • We understand why this place gets rave reviews. You can walk through and visit the baby cows, take a picture on a tractor and play at the playground with lots of toys. There’s a shaded pavilion right by the playground too plus various photo opportunities. We loved this one!

Woodbourne Creamery, Mt. Airy (Sunday, 7/28/2024)

  • We visited this one and Happy Cow on the same day. We sat behind the building in the shade under the tree. There were also beautiful flowers blooming here and a playground (that’s full sun).
  • On our drive home, we went to Damascus Recreational Park which had an incredible playground structure and bathrooms. If you’d rather explore closer to the ice cream stop, check out the small town of New Market to get coffee at 5 West Cafe and then play some games at nearby Adventure Park USA (keep an eye on Groupon – we got $100 credit for $48). This was perfect for the indoor ropes course and zipline, laser tag, some video games, bowling, etc.
Woodbourne Creamery | TeamTravelsBaby
Playground at Woodbourne Creamery | TeamTravelsBaby

A couple of general suggestions:

  • Follow each farm on social media as you may find another event to pair your trip with or decide to try their U-pick (flowers, fruit, etc.), they may offer a special or they may change their hours. (I have found that Google doesn’t always get it right, particularly with places that have seasonal hours. Hyperlinks above lead to their official websites.)
  • Many were closed on Sundays or things in the immediate area were, so again, make sure to plan accordingly so you’re not disappointed.
  • Document what you try so you can rank them at the end. I wish I had done a better job of this.
  • Some places will split a single, which means you can get a “single scoop” but try two flavors. On days when we tried multiple ice cream places, or when we couldn’t pick a favorite, we loved that we could do this. Make sure to ask. It’s also fun to try the different flavored milks and be prepared that each location may not offer samples.
  • Bring cash just in case. I believe I was able to pay with my credit card everywhere, but since these are small businesses and may have a minimum purchase amount or a credit card fee, it’s always a great practice to have some cash as an option.
  • If you enjoy hiking, check out the official site with the nearby trail for each stop.
  • Add a local library to each stop. If you’re a Maryland resident, you can get each Maryland county’s library card. This is great for access to online resources. I particularly love it because it allows me to add more cards to my Libby app so I rarely have to wait for a title. And at the same time, sign-up for Summer Reading! Even if you don’t think you’ll return to the county to finish, many library systems give you a prize just for signing up.
  • Have fun!!

New in 2025:

There is a Let’s Rallie app this year and also some new places on the trail to include Brown Cow Creamery in Mt. Airy, Glamourview Creamery in Walkersville, and Miller Farms in Clinton. We have been to the last one and plan to try these other too when we make our way to the Frederick area. When we visited Miller Farms, we combined it with Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Cove Farm, which is free and a place to earn a Junior Ranger Badge and ice skating at Tucker Road Ice Rink. We are excited to explore some parts of the Lancaster Ice Cream trail this summer. There’s a lot more than just Turkey Hill in this area.

Miller Farms in Clinton | TeamTravelsBaby

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their free newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Splish Splash in Maryland

Posted in DC-Maryland-Virginia, Free Kids Fun, Read Them All, United StatesTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Outdoor pool with slides at Truxton Park in Annapolis

Maryland summers are notorious for being hot and humid, so we are always looking for a place to stay cool. From Memorial Day to Labor Day there are lots of splash pads and outdoor pools open. Splash pads are great because they are generally free and can be enjoyed long before learning to swim. Outdoor pools are our family favorite because my husband and I can take turns getting in the water with our daughter while one of us relaxes in a lounger. This post focuses primarily on outdoor pools with some splash pads at the end. Always remember to bring and wear sunscreen, even on a cloudy day. Water bottle, snacks, towels, something for breaks, and goggles too! This post was first shared with subscribers to my free newsletter, Trek, Travel and Treat | Edition 11.

Montgomery County (MoCo)

There are 7 outdoor county run pools and our personal favorite is the Wheaton/Glenmont pool because there is truly something for everyone from a small gated area for littles to slides and lily pads based on various heights and diving boards. Check out my Instagram reel to get a feel for it. I love that my daughter and I can visit for $12! Our second favorite is probably the MLK pool with the lazy river.

  • Babies under 1 are free. Price is much cheaper for county residents, but non-residents can enjoy too. If you plan to use the pools quite a bit in the summer, see if the punch pass may make sense to buy (12 adult tickets for the price of 10). Check prices here.
  • Check for the most current hours, weather and maintenance closures, etc. on the official site before going to avoid disappointment. This is good advice for any place you may visit!
  • Anticipate mandatory breaks dictated by the pool where everyone must exit the water.
  • Read the rules ahead of time so you know what to expect and what you can bring in.
City of Gaithersburg Water Park | TeamTravelsBaby

The City of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County has an incredible outdoor pool called the City of Gaithersburg Water Park at Bohrer Park which has beached entry, slides and an enclosed splash pad. If you are outside of city limits, make sure to visit when it’s open to non-city residents. Residents outside of Montgomery County are not able to visit. Check the website for hours, rules, exclusions, etc. Pricing differs on weekdays versus weekends and costs quite a bit more than MoCo or PG country run pools.

Prince George’s (PG) County

PG County is super close to where we live in Silver Spring (MoCo). And the best part is that PG County allows MoCo residents to pay the same price as in-county residents making it comparable to MoCo pools. There are another 7 to pick from here and our personal favorite so far has been Ellen Linson Splash Park. Make sure to check the official site before going. You may be able to save by making reservations online and in advance too.

Anne Arundel County

We love to adventure and find that a trip to Annapolis is only about 45 minutes from Silver Spring. There is a municipal pool at Truxton Park. While we liked this pool, the downside is there is a required swim test in order to go down the slides. We found other pools were more conducive to our little swimmer (who was not a strong swimmer at the time we went). You can find pictures of this pool along with other splash pads in the DMV in this IG highlight. And in a previous newsletter, I shared some Annapolis ideas (don’t forget to subscribe – it’s free, just don’t enter your card #) as well as some in an IG highlight.

Truxton Pool | TeamTravelsbaby

Howard County

Living near US-29 makes Columbia and Ellicott City, Maryland an easy 30-45 minute drive from Silver Spring. There’s a simple indoor pool at Roger Carter Community Center and an outdoor splash pad. Addy and I had a fun mommy/daughter date here. I really liked the beach entry. The price is comparable to PG and MoCo county pools and 2 years and younger are free here. I really want to return here so Addy can climb the rock wall which has specific hours. I do have a few ideas in my Columbia highlight and know I have more I need to add there.

Frederick County

Downtown Frederick is such a fun walkable town and there is plenty to do in the area for a day trip. I’ve shared quite a bit in this Instagram highlight. We checked out the Edward Thomas Memorial Pool which didn’t have all the extras, but I really liked the layout for continuing to move in the water.

Pool in Frederick | TeamTravelsBaby

Indoor Pools

If it’s a rainy summer day and you still want your pool fix, we like the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center and the Rollingcrest-Chillum pool. If you want to venture to Virginia, the Claude Moore Recreation and Aquatic Center is a good deal with more than just the pool included in the pass. And if you want to plan a bigger adventure to Great Wolf Lodge near Baltimore, check out my post.

Super Unique Water Features in DC

If you’re venturing to D.C., check out the Yards Park Canal Basin. This is super unique and free, especially if you find free street parking on a weekend. Just check the baseball schedule for the Nationals first. If the National Zoo is on your list, there are water features there too so don’t forget a change of clothes. Misters on the main walking path and a splash pad by the seals and sea lions. Have you read my separate blog post about all the fun free places in DC?

Yards Park in DC | TeamTravelsBaby

Splash Pads

I will make a separate post for splash pads, but to get you started here are a few you can find on my Instagram: Maryvale Park in Rockville, Rockville Town Square Splash Pad, Walker Mill Misting Park in District Heights, Takoma Splash Park and Playground in DC, and Turkey Thicket Splash Park and Playground in DC. Bring a bucket or cup to add to the fun.

Chevy Chase Splash Pad and Fenced In Park | TeamTravelsBaby

What is your favorite outdoor pool in Maryland? We hope to check out some of the incredible looking Virginia pools in the summer too. If you have any recommendations, feel free to add them to the comments.

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their free newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Visiting DC is for everyone with so many free spots

Posted in DC-Maryland-Virginia, Free Kids Fun, National Parks, Read Them All, United StatesTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
US Capitol Building

When I was growing up, I had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. Then when I was in college, I had the opportunity to study abroad one summer in Europe between London and Paris/Tours, France. One thing I realized during this time was that I loved the convenience of public transportation and I wanted to live in a city that offered this. Flash forward to 2011 and I moved to D.C. for grad school.

When I lived in D.C. I would walk, metro and bus everywhere! I wanted to experience it all. Since moving to Silver Spring, Maryland, I try to remember that my goal is to be a tourist in my own town! I don’t want to lose sight of the fact I’m only a mile from the Silver Spring metro station and can be back in the heart of the city in no time! Most links will take you to pictures on my IG and I focused on free offerings unless otherwise noted. Always check the official site for hours, closures, ticketing, special events, etc. And if you’re taking metro, add your card to your phone ahead of time (it even works when the phone is dead)! Kids 4 and under are free.

The Best Free Views of D.C.

For all of these places, be prepared that you may have to go through security.

  • Washington Monument – Since I moved to D.C. and then there was an earthquake that shut this for many years, I did not want to miss a chance to visit when it reopened. It is iconic and I’m happy I finally got a ticket (I clicked on Group instead of Individual) for my daughter and I to go up (thanks to FamilyTripGuides for this tip). You can’t bring strollers up and be prepared for security. It’s $1 per ticket and you reserve through Recreation.gov either 30 days in advance or a day in advance (or take the chance of standing in line for a walk up ticket). Stand in the middle of the door on either side on the way down so you can see out the window that lights up.
  • Old Post Office – I still feel like this is a bit of a hidden gem because it was closed to the public for many years. Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge (free) here. It’s also conveniently located by the National Children’s Museum so it could easily be combined. Enter behind the building and be prepared for security.
  • View of D.C. – This is in Arlington and metro accessible. This is also a venue space and it was super fun to take the glass elevator up spot all the sites. This closed sometime in 2024 (sad face), but I left it here in case it reopens in the future under a different name or owner.
  • Other great views include the back of the Lincoln Memorial to see the eternal flame at Arlington Cemetery, going to the top of the Kennedy Center and rooftop of the MLK Library.

Unique Non-Smithsonian Places for Kids

  • Planet Word – This is an interactive place that can be enjoyed by every age! Sing karaoke, take a picture in the photo booth, make a book come to life, find the hidden bookcase door, tell jokes, etc. If you have visitors, this is the spot to go! Reserve a free (donation based) ticket ahead of time and before or after visiting, check out Franklin Park across the street for a small playground. Take the metro here.
  • The People’s House: A White House Experience – This is free (donation based) and it’s recommended to reserve tickets in advance. This is super close to the White House and the Renwick Gallery. Sit in the 1:1 ratio Oval Office that changes with each President, take pictures like you’re presenting the Easter Egg Roll and touch various objects to make them come to life. This opened in September 2024.
  • Rock Creek Park Nature Center – This is free and since the Planetarium reopened, it sometimes has a free kids show! It’s also a place to see taxidermy, a couple real animals, color and hike! There is free parking.
  • MLK Library – We are the people who go to libraries on vacation because there are so many unique ones! This one has a slide in the stairwell of the kids section. Visit the rooftop too and if you have a little, the story time is excellent here. We metro here and combine with a walk through City Center DC since the decorations regularly change in Palmer Alley and Chinatown’s Friendship Bridge.
  • Anacostia Park – The first time I came here, I thought it was just the “pirate ship park”, but there is more! Bring socks and an ID to swap it out for free roller skates. We haven’t made it yet, but there is a nature type center here too called Aquatic Resources Education Center. There is free parking.
  • Merry Pin – This is a business that offers free Saturday morning story time and craft/art. We have found free street parking in this area.
  • National Children’s Museum – This is a paid museum right by the Ronald Reagan Building and the climbing dream machine (bring socks) is always my child’s favorite. Here’s my biggest tip – if you live in the DMV, go get an Alexandria library card (via reciprocity) then reserve a free ticket to visit online (follow all the steps)! We went in August 2024 with a 2:30 pm slot and they let us in 30 minutes early so we got 2.5 hours of free play here.
  • I wouldn’t go to the White House Visitor Center with a little unless I needed a bathroom or to escape the weather elements since there’s minimal interactivity.
  • Eastern Market – This is a fun area to explore for the outdoor market on the weekends and the indoor fish market. It’s changed so much in the time I’ve lived here. There’s also a great playground and splash pad (seasonal) nearby. Get a poptart from Ted’s Bulletin. If time allows, venture to Shakespeare’s Library. You can reserve a free ticket and there’s a kids scavenger hunt inside.

Free Smithsonians Can’t Be Missed

  • Natural History – This is our family favorite as we love the taxidermy animals, dinosaurs, the big entrance hall (from the National Mall side) and special exhibits like photography of the year. On Tuesdays, the butterfly garden inside on the 2nd level, closer to the National Mall side is free, just wait in line to get a timed ticket. On the Tuesday before Montgomery County schools went back, DC was empty – no school buses, no long lines to get inside.
  • American Indian – The Native American museum has a great kids section. We usually pair this with popping into the U.S. Botanical Gardens. We love the Botanical Gardens during the holidays to see the the outdoor train and the atrium. You can also see the Capitol from here.
  • Postal Museum – This is a top museum for littles and it’s right next to Union Station. I love making a digital stamp, picking a few old stamps to keep and exploring the interactive displays downstairs.
  • American History – This is a huge museum with so many exhibits. If you have a little, check the hours for Wegman’s Wonderplace and if your child is older, check out Spark!Lab. We have enjoyed both spaces. Be prepared for security and arrive early to beat the buses.
  • Asian Art – This is usually a museum we skip over, but we recently attended an Art & Me family event that was fantastic (reserve free ticket in advance). We also loved seeing and learning about the Peacock Room. The last Thursday of the month in the afternoon, you can see the shutters opened to reveal the window. Don’t miss the ceiling or the coins in the peacock mural. Pop into the Smithsonian Castle if it’s open or see the Eisenhower Memorial nearby.
  • African American History – This is an incredible multi-story museum. If you start at the bottom, you weave through history. If you start at the top, you learn about music, sports, etc. Don’t miss the reflection room that is beautiful and peaceful. Reserve a timed ticket in advance.
  • Zoo – One of the free zoos in the U.S. and pandas returned in early 2025! Reserve a free ticket online. Be prepared for the hilly walking! In the summer there are misters and a water feature by the seals/sea lions. There’s also a couple of play structures at the bottom of the hill near the prairie dogs and also by the farm. The play space inside the newly renovated bird area is great for kids with crafts, storytime and outdoor play. This is only open certain days/times per week. We usually come on a Sunday when street parking is free or metro to Cleveland Park (downhill trek to zoo) and return from Woodley Park (downhill trek from zoo).
  • National Mall – This is the big green space that has many of the free museums and I had the good fortune to have my grad school graduation here when Kerri Washington from Scandal was the speaker. If you’re exploring Smithsonians, it’s hard to miss. Venture to all of the monuments along the Mall like WWII, Lincoln, Washington Monument, Vietnam and beyond to all of the ones along the Tidal Basin (body of water). Make sure you wear comfortable shoes. They are all free to visit and shouldn’t be missed. Many people like enjoying the sunrise or sunset by the Tidal Basin. Fun fact, my husband proposed at the Lincoln Memorial.

Paid Museums to Consider:

  • National Law Enforcement – We were gifted this opportunity and loved it. The museum is underground and metro accessible from Judiciary Square. It is very interactive. You can sit in a police car and touch all the buttons, learn about dogs that work with law enforcement, listen to 911 calls, watch a short movie on the wall, etc. I would definitely return here in the future and their t-shirt is one of my favorites because it is so soft. Check for discounted tickets on Groupon.
  • Museum of the Bible – Check for tickets on Groupon. We found one for $18 and my daughter was free based on her age. It was beautiful during the holidays and we loved hearing the people play chimes and bells. There’s a kids play area inside and a section to play games.
  • International Spy Museum – This was a super memorable museum when I was younger and visited DC. It has moved locations since then and I look forward to taking my daughter at some point.

Specific Time of Year

  • January or February. Discovery Days happens in Baltimore and Maryland residents can reserve free timed tickets to the National Aquarium. This is an amazing deal! The Maryland Science Center nearby is covered by the ASTC Passport, so if you’re visiting the area from out of town, definitely check out this museum and you may be able to visit for free via reciprocity. Read my article, Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport, for all the convincing you need.
  • March or April. The cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin at or around peak season are to be enjoyed. Yes, it’s crowded because people come from all around the globe to see this phenomenon because it’s incredible. It’s also a chance to see gorgeous magnolias. I haven’t tested this yet, but we were told by a park ranger that they have seasonal Junior Ranger badges for kids to earn during this time! Sundays will be busier than a weekday, but you may be able to find free parking.
  • March or April. The White House Easter Egg Roll is such a fun event to participate in, particularly if it doesn’t rain and it’s not too hot. In 2023 we “won the lotto” and got to participate! Every February there’s a lottery period to submit your interest. There were lawn games with athletes, free treats, crafts and characters! We skipped the iconic events.
  • Summer. Visit Yards Park Canal Basin for the most unique “splash pad” type experience. Bring bathing suits and go under the waterfall or splash around in the shallow water. The views are beautiful. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
  • July. The peak bloom of the lotuses at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are beautiful! It is definitely hot and humid, but also unique! This is a fun place to earn a Junior Ranger badge (free program for kids). Make sure to walk back to the boardwalk to look for various birds. Parking is free in the lot, but it gets crowded and then you have to use street parking.
  • Holidays. Check out the adorable trains at the Botanical Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland. My daughter loved the various scavenger hunts. This is free to visit and there’s also a nature center and children’s garden. It’s also gorgeous in the spring. The Washington, D.C. Temple, which is actually just outside of DC is a beautiful, free place to see lights and nativity sets from around the world.

Right Over the D.C. Border are These Gems

  • Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm – We timed it so we arrived in time to feed the chickens! There are other animals to see too, a nature building with coloring, games and books and a chance to earn a Junior Ranger badge.
  • National Harbor – The downside is parking (try to book ahead of time with SpotHero). Otherwise, play in the sand, catch a movie or sport on the big screen, find the famous statues, play in the little kid area or fenced in park and walk through the Gaylord. This is also close to the Tanger Outlets which has a small kids play area and free parking.
  • National Cryptologic Museum – This is a small museum with a decoding activity (and prize) for kids. We also got to use invisible ink. It has dedicated parking.

Thanks for checking out this article. This is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather give you some ideas in one place from a local mom who enjoys adventuring and keeping the costs low. I could write full articles about the playgrounds in the area, cities like Alexandria, Annapolis, Frederick, etc., so make sure to check back if you’re interested in those. I would love for you to check out some of my other articles such as Airport Play Areas in the DMV, How To Save Money In Order to Travel, Keep Your Green at Great Wolf Lodge.

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Sligo Creek Parkway Playgrounds and Nearby Ones

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Addy about to get on the zip line at a Sligo Creek Parkway playground

Silver Spring, Maryland has a wonderful paved trail along Sligo Creek Parkway. It’s perfect for walking, scootering, pushing a stroller, etc. There are a lot of playgrounds along the path and various free parking offerings. Parts of Sligo Creek Parkway close to vehicle traffic on the weekends, so I’ve noted where I know that to be the case. Unfortunately, bathrooms are hard to come by for these parks. And many kids, including my own, do play in some sections of the creek, but from one parent to another, please always do your own due diligence on the water conditions.

  • Sligo Dennis Park – One of the newest parks along Sligo Creek Parkway and the equipment is orange and blue. This one is great for climbers and is set-up like an obstacle course. It’s along the creek and you can play in the water here. There is a small parking lot and on the weekends, it’s blocked by the road closure, so you have to park off Dennis and walk.
  • Hillwood Manor Neighborhood Park – This playground is also newer and is tucked into the end of a neighborhood by a low spot in the creek. It’s neighborhood street parking. There are two play structures and I appreciate that the tall one is enclosed. This is a good one to pair with a trip to to Aldi and Lidl off New Hampshire Avenue and is on the Takoma Park end of Sligo Creek Parkway.
  • Blue Park, I mean Dale Drive Neighborhood Park – This is a popular park often referred to as “blue park” because of the ground covering. My daughter loves the rope climbing structure here and it for sure makes me nervous. There’s also a pirate ship for littles, a see saw and some other small structures. There’s a big field nearby and access to the creek. Be mindful of the rocks as they do get slippery. There’s a small parking lot here off Dale Drive or you can park by the tennis courts on Sligo Creek and walk over. If you don’t mind walking a bit of a hill, pop up to Love and Flour bakery with treats and espresso drinks (it looks a little different now than my IG pics that are linked). You can also do a double park and walk about 8 minutes to Nolte Local Park which has quite a bit of shade in comparison to Dale Drive.
  • Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park – This is another newer park with two zip lines and access to the creek. The park is blue and green and nearly full sun. My daughter loves the zip line here and there’s also an accessible zip line. There are swings and a great climbing structure with slides. There’s also a smaller structure. This is located in a section that’s closed on the weekends, starting sometime on Friday evening (last time we were there it had signs by the small parking lot). You can also use the map to park in a nearby neighborhood and walk here such as Kennebec or Houston Ave.
  • Sligo-Bennington Park – This park has three separate structures but the best part is you can take a short walk to Zinnia’s for a treat or espresso drink (bring a penny for the wishing well). There is a wooden playground and my daughter loves the rings for the monkey bar structure (otherwise, this structure needs to be replaced in my opinion). Then there are two small structures and a ton of swings here. If you like going for a short walk, there’s a nature/unpaved path through the woods. It’s fun for throwing rocks in the water. This park of Sligo Creek is always open (unless it floods) and you can park along Sligo Creek Parkway or street park directly next to the park on Bennington. Have a double park day and head to Three Oaks Neighborhood Park (no swings).
  • Sligo Creek North Neighborhood Park – This is a shaded park right along the bend of Sligo Creek and another one that’s great to pair with Aldi or Lidl. This has descending monkey bars which can be great for learning. There are two side-by-side baby swings and two traditional swings. There’s a very small parking lot on the bend, otherwise, you’d have to look for neighborhood street parking.
  • Forest Grove Neighborhood Park – We call this “hospital” park because it’s close to Holy Cross Hospital. There’s are a couple of spaces directly on Sligo Creek or you can go on the other side of the park to park along the street near the basketball courts. The spinning structure is now the favorite here along with the monkey bars.

There is no shortage of parks in the area! Here are some other nearby ones with links to pictures on Instagram. I also recommend checking out my article, Top Tips for New Silver Spring Parents that will be helpful whether you’re visiting or live in the general area. It includes indoor suggestions as well.

  • Bullis Local Park – A lot of younger kids enjoy the train here to play on. It’s also a close enough walk to Silver Spring Library.
  • Burtonsville Local Park
  • Dewey Local Park – This is a personal favorite! I love the street art here, the little bike path around the park, the skating rink and all of the extras on top of an amazing park! Bring matchbox type cars to use on the small play structure And if you come here, check out Unique Thrift Store nearby! I like this park so much I have two posts!
  • Ellsworth Urban Park – This has a little kid park with a low arched monkey bar. Then it has a totally separate section for climbers – the big structure here used to make me so nervous!
  • Evans Parkway Park
  • Flora Singer Elementary School – This isn’t open during school hours, but it’s perfect for the weekend if you want to use the low monkey bars or play on the little soccer field with nets.
  • Flower Avenue Urban Park – This is a colorful park with the big circles that swing to move through. There’s some nice street art nearby here too.
  • General Getty Neighborhood Park – We recently returned to this park and I forgot how great it was! I enjoyed being able to walk the path around the park, while still being able to see my child play. This park has a “mommy and me” swing or rather the bucket swing with the traditional swing attached combination.
  • Highland View Elementary – This is probably best for non-school hours, but the ninja warrior type obstacle course at the upper playground is a lot of fun and has a big field next to it. Then there’s a lower park down the stairs that’s known as the Kindergarten park.
  • Hillandale Local Park – One of our favorites because of the log course! It also has a double swing, bathrooms and it’s next to a fire station.
  • Kemp Mill Park – If you have a climber, make sure you bring your tennis shoes! The rope climbing structure is huge here and it’s quite a stretch from the rope onto the platform for the humungous slide!
  • MLK Recreation Park – Another park with a low monkey bar for learning. There are accessible features here and bathrooms! There’s also a walking trail. I would say this is one of the most recommended ones for young children. This post has more pictures.
  • Montgomery Hills Park – Located behind Aldi’s on Georgia Ave. This park does get some shade, has a book box and it’s next to a tennis court. There’s a super pretty tree here in the Fall too!
  • North Four Corners Local Park – This is another favorite for us and it’s actually a double park! The bigger park has a huge field next to it and a great path for biking or scootering.
  • Opal Daniels Park
  • Seek Lane Park – Addy loved the ninja warrior type obstacle course set-up.
  • Sligo Cabin Park – Technically this one is along the trail too, but it is a bit challenging to get to with Purple Line construction unless you walk down from another section of Sligo Creek or one of the neighborhoods. On the weekends, you could park by Sligo Creek Elementary and walk down the steps or take the accessible path around to here.
  • Sligo Creek Park – This one is along the trail, but it is my least favorite because I always find it is so buggy! It’s close to Colesville on the side near Brunett Ave and relatively close to the golf course.
  • Sligo Mill Overlook
  • St. Paul Park – Set back from the road with an open field and path great for riding scooters, bikes or pushing a stroller. Walking distance to historic Kensington.
  • Toatley-Fraser Park
  • Upper Long Branch Park – Many refer to this as “fire engine park” because of the fire truck structure.
  • Wheaton Claridge Park
  • Wheaton Library Playground – This is a great, mostly fenced park. It is the perfect park for an outting because there’s also the library, the recreation center, a coffee shop and a Friends of the Library used bookstore. There are bathrooms when the building is open.
  • Wheaton Regional Park – This is a destination playground and great for a wide range of ages. There are bathrooms here too! I share more ideas in my article, Top Tips for New Silver Spring Parents.
  • Woodside Urban Park – This is a great park with free street parking. It’s also very close to the brand new Mom’s Organic Grocery which has a bathroom! I like to walk over to PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans from here.

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Top Tips for New Silver Spring Parents

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TeamTravelsBaby out and about in Silver Spring, MD

Whether you’re brand new to Silver Spring, Maryland, new to parenthood in Silver Spring or have been in this area a while, I hope you’ll take away something from my post. I think much of the advice will also be relevant, even if you’re in a nearby area like Takoma Park, Kensington, Wheaton, etc. Let me be among the first to welcome you – Welcome to Silver Spring and the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia) area! It’s a great part of Montgomery County to raise a family. We moved here from Northwest D.C. in 2015 and had our daughter in the Fall of 2018.

These are my Top 10 Tips in no particular order! I want to save you time because many of these are things I wish I knew earlier. But hey, better late than never!

1. Search, find and join the local Buy Nothing community on Facebook! This is all about hyper local gifting, receiving, lending and borrowing! I am amazed by the generosity of neighbors and I am always thrilled to gain space in my home by giving away gently used items for free.

2. Follow the locals on Instagram, join the local Facebook groups and subscribe to a great local calendar from a fellow mom who runs MacKidSilverSpring. I bet whether you’re looking for daycare/school advice, doctor recommendations, best playgrounds or something else, you can find that info or solicit it in a FB group.

  • Here’s my Insta (@TeamTravelsBaby) and I tend to focus on free and affordable fun in the DMV and beyond and write a newsletter you can subscribe to on Substack
  • Give my friend, Leah who runs Macaroni Kid Silver Spring, a follow on IG too
  • You may want to consider following SilverSpringDowntown, VisitMoco and MainStreetTakoma
  • For local news check out SourceoftheSpring
  • Facebook groups for advice/local questions: Leaning in and falling over- professional mom meetup (Silver Spring, etc.); Silver Spring Moms & Dads; and Takoma Mamas & Families.
  • Buy/sell/gift FB groups include: Takoma/SS Baby and Kids (0-5) Exchange and Takoma/SS Rehoming Kids (5+) Clothes & Gear

3. Get a Montgomery County library card and make it a point to visit other counties for their library cards too! This is the most amazing area for reciprocity and you can join tons of library systems (bring ID), participate in free programming, borrow all kinds of content (digital and physical), etc. My pro tip is to join the Prince George’s County library system or the Anne Arundel County library system because they offer a FREE ABC Mouse account which is an incredible learning game for kids up to about 2nd grade. My second pro tip is to reserve time to take your child to one of the four Montgomery County Discovery Rooms (Quince Orchard, Gaithersburg, Germantown and Marilyn Praisner) or check out the Children’s Library at Noyes!

4. Buy the Maryland Science Center Groupon which is usually available starting in November of each year! It is a steal for the benefits, especially if you travel! The price of about $80-90 gets your family an annual membership to the museum and FREE access to museums that are part of the ASTC passport program that are 90+ miles away from the covered museum and your address and 50% off museums that are within that mileage. And the pass doesn’t have to be redeemed right away so you have a couple of months before you have to start the one year clock. I feel so passionate about this, I wrote an article called Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport.

5. Take the metro with your kids into DC! The metro is free for kids 4 years old and younger. Let’s face it, it’s a train ride to them – it’s fun! My daughter loves it! And on Sundays, you can park in Montgomery County Parking lots, like the ones in Silver Spring and Bethesda for free! And then once you get to DC, there’s the free Smithsonian Zoo (reserve tickets online; walk down from Cleveland Park metro to the zoo, then walk down to Woodley Park metro to go home, trust me on this), go down the slide at MLK Library and catch story time (walk over from Chinatown metro), or reserve a free (donation based) ticket to Planet Word Museum and then play at Franklin Park (walk over from Metro Center station). These are all red line fun, but there is so much more if you’re willing to walk or transfer to another line. In the spring you can pop down to see the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin! Always check metro’s site for any scheduled track work first.

5. Experience tons of free and affordable fun! There is way too much for one article, so I created a DMV landing page! If you want a fun all in one outting to get started, here’s a suggestion:

  • Wheaton Library and Recreation Center – This is a great experience because there’s dedicated free parking (including a parking garage), a library (sadly no play kitchen anymore but usually a scavenger hunt, AWE learning computers and other tactile items), a beautiful playground, a Friends of the Library, a coffee shop and rec center all in one!

6. There are local businesses that offer FREE fun! It makes it so easy to support them!

  • People’s Book – Check out their story times! It’s located in vibrant downtown Takoma Park with a playground across the street, cute stores to wander in and out of and a coffee shop.
  • Merry Pin – Bring your child to story time and a craft/art time while you sip on their wonderful coffee or have a treat! There are tons of offerings for adults only too!

7. There are great places to get out and walk or hike!

  • Burnt Mills Park East – This is perfectly paired with Trader Joe’s where your child can find the penguin and shark stuffed animals to get a free prize (usually a lollipop) from the treasure chest!
  • Burnt Mills Park West – We have our very own waterfall! You could enjoy this and then drive up the street to North Four Corners Local Park which is really a two for one deal and has a walking/riding path.
  • Northwest Branch Trail – We like to hike and this was another one that was fun to explore.

8. There are lots of playgrounds to choose from!

  • On Substack I share many of the playgrounds along Sligo Creek Parkway, which is also a great place to walk and is accessible.
  • Dewey Local Park is a favorite because it has a great riding path, an obstacle course playground, an outdoor gym, a dog park and a skating rink! It’s also close to a great thrift store (Unique).
  • Adventure farther out to destination playgrounds like Watkins Regional (Wizard of Oz) or Sophie and Madigan’s (Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland). Or check out Clemyjontri in MacLean.

8. We have our own botanical gardens and nature center in nearby Wheaton! It’s also close to an adventure park, carousel and train!

  • Brookside Gardens – Remember to check out the free mini train display during the holidays and don’t miss the Children’s Garden.
  • Brookside Nature Center – I love that this is free! Great for a hot or rainy day.
  • Wheaton Regional Playground – Wear you tennis shoes and maybe bring a flat piece of cardboard for the blue mound! This park is huge! For littles I love that there’s a sand pit. Around the corner is a Dollar Tree if you need an affordable treat!

9. We have indoor play spaces! Check their sites for current prices and hours.

  • Recess – This is the newest one in the area and it’s so clean! There is no time limit and you get awesome sticky socks when you visit (kids + adults). Pair with a trip to nearby Target or Aldi.
  • Silver Star Gymnastics – They have an open gym time – check their schedule!
  • Recreation Centers – Some offer “Littles Ones” in the gyms where they bring out toys for the 5 and under crowd! Check the schedule for these drop-in events run by MoCo Recreation.
  • Ice Rinks – The county runs ice rinks that have very affordable pricing. If you have a little one, check out Tot Skate. The Montgomery Parks site has the details.
  • Chuck E. Cheese – This is so different than from when I grew up and my daughter absolutely loves it! If you’re a Sam’s Club card holder, pick up a $50 gift card for like $37.50 or check the site for coupons. The one in Langley Park often has deals!
  • Libraries – There are so many! Check out the Discovery Rooms I mentioned above as well as the others like the downtown Silver Spring Library which has a play school bus and the best prizes for scavenger hunts.

10. There’s a Play Lady nearby who hosts free Play Dates for kids and adults! Make sure to follow Let’s Play America for the save the dates! These are held in Takoma Park.

** Bonus. In 2025 (just like 2023 and 2024), Montgomery County Recreation Centers are free for county residents. Bring your photo ID to one and get signed up. While the pools are not included in the free membership, you can enjoy the play spaces located in the Silver Spring Aquatic and Recreation Center and Wisconsin Place Community Center. And if you are looking for a fun and affordable family indoor pool, check out nearby Rollingcrest-Chillum.

Silver Spring is amazing! I love the proximity to DC, Columbia, Annapolis, Alexandria, Frederick and lots of other great places! I appreciate that we have our own proper downtown with coffee shops, ice cream, a Saturday market, a library, a movie theater, a mall with a free play area and tons of parks and events! If you have a tip I didn’t cover, feel free to share in the comments so others in the future will benefit. I would love to know where you moved here from too!

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Family Friendly Cruise Day in Santa Barbara

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In April 2024, we took a one way cruise from the Los Angeles area (San Pedro to be exact) up to Vancouver, Canada. The cruise stopped in many cities we had visited before having our daughter, so it was exciting to return to places we could explore with her. The Princess Cruise stopped in Santa Barbara on Monday, April 8, 2024 which coincided with the Solar Eclipse.

We previously explored Santa Barbara, Solvang and many beaches and viewpoints in the area in November 2017. If you want to get more ideas beyond the one day itinerary in this post, check out Santa Barbara and the PCH Pacifically. The information below focuses on how to have a family friendly and affordable day in Santa Barbara, California based on what we actually did.

Before I share the specifics, it’s important to know that we maximize fun without breaking the bank. We tend to avoid organized excursions because we like the flexibility of planning ourselves and we are physically fit and active to walk multiple miles in a day. My first and most important tip is to consider getting an annual membership to an ASTC Passport covered museum before your trip. You will not regret it! As I share in my post, Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport, you’ll see how we were able to visit $148 worth of places in Santa Barbara for our family of three (2 adults and 1 child who was 5.5 years old) for a major deal that you can benefit from too.

When we got off the cruise ship, we brought our stroller, a day bag with snacks and water and our wallets. One thing I wish I had brought with me was a marble (see why below)! This port required a tender (a smaller boat) that took us from the cruise ship to the harbor.

8:45 am off the ship (via tender) at the Santa Barbara Harbor

We walked along the water and headed to State Street. It is hilly to walk up State Street, so it’s important to be prepared for this. We liked being able to see the main street of stores and architecture without a lot of people first thing in the morning.

9:45 am arrived to Alameda Park

It’s a solid 2-2.5 mile walk. The park has a wonderful, fully fenced wooden playground and bathrooms (it may show up on the map as Kids World). I wish we had brought a marble because there’s a unique marble run feature at this park. We stayed here about 30 minutes before continuing our walk, cutting through part of Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden.

10:45 am arrived to Mission Historical Park

It’s fun to pass by beautiful houses on the journey. We arrived to Mission Historical Park and stopped to literally smell the roses as many were already blooming. We were also able to photograph the outside of the Old Mission between the groups of people starting to arrive. We did not linger long and continued on our way to our first museum.

11:10 am arrived to Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

We enjoyed seeing the indoor spaces like the taxidermy birds, the huge dinosaurs behind the building, the whale skeleton out front and using the huge telescope during the Solar Eclipse (luckily we could borrow glasses for it). They also have an outdoor kids natural play space with shade and a small play room. We paid $0 (instead of $52) for our family to enjoy this space! I explain how in my post, Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport.

1 pm arrived to Santa Barbara Public Library

Our daughter could not stay awake on the long walk back, so she took a nap in the stroller. We knew we had two more places for her to enjoy so we let her sleep and restore her energy. We popped in the library, which is just off State Street (the main area) and has a dedicated kids space downstairs. There was a kids kitchen, toys and a table set-up for coloring and a craft. If you need free fun, this is a great space to utilize! Plus, there are bathrooms! When we left, we walked through La Arcade Plaza which had some really cool statues and a red telephone booth! Great photo opps in my opinion.

1:40 pm arrived to McConnell’s Ice Cream

We stopped at the location at 120 State St., which was directly across from the children’s museum. This was our big splurge ($8) in Santa Barbara and the way I got my daughter to wake up from her nap. We split a delicious waffle cone of ice cream and sat outside. It’s a Santa Barbara staple!

2:15 pm arrived to MOXI The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation

This multi-level children’s museum is incredible and I hope you read my other post for how we entered for $0 (instead of $55)! Addy loved the makerspace on the main level and had fun making various creations. She enjoyed the outdoor space on this level feeding the air machine with the small scarves and catching them. The Lego wall and car racing machine on the next level were favorites too. We took a quick trip to the rooftop for the view.

Playing with scarves at MOXI | TeamTravelsBaby

4 pm arrived to Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (Sea Center) 

Fortunately, this was super close to where we needed to get back on the ship. We parked our stroller and headed inside to see this small aquarium. My personal favorites were the octopus and sea horses. Addy liked watching the worker drop a bucket into the water and pull up various sea life. I am glad we could pop in for $0 (instead of $41) as it’s small and we only had a short window of time to check it out.

4:45 pm return to tender line

The last tender was scheduled for 5 pm, so we played in the sand for a few minutes before getting in line to get back on the cruise all aboard.

The Princess Cruise was amazing and this was a great stop on the itinerary! If you think this would help someone planning a trip to Santa Barbara, please share this article with them!

First ice cream of the cruise | TeamTravelsBaby

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport

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Every family should strongly consider joining a museum that’s part of the ASTC Passport Program. ASTC stands for the Association of Science and Technology Centers and it covers a ton of museums and science centers across the United States, Canada and beyond! It even covered a zoo in Duluth, Minnesota, the Greensboro Science Center, North Carolina which had a zoo, aquarium and kids museum all in one and the Montreal Science Center in Canada (which had a great dinosaur special exhibit when we visited)!

In 2022, we were visiting Michigan for an extended visit and I found that buying an annual family membership to the Ann Arbor Children’s Museum paid for itself in two visits! And with that membership, we would be allowed to visit any museums beyond 90 miles of this museum and our home address for FREE! Museums within that mileage would be 50% off. This was a no brainer for us and we actually found that many museums did not check our ID, so even when we thought we would pay 50% of the admission price, we often got in for free with our pass!

In November 2022 and November 2023, we bought the Maryland Science Center (Baltimore) Groupon for around $80-90. This gave us a family membership for one year and there’s a long lead time before you have to redeem and start the one year clock. We actually waited until April (6 months later) in both cases to redeem our pass with a Sunday visit to the Maryland Science Center. If you join, which I highly recommend, check out my IG highlight for some more Baltimore ideas.

If you travel, this is the MUST HAVE pass!

I try to yell from the rooftops about the benefits of this program. From where we live in Silver Spring, I don’t think Baltimore is super convenient because it involves taking I-95! But we make a point of going two times in the year, on a Sunday, avoiding baseball game days. We go on Sundays because we can find free parking and we go twice, because that’s how quickly this pass pays for itself. in 2024, it’s $30/adult and $22/child (ages 3-12). In the DMV, there’s also the Children’s Science Center in Fairfax (inside the mall) that is also part of the ASTC Passport Program. It’s fun to check out downtown Fairfax while in the area too.

When we travel, I always look up all of the covered places using the ASTC Passport website to see the current brochure of places listed by state. In my mind, whether we visit a place for 30 minutes or for hours, it doesn’t matter, because it’s FREE. We have visited museums that would have cost us more than buying the Groupon for the Maryland Science Center. When I tell you it’s worth it, it is 100% worth it.

To give a quick example, when we cruised to Santa Barbara in April 2024, there were three covered places by the pass that we visited in one day. If we had paid for admission separately, we would have paid $148! Below is the breakdown by museum, but remember we paid $0 in Santa Barbara to enter these three places. The main takeaway is that spending $80-$90 for our Maryland Science Center pass in November when it’s on Groupon is a MUST PURCHASE!

  • MOXI The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation – This was an incredible kids museum, with a great makerspace. We even got to enjoy a beautiful rooftop view. In 2024, this museum cost $15/kid (3-12 years old) and $20/adult (13+). This would have cost our family (2 adults + 1 child) $55 to visit, but instead it was FREE because it’s more than 90 miles from our condo in Maryland and the Maryland Science Center.
  • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History – We enjoyed seeing the indoor spaces, the huge dinosaurs in the back, the whale skeleton and we happened to be here during the Solar Eclipse so it was amazing to use the huge telescope. They also have an outdoor kids play space and small play room. This would have cost our family $52 to visit ($19/adult and $14/kid ages 2-12), but instead, we showed our Maryland Science Center pass and it was FREE.
  • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (Sea Center) – This was a small aquarium. I loved seeing the octopus and watching an employee pull up items directly from the water. It was also conveniently close to the cruise port. This would have cost our family $41 ($15/adult and $11/kid ages 2-12).

I love this pass and I think you and your family will too. It also makes for a great experience gift! I set a reminder for each November to keep a look out for it! If you subscribe to the Maryland Science Center newsletter, you also get notified. I’ll do my best to share via my newsletter too!

Have you visited an ASTC Passport covered museum? Let me know in the comments.

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Carolina On My Mind

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A few years ago my parents’ relocated to South Carolina between Greenville, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina. Visiting them gives us the perfect excuse to explore the Upstate. There’s an affordable direct flight ($80 each) on Allegiant Air from BWI to AVL (Asheville) airport.

Greenville

Downtown Greenville is a must see! It has an incredible bridge and waterfall, a wonderful bookstore, an underground coffee shop and mice statues set-up as a scavenger hunt throughout town. The library is worth a visit too. During the holidays, one of the hotels nearby displays incredible gingerbread houses you can see for free.


Inman

A very small downtown, but there’s some great street art, a consignment store, a coffee shop, an escape room and a few other stores to pop in. Nearby Lake Bowen has a fully fenced in playground (Anchor Park) with bathrooms. And if you come during the holidays, don’t miss The Christmas House (a beautiful drive through with a recommended donation).


Landrum

The market is great here, especially when you can see and hold the baby goats. The town is really cute too with The Shops at Landrum Antique Mall with a variety of vendors, a great pub, and coffee shop.

Spartanburg

Downtown Spartanburg houses the Denny’s World Headquarters and a fully fenced in playground that’s accessible in the evenings and weekends. There’s a bookstore with a kitty, a toy store, multiple coffee shops, an ice cream shop and other places to pop in. There’s also a really nice Children’s Museum.

If you’re looking for more in the area, you can venture to:

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

From Maryland to Michigan: A Mom Recommends Museums and More

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Michigan has so many great offerings for kids! We are very fortunate that my in-laws and extended family live in the Detroit metro area, so we’ve done quite a bit of exploring over the years. This post focuses on museums, playgrounds, towns, libraries and other adventures we’ve taken that are kid friendly. Since Instagram eliminated the IG guides, I figured it was time to add everything to my website (links will take you to the relevant TeamTravelsBaby IG post for more info and lots of pictures). We have explored quite a bit of the state including Mackinac Island, the UP (upper peninsula), Traverse City, etc. but I’ll save those for another post.

I’ve alphabetized cities we’ve visited and what I’ve personally experienced and enjoyed with my daughter. And as we love free and low cost fun, the places highlighted are kid friendly and family friendly affordable fun within a reasonable distance of metro Detroit. You’ll be able to tell that we love visiting libraries as they are free indoor spaces, usually with toys and often have great free programming too, even without a library card! At the end of this post, I added a couple of additional places within 2 hours if you’re looking to expand your search.

Ann Arbor

This makes for such an amazing day! In Maryland, we belong to the Maryland Science Center and there is a covered museum in Ann Arbor that we can access for FREE because they are included in the ASTC Passport Program. We always buy in November when it’s around $80-90 for an annual family membership. Plus you can enjoy walking around the University of Michigan campus here and see the huge squirrels!

Birmingham

This is a fancy town! It has some really nice stores, bakeries, coffee, a farmers market in the warmer months and is very walkable.

Brighton

This is such a cute walkable town to visit! It’s pretty, has a coffee shop, a bookstore and an incredible wooden playground. This is one of my personal favorites.

Clarkston

You can blink and drive through this town, but we found it was worth a stop to enjoy the park and candy store. It’s also where an indoor play area is that often has costumed characters. 

Commerce

Farmington/Farmington Hills

Howell

Exceeded my expectations. We initially came only for the nature center but ended up walking the town and liked the playground and unique stores.

Milford

A walkable city to visit with ice cream, a coffee shop and playground. We’ve come for their car show before which was a fun event to walk around.

Northville

If you can’t tell by now, I love walkable towns! This one is really cute, especially in the fall! There’s a library, an incredible indoor play space that’s a great way to observe which toys interest your child, tons of restaurants, coffee shops, a kids consignment store, etc.

  • Stemville (check to see if you need to reserve a time block in advance and wear socks; there’s a coffee shop inside)

Novi

Waterford

  • Hess Hathaway Park (not open daily, check hours and you can see animals plus a farm themed playground)

White Lake

Wolverine Lake

We have driven many times from Maryland to Michigan as well as flown into DTW (Detroit) airport. It’s a huge Delta hub with a separate terminal for them. Our most recent trip was only $88 roundtrip on Frontier from BWI to DTW. We look forward to continuing to explore new places and return to our favorites!

If you would like to expand your search, here are places within two hours or so of where we visit.

And while I will make an effort to add new places to this post and on TeamTravelsBaby Instagram when we visit, here are IG accounts I follow in Michigan for ideas: Michigan Mom of One and LittleGuide Detroit.

Thanks for checking out my post! Feel free to add ideas in the comments! And make sure you’re subscribed for our newsletter!

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

DMV Landing Page

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Let it be easy! That’s what I want for whomever comes across my page, whether it’s from my Instagram, through my newsletter or some other way. As the family trip planner – whether it’s for an afternoon outing or a full blow vacation, I appreciate when I come across places that put it all together and make my life easier to create the best trip for my family.

Blog Posts

  • Airport Play Areas in the DMV – BWI, DCA, and IAD all have play areas and are accessible by public transit!
  • Free Mall Play Areas in the DMV – This article has much more than malls. I lay out other ideas for what to do near each mall.
  • Free Fun for Kids at Big Box Retailers – We are huge fans of free and affordable fun! There are so many companies that have weekly or monthly offerings.
    • Merry Pin is a new local store that has free story time and art each Saturday!
  • Keep Your Green at Great Wolf Lodge – We visited the one in Perryville, Maryland that’s north of Baltimore and had the best time! Definitely a core memory for my daughter (and me).
  • Maryland Ice Cream Trail Adventure – My daughter and I had the best time trying ice cream at cow to cone locations! We visited libraries, towns, playgrounds, etc. as part of our adventure.
  • Sligo Creek Parkway Playgrounds and Nearby Ones – There are so many incredible parks in Silver Spring, along the creek, as well as parks in the surrounding areas like Wheaton and Takoma Park.
  • Splish Splash in Maryland – Beat the summer heat and head to one of the outdoor pools! Also includes some splash pads to get you started.
  • Top Tips for New Silver Spring Parents – This is chock-full of suggestions and will benefit you whether you moved to Silver Spring ,are new to parenting in Silver Spring or you’re located in a surrounding area!
  • Your Family Needs the ASTC Passport – If you have a kid, you have to get an annual membership to an ASTC Passport covered museum, especially if you like to travel. If you’re in the DMV, I recommend joining the Maryland Science Center when its on Groupon.

Affordable Adventures

Newsletters

I created a Substack newsletter. It covers near and far travel, books, random learnings and more! I would love for you to subscribe for free. The content highlighted below are DMV places (or very close) but some posts may cover other areas like Edition 1 touches on Salt Lake City.

About the Author

Lydia Garry and her family, TeamTravelsBaby, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, and are working to achieve “vagabond status”. Much of their affordable family travel experiences include U.S. travel, national parks and Europe. Adventure with them here, subscribe to their newsletter and follow along on Instagram!

Explore the Eastern Shore

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Red playground | TeamTravelsBaby

From our condo in Silver Spring, Maryland it takes us about 45 minutes to cross the Bay Bridge (make sure you have an EZ Pass for the toll) and then there are a lot of choices for exploring Maryland’s Eastern Shore. When we first started venturing to the Eastern Shore, I only thought of Assateague and Ocean City, Maryland. Let me assure you, there are a lot of fun places – ice cream shops, cute towns, playgrounds, beaches and art to see! If you prefer staying on Instagram, I have a highlight reel, but I have many more details here and it’s searchable. Some of my hyperlinks below will also take you to my Insta with pics.

Berlin

This is a cute historic town with ice cream, a thrift store (cash only), a coffee shop and some shops. If you pass through on a Sunday, there’s a seasonal market and stores are open too. This is very close to Assateague and Ocean City.

  • Island Creamery is located downtown and will let you split a single scoop so you can enjoy two flavors for just over $5. There’s often a line here but it moves fast and you can enjoy seating in the alley next to it.
  • Chesapeake Bay Farms is one of the stops on the Maryland Ice Cream Trail; this is directly off US 50 West so it’s an easy stop without adding too much time to your journey
    • You can learn more about it here and the possible prizes!
  • The library has toys and is a good stop if you need a clean bathroom.
  • The beautifully painted pumpkin scavenger hunt in October was so much fun! It’s free, the town is happening with music and activities for kids. See our reel here.
  • About 10 minutes from downtown is Wal-Mart which is a great place to stock up before the beach. We’ve also slept in this parking lot to save money!

Ocean City

This is a destination for many and it’s super fun with the ocean, the bay, a long boardwalk and many other family friendly offerings. We recently found a last minute deal for $92 for the Blue Wave Inn which was like a Motel 6 but with an incredible pool and parking that lasted until 3 pm on the day of check out. It was only 2 blocks from 9th street at the boardwalk. I would stay again.

  • No name park is new and a must visit near the skate park and views of the bay.
  • Check out CertifiKID* to see if there are any deals for Jolly Rogers Amusement Park (we saw some in June 2024). Many places, like miniature golfing offer deals if you look in hotels at the pamphlets.
  • Ocean City is fun in various seasons. We loved visiting in October for the enjoyable weather and the off-season pricing (see what we paid here) at the Francis Scott Key Family Resort which has an indoor pool, putt-putt, free popcorn and a movie room. Insta pics here.

* CertifiKID is very similar to GroupOn. If you’ve never used it, please consider using my referral link as it’s no extra cost to you and I will receive a small credit from CertifiKID. In the DMV, we have found deals for places like DoodleHatch (Columbia), Jolly Yolly (Westfield Montgomery) and HyperKidz.

Bivalve

Cove Road Beach is the only reason we came here which is on a river and very relaxing. It’s about 25 minutes from Salisbury.

Cove Road Beach | TeamTravelsBaby

Cambridge

Located along the Choptank River, this is a great halfway point to stop and stretch on the way to the Atlantic Ocean. It also makes for a fun day trip from the DMV area (90 minutes from Silver Spring).

  • Sailwinds Park has a great playground and is located along the river
  • Chick-fil-A is about 1 mile from Sailwinds and has a small play area
  • There is a downtown with coffee, ice cream and art! Set your GPS for Black Water Coffee Shop and you’ll be in the heart of it all. IG post here.
  • Dorchester County Library is a place to escape the heat but still let your kids stretch. They have kids toys.

Chestertown

This is close to Rock Hall and Betterton Beach. I definitely recommend combining all three for a great day trip away from the DMV. Chestertown is the biggest town and is fun for wandering in and out of shops like the bookstore.

  • Betterton Beach is one of those ideal beaches for littles! Check out my IG post. It’s under 2 hours from Silver Spring, MD and we’ve enjoyed this as a day trip.
  • Rock Hall – grab a treat at Sweet Cheeks Bakery, grab coffee from Java Rock and look for ospreys at Blue Heron Park.
  • Lockbriar Farms for ice cream is part of the Maryland ice cream trail and has delicious fruit flavored ones. The owners had a sweet cat who sat with us and then we took a little tour to see the chickens and flowers blooming.

Easton

Less than 90 minutes from Silver Spring is an Amish Market, indoor play space and great park! It can easily be combined with Cambridge.

  • Be with Me Playseum is an indoor playspace with different areas for pretend play, real animals and art. Be sure to check their hours here. This is located on US 50 West. There’s also a location in the Columbia Mall and one in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • Idlewild Park is an amazing wooden park that’s mostly fenced in, has a tot lot too and bathrooms! There’s also a book box and a really pretty court. IG reel here It’s only a couple of minutes off US 50 East, so it’s another great park on the way to the beach.
  • Amish Country Farmers Market – Check their hours and know that it’s closed Sundays. This is a great stop if you just need a quick outting and perhaps some affordable and delicious treats! We love Amish markets and have enjoyed exploring many in the DMV like Annapolis, Laurel and Germantown.
  • Chick-fil-A here has a small play area.
Be with Me Playseum | TeamTravelsBaby

Grasonville

The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center is a great place for getting outdoors, especially if you enjoy walking/hiking or getting out on the water with paddleboards or kayaks. It is exceptionally affordable (like $20/day) and first come first serve. Read more on their site. Grab coffee from Dessert First Dockside Coffee and make sure to check out the marina.

Kent Island

This makes for a great trip and is great when the weather is comfortable for hiking and spending time outdoors.

  • Ferry Point Park – Park and check out the Chesapeake Heritage and Visitor Center, then go for a leisurely walk and enjoy the small beach.
  • Terrapin Nature Park – This is also a great place to walk and enjoy a small beach.
  • Pair with Old Love Point Park or other fun from Stevensville or Grasonville.

Oxford

I could come here just for the uniqueness of the ice cream! There is a small town along Main Street, a playground with shade near the water and a small beach.

  • Scottish Highland Creamery is so cute and right on the water!
  • Main Street has a little museum, a cute store of 30+ local vendors called the Treasure Chest, a market, Mystery Lovers Bookstore and my personal favorite was my iced lavender latte at Oxford Social Cafe. There’s a playground on the water and a little beach too.
Main Street Oxford | TeamTravelsBaby

Salisbury

This is the great stop to break up the drive to or from the ocean or to enjoy as its own trip.

Two Scoops Ice Cream | TeamTravelsBaby
Ben’s Red Swings next to the free zoo | TeamTravelsBaby

Stevensville

Will travel for ice cream should be our middle names. You can have a great day between the beach, ice cream and playground all within a short distance of one another.

  • Historic downtown Stevensville is small, but worth visiting for the Tasty Toucan which has a very kid friendly outdoor space. Check out my IG post.
  • Matapeake Beach is a small beach nearby. Parking is limited so get there early or come later in the day.
  • Old Love Point Playground

St. Michael’s

There’s a Saturday morning market and the library has toys if you’re visiting with a young child. It’s a fun town by the water. Grab coffee at Blue Crab and check out my IG post here.

So much to do on the Eastern Shore

If you have time and like birding, bring your camera and check out Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and the nearby Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. And why not venture all the way to Delaware! You’re almost there anyways. Here’s our day in Rehoboth. I also have a beach highlight on Instagram that some of the beaches we’ve been to within a reasonable drive of the DMV.

Let me know in the comments what you love about the Eastern Shore or somewhere we should visit on a future trip!

Free mall play areas in the DMV

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Whenever it’s cold or rainy and you don’t want to spend $20+ on an indoor play space, free mall play areas to the rescue! I’m impressed by how many we have in the DMV area that are within 45 minutes of Silver Spring, Maryland!

My daughter (5 years old) loves the free mall play areas! And while some of them seem like they would be boring after a few minutes, because there always seems to be kids to play with, she can easily spend 1-2 hours here playing! If we’re using the mall as our simple, get out of the house as a family on a Saturday or a Sunday, my husband and I take turns in 15-20 minute increments watching Addy while the other one gets to walk the mall and get steps! I take this as the perfect time to chat on the phone or listen to an audiobook or run that quick errand!

We almost always combine the mall with something else free and fun (or a practical errand like grocery shopping)! In the list below, you’ll find the malls we’ve adventured to and what you can pair with it on a rainy or cold day or a heat wave. If the weather’s nice, I’ll have to post separate ideas for that as there are so many!

Ellsworth Place in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland (Montgomery County)

  • Parking: The Montgomery County parking garages are free on Sundays! Park in the one near Chick-fil-A and take the sky bridge so you don’t get wet or cold! You can also park in the neighborhood by Ellsworth Urban Park and walk.
  • Metro Accessible: If the weather is nice enough, it’s a short walk from Silver Spring Metro on the red line.
  • Play Area: Located on the bottom level! It’s a mostly enclosed space with a little house and a larger house plus a spinning ride and two animals to sway back and forth on.(Given the multi-levels and only one elevator, it is not a very stroller friendly mall.)
  • Stores: We love that there’s a Five and Below here! We also love frequenting the Michael’s clearance, especially after holidays when the items get marked to 70% off! And while this location doesn’t have in-person classes, you may be interested in my Free fun for kids at big box retailers post for other ideas!
  • Cheap Treats: Ice cream from Chick-fil-A, a cookie from Whole Foods or a few pieces of candy from Five and Below!
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: The Silver Spring Library officially called the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library is only a block away! There’s a school bus to play in and many tactile items. There’s almost always a scavenger hunt to do and earn a prize too! Definitely check out their events to see if you can catch a story time or Lego playtime! And if you live in Maryland, or the DMV, check about getting a library card!
She’s too fast at Ellsworth Place | TeamTravelsBaby
Silver Spring Library Bus | TeamTravelsBaby


Westfield Wheaton in Maryland (Montgomery County)

  • Parking: Relatively easy! I like to park by Target on the side that faces toward Giant and the freestanding Starbucks.
  • Metro Accessible: If the weather is decent enough, it’s a short walk from the Wheaton metro on the red line. As a bonus, you get to ride a super long (230 feet) escalator with a 115 feet vertical rise! (Thanks Wikipedia!)
  • Play Area: Located on the lower level near Dick’s Sporting Goods and Joann Fabrics. (The side of the mall closer to Costco, not Target.) While the seat covers were recently replaced (2023), the large structure in the middle was removed. There are a couple of animals and a log to climb on or through plus a few items attached to the wall.
  • Stores: There’s Target, Five and Below and Costco (if you have a membership). Check the calendar for the Wheaton Arts Parade store. We’ve enjoyed story time and coloring here before! I also love checking Joann Fabrics for clearance/discounted crafts around various holidays.
  • Cheap Treats: Nothing beats Costco or a couple pieces of candy from Five and Below. Personally, I love that this Costco has their café outside of the physical store (in the mall), however it recently changed and now requires a membership card.
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Not too far up Georgia Avenue is the Wheaton library and recreation center. If you’re a Montgomery County resident, the rec center (all MoCo recs) are FREE in 2024 again (just like 2023). Just bring your proof of residence and fill out the form! You can play pool, video games and ping pong here! They also have a tot time in the gym. I love that this library has a Friends of the Library and a coffee shop inside. The library has kids computers, usually a scavenger hunt and some tactile items (the kitchen is no longer there as of January 2024 since a child pulled it onto themselves). And the playground is very nice too! There’s free garage parking to avoid the cold or wet weather too.
Wheaton Escalator | TeamTravelsBaby


Westfield Montgomery in Bethesda, Maryland (Montgomery County)

  • Parking: There are lots of parking options! We often park in the garage main level near the Tesla entrance that’s right by the play area.
  • Play Area: It’s right by the Lego store and Build a Bear on the main level! It’s mostly enclosed with small things to climb on or go in and it’s near family bathrooms. There’s even a little flushable potty – so cute!
  • Stores: I love the decorations at this mall! For various seasons like Cherry Blossoms and the end of year holidays, they tend to go all out! It’s definitely worth a visit to see. We’ve even caught a free Koo Koo kids concert here! The Lego store is always fun to pop around and if we’re celebrating a special day, we like building the three Lego characters for $10. And Jolly Yolly Kids is a fun indoor play space that has a cost – – keep an eye out for a GroupOn or CertifiKID deal (usually have to buy at least the day before and bring grip socks). IG pics!
  • Cheap Treats: Jolly Yolly, from what I can tell, has the cheapest treats, snacks and drinks.
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Locust Grove Nature Center is less than 0.5 miles away! It’s free and has a couple of animals inside. We went one February and found the hearts along the trail to get a prize. Another place to check for events. Cabin John Ice Rink is also fun and around the corner. It has Cheapskate times and a Toddler skate time that is an incredible deal for a child (ages 3-4) and a parent or caregiver! Check out our Instagram pics here!
Westfield Montgomery | TeamTravelsBaby
Westfield Montgomery Play Area | TeamTravelsBaby
Westfield Montgomery | TeamTravelsBaby


The Mall in Columbia in Maryland (Howard County) – – under renovation until Aug 2024

  • Parking: Very easy! We usually park by J.C. Penny’s and enter by the food court to walk to the play area on the main level!
  • Play Area: It’s mostly enclosed and has a dentist theme! And if you need a break, walk down the corridor that’s not the food court to get to a hand shuffle board and tic tac toe to play near the bathrooms.
  • Stores: We love that the mall is next to Lidl! We often get our groceries here before heading home. There’s also a Barnes and Noble on the backside of the mall, which you could easily attend for story time! I shared this tip in this blog post.
  • Cheap Treats: We usually just pick up something from Lidl as part of our grocery shopping!
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Robinson Nature Center is a gem! It does have a small fee to enter, but it is definitely a nature center worth visiting in the area with real animals, a play space, taxidermy and usually an activity like a scavenger hunt. If the weather is decent, there’s play space outside of it too! Find pics here! About 15 minutes away is downtown Ellicott City which has the free B&O train museum and a free children’s museum (think more like living history). Train pics here!
Shuffle board | TeamTravelsBaby
Columbia Mall | TeamTravelsBaby
Birthday Build-A-Bear | TeamTravelsBaby


Arundel Mills in Hanover, Maryland (unincorporated Anne Arundel County)

  • Parking: Easy, but we found this mall to be very busy on the Saturday we visited!
  • Play Area: Near Medieval Times in the mall. Best recommendation is park near Bass Pro Shop and then when you enter the mall, turn left. You’ll run into it. It’s mostly enclosed and relatively small. There are three structures to climb in or on.
  • Stores: Bass Pro Shops is a fun store to walk around. There’s a big fish tank with real fish, lots of taxidermy animals and a waterfall. There’s a Five and Below in this mall too. Addy also likes sitting on all the little rides that cost money (but without the money) and the structure by the Egyptian movie theater is cool too!
  • Cheap Treats: We often pair with Sam’s Club in Laurel on the way home (you need a membership card, which you may be able to find on GroupOn or CertifiKID) and get cheap pizza and ice cream!
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: The Elkridge Library has a really cute kids area! Addy loved the scavenger hunt, the coloring sheets and toys! I was so impressed by the DIY Education Center which is a place you can check out tools (think home improvement and for gardening/yard work), sewing items and baking molds for a week! If you live in Maryland, you can get a library card AND a DIY card.
Bass Pro Shop | TeamTravelsBaby
Arundel Mills | TeamTravelsBaby
Egyptian Theater | TeamTravelsBaby
Lego Store at Arundel Mills | TeamTravelsBaby
Arundel Mills | TeamTravelsBaby


Westfield Annapolis in Maryland (Anne Arundel County)

  • Parking: Easy! We usually park near Cheesecake Factory and you walk by an open indoor grassy area. If you continue straight, you’ll come to the play area.
  • Play Area: Very close to Pottery Barn. It’s a mostly enclosed play area with a nautical theme. Lots of pics on TeamTravelsBaby Instagram!
  • Stores: The PAWS at the Mall location is fun for seeing cats and a variety of other animals. Whether it’s open or closed, you can usually at least see cats napping through the windows.
  • Cheap Treats: Sometimes the library location has free food from the 7-Eleven next door (check for a cart outside the library entrance and inside or ask). Also, 7-Eleven for a slurpee, which I like to call an icee (from my childhood days).
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Inside the mall is a great library, with a large separate room for events! There is also a play kitchen, train table and other toys, plus unique kids seating options. And the nearby Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library is beautiful with large windows and things for kids to play with.
Amish Market in Annapolis | TeamTravelsBaby
Michael Busch Library | TeamTravelsBaby

Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick, Maryland

  • Parking: We parked near the REI. We didn’t have any issues finding parking and visited on a weekend in the summer.
  • Play Area: It’s near the furniture store and in the same hallway as JC Penny’s but the opposite side.
  • Stores: Another mall with a Barnes and Noble! We were here in the summer, so perfect for participating in their Summer Reading Program!
  • Cheap Treats: While not exactly cheap (unless you share), we made the drive to South Mountain Creamery in Middletown about 20 minutes away which was incredible by itself, which is best enjoyed on a decent weather day.
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Frederick County has some incredible libraries! We loved the new one in Middletown and the one in Walkersville. Check out my IG highlight with more Frederick ideas.




    Tysons Corner Center in Virginia (Fairfax County)
  • Parking: We have only visited on a weekend and it can get busy! As long as you’re willing to keep going up levels in the parking structure, you will find a spot!
  • Metro Accessible: You can take Metro’s Silver Line here and get off at the Tysons Corner Station! I’ve never done it, but it’s available! It’s about a 45 minute ride from Dulles Airport on the Silver Line.
  • Play Area: It’s upstairs by the food court and close to the movie theater! There’s an escalator from the second level, not far from the Barnes and Noble. It is always so busy, I’ve never gotten a good picture without other people’s kids.
  • Stores: We are Barnes and Noble fans! You can easily pair your visit to the mall with the free story time here and they have a little train table. The Lego store is always a hit and the Camp Store is fun to walk around. My daughter loved walking around the American Girl Doll store too and adding everything to her birthday list (or her wishful thinking list).
  • Cheap Treats: Sometimes Lolli and Pops Candy Store offers free samples!
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Dolley Madison Branch and Tysons-Pimmit Library are both less than 10 minutes away! Dolley had a great scavenger hunt when we visited and puzzles. Tysons-Pimmit had a couple of toys and a Friends of the Library cart at the entrance. As a reminder, DMV residents can get a card here! (I loved adding mine to the Libby app!)
Barnes and Noble in Tysons | TeamTravelsBaby
American Girl | TeamTravelsBaby


Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia (unincorporated Fairfax County)

  • Parking: We’ve only been here once, on a weekend, but we didn’t have any issues finding a spot.
  • Play Area: We walked around until we found it. It’s got a cute tool theme. This was one of the nicer play areas we’ve been to.
  • Stores: If you are visiting the area from more than 90 miles away and are a member of an ASTC passport museum, the Children’s Science Center is a covered museum and would be free! If you’re more local to the DMV and belong to the Maryland Science Center, you can get in for 50% off! This is what we came to explore and the experiments were such a hit! Addy also loved all of the different building toys and creations she made here. IG pics here!
  • Cheap Treats: We haven’t explored a ton in this area, so send me your ideas for our next visit!
  • Nearby Indoor Fun: Right in the heart of downtown Fairfax is the City of Fairfax Regional Library. We are big fans of exploring libraries anywhere we go! Pics here on TeamTravelsBaby IG!
Children’s Science Center | TeamTravelsBaby
Inside the Science Center | TeamTravelsBaby
Free Play Area at Fair Oaks Mall | TeamTravelsBaby

When we expand our search, where should we visit next? I’m thinking Springfield Town Center, but would love for you to add your ideas to the comments! Find some of our fun adventures on Instagram here and catch up with each month via our Substack newsletter (it’s free and you don’t need an account to receive via email)! If this content was helpful to you or would help a friend, please share!

10 Fun Things With Kids Near Pine Island, Florida

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Critters on shells at Turner Beach | TeamTravelsBaby

The beach is the obvious thing to do on a trip to Florida with kids, but there are more options! My personal favorite is the variety of birds – I could post hundreds of pictures of Florida birds, but don’t worry, I only shared a couple. Enjoy and let me know what we should add to our list for next time!

I feel very fortunate that my in-laws spend the winter months (January, February and sometimes March) enjoying Florida and have invited us to enjoy a piece of it with them the last couple of years. For me, escaping to the Sunshine State is perfect for my state of mind because it’s always significantly warmer than the temperature in Maryland where we live. Over the years, here are ten fun things to do on and near Pine Island, Florida (located on the west coast of Florida, south of Tampa and north of Sarasota). Given the location of where my in-laws stay, near Bokeelia, our travels have taken us to Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel/Captiva and Punta Gorda which are all within an hour. We have flown into Fort Myers Airport (RSW, about 1 hour), Punta Gorda Airport (PDG, about 45 minutes) and have driven all the way from Maryland. Of course Florida is choc full of airports, so if you’re willing to drive, you may get a better deal flying into Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando, Sarasota, Miami or Fort Lauderdale to name a few.

Tern Seagull | TeamTravelsBaby
White Pelicans | TeamTravelsBaby
Brown Pelican | TeamTravelsBaby
Osprey with a fish | TeamTravelsBaby

We have adventured around this area with our daughter between the ages of three and five. Below are things we have done with her and enjoyed, in no particular order. (Always do your due diligence to check hours, road conditions and current pricing.)

  • Lee County Manatee Park – See manatees near the water tower. Just pay a couple of dollars ($2/hour or $5/day in 2024) for parking and you’ll find a great place to walk, play at the playground, have a picnic, etc. There are also bathrooms.
  • Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve – An amazing boardwalk trail and chance to look for wildlife! The parking lot is small, so go early or late to try and snag a spot and pay the nominal parking fee. I loved seeing the ibises.
  • Flea Master Flea Market and Goodwill Outlet – My in-laws hid 10, $1 bills for my daughter to find and then off the flea market, in the rain, we went. Bring an umbrella and good water shoes for the parking lot, but then enjoy the covered market. She loved getting a $1.60 back scratcher, $3 to have her face painted and $2 for fairy hair and a $2 tsum tsum necklace. Goodwill Outlet is no ordinary thrift experience and kids under 12 can’t go in this location, BUT, if you’re looking for inexpensive toys for your trip, pop in here for the experience. Nearly everything is by weight and you can snag some amazing deals! Some people like to wear gloves when looking through the humungous bins! My favorite part is watching the crowd when a new row of bins comes out – trust me!
  • Fort Myers Beach – This one is probably obvious and it does look different since the hurricane, but still lots to explore and a fun family outing! And while we haven’t been, I want to check out D Street along the river (The River District). They hold a variety of events and Leoma Lovegrove (one of my favorite spots from Matlatcha is moving here in 2024).
  • Pine Island Public Library, Philips Community Park and Spot Ice Cream – If you’re driving onto Pine Island, you’ll come through the town of Matlatcha. Sadly, as of January 2024, it still has not fully recovered from Hurricane Ian (September 2022), but if you’re able to, definitely get out and see the beautiful street art, pop in the stores that are open and get coffee at the Perfect Cup! Continue on to the library which has a cute kids area and bathrooms, play at the playground across from it that has a scavenger hunt and one of those kid “elevators” and then end with Spots Ice Cream across the main road. My personal favorite was the blueberry cheesecake. (Sundays and Mondays aren’t the best days given some things are closed.)
Marina by Lazy Flamingo | TeamTravelsBaby
Matlatcha Street Art by CreativelySass | TeamTravelsBaby
Critters on shells at Turner Beach | TeamTravelsBaby
  • Cayo Costa State Park – Fortunately, my in-laws can take us here on their boat, but there is a way to get here if you don’t have access to one (verify the details). The bird life, walking the beach and looking for dolphins are some of my favorite parts. And if you have time, drive to the farthest point north on Pine Island to Bokeelia. Next to Capt’n Con’s restaurant I love to buy earrings made by locals. You can also check out the pier or catch the sunset behind the restaurant. And if you’re walking, take a look down Moyer Lane – it’s a hoot! We love eating at the Lazy Flamingo up the street, walking around the marina and catching the sunset from the bridge by it. There are so many pelicans and Addy even fed some this year! We’ve also seen wood storks, night herons, great blues and others.
  • Fellowship Park in Cape Coral – This is a playground, splashpad and coffee shop! It’s associated with a church, but is open to all. Don’t forget to pack a bathing suit and towel.
  • Fishermen’s Village – If you fly into Punta Gorda (check Allegiant Airlines for deals), this is less than 10 minutes away. We loved popping by here during the holidays when it was beautifully decorated, walking around the shops and watching Addy play in the sand and climb the big chair while catching the sunset. There’s also a huge outdoor bar in the sand.
  • Turner Beach – There are multiple beaches on Sanibel and Captiva. We parked in the small parking lot here, paid for parking on our phones and then started searching for seashells. Right by the big rocks is the best place to look we found – we collected and then went to the Dollar Tree for art supplies to use them in crafts like decorating picture frames and other wood décor! There’s also real restrooms here too. I needed my coffee fix and popped into Jerry’s Grocery to get one. (Unfortunately, some of the other coffee shops have not reopened since the hurricane.) Prepare with a Sunpass to pay the toll or get a bill with your license plate.
  • J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge – Start with the visitor and education center and then explore the wildlife loop. I believe it’s a couple of dollars, but if you have a U.S. National Parks pass (like the America the Beautiful pass), it’s included. This is a great place to spot birds – we were so happy we brought our Nikon D500! Many people had binoculars. It’s on a paved road, so you can easily walk with a stroller, bike, etc. This is located on Sanibel and requires a toll to get on the island.
Wood Stork | TeamTravelsBaby
3 Year Old Addy | TeamTravelsBaby
Dolphin | TeamTravelsBaby

We look forward to our next adventure here. And if you have the time, definitely make the drive to the Everglades! We’ve been twice and I would happily go again. Check out my post here (Right Up a Birders “Alli” (gator)), which includes the stops we made along the way. The Everglades and Acadia National Park are my favorite east coast parks.

What should we add to our list for the next time we visit this area? Feel free to leave them in the comments so we can all benefit! We particularly love free and low cost fun for our family. And if you didn’t find me via my newly created Substack newsletter, take a look and subscribe or follow us on IG at TeamTravelsBaby!

Sunset behind Capt’n Con’s 2024 | TeamTravelsBaby
Face painting at Flea Master | TeamTravelsBaby
Sunset at Fishermen’s Village 2023 | TeamTravelsBaby

Breathe in Barcelona

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  • View from the MNAC | TeamTravelsBaby
    View from the MNAC | TeamTravelsBaby

Barcelona is the perfect sized city on the Mediterranean with gorgeous weather (this was April). Whether you have an extended layover, 24 hours or a few days, there’s something here for you as the central part of the city is easily accessible from the El Prat airport. On our two week European adventure with our 6 month old, we had about one full day before our Pullmantur week long cruise and two full days on the back end (we also visited Girona, about 100 km away).

  • View from the MNAC | TeamTravelsBaby
    View from the MNAC | TeamTravelsBaby
  • MNAC View | TeamTravelsBaby
    MNAC View | TeamTravelsBaby

Unforgettable View: From the front steps of the MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya)

We love seeing any city by foot or by bike. With a baby, we found walking to be the most convenient mode and used the Tula carrier we were gifted for Addy.  It was ideal for carrying her since she weighed somewhere between 16-17 pounds on our trip and an American sized stroller is not as convenient (but I would argue still doable if you felt the need to have one). If you have limited time, I would recommend arriving to Placa d’Espanya by the Arenas de Barcelona (huge mall). From here head toward the beautiful archway and hill. Conveniently, there are escalators that will take you all the way up to the MNAC and even beyond it. First you’ll see the Montjuic magic fountain. Check to see which days/times it is turned on as it looks like it is spectacular! At the top of MNAC, take it the beautiful view of Barcelona. If you continue behind the MNAC, you’ll arrive at the 1992 Summer Olympic Annex. We didn’t find any Olympic rings to take a picture of like we saw in Innsbruck, Austria’s Olympic site, but it was still cool. If you continue on a longer walk, you can continue uphill through gardens to see the Montjuic Castle. There is a cable car (I read it’s a bit overrated/expensive), but I feel I can always appreciate a view more when I’ve worked hard to get there. While we didn’t visit inside the Castle (5 euros to see inside), we found the views from the outside were lovely and you can even look over the edge and see the cruise ships.

  • View from the Top of Montjuic | TeamTravelsBaby
    View from the Top of Montjuic
  • Addy in Barcelona

Unlimited People Watching: The famous street, La Rambla

La Rambla is a fun street to walk with a huge pedestrian walkway down the middle, lined with kiosks of sweet treats, souvenirs and restaurants. The section closest to the Mediterranean starts at the Columbus Monument and it continues to the Placa de Catalunya. The famous market, Mercado de la Boqueria shouldn’t be missed (it’s closed on Sundays)! If you’re willing to wander off the main block, head to the Gothic Quarter and find the Cathedral of Barcelona. It’s absolutely stunning and free to enter. If you want to climb it, head there between 10 am-12 pm daily with your euro coins! If you’re down by the water, cross the bridge and check out Maremagnum, which is a huge shopping mall (and a good place to find a bathroom).

  • La Boqueria | TeamTravelsBaby
    La Boqueria
  • Barcelona at Night | TeamTravelsBaby
    Barcelona at Night
  • Placa de Catalunya | TeamTravelsBaby
    Placa de Catalunya
  • Cathedral of Barcelona | TeamTravelsBaby
    Cathedral of Barcelona
  • Cathedral of Barcelona
  • Barcelona by the Med | TeamTravelsBaby
    Barcelona by the Med

Unlimited Sand: Platja de la Barceloneta is a huge sand beach and you can also stroll the paved promenade, check out the street sellers, view sand castles and take in the city.

On the way to the beach, you can pass by the old port (Port Vell) where lots of products for sale by street sellers. After a walk along the beach or promenade, we found the Parc de la Ciutadella had pretty buildings and a small lake with swans, herons and other types of birds. Like Paris, Barcelona boasts its own “Arc d’Triomf” (not quite the same, but still a great photo op) that is at the end of a nice broad pedestrian street that’s easily accessible after leaving the park.

  • Port Vell | TeamTravelsBaby
    Port Vell
  • The Beach | TeamTravelsBaby
    The Beach
  • Addy in Barcelona | TeamTravelsBaby
    Addy in Barcelona
  • Blue Heron | TeamTravelsBaby
    Blue Heron
  • Columbus Monument | TeamTravelsBaby
    Columbus Monument
  • Arc d'Triomf | TeamTravelsBaby
    Arc d’Triomf

Unlimited Photos: La Sagrada Familia is the famous church that has been a WIP for nearly 140 years.

A trip to Barcelona would not be complete without seeing it. You can walk around the entire church and there’s a small pond on the backside that gives you some decent reflection photos. The church is also lit up at night (check for the exact times – we saw it at 8:30 pm).

Pro Tip: If you know your dates, then book your tickets in advance if you want to see inside (try all of the ticket types to find available times).

  • La Sagrada Familia | TeamTravelsBaby
    La Sagrada Familia
  • La Sagrada Familia
  • La Sagrada Familia Up Close | TeamTravelsBaby
    La Sagrada Familia Up Close

Another Pro Tip: If you’re visiting Barcelona on a Sunday, check to see if the Picasso Museum is still free in the afternoon/evening.

Transportation: The T-10 card (10.2 euros) was perfect for our trip which we could share for the metro and Rodiales train (within Barcelona). Even though we had about 3 days in Barcelona, we typically walked everywhere and used exactly 5 trips each for a total of 10 on the card. If you’re coming from the airport, it costs one ride for the Rodiales (R2Nord) and one ride for the metro (to wherever you’re going). We found the public transportation to be very convenient. If you’re more limited on time, you may want to consider the AeroBus which is a coach style bus that drops off in Placa de Catalunya. There are other items like the Hola BCN travel card (primarily a transportation card by number of days) and Barcelona card that may be worth a look, depending on your particular trip and needs.

  • Graffiti | TeamTravelsBaby
    Graffiti
  • Street Art | TeamTravelsBaby
    Street Art

Where We Stayed: We really liked the two hostels we stayed in – Pension Peiro (super close to the metro stop Paral-lel and convenient for embarking on a cruise or exploring Montjuic) and Primavera Hostel (super close to the metro stop Verdaguer and convenient for walking to La Sagrada Familia). In April 2019, we found both locations for under $100/night and stayed in a private room (shared bathroom) with our 6 month old. Both hostels let us drop our luggage/stroller off early without any issues. Primavera Hostel had a shared kitchen that was really nice with coffee and our room had a balcony! Use my booking.com referral link and we both get $20!

Cruisin’ from Barcelona: This is an awesome port city to start or end a Mediterranean cruise and we would recommend it! We found it was walkable from Pension Peiro to our ship (you can also pay for a bus that leaves from close to the Columbus Monument which I think was 5 euros round-trip). If you like cruising, check out our post about our Canary Islands cruise in February 2019!

  • Treat Time | TeamTravelsBaby
    Treat Time
  • Addy and Daddy | TeamTravelsBaby
    Addy and Daddy
  • Ready to Cruise the Med | TeamTravelsBaby
    Ready to Cruise the Med

Sète on a Nice Yacht

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The south of France (aka the French Riviera) and Monte Carlo, Monaco are even more beautiful than the pictures portray. Having the chance to see the smallest country, the Vatican and the second smallest country, Monaco, on the same vacation was incredible. The people in Monte Carlo were super friendly and the views from the Prince’s Palace of the coast and all of the incredible yachts were surreal. The train system between the port city of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monte Carlo and Nice was extremely easy to navigate, inexpensive and the train stations were walkable into the heart of each city. Our second port city, Sète, was another easy “do-it-yourself” stop. Did I mention we did all of this with our 6 month old baby?! These stops were part of our week long Mediterranean cruise on Pullmantur. Check out this trip report as well as our time in Barcelona, Italy and London!

Overview

  • Villefranche-sur-Mer (Saturday, April 13, 2019) – Monte Carlo (Monaco) and Nice
  • Sète (Sunday, April 14, 2019) – Some use this as the gateway to Carcassonne (the walled castle), but we used the day to explore this seaside fishing town.

Our boat arrived to Villefranche-sur-Mer and we learned that we needed to tender into port. This means you go from the cruise ship onto a smaller boat that serves like a ferry to get you to the walkable town. Luckily, it also meant we had a gorgeous view of the coast from our cruise ship and also one from the smaller vessel. The only downside was it meant we had to queue when the cruise ship gave the “all clear” before we could start our day of exploring. But as they say in France, c’est la vie!

Monaco – So many yachts! | TeamTravelsBaby

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Getting to Monte Carlo from the port city of Villefranche was super easy because it is extremely well marked on the way to the little train terminal. Because a cruise ship was in port, there were many people ready to help us purchase our tickets who spoke a variety of languages. It was less than $4 to get our ticket to Monaco and less than a 20 minute ride (which ran about every half hour) with only three stops (Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Eze, Cap-d’Ail) before we would exit at Monte Carlo. I used this site to look up times before our trip: https://www.thetrainline.com/ . It’s hard to believe we planned trips before the internet!

Monte Carlo is also well signed and super clean. We followed the signs to the famous Casino first, knowing that many pre-booked excursions head here. On the walk, there are tons of high end jewelry stores (Carré d’Or). We enjoyed the picture opportunities in Casino Square then went in to the Casino lobby. It’s free to enter the lobby and they had a separate line for men and women. There are some amazing red dice in the lobby which make for a great photo op. After a few pictures (you have to pay to enter more than the lobby), we headed to the back side of the casino where we enjoyed a walk overlooking the water on our way to the Formula 1 race track that hosts the Monaco Grand Prix every May.

The weather was warm with a Mediterranean breeze. On our self-made walking tour, we got directions from the race track to Place d’Armes. This lovely square had an indoor and outdoor food market called Marché de La Condamine. While we didn’t have a chance to try it, I read somewhere that “Barbagiuan”, which is a deep fried pastry stuffed with Swiss chard and ricotta is popular in Monaco. We crossed the street and followed the signs to Port de Fontvielle. We cut through the humungous Fontvielle Shopping Center on the way there. We lollygagged along the boardwalk where we could see a ridiculous number of yachts and dream about our retirement to a place like this! In order to get what we believed would be the best view of the city, we followed the signs that took us up to the Prince’s Palace (be prepared for a steep, but not too lengthy walk). We made it just in time to see the changing of the guards (occurred at 11:55 am), which drew quite the crowd. We wandered the narrow streets lined with food and gift shops and mostly, stopped to enjoy the unparalleled view of the coast, yachts and heavenly place we were in!

View from the top of the hill by the Prince’s Palace | TeamTravelsBaby

We made our way back to the train station, bought our tickets from a machine and took the train about 25 minutes to Nice, France (we passed by Villefranche-sur Mer, where we started).

Nice, France

The Nice train station was pretty large and the tourist site has good maps. We exited the train station, hung a left, passed the Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption and then turned right onto the Avenue Jean Médecin. This is the main street and you’ll notice the black and white tiled walkways. This street is lined with shopping options and is a straight shot into old town (Vielle Ville) Nice.

Really cool water display with a sick backdrop in Nice | TeamTravelsBaby

We didn’t have much of a plan for this city other than to wander and see what we could. Along the main street, we watched the water display before we found Cours Saleya, a lovely market in old town where I bought a small bag of lavender for ½ a euro. We walked to the beach, which was rocky, instead of sandy. There were many people sunbathing and relaxing. While we didn’t walk the entire 7 km (less than 4.5 miles), we really loved the Promenade des Anglais. After seeing tons of gelato places, I finally found one with lavender (yum!) and indulged.

On our walk, we found an adorable independent bookstore called Librairie Masséna and I was able to find a book for Addy with vibrant pictures. It made for a great souvenir and it will be a good test of my French as I try to read it to Addy. From here we grabbed a cappuccino and sat at an outdoor café before making our return journey to Villefranche and our cruise ship. Fortunately the train ride was less than 10 minutes and under $3.

If you stay in Villefranche or have additional time, here are a few places I had on my list that you may want to check out: Saint Elme Citadel, St Michel Church, St Pierre Chapel, Rothschild Estate and Gardens and Rue Obscure (Dark Street).

Sète, France

This city is a working fishing port city known for its series of canals (like a mini Venice) where you can find water jousting in the summer. We found the local tourist site to be extremely helpful for getting an overview of the city and what there was to see: https://en.tourisme-sete.com/sete-cruise-passengers-information.html. After taking the free bus to the port entrance, we walked to the central market called Les Halles on Boulevard Gambetta (opens at 6 am). Inside a really nice vendor gave me a free “nazette”, which is like a little oblong table biscuit. I really wanted to try a “zezette” or a “nazette” at Crèmerie Lou Pastrou, a shop next to Les Halles, but they had extremely limited hours on Sunday (9 am – 12:15 pm).

We made our ascent up Mont St. Clair (about 600 feet tall and the highest point in Sète). On our way, we found lots of amazing street art. The view from the top was incredible and it was great to do this first thing before it got too warm out. There is a huge cross at the top and also a fisherman’s church called Notre Dame de la Salette. This church is unlike any we had ever seen before – it’s small, but has unique paintings inside on every wall. There’s also a building next door where nuns live and you’re allowed to climb to the top for an even better view!

View from the highest point of Mont Saint Clair | TeamTravelsBaby

From here, we made our way down to Pierres Blanches National Pine Forest. It’s lovely to have so much green space in the middle of a city. We wandered a few paths and enjoyed views of the Mediterranean and Thau lagoon (Étang de Thau) before we started heading back to the rest of the city. We took a nice long walk along the water that eventually got us to the Théâtre de la Mer (we could only see the outside) and the Cimitière Marin, which is a beautiful cemetery with decorations on the headstones and the Mediterranean as the backdrop.

As we continued our walk we could see the Lighthouse of Mole Saint Louis at the end of a narrow peninsula (we didn’t go up it, but it’s around 3 euros to climb it). Nearby, we climbed some steps to Quartier Haut which also boasted some beautiful street art and views of the lighthouse (some say this area reminds them of a Little Naples). We made it back to Les Halles for a different experience since it was bustling with people compared to the early morning. We wandered through other streets, found a pop up market and wandered the canals searching for more street art along the way. This city was the perfect end to our cruise experience and I would highly recommend a half day or day in this city.

While we did not go here, I read good things about the International Museum of Modest Art (MIAM) in Sète. Many people on our cruise went to Carcassonne (UNESCO World Heritage site), which is about 80 minutes away and is a walled castle. We opted not to go here because there seemed to be enough to do in Sète and because it was going to be challenging to “do-it-ourselves” in the amount of time we had at port.

Thank you!

Thank you for checking out the France and Monaco portion of our Mediterranean cruise and European adventure! Do you get the article title now? We hope you’ll take a few minutes to browse our other trips or read about our time in London, Barcelona and nearby Girona (great stop for Game of Thrones fans) and our ports in Italy. Be sure to follow us on Instagram! Until our next adventure!

  • I’m sure you can see why we fell in love with Monaco (cover image)! | TeamTravelsBaby

Crank It Out While Cruisin’ Italy

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Pisa, Italy

Italy is a European country that everyone should strive to see in their lifetime. A cruise is the perfect way to get a taste of beautiful Italian cities like Naples, Rome, Pisa and Florence as well as the world’s smallest country, the Vatican. On our Mediterranean cruise we tried to “do-it-ourselves” as much as possible so we didn’t get crushed by cruise line excursion prices. Check out our trip report!

  • Naples (Wednesday, April 10, 2019) – Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius.
  • Civitavecchia (Thursday, April 11, 2019) – The gateway to the Vatican and Rome.
  • Livorno (Friday, April 12, 2019) – The gateway to Pisa and Florence.

Naples

Naples Port of Call | TeamTravelsBaby

Naples was a great port city because you literally disembark and walk straight into town. This is the one port where we booked an excursion (outside of the cruise line) because after extensive research on do-it-ourselves transportation and talking with a good friend who had recently been, this ultimately was going to make the most sense. We opted to book an excursion through Shore Excursions Group that covered transportation from the ship to Herculaneum (impacted by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius) then to the famous Pompeii, onwards to Mount Vesuvius and ultimately back to the ship. It was decently priced and Addy, our infant (6 months) was free. As this was a transportation only service, we still had to buy tickets at each site. A car seat was unnecessary and a stroller was highly discouraged due to the uneven terrain at each location. We only brought our Tula carrier and we still think it was the best decision. I would also highly recommend this excursion because it ran exactly as promised, the guide in the car (separate from the driver) spoke very clear English and shared history and recommendations with us during our rides to each destination. Herculaneum is very doable in the 60-90 minutes given to view it as it’s much more compact than Pompeii.

Herculaneum

  • Overview: 11 euros each; must check your bags for free and this is a separate line from the tickets if you didn’t purchase ahead of time so divide and conquer if you can; bring some information to read (they ran out of English guides when we were there)
Herculaneum | TeamTravelsBaby
Herculaneum | TeamTravelsBaby
View once you enter Herculaneum | TeamTravelsBaby

Pompeii

  • Overview: 15 euros each; this place is HUGE so make sure you know where you are dropped off and are supposed to meet back up; tickets can be purchased ahead of time or at the gate; pick the top items you want to see (if you look at the map we focused on section I-II and VII-IX)
Beautiful view from inside Pompeii | TeamTravelsBaby
Pompeii | TeamTravelsBaby

Mount Vesuvius

  • Overview: Bring cash for your tickets which are 6.5 euros each; a jacket and good walking shoes are a must for hiking to the top and cross your fingers it’s not too foggy!
Mount Vesuvius under the mist | TeamTravelsBaby

Civitavecchia (gateway to Rome and the Vatican)

From our ship we took a short bus ride to the port entrance (there wasn’t a walking option). Once we left the entrance, this city was very well signed and it was about a 15 minute (almost perfectly straight shot) walk to the train station. Take it from us – you can absolutely get to Rome and back to the ship without paying for an overpriced cruise tour. While there is a new speed train, I would recommend the “slow” commuter train if you plan to go to the Vatican first. We looked up the schedule ahead of time so we knew we wanted to catch the 8:39 am, 8:55 am or 9:16 am train and anticipated a 40 minute ride to S. Pietro station. We were able to purchase the ticket from a machine with a credit card, but be weary as we had a staff person try to sell us the new train ticket, which for us didn’t make sense because we would have waited around the station for quite some time for the 9:35 am train plus it’s slightly more expensive.

Saint Peter’s Basilica | TeamTravelsBaby

We took a short walk from S. Pietro station and I read online that if you get in the line for Saint Peter’s Basilica by 10 am, it’s about a 45 minute wait. This was accurate almost to the minute for us, even with the line looking very intimidating. We didn’t have much time to look around once we got inside, but we are happy we got the few minutes we did. On the way in we saw the Statue of David and were amazed by the views inside. If you have more time, you may want to pay to see the dome or check out the Grottoes (it’s free, but make sure to do it last as you’ll end up outside afterwards). We had to hustle to the Vatican Museums for our 11:30 am confirmed ticket (BUY THEM AHEAD OF TIME, print and have your passport just in case). It was a good 20 minute walk from the exit of the Basilica to the Vatican Museums. It’s absolutely beautiful, but they herd everyone through, so do your reading ahead of time. The Sistine Chapel is lovely but unfortunately, you can’t take pics or videos. Adjust your expectations and expect to be “rushed” through the Vatican. Personally, my favorites were the room with paintings on the ceilings and floor to ceiling tapestries (Tapestries Hall) and Raphael’s Room.  

The view by Castel Sant’Angelo of Saint Peter’s Basilica | TeamTravelsBaby

We found we could always find someone to help us with directions. Even though it wasn’t recommended by most, we walked from the Vatican to Castel Sant’Angelo and then across the Tiber River (which also has a beautiful view of the Vatican) in order to see the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Piazza Venecia and ultimately the Colosseum. We were amazed by all of them and I was so happy the Trevi Fountain wasn’t under construction (like it was in May 2010). This was a TON of walking while carrying a baby (more than 3 miles), but a great way to see the city (versus finding and taking public transportation or paying for a cab). Luckily there was a metro stop right by the Colosseum and a guard there was able to give us directions on where to transfer so we could get on the commuter train back to Civitavecchia.

Livorno (gateway to Pisa and Florence)

View at sunset by our ship in Livorno | TeamTravelsBaby

Livorno…this is how cruise companies get you. First, we had to pay (well, we didn’t…but that’s another story) 5 euros cash or so for a roundtrip bus ticket to get from the cruise ship to a square in town (I believe the Piazza del Municipio). This annoyed me only because there wasn’t an option to walk. From the square, we opted for the approximately 1.5 mile walk to the train station (Livorno Centrale), where we crossed the famous Piazza della Republica to board a train for Pisa. (There is a bus option to Pisa too.) Even though it’s almost a straight shot, I definitely recommend bringing a map, asking locals (use the word “stazione”) or using the GPS on your phone if it works. Once we were at the station, it was super easy. Trains leave every 15 minutes or so, it’s a 15 minute ride and only $3 a person! Let me tell you, this is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than what you will pay with a cruise line AND the funny thing was when we arrived to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it was about the same time the people from the cruise line tour were arriving by coach bus. After we arrived in Pisa (at Pisa Centrale, train station), it was about a 15-20 minute walk to the actual Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Square of Miracles. En route to the Leaning Tower, the bridge we took over the Arno River has a pretty view and lots of vendors were selling beautiful flowers. We also passed through two markets which were neat to browse. In my research, one thing I learned is infants (and actually anyone under 8) CANNOT go up the Leaning Tower. This helped us to stay focused on the view from the outside. We enjoyed taking lots of fun pictures, as one does when they’re here. (Having climbed up it in May 2010, if you have to miss out on going inside in order to spend more time in Florence, I think it’s the right call. Of course if you’re taking a land tour of Italy and not cruising Italy, definitely go up it!)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Square of Miracles | TeamTravelsBaby

We made the walk back to Pisa Centrale and took a train to Florence (stop: Santa Maria Novella) which is about an hour ride and about $11 per person. The ride was comfortable and once we arrived in Florence, we got a map at the Tourist Information center (across the street from the train station by a church) and started making our way toward the Arno River to see the Ponte Vecchio (bridge). It’s the bridge which houses tons of jewelry stores. From there it’s a nice walk down by the Uffizi Gallery to see the statues of famous men like Da Vinci, Giotti and Botticelli. At the end, it opens up and you can see the Piazza della Signoria, the Statue of David and Neptune’s Fountain. We walked to the famous Florence Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) and waited in the very long line. We ultimately got in (it’s free) and saw Brunelleschi’s Duomo. At first it’s not obvious why everyone waits so long to get inside, but once you see the painting inside the dome, you will be amazed. It’s beautiful like the Sistine Chapel. We enjoyed walking around the leather market and inside Mercato Centrale (lots of food choices). Florence is a beautiful city with friendly people (in May 2010 I enjoyed a few days here with friends and highly recommend getting tickets to the Florence Cathedral to go to Giotto’s Bell Tower). We made the walk back to the train station, bought our tickets (about $13 per person) and got on our train back. Make sure to VALIDATE your ticket (any machine will do). We found that our train back to the port city was a long walk from the entrance and didn’t get a chance to. Luckily, a nice Italian women helped us and wrote our train number and time on the ticket for us and we didn’t get in trouble.

  • Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence | TeamTravelsBaby

Cruisin’ Italy

We went on a Pullmantur cruise out of Barcelona (check out my article about this awesome Mediterranean city) because the prices are extremely reasonable and kids are free (as in you don’t even pay port taxes or fees). And while we don’t drink, this is also an all-inclusive cruise line (think free house wines with lunch and dinner) AND they have an espresso bar which is also FREE! If you want to keep your trip affordable, take the time to plan it out and “do-it-yourself”, but also recognize that you can’t do it all. A cruise merely gives you a taste of each city so you know where to return to. Our biggest tip is to make sure to have the train schedules ready, your maps ready and not to be afraid to ask for directions! Happy travels and be sure to check us out on Instagram @teamtravelsbaby!

Park’d in Chicago

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Chicago Skyline | Teamtravelsblog

An inexpensive weekend getaway to Chicago to walk along Lake Michigan, take in the skyscrapers on the Chicago River, see the polar bear playing and drink the  coffee treats. Plus Chicago offers so many parks!

 Chicago, Illinois Highlights for Sunday, October 8:

  • Millennium Park and the Bean
  • Walk along Lakeshore path
  • Navy Pier
  • Lincoln Park Zoo – the polar bear
  • Dropshot Coffee & Snack Bar

Let’s start off by stating two important facts: 1) We slept in a Wal-mart parking lot and 2) we managed to get 61,204 steps by the day’s end. We arrived the morning of the Chicago marathon, so not surprisingly, many streets were blocked off and my initial parking plan was not going to work. We were SUPER lucky and stumbled upon free parking on Lincoln Avenue not too far from Lincoln Park.

We walked a few miles before arriving at Grant Park, which was closed for the marathon, so we started down Michigan Avenue and I bought a unique pour over coffee at Fairgrounds Coffee. As a bonus, this place had a nice bathroom. We wandered across the street to Millennium Park and the Bean. Walking around and through the Bean, posing for selfies was fun as you can get some awesome reflection pictures with the skyscrapers in the backdrop. We made our way from here to Maggie Daley Park where we saw the rock climbing walls and then to Lake Michigan along the Lakeshore path. Chicago 1Renting bikes probably would have been a great idea, but we chose to walk the path up to and around Navy Pier before continuing to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

The zoo is incredible and it’s free! The zoo was beautifully decorated for the fall season and the animals were lively in the warm weather. The polar bear playing in the water with its toys was an absolute highlight. Check out my video on Instagram. The macaque monkeys were also very playful to watch and there were babies! Baby animals of any kind are always top notch in my book! Chicago 2Another notable animal included the pygmy hippo, which you can see a video of its snack time on my Instagram as well. There were other large animals like double-humped camels, rhinos and big cats. I was bummed not to see the red panda, which is my favorite animal, but this just means I will have to return to this zoo in the future. We exited on the west side of the zoo, regrouped for a bit and then made our walk up Michigan Avenue.

I was craving a second coffee treat of the day, and read good reviews about Dropshot Coffee & Snack Bar. The decorations were incredible – it’s a sports themed coffee shop! There’s everything from bleachers to a scoreboard on the wall and the prices were reasonable. Don’t leave without checking out the lower level which looks like a pool and has lots of games, plus clean bathrooms. Chicago 3Michigan Avenue was fun to walk along, full of people, especially marathon runners sporting their completion medals. It was pretty exciting to learn that an American won the men’s marathon earlier in the day. One thing to note about Michigan Avenue is the stores close around 7 pm on Sunday nights.

Chicago, Illinois Highlights for Monday, October 9:

  • Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park
  • View from the BP Bridge between Maggie Daley and Millennium Parks
  • French Market
  • View of the city from Adler Planetarium
  • Wicker Park (The Wormhole Coffee)

We got lucky again and found an amazing, free parking spot near the location of the Maxwell Street Market (which I don’t recommend). We walked a little under a mile to Grant Park and found the most magnificent fountain, Buckingham Fountain. The park was pretty desolate with remnants of the marathon from the day before. We walked through the park and smelled some beautiful roses before coming to the BP Bridge between Maggie Daley and Millennium Park. The BP Bridge is about 925 feet long and is a great viewing point for the city’s skyscrapers. Chicago 4We took a few more Bean (aka Cloud Gate) pictures and then started our walk along the Chicago River from the Michigan Avenue entrance. Chicago 5The skyscraper reflections, public art and river pathway make this a great stroll. We loved stumbling across the oversized deer statue.

After the river, we headed to the French Market which is inside the train station. It’s about 30 booths with delicacies like macaroons. Whether you plan to eat or not, it’s a neat place to check out. From here we took a rather lengthy walk along Michigan Avenue, past Millennium and Grant Parks to the museum area by Shedd Aquarium (highly recommend) and the Adler Planetarium. I cannot recommend this view of the city skyline enough! You can see Navy Pier in the distance and get a full view of the city skyline to include the Willis Tower. Lots of people were picnicking in this area.

We walked back to our car and drove about four miles to Wicker Park. The first time we had to pay for parking, but fortunately it was only $2 per hour and we were there less than two hours.

Chicago 9

We went into The Wormhole Coffee, which is a nostalgic coffee bar filled with Gremlins, Bowser in his castle, Ninja Turtles and E.T. stuff among lots of other things. It’s pretty expensive, but unique. I loved the “Cool But Rude” latte that I got made with fresh ginger and curry sauce. We wandered through the park and on our way back to Milwaukee Ave., I spotted Andre Royo, the man who played Bubbles in the television show The Wire and Thirsty in the show Empire.

Chicago 7

He was extremely down to Earth, chatted with us for a few minutes, and took an awesome selfie! Keep your eyes peeled for the street art around Wicker Park that shouldn’t be missed!Chicago 8

Since we still had about two hours of vacation before returning our rental car, we drove to the Magic Hedge Bird Sanctuary. There’s nothing too noteworthy here, except for another nice place to view the city skyline and it connects in with the Lakeshore path. Then right outside the airport, we parked at Robinson Woods South. It’s a park where we spotted over 9 deer grazing close to dusk. It’s also a good place to view planes that have just taken off from the Chicago O’Hare airport. Our car rental return and ride home on Spirit Airlines were uneventful, which is the way we like it.

Chicago is a world class city and we will definitely be back. What did we miss and should plan to do next time?

Wisc’d Away Before Chicago

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Wisconsin State Capitol | Teamtravelsblog

Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin are two great cities around the corner from Chicago worth jumping in the car to see over the course of a day. The State Capitol in Madison is the second tallest and offers a 360 degree view of the city!

Madison, Wisconsin Highlights for Saturday, October 7:

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Michelangelo’s, coffee shop
  • Market in Capitol Square (Saturdays only)
  • State Capitol rooftop
  • State Street
  • Thai Pavilion in the Olbrich Botanical Garden

As soon as we arrived at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) airport at 7 am, we took the Budget-Avis shuttle to get our rental car and hit the road for Madison, Wisconsin. Luckily, I found an amazing car rental deal through CarRental.com days before our trip (under $72 for 3 days)! The fastest route is taking a toll road, so having cash is key! It cost less than $10 across 4-5 toll booths which are located on the right side of the road when it splits. When we arrived in Madison, we drove through the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, which is beautiful! One amazing thing is there is tons of free parking on campus during the weekends and it’s walking distance from all of the sites. Click here for a list. We parked in “Lot 26” which was along the main road, directly outside the Observatory and had a front row view of Lake Mendota.

We walked down to the lake and over by the Memorial Union Terrace. There are lots of nice boats docked and seating to take in the scene. You can also pose for a picture with UW’s mascot, the badger. Madison 1We walked along Langdon Street to see a lot of Greek houses before making our way toward Capitol Square. I spotted Michelangelo’s, an artsy, large coffee shop which has two entrances. Madison 2The specialty menu is really unique as it’s made up of drinks created by current and former employees. I tried the “espresso miel” which was a latte of honey and cinnamon that I enjoyed!

On Saturdays, there is a large market (Dane County’s Farmers Market) that starts early and usually ends by 1:30 pm in Capitol Square. This is the area that surrounds the State Capitol, which is the second tallest one in the U.S. (behind Louisiana). While I didn’t have a chance to try it myself, Stella’s Bakery is a popular offering. Exploring the Capitol is a must! The rotunda is beautiful, you can explore on multiple floors (with or without a guided tour) and the bathrooms are clean. Plus, it seems like a well-kept secret, but you can find the spiral staircase to the rooftop and enjoy a 360 degree view of Madison for free. This was a highlight for us. From here, walking along State Street is ideal as there are lots of shops, restaurants and bars before you return back to UW-M’s campus. If you’re a bookstore person, definitely check out A Room of One’s Own.

Once you’re back at your car, take the 15 minute ride to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens.

Madison 3

It’s free to walk around and there’s a beautiful Thai Pavilion that was donated by the Thai government.We accomplished this itinerary and a few other spots in about 5 hours. If you have more time, some other ideas would be to rent bikes and explore the lakes along the paved bike paths, take in the view of the city from Olin Park or check out the places along Williamson (“Willie”) Street.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Highlights for Saturday, October 7:

  • Milwaukee Public Market
  • Milwaukee Riverwalk and Art
  • View from Veterans Park

The drive from Madison to Milwaukee was very easy, under 90 minutes and toll free. It was raining when we arrived, but stopped shortly after. We found free parking near Van Buren and Michigan Avenue. The location was great because it was walking distance to the Milwaukee Public Market in the Historic Third Ward.

The market is small, but has a good variety. I tried the bee at Anodyne, saw the around the world market clocks and got a classic picture of the “Milwaukee Public Market” sign.

Milwaukee is very walkable and it’s only a few blocks to the Milwaukee River. All along the river you’ll find public art such as Rosie the duck, the Bronze Fonz, a statue of Arthur Fonzarelli from Happy Days and other artistic pieces. Milwaukee 3I recommend timing your walk close to sunset so you can enjoy the colorful sky and reflections on the water. We were particularly lucky because a little boy called out a rainbow that appeared near the duck family statues.

Milwaukee 5

Break from the main path to see the Old World Third Street. Before starting our drive to Chicago, we drove to Veterans Park for a short walk which has a lovely view of the city and would also be a great place for the sunset along Lake Michigan.

Be sure to check out my next entry on our two days in Chicago that followed.

Arch You Red?

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Arches National Park | Teamtravelsblog

We visited 7 National Parks in 7 Days! Arches National Park in Utah was our first park of the trip after leaving Denver. Be sure to check out all 7 parks!

Arches National Park Highlights on Wednesday, August 30, 2017

  • Balanced Rock
  • Sand Dune Arch
  • View from La Sal Mountain
  • Landscape Arch in Garden of the Gods
  • Note: The Windows Section of the park was closed during our trip and the park was only open from 7 am – 7 pm.

We arrived to the Denver, Colorado airport on Tuesday evening, picked up our full sized rental car and drove to the Wal-mart in Avon, Colorado. Do your due diligence and read the tiny print when booking a Denver rental car. Not all car companies offer out of state driving or unlimited miles. We came across a few companies (the ones with the cheapest rental prices) that had these limitations. We picked this particular Wal-mart as our driving destination for the evening because it’s a 24-hour store, which was perfect for picking up snacks, using the bathroom and finding a quiet corner of the parking lot to sleep.

We woke up super early to drive the remaining 3.5 hours to Arches National Park. There is an Exxon station before you get to the park when approaching from the highway, that’s a bit pricey, but worth it for the peace of mind of having a full tank of gas. Alternatively, you can drive past Arches and into Moab to fill up with gas. Immediately after making the turn into Arches National Park, there’s a place to pull off and pose with the Arches National Park sign. Arches 1If you arrive before the park opens, there’s no one at the gate, however, if you plan on seeing multiple National Parks, it’s worth spending the $80 to get the Annual National Park Pass as most of the parks average $25 for admittance.

It’s worth printing the map (https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/upload/archmap.pdf) from the National Park Services (NPS) site before you start your trip and then getting a fancy one at the Visitor Center later in the day. We stopped at the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint first to take in the beautiful red rocks. From here we continued north on the main path to Balanced Rock. Arches 2One benefit of starting early is you’re likely to beat the tour busses that are bound to come and stop at these points of interest. Balanced Rock is perfect for taking a short stroll and stretching your legs from the car ride.

As I mentioned at the top, the famous Windows Section of the park was closed. We headed east when the road split to see the Delicate Arch. Unfortunately, since Mike was still healing from a broken foot, we didn’t have the opportunity to take the walk up to the arch, where I believe it would have appeared to be much larger than it did from the viewpoint. Everything I read said this is a really nice hike that we will definitely plan to do the next time. From here, we headed back to the fork in the road along the other path to the Sand Dune Arch. This was a highlight for us. It was a fun walk through the sand to see the arch.Arches 5

There are other places between Sand Dune Arch and the Devils Garden to stop and take pictures.

Arches 3

We stopped a few times before parking by the Devils Garden. It was a decent walk to the Landscape Arch. Make sure to bring tons of water as it can get very hot and there is limited shade for a reprieve. Many people start or end their day at the Devils Garden as the heat can be treacherous. If you plan on doing lots of hiking, I highly recommend my Columbia hiking boots* which aren’t too heavy and are waterproof. We drove back along the main drag and made our last major stop at the La Sal Mountain viewpoint. This is an incredible view with lots of points of interest to take in such as the Three Gossips, the Tower of Babel and the Organ.

We wrapped up our Arches National Park visit at the Visitor Center where we were able to get a map and newspaper, use the facilities and fill up our water bottles. From here we drove about 5 miles to Moab and made it to Wicked Brew Espresso Drive Thru before it closed. Arches 4This little trailer coffee shop offered delicious iced lattes with unique flavor combinations.

The two and a half hour drive to Capitol Reef National Park had a variety of terrains and seemed as though we were driving through national parks the entire time. It’s essentially a one lane road in each direction the whole way. Check out my next article to learn more about our adventures here and the subsequent ones to read all about our 7 parks in 7 days trip!