Travel

How to Plan Your Winter Getaway Like a Pro

I feel a little bad because my son has been asking to go skiing for about four years (he is obsessed with Wii-Ski). But to me, a slight form of torture involves spending hard earned vacation money (and time) to spend more time in the cold. You all know I am a beach girl, and seek warm weather all winter long. But today, Claire is presenting both sides of the coin with her tips on how to plan your winter getaway like a pro!

And just maybe she will convince me that this is the year to in fact take little man to the slopes!

How to Plan Your Winter Getaway

Hawaii, Travel

How to Plan a Trip to Hawaii

Winter is here in New York, so our next trip to Hawaii has been on my brain. Last year we were fortunate enough to spend three weeks traveling to Maui and the Big Island. I’d say from the minute we flew back home, we have been mentally planning our next visit! Since I so often get asked about Hawaii trips, I am sharing with you how to plan a trip to Hawaii.

How to Plan a Trip To Hawaii

Travel

The Best Adults-Only Getaways

I adore my two kids more than anything, but I LOVE the rare occasion when the hubby and I can get away for a few nights. Unfortunately, it does not happen often — but when it does, my husband and I always head to the most un-kid-friendly places we can find! Hey, if I’m not traveling with my own kids, I don’t want to vacation with your kids either! Here are some of our favorite grown-up getaways.

A Day at the Vineyards

Image via Flickr by Spirit-Fire

Not just limited to Tuscany or Napa, you can find vineyards in many pockets of the United States. Without kids, hubby and I love to sneak away to our favorite local wineries for a night or two. We will leisurely visit several tasting rooms, followed by dinner at a nearby farm-to-table restaurant. Areas that serve vineyards tend to have great restaurants featuring local wines. Look to stay in a cute inn or Bed and Breakfast. Again, I love traveling with my little ones, but these types of accommodations tend to be for adults only!

A Trip to the Casino

Casinos have popped up all over the country, and many have hotels attached or nearby. Gambling is a fun, obviously adult-only activity, but gaming is not the only thing to during a casino trip. Casinos usually have great restaurants, nightlife, and shows. Many have shopping areas as well. You may be able to find a spa or indoor pool — and the best part? No little ones!

Overnight City Stay

I live right outside New York City. A few times a year, we do take our kids to Manhattan for a museum visit or a show. But escaping to the urban jungle without the strollers, not having to wrangle kids on public transportation, and not dealing with little ones whining about having to walk, makes an awesome adult-only trip! Book a night at a boutique hotel and the city is your oyster. Have a long, boozy lunch, hit the shops, or take in a grown-up museum or show. End the night listening to live music or staying out as late as you want!

Adults-Only Resort

If you can sneak away for more than one night, consider booking a trip to the parental promised land — an adults-only resort! That’s right, there are holiday destinations where kids are NOT ALLOWED! I honestly cannot think of a better way to truly unwind and decompress from our beloved parenting duties than to sit poolside with a frozen drink and a good novel. Enjoy a fancy meal without having to be home early to relieve the babysitter! Sleep in, be active — or not. A true break from being around children sounds like a wonderful vacation! And the best part… some real time to yourself will give you a chance to miss your little ones.

No matter what adults-only trip you choose, remember this one last important tip — be sure to bring back a little something for the kids AND for your trusted caregiver! These trips away are important for we parents to reconnect with our partner and recharge our batteries! Bon voyage!

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About Me, Travel

2017 Travel Recap

It feels so cliché to say I can’t believe 2017 is coming to a close, but it’s so true! I literally just sat down to write my 2016 travel recap and yeah, here it is a year later!

Despite a crazy, three-week long sickness, and working my tail off in the later part of this year, 2017 has been very good to me. Especially travel-wise. Which is definitely not coincidental. I have been on a mission to create the life I want to live – doing things I enjoy both personally and professionally. Which certainly includes the flexibility to be on the go!

Work-wise I continued to grow my math tutoring business, I worked all summer at camp and had the best time! Writing and creating this site has taught me so much, and I hope to really expand Momma To Go in 2018. My plan is to set some goals and get myself in a better working schedule balancing writing, social sharing and updating old posts. I’ve been learning more and more about SEO and hope to do some writing outside of Momma To Go!

Last year, at this same time, I recapped my 2016 travel year. A year, which brought a three-week trip to Hawaii, was hard to top, but we tried! So here is my 2017 Travel Year in Review!

2017 Travel Recap:

Travel

Aquatica Orlando Tips

My family loves visiting Orlando! We are so lucky to have cousins who live there – to hang out with and explore all the city has to offer! In Orlando, we are always looking for new things to do, and I have had my eye on an Aquatica visit for a while. I was so excited to be invited to check out this water park on my recent Florida trip!

The first week in November, baby girl and I were so fortunate to spend an entire Monday at Aquatica and we are so excited to share all our best Aquatica, Orlando tips with you all!

Baby Girl and I would like to thank Aquatica Orlando for providing us with two tickets to facilitate this honest review. As always, opinions are all my own.

Aquatica Tips & Planning Your Trip To Aquatica Orlando

48 Hours in..., Travel

Things to Do in Santa Cruz California

Back in 2003, I applied to work at an academic summer camp. I’m a math teacher after all. The application brochure came my way and one thing about the camp peeked my interest…

Hawaii.

There was a site location in Honolulu, Hawaii.

So I applied for that.

And I was hired!

But when my paper work arrived, no Hawaii. I was slated to work somewhere in California called Santa Cruz.

Figuring I must have put California as my second choice site location, I then needed to figure out where the heck Santa Cruz was! Little did I know I would be spending the best three summers of my life in this funny, California beach town.

Last August I finally returned to this town I loved. I could not wait to revisit, reminisce and bring my kids to Santa Cruz. And I am beyond excited to share all the great food, hotels and things to do in Santa Cruz with the Momma To Go readers!

24 Hours in… Santa Cruz, California

Stuff I Love, Travel

How I Scored {an almost} Free Uber Ride

Our family loves Uber. We take it around town, to the airport, or when mom & dad are going out and there will be too much wine involved. It’s an easy, affordable way to ditch the car and have a comfortable ride at your fingertips. Uber is also a great way to get around a new city! No need to worry about parking or traffic, and no need to navigate an unfamiliar, local, taxi system. The beauty of Uber is you know the price (or at least approximately) when you call the car, eliminating the age-old saga of taxi drivers ripping off tourists. Did you know you can save money on EVERY Uber ride, and maybe even score an {almost} free uber ride? Keep reading to find out how!

How to Earn an {almost} Free Uber Ride

Travel

3 Reasons to visit Melbourne with Kids

Last summer, our clan was so fortunate to take three weeks to head to Hawaii. My husband had a month-sabbatical and to be honest, Australia was the original destination for this adventure. Last summer, with a four and seven year old, who had never ventured further than the Caribbean, we knew it wasn’t our time to go down under.

Oh but a trip to Oz is always on my mind. And we will get there someday! I want to dip my feet in the Indian Ocean, experience the Outback and lay on the beaches of the Gold Coast. And no trip to Australia would be complete without venturing to the big cities! Since I still haven’t been, Claire (Australian native) is sharing with us her top 3 reasons to visit Melbourne with kids.

Photo credit: 3B’s via Visualhunt / CC BY

3 Reasons to Visit Melbourne With Kids

48 Hours in..., Travel

48 Hours in… San Francisco

San Francisco, California will always have a special place in my heart.

California played an important role in the early months of my relationship with hubby. Although he and I met in New York City, at the time, I had already committed to spending the upcoming six weeks teaching at an academic summer camp in Santa Cruz, California (about 70 miles south of San Francisco). Having just met, the time apart afforded us weeks to just talk on the phone and get to know each other. As the relationship was progressing, I rearranged my departure plans to stay in California a little longer and have a little San Francisco vacation with this new boyfriend who was flying out to visit me!

That year, I had a kick ass time in Santa Cruz, and would go on to return for two more summers. Since those three stints in SC, I have been back to the west coast a handful of times for weddings, and short vacations. All pre-kids. So I was so excited to be taking baby girl and little man to San Francisco, to kick off our much-deserved end of summer vacation.

Photo via VisualHunt.com

48 Hours In… San Francisco, California

Travel

6 Hacks for An Affordable Road Trip

I love me a good road trip. So far, our biggest ones as a family have been to North Carolina and the mid-coast of Maine. I think driving trips are fun and are often more affordable than flying. Today Jonathan, who blogs at Saker Racing, shares us his best hacks for an affordable road trip!

Photo credit: Edna Winti via Visual Hunt / CC BY