About Me, Travel

Recently, I have seen some other travel bloggers putting together both 2016 travel recaps and 2017 travel resolutions, and I figured what a fun way to look back at the year and all of the great trips we have done! And of course I have a few adventures I am excited about in 2017! I only just launched this blog in October, and did not get an opportunity to write about everything we did in the first three-quarters of the year! So without further adieu… I give you the Momma To Go 2016 Travel Recap!

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2016 Momma To Go Travel Recap! Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Two Half-Marathons and a look ahead to 2017 mommatogo.com

2016 Momma To Go Travel Recap

 

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48 Hours in..., Travel

My mother-in-law lives in Maine. Up in an area called the Mid-Coast. Her house is up on a hill, and down below is the beautiful town of Belfast Maine right on the Penobscot Bay. Belfast is about 2 hours northeast of Portland and about an hour due east of Augusta. We have been to this area countless times – in the spring, summer and fall, so I am so excited to share with you all the great things to do in Belfast Maine.

The Best Things to do in Belfast Maine. 48 Hours in Belfast, Maine. Explore the mid-coast of Maine. Where to stay, where to eat, and what to do in this quaint New England town. #FamilyTravel #Maine #BelfastMaine #NewEnglandtravel #MaineTravel #MidCoastMaine

Things to do in Belfast Maine

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Hawaii, Travel

In case you haven’t realized, we love to travel! And the question I often get is how we can afford to do so many great things? Especially with regards to our three-week trip to Hawaii. Well as always, I managed to plan this vacation to Hawaii on a budget, and I’m excited to share my best Hawaii money saving tips with you.

Hawaii on a budget

How to Vacation to Hawaii on a Budget

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Travel

I love a good road trip.

Seriously, I keep saying that in my next life, I’m coming back as a truck driver.

It’s true. I love the adventure of getting in the car and just going. Freedom.

And a Cracker Barrel along the way.

But even for the most seasoned driver, and road tripping family, there are long stretches of time that need to be occupied in some way. Now of course we live in modern America. The default car ride activity for my children is movies. We have this portable DVD player, which I love! There is one movie and two screens that strap around the front row headrests. It plugs into the cigarette lighter-type outlet in the car.

 

PRO-TIP: Take out movies from your local library. That way you can have a ton of options on a long trip. Just check the discs before you leave to make sure they are not scratched.

 

But when the movie runs out, and there are still miles to go, we do have some favorite family road trip games that I am excited to share with you!

 

Family Road Trip Games

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The best road trip games your family will love! No planning or assembly required! mommatogo.com

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48 Hours in..., Travel

This fall, I’ve had such awesome adventures. Short getaways to Las Vegas (with the hubby), Atlantic City (for the half marathon) and Minneapolis (with #thegirlfriends). A few weeks ago I found myself on the road again, and strangely without kids, as I headed down to Baltimore for another friends trip (different group of girlfriends)!

The purpose of this trip, besides meeting up with friends from Washington, DC was to see Amy Schumer’s live show. However… about 30 hours before show time, we received an email that the show was… postponed ! I think the official statement said Amy was “under the weather”, but we had our post-election speculations. Honestly, my thought was she had to rewrite her whole show which was probably based on an HRC win. Who knows, but we still had a great (slightly less than) 48 hours in Baltimore, and will return when Amy actually takes the stage!

A Weekend away in Baltimore Maryland. Where to stay in Baltimore, where to eat in Baltimore and what to do in Baltimore, Maryland #Travel #TravelTips #Baltimore #Maryland

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48 Hours in..., Travel

I love traveling with my kids, it is so fun to experience new places and old stomping grounds through their eyes. I love those rare trips with just my husband, but the other type of travel I love – girlfriend trips. I will admit, sometimes I feel guilty that I hold this group in such high regard- but I’ve been with them, and traveling with them, longer than with the other travel companions.

I went to college in Washington, DC. Which, for better or worse, attracts students from all over the country, and world. It was a great experience as an 18-year old sheltered Long Island girl,  to roll up on campus and make friends with people who were very different from myself. But the downside of attending college far from home, and in such a transient city like DC, is that after college most graduates eventually move away.

My true group of friends stemmed from my time playing collegiate rugby. These are the group of girls I started playing with some 20+ years ago. As we moved on through our college years, new students joined the team, and hence our group of friends. Immediately after graduating, we started taking trips to get together, usually in one girl’s hometown. On New Year’s 2002, we started an annual trip, with the first host city being Las Vegas. Subsequent NYE trips included Tampa, New York City, Hawaii, San Diego and Chicago.

During our twenties, there was at least one wedding a year, prompting large get-togethers with our expanding clan. We came to add in significant others, spouses and eventually kids, so we now have quite a contingent. In fact we have 15 kids between us!

Our alma mater women’s rugby team hosts alumnae events each year. As a group we traveled back to campus for the 10 year anniversary of the team’s founding, and in 2016, its 20th. Basically we find any excuse, or none to get together! And the fun usually involves some mix of activity, sightseeing, eating, drinking and dancing.

With weddings behind us, we have now entered the next phase of get-togethers- 40th birthdays. We celebrated our first one last September, in the birthday girl’s hometown of Minneapolis.

48 Hours in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where to stay, where to eat, what to do. #Minneapolis #Minnesota #Travel #FamilyTravel #WeekendGetaway

48 Hours in Minneapolis

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Hawaii, Travel

Our family vacations tend toward the more laid back. We are a sit-on-the-beach and relax kind of family rather than a sightseeing clan. Our trip to Hawaii was no exception. Pre-trip we did outline some cool things to see and do, but our intention was to Live Like A Local for three weeks in the paradise that is Hawaii. The only big activity that we planned made us both excited and nervous. We had plans to Drive the Road To Hana with kids.

Driving the Road to Hana is definitely worth it, although it takes some thought and planning. I am so excited to share my Road to Hana tips with you!

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Driving the Road to Hana with kids, Maui, Hawaii. Road to Hana Tips and tricks to know before you go. Accommodation recommendations. Things to see on the road to Hana #travel #hawaii #family #maui mommatogo.com

 

Driving The Road To Hana with Kids

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48 Hours in..., Travel

I love to travel with my children. They really are the best vacation companions. And even more so now that they are a little older. They are great adventurers and are always up for new things. I’m pretty sure that’s my doing. But every now and then, on average two times a year to be specific,  my husband and I try to get away, for just a few nights, together, without the kiddies.

Trips like these are so special and something we make a priority with our time and budget. It’s not easy to get away. It takes a lot of planning to leave the kids with great aunts and grandparents. The kids get off their normal routine, they eat too much sugar and probably watch too much TV in our absence. But to us, so worth it to reconnect, enjoy some grown-up conversation, and partake in adult-friendly activities.

We try to do a local night away in the winter  –NYC, Atlantic CityBorgata or the North Fork of Long Island have been favorite overnight destinations. In the warmer months we try to do a longer (3-4 night) trip — and always to Las Vegas.

We love Vegas and honestly, what could be a more appropriate destination for a kid-free weekend? Vegas would be great with the kids, but there is also so many fun things to do in Las Vegas for couples. Keep reading for my best choices!

 

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Things to do in Las Vegas for couples | 48 hours in Vegas. Las Vegas | Nevada | Where to stay in Las Vegas | best Vegas hotel | best Vegas restaurant | Las Vegas tips | Las Vegas Things to Do | Las Vegas Activities | Things to do in Las Vegas #LasVegas #Nevada #Travel

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Travel

Contrary to popular opinion, fall is definitely NOT my favorite season. I love the heat, the beach, the pool, shorts, flip-flops, and tanning – all things summer related! I can deal with spring, especially late spring, when it’s almost summer. I legit hate the winter. I hate the cold, dealing with coats, the snow, ice, and when it gets dark early – I really am one of those people that runs on Vitamin D and the winter just bums me out.

So I think it a bit crazy how people go gaga over fall (which doesn’t officially start until September 21 despite what Starbucks says). And if I have my way, shorts and flip flop weather will linger into October as well.

But even I will admit there are a few things about fall I look forward to doing each year with my family. Activities that are tucked between sweaty beach weather, and the bundled up/indoor fun of the winter. Some of the specific places I am about to mention are in my area (Long Island, New York), but the ideas can translate to  any town! So here is my list of four fun fall activities for families, that even I, a summer girl, can love.

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Travel

I am so excited to write my first travel related post here on Momma To Go. I anticipate that is what I will mainly focus on (with fitness and parenting being a close second), but over the last week I have been trying to get out seasonal content (Halloween costumes #1 and #2) and had both kids sick, so I am only just writing this now! I have so many important travel stories and great tips and tricks I want to share with you all. But I need to start with an article that will help you not only get the most out of your trip, but save you a ton of money as well. If you were ever interested in booking a home for a vacation accommodation, keep reading, I will help you navigate vacation rentals websites!

How to navigate Vacation Rentals Websites. The best tips for booking on VRBO or AirBnB. Vacation Rental Booking Tips #Vacation #Travel #TravelTips #FamilyTravel

 

Tips for booking a Beach House Vacation (and other Vacation Home Rentals)

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