Gone with the Family

Photo Memories from the Grand Canyon

We have just returned from a visit to Las Vegas that included a road trip to spend two nights at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It was a highly-anticipated first-time visit for me and I will never forget the feelings evoked as I approached the canyon edge and caught that first glimpse of one of the world's natural wonders. 

Chicago Architectural Cruise

Emma and I recently spent a long weekend in Chicago and one of the priorities on my itinerary was taking an architectural cruise.  I had enjoyed one years earlier on my very first visit to Chicago but hadn't had the opportunity to repeat the experience on the many off-season trips that we have since taken.

Reflections in Cloud Gate

Chicago is one of our family's favourite cities in the world and one of our favourite things to do there is head to Millennium Park to see the city reflected in the Cloud Gate sculpture.  It's definitely a must-see for families as I dare you to find any kid (or fun-loving adult) that doesn't love messing around with the reflections in this sculpture.

The Chicago Tribune Tower

I am often asked whether travel with children is worthwhile if they might not remember the trip or get anything out of it.  My answer has always been that kids see the world from their own unique perspective both in daily life and when traveling.  They may be fascinated by something that their parents would never have given a second glance and they may remember the strangest things.  A different world view doesn't diminish their experience, however, and it may, in fact, lead to some interesting discoveries while traveling.     

 

It's Fun to be a Girl at American Girl Place in Chicago

 Over the last 10 years or so I have visited the American Girl Place stores in Chicago and in New York numerous times with my two daughters.  It doesn't matter a bit that we are Canadian - my girls love these dolls and their stories.  Our recent girls' trip to Chicago was no exception as Emma and I spent close to three hours in the Water Tower Place store on Michigan Avenue as we browsed, shopped for a doll with assistance from one of the wonderful personal shoppers on hand and enjoyed our dinner in the lovely American Girl Café.  

Crown Fountain In Millennium Park

Emma and I were thrilled that we recently had the opportunity to spend a few summer days wandering around Chicago.  Our last few family visits to the city have been in the winter and the cold weather prevented us from doing much exploring on foot.  During a visit over a New Year's holiday period we had stopped by Millennium Park to have a look at the Cloud Gate sculpture (better known as The Bean) but our visit was brief so we were looking forward to visiting on a warm, sunny day and spending some time discovering exactly what the park had to offer.

Panning for Gold in Alaska

After our family cruise from Vancouver to Alaska we embarked on a 5 day land tour that finished in  Fairbanks where we went on a full-day excursion that included a cruise on the Riverboat Discovery (a stern-wheel river boat) as well as a visit to El Dorado Gold Mine.

Adventure at Disney World

It's time for another Disney (Almost) Wordless Wednesday post and the theme for this week is Adventure.  Easy peasy because, when you're a kid, everyday at Disney World brings a new adventure.  You never know what might be waiting around the corner - you might even happen upon a stray lion cub that needs a little cuddle.  

Spring Bunnies at Disney

My daughters have been as obsessed as most kids with Disney and our family has spent a fair bit of time visiting the parks, however, I have realized that since starting this blog just over a year ago I haven't written very much about our Disney experiences.  We have been to Disney World six times since Katie was a baby for a grand total of 37 nights.  We have also spent a day at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, a day at Disneyland Paris and cruised the Disney Magic in the Western Caribbean for 7 nights.  Clearly it's an area that I have to ramp up on the blog!

Visiting United Nations Headquarters with Kids

As an undergraduate student, I studied International Relations and, accordingly, became a firm believer in the role of the United Nations in international governance.  I had always wanted to tour the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to see where the work of the UN takes place, and to be quite honest, my absolute dream career would have been at the United Nations working on international environmental law issues.