Our Visit to the International Spy Museum

Hannah is thinking she might want to become a FBI agent or a detective some day so what better place to visit than the International Spy Museum in Washington DC. We all had a blast learning how important and dangerous the world of espionage is. During our visit, the museum was holding a special exhibit on the villains of Jame Bond which we all enjoyed.

10 Reasons to Travel NOW with your Kids

We often get asked why we are uprooting our lives and traveling the country for a year. There are too many reasons that I can’t put them all in one short answer, so I usually pick only one, and it’s based on who is asking the question. I want people to relate to why we are choosing travel to strengthen our family so I’ve  decided to give you 10 reasons to travel with your kids in the hopes it will encourage you to choose to travel more with your kids, because with 10 reasons, how can you say no?

1. Family Bonding

The average household spends 3 hours or less together each day as a family. We are an over- scheduled, stressed out society that tend to live parallel lives under the same roof, not a close knit family unit. We want more than that. Spending most of our days and nights together will be a struggle sometimes, but overall I know it will bring us closer together. Our lives will become intertwined in a way that can’t be unraveled.

2. Expanding Horizons

I took a gap year in college and lived in Italy doing service work. That experience expanded my horizons and shaped much of who I am today. When kids get the chance to see other places and cultures, it opens up opportunities for ideas they’d never thought of before. It can shape their career choices, lifestyle and where they chose to live.

3. Truth & Tolerance

Despite how progressive we think we are in 2012, we as a collective society, still struggle with stereotypes. Travel exposes us to the truth about cultures, regions and ethnicities, wherever we go. The quickest way to teach our kids tolerance is to expose them to others’ traditions and focus on our commonalities, not our differences.

4. Life Skills

There are tasks that my kids would probably never learn if it weren’t for this trip. From maintaining an RV, to interviewing people and editing video, my kids are learning valuable skills that they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to without full-time travel.

5. Money Matters 

Traveling has become a great teacher about money. My kids are learning about family finances on the road, and how to budget their allowance. They are learning to live on less, and distinguish between “wants” and “needs”.

6. Increased Health

We are using travel as an opportunity to taste other cuisines and eat healthier. Our busy lives at home were an easy excuse to not exercise, and eat out often. Now we are cooking at home and walking everywhere we can.

7. Real Education

Learning history in school is just theoretical knowledge of dates and facts. Being able to experience and walk around historical landmarks will bring history alive and make it relevant to my children’s lives.

8. Independence and Free Thinking

I want my kids to think for themselves, and not follow “the norm” because it’s what everyone else is doing. Travel has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone, and makes me face my fears. It challenges the “status quo” in my life and makes me think at higher levels than I’ve had to in the past. I want it to do the same for them as well.

9. Charity & Goodwill

Service work can be done in your hometown. You can give to charity simply by writing out a check; you don’t need travel to be effective. What I want is for my kids to see the goodwill and humanity of strangers who will go out of their way to help others. A fellow traveler shared via Facebook that they were explaining their adventure to someone while they were filling up their RV with gas. The stranger was so touched by their story that he bought them 10 gallons of gas and wished them luck on their journey. That’s the human spirit at its best.

10. Spirit of America

I desperately want to travel to far off countries, but I feel impressed to start with our own country first. Travel in your homeland builds nationalism, and gives children a sense of where they came from. The U.S. has had some tough years, and I want to recapture the Spirit of America and what makes it great. That spirit will be found in the people we meet and the experiences we have as we travel through this great land.

As you can see, I’m passionate about how travel can enhance your family’s life and give you valuable experiences. I know extended or full-time travel isn’t for everyone. I’m simply encouraging you to do more of it. Hold off on buying that new big screen, or upgrading your car, and plan a family trip instead. Get lost in some small or grand adventure. Only then will you feel truly found.

Do you enjoy traveling with your children? Have you found ways to incorporate teachable moments into that travel? We’d love to hear your comments below!~

Disneyland Holiday Time saving Tips: Part 2

As I mentioned in PART 1 of my two-part series on getting the most out of Disneyland at the holidays, it’s my favorite time of year to go. It will also be busy with other guests seeking some holiday cheer Disney-style.

As a former local resident who grew up near Disneyland, and married a former dancer in the parades, here’s my second list of suggestions on how to get the most out of your holiday visit to the park, and avoid the crowds as much as possible.

Tips #1-5  in my Part 1 can be viewed HERE

7 more tips for beating the crowds at Disneyland:

1.    Visit in the middle of the week-

Weekends can be twice as busy as weekdays, and up to three times as busy if it’s a long weekend holiday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays are the least crowded.

2.    Plan and prepare your kids for shopping-

Most attractions have a gift shop at the end of each ride. If you spend just 10 minutes in each shop, over the course of the day you’ve wasted at least an hour or more. Plus, there’s the whining and potential meltdowns your kids will have when they see something they want and can’t buy right then. When our kids were little we had discussions before coming to Disneyland about how we weren’t going to look or shop until the end of the day. We avoided the tantrums and stress, which helped us to make smooth transitions from ride to ride. Then later, if you wish, reserve the last 30 minutes of your evening for souvenir shopping as you head out of the park.

3.   Go on rides during parades-

This might sound sacrilegious to Disney die hard fans, but if your kids have already seen it, or aren’t interested, then skip it. Or go the just the evening parade later when your kids are tuckered out from the rides anyways. We’ve found that the lines to the popular rides are a little shorter when people line the streets to watch the parade. Take advantage of this reprieve if you can.

 4.   Buy fast passes-

If you don’t want to miss the parade, you have limited time at the park, or you just hate waiting in lines, I suggest you buy the fast pass. While it costs more, your sanity and enjoyment of the park might just well be worth the price.

 5.   Pack water & snacks-

Most people forget to calculate the cost of buying drinks and snacks throughout the day, and I’ve seen friends easily spend $100 just trying to keep their families hydrated and stave off cranky kids. Besides the exhorbent cost of snacks, there’s the time wasted waiting in long lines just to get a $4 churro. My suggestion? Bring a small backpack to carry your family’s favorite snacks in. I usually get a locker and put 3-4 frozen water bottles in it, and then put 2 in my pack along with the snacks. The kids take turns carrying it, and we go back to the locker to change out the water bottles later in the afternoon. You might not need as many in the winter, but it’s nice to know you have them and it didn’t cost you much to store them.

6.   Purchase a multiple day pass-

If you have the ability to come for more than a day, buy a multi-day pass. If it’s your first time, or if it’s the first time you brought kids, you will want more than a day to see everything. This allows you to slow down and enjoy yourself and the extended time. No need to show up right when it opens, skip the parade, or feel hurried.

7.   Stay at Disney hotels-

As a bargain shopper, I used to avoid staying on the property, and chose to drive in each morning from a less expensive hotel in the vicinity. However, the time and cost of parking, versus the easy tram ride from a Disney hotel, ate into my “savings” quite a bit. My  greatest reason to stay as close as possible to the park is that I could bring the kids back to the hotel for a few hours to nap, rest, play in the pool, etc. and then easily shuttle ourselves back after dinner. If you can swing it, do it. It’s worth having your options open.

I hope these 12 tips will help you enjoy Disneyland during the holidays. If you have any other time-saving tips, I’d love to hear them!

(Check out Part 1 for 5 more of our helpful ideas.)

 

It’s been a few years since we’ve been, and we will be going to Disneyland in a few weeks ourselves to enjoy the Christmas season. We’ll post pictures and more tips from our trip, so check back to see them!

 

 

 

The Tao of Scissors & my pursuit of minimalism

 

Part of my journey as a full time traveler is to streamline my life and master the art of minimalism. I want to eliminate the clutter and excess in my life and focusing only on the essentials. Over the past several months I’ve sold 90% of our possessions, moved into a TINY space (36 ft. RV) and am conscious about what I purchase or bring into my life. I thought I was doing such a good job. Until yesterday.

This is what happened yesterday 

As you can see, there’s been improvement, and there’s still a long way to go. But I’m making progress, and that’s what matters.

What areas do you struggle with excess? What are your tips for overcoming it? I’d love some suggestions…

 

 

 

New Column on Everyday Family.com

Part of our alliance with Everyday Family TV included an invitation to write a blog column for their website. I’m excited to join a host of talented women, and add my voice and perspective on family life, travel, our trip, and anything else that inspires me. I’d love for you to join my journey. If you subscribe to our monthly newsletter I’ll include the links to these posts so you can stay updated on what’s happening at Watts in the World.

If you’d like to read my first post, you can check it out HERE.

Here’s a tidbit….

I turned 40 some months back, and hitting that milestone sparked a period of reflection for me that was headed in a bad direction. I began looking at my life’s accomplishments, and in some cases, lack thereof, and I started to spiral into a funk. It felt like such a cliché’, bemoaning my circumstances; the wrinkles & flabby body, my financial choices, the unfulfilled bucket list, etc. If I stayed there a moment longer, this might’ve turned into a post on plastic surgery or an expensive car purchase I’d just made.

Instead, I lay in bed one day and thought. I thought long and hard about what was most important to me. I asked myself a key question, “What one thing would I regret if I didn’t do it?” You probably have that one dream you’ve always wanted to make happen, right? Yeah, me too.  And once I was clear about that, I had to then answer, “What was I willing to give up in order to get that one thing?” This, my friends, is how our long term journey across the country in an RV was born.

Con’t reading

Water World: How to Beat the Heat in Denver, Colorado

Our family LOVES water parks! Since Water World was named one of the Top 10 Water Parks by the Travel Channel, we were anxious to experience it. A few weeks ago we were in Denver, Colorado for the Travel Bloggers Exchange conference, and we jumped at the chance to check it out. Having the opportunity to cool off at one of America’s largest family water parks, just as summer is starting to heat up, was perfect. With over  64 attractions and slides to choose from, we knew we were in for a day of fun.
       

 
There is a great section for small children in the Wally World and Big Top play areas that I would’ve loved when my kids were little. Since they are teens now, we headed straight over the thrill rides. Dino enjoyed racing Hannah and Hayden down the Turbo Racer, and being swished around like a toilet bowl in the Spacebowl. The Skyline Speed Slide is probably the biggest thrill, a 6 story plunge straight down. You can see the slide in the background here.

The newest thrill ride, The Mile High Flyer, opened just this month. Unfortunately it wasn’t open yet when we visited, but it sure appears to be the most cutting edge water ride to date. It’s the first hydromagnetic water coaster in the Rockies, which means the ride can ascend, not just descend with gravity, like regular water rides. I am excited to go back and try this one out!

I think Dino ad Hayden’s favorite attraction was Riding the Wave. It’s a wave simulator that you try to ride on a boogie board. It looks easier than it is, and rarely could a person stay on for more than a few seconds. The boys attempted at least a dozen times, and had some spectacular wipe outs each time. Ladies, be careful, many bathing suit pieces came off or down during a wipe out.


 

Sore and cold, but not defeated, Hayden decided to take a break and move on to the lazy river for a little bit.

Other highlights: The Wave Pool is usually a family favorite, along with the Lazy River.  I could spend the whole day just floating in a tube and staying cool.

A unique ride I’ve never seen before was the Zoomerang. It looks like a skateboard pipeline with a trickle of water flowing down the surface to create a hyrdoplane experience as your tube sails back and forth. Now that’s an intense thrill.

There are many positive features about Water World, but here are some of my top picks.

Features worth mentioning:

  • Free, Tasty Water- The water fountains are equipped with filtered water that you can refill your own water bottles with, which eliminates the expense and waste created by buying bottled water.
  • Parking is free. While many parks and events charge enormous fees for parking, you are spared the extra expense at Water World.
  • Bring your own food. Picnics are welcome, so you are not held hostage to buying snacks, beverages and lunch inside the park. However, if you do eat at one of the food stands, the prices seemed within reason of what you’d pay at an amusement park. There are shaded picnic pavilions where you can eat your lunch
  • The All-You-Can-Eat buffet and soda fountain option that starts at $11.99 for kids, and $13.99 for adults. If you plan on being there for a full day this would most likely pay for itself.
  • Tube Rentals- During the busy season renting a personal tube is a timesaving option. It’s $5 for 1 or $8 for 2. There’s also a Valet service available to take your family tube (seats 4) to the top of the ride so you don’t have to carry it yourself. It’s $30 for the day. We didn’t use it, but worth looking into depending on your circumstances. If it’s not busy, personal tune rentals aren’t worth the extra expense, you can obtain them easily from the patrons exiting the ride.
  • Cabana rentals- If your budget allows, another option would be a private cabana with free wi-fi and a cooler or refrigerator for your drinks. Sounds like a  heavenly way to stay out of the sun and recoup between thrill rides.

Overall, the rides proved thrilling, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the facility and pools were clean. There was a great blend of families, and teen groups, and I felt safe and relaxed enough to let my kids wander around on their own for awhile. It’s open between Memorial and Labor Day, and if I lived closer, it would be worth getting a season pass for my kids to come with their friends.

I would recommend anyone wanting to beat the heat in Colorado to visit Water World in Denver and try out one of the best water parks in America!

 

For more information about Water World, go to: www.WaterWorldColorado.com

 

 

 

Disclosure: We were not paid for this review, however we were given free admission as part of Visit Denver’s promotion of the TBEX conference. The opinions expressed are our own, and not influenced by the park or it’s affiliates. 

Watt Family Top Travel Adventures- Part 1: Moab Utah

Moab Utah- August 2011

In an effort to document our travels both before the trip, and during it, I’m going to be sharing a series of posts based on our family travels so far, and in no particular order.

Also, I’m testing out a new way to make short videos. {Click on the link and let me know what you think!}

Watts in the World- Moab

Summer break is in full swing starting this week, and I’m sure many of you are thinking about ways to spend your time. I’m scouring the internet myself, looking for adventures that we would like to take.

I have a suggestion for you: Do you want to do something really fun, family friendly, educational and involves being out in nature?

Go to Moab!

The Arches National Park, Zions National Park  and Canyonland are some of the most awe-inspiring places I’ve been.

The red rocks, the unique arch formations, winding canyons and warm weather made this a great weekend for us.

Dino is not a hug lover of camping, hiking, and all things outdoors, so he usually complies out of his abiding love for me and the kids. He’s such a good sport, and has earned many brownie points over the years!

Disclaimer: August is probably not the best month to go. The Utah desert gets very hot, and we had to limit our hiking to the early morning and evening times to avoid full blown melt down from the kids.

The sunsets are a-maz-ing, and if you’re even remotely good with a camera, you’ll get some beautiful photos of some of the prettiest landscape in the U.S.

Note to self: Don’t try to take photos of tired cranky kids in the few minutes you are waiting for the sun to set, or you’ll get caught up in bribing them to smile and miss the sunset entirely!

One way to chose to cool off in from the scorching weather was to go on a 1/2 day river rafting trip. I had been when I was a teenager, but the kids never had. They loved it! Fortunately they are all good swimmers, love the water, and weren’t afraid of the rapids.


 Another tip: If you want higher rapids and a more advanced course, go earlier in the summer or late spring. The water is colder, but the rapids are bigger and faster because of the spring snow melt off.

In August the rapids were lower and slower, but the water was warm enough that the kids could jump out and swim/float along with the boats in between the rapids.

If you have young ones, or are nervous in water, go later in the season.

 

 Besides the large rafts that had a professional guide and the group paddled together, we had the option to travel in a 2 man kayak as well. There were only a few of them, and you had to paddle power it yourself, but they were a fun alternative as well.

One of the best parts of traveling is watching my kids make friends and adapt quickly in just about any situation.

We were initially grouped in a boat with only adults and my 3 kids. The other boat had all the families with teenagers.
Did that stop my girls? No way.
Within 30 minutes of getting their bearings, they jumped out of our boat, swam over to the “kid boat”, introduced themselves and asked if they could climb aboard.
Soon the older teens were showing my girls how to jump off the edge of the boat, do a flip, and land in the water. They were ecstatic!  They jumped, flipped, swam over, climbed back  in, and did it again. They repeated this cycle for at least an hour. They were in heaven.

It was a proud mama moment- watching my kids be outgoing, social, and take the initiative to solve their own problems.

They spent the rest of the day creating an instantaneous friendship with the other family. When we pulled out of the water for a lunch break was pretty much the only time we spent as a whole family. And surprisingly, I was ok with our “family quality time” being hijacked by an organic display of independence. They seized the moment. Spread their wings. And I was giddy just watching it all unfold.

That’s what I love about traveling- exposing my kids to new people, new experiences, and opportunities to grow and stretch themselves.

 

 

 

 

  Our weekend was full of gorgeous natural wonders of the earth, and educational opportunities.
It was full of fun and exercise and family memory making.
 But for me, this trip will hold a place in my heart for a different reason.

For me as a mother, this was the peek of what’s ahead. The beginning of my girls becoming women- independent, strong, courageous ladies who will go out and take on the world. And win.

Episode #1- Vegas, baby

In a moment of serendipity, Dino and I were invited to speak at a multi-level marketing conference in Vegas during the week of my kid’s spring break.

We headed down to Las Vegas, with kids in tow, to start documenting our travels over the weekend.

We wanted them to get used to being in front of a camera, and seeing our travels through a new lens.

We’ve cut together a first draft of our inaugural episode.

You can watch it HERE.

Enjoy!

And as always, if you like our content, please feel free to share it with your friends and networks.

Health & Happiness,

Dino & Shannon

JAMAICA- Where the seeds were planted




This is where it all began. Back in May of 2008, exactly 4 years ago this week, we embarked on our first international vacation as a family. With freshly minted passports in hand, and a single carry on suitcase, the kids were bursting at the seams to head off on our family adventure in  Jamaica. They were terrific travelers, and handled the long flight, long bus ride, and customs check in with ease. I was surprised and relieved that my kids were so adaptable and forgiving of all the bumps in the road that can happen while traveling.

We did the typical tourist route, we stayed in an all-inclusive Beaches resort in Ocho Rios for a week.

 

The girls go their hair braided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent hours upon hours at the beach, or at the pool. It was heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were spending intense quality time together as a family, and we weren’t getting sick of each other. Of course the environment we were in helped, but there was something magical about learning, playing, exploring new adventures together that made my heart sing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were having a lovely time riding banana boats, kayaking, and snorkeling daily. My kids didn’t spend much time with the other vacationers, they gravitated towards the staff & the locals. They were curious of the culture, the people, and what life was like outside of the resort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wanted to see more of Jamaica, but we weren’t brave enough yet to strike out on our own with little kids in a country we weren’t familiar with, so we opted for 2 off property expeditions. We wanted to go tubing down the river in the rain forest, which was in the middle of the island. As we were taken in vans about 2 hours inland, we got to see the “real” Jamaica. How the employees of the resort lived after they left their 9-5 job at the resort.

There were similarities to our life that my kids could identify with; children playing in the street, laughter, dogs barking, older men sitting on their porches watching the days activities. It was Sunday, and the sweet old ladies were dressed in their Sunday best, headed off to church. I will always remember they wore beautiful hats and white gloves, just like my mom did back in the 50′s. It felt like a flashback in time, to a generation I’d only seen in the movies. It was quaint, and I wanted to get out of the bus and go meet these people, and get to know them better. To spend a day in their life and see what we had in common, and what they could teach me.

And then their were aspects of Jamaica my kids weren’t expecting; like the poverty, and poorly dressed children in some parts of town. The half constructed homes of cinder block with no roofs on them that were occupied in spite of it. It was heartbreaking to them and they wanted to know why it was that way. Not knowing enough about the country to offer an intellectual response, I couldn’t give them an answer.  I wanted to know more myself.

The sites and sounds and food and people we encountered that week were new,  strange, delightful, and fun. It stirred a deep curiosity to see more, to do more for our global brother and sisters; both at home in America, and in other exotic places.

It was this experience that planted the seeds of more travel- more family experiences to uncover the beauty of this earth and its inhabitants.

When we came home we started planning a full time trip around the U.S. in an RV. We were already homeschooling, so education wouldn’t be a challenge. Dino was managing a large investment fund that would finance our travels. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

Then in the fall, the stock market crashed. Our investments were wiped out in the down turn of the economy.

Our travel dreams were squashed.

It took us a few years to rebuild our life, and during that time our dream lay dormant. The kids would often talk about Jamaica, and how they wished we could go back. Or at least travel somewhere new. The travel bug had bitten them as well, and they wanted to get out on the open road. Dino and I just couldn’t see how we’d make it happen. We’ve had a few trips since then, Bahamas, Cancun, Southern California,  and other domestic jaunts, but none have quenched the thirst for long term exploration.

As we were building up our business, we met someone in our same field of work as a coach and author, and she was living our dream of full time RV life with her family. She gave us some tips of how we could do it as well. Immediately the spark was reignited. This time it wouldn’t be extinguished.

The more research I did, the more confidence I got. The resources available online are amazing. People are so generous with their information and support. We could see a path for making this lifestyle a reality.

Our dream became non-negotiable.

The seeds planted back in 2008 in Jamaica had sprouted in our minds, and the roots grew deep into our hearts.

We had to convert our dream into reality. And so our journey begins.

Do we have all the details narrowed down? No. Do we have all the funds secured? No. Does it feel extremely vulnerable to announce your cause-movement-advneture to the world without all the answers? Absolutely. And yet here we are. Unable to contain our passion, we are declaring our intention and come what may.

A lot has happened in our lives since May 2008, but one thing has remained a constant, when we align ourselves with our passion, God works out the details. We are in his hands from now until departure day.