Things I Never Did Before Travel
Travel opens up numerous opportunities to explore new lands and new parts within ourselves. Each new adventure we embark on changes us in small ways. I’ve been mentally cataloging some of the ways our family’s small, daily tasks have been altered by full-time RV travel. Life inside a rolling 36 foot box can’t, and shouldn’t be, the same as living in a bricks ‘n sticks back home.
Here’s just a few of the things I’ve been reflecting on this week.
Before travel I never:
Thought about Finite Resources-
Of course when I lived in a house I tried to be mindful of how much energy or water I was consuming so that I didn’t have to pay a high utility bill, but I never thought about it in terms of their being a limit to it. The RV has a finite amount of water it can hold, and electricity is only available if we buy it (stay at an RV park) or run our gas generator, which we can only store a few gallons at a time.So we quickly became aware of how much we use on a daily basis and we’ve grown accustomed to the quirky changes our daily routines have made.For example:
- Amps have their limits. Usually we have to turn off most the lights to run the microwave or blow dry our hair. AC won’t work off a battery. I know more about kilowatt usage, and acceptable power payloads than any other mom I know.
- Water is precious commodity- 5 showers and 1 round of dishes will completely fill up our grey tank, so sometimes we shower every other day to stretch out our water tanks. Every time we wash our hands or flush our toilets, we are consciously aware that we are that much closer to needing to find a dump/fill station.
- Free wifi is a premium-We try to only use our portable WiFi hubs for work or online school, so we are constantly on the hunt for free wifi we can use for recreational surfing, watching TV online, etc.
- Laundry- Machines aren’t always available, so we can’t just throw a load in whenever. We’ve learned to wear things more than once, or make sure it is indeed dirty before haphazardly throwing it in the dirty clothes basket.
- Sewage. Not a pretty subject, or something I ever thought about back home. I just knew when I flushed it went off to some faraway place that I never had to worry about it. Now that we are in charge of disposing of it in designated places, we’ve become keenly grateful of modern plumbing, and empathetic of those who live in worse sanitation circumstances than this.
Used public resources regularly
Living in a traditional home we are more autonomous and self-contained. Being on the road we’ve needed to rely on outside resources to get some of our needs met.
- laundry mats- Never used them before, but are a great way to get 6 loads done at once. Not as scary as I’d perceived, and met some really nice people in them.
- parking lots- Didn’t realize people slept in store parking lots, or that I’d be joining them several nights each month.
- campground showers- Showering in a public bath house would’ve been at the very bottom of my comfort list before full-time travel. But now, it’s the only time I get to linger in hot water and take the time to shave my legs. (remember the limited RV water?)
- library- Sure I went occasionally to pick up books for my kids, but I never hung out there. Now, we frequent them in order to get school work done or print stuff off the computer.
- Chain stores-(starbucks- B&N, Apple store, McDonalds) Once again I’d only visit these placed if I had something specific to buy, but now they are staples in our weekly schedule as they offer free wifi and it’s sometimes easier to spread the kids out in a more spacious environment, and let them tackle their work load. They’ve become good at self-monitoring their learning and schedules.
An unexpected side benefit of our travels is that I believe these experiences have made them more adaptable and resourceful perhaps than their same-aged counterparts. When the time comes I’m confident they’ll be ready for college, missions, voluntary service, marriage, travel and whatever the future holds for them.
Grateful for the really small things
- Quarters- I never gave a second thought to loose change before now, but quarters have become a precious commodity in our household. Between laundry and toll roads, quarters pass through our hands like water. Finding one in my the bottom of my purse is as delightful as discovering a treasure chest.
- Streets w/o low branches- Visually, I love driving down tree-lined streets and basking in the beauty of the mature trees. As co-pilot of a 13 ft. tall vehicle, it can be a nightmare navigating through streets riddled with low hanging branches that are begging to rip through the roof of the RV. I thank the heavens every time we turn down a residential street that’s open and clear.
- Towns w/o low bridges- Growing up in the Southwest it’d never occurred to me that low bridges would become my biggest nemesis once we crossed into the Mid-west and East coast. Most of our travel nightmares have been caused by low bridges, so I say a silent prayer of gratitude in each city we don’t have to worry about clearance issues.
- Tires- They are an unglamorous part of any vehicle, but the work horse in any situation. We’ve put ours through a lot- Numerous surfaces, weather conditions, and situations. Usually they come out ok, but after 23, 000 miles, 4 flat tires and a cracked rim, I’ve come to appreciate and think about them more now than ever before. Tires are my friends!
These are just some of the ways my awareness levels have been raised through our travels. Each adjustment has brought it’s own teaching moment, and I’m grateful for what traveling has taught me and given my family.
What are some things you’ve done, or do now, that you never did before traveling? I’d love to hear your responses!
Why the Arizona Meteor Crater Rocks…
The Barringer crater been touted as “The best preserved meteor crater on earth”, and I hoped my kids would find it a worthwhile stop. Luckily the weather held out and we were able to visit northern Arizona on one of the few weeks it wasn’t snowing in February.
Admission tickets get you access to not only the meteor crater impact site, but to a guided tour along the rim as well. Our guide, Eduardo, was funny, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the crater and surrounding area. He made the tour interesting as well as educational. continue reading
Our visit to the enchanting Hearst Castle
14 Fascinating Facts about Hearst Castle
I have a confession. I was born and raised in California, and I’d never visited the iconic Hearst Castle before I moved away 6 years ago. Since our travels are taking us down the Pacific Coast Highway, I was determined to stop in San Simeon and visit the legendary home of the extravagant media mogul, William Hurst. What I didn’t realize is how fascinating of a story his life, and his home would be.
The visitor center and tour guides have so much information available, there’s no way to take it all in in just a day. Here are just a few of the facts I found fascinating about Hearst Castle.
- He was an avid art collector, and his passion was inspired when his mother took him to Europe for 18 months when he was a boy. His collection is worth millions today, one piece is worth $10 million just by itself.
- Much of his collection was acquired after WWI when European towns were selling off parts of buildings that were damaged in the war. He was the largest single collector outside of museums.
- He picked the spot on the hill to build the house because his dad used to bring him up there as a child on horseback, and it’s his favorite piece of the 250,000 acres he inherited.
- He hired Julia Morgan, one of the 1st women architects of her time, to design the house with him. They worked together for 28 years.
- The house was never completed. One part or another was always under construction. The house still remains unfinished today.
- He preferred the quiet life of the ranch over “ high society”, but he had his newspapers flown in everyday from L.A. He had an airstrip built, and it remains still today.
- The house cost around 10 million to build, which is surprisingly lower than it looks with all the details and original structures he had shipped over from other parts of the world, and how many times he had things torn down and redone.
- The Neptune pool was ripped out and redone 3 times. It now holds almost 350,000 gallons of water, and has real Grecian ruins surrounding the perimeter.
- There are 3 large guest houses on the property. He lived in one during the construction of the main house.
- He had 10 large homes all over the world, this wasn’t the biggest.
- The temperature can change up to 50’ from the coastline up to the top of the mountain. In the summer the coastal fog creates cool temperatures at the visitors center, but once you take the ride above the clouds to the main house on the hill, it’s hot and averages 20-30’ degrees warmer.
- The surrounding grounds are still a working ranch that the Hearst family owns. Although a big portion was donated to the state of California, it still remains one of the largest ranches today.
- The house was donated to the California State Park system in 1952. Hearst had moved out about 4 years prior due to ill health, and it remained empty for a number of years. Instead of selling off the estate in pieces, the family preserved it by working with the state of California park system.
- There was a zoo on the property. In fact, in it’s prime, it was the largest privately owned collection of animals in the country. The animals were sold off long ago, but the zebra were released on the land, and some of their descendants can still be seen mingling among the cattle on the ranch today.
We only got to spend one day at the castle, and we could’ve easily spent a few more and still not get the full impact of Hearst’s legacy. However, I was very pleased at how much we learned in our short visit there. The visitor center has a very educational, entertaining IMAX movie about his life, which gave us a lot of context before we actually toured the house. The tour guide packed a lot of information into our 45 minute tour as well. As we toured the grounds, there are docents posted around the property, ready and willing to answer your questions and give you more detail into the history and legacy of the home and the man.
VISITOR TIPS:
1. Reserve your tickets in advance. Each tour is limited in the number of people that can go up the hill on the bus, and in peak seasons tickets might be sold out.
2. Go early in the day before the crowds swell and the weather gets hot.
3. The temperature can change dramatically, like I mentioned earlier, so dress in layers. Wear sunscreen and bring sunglasses or a hat as most of our time will be spent walking the grounds outside.
4. Bring your own food or snacks if possible. You can’t eat at the castle, but you can at the visitors center. They have some good food options there, but it’s pricey, like most tourist destinations.
If you’d like to know more history on the Hearst Castle, you can check out the Facts & Stats page.
A tour of the castle is a great blend of education and entertainment, making it a perfect family destination.
So the next time you are in central California, make sure to put Hearst Castle on your list of places to visit.
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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…
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Water World: How to Beat the Heat in Denver, Colorado
Watt Family Top Travel Adventures- Part 1: Moab Utah
What’s new at the Denver Zoo
New Column on Everyday Family.com
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!}
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.
One of the best parts of traveling is watching my kids make friends and adapt quickly in just about any situation.
It was a proud mama moment- watching my kids be outgoing, social, and take the initiative to solve their own problems.
That’s what I love about traveling- exposing my kids to new people, new experiences, and opportunities to grow and stretch themselves.
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.
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Water World: How to Beat the Heat in Denver, Colorado
What’s new at the Denver Zoo
The Tao of Scissors & my pursuit of minimalism
10 Reasons to Travel NOW with your Kids
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.
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Road Trip Tips for Traveling with Kids
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