Disney Land Paris

We started off our family vacation with a trip to Disney Land Paris.  A lot of people were surprised but those that truly know us understand that we may have an addiction to Disney.  In overall size, I would compare more closely to Disney Land California but after spending a few days there, we loved this as much as we do our local parks.  It was nice seeing some of the experiences of the past such as Lights, Motors, Actions Stunt Spectacular along side experiences that are coming to Florida in the near future like Ratatouille.  Here is everyone’s opinion of this specific Disney Park.

Chad – I really enjoyed the time spent at Disney Land Paris.  Overall, it is a well designed and themed amusement park.  One of my favorite rides there was Ratatouille where they “shrink” you down to the size of a mouse.  I am looking forward to the day that this opens in EPCOT.   I also really enjoyed Crush’s Coaster.  A coaster with some good speed was fun for all to enjoy.  Overall, there are 2 parks on this property.  There is also a Disney Marketplace like the Disney Springs area in Florida but much smaller.  Plenty of neat souvenirs were up for grabs as usual but especially things that were specific to Disney Land Paris.  Overall, this wasn’t my favorite of the Disney Parks that I have visited but I would be glad to go again.  Plus, Sleeping Beauty’s castle has been my favorite that I have seen so far.  Stained glass window inside telling the story of Sleeping Beauty and the dragon underneath chained up but hoping to escape.

Ami – Disneyland Paris in some ways is very different from the Disney we are accustomed and in other ways very much the same park.  When first entering the area you must pass the security.  This security is for both parks and the free Disney Village.  I like that you only have to do security once and are still able to visit all three.  There are many rides that exist at other Disney Parks and some that are completely different.  We spent 4 days visiting the parks and that was plenty of time.  I loved the Crush Coaster, Tower of Terror, Ratatouille Ride, Sleeping Beauty’s castle, Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, and Pirates.  I was not impressed with the Indiana Jones Coaster or the Rockin’ Roller Coaster.  They made my head bounce around it caused it to hurt.  I felt Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was the best Disney Castle that we have seen thus far.  The Dragon underneath and the story told with stain glass and tapestries was enchanting.  Overall I very much enjoyed Disneyland Paris and look forward to going back. Next time, hopefully, both the Mystic Manor and Space Mountain are open.

John – It was amazing!  The Tower of Terror was in my opinion better than in California back when California had one, it wasn’t the worst when it came to being crowded, and both the parks where close together so you could easily walk to it.  For the rides they were all good, Armageddon was cool, and Crush was fun  as well.  Ratatouille was fine, and the Indiana Jones roller coaster was cool. Sadly though Hyperspace mountain was closed, as well as the Phantom Manner. Big Thunder Mountain was the best out of the three I have ridden, and Studio Tram Tour was awesome as well.  I could do an entire blog on just the rides.  The walk in attractions where also super cool.  The tree house wasn’t all that different from the one in Florida, but the Nautilus was my favorite walk in, and the dragon was cool too.  In all Disney Land Paris was an amazing part of our trip and I would like to go again. Sadly though, there is no free ice cream.

Josiah – I liked it.  There is a Crush Ride that is inside like Rockin’ Roller coaster.  I liked that it was really fast.  I also like the parachute ride in the Toy Story area.  It had rides that Disney World does not have.  The Pirates was better than in Disney World because it has the cats almost immediately.  I liked how Big Thunder Mountain goes under the water and comes up on an island.

Vienna House Dream Castle in Disneyland Paris

It has been a couple of weeks since we have published and this is because we were on an extended vacation.  Our next several blogs will be about portions of this trip slowly going through everything that we want to tell you about.  Most of what we write about are positive because any vacation is a great experience.  The majority of our trip was fantastic.  However, our first part of this trip was to stay at an off-property resort outside of Disneyland Paris.  The name of this resort is the Vienna House Dream Castle.  I will let everyone give you their opinion of our experience at this resort.

Chad – When we got to the resort, after a overnight flight to Paris, we were all pretty tired.  There were a total of 9 of us on this trip and we arrived in Paris at 10 AM Paris time.  We realized that the rooms wouldn’t be quite ready for us when we first arrived but we were surprised that one of our 2 rooms were available.  We took everyone upstairs and immediately started to notice vast differences between this resort and the off-property resorts in Disney World Orlando.  We had to ask them several times to fix the air-conditioning, a clogged toilet and when asking why the temperature in the “mini-bar” was about 70 degrees at the coldest setting, their response was a simple, it isn’t a refrigerator.  They did finally unclog the toilet after we were told that it was working about 4 times.  The good part of this is that our rooms came with free breakfast.  It was a large buffet of many types of breads, nutella, meats and cheeses and some other food items that were only OK.  Basically, you needed to eat bread and nutella to be happy at this meal which was alright for me.  This resort no longer offers breakfast as a part of the room fair so now people will have to pay for this meal, not worth extra money more than maybe twice on a trip.  We had to switch rooms half-way through the trip because there was a water leak in one of our rooms.  They shut off the electricity to the room even though there was food in the “mini-bar”.  If we ever do go back to Disneyland Paris, we are going to splurge on a Disney resort and no matter what, we will never stay at the Magic Castle again.

Ami – The hotel overall was just ok.  It was just a bus ride away from the park.  The deal we were able to get included free breakfast (this isn’t something you can always get).  The down sides of the hotel Chad has already mentioned.  If we were to go back to Disneyland Paris we would stay on property and not at this hotel.

John – It was fine for me.  As someone who didn’t have to (incapable of) pay for anything the hotel was fine.  I have a low standard when it comes to hotels as I just don’t like them.  But as hotels go my room was fine.  The first few nights I got a good sleep, which was probably partly because of the six hour time zone difference.  But I absolutely hated that they made us walk around the hotel multiple times after it rained one day because it “was leaking”.  Even though I saw no proof that it did. In all I thought it was fine other than the whole moving thing, and even though there was a buffet it had no free ice cream in it as far as I could tell.

Josiah – I liked this hotel.  The breakfast was good.  They had mini-games in the lobby that cost 2 Euros.  I liked that they gave me a bag of toys when we got there. I also liked the pool.  It wasn’t very deep, indoor not outdoor, had a slide, and a hot tub.  I didn’t like changing rooms.

Walt Disney World in the Rain

We live in the great state of Florida.  The Sunshine State for the majority of the time, mostly between September and May.  Then there are the summer months which are moving quickly to join us now.  The summer brings a different sort of weather to this fantastic state.  It brings our rainy season.  What does that mean?  Typically, it means that sometime between 2 and 4 PM, there will be a 15 minute thunderstorm.  However, like every state, we can also have our gloomy days where it will still be in the 80’s and just rain on and off all day.  How does the rain effect the parks?  That is what we want you to know in our personal opinions blog today.

~Let us know what you think about visiting Disney Parks in the rain!

Chad – I love going to the parks in the rain.  Why?  Mainly because the parks will clear out, even if it is for only a short period of time.  First off, the rainy season is during the peak months for the parks.  The summer has the largest crowds of the year and this means that it is harder to navigate, you have to wait longer in lines and people tend to be grumpier.  The grumpy part may also have to do with the fact that it is often over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.  Plus you are walking on these paths that are made of dark colored materials which kick up extra heat.  It often feels over 100 in any one of the parks.  This makes shade hard to come by and the wait for the water rides longer than ever.  Note – You can get free glasses of ice water at any of the snack bars that have a fountain machine.  When we get that rain, the temperature immediately feels better.  Most people run for cover under some kind of awning but getting wet makes you feel better and cools your body off.  Yes, we do run for cover as well but try to remember to bring a change of clothes to the park since we usually drive ourselves.  The second benefit is that when the rain starts, many guests leave the parks.  That means that crowds narrow and the lines get shorter.  The rain doesn’t scare me at the parks, as long as it is safe, they keep the rides going.  All outdoor rides shut down if there is lightening in the area but if they Disney feels it is safe, the rides keep going.  Many rides are enhanced in the rain including Splash Mountain.  So instead of running from the park when it begins to rain, sit back, relax and enjoy yourself.  It is only water after all.  If you want ice cream, you may want to keep the cone under some cover.

Ami – We always try to prepare for rain, especially during the summer.  As passholders, we drive to Disney World and home on the same day, which can be quite uncomfortable if you are soaked.  We pack extra clothes and flip flops that we leave in the car in case of rain.  We also carry a Ziploc bag to put phones into if it starts to rain.  It is also a good idea to purchase ponchos before hitting the parks.  Disney does sell these but they can be pricey.  We bought ours from WalMart for around $5 each a couple of years ago.  Another thing we have found is due to the heat, clothes dry quickly so if you get a little wet, it isn’t a huge problem.  Kids like to play in the rain and as long as they are not splashing other people, we have always let them go for it.  One of the downsides of the storms is that outdoor rides and parades will shut down.  On the plus side, many guests will leave, making the parks less busy.  Any day at Disney is fun day, just relax, remember you are on vacation, and jump in a few puddles.

John – For some reason, when I was told to write about Disney World in the rain my mind went straight to Magic Kingdom, I don’t know why it just did.  What park you are in, and how hard it is raining will depend on what rides get shut down.  For example, if you are in Epcot, Test Track will close by a sprinkle, but the indoor rides like Nemo won’t close unless special circumstances(obviously).  In animal kingdom Expedition Everest will close by heavy rain, and probably light rains.  To keep things short pretty much all the high speed outside rides, and outside roller coasters will close by light rain.  Any indoor rides will stay open by any not severe weather, pools close if there is lightning, and I don’t know about tower of terror as it is inside, but it has doors open that lead outside.  Also ice cream is not a good idea at any place outside during the rain.

Josiah – It is WET!!! I don’t mind getting wet so I like it.  I love the roller-coasters, outside or indoor.

Fort De Soto Park in St. Petersburg, FL

This week we are posting about a wonderful little gem in the St Petersburg, Florida area.  This state park has a great beach, camping, grills for cooking out, shelters to rent if you book early enough and a little historical gem of an old fort.  If you are looking for a great spring vacation and camping opportunity, you may want to look into this option.  If you are just visiting the St Petersburg area, this is a great place for a single day visit as the beach is less crowded than the major public beaches such as St Pete Beach or Clearwater Beach.  We have only visited during the day and haven’t camped so there is only so much that we can tell you.  Here is a link to the Pinellas County Parks page for more information about Fort De Soto park.  Image was taken from this link as well.  http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm 

*Note to bring cash as this is a state park and there is a fee for entry.

Chad – We have been to this park twice over the last couple of years.  The first time was with an event for my work.  We rented a shelter and was able to walk down to the beach, play various beach games and had a great time overall.  I enjoyed the beach because it had the soft white sand that the St Pete and Clearwater beaches are known for.  The beach itself, even though it was a beautiful day, isn’t that busy at all.  Plenty of room for everyone to enjoy time and not be crowded with all the other people in the area.  We saw many wonderful animals including Horseshoe Crabs and a variety of birds and fish.  The second time that we visited was with Josiah’s school.  I was the cook at the grill and they have these really nice brick grills that are easy to use and are in great shape.  Not the typical metal grates that you see at most parks.  I didn’t get to see a whole lot as I was cooking for all the guests of the Tampa Day School, which I would also recommend.  However, everyone there was having a great time which says a lot about the park in and of itself.

Ami –  We most recently visited this state park with Josiah’s school, Tampa Day School, for a school wide picnic.  The school had reserved shelter number 5, which was close to the beach but also close to a small park, bathrooms, and a small store.  I felt like the beach was less crowded than the overwhelming crowds we see at Clearwater Beach.  Additionally, it was nice to have a picnic area to eat so that our food did not get sand in it (a huge pet peeve of mine).  The bathrooms were well maintained and I felt the area was very safe.  I  would love to come back here and camp with the kids and explore the fort.  Overall, it was a great day.  We didn’t have ice cream but the shop did offer what looked to be tasty ice cream treats.

John – It was a nice beach, it has soft sand, and the water feels good too.  It is not the place to go if you are looking for large waves, but it might be good for body boarding.  The shelters seemed sturdy and well taken care of.  Plus they had a small store that also had food like hot dogs, and ice cream; sadly though the ice cream was not free. 😦

Josiah –  We went there for Tampa Day School picnic event.  This place is a beach and has a park.  The school brought hot dogs, burgers and other yummy food.  This park is AWESOME!!!  They have a gift shop where I bought some goggles to play with in the water.  They have a snack bar in the gift shop that sells hot dogs and slushies.  They will allow you to bring your beach water toys if you want.

Walt Disney World – Blizzard Beach

First off, as I am starting to write this, I want to apologize about the fact that we have been missing for the past two weeks.  I make no excuses and want to make it known that we will strive to improve upon the writing frequency to maintain the interest we may draw.  April wasn’t a very busy travel month for us as we all stayed together the last few weeks.  However, this didn’t stop us from taking advantage of our passes at Walt Disney World by going to one of the 2 water parks on the property, Blizzard Beach.  Yes, I know that many people were still facing snow in early April, including my parents, but here in Florida, we had a perfect day to enjoy Blizzard Beach.  This is as close to snow as I really want to get.  With the temperature in the low 80s, we were ready to slide, glide and float our way into having a lot of fun.  Here is our personal feedback of this fun park.

Chad – Blizzard Beach is an enjoyable water park and the theme is done wonderfully as expected with Disney.  The story is that there was a miraculous blizzard in Florida so this alligator decided to start up his own ski resort.  Well, it is Florida so the snow didn’t stay long and now we have a water park to enjoy.  The great part to this water park is that it includes a ski lift to get to the tallest of the mountains here, Mt Gushmore.  This is where you will find the fun family raft slide Teamboat Springs, which is always a blast.  You will also find the tallest water slide in Disney, Summit Plummit which no one in our family has braved as of yet.  Note: I will the day one of my children will do it :).  There is a section for the littlest of tikes as well as kids under 12 where they can go down a small zip-line into a pool, climb across glaciers and take a couple of small water slides.  The kids enjoy this section but the older child is now too old for this area.  Sorry John.  My favorite ride in this park is the Toboggan Racers where you have many competitors, for bragging rights only, race down the slides to see who can get down first.  Hint, typically the heavier you are the faster you go so I typically win this race.  It is a blast and there are actually 8 people racing at a single time.  Picture at the top of the post is courtesy of: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/blizzard-beach/toboggan-racers/. Overall, I really enjoy my time at Disney’s Blizzard Beach and think that you will too.

Ami –  Blizzard Beach is my favorite of the two Disney water parks.  It feels as though there is more to do here.  Additionally, it has the better family ride in Teamboat Springs.  This family ride is faster and we have never been stuck waiting for ride stoppage.  Additionally, I love the toboggan rides.  The only issue I have, as a person who wears contacts, I am always afraid that I will lose one with the water rushing at my face.  This park also offers a really great kid’s area with a zipline and an obstacle course where kids walk on “ice”.  This was the last trip that our oldest could play in this area, it does have an age limit of 12 years old.  We usually make a half day out of this water park.  We like to get here at rope drop and stay 3-4 hours.  Then, we change and head to one of Disney’s other parks to finish our day.

John –  Blizzard Beach is one of the two water parks in Disney World.  It has fun rides and amazing stairs (I will get back to that later). The family rides are fun, and so are most of the solo ones, I haven’t ridden all of the rides.  The summit Plummit is the tallest and has a speed meter at the bottom for the other guests to see. Usually when someone goes down the speed meter is around 20 MPH.  Then the stairs are awful.  If you are there for exercise then just walk up the stairs to Summit Plumit and just skip Chair Lift. That is just a short summery of the water park but sadly there is not free ice cream, but there is ice cream in general.

Josiah – They have good pizza, ice cream, and lemonade.  They have a family water slide called Teamboat Springs.  I like sit with my family, guessing who has to go backwards.  I think it is the best when Mom goes backwards.  I also like joking that it gives me a butt massage.

Disney Cruise – Disney Magic Final Impressions

So here it is, our last post about the Disney Magic, at least for now.  Just for information, this past cruise was the 3rd time that my wife and I have sailed on the Disney Magic, but the first 2 times were for our honeymoon and 2 year anniversary.  Both of those times were when Disney Cruise Lines were still newer and only had their 2 original ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.  A few years ago, we cruised with Disney on the Disney Fantasy, the first time our kids we able to take a cruise vacation.  It was interesting to go back to the Disney Magic after many years and now we want to give you our overall impression of this ship. 

Chad – When you first get on a ship that is now 20 years old, it is hard to imagine what you are going to see.  You hear horror stories of cruising on old ships and seeing the disheveled look that these older ships seem to fall over time.  Even though there were signs of the age of the ship, overall, I thought that the ship was almost as beautiful as the first time my wife and I were able to sail the ocean, Caribbean, blue back on our honeymoon in 2003.  In many ways, the “ears” of experience made this sailing better than our first two on the Disney Magic.  The shows during the cruise were amazing, I always love to eat great food and the service is always top notch.  This cruise was a memory-making experience for our whole family.  It was also a memory evoking trip back to when we were younger.  The only thing that I can say negatively about this trip is that it wasn’t long enough.  After all, it was a 4-night cruise and not the 7-night cruise that we would prefer.  If I were to rate the Disney Magic on a 4-star scale, it would get an overall score of 3.75 stars.  Slight signs of aging that will hopefully be fixed during the refurbishment that they just received.  I can’t wait to get back on board myself.

Ami – Overall, I enjoyed the Disney Magic.  This is the ship we have been on the most because it happens to match our wants at the time of booking.  The food, shows, and service are fantastic.  I can’t wait to try the new Tangled themed restaurant when we board this summer.  Our most recent cruise on the Disney Magic, we were only on board for 4 nights and it just did not feel like enough time.  I also felt that some of the ship needed extra attention and was showing its age.  However, neither of these would keep me from booking another vacation on the Disney Magic.

John – I believe the magic is an amazing ship. It and the Fantasy are the only ships I have been on, and both are amazing.  Pirate night is amazing the first time, but you need to get there early and DO NOT LAY ON THE GROUND during to show.  All the stage shows are amazing, and so are some of the side shows.  The lunch is amazing and so are the destinations.  And of course, the ice cream is free.

Josiah – The ice cream, the slides, and the movies. The ice cream will fill you up.  The slides are super fun! The movies are the best.

Disney Cruises – Disney Magic Food

Since we took last week to discuss the entertainment aboard the Disney Magic, we decided that we would take this week to discuss the delicious food that we all enjoyed throughout our cruise.  If you read our post last week, I think that we can all guess that the Ice Cream is going to be a popular topic today.  However, we will let everyone make their own decisions so that you can see what everyone has to say about the Food on this Magical ship.

Chad – I LOVE THE FOOD on the Disney Magic.  One of my favorite aspects of a cruise is that most of the things that you want to eat on board is complimentary.  In other words, I paid for it at the beginning so that I don’t have to budget for it during the cruise.  The rotational dining has many great meal options that I don’t eat when I am at home.  Plus, I take advantage of the buffet at the breakfast and lunch throughout the voyage.  However, one of my favorite things is the specialty restaurant, Palo, on board.  Unfortunately, there is a surcharge for this but it is reasonable considering the quality of the meal.  The options for brunch in Palo is wonderful.  Plus you do get to order from the menu at no extra charge.  I had the chicken parmigiana and yes, Chicken Parm you taste so good. 🙂  The main fact about the food is that there is not a reason to ever be hungry on the ship.  With great options for everyone, even those on special diets, you can always find food available.  I enjoyed the burgers and brats at Pete’s Boiler Bites, the Pizza at Pinnochio’s and the ice cream all poolside.  However, beyond the quality of the food that is being served, you can’t beat the Disney service provided by all the staff on board.  During the rotational dining, your servers move restaurants with you so they get to know your family.  It is a wonderful part of the cruise that elevates Disney to a higher level each and every time.

Ami –  From the moment you step onto the Disney Magic you are surrounded by food.  The cruise starts with a fantastic buffet.  We try to get the earliest embarkation time we can get and then once on board we  head straight for the buffet.  As more people embark, the buffet gets more crowded.  During the cruise, there are many options for food.  My favorite was the Gyros available at Pete’s Boiler Bites.   Dinner is in one of the three restaurants that are rotated through.  Animator’s Palette is my favorite.  I love how everything begins in black and white and then throughout the meal changes to full color.  I could go on and on about the food aboard the Disney Magic.  One thing to keep in mind is that while soda is free from the soda fountains, if you order it with room service, you will need to pay.

John – The food on the Disney Magic is amazing!  With the menu at even the non-dinner restaurants having the best in the world(the dinner is better though).  For lunch my favorite is the lamb.  For breakfast and lunch you can go to a buffet too.  It has so much food that I bet you haven’t heard of at least one of the meals.  Of course all the stops have amazing food too.  And of course so I can beet everyone(I was the first to write again), they have fantastic free ice cream.  The ice cream is chocolate, vanilla, and different special flavor that is different everyday(at least on out four day cruise).

Josiah – I enjoyed the chicken fingers at dinner.   In the buffet, they had crab legs that I enjoyed.  I like the Ice Cream a lot.  We ate in the buffet for breakfast as well where I got to eat doughnuts, Mickey waffles and cereal.  I ate ice cream for lunch on a couple days.

Disney Cruises – Disney Magic Entertainment

Our family enjoyed a wonderful 4 Night cruise on the Disney Magic this past January.  If we tried to take a single post to write about the whole trip, it would be a very long post.  Instead, we decided it would be best to break this out over a couple of different posts.  Today’s post is about the Entertainment on board the Disney Magic and as usual, from our each unique perspectives.

Chad – Cruising is my favorite vacation and Disney does it in the same way that they do everything else, Right.  The entertainment on board was fantastic.  As much as I enjoyed Tangled, The Musical on board, I was surprised that Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story was probably my favorite.  However, I did thoroughly enjoy Disney Dreams as well during our stay.  All of their theatrical performances and actors are amazing to say the least.  However, for a short late night show, I really enjoyed when they turned O’Gills Irish Pub into the Ugly Duckling from the movie Frozen.  Yes, I know, Disney makes a ton of money off that movie several years later but when the actors came out and played a game of Thug Bingo with you, it was a funny and enjoyable hour.  I also enjoyed watching new releases in the movie theater with the kids right before bed.  Great way to calm down at the end of a busy day.  Overall, I was entertained no matter where or what we were doing.  Even when playing Bingo.  After everyone else made their notes, mine wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention the complimentary ice cream available on the pool deck. Different flavors every day.

Ami – We have sailed two of Disney’s four ships: the Disney Magic and the Disney Fantasy.  I have always felt that the offerings of Disney have been amazing.  The musicals were absolutely fantastic.  Disney Dreams was by far my favorite, as it searched for the child in all of us.  Disney also brings on board acts from around the world.  We were lucky enough to be entertained by both Buckets & Boards and Junnk.  These  percussionist groups use objects from around the house to play music.  If you are seeking to be entertained, the daily Cruise Navigator has everything listed and every day is jam-packed with things to do.  Don’t worry though, if you want to kick back and do nothing, you can do that too.  My favorite thing is sit in a pool chair, read, and eat the yummy complimentary ice cream while the boys swim.

John – The Disney Magic is an amazing ship that has a lot of fun things to do. On the four day cruise there was one show per day, with multiple showings.  There was a night for pirates on deck, and fireworks at sea. Plus the Edge room where I could go to as my brother and parents can’t.  There were a lot of channels on the T.V., and one of them is the front of the ship where you can see other ships at port, or the water as we sail.  And of course, just so I can beat Josiah, the ice cream is free (I was the first to write).

Josiah – In the Oceaneers Club and Lab, you can sail a ship as in a video game including one of the Disney Cruise Ships.  You can also go down a slide in Andy’s Room.  I enjoy the Free Ice Cream.

Why do we love to travel?

As a family, we go to a lot of different places. Part of this is because we live in Florida and others is because we love the idea of traveling. For our first family post, we are each going to tell you why it is that we love to travel. What Travel means to each of us individually.

Chad – To me, travel is more than just time away from work. It is an opportunity to learn about new parts of the world. An opportunity to make yourself a better person because you get to see different cultures directly and how they interact with the world. However, the most important part about this is the time that is spent with my family experiencing something new. Sometimes travel is a trip down the road to the beach or the trip may be on a Caribbean cruise. Either way, we get to take the time together and enjoy the opportunities that have fallen before us. These experiences create memories that last a lifetime. For example, when taking our children on their first ever Disney Cruise, John had brought his stuffed bunny rabbit with him. We worked with him to make a small book of the Bunny’s adventures for a Spring Break assignment at his school. We got pictures of this bunny in various places during our trip such as St. Augustine, Florida, on the Disney Cruise ship and in various Caribbean ports along the way. Whenever we see these pictures pop up, it reminds us of the fun trip we had that particular year. That is what travelling brings to me. Memories that I will have forever.

Ami – I love to travel because I get to leave my everyday life behind. I get to forget the dishes and the laundry and the lesson plans for work. I enter a bubble that is just my family. When we travel we reconnect with not only who we are as a family but also who we are as people. I love seeing the world through my children’s eyes. They see things that I often miss and remind me to relax.

John – Traveling, for me is not really the trip to get there; it is the destination. I enjoy all the rides at the amusement parks,the amazing and iconic locations, and the spacial foods that you may not get anywhere else. But plane rides, and especially car rides are not my favorite things; and hotels, I don’t get much sleep in but when I am out and about, that is what I like.

Josiah – I love to travel because on cruises you get free ice cream and the different foods you can get. You can also have a lot of fun riding roller coasters and riding down water slides. Getting to spend time with my family more than usual because we are always busy.

As you can see, we all have reasons why we love to travel but the one consistent topic is that we are together.  Travel means a lot to our family and we will continue to tell you how we feel about various places we go, things we see and things that we want to do.  Each post will have all four of our opinions so you can get feedback from us in various stages of our lives.  Feel free to make comments on your opinions and if you have a question for us or would like for us to discuss a particular topic, let us know.

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