Travel 226

Family Travel to South Africa- Lion Sands

Back in February, we took the kids to South Africa and spent about two weeks on game drives during an African Safari.

Which means we completed number five on our 30 before 30 list!

Here is a recap of our trip:

Johannesburg
Madikwe Safari Lodge
Our First Game Drive
Aram’s Epic Illness During the Trip
Kids’ Safari Fun
Cape Town Escape
Winelands
My Cape Town Birthday
Back on Safari at Sabi Sands
The Magic of Safari

Here are my tips … Keep Reading!!!

Couple’s Getaway: Carmel Cottage

We love Carmel and my parents’ cottage.

The boys had a mini-vacation with my parents and Brian and I went to the family cottage.

… Keep Reading!!!

My Birthday in Cape Town

I spent my 27th birthday in what has now become one of my very favorite cities in the world.

I woke up to a completed 27th year to discover Aram was on the road to recovery from his epic illness, which was the best present I could have asked for. We made our way to breakfast at More Quarters to find a tower of handcrafted cupcakes (complete with edible sparkles) waiting for us at our table, with a note … Keep Reading!!!

Exploring the Winelands in South Africa

Early on in our trip, we decided to have a company take us on a few tours around Cape Town. Our first stop was to The Winelands.

We had lunch in Franschhoek (some us ate, some of us took the time and shopped)…

And finally we ended at the Cheetah Outreach where we all learned about this breed of dog (Anatolian Shepherd) that is helping save the cheetah.

We also were given the opportunity to pet the cheetahs in … Keep Reading!!!

Cape Town: More Quarters Review

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived in Cape Town. Many people have told me it is their favorite city in the world, but there were others, (who maybe have never visited) who were telling us how dangerous the city was and that we needed to be very careful.

When we landed, I was surprised how much Cape Town looked like various parts of California. I saw Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Napa, and other … Keep Reading!!!

Madikwe Safari Lodge Review (Game Drives)

We arrived to the beautiful Madikwe Safari Lodge and were escorted to our bungalow to freshen up. You can see more pictures of our room and our review of accommodations here.

Well, what can one expect on game drives?

The day we arrived at the lodge we were eager to go on a game drive. We took in the views from our room, splashed water on our faces, and rushed back to the common space to meet for tea … Keep Reading!!!

Madikwe Safari Lodge Review (Accomodations)

After about a five hour drive from Johannesburg, we made it to Madikwe Safari Lodge (very close to the border of Botswana).

This was the first stop for this trip and we were all eager to see animals…really any animals. From the moment that we entered the Madikwe Safari Lodge border we were welcomed by hundreds of animals. On just the drive up to camp, we saw right next to our vehicle: elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, wildebeests, and many many … Keep Reading!!!

Carmel-by-the-Sea

We decided to spend this weekend in Carmel!

A big part of my childhood was spent there, so I love going back.

Carmel Then:

Carmel Now:

We do encounter one problem. The men in my family (and the ones we marry) tend to be abnormally tall, and the houses in Carmel are built for abnormally small people.

Eating is one of my favorite things to do, and some of the best restaurants are in town.

We met my … Keep Reading!!!

Traveling With Kids and Keeping Your Sanity

Traveling with kids is never easy. Sometimes it’s nearly unbearable. The only thing that seems to make it worthwhile is knowing that, eventually, there’s a destination that marks the end of the trip and finally eliminates the endless refrain of “are we there yet?”.

Thankfully there are some ways to help make trips (a little bit) more tolerable. However, unless your plan includes pediatrician-approved doses of Benadryl, it usually requires a little bit of work on your part. Here are … Keep Reading!!!

List of the 7 Best Food Trucks in Orlando

Orlando is a great family vacation destination; after all, with Disney World and Universal Studios, there’s so much to do in this great Florida city.

Part of any great family vacation is the food, and when you’re out and about finding an amazing restaurant isn’t always easy. That’s why we put together this list of food trucks in Orlando. They offer great food while you’re on the go seeing the city sights. So whether you’re staying at the Holiday… Keep Reading!!!