Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there hasn't been a lot of travel this year outside the house, let outside the country. Like many, we have been staying home as much as possible, working and taking classes remotely, and postponing gatherings with extended family and friends. ​​Early in February 2020, however --  without realizing the scope of the impending crisis -- we embarked on a trip to the other side of the globe, all the way to Thailand.  At the time, we knew about the new viral threat  and seriously considered cancelling our trip, but cases of the covid variant reported outside of China were still relatively low and there were no travel restrictions on U.S. travelers. Ultimately, we decided to prepare as best we could and go for it. Little did we know it would be the final weeks before the world changed forever.

With one suitcase dedicated almost entirely to masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes, our family of five boarded the world's longest non-stop flight from Newark to Singapore (9,537 miles; 18h 30m), with a connecting flight to Bangkok (876 miles; 2h 30m).  [Watch the globe spanning  flight path in the inflight video we recorded below.]  

A year earlier when we planned this trip we assumed the most difficult part would be the length of the flight -- but we were wrong. Given the amount of time our kids can play video games and watch TV, mixing in some sleep and several meals was not a big stretch for Generation Z. For myself, it was a welcome chance to be still -- sort of like being in a sensory deprivation chamber with room service. I read, napped, and caught up on the latest movie releases.  ​We've had some rough flights with the kids, but this wasn't one of them. In fact I was downright relaxed and optimistic as we flew into the warm skies over Singapore's shipping lanes. 

On landing, however, it became quite clear that travel had become serious business and that our main source of stress would not be the length of the journey, but the possibility of being exposed to covid. Although it was still early days, Southeast Asia was among the first regions to bear the brunt of the virus. Temperature checks, masks, and hand sanitizing stations seem normal to us all now, but when we landed in Singapore last February the necessary precautions were both unnerving and reassuring at the same time. Clearly, concern for health and safety was going to be an integral part of the entire trip. Where possible, we avoided crowds and public transportation and spend most of our time outside of the city.

I'll write in more detail about our trip in later posts, but ​in sum-- thankfully -- the travel gods were with us and once we had safely arrived in Thailand we had one of our best family adventures ever. We explored Bangkok's temples, feed elephants in a remote jungle camp, paddled canoes through mangrove forests with monkeys overhead, and explored limestone cliffs along the coast of Krabi, We didn't realize it at the time, but memories of those sun-filled days of adventure would help get us through the darkest days of 2020. 

While we were fortunate to have come through our trip and the rest of 2020 without COVID catching up with us, we did not escape the year unscathed. As we all struggle to recover and find some normalcy in our lives again, our trip to Thailand remains a sliver in time where we were blissfully unaware of all the ways life could unravel. ​Until travel is possible again, we look back in awe on a time when it was still safe to connect with the world offscreen. Hopefully in 2021 we will all get there again.  Until then stay safe and well!

 

​1. Please tell us a little about yourselves and your family and where you’ve traveled together as a family. 

We are AJ and Natasha, originally from India, but now live in Charlotte, NC. After many years of climbing the corporate ladder, we decided to take a break and travel. We have now traveled to 6 continents, 44 countries and 115 destinations as a family, including an incredible 8-month trip across the world when our son was almost 2-years old.

2. How has traveling changed the most since you became parents? 

Traveling as parents is very different. We used to be able to pack everything in a carry-on but now I have to pack a lot more. Also, the pace is slower, you need to bake in time for toddler tantrums, snack breaks and toilet runs.

3. Babies seem to need a lot of stuff at home.  Do you have any packing tips for traveling with a baby or toddler, including any essential items or items you wish you had just left at home? 

Babies and toddlers do need a lot but strollers and car seats have come a long way. Also, people tend to overpack; you can in most places buy diapers and baby food. Depending on your destination try to take only the essentials: travel stroller, travel car seat (our foldable one is our favorite), travel bassinet (you can get these at hotels and AirBnbs also, check ahead), some food (formula or favorite snacks), a few toys and clothes.

4.  Which countries or cities have you found to be particularly family friendly? 

Spain is our favorite country for family travel; they have parks everywhere and the restaurants are so chill about having little kids running around. But in general, we've found most countries around the world to be pretty accommodating for kids and families.

5. What was your family’s most relaxing vacation together and what made it so?

We ended our 8 month trip with a resort vacation at Panama City and it was beautiful. Beach vacations with the family are the most relaxing with family especially little kids since the beach and the pool are such great activities. 

6. What was your family’s most challenging adventure or mishap?

You can't travel with kids or in general and not have a small mishap; however, our most challenging adventure as a family was definitely Galapagos. These islands off of Ecuador are definitely not child-friendly and they are hard to travel to. We had a lot of luggage since it was part of our 8 month trip and going from one island to another in those little boats was not fun. We definitely managed and it is one of our favorite places but definitely don't recommend it with little kids.

7. What resources do you use to research and plan your trips?

Google flights for finding destinations, Tripadvisor for planning a trip. At the destination, we love talking to the hosts at Airbnbs and going on a free walking tour to figure out what to do and talk to the local guides.

8. What type of lodging has worked well (or not so well) for your family when you are on the road (hotel, AirBnB, apartment-hotel, camping, motorhome, etc?)

We love staying in AirBnbs, it is definitely our favorite, especially with kids. You can get more space and it is home away from home. You can live in the center of any destination for a cheaper price and the hosts are a great resource to get to know the local flavor of the city. 

9. When you first arrive in a new place what are you most excited to do the first day?

First day is to settle in and to get situated. As mentioned above, we are generally most excited to look up local walking tours to get a first glimpse of the new place. We also find the free walking tours because it's free and we've found the guides are generally better.

10. Where would you next like to go and why?

There is still so much we want to see. One of the places we most want to see is Brazil; we have been to South America but have missed on this gem and definitely want to visit. We want to revisit South East Asia since those countries so have so much depth and culture. The more places we visit, the more we want to see. 

On a recent trip to L.A., we had just one day to make our daughter's Disney dreams come true, so it was important to maximize our time there.  Although I've probably visited Disney in Orlando and Paris about 20 times, it had been a decade since my last visit to a Disney park and a lot has changed since then.  In my opinion the best change by far has been the addition of MaxPass.  

MaxPass basically turbocharges your FastPass so that instead of having to make an in person reservation at a FastPass kiosk, you can do it all from the Disneyland App.  I'm sure this saved us miles of walking back-and-forth and enabled us to book as many popular FastPass attractions as possible. How it works is this: on popular designated rides MaxPass enables you to make a reservation on the Disneyland App for a specific return time that lets you skip the long standby ride line and go through the shorter FastPass line. 

The other feature of MaxPass is that you get free Photopass downloads directly to your phone. Personally, I didn't want to memorialize the Splash Mountain pic of myself open-mouthed, squinty-eyed and wet ---no matter how much fun it was at the time -- but I can imagine if you were taking a lot of family pictures with characters or feel strongly about preserving your rollercoaster reactions, this feature might be appealing. 

In my opinion, with peak 1-day park tickets costing as much as $149 each, the additional $15 charge per person for MaxPass is a drop in the bucket (granted, a very big bucket). You can always utilize the regular FastPass at no additional charge, but if you are visiting the park during a busy peak day, MaxPass is one of the best ways to maximize the value of your visit.  As we progressed through the day I was mentally calculating how much each ride was costing us, and the more rides we made it onto, the lower the cost per ride. All said and done I believe we made it onto 20 rides (about $8 per ride).  Without MaxPass, we never could have hit so many rides, including popular ones like the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, Indiana Jones Adventure, Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain.

All that said, MaxPass may NOT be worth the added cost in certain circumstances. 

• On uncrowded days and early in the morning (e.g. Sunday at 8:00 a.m.), it generally isn't difficult to make it onto a lot of rides with or without MaxPass. 
• The higher MaxPass cost ($100) may not be worth it for season pass holders who can better control the timing of their visits.
• Also, if your family doesn't plan to do a lot of FastPass rides, you can probably use FastPass efficiently enough without MaxPass. This may especially be the case for families with elderly grandparents who can't dash from one ride to the next or younger children who aren't tall enough for the bigger rides.  Most FastPass attractions have a minimum height requirement of 40". The relatively few FastPass rides without this height minimum (Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, and Toy Story Midway Mania) probably do not justify the added cost of MaxPass.
• If you have a large family that is hard to coordinate, MaxPass may not be worth the extra hassle of getting everyone on the same ride at the same time. 

If your family includes a tight group of agile, tall-enough individuals with similar interests, MaxPass is the best way to maximize the number of popular rides you can get on in one day. There were just four of us on this trip: two parents and a 13 and 15 year old, so we had no trouble arriving early at breakfast time, staying for the fireworks, covering 12 miles, and making it on close to 20 rides. If you have younger kids, more days to spend, and more time to stop and smell the roses,  FastPass is more than enough to ensure all your Disney dreams come true. Above all, don't get so addicted to the thrill of the FastPass that you overlook non-FastPass attractions and experiences.  Use FastPass to ensure your place on the busiest rides and enjoy the rest of the time for what makes Disneyland special: sentimental old favorites in Fantasy Land, character encounters, memorable meals, and entertaining shows.  

Even if you live in the Washington D.C. area with access to the wonders of the National Air & Space Museum, a visit to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is awe-inspiring.  KSC is the real deal: a working spaceflight facility where spacecraft is being built, tested, and launched. With new virtual reality exhibits, astronaut encounters, and real rocket launches happening more and more often, KSC is entering a new age of space exploration that everyone can be excited about.

While in Cape Canaveral we were  also lucky enough to see an actual SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch -- a huge thrill and well worth doing if you can time your trip around it. Below is a view from the live feed, which we watched on an iPad simultaneously with our view from the ground. From our vantage point a few miles away the rocket looked a lot like a sun rising at night, accompanied by a low rumbling and roar.

​Tip: You can purchase tickets from KSC to view upcoming launches up close or you can get a good view from any of the space coast beaches or Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral. For more information see KSC's blog about viewing launches at https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/blog/03/how-to-watch-a-rocket-launch.  

​Even when there isn't a launch planned there are plenty of rockets to be seen like the immense Saturn V rocket (top) and the collection in the Rocket Garden (below). Standing beneath these giants is the best way to feel the enormity of the rockets and appreciate the effort it took to build and launch them into space.

Another highlight of the trip was seeing the retired space shuttle Atlantis which has its own building full of interactive activities. We especially liked experiencing what lift-off felt like for the shuttle astronauts in the Shuttle Launch Experience. What does lift-off feel like? Strapped into the simulator you will feel a very realistic bumpy, teeth-chattering roar upwards, but not to worry--it is not the kind of VR experience that drops your stomach on the floor. It's fun but not scary and is appropriate for kids. Tip: This is a popular attraction, so I recommend visiting it first before the lines get too long.

The kids also enjoyed other smaller VR exhibits that allowed them to "put on" a virtual pair of astronaut gloves and make repairs to a virtual space station.  For an even more realistic experience kids aged 10-17 can challenge themselves  with  Space Walk Training (30-45 min, $40), Mars Exploration Simulator Training (45-60 min, $40), or a full day Astronaut Training Experience (8 hrs, $175). 

Throughout the visitor complex, everything is modern, clean, and designed to keep your visitor mission  on track. Even lunch was relatively high-tech, with a streamlined computer ordering system in the Orbit Cafe and spacedot icecream outside. 

After lunch, the hot afternoon hours are the perfect time to settle into a space film in the IMAX Theater and then visit Journey to Mars, a presentation of what NASA is doing now to explore Mars with interactive games, simulators, and mock-ups of Mars rovers.

To top off the day, we took a bus tour of the facilities (included with admission) that brought us up close to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), which is one of the biggest buildings in the world, launch pads, 2 massive crawler-transporters, and the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Tip: Allow 2 hours for this tour. The bus ride itself isn't long, but it takes time to line-up for the busses coming and going and you will want to spend about an hour with the movie and exhibits at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. 

Now that the Apollo 50th Anniversary is approaching, there has never been a better time to visit. To celebrate the historic moon landing, KCS is planning new exhibits in the Apollo/Saturn V Center,  astronaut encounters, special events, and a ceremony in July. 

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is about an hour east of Orlando in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Partly to serve the large number of  cruise passengers sailing from Port Canaveral, there are a lot of reasonably priced hotels in the Coco Beach/Cape Canaveral area, but its also easy to make a day trip from the Orlando area. Recommended itineraries are included on KSC's website. To start planning your trip visit http://bit.ly/2QK718g or call 855.433.4210.  

This month, Royal Caribbean opened up a new private island, CocoCay, with a "Perfect Day" that has something for everyone in the family to get excited about. Last week we were lucky enough to be aboard the Mariner of the Seas, one of the first ships to visit the island.  Some cruise excursions and destinations have a reputation for long lines and crowded beaches, but this was not the case at CocoCay. At the time we visited there was just one other ship visiting  (Navigator of the Seas) with plenty of open space, beach chairs, tables, and few if any lines for the attractions or food.  

For  the kids, the big attraction was Thrill Waterpark with North America's tallest waterslide, the biggest wave pool in the Caribbean, and many more waterslides and attractions.  Admission to the waterpark was extra, but since only a certain number of passes were sold, there was rarely any waiting, which made it much more fun and a better value than a crowded waterpark on the mainland.  TIP: Since the limited number of Thrill passes sold out, I would recommend purchasing your passes in advance during one of the pre-cruise sales.  

​For young children and toddlers, Splashaway Bay is a free waterpark with smaller slides, a pirate ship with water canons, different sized pools to choose from, and the calm water of Oasis Lagoon.

Adults (without toddlers to watch!) will enjoy the swim-up bar and the pineapple drinks served at any of the beach bars. The food is also especially good and "beachy." Snack shacks and restaurants sprinkled around the island served up everything from BBQ to tacos--without a wait and without having to pay extra.  Removing the hassle and extra cost of procuring lunch and snacks throughout the day for the family was a huge plus!

​​Although there were several pools and beaches (including an infinity pool and private cabanas), my favorite quiet spot was a chair under the palms at Chill Island, right behind the snorkel shack and close to a walk-up bar. Snorkel equipment was available for rent, but you could also just swim out to see the fish circling a shipwreck just offshore. TIP: Arrive early to claim an umbrella with chairs close to the water and if packing space allows, bring your own mask and snorkel. 

Between toting big bags of beach gear, finding food, and making inconvenient trips to the restrooms, its usually hard to relax on a beach vacation with kids, but the Perfect Day at CocoCay is changing that.  From the first walk off the ship onto the dock (no hassling with  shuttle boats), everything from restrooms to beverage stations were easy and accessible. We'd never cruised before, but based on the easy-on/easy-off pleasures of this cruise, we will be back. The only drawback to the day was that it had to end: 2 Perfect Days would definitely have been better than 1!

We were lucky enough to go and see Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA. I admit that I am not much of a super hero fan. My children know all the characters (and villains) and their traits, but I personally have a hard time remembering the details from one movie to the next. With this in mind, Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes was one of the most incredible live action and visually stimulating shows that I have ever seen. 

Age recommendation: We would recommend the program for ages 5 and up, especially Marvel fans. We noticed younger children in the audience, but the show does contain a lot of loud sound effects, music and flashing lights. Although there is a ton of violence (fake fighting,) if your children know and love the Marvel characters, it's probably not scary. 

Visit www.marveluniverselive.com to view pictures and videos from the show and learn about ticket information. ​

Day Out with Thomas is much, much more than just a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. It's an entire day of fun and exploration at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore (which is a destination in and of itself!) 

Event Information:
Your DAY OUT WITH THOMAS TRAIN RIDE TICKET includes a scheduled 25 minute train ride behind Thomas the Tank Engine™, all day admission to Day Out With Thomas & the B&O Railroad Museum, and the following live entertainment, activities and programs:

• Photo opportunities with Sir Topham Hatt
• Nia,Thomas' animal loving friend in the form of a ten-foot inflatable—perfect for photo ops! (NEW THIS YEAR!)
• Ask the Engineer - your opportunity to ask a real train engineer questions about the railroad (NEW THIS YEAR!)
• Thomas Imagination Station of interactive play
• Carnival Games 
• Moon bounce
•  Kid's climb-on train
• Crafts: Spin Art, Bubbles, Chalk & Tattoo Stations
• Interactive B&O Railroad Museum exhibits
• Free rides on the Museum's carousel, Choo Choo Blueville kiddie train ride and the Happy Train ride
• Plus live entertainment

Learn more and get tickets here: www.borail.org/dowt/default.aspx

TO WIN A 4 PACK OF TICKETS FOR ADMISSION ON FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2019 WITH A 1:00 PM RIDE ON THOMAS THE TRAIN, PLEASE COMMENT WITH YOUR FAVORITE THOMAS CHARACTER BELOW. 

* Please note, do not enter this contest if you cannot attend the event. Even though the train ride is for 1 PM, the event opens at 9:00 AM. We highly suggest getting there early to take advantage of all the activities, rides, and entertainment. 


*We partnered with the museum and received complimentary tickets for our family in exchange for promoting this event. All opinions are our own. 

We have a family 4 pack of tickets to give away for Marvel Universe LIVE! at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA. The tickets are for opening night, Friday, March 22 at 7:00 PM.  

Show information:

​Marvel Universe LIVE!
EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA 22030
 
Show Times:   

• Friday, March 22 @ 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 23 @ 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 24 @ 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 30 @ 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 31 @ 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

 
Tickets Price: $20.   
To order tickets by phone: (800) 745-3000  
To order tickets online: www.ticketmaster.com  
*Ticket pricing is subject to change based on market demand.

Marvel fans, assemble for this live, legendary battle to defend the universe from evil. The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man join forces with Doctor Strange, master of the mystic arts, in a race against time to recover the Wand of Watoomb before it falls into Loki’s hands in this all-new, spectacular arena production.
​

Produced by Feld Entertainment, Marvel Universe LIVE! is performing at EagleBank Arena, Friday, March 22 to March 31  for 11 performances.
Star Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax make their live show debut bringing their courage and misfit wit to MarvelUniverse LIVE! Alongside Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk, Black Widow, Wasp and Iron Fist, the Guardians of the Galaxy help fight the scheming, menacing and loathsome villains Loki, Yondu and Green Goblin. Audiences will join in the quest that sparks new feuds with old foes, pitting student against mentor, sister against sister and brother against brother.
 
Witness cutting-edge special effects, aerial maneuvers, pyrotechnics, martial arts, motorcycles stunts and vast video projection in this completely new thrilling adventure. Fans of all ages will be immersed in the Marvel universe and experience it all with their family…LIVE!
 
Fairfax, VA 
EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA 22030
 
Show Times:   

• Friday, March 22 @ 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 23 @ 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 24 @ 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 30 @ 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 31 @ 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

 
Tickets Price: $20.   
To order tickets by phone: (800) 745-3000  
To order tickets online: www.ticketmaster.com  
*Ticket pricing is subject to change based on market demand.

SAVE ON TICKETS BY MARCH 22 BY USING CODE: BLOG

By the time your kids hit their teen years, they've probably seen it all when it comes to roller coasters, carnival games, and cotton candy. If you really want to show them something new, that's where a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood comes in.  More than your typical amusement park, Universal Studios Hollywood offers them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how some of their favorite movies and TV shows are made.  

Starting with the famous Studio Tour, they'll see the sound stages and sets for class movies like Jaws, Psycho, and War of the Worlds (wreckage above).  There are also plenty of special effects surprises along the way including floods (yes, you will get wet), subway fires, 3D attacks on the tram by a T-Rex and King Kong, and a high-speed car chase with Vin Diesel and his Fast & Furious crew.  [I'd share more pictures, but the tram was so realistically shaking and the action was so fast during the 3D attacks that all I captured was a blur of open T-Rex jaws. We all definitely thought that was cool!]

​Another great way to experience movie magic is to see the Stunt Show, where live actors recreate impressive stunts for movie fans (warning to teens, don't try these at home), the must-see big splashes of WaterWorld, or the ​high-jinx Animal Actors show featuring the star of A Dog's Purpose (below) and many other feathered and furry friends. 

For fans of Harry Potter, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter ​offers a soaring immersive flight in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (not for the queasy), a life-like recreation of Hogsmeade village including the Hogwarts Express, and a roller coaster ride on the Flight of the Hippogriff ​with great views of the village.

​

Other teen favorites are thrill ride Fast & Furious Supercharged and the scream-inducing Walking Dead attraction where we came face-to-face with real "live" Walking Dead characters (by far the best jump scares in the park). 

Throughout the park, you'll also run into slightly less terrifying movie characters, ​like a gregarious Beatlejuice, the Scooby Doo gang, a larger than life Japanese-speaking Transformer, a cuddly Kung Fu Panda, and a flirtatious Marilyn Monroe (another highlight for my son).

Fans of the Simpson's will want to eat like Homer in a Springfield USA fast food joint (like we did) or one of the many other themed restaurants in the park such as Three Broomsticks or the Jurassic Cafe. On the way home more sophisticated palettes can dine at one of the many famous restaurants (Bubba Gumps Shrimp, Tony Roma's, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and more) in Universal CityWalk, a dining and shopping complex just outside the park's gates.  

Although the Jurassic World Ride was under construction during our visit, dino fans like us only have to wait a little longer before the ride reopens in 2019.  To avoid lines at the entrance, advance online tickets to Universal Studio Hollywood are recommended and can be purchased at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. 

​More Top Tips:

1. Plan your day by using the Universal Studios Hollywood Mobil App. In addition to an interactive map, the app provides updates on wait-times and allowed us to set an itinerary around scheduled show times and ride opening times (which may vary). 

2. To save time, carry-out your lunch and eat while watching one of the shows. 

3.  Although pricey, Express  tickets will give you a front-of-the-line access and maximize your time at the park (especially if you're visiting during busy peak season). 

4. If you're traveling with small children, review the park's family amenities  and be sure to check out Super Silly Fun Land!

5. For up-to-date park info follow Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and  @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter. 
​