Off Like a Herd of Turtles: Family Travel Blog

After multiple COVID years of visiting national parks that are a bit too crowded (though we know how to make our way around on off hours, on off seasons, on less popular trails and waterways), Denali was a breath of fresh air, pun intended. Despite being peak season, and our campground being fully booked, the park never felt crowded. It was vast and beautiful during all the different types of weather conditions we experienced over our 5 day visit. This was the only part of the trip we booked in advance because getting a campsite in Denali National Park is a competitive endeavor. So we had chosen a week that would work whether Fynn was 1 month early or "on time". The rest of the trip was organized around the Denali week which did result in us driving to and from the Kenai Peninsula twice instead of once, but definitely the chance to camp in the park was worth it.  The Savage River Campground was lovely. It was at mile 13 of the National Park Road. Denali is unique in that you ...

This was my 3rd trip to Maui, the 2nd with kiddos in tow. There is something magical in the air here and the diversity of activities from water play, to hiking, to wildlife viewing is unparalleled. Here's a synopsis of our recent trip. Hope it's helpful! West Maui Overview: We once again stayed at the wonderful Honua Kai on Ka'anapali Beach (see here for 2019 Maui trip). I am very particular about which units have the best lanais and the best views and I got what I think is the 2nd best 2 bedroom in the place (the BEST is the one we had last time, but was booked for our dates). I very much enjoyed all of our adventures, but ultimately, this trip was intended to be a babymoon for our two kids (Zooey, 8 and Oliver, 4) as we eagerly await the arrival of their baby brother or sister, so I highly valued our quiet lanai time. Every morning Ollie and I waited for the sunrise and every night we all gathered to watch the sunset. The simple things are the best (though admittedly not...