We are a family of five that decided to leave our normal lives behind and travel around the world for 180 days. Joey and I are both physicians back home in Lexington, KY and our kids are Wilson (a smart, funny, pragmatic 14 year old who approaches life with the wisdom of an 80 year old and the mischievous grin of someone who gets the inside joke), Bailey (an opinionated, strong-willed, compassionate 12 year old who never misses anything and may rule the world someday), and Gus (an energetic, passionate 9 year old who lives every second of his waking life with everything he has and would give the shirt off his back to ease the suffering of an earthworm). We love traveling, trying new things, meeting awesome people, eating good food, and adventure sports. In this blog, we will be sharing the stories of the places we experience along the way. We will share our successes and our failures in hopes that this is inspiring, helpful, and entertaining to our friends, family, and anyone else who happens to discover us. For more on why we decided to do this, see our blog post on “Traveling is my favorite thing”. Read More About Our Philosophy.
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Hiking to Gray’s Arch with kids: the out and back and loop trail options.
Why this is one of my favorite hikes in the RRG:
With a span of 79 feet, Gray’s Arch is the largest arch in the RRG Geologic Area. It is actually 1 foot longer than the Natural Bridge arch but doesn’t get as much credit. I love this hike for several reasons. First of all, I love how Gray’s arch is tucked into the forest and hidden until you are right beside it. Secondly, the rock amphitheater that you pass as you approach the arch is just as cool as the arch itself. Finally, the trail is long enough to feel like you got some exercise, but not as hard as the trails to the Natural Bridge. If you want to do the shortest possible hike, you can hike to Gray’s Arch as an out and back trail. I prefer to...
General Info for Hiking in the Red River Gorge: All of the areas explained
The first thing to know is that the Red River Gorge is a geological feature and the area lovingly referred to as “The Gorge” or the “Red River Gorge” includes the actual gorge formed by the Red River as well as a surrounding amalgamation of public and private lands available for recreational use. It is quite complicated really. While it isn’t important to understand the history and complexity of the many areas that make up the RRG, it is important to know where you will be hiking, climbing, or camping because each entity has its own unique set of rules and regulations. Below are some quick and dirty guides and links for more information on each.
Visiting Kentucky's Red River Gorge with kids: Tips from a mother who has spent over 200 days there
Why visit the Red River Gorge?
With towering sandstone cliffs, over 150 named sandstone arches, unique and lush flora, hiking trails for all ability levels, over 3,000 bolted sport climbing routes, and rushing mountain streams all around, the Red River Gorge (RRG) is a nature lover's paradise. If you have ever visited Gatlinburg, TN and wished you could have seen it before it became so crowded and over-developed, the Red River Gorge is the place for you.
Tips for Hiking with Kids
Tips for Hiking with Kids
1. Remember that hiking is about the journey and not the destination.
2. Snacks are life.
3. Plan a picnic for longer hikes.
4. Don’t cut costs on your kid’s footwear.
5. Pack layers and bring a raincoat.
6. Remind your kids to stay hydrated.
7. Be Prepare with lighter, flashlight, and first aide kit
8. Pick hikes with big payouts
9. Have good directions and a map
10. Research and look for edible plants
11. Never, ever, give in to whining
Fifteen tips for a magical European vacation with Kids
If you want to give your kids an introduction to visiting foreign countries but don’t want to give up too many creature comforts, Europe is a good choice for a family vacation. We spent 11 weeks in Europe and barely scratched the surface of places to visit and things to do there. The beauty of Europe as a travel destination is that you can experience so many different cultures and countries without actually travelling that far. Due to the creation of the European Union, you don’t have to deal with immigration or changing currencies when you travel from one country to the next. All of that being said, there are some logistical challenges of travelling with kids that made my second trip to Europe very different from the trip I took carrying a backpack
Plan Your Visit to Parc Guell
Parc Guell is a privatized park that was commissioned by Eusebi Guell in the early 1900’s which contains several elaborate architectural elements designed by Antoni Guadi. Since I’m not an artist or architect, I’m not going to get into trying to explain the works of Antoni Guadi, but will just say that, if you are in Barcelona, you need to see them for yourself. They are so unique and somehow slightly unsettling but satisfying at the same time. La Sagrada familia is the coolest church I have ever seen and an absolute must-see in Barcelona. Parc Guell is the second most essential place to visit
Things to do in Cadaques
Why visit Cadaques?
Having visited 35 different cities in the last 5 months, people keep asking me which is my favorite. It is a nearly impossible question to answer and I have started trying to come up with more focused questions to answer instead. One of these is, “which city would I pick for a week-long vacation abroad?” The answer to this one is Cadaques, Spain. Cadaques is located along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, on the Costa Brava, just south of the French border and it is absolutely perfect. There isn’t anything…
The Art That is Bullfighting
“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games,” Ernest Hemingway. Many may find bullfighting gruesome or inhumane. There are arguments for either side, but that is not what you are here to hear about. What I am here to tell you about is the intricate art that exists within bullfighting.
“Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honor,” Ernest Hemingway. The fight between a man and a bull is a testament to humanity's ability to overcome nature with skill, not with technology, but pure skill. The bull fight exists….
How to walk the Caminito del Rey with Kids
What is the Caminito del Rey?
Once known as one of the deadliest routes in the world, the Caminito del Rey is a walkway that was built along the sheer stone walls of the narrow gorge of the Rio Guadalhorce in 1901 for workers of the two adjacent power plants to travel between them and transport materials. It was completed in 1905 and King Alfonso XIII walked the path in 1921 to inaugurate the adjacent dam. It later became known as El Caminito del Rey (the King’s little path). Over time, the path, constructed of steel beams anchored to the side of the cliff and concrete, fell into disrepair. In the 1990’s, it became a famous route for daredevils who would walk the dilapidated route
Visiting Santorini with kids
This iconic caldera lined with white washed Cycladic style houses clinging to the edge of the cliff is one of the most picturesque places on earth. I was torn about adding it to our around-the-world itinerary and tempted to visit a smaller island instead; however, I wanted to see the iconic place for myself and decided in favor of Santorini in the end. We visited in April, before the tourist season was in full swing and it was absolutely everything it looks like in the pictures. As far as logistics go, it was one of the more complicated parts of the trip to plan and you should definitely start planning this family vacation far in advance.
Hiking the Megalithic structures in Roses Spain
“Megalithic” is a generic term referring to structures made out of large stones. Stonehenge is perhaps the most well-known of these but there are thousands scattered across Europe. They generally date back to the Neolithic period, between 5000-2000 BC. These structures are particularly fascinating and leave the observer wondering how humans could have moved and lifted these massive stones without machinery. Many theories exist but there is no way to prove exactly how they did it
Hiking to Far de Cala Nans in Cadaques with kids
Cadaques may be the most perfect town I have ever visited. One of my favorite things we did in Cadaques was spend a day hiking to Far de Cala Nans and relaxing at the secluded pebble beach, Platja de sa Sabolla. This trail starts on the southwestern edge of town, winds along the rugged coast, passing by a few beaches along the way, and ends at a lighthouse on a point jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. It provides amazing views looking back at Cadaques and out at the Mediterranean Sea while hiking through the beautiful wind-battered desert shrub along the coast.
The Sun Rising over Kauai from Poipu Beach. January 23rd, 2022