Blog & Trip Reports
Belmar Spa & Beach Resort: Algarve Hotel Review
A review of a beautiful hotel in the Algarve region of Portugal. The perfect family-friendly hotel for a beach vacation.
7 magical Harry Potter spots in Scotland and Northumberland
If you have a Harry Potter fan in your house and love old towns and beautiful landscapes, then you must plan a visit to Edinburgh and Northumberland (and ideally, the highlands).
Read on about some of our favorite Harry Potter spots in the UK.
5 Winter Activities in Quebec City for Families
Quebec City is our favorite winter location. It’s a great city to visit as a family because it’s easy to walk around and there are endless activities for families.
4th of July in Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine is the perfect town to spend 4th of July. We love the pancake breakfast, the parade, and the fireworks. We also love bring able to hike and camp in Acadia National Park while attending this small town July 4th celebration.
If I could choose one place to spend 4th of July every year for the rest of my life, it would be in this beautiful town.
The Ultimate Rome Bucket List (with costs for 2026)
The Eternal city is a wonderful place to spend 3-5 days. You will never run out of things to do, and checking things off your Rome bucket list is easy.
Here’s our list with all the costs for a few days in Rome in 2026.
Palm Suite Rome: Hotel Review
A review of Palm Suite, Rome, an SLH hotel near the Colosseum.
This boutique hotel will spoil you with their beautiful rooms, epic breakfast, and friendly service.
You cannot find a better location in Rome than this.
How to travel to Italy using points and miles
Traveling during Christmas can be expensive. Here’s how we visited Rome and Milan on a budget using our points and miles.
Read on to learn how we flew from the east coast to Italy and back and used points to cover 5 nights of hotels in Rome and Milan.
1 Week in Finland: Winter Itinerary
A 1-week itinerary for exploring Finland at Christmas.
Start at the Christmas Markets in Helsinki and then end with reindeer, snowmobiling, and ice-floating in Lapland.
The 5 best family activities in Stockholm
Stockholm is an incredibly family-friendly city with lots of engaging and fun museums for young children.
Learn about our stay in Stockholm and our 5-year-old’s favorite activities.
3 European Getaways using American Airlines miles
If you live on the East Coast of the U.S. and near an American Airlines hub like we do, then you will want to make sure that you are stocking up on points that will help you get across the country or across the Atlantic.
American has great deals where you can fly from the East Coast to Europe for 30,000 points or fewer. You just have to plan in advance (or hope for a last minute deal).
How to travel to Helsinki, Rovaniemi, and Stockholm on points & miles
Scandinavia is EXPENSIVE. Here’s how we were able to afford our Christmas holiday in Helsinki, Rovaniemi, and Stockholm.
Lapland Bucket List: 4 days in Rovaniemi
How much does it really cost to visit Santa Claus Village? How does one visit Lapland on a budget? To be honest, I do not know! We attempted to visit Lapland on a budget, but it was challenging to complete our bucket list AND keep things affordable. Snowmobiling across a frozen lake, and being pulled around in a sled by reindeer is not cheap. We spent 4 days and nights in Rovaniemi, Finland in December of 2024. We stayed over Christmas, so that definitely increased our costs.
48 Hours in Edinburgh, Scotland with kids
Edinburgh, Scotland is one of our favorite capital cities to visit. It has the perfect blend of history, culture, and family-friendly museums packed into a walkable area. Our first visit was in August of 2018 and we enjoyed the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. (If you have older children, then I would look into attending during Fringe).
For our second visit, we stayed for 4 nights in June and planned about 48 hours of activities to keep our 6-year-old daughter engaged and happy.
Here’s our favorite museums, activities, and restaurants in Edinburgh that can keep the whole family happy.
Family-Friendly Paris: A visit to Luxembourg Gardens- (Jardin du Luxembourg)
Read about our kid-friendly morning in Paris.
If you are looking for one place to add to your Paris itinerary and are traveling with young children, then I recommend spending one morning in Luxembourg Gardens (in French- Jardin du Luxembourg). Your child can have a quintessential Parisian experience and the gardens offer a nice break for parents who want to escape the hustle and noise of the city.
Helsinki at Christmas: Family-friendly activities
If you are looking for a beautiful winter getaway AND you want to visit a European Christmas market without the crowds, then look no further than Helsinki. We loved our two days and night in this capital city. Read on about about family friendly trip.
Summer Road Trip Around Ireland and Northern Ireland: Two Week Itinerary
A concise itinerary for 2 weeks in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The Dolomites with kids
If you need a place that checks off boxes for both adventure-loving adults and fun-loving children, that will not 100 degrees in the summer, then the Dolomites is it. South Tyrol, this area of Northern Italy is one of the most beautiful places we have visited and features Germanic influence and a confluence of Austrian and Italian culture.