If you’re looking for a summer destination with natural beauty, outdoor activities, turquoise lakes, and abundant wildlife, the Canadian Rockies is a destination you should strongly consider. If you have kids who can do easy to moderate hikes and enjoy being outdoors, this place is definitely for them. There will be a lot of driving involved, especially if you incorporate Jasper into the trip, but it is definitely worth it.
Acadia National Park had been on the bucket list for quite a while. Acadia National Park encompasses a large area of Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine. This beautiful setting is known for its stunning vistas, scenic hikes, and ocean views from Cadillac Mountain. This is also the first place in the U.S. where you can see the sunrise between October and early March. If you’re visiting in the peak of summer, you can swim at Sand Beach when the water temperature is more tolerable. We drove from Albany, NY, and it took us about 7 hours to get there. Acadia National Park is about a 4.5-hour drive from Boston and an 8-hour drive from New York City. If you’re not close enough to drive, you can fly into Bangor International Airport, about 50 miles from Bar Harbor. We used Bar Harbor as our base camp and gateway into Acadia National Park.
Cape Cod is one of those timeless destinations with the charm of past decades. Most of the hotels on the Cape are independently owned mom-and-pop operations, and you won’t find many chain hotels. If you ask locals where to find the best lobster roll and seafood on the Cape, each person will likely give you a different answer as loyalties run deep. Whether you’re staying in Sandwich (the first town on the Cape), Provincetown (the last town on the Cape), or any other town in between, a beautiful beach and fantastic seafood are right around the corner.
Kauai was the second island my wife and I visited during our last trip to Hawaii. We started in Maui (you can read that itinerary here) and took a one-way flight from Maui to Kaui on Hawaiian Airlines via JetBlue miles. Kauai is known as the Garden Isle for its lush tropical landscape. Based on my experience, Kauai offers more seclusion than Maui and Oahu and more lush greenery than Big Island. The islands are special in their own way, so I’d recommend experiencing all four. Here’s a rundown of what we did during our four days in Kauai.
Day One: Arrival
My wife and I stayed at Mariott’s Kauai Beach Club Hotel during our stay in Kauai. Great property that wasn’t expensive and located right on the beach, just 10 minutes from the airport. We rented a car in both Maui and Kauai and if you want to make the most of your time there, I’d recommend doing the same. We arrived in the late afternoon from Maui, so we spent the evening at Kalapaki Beach, right in front of our hotel, and took in the live entertainment that was offered by Marriott.
View of the beach from our balcony
Day Two: Poipu Beach
We spent almost the entire day at Poipu Beach on the second day. Of all the beaches I’ve been to in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai (I’ve been to many), this was my favorite in Hawaii. Plenty of space, clean, an abundance of marine wildlife, and a perfect place to snorkel. If you’re in Kauai, this beach is a must-see. You also get spectacular sunsets if you stick around until the late evening.
I was very fortunate to swim alongside a green sea turtle. If you snorkel in Hawaiian waters, get a GoPro or underwater camera. You’ll see some cool wildlife, and it’s worth getting on video.
Day Three: Waimea Canyon State Park
Waimea Canyon State Park is another must-see place in Kauai. From our hotel near the airport, it was about 32 miles to the entrance and took about 45 minutes. You can also take a 3.4-mile hike to the bottom of the canyon, which will take about 3 hours round-trip. The cool thing about Waimea Canyon is that the surrounding area looks like Sedona, Arizona. You’ll find red clay, orangish water, and a landscape that almost seems out of place for Hawaii.
The landscape on the periphery of Waimea Canyon
The main lookout at Waimea Canyon
Once you’re at the main lookout point at Waimea Canyon, you’ll find local farmers selling delicious local produce such as mangos, star-fruits, and papayas. If you purchase the fruits, you’ll support locals.
Day Four: Napali Coast State Park
No trip to Kauai is complete without seeing Napali Coast State Park. This was one of the settings for Jurassic Park; the minute you get to the entrance, it will look familiar. My wife and I were dead set on doing the hike, and we did about 3/4 of it until park rangers told us we couldn’t go any further due to flooding from heavy rainfall the previous night. The hike is challenging, particularly the first quarter mile, where there is a lot of steep uphill climbing. Bring some solid hiking shoes, plenty of water, and a couple of granola bars if you do the hike. I saw a few people with flip-flops, and they were getting killed by mud and wet rocks. Please don’t do this hike with flip-flops or sneakers. You don’t need expensive hiking shoes; a $60 pair would do the job. I’d also bring a light raincoat since this part of Kauai gets a lot of rain, and the weather can change from hour to hour. Other options for seeing the cliffs are by boat or helicopter. I have heard the helicopter takes four people and that if you’re one of the two sitting in the rear, you’re kind of blocked off from the views compared to those sitting in the front. Just something to be aware of.
Overcast skies on our way to Napali Coast.
The weather on this part of the island changes from hour to hour. If you open any weather app on your smartphone and see rain for the entire day, take that with a grain of salt. On our drive there, we had mostly overcast skies with drizzle here and there. When we started the hike, the clouds cleared up and gave way to sunshine. Don’t be disappointed if you see overcast skies while driving there. Just wait it out, and hopefully, the sun will appear.
A view from the hiking trail. The skies cleared up about 40 minutes after we started hiking.The majestic cliffs and a rainbow from a distance
So this was Kauai in a nutshell. A special place and a beautiful island home to my favorite trail among the ones I have hiked in Hawaii. I wish we had an extra day here, and I know I’d be saying the same thing even if we did. If you visit Hawaii, try including Kauai in your itinerary. But only if you can do the three must-see places above. If you want to read about our most recent trip to Hawaii (Big Island), you can do that here. As always, thanks for reading.
During the summer of 2021, my wife and I decided to take the kids (ages 34 months and 17 months when we traveled) on an adventurous trip to Alaska. Many of you know our affinity for wildlife, nature, and the natural beauty in every corner of our planet. With restrictions or logistical challenges for international travel still in place, we decided that visiting a destination such as Alaska was the best option to experience a pristine environment without worrying about testing positive for COVID-19 and quarantining on the way there or back. I simply could not afford to be in a place beyond my allotted vacation time for work purposes. Having been there in 2015, I fell in love with Alaska and longed to return. Fast forward to 2021, and I had the opportunity to visit again. Rather than opt for the 6.5-hour non-stop flight from Chicago to Anchorage, we decided to stop in Seattle for 2 nights (a fantastic city in and of itself) and explore a little before continuing. The kids tend to hit a wall on flights over 5 hours (the non-stop flight back was rough), and the 3-hour flight from Seattle to Anchorage was perfect for keeping them fresh on our arrival in Anchorage.
Update February 2025: The National Park Service has required timed-entry reservations to drive the scenic Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park over the last four years due to increased visitor traffic. This is still in effect as of 2025 if you want to enter the park between 9am and 3pm. Tickets become available four months in advance on a rolling basis, and the reservation costs two dollars. This is in addition to the National Park fee. Vehicle reservations will become available on February 13th, 2025, at 8pm MST. Next-day vehicle reservations will be available at 7 pm MST for next-day entry starting on June 12, 2025, on a daily rolling basis. Visit this page for updated information on Glacier National Park, including reservation information.
If you’re looking for a place to travel with kids and want to choose a place where multiple attractions are close in proximity, D.C. is that place. The best part about D.C. is that most of those sites are free, which large families will truly appreciate. My wife and I traveled here with our 7-month-old, finding places that suited all of us. You can walk to the various tourist sites if you’re staying downtown or anywhere near the U.S. Capitol. If you’re staying outside the city and are driving in, I recommend using an app such as Park Whiz or Spot Hero and parking at a nearby garage for the duration of the day. Metered parking is also available, but they have two or three-hour limits.
Day One- National Mall Area
Our first stop was the Washington Monument. It’s the tallest building in D.C. and a great starting point or meetup point because you can’t miss it. The immediate area surrounding the monument was fenced off since it was getting a facelift. Nonetheless, it’s an iconic structure, and the field surrounding the monument is perfect for a picnic or flying kites.
Washington Monument
Continuing our path, our second stop was the World War II Memorial, a short walk to the west. The Memorial itself was excellent, but the highlight of our time here was the presence of WWII veterans.
World War II Memorial Fountain with The Washington Monument in the backgroundWorld War II Veterans
Before coming here, I had only seen 2 or 3 WWII vets. Seeing an entire group of men and women serving our country decades ago was cool. Thank you again for your service! After spending about 25 minutes here, we continued to the Lincoln Memorial.
Front of the Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is very popular, and you will find people here even past midnight when the Lincoln statue is illuminated. As you enter, the first floor has information on the Civil War and its impact on the country. The second floor is where the statue of Lincoln is situated. They have elevators if you cannot climb the stairs or have a stroller.
When you climb the stairs and look towards the east (the path we came from), you get a fantastic view of the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
After spending 40-45 minutes here, we walked to the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial.
The MLK Memorial. The side of the statue reads, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
The MLK Memorial is next to the Tidal Basin, and you must walk south of Independence Avenue. The next stops were the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Front entrance to the Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial is a beautiful building influenced by the Pantheon of Rome. It’s the place to be if you’re in D.C. in early April when the cherry blossoms are full. The map below shows our path from the Washington Monument to the Jefferson Memorial. I’d budget around 3 hours if you really want to experience all the monuments and take pictures.
By the time we were done seeing all the memorials, it was time to get my restless 7-month-old son to the hotel so he could take his usual nap. After dinner, we walked to the South Lawn of the White House at night to take pictures.
No matter who is in office, the White House is just a beautiful building. I prefer the night view as the dark backdrop has a certain elegance. Once we were finished taking pictures here, our first day was in the books.
Day Two – Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Memorial at Night
Mother Nature did not want to cooperate with us on our second day in D.C. We had to deal with rain and thunderstorms, which took most of the outdoor attractions out of the picture. Fortunately, D.C. has a lot of excellent indoor attractions, so we took advantage of this and visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. There are some fascinating exhibits at this museum, and it’s also an interactive museum with hands-on activities that kids will enjoy.
The aquarium at the coral reef exhibit was a favorite among many infants and kids, my son included.The famous Hope Diamond
If you want to see everything comfortably, budget at least 1.5 hours for the Smithsonian. After dinner, the rain mostly stopped, and many people recommended walking to the Lincoln Memorial at night. The Washington Monument reflects off the pool, making for a fantastic picture.
The statue at night looks really cool.
Day Three: Capitol Hill and Smithsonian Zoo
In the early afternoon, we made the 15-minute walk to the Capitol Building. It was a picture-perfect day with no clouds in sight.
View of the National Mall from the Capitol
Unlike all the other sites we had visited in D.C., the Smithsonian Zoo was a 12-15 minute drive from our hotel downtown. Like all the sites we had visited thus far, this one was also free of charge. And for a free zoo, it really had a lot to offer.
We saw lions, tigers, cheetahs, gorillas, giraffes, elephants, and other animals. This place is perfect for kids and offers something for people of all ages.
Other Places of Interest to Consider
Since we were here for three days with a seven-month-old, seeing everything we wanted in that short window would be impossible. If you are going to D.C., consider visiting the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and the Sackler Gallery. The National Museum of Archives is home to the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and The Emancipation Proclamation. All these attractions are free, and if you are interested, you can make a small donation when you enter or exit. D.C. is a beautiful city with no shortage of things to do and places to see. It’s a very walkable city and a great place for budget travelers who experience world-class attractions at no cost.
We had a layover in Boston during a recent trip from NYC to Chicago, so we decided to stop by The Lounge at Logan International Airport. It was rather convenient since we would depart from Terminal C, the same terminal where The Lounge is situated. This lounge is part of the Priority Pass network but also serves as a business class lounge for Aer Lingus and TAP Portugal as they depart from Terminal C. I didn’t have any issues getting in since it wasn’t full. Still, I have heard of incidents where Priority Pass cardholders were denied access when The Lounge expected a large influx of business class travelers flying on Aer Lingus or TAP Portugal. Since it is the only lounge in Terminal C, hours between 4 p.m.-8 p.m. are not sure for Priority Pass card holders.
Receptionist Desk at The Lounge
Upon entering, I showed my Priority Pass card, and the receptionist scanned it and told my wife and me we were good to go. The lounge was 3/4 full and filling up when we entered, which is unsurprising considering that we arrived on a Friday at 6 p.m.
If you’re a business traveler who needs a plug outlet, I highly recommend going to the back of the lounge. There, you’ll find outlets and a semi-partition that will give you privacy.
Once we got situated, I went to see the food offerings. I wasn’t hungry, but for the sake of the review, I helped myself with small portions of a few things. They had pasta salad, hummus with pita, a veggie sandwich that consisted of cream cheese and cucumbers, vegetables, salad, soup (clam chowder), and snacks. The pasta salad was ok but nothing special. The hummus was decent and might have been the best item they had out there. The veggie sandwich was simple but surprisingly not terrible. I didn’t have the turkey sandwich, so the jury is out. It seems like their benchmark was just good enough not to be bad. The refrigerator had no shortage of cold drinks, though. That was a big plus.
I don’t partake in drinking alcohol, but for those of you who do, the bar looked like it was stocked pretty well.
Bar area
My biggest gripe during my time here was this lounge’s lack of dedicated WiFi. You are forced to use Logan’s public WiFi, and the speed is painfully slow. It’s certainly not business traveler-friendly. The bathrooms were clean, which was a nice plus. I would rate this place a 3.2/5. If you happen to be in Terminal C, being at this lounge would still be sitting in the gate area. However, if you’re departing from a different terminal, I would not recommend visiting Terminal C just to visit this lounge.
Miles for places 