BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi, I thought I'd start a roll call thread to find out more about fellow bootsnall family travel messageboarders. Also, if you've gone somewhere we'd like to go - I hope to message you! And if I've gone somewhere you're interested in, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

I am married and have two children, ages seven and one. Our destinations:

Before kids: Egypt, Paris, London, Amsterdam
While pregnant: Mexico, Paris, Caribbean
With one child: Paris, Amsterdam, London, Florence, Cotswolds to Lake District, Provence, Val d'Aosta, trans-America driving trip in 10 days, NYC, Boston, Montreal, Orlando, PNW cities(Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, Portland and surrounding areas), Berkshires.
With two children: Vancouver, Victoria, Portland, Maui, San Francisco.

Where we'd love to go next: NYC again or Tokyo, Japan. Maybe a home-swap in Europe. But to be honest, I'm a little scared of going with two kids! We don't outnumber them anymore, and it's so much more expensive for air travel. We definitely have to plan in more detail now.

How about you?

~Wabash
http://happyjetbaby.blogspot.com

I have no greater desire than to see everything in the world. It might take a bit of work though as we're still trying to do the whole "school thing" with a 2 month old. I was thinking though that perhaps it would be a good idea to have Micheal study his major (philosophy) in Greece where we get the added benefit of being able to practice the language every day. Getting a bit of distance from immediate family to really individualize ourselves wouldn't go amiss either. As for my travel exp it isn't too extensive. Internationally I've been to Mexico several times, Belize,Bahamas. In country (U.S) everywhere from Orlando, to VA, to CA. Currently we live in Utah in Salt Lake, which is boring but quaint. We lived and work at Lake Powell last summer (which I wouldn't reccomend for someone barely pregnant only craving fresh fruits) SO that's us.

Great thread!

Alright, I am also married with two kids, ages 4yrs & 14 months.

Travel before married (some of this was with the future hubby):
Much of the US, including Alaska (havent yet been to the Southwest)
England, Ireland, Scotland, Vancouver, Costa Rica

A few months after we married we spent 8 months traveling through:
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Malta, Vienna, Greece, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Australia

Travel with kids: The Netherlands & relatively close destinations like Nashville, North Carolina, Maryland, Vermont, etc.

We would LOVE to relocate the family overseas for a few years. I think it would be a great experence for all of us.

Planned trips: aarrgghhh! I'll go anywhere(almost anywhere I refuse to visit Disney), it's been sooo long - we have 2 weeks to play with this year and we are deciding where to go with the kids...Belize maybe? Back to The Netherlands (my sis lives there)? Stay in the US? I also want to bring the kids to Turkey but maybe when they are a little older. Any suggestions?

Fun thread!

I'm a single mum with two daughters, aged 19 and almost 6.

While pregnant (waaay back when in 1987): Much of Europe plus Jordan and Syria.

Travelled just about everywhere with the oldest: All over our home continent, east and west. Around SE Asia 3 or 4 times. Else, we've been to Oz, Egypt, Mauritius and the Seychelles and we've island-hopped in the Caribbean a few times. (We love Cuba). We've even made it to Canada and the USA a few times. By the time she was grown-up (18), she had been to 55 countries. Now, she is travelling a lot on her own as well.

When I had my youngest daughter (adopted from China), the 3 of us lived in NZ for half a year during my parental leave. We also visited Se Asia and island-hopped for a bit in the Pacific. Now it's mostly Europe. Last trip went to the Acores (Gorgeous volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic. Highly recommended).

I've found travelling with my children to be surprisingly easy. Even if it means having to endure the grottiest little playgrounds and too longs stints at the beach. We usually decide every second time; e.g. I get to decide what to do in the morning (markets, temples, museums, etc), they the afternoon(swimmingpool - even if it's raining). Then, we decide on where to eat every second time as well. (I choose local, they choose Hard Rock Cafe or something.) Lots of fun.

Only thing I miss, is time to reflect on experiences properly - and time to write. So I travel a bit on my own as well.

Next major destination is Antarctica in a few years (8 year age limits on the expedition ships - so that gives me time to save up).

ALl the best,
Sophie

Definitely a good topic. I'll be (I believe) the first dad to chime in. Married with two kids (3 months and 2 years):

- Before kids: Lots ... all over Asia, much of Europe and the United States. A bit of Mexico.
- While (my wife was) pregnant with baby #1: Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt. Numerous short trips within the U.S.
- While pregnant with baby #2 (and with baby #1): France, Finland, Baltics, Poland, Ukraine. Numerous short trips within the U.S.
- With both kids: Only short trips in the U.S. as of yet
- Upcoming: Europe this summer with both kids, and maybe Japan with the younger one. After that, everywhere.

We'd also like to spend some time living abroad at some point, but right now we can't bring ourselves to just pull up our roots and plop down someplace randomly without a job (or two) arranged. I suppose having kids has made us a bit less crazy than we used to be ...

We're a family of four currently 8 months into a 1 year RTW trip. Alexa is 8 and Simon is 6.

Before kids: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, tons of camping/hiking trips all over Canada/US

With kids: Crossed Canada/US in RV, Hawaii, Fiji, Cook Islands, NZ, Oz, Bali, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal (trekked Annapurna Circuit for 12 days), India

Upcoming: France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Egypt, Tanzania

So far, so good! We've done some amazing hikes/tramps/treks and climbed some great hills together including:

Mt Haleakala (Maui)
The Needle (Rarotonga)
Tongariro Crossing (NZ - hubby did solo)
Three Sisters (Australia)
Valley of the Wind (Kata Tjuta (The Olgas, Australia)
Gunung Batur (Bali)
Gunung Agung (Bali - hubby did solo)
Hilltribe Trek (3 days) (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
Annapurna Circuit (Nayapul-Muktinath)(12 days) Nepal
Annapurna Circuit (Muktinath-Thorong La Pass - backside) (5 days - hubby did solo)

My husband and I will also be climbing Mt Kilimanjero in Tanzania at the end of our trip.

Whew, I'm tired just typing all that!

I'm a single mom with three kids ages 14, 17, and 20.

While married:
Every inch of CA, UT, AZ, NV and Baja

Single:
Bahamas
FL
NC
SC
GA
VA

I'm trying to work out a Europe adventure that would last several months at the moment. Still getting some resistance though.

I guess that makes me the second Dad to participate. I have not been on bootsnall that frequently. Life just seems to have caught up with us.

I've been married for coming up to 23 years. We have three kids: 19, 16, and almost 14. We currently live in Vancouver, Canada. We travelled for a year as a family 5 years ago: www.canadiancarlsons.com

Somehow we have not found the time to travel as a family again. Everyone is heading in different directions: I am currently in Beijing on business, my son is at university 2500 miles away from home, one of our daughters was on exchange in France for 3 months last year, and the other goes over this summer.

For those of you contemplating longer term family travel, there is certainly a 'right time' for it. Take the opportunity before its gone!

Hey, Zoinks. I love your website. It's a great inspiration (and I linked to it on my blog last month). We were just up in your city this past weekend - how lucky you are to live there.

quote:

Originally posted by wabashcannonball:
We were just up in your city this past weekend - how lucky you are to live there.

Thanks. Seattle is like Vancouver but with better shopping! As father of two daughters, ask me how I know.

Good thread!

quote:

For those of you contemplating longer term family travel, there is certainly a 'right time' for it. Take the opportunity before its gone!

Boy I could not agree with that more.Carpe diem is the name of the game.

Like kidsnall, we are 8 months into a RTW trip, but ours is an open ended, multi year slow variety. I am amazed at how fast and furious some people travel with kids.We are older parents with just one child so have made the choice to retire early and enjoy the world together in a slow and easy fashion.

That said, sometimes we go faster. We just did 10 days in Morocco which was amazing but at a fast pace. I highly recommed a night in the Sahara and Les Nomads ( http://www.nomadsaharabivouacmerzouga.com/camel-trekking-morocco.html). Allessandra is particularly wonderful with children and is a beautiful soul who understands the desert ( she is a westerner who married a nomad!).

We really enjoyed our winter in Spain and will be back next winter and will continue that trend of finding a base for a home away from home for each continent. It is a very different experience living somewhere for months than visiting for two weeks. We enjoy the combination of fast, medium and slow travel.We also enjoy mixing modes of travels and places to stay.

Before children- we went Russia , most of the Caribbean,most of the USA,Israel, Egypt,Brazil, much of Mexico including baja,much of Canada

,lived in Italy for a year,Mostof
Eurpe,

After child- Before this trip we mainly toured around California as we did not want to take long flights with a baby or toddler as she was very active ( crawled at 4m,walked at 6m)so we just drove to places when she slept.

So far Netherlands,France,Belgium, Spain and Morocco. We homeschool as we go and she takes violin and piano lessons via webcam skype.A highlight was touring Spain with her 80 year old grandfather and her aunt and showing them her home in Spain and taking them to school with her.

This summer we have a lot coming up.We are in Barcelona now at the beach in a luxury camp resort ( 3 pools,zoo, sauna , Jacuzzi etc etc) recovering from our recent fast travels into Africa and preparing for a ferry over to Italy, then Greece,Turkey, Croatia and eventually up to Prague and maybe Krakow..circling places like Vienna,saltzburg,Bled , Hungary etc. I am hoping to add a fly into Russia too.

ITALY more in the fall,then back to our ancient andulucian village.

Next year I think we will do Portugal, northern Spain, ferry over to GB see Ireland and various places in UK, ferry to Scandanavia and probably ferry back to France and do some more there and probably one more winter in Spain. We follow the weather and our whims.

Eventually we will go to another continent, altho Europe appeals the most to us. We will probably base in Thailand when we do SE asia and Oz and NZ. We will probably base in Argentina when we go to South America. We also would like to maybe do an RV full time around the US,Canada and Mexico in the end if we still feel like traveling.We seem to really enjoy the freedom of this life.There are challenges,but sometimes I find it amazing how little it is different in some ways as a family unit no matter where we are.There are still meals and bedtime stories etc and laundry and morning and night cuddles etc.

We find traveling with a child very enjoyable and easy. I have been amazed at what a good traveler she is and now that endless energy is very helpful for all the walking.Only a child would say "Yippee" when you tell her that you have a long day of travel ahead and have to get up at 4 am to start. She has taken the trains,taxi's,boats,buses,ferries,etc etc better than I imagined before going.She enjoys handling her own luggage. She loves life on the road, the RV and motels. It has enriched all of us so much. I wonder sometimes if we will ever stop.Family travel is a wonderful way to be together!!

great thread

hubby grew up in NZ/Oz/Malaysia
My parents took me to Oz/Hawaii/Tokyo/HK/China and then let me go on a high school trip to Europe.

We married on a Saturday and left the country on Monday!
Camped in LA for a week (camped! can you believe it?)....south England..Belgium...Holland...East Germany....Holland....Vienna...drove through Czech to settle in Poland for two years

Back to NZ (after a few weeks in Malaysia) - got qualifications, house and kids (8 of em)
Have taken 3 to Malaysia (to visit family) with all the uncles and aunties and cousins - wild fast-paced three week trip which we loved but which taught us we don't like travelling like that!

Now planning: Malaysia for a couple of weeks, 3 months teaching in China....six months in Mongolia...a month or two in Africa.....then meeting father-in-law in England to travel around meeting family (will also go to Wales and Scotland - Isle of Coll where my ancestors come from)....that'll take another couple of months and will probably be the most "touristy" part of our lives! We'll buy a van and caravan to live/travel in.
We're working on getting a job in a Polsih university for an academic year (or seven) and will use the summers to travel around Europe in aforementioned caravan.
When we're ready to return home we'll either just fly (harldy likely) or we'll keep dragging the caravan in the right direction - across Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/Tajikistan/ China/Nepal/India/ Bangladesh/Myanmar/Thailand/Malaysia…then onto a boat to Australia.
Work at one of those high-powered-make-lotsa-dosh-jobs in Japan for two years to fund the American Adventure (eight kids and a grandpa in his eighties bike across america)

Or perhaps something we’ve done along the way will have awakened in us a desire to do something different with our lives. We're open to that too!