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It’s officially Fall! It definitely doesn’t fe It’s officially Fall! It definitely doesn’t feel like it in Miami, it really never does but that just gives us a reason to explore other states. West Virginia is one of them, fun fact I actually lived here between undergrad and grad school! Here are Things to do in West Virginia (SAVE + SHARE): 

1. Enjoy New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, or visit any of the states 35 state parks as West Virginia has 1.5 million acres of parks and public land. We personally walked the Shavers Lake Trail and canoed on the lake. 

2. Enjoy some serious adventures! We’re always trying something new and West Virginia offers a lot of options from whitewater rafting, to 1,000+ miles of off-road ATV trails, to rock climbing, caving and mountain biking . 

3. Take a train ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad which stops at the Whittaker Camp where those who worked in the lumber and coal industry lived during the work season. 

4. Explore Cranberry Glades Botanical Area where you might just get to see some black bears! 

5. Walk the Falls of Hills Creak trail to get up close to some gorgeous waterfalls! 

This week I’ll be sharing various cities and states you can experience a beautiful Fall getaway. What are some of your favorite places to enjoy autumn?

Tap the link in my bio for my West Virginia blog post and a blog post of the best places to experience Fall in the US!
Still not over our day exploring the waters of For Still not over our day exploring the waters of Fort Pierce. We danced, snorkeled, fished and went tubing. Definitely want more days like this and still pinch myself that this is what a day of work looks like for me sometimes. Thank you @seadoo for the opportunity.
If you know my husband you know water activities a If you know my husband you know water activities are his favorite! Fishing, jet skiing, just being on a boat on the ocean relaxing, name it, he’s there. So we couldn’t be more excited than to not only get the chance to test out the new @seadoo Switch but be the stars of a whole commercial for it. We had entirely too much fun filming this. Of course now he wants to buy one!

Do you like getting out on the water? Favorite activity?
Our 3 Day London Itinerary (SAVE + SHARE): 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Day 1: Walked across the Tower Bridge (you can take a tour of London of Tower as well), walked along the River Thames and took a make a fascination hat class with @create_your_own_hat! 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Day 2: Harry Potter walking tour, checked out Borough Market and went on a night ghost bus tour. 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Day 3: Morning Tea at Peggy Porschen, Buckingham Palace for Changing of the Guards, and explore Westminster for the infamous red telephone booths, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

If you have more time on previous visits to London we have taken a day trip to check out Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle, rode the London Eye, took a ferry ride down the Thames River, checked out Warner Brother Studios, and did a graffiti/street art tour.

Is London on your list? If you’ve been what did you do that you think is a must for visitors?

Things to do in London, London with kids, family travel
Then vs Now (swipe left)!🥹🥰 My babies are no Then vs Now (swipe left)!🥹🥰 My babies are not babies anymore. Where has the time gone? Excuse me while I go cry in the corner 😭😭😭😭. 

Too in my feelings to provide an informational post, I’ll be back tomorrow.
Why is this man always trying to stop my fun? List Why is this man always trying to stop my fun? Listen replace husband with whoever you need to but why these ppl keep acting like we can take our money when we’re gone?!? Y’all feel me or nah? 😅😬😩
Morning Tea in London! Afternoon or High Tea is us Morning Tea in London! Afternoon or High Tea is usually on everyone’s things to do in London list but since the girls and I don’t eat beef or pork the menus for most places didn’t make sense for us as they are filled with ham sandwiches and other things we don’t eat. I ended up finding Morning Tea at Peggy Porschen instead which offers a tea menu with breakfast items, while not traditional it worked best for us! It cost £35 pp.

For a traditional Afternoon or High Tea Try:

🫖Palm Court at The Ritz
🫖The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason
🫖Theatre Royal Drury Lane
🫖The Grill Room Hotel Cafe Royal (has vegetarian an vegan options)
🫖Coronation Afternoon Tea at Cellarium, Westminster Abbey
🫖The Rosebery Coronation Afternoon Tea at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
🫖The Goring Hotel

Afternoon Teas Geared Towards Families:

☕️Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at Aqua at The Shard
☕️Jurassic Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel
☕️Jungle Book Afternoon Tea at Brown’s Hotel
☕️Secret Garden Afternoon Tea at Taj 51
☕️The Buzzy Bees Afternoon Tea at St. Ermin’s Hotel
☕️Grover’s Children’s Tea at Grosvenor House Hotel
☕️The Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
☕️Sherlock Holmes Inspired Afternoon Tea at the Mind Palace
☕️Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea at One Aldwych
☕️Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson
☕️Wizard of Oz Afternoon Tea at The Soho Hotel

Have you done a proper Afternoon or High Tea in London before? Was the one you did on this list, if so what did you think of it? If you have additional recommendations please do leave a comment!

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How to Prepare for a Road Trip with a Toddler

November 15, 2016      Tips on Traveling with Kids, Travel Tips

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

After mostly flying with babies and toddlers we finally caught the road trip bug. This bug led us to going on a road trip with a toddler to Disney, Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, and exploring the National Parks of Utah and Arizona. Whether you’re heading on an RV road trip or regular road trip here’s how to prepare for a road trip with a toddler.

girl coloring in the car

Mentally Prepare for Your Road Trip with a Toddler To Be Longer Than What Google Maps Says

If you have a child under 1 they are probably still nursing or on formula which means they eat every 3-4 hours. You definitely can’t nurse while driving and I really don’t recommend giving a bottle while driving as if you are not sitting by them they could choke and you might not even notice or it could take you too long to safely pull over and get them out of the car seat. If you are early in potty training you will also have to make a lot of pit stops for bathroom breaks.

Time Your Departure Wisely for Your Road Trip with a Toddler

If you can, start your journey around nap time or bed time. This way your baby or toddler will be asleep for most if not all of your drive (very peaceful car ride).

Seating Arrangements are Important On Road Trips with Toddlers

If there are two adults taking the trip, have one sit in the back so you can easily assist the kids in anything you need. My friend and I drove to Tampa for a wedding (4hr drive) and we both sat in the front. I swear Jordyn asked for something every 30 seconds and it would have been so much easier if one of us was just sitting by her versus having to turn around, stretch and reach to get what she needed. When my husband and I drove to Orlando I learned my lesson and I sat in the back with both kids. I was able to easily entertain them and help them with whatever they needed, especially if Jordyn dropped something.

Have Lots of Entertainment Prepared for a Road Trip with a Toddler

Have all of your electronics charged and apps for the kids downloaded before getting on the road. Pack coloring books, flash cards, books, movies, small toys. Have their favorite music already downloaded on your phone for when you go through areas with poor reception of radio stations playing music your not interested in.

You may also be interested in reading: 10 Must Have Items for Road Trips with Kids

There Is No Such Thing As Enough Food on a Road Trip with a Toddler

Pack plenty of sandwiches, snacks, and water. You don’t want to waste time having to get off the highway constantly for these things. If you are breastfeeding you especially need a lot of water and snacks for yourself. Pack a small cooler with freezer packs and bring a gallon sized zip-loc bag so if they are no longer cold you can fill the bag with ice at a rest stop.

Get An Activity Tray for Your Road Trip with a Toddler

This will allow your child to color easily and keep all of their stuff contained. A good activity tray should include a cup holder, places to store books, crayons, and be a bit deep so everything doesn’t slide off when you make a turn. I’ve used the ZoomKIT, Snack & Play Travel Tray, and Kenley Kids Snack and Pack Travel Tray. I much prefer the Kenley Kids as the sturdiness and price point are the most appealing.


Make a Park Stop on Road Trips with a Toddler

Of course you are trying to get on and off the road as soon as possible but if you are on a long drive, expecting a young child to sit still for 8 hours is unrealistic. Instead of stopping to eat at restaurant, pack your lunch and stop at a park. Your little one can play for 30 minutes, wear off some of that energy and then hopefully be ready for a nap :-).

Be Prepared for Accidents on Road Trips with Toddlers

Unless you’re taking an RV road trip where you have a bathroom on call you’ll want to prepare for accidents. Be sure to have a change of clothes in the car with you, not just in the trunk. Have it separated in a plastic bag that way if they throw up, wet themselves, etc. it is very easy to pull over change them and store the soiled clothes without having to dig through your luggage to find something. Be sure to have a change of clothes for the adults as well and have hand sanitizer, wipes, paper towels, etc. handy.

You may be interested in reading: 7 Ways to Potty Train When Traveling

​A Road Trip with a Toddler is the Perfect Learning Time

As one mama told me, this is a great time to have them learn. Go over their ABCs, numbers, colors, days of the week, etc.

Taking a road trip with a toddler is often a great way to plan an affordable family vacation. We’ve really enjoy our road trips and hope these tips make your road trip with a toddler seamless. Found this tips helpful? Please share this article!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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