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How many of you have heard you will no longer be a How many of you have heard you will no longer be able to travel once you have kids? I find most people who say these things don’t even have kids or if they do they have never traveled with their kids!

I’m not really into counting countries and we enjoy visiting places more than once, seeing the beauty all over the US and right in our state too. You don’t have to travel far to give your kids amazing experiences but you can also take them wherever you want. Y’all know my motto, if kids live there kids can visit!! 

Where have you been that people said you were crazy for taking your kids (or your parents for taking you) but you were so glad you didn’t listen to them and went anyway.

#travellingwithkids #familytravel
Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Itza, one of the 7 Wonders of the World (SAVE + SHARE this post).

Chichen Itza is 2.5 hours from Cancun, 2 hours from Playa del Carmen, and 90 minutes from both Tulum and Merida.

You can get here by renting a car, booking a private tour on Airbnb Experiences like we did, coming on a tour bus or for budget travelers taking the ADO bus. 

Most tours from Cancun are all day long, leaving as early as 7/8 am and as late as 9 pm drop off. This is because you’ll visit cenotes outside of Chichen Itza and the town of Valladolid. Since we only had 4 days in Cancun we didn’t want to spend a full day on the road but also really wanted to visit so booking private transportation allowed us to skip all the other stops and just go there and back. We were picked up at 9 and back at the hotel by 4 so we could have a relaxing evening.

Current admission is $533 Mexican pesos for adults, $80 for kids 3-12 and free for kids under 3. That’s about $30 US for adults and $5 for kids.

Once inside there is the main attraction that everyone comes to see but there are also other Mayan dwellings and a cenote. I recommend coming with a guide or hiring an official guide once on site so they can give you information on the history.

Have you been to any of the 7 Wonders? If so, which one(s)?

Hubby and I climbed the Great Wall of China together in 2007, Jordyn, James and I have been to the Colosseum in Rome, the girls and I have been to Petra and we all visited Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza and the Great Pyramids of Giza together!

#chichenitza #7wondersoftheworld
Today is the last day of school and I could not be Today is the last day of school and I could not be more proud of Jordyn! Look at all those awards she racked up at her end of the year ceremony. She’s reading 3 grade levels above hers, was only 9 points away from a perfect score on her state reading test and made the Honor Roll every quarter of the year. It’s time to celebrate, let summer begin!!!
We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t v We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t visited them all yet these are 4 states you should consider visiting this summer. (SAVE + SHARE this list for inspo)

📍Idaho- Last year we explored Southern Idaho and it blew us away. City of Rocks National Reserve, Kayak to Shoshone Falls, white water rafting, and walking behind Perrine Coulee Waterfall are musts!

📍Alaska- We visited the South East part of Alaska, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan and WOW talk about stunning. You’ll love exploring ice caves, walking on glaciers, canoeing through ice bergs, seeing the volcano and hopefully spotting some bears!

📍Utah- From the famous national parks like Zion and Bryce to the lesser known areas like Kanab, Utah is stunning. You can’t miss sand boarding through Coral Pink Sand Dunes and ATVing through the gorgeous landscape.

📍California- Where else can you surf and ski/snowboard in the same day? California has the most national parks in any state so you know the beauty is beyond amazing. Having lived there for 3 years I’ve explored so many cities and there is something for everyone!!

Would you like me to share my website link for our itineraries for each of these trips in stories? Have you been to any of these? Which state intrigues you the most from this list? What city/state would you like to see us cover?

#visittheusa #bucketlisttrip #travellingwithkids
We have been traveling with our girls since they w We have been traveling with our girls since they were 6 weeks old. Is traveling with kids always easy? Nope! Are there added costs to traveling with kids? Yes! But having status with World of Hyatt has helped elevate our travels, making things a little easier and saving us money, here’s how (SAVE + SHARE this post).

1. Being a family of 4 standard hotel rooms can be kind of cramped. Having status with World of Hyatt means we’re eligible for free upgrades when available including suites as a Globalist.

2. Eating out for breakfast everyday on a vacation starts to add up really quickly. As a Globalist we get free breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children.

3. At hotels with club access Globalists also get free access which includes drinks and snacks, the perfect way to hold kids over until dinner without spending money.

4. I don’t know who decided 9 or 10am was a good time for check-out, hello we’re on vacation, we want to sleep in! Having status with World of Hyatt means you qualify for late check out at 2pm or 4pm depending on your level of status. So whether you sleep in, hit the pool or use the other amenities at the hotel you can enjoy a little longer. It especially helps us when we have flights later in the day.

5. After paying for our hotel room we hate having added fees. Thankfully when you have Globalist status with World of Hyatt resort fees are waived on free night awards and/or eligible rates.

6. Free hotel nights! There is nothing like booking a hotel and not paying a penny! Having joined World of Hyatt we rack up points (on more than just stays) and the higher your status, the more points you earn to get free stays faster.

7. As World of Hyatt members we even earn American Airlines miles on our Hyatt stays, getting us free flights faster to save even more money!

From being more comfortable to finding more ways to earn, you’re missing out if you haven’t joined World of Hyatt!

@hyatt #HyattPartner
4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways t 4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways to Earn World of Hyatt Points & (SAVE + SHARE):

Ways to Redeem
1. Redeem points for rooms at Hyatt hotels. There’s nothing like experiencing luxury without the cost, so glad I could redeem Hyatt points for this stay with one of the best views of Tokyo.

2. Redeem points to cover your meal at participating restaurants at Hyatt hotels.

3. Redeem Hyatt points to cover your spa treatment at participating spas at Hyatt hotels. 

4. Redeem points through World of Hyatt FIND experiences. With over 200 experiences like cooking classes, tastings, & walking tours there are so many activities to choose from!

Ways to Earn
1. Are you an elite member with American Airlines? If so, you can earn 1 Hyatt point for every $1 spent on AA flights. These are in addition to the normal miles you’ll earn on American, just sign into your AA account & link your World of Hyatt account.

2. Rent a car through Avis & can earn 500 Hyatt points per rental. Just provide your Hyatt membership number when making the reservation & use AWD code K817700.

3. Book a FIND experience by World of Hyatt and earn 10 points per $1 spent. Hyatt offers over 200 experiences such as culinary classes with celebrity chefs, hot air balloon ride in Arizona, guided bike tour over the Golden Gate bridge and more.

4. Even if you aren’t staying at a Hyatt property, if you eat at the hotel restaurant or book a spa treatment you can earn 5 points per $1 spent. We actually ate at a Hyatt restaurant in Kyoto & even though we weren’t staying there I gave my World of Hyatt number & received points!

5. Earn points on everyday spending with a World of Hyatt credit card: 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants, airline tickets, local transit, rideshares, & gym memberships plus earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

6. Transfer points earned on other credit cards who partner with Hyatt such like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited & Freedom Flex. 

7. Book a cruise with Lindblad Expeditions & earn 5 points per $1 spent.

Are you doing any of these?

📍Andaz Tokyo

@hyatt #HyattPartner
If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portug If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portugal I highly recommend adding a trip to Madeira! It’s an island off the coast of Portugal, actually closer to Africa than Portugal. Here’s how I spent 6 days in Madeira (Save + Share this post):

🇵🇹Day 1: Pool day at my hotel (NEXT Hotel) for most of the day and then I went running up the crazy hills of Madeira to see Funchal by foot.

🇵🇹Day 2: I explored the NW part of the island visiting Seixal Beach, Ponto Moniz, Fanal Forest and Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela.

🇵🇹Day 3: I went on a sidecar adventure where I explored Valley of the Nuns, the Cabo Girão Skywalk, and the fishing town of São Pedro with @madeirasidecartours.

🇵🇹Day 4: Whale and dolphin watching tour but we only saw dolphins. In the evening I did an Airbnb Experience at a locals farm house where he cooked a great dinner where 90% of the items were picked directly from his gardens that day. He also taught us how to make poncha, a favorite local drink. The tour should already be linked in my Maderia story highlights.

🇵🇹Day 5: I toured the SE part of the island visiting Ponta do Garajau, Monte Palace, and ended the day at the most beautiful views from Pico do Arieiro (the shots of me on the clouds).

🇵🇹Day 6: I watched the sunrise from Miradouro Ponto do Rosto and then did an 8 mile hike of Levado do Caldeirão Verde. After the hike I relaxed at the pool!

If you want photos taken in Madeira I recommend @robframing.

Honestly Madeira was everything and I don’t see it dropping out of my top 5 international destinations anytime soon.

The Traveling Child

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10 Must Have Items for Road Trips With Kids

June 29, 2018      Tips on Traveling with Kids

Disclosure: “Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. The commissions earned help me offset the costs of running this blog so please support if you choose to purchase, it is much appreciated.”

It’s summer time, which means 1 in 4 families will be taking at least one road trip! If you’re nervous here are some items that will help your journey be a seamless one.

NapUp

I cringe every time Jordyn falls asleep in the car and her head falls down over the clasp of her car seat buckle and her head just bobbles up and down. I know it can’t be comfortable and the sound from her distorted breathing due to her position has me constantly trying to hold her head up. Thankfully NapUp has answered my prayers and when I’m in the back with the girls I can now have both of my arms to do something besides holding up Jordyn’s head and when I’m in the front I don’t have to cringe watching her head bob up and down.

little girl sleeping in car

Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablet

Let’s face it we’re in 2018 and tablets are the norm for kids so I gave up on fighting it. However, since I could buy two Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets for less than the price of one iPad the kids got the Amazon Fire. It comes with a case that pretty much makes sure it doesn’t break all the times the kids drop it on the floor. It also comes with 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. The girls play their favorite apps and watch their favorite TV shows movies. No WiFi no problem, there are apps that don’t require WiFi plus if you have Netflix you can download movies and shows that can be watched anywhere without internet.


BuddyPhones Kids Volume Controlled Headphones

Admittedly I have found myself listening to Kidz Bop when the kids are no where to be found but the girls also love listening to the Disney Pandora station and there are only but so many times I want to hear Frozen in an 8 hour drive. Insert BuddyPhones, volume-controlled headphones for kids. I love that we don’t have to worry about how loud the kid’s music or movies are playing, it’s hard to do that when you’re in the front seat or driving alone. They are also able to listen to audio books and these headphones even come with stickers so they can decorate them, just another activity to keep them busy. The BuddyPhones are super sturdy and come in various options, thePLAY version is Bluetooth Capable for wireless wear while the InFlight version has cords. Both have the option to connect multiple headphones one device, perfect for kids sharing. Best part is they are basically indestructible, just check out the video below.

toddler girl listening to an ebook in the car


Travel Tray

I don’t want my kids using electronics for an entire road trip so a travel tray is a must. A travel tray provides a sturdy and safe option for the girls to color, play a game, or even eat a snack. The great ones have cup holders and tons of compartments to hold crayons, toys, tablets and more. Our MC Republic one even has a built in game right on the tray’s surface and it’s super affordable at $25.

toddler girl coloring on a road trip

Cooler + Snacks

Unless you want to be pulling over every 5 minutes your kids decide they are thirsty or hungry you will want to have a cooler loaded with drinks and snacks. Try to get a cooler that can easily fit in the front or back seat so it is reachable without pulling over. To save space on having to add ice, freeze half of your drinks, by the time you’ve finished the unfrozen ones those frozen should have thawed out plus they will keep the other items cool. For snacks we like to pack sandwiches, granola bars, almonds, cookies but just pack whatever your kids like! If you’re going on a beach vacation, the cooler serves two purposes because you will also have it for your beach days!


Games & Books

Kids love electronics but we don’t want them hooked to their tablets our entire road trip so we have a lot of other activities. Do you remember Etch A Sketch from back in our day? Well they have a new version and the girls love them. They also love thinking putty, WikkiStix and coloring. If you don’t want to keep buying new coloring books over and over the Melissa & Doug Water Coloring books are great and you use a special pen and then it dries clean and your child can re-color the same picture as many times as they’d like. We also bring their favorite books!


Potette Portable Potty

If you’re potty training you do not want to drive off without a Potette Portable Potty. I swear no matter how many times you ask your child if they have to use the bathroom before you pass a rest stop they will say no only to save they have to go so badly as soon as it’s too late to get into the exit lane. Potette can be used in the trunk or in the front or back seat of your car. The liners catch your child’s #1 or #2 so nothing will get in your vehicle!

little girl sitting on a potty      little girl sitting on a portable potty in the car


​

Car Organizer & Diaper Changing Station

Ok so while Brica’s intention for their product to be used as trunk organizer we use it as a car organizer in the back seat. The worst part about a road trip is that I swear your car looks like a tornado hit once you’ve arrived at your destination. Not since we’ve had the Trunk Organizer & Diaper Changing Station. Half of it is used to keep my youngest daughters pull-ups and wipes while the other half stores toys, coloring books, etc.  Now we can all easily find everything we need and the car stays organized.

Sun Shades

The only thing worse than hearing “Are we there yet?” 30 times in 5 minutes is my kids complaining about the sun in their eyes or making them hot during day time driving. Whether you have tints or not you should consider the extra shade these white hot sun shades provide as they let you know if the vehicle is too hot for your child to be in.


Portable Charger

Depending on how long your journey is electronics might need to be re-charged. If you only have one cigarette lighter to charge your phone or tablet on you could be in for a meltdown if you’re traveling with kids. Be prepared by having at least one portable charger to assist in keeping all your electronics working. We love our Portable Phone Charger, it has two charging ports so we can charge more than one thing at once and is especially good for charging electronics in the back seat where the cord from the front may not reach.


 

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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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