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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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Backyard Camping, The Perfect Staycation Idea for Families

August 3, 2019      Destinations, Florida, North America

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.

Since going on our first RV trip our daughters have been begging to do the “real” thing and go camping. However, we’ve had a busy summer and trying to fit in a camping trip didn’t seem like it was possible. So instead of crushing their dreams we enjoyed backyard camping and realized it’s the perfect staycation idea for families. 

Backyard camping is a fun, inexpensive staycation for the whole family! In this blog post, we’ll discuss backyard camp basics and give you some great ideas for backyard camping activities. We will also share essential items to bring when going on your next backyard camping adventure. It’s the best way to have an adventure with kids without going far. So grab your tent and sleeping bag because it’s time to go outside and have a blast with the family! Here’s everything you need to know for a successful backyard camping experience.

This blog post is sponsored by Backcountry but all opinions are my own and true. This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. This helps offset the costs of running this blog & I appreciate your support. Please see my privacy & disclosure policy for more.

You May Be Interested in Reading: Tips for Taking Family Vacation Photos

Benefits of Backyard Camping

Camping in your backyard is a great way to spend time with the family. It’s also an inexpensive getaway that won’t take you very far from home. You can cook, play games, and enjoy nature all in your own yard! The benefits of backyard camping are endless.

Backyard Camping is Inexpensive:  Camping Without the Cost of Travel

Backyard camping is the perfect staycation idea for families because it’s an adventure with kids without the cost that usually comes with travel. There are no flights to buy, gas to put in the car, hotel costs, or excursions.

Camping in your own backyard means you don’t have to go far or pay a lot of money! You can plan an amazing “getaway” for less than $50 (if you already have camping gear. If you don’t have camping gear the initial investment is well worth it as it will last for years!) and you don’t have to pack anything since it’s just steps from your back door. 

Backyard Camping Doesn’t Require Much Planning

Planning vacations as a family can sometimes be stressful especially if you aren’t a planner. While we had an amazing time vacationing in an RV it required planning. Thankfully backyard camping doesn’t really require any planning and you don’t need a travel agent or to be an expert researcher as there isn’t much to research. If you don’t have a backyard you can still camp in your living room as we’ve recently done.

It’s the Perfect Introduction to Real Camping

Backyard camping is the perfect introduction to camping for those not familiar with real camping. It will give you a taste of what to expect to help you determine if you can really rough it in the wild. It’s also great for families with younger children as if you really need to you can always just go back inside your home.

Backyard Camping is Close to Home

Staying close to home means you won’t have a hard time getting back on track with the daily routine. You can go camping for an afternoon or stay all weekend long without having too much of an impact on your day-to-day life. This kind of getaway is perfect for families with children or anyone who doesn’t want to miss work.

You May Be Interested in Reading: 7-Day Southwest Road Trip Itinerary

Gear Needed for Backyard Camping

Before you can have your adventure you’ll need to get your camping gear if you don’t have it already. We were able to get everything we needed for camping from Backcountry.com. It’s our second time partnering with them after having a great experience using their gear for hiking Pedra de Telegrafo in Rio de Janeiro. You can use promo code HAMBRICK15 for 15% off your purchase.

A Tent

You obviously can’t camp without a tent. Since we don’t ever plan to go camping in the winter when it snows we got this Marmot Tungsten Tent which sleeps 4 people. It was more than enough space for the four of us to sleep in one tent and play games throughout the night.

Lantern

Once the lights go out you’ll need light in your tent. We used the Princeton Tec Helix Backcountry Lantern. It lit up our entire tent and is battery operated but comes with it’s own so you don’t even have to buy any. 

Mosquito Repellent

If you go camping in the summer like we did or in a tropical location with mosquitos you will definitely want to protect yourself from bites. Instead of spraying yourself especially young kids with a ton of bug spray consider buying this ThermaCELL Radius Zone Mosquito Repellent. It repels mosquitos for up to 110 square feet and is chargeable.

Camping Chairs

For relaxing outside of your tent you’ll need somewhere to sit. We got these amazing ALPS Mountaineering Spartan Chairs. They are currently 56% off which made them even more affordable.

Cooler for Drinks

You’ll need something to keep your drinks cool or anything else you pack that requires refrigeration. If you don’t already have a cooler it makes sense to get one as they are great for beach days, road trips and BBQs.  We have the Yeti Roadie 20 Cooler and love it. The only thing I wish is that it had wheels but otherwise it is amazing!

Comfort Camp Bed or Sleeping Bag

You don’t want to sleep directly on the floor so you’ll need a comfort camp bed or sleeping bag. Since we went summer camping we chose to get a comfort camp bed which is basically a thin blow up mattress. We got this Kelty Tru.Comfort Camp Bed Doublewide which says it fits two adults but you can definitely squeeze a small child on there as well. You can use promo code HAMBRICK15 for 15% off your purchase at Backcountry.

Pillows

While backyard camping obviously allows for you to use your own pillows if you want to make it more like the real experience get camping pillows. They will also come in handy if you decide to do the real thing. The Klymit Pillow X Camp Pillow blew up in three breaths and is so compact when deflated it’s easy to pack.

Fun Activities to Do While Backyard Camping

It’s a good idea to plan some fun activities before you go backyard camping. You want to make sure everyone in your family is having a good time, which means no boredom! These backyard camping ideas are fun for the whole family and can be done anywhere.

Explore Nature in Your own Backyard

Go exploring in your own backyard! You can get lost in nature without ever leaving your own home. Look for ladybugs, butterflies and any other wild animals that may be hanging around.

As you’re exploring the yard, go on a bug scavenger hunt with magnifying glasses and see who can find ants, beetles, worms and more! There are so many interesting things to discover when you get outside and look for them.

Make a Fairy House!

Making a fairy house is easy – it’s just a small house for fairies made out of natural materials. A creative afternoon camping craft is building a fairy house. All you need is some twigs, sticks, and flowers to create your own mini-adventure in the backyard!

This fun camping activity for kids will have them playing outside all afternoon long. You can even get creative with it by drawing up plans before you begin or including other materials like small stones. You can also include little trinkets or treats the fairy will love!

Fairy houses are typically built on tree stumps, rocks and near plants to help keep their environment intact. 

Play Flashlight Tag

Kids and adults alike will love playing flashlight tag in the backyard. This is one of those games that’s fun no matter how old you are and gets everyone outside moving around! All you need for this activity is a flashlight and somewhere to play (like your yard or neighborhood street.)

If it starts getting dark, make sure all players have flashlights so they can see and stay safe. The player with the flashlight is “it” and needs to find everyone else before they get tagged! If you’re playing with younger children, have an adult team up with each child.

Use a Sheet to Have a Backyard Movie

If you have a projector, hang a sheet on your fence and enjoy a movie outside. There is nothing like watching a movie under the stars!


Tell Spooky Stories in Front of the Lantern

This activity was my three year olds favorite while backyard camping. She loved telling us stories so much she pretty much hogged the lantern and wouldn’t let anyone else get a chance. Still it was so much fun listening to her express herself and be creative.

Play Games

Backyard camping was a great way for us to get off our phones and tablets and spend quality time. We played kids charades, uno, and junior monopoly and had so much fun without electronics. It actually showed us we should have at least one night a week like this. If you have young kids like us, I really recommend this Charades for Kids game as it’s great for non-readers.

Make S’Mores

Making s’mores has to be most people favorite part of camping. Even if you don’t have a fire pit at home you can easily make s’mores in the oven and enjoy in your tent!

Bring Back 90s Fun and Slip n Slide During the Day

Growing up I remember the excitement of my parents bringing the slip n slide out during summer time. It was great to introduce this childhood memory to my own family. We got this 3 lane slip n slide for under $20 and it was such a good investment!

 


Set Rules to Backyard Camping

When backyard camping you can set your own rules on how much or little you’d like it to be like real camping. Are you allowed to use electronics or not? Can you make your meals in the house but eat outdoors or are you only allowed to grill or eat meals that don’t require cooking? These are things to determine ahead of time to see how much roughing it you want.

If you’re camping with young children especially, you’ll want to make sure and set some rules before your adventure. If your children are old enough, discuss this with them ahead of time so everyone knows what’s expected.

Talk about what to do if they wake up in the middle of the night. If you’re camping in your backyard, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. But it’s always good to have a plan just in case!

Backyard Camping Is A Great Way To Spend The Weekend Together

We had so much fun backyard camping and the girls can’t wait to do it again. It was the perfect staycation for our family and prepared us to do the real thing! If you’re looking for a fun, inexpensive staycation idea that the whole family will enjoy- consider backyard camping. In this blog post, we’ve discussed how to plan your next campout and shared some of our favorite activities from flashlight tag to exploring nature in your own backyards. Which outdoor activity do you want to try first? Did you find this article helpful? Please share it to help someone else!

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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