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I mean c’mon there is not one reason, look at th I mean c’mon there is not one reason, look at this view from the top of the Kloof Corner hike! The biggest way we’re able to afford traveling so much is by letting the deals dictate where we go. Cape Town has been on our bucket list forever but with flights typically costing $1,200-$1,800 it hasn’t been a priority. But when Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going, I don’t like the new name but that’s besides the point) dropped this Cape Town deal for less than half of what it normally costs we jumped on it!

So often I hear “but there are no deals during school breaks”, YES THERE ARE! We went to Cape Town for Thanksgiving and the girls get the entire week off of school so they missed no days. Plus since there seasons are opposite it was late spring and the weather was amazing. Scott’s emails deals directly to your inbox for the airports you choose (we select our home airport and airports we can easily fly direct to and always have cheap flights because sometimes it’s worth flying to a city for a deal (known as a repositioning flight). They offer a free version but you don’t get all the deals so we have the Premium subscription which costs $49 for a year and you can tap the link in my bio and use code TRAVELINGCHILD20 for 20% off. They have an Elite membership level for business class seats. Because someone always asks, yes they give deals for nonstop flights but please remember you can’t fly everywhere nonstop. Beloved if you’re going to Thailand from the US you’re going to have a layover.

Anyway when in Cape Town you must hike, there are so many amazing ones! This Kloof’s Corner hike is perfect for sunset. It’s not stroller or wheelchair accessible as there are stairs but if Jordyn and Kennedy can hike it in 40mins (one way up) I promise you don’t have to be super fit!

P.S. when booking a flight from the US you have 24 hours to cancel & get a refund (on flights booked 7 days in advance). So many ppl told me they hesitated on this deal because they had to see if they could get off work/what dates worked for their travel partners. Always book first, think second & just cancel within 24hrs if you can’t make it work! What’s the best flight deal you’ve booked?
Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! Here’s every Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! Here’s everything you need to know about getting into South Africa (save + share this post):

1. Your passport must be valid for 30 days after your scheduled date of departure.

2. You must have 2 consecutive empty pages in your passport.

3. There is no visa required for US citizens for visits less than 90 days.

4. There are no shots required to travel to South Africa, unless you are traveling from or transiting through yellow-fever deemed countries, then a yellow fever shot is required. You can find a list of these countries online.

5. South Africa has opposite seasons than the US so our winter is their summer. December to February are peak travel due to the weather but if you visit in November like we did you’ll get good weather and avoid the massive crowds of peak season.

Have you visited South Africa? If so, which part? If not, is it on your list?
Because why do y’all do this to us trip planners Because why do y’all do this to us trip planners? Are you the one in your group that plans the trip or do you just show up? If you’re the planner tag your friends 😅. If you just show up do you look at the itinerary or ask all the questions even though the info was given to you 👀?

Original reel idea credit goes to @kryssedeal, sis really nailed exactly how I feel!!
#sponsored Last year we were able to cross some am #sponsored Last year we were able to cross some amazing places off our bucket list. We want you to do the same so we’ve teamed up with @vrbo to give you the opportunity to win $3,500 and turn your bucket list trip into a book-it-list one! 

Just head over to the giveaway post on @vrbo, make sure you’re following them and tag 3 people you’d want to join you on your trip! 

So what is your book-it list vacation this year?

*T&Cs apply – link in bio

 #VrboTogether #BookItList
Things to do in Istanbul (save and share this post Things to do in Istanbul (save and share this post):

1. Visit the various houses of worship like Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque. Suleymaniye Camii, Ortakoy Mosque, Chora Church and the Camlica Mosque

2. Tour palaces like Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace

3. Climb the Galata Tower for amazing views of Istanbul. You can even enjoy a meal here at the restaurant on the top floor.

4. Take a cruise of the Bosphorus to see both the European and Asia side of Istanbul.

5. Visit the cities Bazaars, the Grand Bazaar where you can shop your heart out and the Spice Bazaar where you can eat your heart out. Don’t leave without trying a Turkish delight!

6. If you want to go shopping Istiklal is the place to do so. They have a wide range of stores including international chains like Zara.

7. See a Dervish show at Hodjapasha.

8. Walk across the Galata Bridge to see fisherman at work and then walk under it to taste their fresh catches.

9. Take a day trip to the Princes’ Islands.

10. Experience a Turkish Hammam.

11. Explore the neighborhood of Balet, enjoying the colorful building and have some traditional Turkish tea or my favorite Apple Tea.

12. Turkey has some amazing food so go on a food tour or take a cooking class. If you don’t do either just make sure not to leave without having a traditional Turkish breakfast!

I recommend at least 5 days in Istanbul but you can easily spend a week or more exploring the city.

Have you been to Istanbul? If not is it on your list? For those that have been what was your favorite thing to do?

#istanbul #bucketlistadventures
Our Egypt Itinerary (save + share this post): 3 n Our Egypt Itinerary (save + share this post):

3 nights Siwa: Shali Fortress, 4x4 safari in the Great Sand Sea, sunset on Fatnas Island, emple of Amun and Temple of the Oracle, take a look or a dip into Cleopatra Spring, Mountain of the Dead, House of Siwa Museum, float in the salt lakes.

5 nights Cairo: Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx,  Egyptian Museum, Saqqara, Khal Al Khalil, Old and Coptic Cairo: Hanging Church, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Al Azhar Mosque and the Fortress of Babylon, see an Al Tannoura Egyptian Dance Heritage Show at Wekalet El Ghouri. For a break from the historical things with kids spend a day at Dreamland Park, Kidzania, or Ski Egypt. Stay at Marriott Mena House.

3 nights Luxor: Hot air balloon ride, Luxor Museum, Mummification museum, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Karnak, Temple of Luxor, Colossi Statue of Memnon and Hatshpsut

3 nights Aswan: High Dam, Temple of Philae, Nubian Villages, Sail on the Nile by Felucca, Nubian Museum, Abu Simbel

On the way to Aswan from Luxor you can also stop to see the Temple of Horus and Kim Ombo Temple. If you have extra time visit Alexandria, Bahariya Oasis, and White Desert National Park to see the White Desert.

Have you been to Egypt? Is it on your list? There is so much to see outside of Cairo! 

#bucketlisttravel #cairoegypt #luxoregypt #aswan
OUR MOROCCO ITINERARY (save + share this post):

🇲🇦2 nights Chefchaouen- painting class, hiking, enjoying the Blue City and more.

🇲🇦3 nights Fes- Royal palaces, Moroccan dance class, visit the tannery and more

🇲🇦6 nights Marrakech- Majorelle Gardens, explore the Medina, explore the various mosques, stay in a riad, take a Moroccan cooking class and more.

🇲🇦3 nights Sahara Desert- ATV tour, sand boarding, Bedouin experience and more.

For all the details of each trip tap the link in my bio for the itineraries of each city. Have you been to Morocco? Is it on your list?

P.S. the girls were 3 and 5 on this trip

#moroccotrip #thisisafrica #travellingwithkids

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Things to Do in Huntington Beach: A Complete Two Day Itinerary

June 28, 2019      California, Destinations, 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.

After going on our first RV road trip last year we were itching for another one. Thankfully our partnership with Visit California and Go RVing gave us that opportunity. We headed out on a six day Southern California RV road trip visiting Huntington Beach, Oceanside, and Anza-Borrego. Here are things to do in Huntington Beach, a complete guide to Surf City USA.

How to Get to Huntington Beach + Tips on Renting an RV

Even though we were going on an RV road trip we don’t own one so we rented from Outdoorsy (sign up here for $50 off) We also live in Florida so we would first be fly from Miami to California. Based on the location of the RV we rented we flew in and out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  However, Huntington Beach is located 50 minutes from LAX or 90 minutes from San Diego International Airport and based on the 3 cities we visited you can either arrive and depart from the same airport or fly into one and depart from the other.

 

I remember our first RV trip and it can seem overwhelming but it’s not. Here are tips for first time RVers as well as what to expect when vacationing in an RV. Wondering why we chose an RV instead of road tripping in a car? Here’s why road trips with kids are better in an RV.

You May Be Interested in Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a California Road Trip

Things to Do in Huntington Beach with Two Days in Surf City USA

Things to Do in Huntington Beach Day One: Pacific Hideaway, Havaianas, & Duke’s

After setting up at our RV Park we had lunch at Pacific Hideaway which is located inside the Kimpton Shorebreak Resort. If you aren’t towing a vehicle and need to drive your RV downtown there is RV parking at the beach a few blocks away.

Lunch was exquisite! We started with the stick wings and chips and guacamole and were extremely tempted to order more. Luckily we didn’t because our main entrees were just as good! The pineapple relish on the mahi mahi tacos made were perfection!  None of us could keep our hands off the hand cut fries even when we were beyond stuffed. My dad ordered the Baja Striped Bass and as someone who is constantly complaining about his food orders he surprisingly complimented the fish multiple times.

fish tacos, fries, lettuce, sea bass and an alcoholic beverage

After eating way too much good food we walked to Havaianas which is a sandal brand created in 1962. Here we got the opportunity to make our own sandals and it was by far my three year olds favorite activity. She had such a good time she even convinced the employees to let her remake her sandals about 6 times because she didn’t want to stop. You’re able to pick out color of the soles, straps, and then can customize them even more by adding a special charm to the straps.

girl making flip flops
Making her own flip flops was one of Kennedy’s favorite things to do in Huntington Beach.

Across the street from Havaianas is the Pier Plaza Art Afaire. It’s an outdoor market of about 50 vendors who sell unique, hand-made gifts. We came across an artist drawing caricatures had to get ours done.

The Pier Plaza Art-A-Faire sits at the start of the Huntington Beach Pier which is the perfect place to watch the sunset. Since we had some time before the sun set we walked along the pier to get a closer look at the surfers in the water. There were literally hundreds of them and it was so much fun watching them catch the waves. Then when the sun was finally setting we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve seen.

mom and daughter watching sunset
Be sure to add watching the sunset from the pier on your list of things to do in Huntington Beach.

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

After sunset we had dinner at Duke’s Huntington Beach which conveniently sits at the start of the pier. With ocean view seating be sure to make a reservation and request a table near the windows. They specialize in traditional Hawaiian dishes.

After dinner we headed back to our RV park. One thing we learned from our last RV trip is how nice everyone is at RV parks. That even though no one if your permanent neighbor it feels like such a community. When we pulled up our neighbors noticed Kennedy and with four kids of their own invited us over. They were about to make s’mores and play some games. Kennedy was so happy to make a friend!

Things to Do in Huntington Beach Day Two: Surf Lessons, Beach Bonfire, & More

We started our second day in Huntington Beach having breakfast at a local favorite, Mama’s on 39. It’s a large shopping plaza and the parking spaces don’t have the concrete dividers so we were able to just take up two spots to park our RV.

It was a Saturday morning and we arrived at 8:25AM, a few minutes before they open. There was a line of people and we knew we were in for a good meal. They are famous for their bacon biscuits but since we don’t eat pork we opted for the original ones, still they were delicious. I got the french toast which was really good and my dad enjoyed oatmeal and an omelette.

pancakes, french toast, eggs, biscuits

When looking at things to do in Huntington Beach surf lessons are at the top of everyone’s list. So after breakfast we headed to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa where I met my surf instructor at Toes of the Nose. Again we parked our RV across the street at the beach, which does give you in and out privileges with your one day parking pass.

I took a one hour lesson with Johnny and I highly recommend him. He was very patient and encouraging. I was even able to stand up and catch a wave before my lesson ended. While my three-year-old was too young to participate as kids must be at least eight she hung out on the beach making sand castles and watching my lesson.

After my surf lesson we had we ate at Pete’s Sunset Grill which is right across the walkway from Toes on the Nose. With your hour surf lesson lunch here is included. While you can’t select from the entire menu there are quite a few options including mahi mahi tacos and burgers. Plus your lunch comes with a beer or glass of wine with your meal. If you don’t take lessons like my dad and daughter you can just place your order and pay the menu price.

Once we stuffed our faces we headed back to our RV park, Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina. Here we enjoyed an afternoon in the pool.

Swimming in the pool all afternoon worked up our appetites. We headed back into town to have dinner at Ola Mexican Kitchen, which is right across from the beach RV parking lot. The restaurant is located in the outdoor shopping mall Pacific City. This restaurant seems to be a very popular spot so I highly recommend making a reservation in advance.

After dinner it was time for dessert. We headed to the beach for a bonfire and s’mores. The Hilton Huntington Beach offers full blow beach bonfire packages. They set up nice chairs in front of a fire pit which they provide the wood for and keep the fire lit until you’re ready to leave. There is also a table with the ingredients needed for s’mores along with sticks to roast marshmallows. Drinks, both soda and water were also provided in a cooler with ice. The best part is they take care of all the clean-up! Arrive right before sunset for beautiful sunset views on the beach.

beach bonfire huntington beach, california
Having a bonfire on the beach is one of the unique things to do in Huntington Beach.

We returned to our RV park for our last night in Huntington Beach. The next morning we made breakfast in our RV before heading to the next stop of our Southern California road trip. Oceanside was a short 60 mile drive from Huntington Beach.

Other Things to Do in Huntington Beach

Of course we weren’t able to do everything in Huntington Beach. Here are some things we considered that we just didn’t have time for:

  • Huntington Beach State Park: Here you can go swimming, fishing and basketball and volleyball courts.
  • International Surfing Museum: What’s Surf City USA without a surfing museum, check out all the greats here.
  • Whale Watching: Depending on the time of year you visit Huntington Beach you’ll have the chance to see Blue Whales, Gray Whales, Common Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Fin Whales, Minke Whales, Mola Mola, Mako Shark, and Great White Sharks

The Best RV Park in Huntington Beach

While looking for the best Huntington Beach RV Parks we came across Sunset Vista and Bolsa Chica State Beach. However, both of them were 100% occupied during our two night stay. We ended up staying at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, just 15 minutes away. The location was very convenient to reaching all the things to do in Huntington Beach. We were actually very happy we ended up booking here as it’s one of the nicest RV park we’ve ever stayed in. 

One of Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina most notable features are it’s lake view RV spots! The RV resort is very family friendly with it’s playground and kids rec area. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina also has a laundry room that doesn’t require coins, you can use your credit card!

We really enjoyed our time in Huntington Beach and hope to return soon. Did you find our post on things to do in Huntington Beach 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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