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Yesterday kicked off Hurricane season but did you Yesterday kicked off Hurricane season but did you know there are Caribbean islands outside of the Hurricane Belt and ones that rarely ever see hurricanes? (Save and share this post) 

Aruba, pictured here has gorgeous beaches and is one of them! The others are:

1. Curaçao 
2. St. Vincent and The Grenadines
3. Bonaire
4. Trinidad and Tobago 

Click the link in my bio for details on these islands and for my Aruba itinerary.

Personally I think you can still visit other Caribbean islands during this time. Just be sure to have reservations that are changeable in case a hurricane is in the forecast for your scheduled dates. Having grown up around hurricanes I def know they’re scary and cause extreme harm but notice is given for you to be able to adjust your plans. What are your thoughts on traveling to the Caribbean during hurricane season? 

#hurricaneseason #traveltips
#ad We recently spent the day exploring Everglades #ad We recently spent the day exploring Everglades National Park. Of course the girls first stop was to the visitor center to pick up a Jr. Ranger workbook so they can earn another Jr. Ranger badge. We got to see lots of alligators (baby ones too), turtles and different species of birds which is exactly what the @kinderus and @nationalparkfoundation partnership is all about, learning more about the wildlife in the national parks along the Explore the Wild Treat + Toy Kinder Joy Eggs. Have you made it to any national parks this year?
Things to do in Riyadh, Saudi (save and share this Things to do in Riyadh, Saudi (save and share this post)!

1. Visit historical Diriyah! This is the birthplace of the first Saudi state, its extremely well preserved and a must see UNESCO site. We did a 2 hour guided tour and I highly recommend.

2. Have lunch at Najd Village which is a restaurant that serves traditional meals in a traditional setting (sitting on the floor, eating with your hands). The entire restaurant is built in the old Nadj lifestyle so you can see the architecture of the past. The food was amazing and the ambiance is equally beautiful.

3. Explore the red sand dunes which I highlighted in my last reel. You can do dunebashing, sandboarding, ATVing and more.

4. Walk around The Boulevard- it’s an outdoor entertainment area with shops, restaurants and more. There’s an area that replicates Times Square and then other parts reminded me on the Vegas strip, perfect place to spend an evening for dinner.

5. Face your fear of heights and walk across the skybridge at the Kingdom Centre Tower. It’s 300 meters above the ground with amazing views of the city. Don’t worry it’s enclosed!

6. Visit the National Museum of Saudi Arabia.

7. Walk around the Masmak Fort, it’s free!

8. See the Edge of the World, one of the most famous spots in Saudi.

I’m very glad I got to see Saudi for myself, next stop, exploring the city of Jeddah! Would you do any of these activities?

📸 @chrispriestley__ and @nadjowa
#Ad This summer I have plans to do a lot of outdoo #Ad This summer I have plans to do a lot of outdoor activities, and protecting my skin while being out in the sun is extremely important! Since I frequently travel with others, having a sunscreen that everyone can use is a must, which is why I’m loving the new @coppertoneusa Complete sunscreen! 

It passed the most important tests for me when looking at sunscreen, it leaves no white cast on my skin, is lightweight, moisturizing, provides UVA and UVB sun protection, and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes! 

This new sunscreen allows me to pack light while providing the entire group with the sun protection we need. What sunny summer plans do you have? #Coppertone #ItsGreatOutdoors
Saving money anywhere we can is key to us being ab Saving money anywhere we can is key to us being able to travel frequently. @Priceline makes it easy to save on hotels with their Priceline Express Deals®, which can save us up to 60% off published hotel rates for all the major hotels and more. While you won't be able to see the hotel name until after you've paid, you can filter what you see by choosing your preferred neighborhood and amenities of your choice, then let Priceline do the rest. I used it to get an amazing hotel in La Jolla on one of our trips to San Diego, what trips do you have coming up that you're looking to save on hotels? Tap the link in bio to download the app now to save on your next trip. #PricelineExpressDeals #PricelinePartner
“There’s no dream too big or too small”, tha “There’s no dream too big or too small”, that’s the mantra of the girls favorite gymnast, Simone Biles, and one we personally live by. They’re in gymnastics and swim and outside of these regular activities you’ve all seen them try skiing, surfing, hang-gliding and more. None of these come easy but they know that there is nothing they can’t accomplish as long as they work towards their goals just as Simone Biles does. They were so excited to find out Simone has her own collection at @athleta and are now convinced these outfits give them super powers🤣. Which one of these outfits is your favorite? #PowerOfShe #AthletaGirl #AthletaPartner
There’s more to Jordan than Petra and Wadi Rum! There’s more to Jordan than Petra and Wadi Rum! We got to spend time in Feynan and one morning while there Jordyn and I woke up early to go on a hike through this nature reserve. Our @nike gear from @kohls was perfect for the climate. 

We both loved that we matched from head to toe in our #nikesportswear and we’re able to find attire in beautiful colors. You can actually walk from Petra to Feynan, it only takes 3 days 😅 and lots of people do it. While the two of us did not do that we loved exploring this land of the Bedouin. 

What have been the best/most memorable places you have hiked? #kohlsfinds #kohlspartner

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Things to do in Austin With Kids

May 12, 2022      Destinations, North America, Texas

Our family finally made it to Texas and because of all the amazing things we heard we made Austin our first stop! Austin has grown tremendously in the last 10 years and with their amazing restaurants, music and outdoor landscape it was the perfect city for us to explore. Plus their breweries are mostly family friendly so parents can have all the fun they want too! Here are some of our favorite things to do in Austin with kids.

How to Get to Austin with Kids Affordably

With 16 airlines servicing Austin International airport there are endless opportunities to find flight deals. Whether you choose to fly budget airlines like Spirit (read tips here), Frontier and Allegiant, mid-range airlines like JetBlue or the main airlines like American, Delta and United your choices are endless. Coming from an international destination? British Airways, Air Canada, Aeromexico, and Lufthansa all service Austin. There is even an Amtrak station in Austin if you’re not ready to fly.

Things to do in Austin with Kids

Zilker Park

One of the most popular attractions in Austin for anyone regardless of age is Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park. The pool is 3 acres and has diving boards, a lap section and more. The water is always a cool 68-70 degrees no matter what time of year you visit.

Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Colony

If you’re visiting Austin with kids from late March to early fall you have to take them to see the bats, who live under the bridge. The best time to see them is around sunset when they wake up and take their night flight but honestly this could be anywhere from 7:30-9:45pm. If you want to find parking and a spot on the bridge to watch or below it on the grassy patch you must arrive early. The parking lot at Austin American-Statesman at 205 S. Congress Ave. fills up quickly.

PHOTO

Another option to watch the bats is to take a bat tour on the water. There are two companies, Lone Star Riverboat and Capital Cruises that offer nightly bat tours in a boat. If you want to get a little exercise in while you watch them you can do a bat-watching kayak excursion with Love Love Paddle or Austin Kayak Tours.

Lady Bird Lake Hike or Bike

The Lady bird is surrounded by the 10 mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. We biked it after renting bikes from Barton Springs Bike Rental and Tours across the street. If the weather is good bring bathing suits as there is a splash pad at Butler park along the trail. If you’re walking and need a stroller the trail is stroller friendly!

Thinkery

We didn’t get to visit the Thinkery on our trip because it was closed during our visit but it was all the things to do in Austin with kids article that I read so that must mean it’s good, right? It’s a hands-on children’s museum and from what I read on their website similar to my daughters’ favorite museum in Las Vegas. Hopefully we’ll get to experience it on our next trip but if you get to before then drop a comment and let us know how it was.

Explore McKinney Falls State Park and Horseback Ride at Renegade Trail Rides

Did you really go to Texas if you didn’t get on a horse? While the downtown area of Austin is very popular, the city has an entire beautiful countryside. We explored McKinney Roughs Nature Park on horseback at the ranch on the Hyatt Lost Pines property. Kids 6 and up can go on the big horses but younger kids are not left out as they can ride the ponies. Don’t forget to ask to feed the miniature horses!!

Splash Around at the Indoor Waterpark at Kalahari Resorts

The perfect activity year round but especially on a rainy day or if it’s cold outside but you still want to have some water fun. We first enjoyed Kalahari Resorts indoor water parks on our winter trip to Wisconsin Dells. It was amazing, we’d go snowboarding one day and the waterpark the next (check out that itinerary here). Believe me the kids will love it if you take them to the one in Austin.

Take in Austin’s Street Art

You won’t find a block in Austin that doesn’t have street art and well that’s due to a local ordinance that requires each one to have public art accessible to everyone. Since street art is such a huge part of Austin we took a tour with Austin Detours. This two hour tour took us all around the city visiting some of the more famous art pieces Austin has to offer. Our guide taught us about the different types of street art, about the artists and she even had a surprise for us at the end.

When we finished the exploration part of the tour it was time for the hands on part at Something Cool Studios. Here we had a professional graffiti artist give us a lesson on graffiti and we had the opportunity to create our own piece of street art. Instead of on a wall we did it on a canvas so we could take it home with us!

Lake Travis Zipline

If you have adrenaline junkie kids like I do you’ll have to head to Lake Travis for ziplining. My girls first ziplined at 3 years old in Costa Rica and have been hooked since now having ziplined in Costa Rica, Orlando, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, and South Dakota. The ziplining at Lake Travis has 5 ziplines, one of which is the longest in the entire state of Texas.

Mount Bonnell

Whenever I’m traveling with my girls my plan is to always tire them out during the day so they go right to sleep when we get in for the evening. This is why I think visiting Mount Bonnell is one of the best things to do in Austin with kids. You can not only see the entire city from the highest point in the city at Covert Park there is so much open space for the kids to run around and play. Don’t forget to pack snacks and water and you do have to climb quite a few stairs to get to the top.

Have Lunch in Pease Park

Pease Park is the perfect park to have a lunch picnic. Even if you don’t have a blanket for the grass there are plenty of picnic benches. The playground is huge with multiple sections and something for everyone. You can’t leave the park without finding the tree house!

Inner Space Cavern

If your kids have never been in a cave or even if they have they might enjoy the Adventure Tour at Inner Space Cavern. They’ll see fossils and they’ll be able to mine for gemstones outside after the tour.

COTA Karting

If you’ve ever wanted to see a Formula 1 track here’s your chance. Home to the only one in the United States, COTA Karting lets you go karting at up to 55 MPH. Kids do need to be 14 and at least 58”to drive and 48”to be a passenger. There is a Junior Kart for those at least 12 years old and 48”. Besides the go karts they also have a zipline on site which most kids can ride.

Chase Waterfalls Hiking at McKinney State Park

Usually when people think of cities like Austin they definitely don’t think about nature but if you and your family love the outdoors McKinney State Park is for you. There are tons of hiking trails to fit every fitness level. For younger kids who won’t be able to hike the trails themselves, be sure to bring a carrier as a stroller won’t work here. We used this hiking stroller on our most challenging family hike at Pedro de Telegrafo but when our children were younger our Ergobaby carrier sufficed!

Where to Eat in Austin with Kids

If you don’t eat anywhere else in Austin with kids make sure you eat at The Picnic. It’s Austin’s food truck park and I don’t know about you but we love food trucks. It’s the perfect place for picky eaters because they literally have something for everyone! Personally, my favorite was the Thai food truck!

Everyone told us the best BBQ in Austin was at the Salt Lick. Now it is a little out of the way but we went there after visiting COTA Karting as it’s close to there. They are known for having a tremendous wait time. I recommend ordering ahead for take out and sitting at the open picnic field they have. They sometimes have live music here. If you do have to wait, rest assured there is a playground with swings and slides to keep the kids busy.

Where to Stay in Austin with Kids

We’ve always been a fan of vacation rentals when traveling with kids and Austin is no different. We love the space, ability to wash clothes if needed and hang out comfortably after a day of exploring. There are tons of Airbnb’s in Austin, we personally love the South Congress area, check out my 8 tips to guarantee a great Airbnb experience.

If Airbnb’s aren’t your thing there are plenty of hotels to choose from. The only ones I’ve personally stayed in are the Aloft and the JW Marriott both in downtown. Personally I don’t like staying downtown with kids due to the extremely overpriced parking which is valet only and always takes forever to get your car. At night with the tons of bars and the party scene it’s not my ideal place to walk around with younger kids. However, out of the two hands down the JW Marriott. The Aloft was not my favorite at all, the bathrooms are on the smaller side and it just wasn’t well kept in my opinion.They do have a nice restaurant on the property though! 

We had a great first visit to Texas, there are just so many things to do in Austin with kids. If you found this article helpful please share it. If you’ve been to Austin and think we left something off, drop your suggestions in the comments.

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Hey, I’m Monet!

Hey, I’m Monet!

A full time working woman, wife and mama of two. I use every last one of my vacation days traveling with my kids, hubby, friends or solo. Join me as I share my travel experiences and tips to make travel affordable and easier with the little ones. You can read more about me here.

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