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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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Things to Do in Graz, Austria

September 30, 2019      Austria, Destinations, Europe

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 years of exploring cities Western Europe such as Paris, Brussels, and London I finally visited Central Europe thanks to the Propel Conference by Captivate. I applied to attend this professional conference and was accepted thereby granting me the opportunity to visit Graz, Austria for nearly free. During free time at the conference I got to explore the city and here are things to do in Graz, Austria to help you plan your own trip.

Free Things to Do in Graz

Schlossberg Clock Tower

If you’re looking for a small workout that will lead to amazing views of Graz climb the 260 stairs to get to the Schlossberg Clock Tower. If walking up 260 steps isn’t your thing ,you can take an elevator for a small fee. Either way when you get to the top you will see a beautiful landscape. 

If you visit in the spring or summer enjoy the garden with it’s beautiful purple, yellow and orange flowers. In front of the Schlossberg Clock Tower you will find a piano that has free play hours where visitors take turns playing for the crowd.

When you’ve taken in the views you can walk back down the stairs, take the elevator or even slide down! Yes, there is not only a slide to take you down but it’s the longest indoor slide in the world. There is a small fee to take the slide down but so much more fun than the stairs.

Murinsel

We were lucky enough to have one of our conference events hosted at the Murinsel. It’s an artificial island made of steel, built in 2003. It has a full bar so it’s the perfect place for a morning coffee or evening cocktail. Even if you see it during the day be sure to pass by at night when it’s lit up in blue.

Check Out the Art Murals

There is so much street art around Graz and walking around the city stumbling upon them was one of my favorite things to do. This piece below was personally one of my favorite ones!

Beautiful street art in Old Town Graz

The Double Staircase in the Burg of Graz

Double spiral staircases so you should add it to your Graz itinerary. The people of Graz affectionately call this one the Stairs of Reconciliation because “if you go separate ways, you will ultimately reunite.” It is only open Friday-Sunday so plan accordingly.

Affordable Things to Do in Graz

Eggenberg Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site and mostly unchanged since the 18th century. It has 24 state rooms and a planetary room and they are decorated from top to bottom including gorgeous ceilings. In addition to the palace there is a huge park and gardens area. You can choose to pay entry to see just the gardens and explore the outside of the palace or pay entry for both.

 

Kunsthaus Graz

The Kunsthaus or better known to locals as the friendly alien. It was built is 2003 and it’s modern architecture looks quite different than the rest of the architecture in this part of the city known as old town. Since it’s opening it has give many artists the opportunity to showcase their work.  As of September 2019 they were open Tuesdays-Sundays from 10AM-5PM.

Guided City Tour

If exploring on your own isn’t your things or you want to learn more about the history of Graz while you explore, take a guided city tour. Our group took one which lasted about two hours and it was nice having someone to help us navigate the streets as it can be a little intimidating on your own with all the streets.

 

Take Yodel Lessons

This was one of favorite things to do in Graz. At dinner on our first night we had two Austrian natives from the Folk Song Institution teach us how to yodel. It was so much fun and we learned that yodelling was first done to pass messages from mountain to mountain. If you’re up for a bigger adventure the same company also offers hiking tours with learning to yodel mixed in. You will need to contact the Graz Tourism Board to assist you in setting up a tour.

Photo credit: Graz Tourismus_Werner Krug

Visit the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum

I’m not even an Arnold Schwarzenegger fanatic or anything but this was my second favorite activity beside our Yodel lessons. The museum is in the home he grew up in and has the original bed from his youth. Each room highlights a different stage in his life including bodybuilding, acting, and his time as Governor or California. It was so interesting to learn more about him and that he actually made his first millions as a businessman. It’s a little further out from the city center so you will need a car or taxi to get here but so worth the visit.

Foodie Things to Do in Graz: Get Your Grub on at These Restaurants

Glöcklbräu

If you want a traditional Austrian meal then you have to visit Glöcklbräu. Meat is big in Austria and there is no shortage of it here. My favorite dish was the Käsespätzle, it is Austria’s version of mac and cheese and it is so good. For desert you have to get the apple strudel, my mouth is watering now just thinking about all it’s goodness.

aiola im Schloss

Looking for a fancy night out? Then head to Aiola im Schloss. This restaurant, which looks like a mansion or castle is on gorgeous grounds. I can easily see why so many people choose to get married here. The restaurant decor is upscale and modern with excellent service.

 

How to Get to Graz, Austria

While Graz does have an airport of its own it usually calls for a longer travel time as direct flights are limited from most destinations. Graz is easily accessible from Vienna, Austria if you can get a direct flight there. From Vienna it’s a quick 2.5hr train ride to Graz. Taking the train in Europe is extremely and convenient, here are 5 reasons to travel Europe by train.

To make travel affordable, especially to Europe I  always book a flight deal to the cheapest European country from my home in Miami. This is because once you’re in Europe it’s cheap to get from one country to another. Using Skyscanner has always been one of the best ways to find the cheap flights to Europe and you can download their free app here.

You may also be interested in: 7 Least Expensive Countries in Europe: Places to Visit When Budget Traveling

Where to Stay in Graz: Hotel Wiesler

If you come to Graz and want to feel special Hotel Wiesler is the place for you. After all this is where Arnold Schwarzenegger stays every time he returns home, he even has his own special room at the hotel. Hotel Wiesler is in the perfect location to walk to the majority of the places I’ve listed as things to do in Graz. There is free WiFi and a restaurant on site which makes it quite convenient. 

Dinner at Hotel Wiesler

I had a great time exploring my first city in Austria. After exploring all the things to do in Graz a group of us in the conference headed to Southstyria to spend a few days exploring that region on Austria. I’m looking forward to returning one day to explore other areas and experience their infamous Christmas markets. Did you find this post helpful? Please share it!

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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