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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 Juneau, Alaska

May 3, 2022      Alaska, Destinations, North America

Since we hope to visit all 50 states, Alaska has technically always been on our bucket list but admittedly it wasn’t anywhere near the top. However, when we got the opportunity to visit Juneau, Alaska with Royal Caribbean we jumped at the chance and are so glad we did. It is one of the most breathtaking places we’ve visited and in our top 5 along with Kenya, Brazil, Morocco and our southwest road trip. We spent 11 days in Alaska visiting Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Most of our time was spent in Juneau and here is our can’t miss list of things to do in Juneau.

How to get to Juneau Affordably

Alaska isn’t the most affordable place to visit but it’s very worth the visit. You can reduce costs by using points and miles from travel credit cards or by getting a flight deal. Scott Cheap Flights recently had some for under $300 from multiple cities which will help reduce costs. Juneau is in the SE part of Alaska and while many people take road trips through the state, especially Anchorage to Fairbanks, the only way to get to Juneau is by flight or boat.  

How Many Days Do You Need to Experience the Best Things to do in Juneau

We spent 5 days in Juneau but I’d recommend 7 because the weather can cancel activities and you’ll definitely want to reschedule missed activities. If you don’t have 7 days to spare don’t worry, you can make 5 days work if you’re okay with doing activities rain or shine. We personally still went on a canoe trip in the rain so it’s doable just not as ideal! Be sure to book your most wanted activities on your first day so you have time to reschedule if the weather is poor.

What is the Weather Like in Juneau?

Packing for things to do in Juneau with the varying weather can seem like you’re packing for multiple seasons in different places. We typically have ease packing light and are team carry-on but for Alaska we checked bags. This is because even in the summer you could need winter boots and a snow suit one day, shorts and a t-shirt the next and rain jackets and rain boots another day.

Photo of us courtesy of Royal Caribbean

If you’re coming from an always warm place such as Miami like we were, you may not have winter gear. Before spending lots of money on clothing you might not wear again, check if the tour companies you’re using to go on the adventure offer the gear you need. The tours we took to Mendenhall Glacier did provide boots and waterproof pants and jackets. If you’re more comfortable bringing all your own gear, check out our Alaska packing list here for more details on what to bring.

Things to do in Juneau, Alaska

Visit Mendenhall Glacier

If you do nothing else in Juneau make sure you visit Mendenhall Glacier. It was so amazing we did two different tours that brought us to this beauty!

Helicopter Ride to Mendenhall Glacier

The first day we visited Mendenhall Glacier we took a helicopter ride to the top of the glacier with Northstar Trekking. It’s a short 5-7 minute ride with breathtaking views of the lake, waterfalls and more. Once you land on top of Mendenhall you’re able to walk around the glacier easily thanks to the crampons they attach to the bottom of your boots.

We walked all around the top. There was a naturally occuring glacier pool that my girls enjoyed sipping glacier water from. There were also little creeks we jumped over and little “caves” my girls enjoyed exploring. It was amazing!

Glacier Paddle and Trek Tour

We couldn’t get enough of the glacier so the next day we went back to Above and Beyond Alaska. This time we did a glacier paddle and trek tour. The tour starts in the Tongass National Forest where you meet the crew and change into waterproof pants and boots (depending on the weather).

The tour starts with a 3 mile canoe to the glacier. On the way you’ll pass Nugget Falls, icebergs and have the potential to see wildlife, we mainly saw a variety of birds. The day we went it was raining but we didn’t let that stop us. We put on waterproof gear and weathered the rain.

Photo taken by L. Renee Blout

Once your canoe ride is over you’ve reached the bottom of the glacier and to me it looked like we were in another world. We then took about a mile hike on uneven rocky pavement to one of the most spectacular things I’ve seen, an ice cave! These are naturally formed and they go and come so there is no guarantee there will be one on your tour but if you’re lucky enough it’s breathtaking.

Photo of us courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Whale Watching Tour

There are so many whale watching tours in Juneau. We personally went with Gastineau Guiding to see humpback whales! They offer both a 2.5hr whale watching only tour and a 5hr land and sea tour for cruise passengers if you’re here on a cruise. We didn’t see any breach like in the photo below (it’s actually a statue in Juneau called The Whale Project) but we did see a lot of whales including a few babies.

To enhance your whale watching experience you can get out of the boat and into a kayak via Above and Beyond Alaska. This is a way to get even closer to the whales and even if you don’t you might see otters and other sea animals close up. The tour includes lunch on the beach of one of the islands.

Explore Tracy Arms

One of the top things to do is take a boat ride through Tracy Arms. This is basically boating through tons of icebergs. We didn’t get to do this but my parents who were on this trip with us did. They saw so many icebergs and brown bears climbing along the mountains.

Visit Pack Creek

If you want the highest chance of seeing brown bears definitely book a kayak trip to Pack Creek with Above and Beyond Alaska. This includes a seaplane flight to Admiralty Island to the Stan Price Sanctuary which has the densest population of brown bears. You’ll see these beauties roaming freely and possibly see them up close and personal but safely as well. The best time to see the bears here is between June and September.

Alaska State Museum

Visit the Alaska State Museum to learn the history of Native Alaskans and the effect colonization had on them. In 1867 is when the US purchased Alaska for 7.2 million dollars from Russia. However, Native Alaskans didn’t receive voting rights until 1922. Meanwhile the hunt for gold here started shortly after its purchase and the gold rush had a huge negative impact on the Natives. The museum goes into lots of history and the culture of the Natives and it was a great visit which I highly recommend.

Take the Goldbelt Tram to Mount Roberts

The Goldbelt Tram takes you up to Mount Roberts. It costs $25 for adults and $15 for kids which is very pricey in my opinion but it’s also the only way to get up so there’s that. At the top you can go on various hikes looking for wildlife. It is possible to see bears up here but we didn’t see any. However, we did see tons of bald eagles. They were so soaring above us at the top, it was quite a sight to see. Worth the cost to get up just for that. Some days you’ll also see the paragliders jumping off the platform at the top here paragliding to the bottom.

As an alternative you can hike all the way to the top. The hike is 3 miles up and takes about 2-3 hours due to the slow incline to the top. You can always take the tram down and if you spend at least $10 in the bar or gift shop the ride down is free.

Zach Gordon Youth Center

One day it rained non-stop and there was really nothing we could do. If this happens to you and you’re traveling with kids I suggest taking them to the Zach Gordon Youth Center to burn off some energy. It’s much better than being stuck in a small hotel room. Here they have a rock climbing wall, covered basketball court with other sports equipment. It’s free to hang out here and definitely saves the day from complete boredom.

Sandy Beach

Okay coming from living in Miami and being Jamaican I don’t consider Sandy Beach a beach but in Juneau they do. It’s more of a lake to me that I personally wouldn’t swim in but there were kids and adults swimming. We did do some stand up paddle boarding here though and I mean the views all over Juneau are just amazing.

Photo of me courtesy of Royal Caribbean
Photo taken by L. Renee Blount

Things to do in Juneau On Our Next Visit

Unfortunately we didn’t get to do everything we wanted in Juneau but that’s just more reason to revisit. When we do we hope we’ll be able to cross these things off our bucket list.

Dog Sledding

Dog sledding was definitely high on our bucket list of things to do in Juneau. However, since we went in June 2021 while we nearly had Juneau to ourselves which was amazing the lack of tourists meant all tours weren’t available. If we never make it back to Juneau we do hope we can at least do this in a different location some day.

Zipline on Douglas Island

If you love a good thrill you’ll enjoy ziplining with Alaska Zipline Adventures. Here they have 7 lines, 10 platforms and a suspension bridge. If you’re visiting in the summer this place becomes a great place to ski instead of ziplining.

Hike the West Glacier Trail

Juneau obviously has a lot of snow/iceberg/glacier activities but they also have a rainforest. You can explore them on a hike up the West Glacier Trail. Like the name says, it’s located on the west side of Mendenhall Glacier. At the end of the hike there is an amazing viewpoint which overlooks the glacier and the lake. You can book a guided hike with Adventure Flow.

Take a Floatplane to Taku Glacier

This flight flies right over the Juneau Ice Field which is the source if every glacier in the area. The tour lands on the water which is one of the aspects I’m most looking forward to right at Taku Glacier Lodge. Before heading back to Juneau you can have a salmon bake and take in all the glacier views.

Explore Glacier Bay National Park

As a family who has had an America the Beautiful National Park Pass for 3 years in a row it really saddened us that we couldn’t make it to Glacier Bay National Park. To get here from Juneau you can book a day trip or stay a few nights in the park.

Where to Eat in Juneau, Alaska

Honestly I’d go all the way back to Juneau just for the food! There were so many amazing places to eat and as a seafood lover I was in heaven. Here were my favorite places to eat.

The Rookery Cafe

We ate here for both breakfast and lunch but breakfast was my favorite. The french toast was so good as it’s cornflake crusted so nice and crunchy. My girls were in heaven because they had almond milk for them to have hot chocolate. They also have tons of great pastries.

Sandpiper Cafe

One of the most popular places for breakfast in Juneau, be sure to come here early if you don’t want a long wait. They also have a really good french toast made on brioche bread.

Alaska Fish & Chips Company

If you are looking for the best fish and chips look no further. I even came here once after eating dinner somewhere else because they are just so good and I had to eat them one last time before leaving Juneau. Just get the halibut and thank me later! On Instagram they are @flightdeck_ak.

Deckhand Daves

The best tacos in Juneau hands down are at Deckhand Dave’s Fish Tacos. I see why the line here is always so long. They have quite a few options

Tracy’s Crab

Tracy’s Crab is the most famous restaurant in Alaska and I see why. It might even have turned this crab hating lady into a crab loving one, the only place I’ll even deem cracking crabs after paying an arm and a leg for them is worth it. The crabs are made to order and you can actually watch them make your order right in the front of the restaurant. As sides, they have rolls, bisque, fries, hush puppies and more.

Gold Creek Salmon

Salmon Bakes are apparently the thing to do in Alaska so you have to do one while here. We did one but I can’t remember the name of the place we went. You can see them grilling the salmon and then they had buffet style for sides with potatoes, rice, veggies and more. The particular place we went also had fire pits to roast marshmallows and sip on hot chocolate after dinner.

Juneau, Alaska is by far one of our top trips in the United States and internationally as well. I truly hope we’ll be able to revisit this beauty again. If you found this article on things to do in Juneau helpful please do share it with a fellow traveler!

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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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