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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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Two Days in Florence with Kids

July 8, 2016      Destinations, Europe, Italy

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.

Florence was the 2nd stop on our tour of Italy. We went after visiting Venice and before visiting Rome. We would be taking the train Venice to Florence and spending two days in Florence. We soon realized it wasn’t enough time but here’s how to spend two days in Florence with kids.

The Train From Venice to Florence

Once we arrived on the train from Venice to Florence we were able to walk from the train station to two of the Airbnb’s our group rented. After checking in to those our host drove us to the 2nd location where I slept. Our Airbnb was the furthest from the train but closest to Duomo Square. New to Airbnb? Save $40 on your first stay by signing up here. Read my 8 Tips to Guarantee a Great Airbnb Experience! Below is a photo of one of the rooms in the Airbnb we stayed in.

bedroom in florence

Florence with Kids Day 1: Accademia, Duomo Square, Vecchio

Our first day in Florence with kids was spent exploring the city. We first went to the Duomo with hopes of going to the top. However, when we arrived the line was an estimated two-hour wait and we found on the only way to the top was to climb 463 steps as there is no elevator. The wait time is what really scared me off, the Duomo is open from 8:30am – 7pm Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 5:40pm Saturday and 1-4pm on Sundays.

After our failed attempt at climbing the Duomo Bell Tower, we made the quick walk to the Galleria dell’Accademia which is home to the famous Michelangelo’s David. It’s closed on Monday’s and open every other day from 8:15AM to 6:50PM. While you can’t purchase advanced tickets directly online on the Museum’s website there are an array of online distributors who sell them and they range in price. We didn’t feel comfortable committing to a specific time to arrive so we forwent the option and ended up waiting in line for an hour in the burning sun. Purchase your tickets online or be there by 8AM.

statue of david

We planned on watching the sunset at Ponte Trinita or Vecchio but we were so exhausted we ended up taking a nap before dinner. In hindsight, I wish we would have sucked it up and went but you live and learn. These are the views we missed.

sunset in Florence


Day 2 in Florence with Kids: Florence to Pisa on a Full Day Tuscany Tour

We couldn’t imagine visiting Italy and not visiting the countryside and the Leaning Tower of Pisa so we decided we would do a tour. We took this Full Day Tuscany Tour which visited Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa. It was a really long day, 12 hours, but it was totally worth it.

We drove an hour from Florence to Siena, famous for its medieval streets. Here we had a tour guide who took us through the city. We passed through the market and square before arriving at the infamous Cathedral.

We left Siena and headed to Chianti, an hours drive. Here we explored the vineyards, olive groves, and wine cellars. After the tour, we had lunch at the vineyard which was included in the tour. I usually don’t enjoy included lunches but the meal was freshly prepared, pasta with your choice of various sauces with or without meat. The pasta was unlimited so no need to be concerned about still being hungry afterward. In addition to pasta, there were cold meats, salads, and bread. During lunch, a tasting of various wines was offered at no additional cost. Here was the view from lunch.

winery field

After lunch, we had a 40-minute drive to San Gimignano to digest our lunch. Here we had free time to explore the cobbled streets and small squares. San Gimignano is home of two gelato stores who have been going back and forth with winning the World’s Best Gelato Award. They have so many flavors, good luck choosing which ones to indulge in.

Our last stop was visiting Pisa. It takes almost an hour and a half to get to Pisa from San Gimignano, perfect for a nap :-). We got about 45mins to explore the Leaning Tower. If you want you can climb the tower, it takes about 30 mins and there are 296 stairs but children under 8 are not allowed.

Carrier or Stroller When Visiting Florence with Kids

While you can definitely get around Florence with a carrier alone, the streets here do allow the use of a stroller easily. Since I used the carrier the entire time in Venice and I was 16 weeks pregnant I took a break in Florence and used my stroller. As you can see I had a cheap umbrella one. I loved that it was lightweight however I didn’t like that there was no recline. Being out all day, Jordyn was bound to take a nap but in this stroller, her head was bobbing up and down.

The following morning we traveling by train to Rome via Trenitalia where we would spend the next 3 days. The train cost $34 USD and the ride took 1.5hrs. While we enjoyed our two days in Florence with kids we wish we would have spent more time in Florence. Going from Florence to Pisa took up an entire day so we really only spent one day in Florence. We’ll definitely be returning!

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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