Our First Family “Glamping” Trip: The Resort At Massey’s Landing

July 18, 2017 By Cori

The older I get, the more surprised I am by how much I enjoy the outdoors. Don’t get me wrong. It’s likely that I will not ever be the “pitch a tent, sleeping bag, scaling fish for dinner” kind of nature lover, but the 20-something me would have balked at the mention of a family “glamping” trip. Things like hiking, kayaking, and crabbing– and yet the 30-something me continues to find peace and dare I say, fun in these things– I mean, as long as at the end of the day there is a clean, hot shower, bathroom, bed and A/C– … let’s not get carried away.

This month my family and I were invited to stay in a cottage at the Resort at Massey’s Landing in Delaware. Being primarily a resort for RV and campers (both of which we’ve never done before), we knew our visit to Massey’s was going to be unlike any other vacation we had ever taken.

So we packed up the car and headed on a family road trip to Delaware that ended up being one of the best pure summer-fun getaways we’ve had to date.

[Check out the video on my YouTube Channel for a little tour of the resort.]

Since we did not have an RV, we stayed in one of the 32 cottages on site. Some of the rows of cottages had truly gorgeous views of the beach or the bay. Ours faced the bay, and let me tell you– waking up to that peaceful view is one that I don’t think could ever get old.

With 2 bedrooms (1 bunk, 1 queen, and a pull out couch) the cottage comfortably sleeps up to 6. Our “Lake house”, as Avery dubbed it (he is going through this thing where he thinks we OWN every place we stay on vacation), was newly updated, incredibly clean, had 2 LCD TVs, cable, wifi and was stocked with grilling tools, kitchenware and an AC unit in each room– making it a lot more like family “glamping” than camping– a total win in my book!

We like to take our time waking up, so we made easy breakfasts and coffee each morning while the kids woke up one by one– surprisingly sometimes sleeping til 9am (something my kids don’t often do).

For lunch, there were 2 restaurants on property – one by the pool (Jackspot) and the other on the pier by the beach (Sand Dollar Grill). Both restaurants served “All American” favorites– like hot dogs, chicken tenders, quesadillas, pizza etc– and were perfect for grabbing a quick bite for lunch while we were out during the day.

There are regular shuttles that run from Massey’s to Rehoboth Beach and boardwalk, which I’ve heard nothing but good things about, but we were enjoying exploring and relaxing at the resort itself so much that we added it to our “next time” list. Also on my “next time” list, the amazing Rehoboth outlets– because … shopping!

We did, however, leave the resort for a few hours to explore a couple of local farms and creamery– and that was fun!

But for the most part, we spent our days traveling via golf cart from the pool (which by the way, has a swim up bar for adults!), to the beach, going kayaking and even dabbling in a little crabbing– which as we learned from a fellow guest at Massey’s– only requires some string and chicken legs (of course a net or cage helps– and they sell those in the store on property).

And at the end of the day, I loved that we were able to retreat back to the cottage to grill up some dinner on the BBQ and unwind by the fire pit– which we naturally used every night for S’mores-ing.

(Check out that tan line on display– ha!)

It truly was the perfect family roadtrip and intro the the RV/Camping/Glamping life– and who knows, maybe next time we will visit with our own RV!?!?!!!

Disclosure: Accommodations provided by The Resort at Massey’s Landing.

D.C. With Kids: 7 Tips to maximize your visit ( PHOTO HEAVY )

July 4, 2017 By Cori

No matter which way you voted in November, there is one thing we can all agree on and that is that this past election season reached our kids possibly more than any in generations past.

I don’t recall ever being interested in elections or history in school, but my kids were discussing it in school, with friends and had questions and curiosities about the places and things they saw and heard about- which I thought was great! So we decided (somewhat on a whim) to kick off this summer with a 3 day trip to our Nation’s Capitol– which you may have caught a glimpse of if you follow me on Instagram.

The city was more beautiful than I imagined (hence all of the pictures in this post) and despite the heat and humidity frizzing even my pin-straight hair (haha) it was a really nice family weekend.

Below is a little recap of our experience and 7 of our takeaways and tips that we would recommend to anyone looking to visit DC with their kids.

Map out your day

Typically, we are planners. We research tons and have pretty good idea of how each day will be spent prior to our arrival– but for whatever reason, we winged D.C. and you guys, that was a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t “ruin” any part of our trip by any means, we had a blast. BUT, the time we spent researching things in the hotel could definitely have been better spent exploring the city. Also, there are so many parts of D.C. to explore we probably could have dedicated a day to each instead of splitting up the day. Again, not terrible– but you always want to maximize your time.

The Mall is likely a lot bigger than you think

Maybe this one is obvious to some but since this trip was planned without a whole lot of prep, I made the mistake of assuming everything I saw on TV and in pictures (don’t laugh) were right next to eachother– they’re not– at all, and it is a bit of a hike with little ones in tow.

What we did that seemed to work perfectly for the kids – we explored one-half of the mall one day, and the other half the next.

Note: Learn from our mistakes. You definitely want to pack comfortable sneakers and clothing!

DC Metro is the way to go

The DC Metro got us around everywhere. We purchased SmarTrip cards and it was super easy to navigate and the kids actually really liked it.

The stations and trains are pristine, and the waffle-like ceilings are gorgeous– especially Union Station. In fact, Union Station is so pretty, I’d recommend stopping in just to check it out and take some pics if you can.

A hotel that feels like home > fancy bells and whistles

There is no shortage of hotels to choose from in the D.C. area– but when you are traveling with kids, doing a lot of sightseeing and walking, trust that the bells and whistles of some of the high-end hotels will shy in comparison to having a place that is comfy and spacious enough for everyone to lounge out and feel at home at the end of the day.

During our stay were hosted at One Washington Circle, which is located walking distance to the Foggy Bottom Metro station, part of the Modus Hotel family– and has a killer burger joint right across the park (more on that in a bit).

One of the great things about staying at a smaller, boutique hotel vs. the larger chains is the “Family feel”. The staff knew us by the end of the first day, offered us umbrellas to use in the rain, and fresh fruit infused water before we headed out for the day. It felt so much like home that Avery called it our “new house”– haha.

Once upon a time, this boutique hotel was a luxury apartment building– so every room is a “suite” with a kitchen or kitchenette in each, stocked with cookware– and a fresh coffee grind & brewer!

King suites like the one we stayed in also include a dining room, 1.5 bathrooms and a huge walk out balcony with sweeping views of the park; we loved starting our days with breakfast on ours.

There is a CVS, Trader Joes and Whole Foods all in walking distance – and Modus Hotels even offers an incredible “Stock The Fridge“ service, where you can have your groceries delivered to you for really reasonable prices. (You can see the menu here.) Cooking on vacation isn’t everyone’s thing, but having quick grab-and-go snacks, drinks and breakfast options on hand save our lives every time with the kids.

Follow The Kids Lead

Say the word “history” and often it can automatically sound like a snoozefest to kids– so D.C. can feel like a gamble– but our kids (12, 8, and 3.5) enjoyed it and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that for the most part, we just followed their lead.

Explore what grabs kids interests and skip past what doesn’t.

With no real agenda, we decided to pop just in a few of the Smithsonian museums (which are all free- nothing to lose!) and see where the day took us.

There was a lot in the Museum of American History that grabbed the kids attention, so we spent a good deal of time there and got to see most, if not all of it. They have hands-on history areas for the kids (toddler- grade school) which I highly recommend stopping by.

The American Museum of Natural History was another favorite of theirs– especially the gems and dinosaur exhibits.

We stopped in The Air and Space and Art Museum, but at that point, the kids were done with museums and tired from a lot of walking, so we headed back to the hotel for a pool break and put it on our list for next time.

The International Spy Museum is not a free one but most everyone who has been there raves about it. Their interactive espionage experience is said to be a really fun one. However, since that activity was ages 12 and up– leaving 2 out of 3 kids out of luck– we skipped it this time and added it to our list for a future visit.

The Monument By Moonlight Tour was the highlight of our trip. DC is a beautiful city in daylight but there is nothing like the beauty of seeing everything lit up at night.

We did the 8pm trolley tour through Trusted Tours, which gave a quick tour around the mall as the sunset and had 3 major stops– The FDR & MLK Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, and The WWII Memorial.

The trolley was able to park pretty close to the memorials so there wasn’t a ton of walking for the kids (though those steps up to the Lincoln Memorial are no joke– James carried Avery (3) up them– he is forever my hero).

Photo tip: At the FDR memorial, there is a prime family photo opp with a fully lit Washington Monument in the background!

Get adventurous with your food

There are so many opportunities to experience great food in D.C. Food Truck City is located right along the Mall and stretches for BLOCKS and BLOCKS. It has quite literally every kind of cuisine you can imagine– from Greek to Mexican to Indian– you can basically eat your way around the world & even grab some ice cream while you are sightseeing around The Mall.

While Food Truck city is pretty amazing, there is so much more to see in D.C beyond The Mall and grabbing a quick bite is a great excuse to step outside the tourist thing and explore the other areas and eateries that locals love.

Burger, Tap & Shake– Foggy Bottom

Burger Tap and Shake was one of the first places we stumbled upon when we arrived in D.C., as it is was right across the park from where we were staying. It was one of (if not the best) burger joints we have ever been to. Think Shake Shake– but better!

Their burgers were fresh and could be customized with a ton of different toppings, and their shake menu– which included candy favorites like Twix and Snickers– is incredible.

The kids asked for it every.single.night. of our trip and are still raving about it.

And on a hot summer day like the ones we experienced during our trip, their unique and delicious “shaketails” (cocktail meets shake) was exactly what James and I needed!

credit: Yelp

Pictured above: Bad cubmaster “Shake-tail” which includes Smirnoff marshmallow vodka, Godiva chocolate liquor, graham crackers and vanilla ice cream.

Pinstripes– Georgetown

Located in Georgetown, Pinstripes is a nice sit-down restaurant with great food, indoor/outdoor seating and bowling and bocce ball right on site!

The kids really liked it there and since it was a nice night out we were able to walk there from our hotel and get a little peek at Georgetown– which I’d love to explore more next time around! Such a cute town with some great shopping too!

Baked & Wired Cupcakes– Georgetown

Baked and Wired is a local cupcake shop that came highly recommended by several people so we saved it as our very last hoorah and their cupcakes did not dissapoint– truly out-of-this-world (Try the chi cupcake- to. die. for!!). That being said, I would recommend ordering online before you go as it is a fairly busy, small shop and the staff seemed a little put-off by things like indecisive small children or requests for almond milk for coffee.

3 days will be enough and also not enough

One thing we didn’t expect was to leave with an even longer list of things we wanted to see than when we first came. There is seriously just SO much.

I personally could have spent a full day just taking pictures of the architecture– GORGEOUS!

On our way home, James and I discussed what we thought would be the perfect amount of time to spend in D.C. with kids, and we decided that although 3 days wasn’t enough to see everything by any means, 3 days was perfect for the kids.

We were able to see all the things they were most familiar with and learn enough about the city to make them want to come back again and see more.

Disclosure: Our stay was hosted by One Washington Circle. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

8 Fun Adventures To Have On Your Maui Family Vacation

May 15, 2017 By Cori

Our Maui family vacation remains one of our all time favorites because if was a great mix of fun and relaxation. Yes, I used the words “family vacation” and relaxation in one sentence and I meant every word.

When we visited Maui, our kids were young (toddler/pre-school age) and we were pleasantly surprised at just how much fun we all had exploring the island!

If you’re planning a Maui family vacation, below are 8 things we did with our kids that made for a fun and memorable trip we still talk about til’ this day!

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8 Fun Maui Adventures With Kids

1. The Penguins And Parrots At The Hyatt Maui

While vacationing in Maui, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency as it was recommended to us as one of the best places to stay in Maui for families; and we truly did love it!

In addition to a beautiful pool and beach area, the Hyatt offers some great family dining as well as some adorable penguins, parrots and swans. The parrots and penguins are out every day and their feeding schedule is available at the front desk. My kids loved visiting during feeding time to learn more about the animals and their talents from staff members.

2. Watching The Island “Wake Up”

Traveling from the east coast to Maui definitely caused a little confusion with time, but also had it’s perks. We were up the first few days very, VERY early.

Like 4 am early. Turns out this is one of the most beautiful times to explore the island. We would get up and out early to splash in the quiet beaches and “watch the island wake up” at sunrise. It was gorgeous!

3. Authentic Hawaiian Luau

A Maui family vacation would not be complete without a luau experience. There are many to choose from in Maui. After researching, we chose the Feast At LeLe in Lahaina as it had the best reviews and was touted by many to be the most “authentic luau” on the island.

The Feast At LeLe kicked off by being greeted with a Lei and beverage (non-alcoholic beverages were available for the little ones).

There was a trio band playing live music and some hand crafted Hawaiian items for sale as everyone was seated. The kids loved the welcoming party atmosphere. The show and dancers were amazing, complete with a “fire swallower”– which was the most anticipated moment for Ry (7 years old).

The food is brought out in courses to allow you to experience a variety of Polynesian cuisine and we even got to celebrate our son’s birthday Hawaiian style!

While the food was good, this was the only down fall when traveling with picky eater. My son is a true foodie and loved trying everything, while my daughter on the other hand ate next to nothing. Other Luau’s may have more traditional food or a kids menu. If you have a picky eater in your group, this is just something to keep in mind.

4. Beachside Family Portraits

When traveling as a family, often one person is left out of the group photo as they the role of photographer (this is usually me)- or you ask a stranger, and well… it’s never easy to assess a strangers photography skills as they walk by- right? It’s a 50/50 shot.

I highly recommend hiring a family photographer in Maui and make it your annual family photo. The beaches and sunset backdrop make for gorgeous holiday cards too!

We chose the husband and wife team of Dimitri Photography on the recommendation of friend and fellow blogger, Sarah of The Ohana Mama.

Dimitri and Sandra chose the tucked away, DK Fleming Beach for our shoot. A “secret beach” of sorts that we may have never discovered, had it not been on their recommendation. Our pictures came out phenomenal, and was a beautiful way to remember our Maui vacation for years to come.

5. Surfing Lessons

Maui is the ultimate place to experience a little surfing and there are lessons available for beginners as well as experienced surfers.

James and Ryan took a private lesson for beginners with Tide of Rivers To The Sea. They had a great time learning the basics and Tide was amazing with the kids- he even let Laina (3 yrs old) in on the fun. Rivers to the Sea is just one of many surfing schools on Maui, but we truly loved them and highly recommend! Run by brothers Tide and Kiva, they have taught some Hollywood celebs including: Zac Effron, James Gandolfeni and Amanda Bynes (before she went Cray-cray).

6. The Hawaii Tropical Plantation

The Tropical Plantation is open year round and offers a train ride through the plantation showing off the island’s agriculture and beauty including a gorgeous lake area and fresh coconut-tasting experience.

We visited during spring break/Easter vacation, while Maui was celebrating it’s annual AG Feast at their Tropical Plantation, which was fun! If you are visiting during that time of year as well, definitely look into this festive event.

7. The Lahaina Market Place

The Old Lahaina Market Place is a great place to check out some local handmade craftsmanship. From jewelry to soaps and wood carvings- this cute little village has it all. My kids loved going from shop to shop browsing all the local goods.

This market place is also the central point where many boat tours leave from. So you can make a day of it by booking a boat tour and then touring shops and grabbing a bite to eat!

8. The Road To Hana

This road-side experience was so amazing, I gave it it’s own in-depth post. In short? DO. IT.

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Looking for a romantic date night idea while visiting Maui? Check out our oceanside dining experience at the Marriott Wailea Beach.

Is Maui a good family vacation?

Maui offers families a great mix of fun, adventure and relaxation while on vacation. Kids love exploring Maui’s nature and learning about the Hawaiian Culture too.

Some family favorites include:
– Taking surf lessons
– Checking out the Lahaina Marketplace
– Visiting Aunt Sandy’s for a bite to eat along on the Road To Hana
– Finding rainbow trees

What is there to do in Maui with toddlers?

While known for its beauty and nature, there are still many things to do in Maui with toddlers. Some great activities to do with little ones are:
– Playing in the calm water and beaches early in the morning
– Checking out the Maui Ocean Center
– Attend The Feast Of Lele Luau- they’ll love being greeted with lei’s!
– Visit the penguins and swans in the Hyatt Hotel’s lobby

The Very Best Things To Do At Disney’s Aulani Resort

May 1, 2017 By Cori

My family and I took a trip back to Hawaii in July, to the lovely island of Oahu. You may have seen my post about our time exploring Oahu with kids. While we spent two days on Waikiki Beach, we cashed in our Disney Vacation Club points and stayed at Aulani for most of our stay.

Aulani, as you can imagine is absolutely top-notch and definitely a place that makes a family vacation enjoyable for all. While Aulani is a Disney property, it was designed to really embrace Hawaiian culture with only sprinkles of Disney throughout, and the onsite amenities were made to mirror many of those you would find about a Disney Cruise.

With the addition of a newly renovated adult-only pool section, that opened this past September, the resort can truly be enjoyed by both families with children and adults vacationing sans kids.

Many have asked if we were going to post our “family vacation recap”, as we did after our Disney Fantasy Cruise and Universal Trip, so before I get into the details of our suggestions an experiences, without further adieu…

Best Things To Do At Disney’s Aulani Resort

Pools, Waterslide, Lazy River– Oh, my!

Aulani definitely does not lack in water -fun. You can spend an entire day just hopping around from the pools, the lazy river, infinity hot tubs and the kids water playground. The lazy river was my personal favorite, as I could not go on the slide with my belly bump. The gorgeous infinity pool and hot tubs overlook Aulani’s private beach and is all the beauty you could ask for in a vacation.

Tip: Each day you will need to get a wristband for the pool, as well as towels. Get there early! And DO NOT plan on “reserving” your seats with those towels, my friends. There are what I dubbed “Pool police” that patrol the pool area for pool-side squatters. If they see a seat is empty for longer than about 20 minutes they remove the towel and your belongings back to the towel hut (Where you can claim it) and open up the seat for others to sit. It’s actually a great policy, I personally would love to see at other resorts.

Cool Down With A Shaved Ice

Although in general I feel like Hawaii is not a vacation you go on for the cuisine, but for the love of all things sweet and delicious, do not miss out on Aulani’s Papalua Shaved Ice– and it’s vacation, when they ask if you want sweetened and condensed milk on top? Just say “Yes! “– TRUST. ME.

Beyond the shaved ice, Aulani has 3 on property restaurants.

Mama’s Snack Shop, which has quick bites like hotdogs, chicken fingers and salads was a little over priced for what it offered.

Makahiki/ Character Dining -This is the Buffett restaurant. We did both the character breakfast here and one night of dining. The breakfast was fun. Characters danced around with the kids, there was a large variety of good eats to choose from, I definitely recommend it. For dinner, the food was as good, again a large variety, but our kids (ages 8 and 5) just didn’t eat that much to justify an additional night of dining there.

AMA AMA This is the more fine dining restaurant on the resort. You will need a reservation to dine here and there is a dress code. AMA, AMA offers live music, good food (presentation a 10), and a gorgeous view – especially at sunset. It is on the pricey side as most fine dining restaurants are but it is a really nice dining experience and definitely beats the buffet! I recommend dining there at least once during your stay.

ULU Cafe. This was our favorite places to dine on-site. Located by the main pool, this casual outdoor dining restaurant offered reasonably priced sandwiches that we enjoyed. We lunched here probably about 4 times during our stay. The tuna sandwich was my favorite.

*Dining Tip: There are outdoor BBQ’s on premise. We took advantage of this by purchasing hotdogs, chicken and the makings for a great salad and had some great BBQ’s that were cost effective, fun and delish. All of the Disney Vacation Club rooms are equipped with a full kitchen, so if you are staying in a DVC room you can stock up on some easy to make meals so you aren’t buying every meal.

MeneHune Hunt + Aunties Beach House

Menehune Hunt. Menehune are mischievous little people with magical powers that live and hide throughout the Aulani resort. Aulani legend is that the children’s Menehune Sprinkler bridge was created by the menehune themselves. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with leis and kids are given a small menehune necklace and told all about these little guys that are hidden throughout the resort. Guests can rent (for free) a device that will send them on a scavenger hunt around the resort property to find the menehune. Along the way there are interactive elements—with special effects involving fire, water, light and animation. There are 3 different trails you can explore. My kids loved this!

Auntie’s Beach House. Auntie’s Beach house is a kids club for children ages 3-12 and has a lot of the same features the kids club on the Disney Cruise ships have. Each child is given an armband to get in which lets them know where your child is within the beach house area at all times. Auntie’s is made up of various indoor and outdoor play areas and filled with games, crafts and costumes, and was the highlight for my kids. Every. single. day they begged us to bring them to Auntie’s.

*Kids Club Tip: The early morning line to get into Auntie’s can be quite long. You will want to plan on being there 30 minutes before it opens. The first day your child is there they will need to fill out paperwork to register them– so you will want to allot extra time for that. Also, if your child is going to be there for a show/activity or meal, you will need to call ahead and it can fill up quickly. So plan ahead!

The kids love for Auntie’s allowed the hubs and I to enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks. {{ In my case, “drinks” consisted of a big bottle of Pelligrino water at the Olelo lounge because I was expecting. For me, it was the next best thing to being able to enjoy a cocktail…but I digress.}}

Family beach-side games and activities

There are various family activities every day that you can sign up for and participate in together. We did the family beach relay activities and got to soak the kids with super soakers and bury them in the sand– it was great. We also did the Kayak making and racing activity with Uncle and character drawing lessons– which for the record, I totally rocked.

*Activities Tip: Many of these activities have limited spots, so you want to be sure to sign up for them first thing in the morning.

Take Advantage Of Character Meet & Greets

Though not as many or as often as you might find onboard a Disney Cruise, there are several meet and greets for kids throughout the day and the lines were not terrible, which means more smiles and less in-line melt downs. Yay!

Bring The Kids To The Menehune Bridge and Splash-Zone

Recommended for kids 8 and under, my kids LOVED this spot. Water slides, sprinklers, bridges, it is a lot of fun. There is seating for parents available all along the bridge area.

Attend The Kawaa Luau

The Starlit Hui is probably in my top 3 things I loved about this resort. In 2016 they changed the Starlit Hui the Kawaa Luau. Similarly to the Starlit Hui, before the Kawaa Luau there are tons of fun activities for kids to enjoy including lei making, hula lessons and more. Definitely plan on arriving in time to enjoy some of these!

Kids who learned the hula in the pre-show activities are invited to the stage to show off their new skills– which my little hula girl, was super excited about. The end of the show closes with an interactive Disney-style dance party where families can dance and take pictures withe Disney Characters.

Snorkle At Rainbow Reef

Though a tad (read: very) cold, Aulani’s Rainbow Reef offers daily snorkeling with some gorgeous fish and sea life. The rainbow reef pool is great for first time snorkelers as it is small, private area compared to ocean snorkeling. My husband and my son visited twice during our stay and really enjoyed it. Laina and I watched on the sidelines through the glass window. For daily rentals it is $15 per adult (ages 10 and up); $10 per child (ages 9 and under) and for $20 per adult (ages 10 and up); $15 per child (ages 9 and under), you can snorkel an unlimited amount of times throughout your stay.

Pamper Your Teen At Painted Sky Spa

For teens (14+), Aulani offers the only teen spa on Hawaii. The Painted Sky spa has age-specific spa treatments, as well as things like a lounge, Yogurt bar, Computer stations, Daily teen-only events and D.I.Y. mixology bar for body polishes and face masks! My daughter (5) was bummed she was too young to spend time here. Would have been adorable to have something like this for little divas her age, but there was plenty else for her age. We will have to come back and visit the Painted Sky spa when she is older.

Take Sunset Pictures

While there are plenty of great places on the resort to catch an amazing view of the sunest, to the left of the resort is a hilly area that is a great overlook to Ko Olina Beach that makes the most beautiful pictures.

Take Walking Tour & Learn About The Culture Embedded In The Resort.

While at the resort, we were able to take a guided walking tour of the property. There is so much culture and fascinating back stories to be heard about the design of the resort. For instance, there are different details that are within the gorgeous 200 foot mural that adorns the the walls of the Maka’ala lobby, and splits the lobby in two sides – masculine and feminine.

Another fun story you will want to hear is how the team worked with Hawaiian students from kindergarten through grade 12 to create the colorful “Rainbow Wall”collage behind guest services. If you are a fun-fact lover like my husband and I, this is a definite must do.

Olelo Room. The Oleo Lounge can be found on the lower level of the resort and has indoor and outdoor seating. Olelo is Hawaiian for language and the inside lounge features wooden carvings that teach guests different Hawaiian words. The bartenders were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helped with pronunciations of various words.

Relax at the outdoor hydrotherapy Garden

Laniwa Spa. For guests looking for a little relaxation, the resort has impressive day spa services you can indulge in, including facials, messages and couple messages. The Laniwa spa is home to the only outdoor hydrotherapy garden on O‘ahu! Kids at Auntie’s beach house? Say Ohmmmm. You can see a list of spa services here.

Bask in the infinity pool and grotto.

Overlooking Ko Olina Beach, this infinity pool is a feature that just opened this September. We did not get the chance to check it out as it was not open when we were there. However, we did get to view the construction site and have seen pictures since and the view looks ah-mazing!

This post was originally posted in May 2014 and updated in 2017

Lessons Learned In Traveling With The Kids … And Without My Other Half

October 25, 2016 By Cori

Maybe it’s juggling multiple little people, maybe it’s my own anxiety, maybe it’s a healthy mix of both– whatever it is– I will sheepishly confess to you guys, that the cold-hard-truth is, when it comes to traveling (anywhere!) with my crew in tow, I’m not exactly the most spontaneous person in the world.

Don’t get me wrong. I love traveling as a family, but I’m a planner. I like knowing what to expect and the comfort of feeling I’m prepared for anything the kids may throw our way.

And I’m painfully aware that at times it holds us back..

For probably about 5 years now, spending a weekend soaking in all of the fall foliage goodness in the New England area has been on my proverbial list. But with both the foliage and our social calendars peaking simultaneously every year, the stars never seemed to align for us.

Last Tuesday, on the way to pre-k drop off, I drove down a gorgeous canopy tree lined road, and it hit me– another season was passing by, and we were missing it– again! I looked at the calendar and with James heading to LA for work, the weekend ahead was looking like the last October weekend we had “free”– but it was just me and the kids.

I don’t know what came over me, but I called my mother and said, “I know this sounds crazy… but… let’s take a roadtrip to Boston… this weekend!!”

Fast forward a few minutes and I was researching hotels, scenic roads and places to bring the kids –because if there’s one thing Carol of Girl Gone Travel has taught me, it’s that being spontaneous doesn’t necessarily mean not having at least a rough outline of options.

I learned a couple of other important lessons relatively quickly in both the planning process and the road trip itself.

Lesson one: There was NO way I was going to fit in everything I wanted to– and that was ok!

The Boston area has a ridiculous amount of things to do– so much history, shopping, restaurants– and lots of options for kids too. It was easy to lose sight of the fact that it was the foliage that led us on the trip on the first place. We could always come back to see a lot of the other stuff.

Lesson two: Spontaneous adventures are built on flexibility.

When looking for a hotel, I learned that weekend was the Head Of Charles Regatta– an annual rowing event that takes place on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge– which meant hotel availability was scarce and the city was extra busy

So I found the awesome site, Furkot and began planning our “Plan B” adventure– which now included a stop in Mystic Connecticut, the basketball hall of fame, a hike through a the Rockhouse Reservation– and only a quick stop in the actual city of Boston.

Lesson three: My kids are a lot more go-with-the-flow than I give them credit for.

The picture above was taken at a scenic overlook we spied out the window. The kids were so excited to race down to the water and check it out.

From the moment I announced we were going on a road trip, my kids were totally game. I have a tendency to focus on all that can go wrong in trying to keep everyone happy on the road, but truthfully? They were pretty content with their iPads, snacks and checking out the sights. I cannot say that the trip was without the occasional toddler protest, tween-age angst, sibling bickering or even my own overwhelm– it was tooootally sprinkled with all those things, but the kids truly enjoyed everywhere we went and everything we did along the way– from hiking to boat-making at the Seaport.

Lesson four: Social media can wait.

I love live-sharing when we travel, but being in the “driver’s seat” (both figuratively and literally) this time around didn’t really allow me to do that the way I normally do– and my experience was all the better for it. I was fully “IN” the moment, and it made me realize how not rushing to share photos allowed me to appreciate and enjoy the moments themselves, and the time with my family even more.

Lesson five: Though traveling with our complete family unit is always ideal, having an a different kind of adventure can be good for the soul.

We missed James beyond words (I lost track of how many times Avery asked for him). He is usually the compass in our family adventures, and when it comes to juggling the kids, we are truly the definition of a team to our core– but this trip reminded me that I can travel with the kids independently.

It was also a quality of bonding time we don’t often get to experience with my mom– spending that time with her, in itself is a memory that will last us a lifetime.

And unexpectedly, the best part of it all was coming home to James, sitting around the table, eating late night pizza and one by one filling him in on our crazy adventure.

Stay tuned….

I still have SO much to share, specifics about our trip and TONS of photos. I’ll be breaking up it all up into into several posts over the next week and will update this post below with the links.

Thank you to Toyota for providing us with a smooth ride in their Highlander SUV!

Enjoy the journey. Every moment.

Follow along on instagram #GoPlacesCori

Traveling With Kids To The Famous Madonna Inn Is A Trip They Won’t Forget

September 5, 2015 By Cori

When kids daydream, they dream BIG.

Sky’s the limit.

Everything is bold, colorful, quirky, silly, fun– and nothing is impossible.

Expect the unexpected.

In a nutshell– that is the Madonna Inn.

In all of it’s PINK, flamboyant, kitschy glory, The Madonna Inn was our chosen mid-point for an over-night stay, as we packed up our family of 5 in an Acura MDX and trekked along the PCH from San Jose to LA.

While not billed specifically as a “kid resort”, it is undeniably family friendly and definitely taps into the a child’s imagination.

The Inn first opened up in in 1958 by Alex Madonna, with just 12 room and has since grown into a sprawling 2,200 acre resort with 2 restaurants, an infinity pool and over 110 over-the-top themed rooms, each decorated differently and more elaborately than the next.

From the Old Mill room’s Disney-esque vibe to the Yahoo’s old frontier motif, or my personal favorite, the “What’s Left” room (which is decorated in exactly that… what was left from all the other rooms)– no two rooms are the same!

credit: Trip Advisor

Fun Facts About The Madonna Inn:

The LA Times has dubbed the “waterfall urinal” in the men’s bathroom located in the Inn’s Gold Rush Steak House, “The most photographed men’s urinal” in North America – (Yup. you read that right, folks. ha!)
In 2010, the Madonna Inn was featured on “The Bachelor”– AKA, the season of Jake and Vie

Why Our Visit To The Madonna Inn One We’ll Never Forget

The Best Room At The Madonna Inn

During our stay, we stayed in the Jungle Rock Room– complete with vines growing across the ceiling, tree limbs hanging over the bed, and rock waterfall for that morning shower! It was like we had walked into a real-life version of The Jungle Book. The kids were in awe. With very low lighting and minimal windows in our room we slept like babies… in a very quiet, peaceful jungle.

And while it’s true it is the only room at The Madonna Inn we’ve ever stayed in, I’m going to go ahead and dubb it the best. Trust, we did our research.

{For more sneak peeks at the rooms, Buzzfeed has a great round up of 25 ridiculously awesome rooms at The Madonna Inn}

Pink Champagne Cake!

credit: Madonna Inn
Slice of Pink Champagne Cake, $6.95

We arrived pretty late in the evening but I had heard so much about the Famous Pink Champagne Cake that as soon as we walked in the door, I picked up the phone and called the Madonna Inn Bakery to BEG for a slice… and… OMG you guys! For the love of all things sweet and delish– if you are visiting The Madonna Inn, say yes to the pink champagne cake! I promise you won’t regret it.

Infinity Pool With A View

Overlooking sweeping views of the gorgeous San Louis Obispo hillside, the infinity pool is absolutely breathtaking. So before hitting the road again, we headed out to the pool 1st thing in the morning. It was empty– SCORE! Being early birds does have its advantages!

Dining At The Gold Rush Dining Room & Coopers Cafe

Both of the restaurants at the resort serve a standard American-favorites menu, and have touches of that Madonna Inn kitch & flair– like the shakers filled with pink sugar on every table at Cooper’s Cafe and the gorgeous hand-carved marble balustrade in the Gold Rush dining room that was inspired by the Hearst Castle (located is just 40 miles north of the Inn).

Bottom line, everything at this resort is over-the-top and worth exploring. We had only one regret with the Madonna Inn, and that is that we didn’t get to stay longer!

family travel