A Quick Guide to National Historical Parks

October 27, 2015January 17, 201624 Comments

One of my favorite places to visit in the US is anywhere in the National Park System! There are 58 National Parks, 10 Seashores, 4 Parkways, 78 Monuments, 78 Historic Sites, 25 Battlefields, and 49 Historical Parks. In case you’re curious like I was, a national historical park differs from the rest because it is an area of historic and natural features with more than a single property or building. I’ve been to two such parks and highly recommend both of them!

Chaco Culture

After attending the amazing Balloon Fiesta, we took a day trip out to Chaco Culture National Historical Park. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque and is quite remote. Once you turn off the main highway, there is a 13 mile stretch of unpaved road that you drive on before arriving at the entrance to the park. We first learned about Chaco Culture from a family member who visited during a business trip to New Mexico, and we were amazed by his pictures. While researching more about the history of Chaco Culture, I kept finding it on lists of important ruins with the likes of Tikal, Petra, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, and more! Done! We’re going there!

A Quick Guide to National Historic Parks- Chaco Culture- www.afriendafar.com #newmexico #chacocultture

About the history…Chaco Canyon was home to Pueblo people from 850 to 1250 and was the center of Chacoan culture in the San Juan Basin. They constructed great stone houses using masonry with hundreds of rooms. It is an amazing site to see because of its architecture, planned construction, and community organization. It is thought that the canyon held a relatively small permanent population with most of its infrastructure in existence for people who came for special events (ceremonial, commerce, trading). Today many Southwest Native American people consider Chaco to be a sacred place.

During the drive to the site, we passed cattle grazing, old windmills, and abandoned structures. In certain times of the year there can be flooding, so it’s important to check weather conditions. We stopped by the Visitor’s Center to pay our entrance fee and get a park map. The nine-mile Canyon Loop drive takes you by the six major sites. The first one we stopped at was the unexcavated Hungo Pavi, followed by Pueblo Bonito, and last, Casa Rinconada. Each stop has self-guided trail brochures which contain a ton of great information so you understand the history of the sites. Some of the common architectural features include the circular kivas which were rooms used for religious ceremonies. Pueblo Bonito is absolutely not to be missed because it was the center of the complex, the largest great house, has been excavated, and is the most researched. The masonry of the site is so impressive! The Great Kiva at Casa Rinconada is much larger and deeper than the regular kivas and is pretty amazing to see.

The park is one of only 4 sites in the NPS with the Dark Sky distinction and I would love to go back to camp and stargaze!

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

If you’re planning a trip to the Big Island, on the way to or from Kona and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, consider a stop at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Another name for this historical park is City of Refuge because until 1819 defeated warriors during war times or Hawaiians who broke a taboo could flee death by coming to this place of refuge. Once inside the great walls of the refuge, no harm would come their way, and a priest would absolve the person in a purification ceremony. It was also the royal grounds of the chief of Kona. The complex contains archeological sites including temples and well preserved carved wooden images. The main site of Hale o Keawe, contains the bones of the chiefs that help make the site sacred and is surrounded by the largest concentration of wooden carvings in the site. You can also play a traditional game that’s like checkers/chess and watch various cultural demonstrations! One of the many reasons I love Hawaii is for its history and culture which come alive while visiting sites like this one. The area is also known for excellent diving and snorkeling if you’re looking for places to enjoy those activities. Fun fact: this site makes up the background in the Where in the World is Carmen San Diego game when in Hawaii.

Have you been to any national historical parks? Tell us about it in the comments below! Let us know about any other parks you’ve been to as well.

We’ve linked up with Weekend Wanderlust,
The Weekly Postcard, and Weekend Travel Inspiration!

Plan the Perfect Weekend: Go Apple Picking

October 22, 2015January 28, 20161 Comment

Stephanie and I love living in Atlanta for many reasons. We have so many great opportunities for activities in town, from art museums to historic sites, and there’s always a new international restaurant to try. We’re also close to so many great places in the outheast that we have a huge variety of day trip and long weekend options. This time of year, we love taking as many trips as possible to the mountains in Northeast Georgia to see the changing leaves. While we’re up there we always stop by some of the vineyards and orchards. October is the perfect time for apple picking, and we can never get enough apple goodies!

Best Fall Weekends in Georgia: Apple Picking - www.AFriendsAfar.omc

Mercier Orchards

Mercier Orchards is one of the best orchards for apple picking that we’ve ever been to! In fact, we’ve visited year round for strawberry and blueberry picking. It’s located in Blue Ridge just an hour and a half north of Atlanta, and visiting in the fall has become a tradition for us. They have almost forty different apple varieties. Their bakery and shop is just as impressive as their expansive orchard. We always come home with a gallon or two of their fresh cider and at least a dozen of their fried pies. Try their blackberry and pecan pies as well as the classic apple pies!

Mercier Orchard is really, really busy on the weekend, so you might want to get there early. I love pulling up to their orchard in the morning when the fog is still lifting and the sun is starting to shine on the farm. It’s especially magical once the leaves start to change!

BJ Reece Orchard

Stephanie’s family recently visited BJ Reece Orchard in Elijay, just a little closer to Atlanta. Here’s what her oldest sister, Melissa, had to say about their gorgeous fall day of apple picking.

Apple Picking in Georgia - the Best Fall Activities - www.AFriendAfar.com

“BJ Reece Orchard has ‘pick your own apples’ during the week. Carey [Stephanie’s niece] said Reece had the best petting zoo she has ever been to. It had baby cows, lots of goats, kittens, puppies, rabbits, and pigs. It was $3 for the petting zoo and $2 for the apple picking, plus whatever you picked. You can do the activities a la carte or the have packages, too. We really liked walking through the orchard and picking the apples knowing they were fresh. They had jams, jellies, cider, apple pastries, veggies, pumpkins and of course apples at the store.”

Apple Picking in Georgia - the Best Fall Activities - www.AFriendAfar.com

Hillcrest Orchard

They also visited Hillcrest Orchard in Elijay. It was similar to the first two in many ways, but it also had amazing apple slushies!

There are so many great destinations for day trips out of Atlanta, and picking apples is so quintessentially fall. Have you been apple picking? What are some of your favorite orchards to visit? What do you make with the apples you get?

The World’s Largest Balloon Festival: Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

October 20, 2015January 17, 2016Leave a comment

Ever since I saw them float over my childhood home, I’ve loved hot air balloons. There is something about them that brings out childlike wonder in me. When I realized that the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest balloon festival and “the world’s most photographed event,” coincided with the weekend just before my second wedding anniversary, I started planning a long weekend trip to New Mexico. My husband had never been to New Mexico, and though my family technically drove across the state in 1996, we were on our way home by this point in our road trip so we didn’t do much stopping. I was excited to see what this Southwestern state had to offer and to be in town for one of its biggest events!

The Night Glow

Our first foray into the Balloon Fiesta was for a Saturday evening session which features an Evening Glow event. Before the balloons arrived, we walked around the grounds a while and we’re struck by how similar the energy was to a state fair in the South. But as soon as the trucks started arriving with balloons, we were off to the field to watch the fascinating inflation process. I’d never been that close to a hot air balloon being setup and was intrigued with how they rolled out the balloon on the ground, set out the basket, and then used fans to blow cold air to inflate the balloon. There was much cheering to be had when the first balloon we watched being inflated finally stood up straight with the basket on the ground! Next, the burner was used to keep the air in the balloon hot! It was so exciting to see the flames blasting and be so close to the action! More and more balloons were setup, and it’s quite the feast for the eyes. Everywhere you turn on the field there’s something to see! It’s overwhelming in the best sense of the word.

The sun started to dip below the horizon to treat us with a natural show for sunset and that’s when the glow began! Once dusk arrived, the balloons were lit up at varying intervals. It’s such a beautiful sight that it’s hard to describe, but my photos help do it justice. Oh man, is this a perfect event for all of you photographers (amateur or professional) out there! Once darkness arrived, the glow was much more intense, and it was really quite magical. After the glow was over, there was a laser show and fireworks.

The Mass Ascension

The next morning I rolled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and drove over to the Balloon Park once again. I couldn’t wait to see the farewell mass ascension, where hundreds of balloons take flight, at sunrise. Again, I had an easy experience with parking and buying my ticket, and I arrived at the field just as the dawn patrol of 6 or so balloons were taking off to test the wind conditions. After two balloons hoisted American flags while ascending for the national anthem, more and more balloons went up, up and away! As beautiful as the night glow was the evening before, the ascension was even more spectacular to me because hot air balloons are meant to be in flight!

It’s also fun to see different types and shapes of balloons including a Spiderman pig, Wells Fargo stagecoach, Smokey the Bear, penguins, and a whale. One of my favorites was a map themed balloon which I feel should be our A Friend Afar balloon! As I exited the park, I found one of those signs that points to different places in the world.

If you’re wondering about ticket prices and other logistics, it’s super affordable at $8 a person per session. We opted to use the $10 event parking and, despite hearing traffic horror stories, found it relatively painless to do so. It probably helped that we arrived early-ish and didn’t wait until the last minute. Another option is to use an Uber, taxi or the event shuttle system for $12 per person in advance or $20 per person upon arrival. Also note that the car rental and hotel reservations get quite booked up as this is the tourist event of the year in Albuquerque!

Are you thinking about visiting Albuquerque for the 2016 or 2017 Balloon Fiesta? Tell us in the comments below!

Travel Coloring Books for Adults

October 15, 2015January 18, 20165 Comments

While Stephanie has been floating around Albuquerque, I’ve been back in Atlanta looking for new ways to feed my wanderlusting soul. I started with awesome twitter chats where I’ve made new friends and come up with great ideas (chat with us here!). Now I’ve moved on to that “stress-relieving” activity that’s all the rage. Yes, I’ve been coloring in coloring books. Not just any coloring books, mind you, but two travel-themed books: Secret Paris and Secret Tokyo. Let me tell you, it’s a wonderful way to pass the time.

Secret Paris and Secret Tokyo

My friend gave me the Secret Paris book a few weeks back, so when I saw Secret Tokyo in a shop today, I had to bring it home. Having been to both Paris and Tokyo, I was thrilled to start coloring in cityscapes and souvenirs in the colors that I remembered from my trips.

The author that makes the Secret Paris and Secret Tokyo books also makes a Secret New York, so you have 3 beautifully detailed cities covered right there. I’ve found multiple more travel-themed coloring books below. I think they make an amazing gift for your favorite traveler! They’re absolutely perfect for when you’re daydreaming at home, and I can’t wait to take one on a plane to pass the time on a short flight or to keep me busy until bedtime on a long-haul flight. Coloring in the City of Lights on the way to Paris? What better way to get excited about the beautiful colors and architectural details that make that city so unique!

Our Favorite Travel Coloring Books

Secret Paris

Secret Tokyo

Secret New York

Splendid Cities

Creative Haven CityScapes

World Traveler Coloring Book

What do you think of this new coloring book craze? Which of these coloring books is now on your wish list? Tell us in the comments!

5 Reasons to Stay in Hana on Maui

October 13, 2015January 28, 20162 Comments

When planning our honeymoon in Hawai’i a couple of years ago, I had such a hard time deciding which islands to visit even though we were able to spend two weeks there. We decided on three islands total to give a good amount of time on each island; O’ahu was a given since we were flying in and out of Honolulu from the mainland. I had a hard time choosing between the Big Island and Kaua’i but ultimately decided on the Big Island because of my desire to visit Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. I also decided I’d save Kaua’i for a future trip. Since it was my first time visiting, Maui also quickly made the list because it’s my husband’s favorite island (side note: Hawai’i is his favorite place in the world- he’s been five times)! But in all the times he visited he’d never been to Hana, so we planned to stay the last couple of nights of our trip on the Eastern part of the island. Here are five reasons to stay in Hana on Maui based on the fabulous experience with our Hawaiian stay:

Hana is most well known because of the Road to Hana, which twists and turns alongside the Cliffside road. Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, the road can get crowded so staying overnight in Hana allows you more time for stops along the way without feeling rushed and limited by needing to turn around and head back.

2. Hana has some pretty colorful beaches to visit. Waianapanapa State Park has a black sand beach and freshwater caves to explore. Kaihalulu Beach takes a little more effort to find – a bit of a walk and climbing on rocks- but you’re rewarded with a gorgeous and unique red sand beach. If you want a more traditional beach that’s good for bodyboarding, Hamoa Beach shouldn’t be missed!

3. I loved the authenticity of the small town of Hana. We enjoyed exploring the lushness of the countryside. I also liked strolling around Hana, especially the grounds of Travaasa hotel and its gallery shop. We found a Thai restaurant that I still remember being delicious but sadly discovered on TripAdvisor that it has since closed.

4. A short drive south of Hana town you’ll find part of Haleakala National Park, with parking and swimming at Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools). There’s also hiking including the Waimoku Falls trail. We loved this hike with its gorge, bamboo forest & eventual waterfall destination. The lushness of the surrounding environment is so refreshing!

5. The final & perhaps best reason to stay in Hana is just to relax. The pace of life feels slower than when staying at a resort on the island. We rented a house for the nights we stayed, and my husband was absolutely thrilled with our porch. It was so peaceful to lay out there and look out to see the green of the forest and blue of the ocean and sky. I tend to be a frenetic traveler who wants to see and do everything but sometimes its nice and necessary to rest and spend quality time with your fellow traveler(s).

If you’ve been to Hana, add your reasons why to visit in the comments below! If you haven’t, tell us if you now want to go!

Dreaming of Japan: Tokyo Day Trips

October 8, 2015January 18, 20163 Comments

Tokyo was one of my first true loves. I could cross a crowded crosswalk with hundreds of strangers in glowing, flashing, technology-infused chaos, or I could turn down a side street and pass traditional wooden architecture and painted signs as I dipped into a restaurant serving steaming bowls of ramen. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and yet, instead of feeling isolated by language and cultural barriers, I was drawn to the unfamiliar. Instead of feeling claustrophobic or hopelessly lost in a city many times larger and more crowded than my own, I sought out the quiet gardens and temples, and I zeroed in on the details. Ok, I definitely felt claustrophobic on the subway, but who wouldn’t?

I studied Japanese in college, and after spending the majority of a summer study abroad in the hot springs town of Beppu in the south, my classmates and I headed to Tokyo. It was my second time in the city, and I loved every bit of it. (OK, Akihabara isn’t really my cup of matcha.) My mom, one of my favorite travel companions, joined me for a week after my semester was over, and I was ready for the opportunity to escape the city again by then. Most people go to Kyoto, which is a longer and more expensive trip, but we stuck close to our home base of Ginza for a few day trips. Here are my favorite spots that you can visit outside of Tokyo. Thank goodness for the shinkansen (bullet) trains!

Our favorite Tokyo Day Trips: To Hakone for Mt. Fuji

It was a fast and affordable ride to Hakone on the shinkansen, and since we love train travel, it was an hour of pure excitement! Once we arrived in Gora, we took the funicular railroad up to Souzan and the Hakone Ropeway cable car to a lookout station and restaurant. Now seems like a good time to mention that even though we planned this trip entirely on the weather forecast, the rain came sooner than expected, and Fuji-san was completely covered in clouds. Yes, this was the view of Mt. Fuji from our “scenic view” cable car. Figures.

It’s out there somewhere!

You can’t bring us down, though! After eating lunch at the restaurant with the panoramic views of Mt. Fuji and laughing at our bad luck, we did what we do best. We hit the nearest onsen for a day at the spa!

Onsen are the hot spring baths in Japan. They are very, very affordable, even the fanciest ones with beautifully landscaped ponds and saunas. Since we don’t have these in the states, I considered them to be a wonderfully inexpensive spa – minus the massages.

Onsen Photo Courtest of Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

Onsen Photo courtesy of Hotel Green Plaza Hakone. I couldn’t take pictures inside the onsen, of course!

Have you been to an onsen before? If not, your first visit will come as quite the surprise. Since onsen are traditional public bath houses, you won’t be wearing a bathing suit. That tends to make tourists very uncomfortable at first, but after a little bit of relaxing in the soothing hot springs, you won’t want to leave! We visited one of the more elaborate onsen in the area, and spent our afternoon hopping between saunas, hot springs, bubbling jacuzzis, and pools. Some of the pools were outside, lined with plants and filled by waterfalls, and others were inside and surrounded by beautiful rock walls and tiles. After a morning in the rain and fog, this was the perfect way to warm up and relax. What a treat!

Don’t feel too bad about our missed Mt. Fuji sighting. If you’re in Tokyo on a clear day, you can see the iconic beauty from the top floors of the Metropolitan Government Buildings in Shinjuku, Tokyo. We’re stubborn, so we sat up there all afternoon on our last day until its silhouette appeared through the clouds. It wasn’t picture perfect, but it still took our breath away.

Our favorite Tokyo Day Trips: Kamakura and the Great Buddha

You know which day trip wasn’t a total bust? Kamakura! Once again, we boarded the train and headed out of town. We set out to visit The Great Buddha, or Daibutsu, and since we had learned about multiple very old temples along a path nearby, we had a full day planned.

Tokyo Day Trips - www.AFriendAfar.com

The Great Buddha is a massive bronze statue dating back to 1252. The temple housing the statue was washed away by a tsunami in 1498, and since then, the Buddha has stood in the open air courtyard.

Not only did the weather hold out for us on that day, so did the crowds. It didn’t take long for the only tour bus at The Great Buddha to head out, and after capturing this shot of siblings peeking through a lantern, we were able to take pictures of this important piece of Japanese history with no other visitors in the frame. Even so, these two children are still my favorite.

Tokyo Day Trips - www.AFriendAfar.com

After visiting the Great Buddha at the Kotoku-In temple, we headed to Kenchoji. We had read that it is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, so we were prepared for a different sort of temple from those that we visited in Tokyo.

I loved the beautiful wooden buildings that were ornately carved but lacked the vivid red paint that covered all of the temples we had visited before. You could really see the temple’s age. The temple was founded in 1246 and completed in 1253. The gardens were beautiful as well, and we had the opportunity to take off our shoes and tour some of the tatami-floored rooms.

Tokyo Day Trips - www.AFriendAfar.com

Tokyo is a fascinating city with so much to see and do, but getting out of town and heading for the countryside and Mt. Fuji are amazing experiences. If you’re headed to Tokyo, be sure to schedule in a day or two for Mt. Fuji and Kamakura. You won’t be sorry!

Have you been to Japan? Tell us about your favorite places in and around Tokyo in the comments! We love hearing from you!

Bangkok Boutique Hotel Review: Phranakorn Nornlen

October 6, 2015January 9, 20161 Comment

While planning our trip to Thailand in January, I was excited to stay in a hotel in Bangkok. As Meagan has mentioned before, we met as roommates in Thailand and lived about an hour north of Bangkok. Because of that fact, I’d never stayed in Bangkok overnight. After getting a few ideas from guidebooks, I also looked on TripAdvisor to see what was ranked highly. I was pleasantly surprised to see a charming, small hotel near the top. I immediately looked into it and then booked it. It’s called Phranakorn Nornlen, and it’s one of the most adorable places I’ve ever stayed! Read ahead for my Bangkok Hotel Review:

Phranakorn Nornlen is located in the heart of Old Bangkok and is truly an oasis in the middle of a hectic city. Their motto is about embracing “slow life,” and it’s certainly easy to do when you’re in the compound. The building itself is a beautiful, old teak mansion, and there’s plenty of space for lounging on pillows in the open air first floor. The surrounding area is not touristy so you get a taste of authenticity in how people live in communities in Bangkok. But it is within walking distance to the Thewet Pier river shuttle stop where you can take a leisurely boat ride to get to the Grand Palace and the Reclining Buddha. It’s also just a taxi or scary tuktuk ride away from the BTS Skytrain.

The hotel has a rooftop restaurant that serves basic Thai dishes, including pineapple fried rice. We ate there upon arrival because we’d been traveling that day and were famished. Breakfast is included in the room rate and is quite the spread. There’s also a tea service during the day if you’re in your room and want afternoon tea. What more do you need in life?

The décor of the hotel matches the antique building it’s housed in. There are cute, vintage displays everywhere you turn. Plus, there’s amazing art from a local artist painted on the walls. The style of the rooms are consistent with the rest of the hotel. The bedding uses batik cloth that you can find in the market and… If you like the style of the décor, they have a shop on the first floor where you can buy similar goods.

If you’re not already sold on booking the Phranakorn Nornlen while in Bangkok, we found the extra services the hotel made available extremely thoughtful and useful. For example, we had a late flight out so were able to store our luggage in the baggage deposit for free while exploring Chatuchak Weekend Market for last minute shopping. Additionally, showers on the first floor were available for use to freshen up before heading to the airport even though we’d checked out in the morning. There’s also a service to help with transportation needs, such as calling us a taxi to airport. The staff also went above and beyond. Our final memory of leaving Phranakorn Nornlen is that four staff members were leaving at the same time so they helped us with our luggage and saw us off in our taxi.

Hope you’ll consider staying in this lovely guesthouse if you’re traveling to Bangkok soon! What’s one of your favorite accommodations ever and why?

Guest Post: 8 Family Travel Tips from Alli

October 1, 2015January 8, 2016Leave a comment

We recently introduced you to two of our Friends Afar, Krista and Ja. We have a new and wonderful friend for you today – Alli! You’re going to love Alli! We sure do! We met her at our church in Atlanta where she had started Lazarus Ministries, an amazing non-profit that does wonderful work with Atlanta’s homeless community. Fun fact: that’s where fellow blog author Stephanie met her husband!

Now Alli’s living in Washington, D.C. with her husband Joe, her pup Duke, and her darling little boy Jack who is wonderfully featured in this post. Alli has also expanded Lazarus Ministries to Washington, D.C., so if you’re in the area, find out how you can get involved here. Alli’s been traveling all over the U.S. with Jack and Duke in tow, so she has some great tips on family travel! In fact, Jack has already seen more of North America than most people you know, so he’s Our Little Friend Afar! Enjoy!

Meet Our Friend Afar: Alli and Jack - www.AFriendAfar.com

Family Travel Tips from Our Friend Afar: Alli

Some of my friends call me crazy. I have a 15 month old son named Jack, and he has been to 22 states, Canada, 13 major cities, and has had his feet in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. I travel for work, to be able to see both mine and my husband’s family, and for adventure. Sometimes he is traveling with me and my husband, but sometimes it is just me and our dog. I didn’t plan his first year to be so full, but it happened. I learned a few things from my various trips, so I thought I would write a few tips.

1) Be mentally prepared and realistic. Just a couple of weeks ago, I loaded up the car with Jack and our dog, Duke, and drove from Washington, DC to Dalton, Georgia. Normally, it’s a 10 hour drive, but it would have been torture to try to make it in that time driving by myself with a toddler and a dog. I managed my expectations to be more realistic and knew it would be closer to 14 or 15 hours. We stopped every 2 hours — mainly so Jack could play. Because I was mentally prepared, it was a pleasant trip. I also try to make sure my expectations of the day match what it will be like.

2) What you wear matters. Of course, I want to be comfortable. But I am more on top of things if I don’t feel and look sloppy. I usually wear stretchy jeans, a shirt that it is not terribly noticeable if it is a little dirty from toddler hands (but still cute), my Puma ballet sneaker flats, and a stylish hat. Also, bringing an extra shirt is ideal. I highly recommend not wearing one piece suits (this is important for the bathroom… I’ll get to that).

3) Ration the toys. I keep most of Jack’s toys up front with me (or in my bag if on a plane or train) and hand them back to him one at a time. I have them positioned to be handed back safely. If I give him all of the toys at once, he gets bored much more quickly. Once I have handed him all of his toys, it is usually time to stop for a break. (It would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to go through all of his toys. We do this at home as well, and I have been told it helps with focus.) I usually bring a mixture of 15 toys and books.

3) Think ahead about entertainment. The last trip I mentioned was 14 hours long. We did that with no TV. I was prepared with a playlist that had songs we both like, some NPR podcasts, and audiobooks. When he was happy, occupied and content, I would listen to the podcasts or audiobooks. When he started to get fidgety, I would play the surefire songs that make him smile and clap (for Jack those are Mind Games by Leagues and Shake it Off by Taylor Swift — pretty much a guaranteed smile). Swing by the library and spend a second on iTunes; you will not regret it.

4) Nature does call. For me the hardest thing when traveling with a baby or toddler (and a dog!) is going to the bathroom. With the baby, I wear him as I go to the bathroom. He is too busy and public bathrooms are too nasty for me to let him down at all. Once in the Seattle airport family room, there was a little chair attached to the wall that had straps. That was a luxury! Especially since I was a wearing a fashionable jumpsuit that was one piece (learned my lesson there because not all airports or bathrooms have those and we had other layovers).

Family Travel Tips - www.AFriendAfar.com

5) Snacks. Jack was 7 months old when I drove from DC to Wilmington, NC by myself. It was the first time traveling alone with him. I was so worried about food and snacks, but another mom showed me the dissolvable snacks. It was such a relief to know that he couldn’t choke on them.

6) Traveling with a dog. Our dog, Duke, is a six year old boxer that is a saint. He is a therapy dog, has a wonderful demeanor, and loves the car! I actually have to spell C-A-R if I am not ready for him to know we are getting ready to go. Traveling with a dog brings its own obstacles. We can only do drive-thru restaurants unless I packed meals. I do not travel with him without another adult in the summer. I have to leave him in the car when I need to go to the bathroom. My sister recommended leaving a sign saying that I am just running in to go to the bathroom so that there is no confusion and so people know he is in there for just a few minutes. I always leave the windows down enough for him to get air and park in the shade. I also put the air on full blast for a few minutes before parking. Dogs should not be left for more than a few minutes. I hurry and then let him out to do his business.

7) Bring the right supplies; borrow the rest. A mirror in the backseat so I can see Jack while I am driving and travel dog dishes that go flat when not in use are the types of things that I find irreplaceable (I am hoping that the right carseat goes without saying, but just in case…). Highchair, portacrib, infant bathtub — I try to borrow in the destination city. In the day of social media, it only takes one post to find someone’s friend’s sister’s cousin who has what is needed.

8) Be ready for THOSE moments. Like when your son is asleep, you’re listening to a Desmond Tutu audiobook, and you are overwhelmed with the beauty of the moment as you drive through the Shenandoah Valley. Or the flight from DC to Minneapolis where he is looking out the windows and giggling at the clouds. Or when a restaurant in Knoxville lets you, your son, and your dog sit in the fenced in patio, and your son stands at the fence holding his sippy cup and waving to people as they pass by. Those are the moments that make you glad you were crazy enough to take him on this adventure no matter how much work it is for you. Those moments.

Lacock Abbey- www.afriendafar.com #england #lacockabbey #harrypotter

Film Inspired Travel in England

September 29, 2015January 17, 20163 Comments

Inspiration for travel can come in so many different shapes and forms. Hearing stories from fellow travelers, photos of beautiful places, learning the history of faraway places, and looking through magazines. One way I’m inspired is by books I’ve read and TV series and movies I’ve watched. Visiting England and specifically the countryside had been on my list for a while- in large part because of my love of Jane Austen books and films. When planning the trip, my sister and I mapped out our must see houses and sights to visit. Here are a few to keep in mind if you’re visiting Europe soon and are interested in film inspired travel in England:

Jane Austen Sights

The first Jane Austen sight we visited was the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton. It’s open every day from 10:30am to 4:30pm and is the only house Jane lived in that is open to the public. It’s where she spent the last 8 years of her life – during the time period when Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma were published. In nearby Winchester, visit the beautiful Gothic cathedral founded in 1079 to see where she is buried.

Bath is a fantastic city to visit if you’re a Jane Austen fan since the author lived there, and two of her novels, Northanger Abbey (my favorite) and Persuasion, were set in this historic city. Go on a self-guided walking tour of the city to see the streets and buildings Jane writes about and be sure not to miss the Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths, the Circus (pictured here), and the Assembly Rooms. We actually skipped the Jane Austen Centre except for poking around the gift shop since we’d already visited the House Museum and wanted more time for our walk.

Great Houses of Pride & Prejudice

Next we started our tour of the great houses of England, including the Chatsworth House, used in film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. The Chatsworth House is located in Derbyshire in the Peak District and was used as Pemberley in the 2005 movie. It is thought that Jane Austen based her idea of Pemberley on the Chatsworth House while writing the novel. Interestingly enough, the house is mentioned by name in the book as one of the estates Elizabeth Bennet visits before arriving at Pemberley.

Next we went to Haddon Hall in Peak District National Park. It was used in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice as the Inn at Lambton, in the 2011 version of Jane Eyre and Prince Humperdinck’s castle in The Princess Bride. The outside of the medieval manor house is stunning, but it was also fun to stroll through the interior and the gorgeous Elizabethan gardens set next to a picturesque river.

Our final Jane Austen film site was Lyme Park in the Peak District. It was used in the 1995 BBC film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and has amazing grounds to wander around. There’s a beautiful rose garden, and you can see the reflecting lake where Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy met Elizabeth Bennett. If you’re super fans like we are, you can also go for walk in the field to see the pond Darcy emerged from. When we were there it happened to be the 200th anniversary of the book’s publication, therefore to celebrate there was a giant Darcy in the lake!

Downton Abbey

We visited England at the height of the Downton Abbey series craze, so of course we had to make a stop at Highclere Castle. We arrived too late to tour the inside of the house, but walking around the grounds and gardens admiring the house was perfect. It was also lovely that we went to the little shop to buy a cup of tea to sip while admiring the beauty of the house! [Photo: Laura Brown]

Harry Potter

No visit to England would be complete without seeing a couple of Harry Potter filming sites. King’s Cross Station in London is an easy place to pop over to while you’re out and about in the city for a nice photo op at Platform 9 and 3/4.

En route to Bath, you can also make a nice stop at the picturesque village of Castle Combe to visit National Trust property Lacock Abbey, used as a filming site in the first two and sixth Harry Potter films as Hogwarts. The Abbey’s side rooms and cloisters were used as classrooms and halls of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was also used as filming sites for movies and TV shows including the 1995 BBC Pride & Prejudice, Cranford, and Downtown Abbey.

Do you have any other sites to add in England or elsewhere? How have books, movies and TV shows inspired your travel? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

The Best Twitter Chats for Travel Lovers

September 24, 2015January 18, 20161 Comment

If you’re like us, you don’t just love to travel, you also love sharing stories and getting new ideas from like-minded travelers. Today we’ve found a great selection of organized Twitter chats that help you do just that. In these chats, the host asks questions, and their followers answer by sharing experiences, travel tips, photos, and ideas. Whether you’re an active Twitter user or someone who occasionally follows social media, head on over and follow these conversations for great ideas and fun new travelers to follow. You never know what you’ll find or where your new friends will be from! We especially love seeing the photos that people share of their favorite locations. It often adds a few new spots to our ever-growing destination list!

Monday
2pm EST: #GirlsTravel
Host: @sheswanderful

3pm EST: #TravelPics
Host: @AntiTourist

3pm EST: #TravelCult
Host: @TravelHistory_

Tuesday
1pm EST: #TRLT (The Road Less Traveled)
Host: @TheTravelCamel

3:30pm EST: #NUTS (Not-So Usual Therapy Session)
Host: @Midliferoadtrip

5:30pm EST: #TTOT (Travel Talk on Twitter)
Host: @TravelDudes

Wednesday
2pm EST: #ExpediaChat
Hosts: @Expedia

3:30pm EST: #RTWChat
Host: @BootsnAll

5pm EST: #Travex
Host: @TravelSquire and @MGPtravelblog

8pm EST: #FoodTravelChat
Host: @FoodTravelChat

Thursday
1:30pm EST: #JSETT
Host: @JetSetExtra

Friday
12pm EST: #TravelSkills
Host: @johnnyjet and @cjmcginnis

All day: #FriFotos
Host: @EpsteinTravels

Saturday
11am EST: #WeekendWanderlust
Host: @JustinLaurenXO

Do you know about any other travel-themed Twitter chats we should join? Tell us about them in the comments!

Don’t forget to connect with us on Twitter for great travel news, pictures, and tips! We love hearing from you!