Category Archives: Family Travel

11 Countries Visited, 55,000+ Miles Flown- Happy 1st Birthday to Theo!

Family Travel, ,
happy 1st birthday
Lelepa Island, Vanuatu (8/30/17)

On August 30, 2016 the Michael W Travels family got a big surprise. Theo couldn’t wait to meet his family, arriving 5 weeks early.

It was definitely a bit scary at first. Theo had to spend some time in the NICU, although not nearly as long as what we were originally told. After six nights, Theo came home and got to meet big brother Lucas.

Boy what a difference a year makes.

Theo turned one recently and we got to celebrate and wish him a very Happy 1st Birthday in Vanuatu! (We’ve since returned home from our 5 week trip to the Pacific.) Continue reading 11 Countries Visited, 55,000+ Miles Flown- Happy 1st Birthday to Theo! →

Sleepy Sundays in Tonga, A Visit To Pangaimotu Island

Family Travel, Trip Reports, ,

a man holding a baby on a dock on a beach

The Michael W Travels family is currently on a 5 Week Trip Around the Pacific.

The first stop of on our journey was to the Kingdom on Tonga. Our first full day on the island was a Sunday when there isn’t much to do since just about everything is closed!

Rather than waste the day, we headed on a short day-trip. Continue reading Sleepy Sundays in Tonga, A Visit To Pangaimotu Island →

Can I Bring A Kids Micro Scooter As A Carry-On Item?

Family Travel, ,

a blue scooter with a handle

Recently, I wrote a post asking the question, Can I Bring A Screwdriver In My Carry-On Bag?

I needed the screwdriver for a trip that I was going on with Lucas.

Lucas loves riding his Micro Scooter so Kim and I thought it would be a good idea to bring it on our trip. The only problem was taking it apart to pack in a bag. To do so, I needed a screwdriver.

You might wonder why a scooter would be a good item to bring along? Continue reading Can I Bring A Kids Micro Scooter As A Carry-On Item? →

Pittsburgh, PA- An Incredibly Kid-Friendly Destination!

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Pittsburgh PA

Last week, Lucas and I headed off on a trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was our first Father-Son Trip since last summer.

Some of you might be thinking Pittsburgh PA, wow, how glamorous. Right? You can be honest! The truth is that I’ve wanted to visit The ‘Burgh for years, primarily to check out PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and to try a sandwich from Primanti Bros. Continue reading Pittsburgh, PA- An Incredibly Kid-Friendly Destination! →

Traveling With An Infant? 10 Products You Need!

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Family Travel
Singapore Airlines- August 2012

Traveling with a baby or young child for the first or 100th time requires extra time overall. From packing, to getting ready, and actually getting to the airport all take a little more time and effort than traveling sans kids.

One area that needs to be addressed when traveling with that third (or fourth) wheel, I mean cute little one is what baby-specific gear you now need to bring on your adventures. At the beginning, you’re going to most likely over-do it but odds are that you won’t need most of that extra bulk! Continue reading Traveling With An Infant? 10 Products You Need! →

Jumping By The Most Awesome UNESCO World Heritage Sites Marker

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a stone sign with a mountain in the background

Whenever I travel to new places I check to see if any UNESCO World Heritage Sites are nearby.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be really interesting while others can be pretty boring. Overall, I’ve been to 112 sites to date and most were worthy of a visit.

Most UNESCO World Heritage Sites are commemorated with some sort of marker or plaque, listing various info about the site. During a trip to Poland with Lucas, the Wieliczka Salt Mine really impressed. After seeing amazing salt carvings deep in the mine, we came across this awesome UNESCO marker while exiting. Continue reading Jumping By The Most Awesome UNESCO World Heritage Sites Marker →

How A Call To Fiji Airways Saved Me $645.94

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Fiji Airways
image: wikicommons

I’ve been really busy planning our 2017 Summer Trip. We’ll be heading to the Pacific for around 5 weeks!

The first order of business was getting a flight from the U.S. to the region. American Airlines miles came in handy for that, costing 80,000 miles per person + tax ($71.66). When I asked about adding Theo to the itinerary as a lap baby, I was beyond surprised by the price I was told. Continue reading How A Call To Fiji Airways Saved Me $645.94 →

A Quick Visit to Northern Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway

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northern ireland
Giant’s Causeway

In February 2017, the Michael W Travels family visited Ireland for the first time. While I would’ve liked to have had more time to see the country, we made sure to take one day-trip out of Dublin.

While debating where to go, Kim and I narrowed our choices down to the Cliffs of Moher or Giant’s Causeway.

After debating what our best option was (I don’t think either would be a bad choice), we decided on a trip to the Giant’s Causeway. This trip would take us to Northern Ireland which is actually part of the United Kingdom. Continue reading A Quick Visit to Northern Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway →

An Interesting Car Seat Alternative, the Ride Safer Travel Vest

Family Travel, Product Review

ride safer

Kim and I are always looking for ways to lighten the load when it comes to what gear we bring along on our trips.

Traveling with kids requires a variety of extra items. While we never use a car seat on flights, when we rent a car, we bring along one of our car seats so we don’t have to pay ridiculous rental fees of around $12 per day. Continue reading An Interesting Car Seat Alternative, the Ride Safer Travel Vest →

Bag Lost in Seoul, Intercontinental Duty Manager to the Rescue!

Family Travel, Trip Reports, ,

Screen Shot 2017-05-04 at 12.09.41 AMDuring our trip to South Korea we had a couple of interesting problems that we faced. The funny thing is that both happened in the same day but ended up working out.

The morning we were to fly back to Seoul from Jeju Island I encountered our first problem. We had an early flight and Sixt Rent-A-Car was closed. Find out what I did in the link above.

Kim and I decided to end the trip by using our IHG free nights for a two night stay at the InterContinental Seoul COEX. When we arrived, the service was absolutely amazing and friendly! We were greeted by staff like the hotel Duty Manager and the concierge checked us in. Continue reading Bag Lost in Seoul, Intercontinental Duty Manager to the Rescue! →