Category Archives: Family Travel

33 Countries Visited, 220,000+ Miles Flown, Happy 5th Birthday Lucas!

Family Travel, Trip Reports, ,
family travel
Rainmaker, Costa Rica

It’s amazing how fast time flies.

Today is a very special day over here at Michael W Travels. My not-so-little man, Lucas turns 5 years old! We started off the festivities with a party in Lucas’s school and we’ll follow up with a dinner or two out before we have his real party over the weekend!

Lucas changed our world in so many amazing ways. He is a proud big brother, fun, loving, friendly & happy kid and a true world traveler. He’s also one of the most calm and smooth flyers I know. He definitely has me beat. I hated flying when I was a kid. Continue reading 33 Countries Visited, 220,000+ Miles Flown, Happy 5th Birthday Lucas! →

The Best $16 I Spent in Costa Rica

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Costa RicaThe Michael W Travels family recently got back from a trip to Costa Rica.

During our visit, a few things not so surprisingly stood out- nature, wildlife and hiking.

We combined all of those things during our first full day of the trip which we spent at Manuel Antonio National Park which is located close to Quepos, Costa Rica. Continue reading The Best $16 I Spent in Costa Rica →

The Animals of Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica

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a hand holding two tickets

During our visit to Costa Rica, Kim and I had a huge decision to make.

Since we had a limited amount of time in the country, we agreed it would be best to base ourselves in one area during our visit. We’d also spend a day seeing the capital, San Jose.

We narrowed our choices down to two options- Manuel Antonio National Park or Arenal Volcano. Both areas had their benefits but in the end we made a great decision. Continue reading The Animals of Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica →

How HomeAway Almost Ruined Our Trip to Costa Rica

Family Travel, Trip Reports,
homeaway
image: HomeAway Media Center

A few days back, the Michael W Travels family headed out on our final trip of 2016 to Costa Rica. We flew on Christmas Eve to Dallas and had to spend the night before heading to San Jose the following day.

Soon after arriving in San Jose we encountered a major issue in our plans. Find out how Alamo almost ruined our trip to Costa Rica.

After working out our car rental issues we headed to the hotel to rest before getting up early and heading off for our destination close to Manuel Antonio National Park. Continue reading How HomeAway Almost Ruined Our Trip to Costa Rica →

How Alamo Almost Ruined Our Trip to Costa Rica

Family Travel, Trip Reports,
alamo
image: wikimedia commons

On Christmas Eve the Michael W Travels family took off on our winter trip to Costa Rica.

With a limited amount of time during our visit, Kim and I decided that we’d limit our visit to one other area outside the capital, San Jose.  After some long debates we settled on the area around Manuel Antonio National Park.

We originally considered flying to maximize the things we could do but this would not work due to the cost of flights but more so due to luggage weight restrictions on the two local airlines. Continue reading How Alamo Almost Ruined Our Trip to Costa Rica →

Our Dining Adventure Near DFW Airport on Christmas Eve

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christmas eve

The Michael W Travels family departed on our last trip of 2016 last night on Christmas Eve. This trip will be Theo’s first foray into international travel.

Getting to our destination comes with an annoying stop in Dallas where we had to spend the night. (Thanks Club Carlson points for the free stay!) Continue reading Our Dining Adventure Near DFW Airport on Christmas Eve →

A Visit To Chichen Itza And The Mistake I Made…

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chichen itza

Over the summer Lucas and I went on a trip to Cancun, Mexico. Cancun isn’t the kind of destination that I’d choose to visit but we went due to a great reason- I had won the trip!

I’m not really into spending days at the beach or by the pool but Lucas loves being in the water so I knew that it would be a great time for him. To break up the beach/pool time, I scheduled a day trip to Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Continue reading A Visit To Chichen Itza And The Mistake I Made… →

Theo Takes His First Flight at 7 Weeks Old!

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a man and baby sitting in a seat

Kim, Lucas and I were thrilled to recently add a new member to our family- Theo Oliver!

Since the three of us love to travel, we wanted to start our little guy off early. Lucas got to fly for the first time (to Barbados) at a week shy of three months old. This time around we were looking to going a bit sooner.

A couple of weeks back we headed to Portland, Oregon for a quick visit. This would be Theo’s first time on an airplane at just 7 weeks old!

Here’s some details of what it was like flying with two kiddies for the first time! Continue reading Theo Takes His First Flight at 7 Weeks Old! →

Welcome Theo Oliver to the Michael W Travels Family!

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michael w

Back in April I wrote about how I had to cancel an AA award flight to Fiji & Vanuatu due to a great reason. Kim was pregnant, we were expecting our second child!

While Kim was pregnant she was grounded from flying. Since I have a hard time sitting still (and not traveling), Lucas and I went on a bunch of Father-Son Trips which would be awesome new experiences!

Kim was due in early October but at the end of August, the Michael W Travels got an early surprise! Continue reading Welcome Theo Oliver to the Michael W Travels Family! →

Flashback: Should You Take Your Toddler to Oktoberfest

Family Travel, Trip Reports, ,

a man drinking beer from a glassWith Munich’s Oktoberfest 2016 heading into its final weekend, I thought it would be fitting to re-share a post about our experience at the festival back in 2013.

Most people think of Oktoberfest as a festival for adults. However, the event also has appeal to kids. There are rides, great food to chow down on and when you head into the tents, you’re bound to hear some fun music.

Check out my post “Should You Take Your Toddler to Oktoberfest” and let me know- would you take your toddler to Munich to celebrate or prefer to leave the little ones home? Continue reading Flashback: Should You Take Your Toddler to Oktoberfest →