learnersandmakers

Our 1ST COUNTRY TOGETHER as a traveling family! VICTORIA BC CANADA! Our entire family has traveled internationally… but never as a family of four. Sure, we took Connor to Japan as a toddler… but that was before Aster was even born. And when Aster was a baby, Jodie took her to Canada, but without Anthony and Connor. The first time we traveled to a different country didn’t even happen according to plan. But when we had an opportunity overnight in Victoria, BC, Canada, we jumped at it. (Well, technically we sailed…) First of many to come! What was your family’s first international country? If you haven’t traveled internationally yet, where would you like to go?

Traveling the world with kids full-time… BUT WHY?!? Answering this question could suck up every available character for an Instagram post. The response could be an essay (the real kind, not the staccato Twitter kind). Heck, our answer could be a book. Probably multiple volumes. Yet the answer is also very simple. We want to travel the world because we love the world, we love travel, we love our kids, and we love showing them different parts of life as they head toward adulthood. The world is so big, varied, and diverse. Yet from pole to pole, east to west and back again, people also have so much in common. Travel inspires us. The world’s beauty motivates us. Meeting other people encourages us to seek out the best in ourselves. We want to travel the world with our kids because it brings us joy, good, and love, and because we can put more joy, good, and love into the world in return.

A newlywed wish comes true. The seed for our @frsclipper sailing was planted in 2010, during our honeymoon in Canada’s British Columbia. The Seattle to Victoria route didn’t fit that trip. So we newlyweds promised each other that we would return, with our someday two children, and we would ride the Clipper from Seattle to Victoria and back again. [#sponsored] Fast forward 12 years. Our family of four was in Seattle, embarking on at least a year of full-time family travel. We could overnight in Victoria. And sail on the Clipper. We would make our newlywed wish come true. SAVE THIS POST for family trip ideas for your visit on the FRS Clipper and a stay in Victoria, BC! [We want to thank @frsclipper for hosting our sailing, but our opinions are our own.] 📍 Watch forests, islands, and seas go by on a peaceful 3-hour sailing 📍 Arrive in the heart of Victoria with a whole day ahead 📍 Reenergize with brunch @nourishvictoria 📍 See the city on @graylinevic hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tour 📍 Pet animals @beaconhillchildrensfarm 📍 Cross the harbor in a pickle boat @vicharbourferry 📍 Eat fish and chips (and explore the floating neighborhood) at Fisherman’s Wharf 📍 Touch the narrow walls of Chinatown’s Fan Tan Alley 📍 Learn about indigenous cultures and area history @royalbcmuseum 📍 Wander totem poles at Thunderbird Park 📍 Dine on fresh pizza @famosopizzeria 📍 Ride in a horse-drawn carriage 📍 Donuts, breakfast sandwiches and famous @timhortons coffee 📍 Take a family selfie at the Bright Pearl spinning globe The Clipper gave us those sights and memories in calm comfort, just what our busy family needed in the midst of some hectic travel days back on the mainland. Our sailing also gave the children a delectable first taste of Victoria. Something tells us our next someday trip here won’t need a dozen years to come to pass...

How did we travel in relaxed comfort from Seattle, Washington to Victoria, Canada? On a 3-hour sailing past islands and forests on the FRS Clipper! [#hosted @frsclipper]

Can you believe it: THIS is only 5 minutes from one of America’s busiest airports? (Read on to find out where it is!) We could hardly believe it either. But in Tukwila, SeaTac, and Des Moines, the three communities of @seattlesouthside offer family friendly dining, parks, gardens and more. [#sponsored] Seattle Southside is still Seattle, but with its own style. This area is chocolate and history. It’s aviation and fresh air. Seattle Southside is a pleasant surprise, off the beaten path, where you can enjoy the delights of a city, but at a calmer pace than the massive West Coast metropolis that’s just minutes away. In our family travels, we love keeping an eye out for the destinations that surprise us. Like this park in the photo: ❇︎ Near major roads and train lines 🛫 Only about 5 minutes from Sea-Tac Airport (great for the kids to get out some energy pre- or post-flight). 💦 Big splash pad with large raised water dumping bucket 🛝 Playground with a variety of romp spaces 🌊 Lakeside beach area, complete with a floating wooden dock (perfect for cannonballs into the shimmering lake) and a long, calm sandy beach Along the far edge of the park, trees and houses rippled in the gentle waves. Above it all, we caught a glimpse of the top slopes of Mt. Rainier. This space was calm, and fun, and one of the many highlights of our time in #SeattleSouthside. ❓ Where is it? Angle Lake Park! SAVE THIS POST for how Seattle Southside will surprise you on your trip!

This is about Seattle… but probably not the Seattle you were expecting. [#sponsored] During a late-summer family vacation in Seattle, we also enjoyed 72 hours in the 3 communities of #SeattleSouthside: 📍 Soar through the history of aviation, wander dozens of aircraft, and even land on the moon @museumofflight (with lunch at Wing’s Cafe) 📍 Chocolate factory tour and tasting @seattlechoc (and assemble an assortment of bars and truffles from the chocolate shop) 📍 10 acres of lakefront play at Angle Lake Park (summer? Bring the swimsuits for the splash pad and lake!) 📍 Dinner at one of South Sound Magazine’s “Best Mexican Restaurant,” @moctezumas (hint: try the floral, spicy, delicious mango habanero chicken) 📍 Breakfast with locals at Pancake Chef 📍 Relax in green space @highlinebotanicalgarden (you might encounter roses, irises, or daylilies, but above all, look for the boulder-and-stones turtle in the Seike Japanese Garden) 📍 Feast @sumikoreangrill (go big with wagyu chuck roll steak and thick-cut Kurobuta pork belly from the Feast menu) 📍 See why @pattys.eggnest says their “nest is best” for brunch and breakfast (bottomless coffee, savory homestyle potatoes, rich omelets, and cute pancakes for the kids) 📍 Thai food for all palates @baitongrestaurant (substantial but not too heavy lunch or dinner: fish cakes, chicken satay, and’s rich, tangy-sour smooth tom kha soup) 📍 Go to the edge of Puget Sound at Saltwater State Park: From camping to seasonal kayak rentals, the 88-acre park hugs nearly 1,500 feet of shoreline and offers peaceful space among driftwood, sand, and blue waters SAVE THIS POST for family vacation ideas for your next @seattlesouthside getaway!

Anthony grew up in Virginia, and we’d long wanted to experience the Blue Ridge as a family vacation destination with Connor and Aster. We’d been looking forward to exploring history, natural wonders, and unique local museums. From the home of Thomas Jefferson to tubing on a river, childhood arcade games to a parents-only art date, we connected with the Roanoke area in a new way. Watch the full video LINK IN BIO.

After a week of huge changes, big projects, fun adventures, and lots of zooming around, we needed a night of some serious downtime. Instead of zoning out on screens, we opted for some chill outside fun, fresh produce, and incredible pizza. With a population of around 3,100, the Zillah area was exactly the sort of down-to-earth small town that combined the right mix of the outdoors, good food—and above all, a chance to relax for a night after a busy week. [#sponsored] 📍 Pick perfect fresh produce at Jones Farm Stand 📍 Paddle and fish a private lake at Zillah Lakes Inn 📍 Feast on wood-fired pies in a 1904 farmhouse at @hoptown_pizza Relax and feel restored with a Zillah WA summer family trip! As we wound our way out of the Yakima Valley, we realized that we were leaving Zillah, but Zillah was leaving us restored. It’s no wonder. A small town that lets you slow down yet appreciate the best in life? That’s an adventure we know will always be waiting for us in Zillah. [We want to thank @zillahchamber for sponsoring our visit. Our opinions, however, are our own.] SAVE THIS POST to plan your next family trip!

First day of school… at the Chocolate Factory! We always try to do something fun and unexpected for Connor and Aster’s first day of homeschool. When Connor started kindergarten, we watched Star Wars in the movie theater. Another year, we went to the Oregon Zoo in Portland. But this year? This year’s first day of school was delicious. One of our priorities while traveling over the next year is bumping up our hands-on learning. So… why not learn about how chocolate bars and truffles are made? @seattlechoc provided a fantastic tour of their Seattle Southside tasting room and factory. We learned where chocolate comes from, how it's made and how to professionally taste it. Connor in particular took the tasting very seriously, writing notes and observations as he sampled each of six pieces of chocolate. Have you ever taken a chocolate tour? Have a favorite chocolatier you'd like to share?