Dishing tips for Trips + Giggles
It’s always fun to share family travel tips with other experts. That’s why I’m especially excited to share a Q&A I did with my buddy, Juliana Shallcross, the gal behind Trips + Giggles.
Entries by Matt Villano
Seattle Center = Family travel heaven
After more than two weeks away from home, we closed out our 2015 summer road trip in style today with six hours at Seattle Center, an entertainment hub (and former World’s Fair fairgrounds) on the north end of downtown Seattle. Without question, it was one of the best days of our trip, with a seemingly […]
Tinkle practice
Like most girls, L and R are *huge* fans of the Disney movie, Frozen, and they love the line in the song, “Fixer Upper,” about going “tinkle in the woods.” In practice, however, the kids actually are quite terrible at actually going tinkle in the woods. And they’re not getting better any time soon. Powerwoman […]
A case for patience on the family trip
We came. We saw. We weathered one of the biggest tantrums of 2015. And we experienced magic. There’s really no other way to describe tonight’s experience at Lime Kiln Point State Park here on the San Juan Islands. The outing had it all: Smiles, tears, shrieks of terror, and screams of joy. In the end, […]
Best spots in Portland for family travel
We’re still in the San Juan Islands of Washington State, enjoying days full of beach time, wildlife-watching (all Orcas, all the time), and lots (and lots) of locally made ice cream. Before we got here, however, we spent a few days exploring Portland, Oregon, to the south. The real reason for that part of the […]
The beauty of a drop-in indoor playground
Travelers of all kinds understand the importance of letting kids burn off steam during a family vacation. The practice wins children time to let their imaginations wander. In turn, it also keeps everyone sane. This is precisely why we love A Place to Play here on San Juan Island in Washington State. The facility, literally […]
Our family’s happy place: the beach
We’ve been on San Juan Island about a week now, and while every day has been different, all of them have had at least one thing in common: A trip to a beach. Beaches are our girls’ happy place, a surefire spot to make them happy and keep them that way. On some beaches, they’ve […]
You can go back again, with family
I was hunched over the sink washing dinner dishes when I saw them through the kitchen window—first the telltale blows, then black triangle-shaped dorsal fins rising from the surface of the water. “Orcas! Orcas!” I screamed. “Girls, get out here! There are orcas!” This was the moment I had dreamed about, the very instant when […]
You know you’re on family vacation with young kids when…
1. You wouldn’t be caught dead in a restaurant without paper and crayons. 2. You order that second Manhattan at dinner to go so you can drink it up in the room during books and songs. 3. You implore loved ones to use “inside voices” way more than you’d like. 4. You hear—and share—more poop […]
Special needs, yet just like us
I always am encouraged when I see articles geared toward parents of special needs kids who love to travel. The fact that these parents prioritize travel is wonderful; that reporters actually pay attention to them is something even better. Naturally, then, I was delighted to open up the Travel section of The New York Times […]