She still hasn’t stopped talking about the rings. Sure, L and I learned about galaxies during our Monday night tour with an outfitter named Tahoe Star Tours, and, yes, we spotted stars including Vega and Polaris. We even peered through a giant telescope to gaze upon planets such as Jupiter and Mars. But for my […]
You can teach an old dog new tricks. That was the lesson from today’s road trip to North Lake Tahoe, where we’ll spend the better part of the next week at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. (One of the reasons we’re here: the tents in which the girls are sleeping as I write this post.) In […]
Even in today’s digital age, there’s nothing quite like an all-inclusive snapshot to commemorate a great moment from an epic family trip. The whole gang! In front of (insert famous site here)! Not only is the image a great memento, but it also serves as a badge of awesomeness that you can post on social […]
I was inspired earlier this week when I read a post by my writer friend and family travel buddy, Julie Schwietert Collazo, about how to stop packing “so much crap” when you travel with kids. The story, which Julie published Monday, prefaced a trip she and her family were taking this weekend. The gist of […]
If you really think about it, our passports are just begging to be scribbled on. The compact size! Those horrible photos! Heck, here in the United States, the watermark could even qualify as sparkly and colorful. In this family, considering how frequently our kids see our passports, I’ve often marveled at the fact that the […]
Ours is a house of artists. I use words to express myself; Powerwoman and our daughters use images. My wife and older daughter in particular turn to drawings and sketches when they wish to express deep and personal thoughts. This means pre-trip excitement often sparks a ton of art time. Usually L is the queen […]
During an average year, we Villanos are away from home as a unit anywhere from 60-80 days overall. Last year we logged nearly 160 days away from home (including a 122-day stint in England). The year before, we spent 31 consecutive days in Hawaii. Naturally, then, the four of us jump at the chance to […]
I’m always eager to promote the work of other writers whom I admire. Especially when they’re not professional writers. That’s precisely why I have been LOVING this blog, by my friend, Matt Delaney, and his wife, Allison. Earlier this month, the duo took their two kids on a three-week vacation to New Zealand and Australia. […]
In most circles, the notion of “glamping” involves sleeping outside in a really fancy tent. At The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, however, it has a slightly different meaning—yes, it involves a really fancy tent, but the tent is just for kids, and the little canvas oasis gets pitched INSIDE your room. The resort calls the package […]
Every now and again I like to indulge myself with an “Inside Baseball” type of post about writing or freelancing or both. Consider that a disclaimer; this is one such post. It’s actually part of a “Blog Hop,” something that buddy (and fellow writer/blogger), Amanda Castleman, asked me to do this week. As Amanda explained […]