Just 2 travelbugs getaway!

So in order to maintain our sanity with all the upcoming "Around the World" travel plans, what do travelbugs do to relax? They leave the tiniest travelbug at Grandma's house while the 2 grown-up travelbugs escape for some "just us" time!
As pat of my Christmas gift from my awesome husband Sam, we are going away this Friday for 3 nights at The Couples Resort in northern Ontario, close to Algonquin park in Bancroft. We went there once before during the winter of 2007 when I was 6 months pregnant. Seeing a giant version of me on cross-country ski's and on skates attempting to play hockey was quite the frightful sight I'm sure!

The Couples Resort is an amazing place with SO many winter activities to do. It is set on Galeairy Lake in the Muskoka's, and is by far the most "fun" Canadian winter adventure that we've ever had. Each suite has it's own wood-burning fireplace and jacuzzi tub, and being in the "true north" amongst the incredible landscape and wildlife, you can't help yourself from feeling calm and relaxed. Oh, and the spa certainly helps too! All that being said, we have an action-adventure weekend planned!

Saturday we are signed up for an exciting activity that neither of us have ever tried before - DOG SLEDDING! We get to mush our own team of dogs through the woods and over the lake. I'm a bit nervous that standing on the sled will prove to be impossible for my gimpy legs but I guess we will have to wait and see! I am REALLY excited about this, because now I can tell all my Southern American friends that we Canadians really DO use dog-sleds to get around!


Sunday we are booked to go winter horse-back riding, a HUGE favourite past time of mine, but not so much for Sam. He's quite convinced that the entire sport of horseback riding was not designed with men in mind, claiming that it is not the most "comfortable" place to be sitting in a saddle atop a horse. I remind him about the cowboys, my aboriginal kin, and all the men who couldn't have survived without the beautiful beasts. For some unknown reason, this doesn't help make him feel any better when he's bouncing up and down in the saddle BEGGING for us to turn back to the barn. I think all he needs is a few lessons - LOL.

They also have snowmobiles that we are thinking about renting for an hour, apparently there are moose everywhere in that area, and how amazing would it be to be riding along and meet up with a real Canadian moose! However, I have what you could call a "strong preservation of life" (basically I'm afraid of everything and anything) and I can envision him zooming off into the horizon on his machine leaving me in his snow dust. That certainly won't be the most romantic moment of the weekend, but it could be a lot of fun just the same!We went ice-fishing at night last time we were there and LOVED IT! It was so amazing walking out on the ice to our little hut in the dark (we had flashlights) and making a wee fire to keep ourselves warm while waiting to catch a fish. If only we knew the fish were at the BOTTOM of the lake and not at the top where we had our lines cast, we might have caught something! Clearly there was no "test" portion that accompanied my Metis Nations Aboriginal status card that I received from the government many years ago....LOL. Perhaps I should pow wow with one of my relatives before trying such things as ice-fishing in the future.


I'll be sure to write a full review on the "reviews" page of this blog next week! Wish us luck in the great white north, and don't worry - we won't forget to pack our woolies! If I do see a moose, I will certainly invite him to come back to Toronto, where I will paint a maple leaf on his bum, tie a scarf around his neck and stand him up in front of Union Station as one of the "Toronto Moose" art collection!

Our exciting world adventure intinerary!

So we are definitely going to Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and now PANAMA in March/April! We have sat down and created a 1st draft travel itinerary. We are going to spend anywhere from 4-7 nights at each stop along the way.

March 14th - Fly from Toronto directly to Hong Kong. This is a 15 hour flight + a day in time change. We will spend 4 nights in an apartment in Hong Kong, generously offered to us from friends that have a place there.
March 17th - Fly from Hong Kong to Melbourne, Australia. This is only a 5-6 hour flight which will be a nice easy flight compared to our flight to Hong Kong! Again, we have been offered an in-law suite at our friends Beth & Gregg's lovely home, which again we so very much appreciate! We will spend 4-5 nights in Melbourne before continuing on our journey!
March 21st - Fly from Melbourne to New Zealand. We chose to go to New Zealand before Sydney, because it is not possible to do it the other way around as there is not a flight out of New Zealand that will take us to Panama which is our final destination, so we would have to go back to Sydney to fly anyways. We plan on spending at least 6 nights in New Zealand so we can really take in the beautiful sights and really experience this small but incredible country. We will be staying in Auchland at a hotel.
March 27th- Fly from New Zealand back to Sydney, Australia. We will spend 6-7 nights here as there is so much to see and do, including an outback adventure we hope to take for a couple of nights! We will be staying at a hotel here as well, any suggestions on places to stay are welcomed!
April 2nd - Fly from Sydney to Panama. This flight will have to be via Miami as that is the only way to fly into Panama from the other side of the world! We will be spending 1 week with the in-laws on Bocas Del Torro, a small beautiful island where they have built a few amazing houses right on the ocean. A little piece of paradise! We have been to visit them a couple times in the past, and always enjoy our time in the jungle with family.
April 10th - Fly home just in time for my birthday on the 11th!

So there we have it, there is tons of room for flexibility since we could always choose to stay an extra night if we want or leave a day sooner, which is very nice to be able to do. Again, we are so very grateful for the wonderful friends and family that will be hosting us at some of our stops to 4 different amazing continents in this big huge world just waiting to be explored by the 3 travelbugs!

Prepping For Overseas Travel

So for our upcoming international travels to China, Australia and New Zealand, there is paper work that goes along with it. 1st off, since Olivia got her 1st passport at 6 months old, it expired last week so we need a new one. A baby's passport will last 3 years but you can renew within the 1st 364 days of life for FREE. Canada allows this due to the rapid changes in appearance of the littlest babes. We never bothered renewing her passport and never had any troubles, since technically it didn't expire until now and there is nowhere written that this is mandatory. In her passport picture used 2 weeks ago for our cruise, she is bald and toothless! They judge by head shape & colouring I guess since that is all that has remained somewhat the same! If we had gone anywhere in the past year that was overseas, we would have updated just to avoid any risky hassles, but since we only traveled to the US or Caribbean, we didn't bother. We also brought her original long form birth certificate on all trips, just in case. This is a great document to have as a back-up, because if you lose a child's passport while on holidays, it is very hard to deal with this crisis without any identification at all. The long form birth certificate has all the parents information on it as well.

OH the joys of the passport! I hope to avoid the office line-up by doing all by mail/online. You can get passport photos practically anywhere these days. Then there is the the Visa's. Both Australia and New Zealand require Visa's to enter, even if we only intend on visiting a short time. Sam and I needed one last year for Africa as well. Each country is very different regarding Visas and requirements, so it's important to talk to a travel agent ahead of time to be sure you have everything you need.


Once the paperwork is sorted, then there is the different vaccines and other medications that may be needed in different countries. This can be extensive and tricky, so we pay the extra $50 to see the travel doctor here at home, who can tell you everything you need to know regarding medications/vaccines for your exact destination, if there are any recent outbreaks of viruses or communicable diseases etc. in that area. He can also prescribe and administer any medications & needles during our visit, as there is a pharmacy attached to his office. We then submit those costs to our benefits carrier for a refund. A family doctor just doesn't have the knowledge that a travel doctor has regarding worldly diseases and outbreaks, since that is ALL a travel doc does! Thus, we fell that paying that little extra bit is worth it.


Make sure you give yourself plenty of time ahead of your travels as some vaccines require 2 needles months apart ie. Hep A/B (Twinrix). Since we are known travelers, Olivia got her Hep A/B already, and many doctors recommend all children to have it, even if not planning travels just to keep them safe here in Canada. I will have to wait and see what other medications might be needed for Olivia, as I am hesitant to give her strange and unusual medications (obviously) but also want to be sure to keep her safe and healthy. Lots of research may be needed! Here is the gov't. of Canada site for travel vaccines: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/travelvaccines-eng.php

So along with renewing Olivia's passport, contacting our travel agent for help with flights & planning, and booking our travel doctor appointment, we have our list of things to do! Hopefully everything goes nice and smoothly, but we have 6-8 weeks until we leave so we should be fine :) That is a big SHOULD, but ya never know what could go wrong at the last moment, so we

ALWAYS BUY TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE!

Happy travels everyone!

We're off to OZ this spring!

Could it be? Yes it could! Something's coming, something good! So there is a very good chance that we are going to be taking a trip of a life time this March! It's something I've been working on for years, and I still can't believe we're actually going! 1st, I'll tell you how it all began.

Sam has a work partner in Australia and he was chatting with Sam the other night as per usual. I got on the phone with the GGG (his nickname) and said jokingly, "Okay Gregg, we'll be see ya in a couple months down under!" He replied, "well actually, I have this important meeting in Hong Kong on March 16th I would love Sam to be at. Then you guys could fly back to Melbourne with me and spend a few nights at our humble home, then fly on to Sydney from there". I was speechless, he wasn't kidding! I said, "oh my goodness, PLEASE tell Sam all of this, he will never go for it if it's me asking, but YOU on the other hand..."

SAMMY AGREED!

SO, here is our potential plan! Mind you, I haven't checked on flight pricing which is really going to play a big role in our decisions as it's quite pricy to fly that distance. It's very preliminary right now, but a good start!

March 14th - Fly from Toronto to Hong Kong, China
March 15th - Arrive in Hong Kong. Spend 3-4 nights.
March 19th - Fly from Hong Kong to Melbourne, Australia. Spend nights in Melbourne.
March 21st - Fly or train from Melbourne to Sydney for 10 nights.
March 26th - Fly from Sydney to New Zealand for 5 nights.
April 2nd/3rd - Arrive Home!

I am SO beyond excited, ecstatic is more likely the correct word. Now to get cracking on the planning! We would love to do a 3 day outback jeep adventure from Sydney, but other than that, no big ideas yet what else to see and do - although I'm sure there is plenty! Olivia needs a new passport and we all require visas for this trip. Lots of paperwork, booking, reserving etc. but so much fun! If anyone reading this blog who has visited any of the above countries, please do post a comment with any suggestions or ideas for us! That would be greatly appreciated :) I was hoping to get 1 last incredible trip in before Olivia grows out of her stroller! Keep you posted on all the fun planning!

Dreams really can come true!

Friends along the way...

With each trip we take, we come home with wonderful memories and new friends! When you have a spirited little girl like our Olivia, it takes her all of 2 minutes to meet and make new friends. Along with each new friend she finds, often comes a Mommy & a Daddy that we soon call friends too! Sometimes these friends are just "holiday friends" but many stay in touch with us over the years and miles.


In 2010 at Beaches in Negril Jamaica, we met 2 wonderful families with of course: small children. The kids hunted each other down daily and enjoyed many fun times playing together on the beach or at the kids club. In the evening, they would boogie all night while the grown-ups sipped tasty drinks. The Moms of both these families are on my Facebook and we keep in touch and hope to meet again on holidays with our children. Sadly, these friends are very far away (down in the states) but we imagine that some day we will meet again! Thanks travel friends for making our trip extra fun!

We recently met a very special family again, this time on our Disney Cruise! Sam had returned to our room after fetching some grub at the snack bar and said, "I just met this really fantastic family! Guess what! They are here on their "Make a Wish" trip as their little girl is in remission from cancer". Of course, having been a child that had cancer and the wish trip to Disney, I was so excited to meet them. The girls were ages 5 and 7, and fast FAST friends with Olivia on the high seas. We spent every day for the rest of our holiday with our new wonderful friends, and are making plans to have them up for a visit in 1 month! When looking back at all the the highlights of our trip, their faces come shining through with each wonderful memory.
We look forward to all the future travels and future "new friends" we will meet along the way. From our special friends in the UK, to our many American friends, the Swedish little boy playing with Olivia during our flight to Paris and the sweet Chinese baby girl in the airport Olivia called her, "baby sister" after teaching her a thing or two...there are special people we will always remember all over the world that make our travels even more memorable. Some friends are in our lives for only a moment, others, for a lifetime. The world really is filled with beautiful people.

For the love of our stroller...

Who knew one could love an umbrella stroller so much?? We have this Rock Star Baby stroller that is now 2 years old, covered in airline tags & stickers, has a wonky wheel and is filthy, but we couldn't travel without it! This stroller has seen the heart of the jungle, the Eiffel tour and many stops in between. Because it's an umbrella stroller, we can check it plane side, and is less than 7 lbs to haul here, there and literally everywhere! Why do we love this stroller you ask? Well, at the time is was purchased it was the only umbrella stroller on the market that could lie absolutely flat, so it is perfect for sleeping. The back lies all the way down and there is a little leg lift thingy so more of her body fits in the stroller. The awning closes over her and has a back flat so she's well hidden under there ;) Did I mention it doesn't tip and fall down when she stands up if there are bags hanging on the handle bars? Somehow our magic stroller is tip-resistant, so it can handle and hold quite a bit of weight on the handles without tipping! Perfect for those carry-on bags!

Now she is 3 1/2 and we are STILL using this stroller for all our trips and travels. Recently on our Disney Cruise she slept several evenings/nights in her stroller until the grown-ups were ready for bed. We walk the halls with her until she falls asleep, then lie her flat, throw on a blanket and she doesn't move an inch. On New Years Eve, Olivia tried hard to stay awake but just couldn't, so we checked her into kids club on the ship sleeping in her stroller so we could go ring in 2011! It worked out perfectly for everyone.
In all fairness, she is one of a very few children that can sleep so solidly, and never wake up. I guess it makes sense when you have a SPIRITED child all day who does not have a stop or slow down button. In her stroller, she doesn't even wake when we move her in and out for bed, etc. Since she has been traveling all her life, she learned to adapt to sleeping in the stroller surrounded by lots of noise and chaos, and remains asleep, dreaming beautiful little kid dreams. Those of you with new babes and wanting to travel, start them at a very young age - sleeping in the stroller!

We now have 1 GIANT worry...what do we do when she no longer fits???? She is very tall for her age and now her legs dangle out over the edge when she's in there. We use it often even at home, when Sam & I want to go for a nice dinner together. We drive until she falls asleep, then pop her in and off to the restaurant we go! People come up to us often and say, "awwweee, a sweet little baby, how old is she?" We giggle and reply, "she's 3 1/2 years old and not even close to a baby anymore!"

I have no idea how one would take on international airports without a stroller!! All those line-ups, and distant walks - my eyes tear up with the mere thought of her on FOOT! How would we be able to go out at night when traveling? Does anyone out there have a solution to this huge dilemma just waiting around the corner for us? Travel life as we know it will be over, AHHHhh!!! I'm thinking in 1 year she won't FIT!
Perhaps we will have to take advantage of her still fitting in there and do some FABULOUS trip this spring! Here's hoping!! Oh, and WHO KNEW Bon Jovi could design strollers? Way to go Johnny boy, we love our Rock Star Baby!

Taking on the Big Apple with our Little Princess

So we don't have any particular dates set to hit up the Big Apple with Olivia anytime soon, but it always seems to be one of those trips that happens last minute, since it is business for Sam 90% of the time, and we girls tag along for the fun! Usually it's spring and/or fall. Olivia has been to New York City 3 times since she was born, and loves it so much there. Sam and I are both very familiar with Manhattan, which helps when taking our little girl along. As long as you have a trusty map in your bag, it's easy to get around the city as it's a straight grid. Here's some tidbits and info. about how we take on NYC with a 3 year old - in style ;) I hope you enjoy some of our "Before & After Pics" - pictures of Olivia on her 1st trip in 2008 and her most recent trip in fall 2010.

Luggage - CARRY ON!
Since NYC is always a 3 night excursion at the most, we CARRY ON! Yes, this is all very tricky for me since I always take along 10 pairs of shoes on every trip, but with NYC we seem to pull it off! I was in shock a few months ago when we arrived in T.O. airport at 8 am, and were on the streets of New York enjoying the sun by 12 noon! Carrying on allows us to check in at the machine kiosk (or even better - online and print tickets at home) then walk right off the plane in JFK airport since we do customs on the Canadian side before leaving! How and what do we pack you ask? We each take a full regulation size carry-on, plus another large hand-bag each - one being a back pack so we can handle all bags at once. The stroller often ends up looking like a luggage cart.

Clothing for day 1 is almost the same as what we wear home - jeans, shirt, sweater/coat and VERY practical shoes/boots. Then we pack a full 2nd & 3rd outfits that can be changed up from day to night, i.e. nice top that can switch from jeans to skirt with shoes/boots & accessories to change the look. If we run into a dressing dilemma (which does happen) we SHOP! If there is no room to take new things home, we donate old things!

Transportation - the trickiest part!

The question most Moms ask me is: how do you travel without a car seat? Well, I will create a page called "Automobiles" which will be all about getting around in cars, but for NYC it is definitely SAFETY 1st (if you've been to New York, you will understand that every driver on the road is completely insane, especially those yellow cabbies) so we always strap her into a car seat (not her own) in NYC. How? We have a list of airport limo companies that we worked from that provide car service from JFK airport to our hotel WITH an installed car seat included in the fare. Yes this is expensive (approx. $115.00 minimum each way) and a 30 minute ride without traffic, but it is the 1 most important thing for us in New York to splurge on to, keep her safe.The same car will drive us back to the airport after the trip is complete. Since the flights are so cheap, the money we save there goes towards transportation. Another way to get back and forth would be a bus transfer that arrives in Grand Central Station, but then we'd have to find ways to get from Grand Central to the hotel, & subways are our least favourite method when carrying all the bags.

Once in the city, we ensure our hotel is within walking distance to almost anything we want or need. We stay on 60th street, right on the park. More about that under accommodations. If we want to scoot down to Time Square, we walk or take a Rickshaw (those dudes on bikes pulling people) for fun. TO get through Central Park we take a horse & carriage ride. It's all part of the adventure! Taxi's are definitely not an option without a car seat, so we find other ways!

2008 - Olivia riding the carousel

2010 - Olivia riding the carousel all by herself!

Accommodations

As most of your know, NYC is crazy pricey, especially at the times when we travel it seems, but since flights can be purchased VERY cheap ($100 + taxes usually) we can spend more on the hotel too. Close to the Central Park (on 60th/Central Park Ave) is critical for our busy little monkey, so anywhere from 50th street and up would work (hotels get a little cheaper outside of the Broadway zone if you're up for the walk) as long as it's central and not on the east/west sides, up or down town. There are countless hotels that accommodate families and small children. We always stay at the same hotel - The Essex House. They know us well there and discount our stay because we are there so often. We have a view of the park from there and we are a 2 minute walk to amazing playgrounds and all kinds of cool stuff in Central Park, where we spend at least 50% of our time. There are plenty of hotels in walking distance with more reasonable pricing as well. Again, with little kids, for us - CENTRAL PARK area is the way to go! I will explain why :)

2008 - Olivia playing in Central Park

2008 - Olivia swinging in Central Park!

What to do with small children in the Big Apple
THE PARK - Obviously, Central Park is our #1 destination for many great reasons. There are huge and beautiful playgrounds in the park (close to Central Park Ave) that we play in for many hours. Just beyond the playground is the beloved carousel. We ride that thing many times while on our stay. Central Park also has the Central Park Zoo, skating and activities, venders and rentals, horse-drawn carriage rides, all kinds of entertaining people and the beautiful walks.

2008 - Olivia meets the NYPD in Time Square

SHOPPING - Since Daddy is often gone to work and I'm alone in the big apple with Liv (which I don't mind at all since I know the town) I have shopping down to a science, I "bribe" her! I tell her if she stays in her stroller - which is a MUST on the bustling streets of NYC or she would be lost in a "New York Minute" - while Mommy checks out this shop and (usually on 5th Ave that we walk to from hotel) that we will then go to the American Girl store! She has 1 doll from a previous trip, and that store in itself is something to see! I won't ruin the surprise, but it's unlike any other store in NYC for little kids, even boys. We end up spending at least 1 hour in there and it's little girl heaven (and big girls too). OH and there's still F.A.O. Schwartz, it's not what it used to be before bankruptcy but still fun! If it's raining we head to Macy's or the mall in Columbus circle.2008 - Olivia enjoying the bright lights of Time Square

2010 - Olivia & I in Time Square

THE SIGHTS - Time Square of course is always fun to see, so we meander down that way passing Rockefeller, NBC and Radio City Music Hall after our walk down 5th. The lights are incredible there, a must see on every trip. While there we pass hours in the Disney and Toys R Us stores in Time Square, they has a HUGE Ferris Wheel that we ride at least twice. Lots of toys on demo to play with too!
2010 - Olivia & Daddy on the Ferris Wheel at TRU

THE ARTS - There are plenty of live shows for little ones, especially good ones at Radio City Music Hall. Other small "off broadway" kid shows are appropriate for 5 and under, but I don't recommend spending hundreds of dollars on the Lion King unless the child is over 5, will stay awake and sitting for hours and not be frightened! There is also the Children' Museum of Manhattan that we can't wait to check out on our next trip, it looks amazing and I hear it's fabulous for ALL children. here's the link: http://www.cmom.org/

THE FOOD - We love to dine with Olivia at our very favourite place on Broadway called, "Ellen's Stardust Diner" at Broadway and 50th. There are singing waiters/waitresses (that have incredible voices) all 50's style diner booths with incredible grub and we have yet to wait for a table. Last time there a waitress invited Olivia to sing Hannah Montana's "Best of Both Worlds" on the mike with her, she was in heaven! There are plenty of little grocers on side streets, where we love to load up salads, hot dishes, and other yummies to picnic in the park. At night, we often wait until Olivia falls asleep, then put her in her stroller all covered up, and go out for a nice, romantic, quiet dinner at 1 of our various favourite restaurants. She has yet to wake up in any country while in her stroller at night. She's miracle sleeper that kid!

So there you have it, a wee run down of all our NYC favourites with the little princess! As soon as she hears we are going to New York City, she runs for her carry-on bag & gets so excited as she love the Big Apple just as much as I do!

2008 - There is nothing like enjoying a nice warm bottle while taking a horse and carriage ride through Central Park listening to the sound of the rain gently falling.