Guide to an Unforgettable Anniversary in Italy

How to Decide Where to Travel in Italy for Your Romantic Anniversary Vacation

Is your anniversary coming up? Are you dreaming of a trip to Italy? Follow this guide for a foolproof itinerary to get the bang for your buck! We knew we wanted to do a European trip to commemorate our 10th anniversary. It took us a while to narrow down the locations we wanted to visit, but we ended up choosing Florence, Lucca, and Cinque Terre. We were hoping for the perfect mix of city, idyllic village, and seaside beauty.

As we were getting ready for this trip, we were prepping our house to sell… so the rest and relaxation was exactly what we needed. The days leading up to the trip were pure chaos of packing our suitcases and the house! We were so lucky to be able to leave the kids safe at home with family and other trusted babysitters. Once the plane landed, we were able to push pause on all of our daily family responsibilities and bask in the happiness of 10 years together.

Where You Should Begin Your Trip in Italy

Florence was the perfect launch pad for our Italian adventure! We landed in the city after a rainstorm (with a cab driver that kept yelling “Mama Mia!” at other drivers and made us feel like we were in a movie) Once we got dropped off at our AirBnB the rain had cleared and we were greeted with empty streets and stunning views! Our trip took place in early May, and we found it to be the perfect window of time for the weather and less crowded streets. Florence is packed with all of the art, history, and food you could ever dream of! Our AirBnB was as close to the Ponte Vecchio bridge as you can get, and I cannot recommend it enough. The location was so convenient for all of our activities.

Florence is the Most Walkable City!

When you book your stay in Florence, choose something close to the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. We found AirBnB’s to be much more affordable than hotels. Once you are near the Ponte Vecchio you can walk to everything, which makes your days even more romantic and spontaneous. Your day could be filled with seeing the David, hitting up a Michelin-starred restaurant for dinner, and then taking an evening walk along the Arno River. And gelato, always gelato! My favorite flavor was cinnamon!

Staying in a Storybook Village

We knew we wanted to stop by ALL the sights in Florence: Boboli Gardens, Accademia, the Duomo, Uffizi, and Ponte Vecchio. We loved it all, and everything is a must-see in our book. A couple of tips: download the Rick Steves audio tour for the Uffizi. It’s a quick 60-minute highlight reel, and it was perfect (and free!). For the Accademia with the David, we chose to hire a guide. I love Michelangelo’s work and was interested in hearing more about the nitty-gritty details of the journey to create the David sculpture and his other, less well-known works of art. The Boboli Gardens were a perfect afternoon spot after museums in the morning. You can take in the skyline of Florence with all of the red roofs and relax at various spots throughout the gardens.

After the hustle and bustle of Florence, we were ready for something a little slower-paced and heard that Lucca was the perfect stopping point on our way to Cinque Terre. We found an adorable Airbnb to stay in near the city center that was very charming. The entire town of Lucca is surrounded by a city wall (that you can bike around!). The city has historic cathedrals, delicious pizza cafes, and fun little souvenir shops to explore. We thought one night was the perfect amount of time for Lucca.

The Magic of Cinque Terre

I had heard that Cinque Terre was beautiful and was a fun place to visit. That being said, I tried to temper my expectations, and they were happily blown away. Cinque Terre is the absolute perfect spot to celebrate with your spouse. The views are insanely gorgeous, the food is incredible (foccacia sandwiches for 2 euros!?), and our hotel was the best find! I came across Porto Rocco in Monterosso, Italy on Google and we decided to go for it. Not only were the views beautiful, but the service was amazing. Monterosso is one of the larger cities in the Cinque Terre. The town is fun to explore at night and very easy to get around.

Don’t Get Too Strict on Schedules

The beauty of Italy is relaxing and taking things one day at a time. Give yourself some wiggle room in your schedule to have spontaneous adventures. They always lead to something amazing! You cannot go wrong in Italy. We truly had the best time and were charmed by everything we were able to experience together. For travel, I suggest flying into Florence so you can hit the ground running. At the end of the trip, we took a train from Cinque Terre to Pisa and caught a flight home from there. Pisa was a perfect stop for a couple of hours to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and have a delicious meal.

You really can’t go wrong when you are travelling to Italy. My wish for you is that you can find all the best pasta dishes, have incredible museum visits, and enjoy the amazing views!

How to plan a safari trip to Africa

Once-in-a-lifetime

For most of us, Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The flights are long, and the safaris are hard to get to, but the payoff is unmatched! While preparing for our trip I had a lot of questions on my mind. What should I pack? What should I expect once I get there? And what is Africa really like? In this post I hope to answer all of those questions and more!

Choosing Your Destination City

We flew into Johannesburg, we knew we were picking up my husband’s mom who had been serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We were incredibly lucky to be joining someone who had been living in Africa for a year and knew her way around and the nuisances of the city – and how to drive on the opposite side of the road! She put together our itinerary and it was nonstop safaris and adventure. I wish you all could have my mother-in-law in your life, she is the absolute best! When you plan your destination city it will determine the rest of your visit. For example, Johannesburg is a 15-hour drive from Cape Town. Africa is huge and you need to factor in the travel times to the places that you will be going. We ended up spending our time in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Pilanesburg, and Kruger National Park.

What To Pack

Remember, you are traveling to the Southern hemisphere. So while it is summertime in the United States, it is the middle of winter in Africa. This turned out to be perfect timing for us because it meant no bugs and highs around 65 degrees fahrenheit! Another bonus is the animals are active throughout the day because they don’t get too hot from the heat. Knowing that it was their winter helped us prepare by packing a ton of layers. Here is what I would put on your packing list for Africa:

Nice Binoculars (we borrowed ours): These are crucial on safari and make it so fun to spot animals from a distance. Even when animals are nearby it is amazing to see their detail up close through the binoculars. Pro tip: You can take pictures and video through binoculars – I dare you to try it! We have some amazing animal photographs because of it.
Layers: I wore a hat every single day we were there as well as two jackets, a scarf, and long sleeve shirts.
Wool Socks: Just trust me on this, your feet will be so much happier when they are nice and warm. I was so glad that I brought mine.

Where to Stay

My mother-in-law is an incredible traveler and trip planner and I am so grateful for the time she put into every detail of the trip. If you are headed to Africa I would 100% recommend going to Pilanesberg National Park. That is where we started our trip and it is what dreams are made of. We stayed at the Ivory Tree Lodge which is an upscale paradise with some of the most delicious food I have ever had. One of my favorite things they do there is an afternoon tea filled with delicious snacks and the creamiest hot cocoa. My husband and I stayed in our own thatched roof hut complete with luxe robes, a gigantic marble bathtub and gorgeous outdoor shower – we felt like we were on our honeymoon! Think of the huts similar to the ones over the water in Bora Bora but instead in the middle of a national park with elephants, giraffes, and lions mere feet from your door! When you stay at Ivory Tree Lodge the game drives are a complimentary part of your stay and it truly feels like you are driving into Jurassic Park when you descend down the winding driveway and through the electric gate each morning. We saw the “The Big 5” within the first two hours of arriving at the park! The Big 5 is the goal when you are on game drives and is comprised of: elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and cape buffalo. We saw lions mating (in middle of the road), a mama and baby rhino at a watering hole, a pack of lion sub-adults (what they call teenagers), and so many more incredibly beautiful wild moments. Our guide told us that we were extremely lucky and that some people don’t see all of the big 5 during their entire visits to Africa. Pilanesberg is super beautiful, when you think of African grasslands this is it. It is also easy to access from Johannesburg. I highly recommend it!

Our safari through Kruger National Park

We ended our trip with Kruger National Park, which was a 6 hour drive from Pilanesberg. This is the national park that I had heard of before visiting. It is massive and touches borders multiple countries in Africa. We only had one day in Kruger so we chose to spend it with a guide. That is my other biggest piece of advice: pay for a guide! The OSV’s or (Offroad Safari Vehicles) set you up quite high off the ground so you have a much better view than if you were in your own car. The guides know where the animals are, it is their passion, they will take you to the watering holes and other spots to get the best animal sightings. I talked to a few people who drove their own cars and they did not see half as many animals. Go with a guide, they are so knowledgable and it is so interesting to hear them tell you about the vegetation and how the animals all interact with each other.

Goodbye Africa

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to visit Africa. A truly magical place that is unlike anything I have ever experienced. If you are wanting to save up for a big trip, start planning your African safari! It was incredible and I am not sure how any other trip in the future will compare.

Top 7 Things to See in Athens

You’ve landed in Greece, now what?

First things first, Athens is a huge, dynamic city with so much to offer! We are going to highlight our favorite SEVEN things to do if you have 2-3 days in Athens. Obviously, there is so much to see, do and eat! This is just an introduction to the beautiful city of Athens.

The Acropolis

It’s ancient history in real life! Do not miss spending at least half a day wandering around the Acropolis. Hot tip- they love if you can pay in cash and those lines are much shorter to get in.

We just walked around ourselves and read the plaques, which was fascinating, but I also think it probably would have been even better to hire a tour guide. The area is absolutely massive and can easily take several hours. Not much of it is shaded and Athens summer days are hot! Bring your own water – there is one small drinking fountain in the place.

Mount Lycabettus

The place to catch the most beautiful views of Athens and also the perfect place to watch the sunset. There is a trolley you can take to the top, or you can hike up. It is a very simple, easy hike and only takes about 15 minutes. I would suggest walking so that you can enjoy the outdoor space.

Don’t be surprised if you are not the only person up there for the sunset – it’s a very popular place at that time of day. There are also restaurants on the very top where you can eat while enjoying spectacular views.

Plaka

This is the ancient market and it’s a lot of fun to walk around. It’s located at the base of the hill of the Acropolis, so you can easily do both activities in one day. Just like most big cities, make sure your belongings are in a secure place and that you know where they are at all times.

There are lots of options for food in this area – we ate authentic Greek food, as well as very touristy treats and ice cream. It has a nice mix of everything.

Temple of Zeus

This is beautiful! It truly feels like it is in the very center of Athens. Located close to all of the other tourist sites, it’s an easy (and obvious) stop along the way.

It’s amazing to see how well everything is preserved. It was built in the 5th Century BC! It’s hard to wrap your head around that. Seeing something that was created so long ago and is still so majestic and beautiful. Another fascinating aspect of this site is that excavation continues to this day on the Temple of Zeus. They are uncovering and discovering new things every day!

Psyri

This is a vibrant, fun area of Athens filled with bars, restaurants, shops and live music. Lots of fun to walk around and hang out. We only spent a couple of hours in the area, but we loved it.

Panathenaic Olympic Stadium

This is really a site to see since it is the exact place the ancient Olympic games took place in the 4th Century. It is built entirely of marble and is really impressive to see up close. It is the place where the first modern Olympic games were hosted in 1896. It was last used as an Olympics venue in 2004.

Such a rich history in one place. If you want to get crazy, they offer a workout class, combined with a tour of the facility. You can learn how ancient Olympians trained and try some of their workouts. Click here for more information.

Acropolis Museum

After walking through the Acropolis, you have a lot of questions! Many of them are answered at the Acropolis Museum. A lot of the pieces on the Acropolis are not complete – they contain parts that are kept and preserved in the Acropolis Museum. You could spend days in this museum. It opened in the summer of 2009. It is new and a lot of the residents of Athens recommended that we visit.

Greece Travel Nightmare

What really happened when we went to Greece

It’s time for us to share what really happened in GREECE.⁣

Brooke and I were invited on a Guided Tour of Greece by a girl named Josie who created a company called Book Your Bucket List. She reached out to us 6 months prior to the May 2019 trip. We used that time to create a detailed media and promotion plan leading up to the trip.

Greece group tour grows by four

After sharing our dream itinerary with friends and family, four girls decided to join the trip with us. Two close friends and two family members. They got on the phone with Josie, gave her their credit card information, and were told everything was good to go.

The red flags before the trip

As part of our promotional plan, we began promoting Book Your Bucket List at the beginning of May. This included dozens of endorsements from us, encouragement to check out their trips, and of course to BOOK your dream vacation with them.

One Week To Go

With just one week to go before the trip, we had NOTHING from Josie. No confirmation numbers, no flight information, and nothing telling us what to do when we landed in Athens. We decided to reach out and see if she would meet us in person so we could further promote the trip by her answering questions from our followers. She agreed, so we met up at the state capitol and chatted for about 5 minutes before she said she had to go. During that time we told her we were getting nervous that nothing had been sent to us. She immediately said that her team told her they had sent everything and that their email server had been having problems. She promised to get ALL of the trip information sent to us that night.

Hanging On

At this point, we hung onto that little lie as hard as we could and told ourselves everything was going to be fine. Brooke also had been in contact with a fellow blogger that had been taken on a guided tour of Australia with Josie. From the first moment Josie reached out, Brooke had been talking with her friend who had encouraged her to go on a trip with Josie. She told her that although Josie was last minute in sending trip information and confirmations, it would be amazing once we got to Athens…

Landing In Athens

When we landed in Athens after 16 hours of flying we were told that the Book Your Bucket List team would be waiting for us with our transportation to take us to the 5-star hotel listed on the itinerary. When we landed in Athens, the “team” was two girls that clearly had no idea what was going on.

Waiting for an Uber

The girls had us sit and wait for around an hour with no explanation of what was going on. We finally started inquiring about the so-called transportation and where it might be because according to the itinerary we were supposed to be standing in front of the Parthenon at that VERY MOMENT! As we sat at the airport waiting for a “van” that never showed up. The fake tour guide then told us she was calling an Uber. Well, all of us have used Uber before and know that it takes less than 5 minutes for your driver to arrive – we waited another excruciating hour on the airport curb – for the so-called Uber. At that point, we told her we were going to take taxis. At this point she told us we needed to drop our bags off at an Airbnb she claimed we were staying in. This was confusing because we had all been sent the name of a 5-star hotel in downtown Greece that we were supposed to be staying in. We decided to call the hotel to see if we had reservations and could drop our bags off, upon reaching the front desk they quickly told us they were completely booked for the night and there were absolutely NO RESERVATIONS for anyone with Book Your Bucket List.

Lost Somewhere In Athens

After 45 minutes in taxis, we were dropped off on the curb of the Airbnb. Except that it was not an Airbnb it was a sketchy neighborhood in the middle of Athens with residents in all the homes and no rental space in sight. At this point, the “tour guide” tried to leave us sitting on the curb with all of our luggage. We chased her taxi down and climbed back in telling her she could not lose us that fast and that she needed to fix the problem.

Tour Guide

As a tour guide, you would think that you would be on your very best behavior for clients and answer any questions that they might have. This was not the case. Our “tour guide” decided to mention that she wasn’t actually a Book Your Bucket List employee and that she had been to Athens once before about 7 years ago. When we asked her what was truly going on, she refused to answer and would not give us any information.

Furious

After we were taken to the wrong Airbnb location and presumed that there probably was not a rented Airbnb space waiting for us we decided to take the matter into our own hands. We searched for the closest recognizable hotel and happened upon a Hilton. We told our (exhausted) taxi drivers that would be our final destination and we would wait there until Josie landed and could make things right for our trip.

The Waiting Game

We sat in the Hilton hotel lobby in Athens for 8 hours waiting for Josie to arrive and explain herself. ⁣During this time the “tour guide” did not offer to get us a meal or help make any of the supposed itinerary for that day happen which was supposed to be the Parthenon and a cooking class for dinner. We were exhausted, hungry, and incredibly disappointed.

She arrived

⁣Josie arrived at the Hilton and did not offer apologies, just said there were some misunderstandings. We told her we had called the hotels on the itinerary SHE MADE and none of them had reservations for us or if they did they said the reservation could not be completed because her credit card had been declined. We asked for confirmation numbers for the rest of the trip and she gave us NOTHING. It was infuriating. Not once did she apologize or try to make it right. ⁣

Taking it into our own hands⁣

Realizing that our dream trip and itinerary were completely made up, we got together and decided we could either fly home broken hearted and distraught or try to make the most of our time left in Greece. We all agreed that we would sleep on it and make a decision in the morning. At breakfast the next day, we all came to an agreement that we wanted to book the rest of the trip ourselves. In one hour, the six of us planned everything. ⁣ ⁣
⁣

The rest of the trip

We have talked about the highlights of the trip in posts like where to eat while you are in Greece, 8 Things to See in Santorini, and What to Know if You Are An American Travelling to Greece. The rest of the trip was superb. Our Airbnb came complete with a pool and housekeeper that showed us the ropes for Santorini. The rest of the trip showed us why people talk about Greece the way they do. It was shockingly beautiful.

Coming home

Soon after returning home to Utah we started sharing our experience to warn other travelers or prospective clients and found out that Book Your Bucket List has done this same thing to dozens of other people. Countless people shared their experience of booking their dream vacation, only to show up at the airport and have no flights booked or a trip canceled.

Refunds and Closure

No one has received any kind of refund. ⁣The owner posted names of people from our group with fake refund pictures. She truly stops at nothing. And sadly, we have learned that our experience is just the tip of the iceberg for her criminal activity.

Justice

The case is now in the hands of law enforcement and the FBI. We hope to share more details when justice is served and she can no longer take advantage of travelers seeking a fun adventure.

Last Note

If you know someone else who has been scammed by Book Your Bucketlist, please have them reach out to us. ⁣We try to keep our blog a happy and positive place, but we do not want to see one more person get scammed!

7 Things Every American Should Know Before Going to Greece

Now, if you are headed to Greece, here are a few things you should know as an American:

Very few taxis take credit cards.

We always made sure to have cash on hand. They use Euros in Greece. It’s usually cheapest to exchange your money at a bank. As far as rideshare companies, like Uber, they are not super popular there. Instead, most people use an app called TaxiBeat that helps you hail a taxi.

You must ask taxi drivers for receipts or they may try to overcharge you (it happened to us).

Beware that there is also a flat fee charged from the airport – ask what it is. We were charged 60 euro when it should have been the flat fee of 38 euro.

Greek people are friendly and kind.

At one point, we got stuck on a cobblestone hill and a complete stranger came and offered to drive our car to the top. He saved us from trying to push the van up the hill ourselves. It was so kind.

Fewer people speak English than in other large European cities.

I wished I had learned more basic phrases for communicating. I always think it’s a little bit rude to assume everyone around the world speaks English. Even though I sounded terrible, I could tell it was appreciated when I tried.

There are dangerous neighborhoods, just like anywhere else, so ask your hotel which places are safest to walk if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing.

Our concierge told us exactly where to go and we had no problems. One night we were wandering around and not sure where to go next, so we asked a police officer, who was so helpful and nice. Of course, just like other major cities, there are lots of people trying to make a quick buck in Athens.

People were always surprised when we tipped 15-20%.

It wasn’t until we asked a Greek person who told us that it is customary to only tip 5-10% in Greece. They also just round up at some restaurants, so a tip is included in your bill. If you would like to tip your waiter, give the money directly to them. I went with a group of 6 and at every restaurant, we ordered 6 dishes, a couple appetizers, and dessert and split everything. We rarely paid more than 10-15 euros/person per meal. I found it to be very reasonably priced, even at nicer restaurants. Almost everywhere we went, they brought out something “on the house”, one night it was soup, another night it was dessert. I thought it was nice.

There is little to none when it comes to American fast food in Greece, which we found so refreshing!

The entire time we were in Athens and Santorini, we only saw one McDonald’s. Instead, you actually get to try all of the local flavors and Greek food is delicious. Talking to a few native Athens residents, they said most of them would rather eat a fresh gyro than a McDonald’s hamburger. I have to agree! The street food was absolutely delicious. We never had a bad meal.

The main thing you need to remember is to have fun! Enjoy the beautiful country of Greece and all it has to offer. It is truly unlike any other place in the world. The rich history is magnificent and the sights are breathtaking. I can’t wait until I get to visit again someday.

How to get into Salt Lake’s top attractions for half price!

The Leonardo is a state-of-the-art museum located in the heart of Salt Lake City. Directly across from the beautiful City and County building and next door to the grand city library, it’s in a perfect location. We explored it for a day with our families and want to share 3 things you may not know about The Leonardo.

The museum is named after Leonardo Da Vinci. Which is why they created The Leonardo Studio – it’s a permanent exhibit at the museum that frequently rotates different art activities. Painting, drawing, coloring, folding, cutting, molding, even filming — it’s all here. All visitors, no matter their age, are invited to let go of their inhibitions and participate in something more than “arts and crafts.” The studio is designed to find the inner artist in anyone.
The Leonardo has hosted a number of big name exhibits, including Body Worlds, Mummies and now the first in the United States to host Green Hero by Jackie Chan. The famed actor came to open the exhibit himself. It features art installations built from old movie sets. While working, Jackie Chan realized the enormous waste created on the sets of his films and in an effort to make a positive change, he began commissioning artists to repurpose the materials into a series of incredible and imaginative sculptures.

They have all sorts of neat hands-on experiences, including the Tech Take Apart Counter, where they show you what’s inside various tech creations from past times. They even dismantled an old piano to see exactly how it works. This is included in your admission to the museum.

You can easily spend an entire day inside The Leonardo – building, imagining and being inspired by your surroundings. Luckily, it’s included in the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass! If you don’t know about it yet, it gets you into 16 of the hottest attractions in Salt Lake County for under $100.

Here is a list of all included attractions:

The Leonardo

This is the Place

Utah Olympic Park

Museum of Natural Curiosity

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Hogle Zoo

Tracy Aviary

Thanksgiving Point

Snowbird

Red Butte Garden

Clark Planetarium

Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum

Natural History Museum

Go to connectpass.visitsaltlake.com to get yours!

Red Butte Garden is the perfect place to start the #LoveWhereYouLive April challenge

Announcing our April Challenge #LoveWhereYouLive

This month we are embracing the challenge #LoveWhereYouLive sponsored by Visit Salt Lake. As born and raised Utahns, we absolutely love where we live and want to tell everyone about it! Throughout the month, we will be highlighting some of our favorite places in Salt Lake County. One of the coolest things we just learned about is the Visit Salt Lake CONNECT PASS. It gets you into 16 of the hottest attractions – like Hogle Zoo, Thanksgiving Point, The Leonardo, and Red Butte Garden for under $100! It is by far the best deal we have been able to find. We are so excited to have a Spring filled with exploring some of our favorite spots. Our first stop is Red Butte Garden in the foothills of Salt Lake City.

If you haven’t been following along, let us catch you up to speed on the monthly challenges.

We decided we wanted a focus in 2019 and monthly challenges were the perfect way to execute it. So in January, we did the #GetReadyChallenge where we got ready every single day in January. We had seen research about it boosting productivity and were pleasantly surprised by our results on January 31st. You can read more about our experience here.

In February we did the #MakeYourBed challenge

There are entire books dedicated to this exact thing so we decided it was worth our time. We also freshened up our bedroom spaces throughout the month and made them extra cozy during the cold winter months. You can read more about that experience here.

In March we did the #MoveChallenge

It was simple, move each day in whatever way you choose. Thanks to the warming weather we moved with walks, swimming, and gym visits. We also answered the question, “Are Amazon Leggings That Great?” by comparing to of our favorite pairs that each run for about $25! Read more about our favorite fitness items here.

Now for April, we get to focus on the #LoveWhereYouLive challenge

As lifelong SLC’ers, we truly LOVE where we live. The close access to the mountains, the proximity to downtown, and the fun and unique neighborhoods to visit. This month we will share what makes Salt Lake special to us.

It just felt right to kick things off with Red Butte Garden. High above the city, it is a great spot for first-time visitors to Utah, as well as those that have lived here for years and never taken advantage of the beauty in their own backyard. Did you know Red Butte is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West, with over 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of hiking trails? Promise you won’t be bored when you visit! Over the next few weeks, there will be more than 1 million flowers blooming at Red Butte Garden thanks to years of planting, and hard work. It’s the perfect time to plan your visit!

Here are a few of our favorite spots in the gardens:

The Children’s Garden: It is incredibly whimsical with a miniature snake maze and a tiny house.
The Duck Pond: Stunning setting with a waterfall and ducks playing in the water. The girls loved it. Would make a beautiful spot for family photos!
Atrium: The atrium is home to hundreds of upscale events each year with a jaw-dropping view of the city and gorgeous natural light.
Fragrance Garden: Just as it sounds, this garden awakens the senses and teaches you a few things about your favorite flavors and smells.

Fun fact: You can also experience the gardens at the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series every summer. It is a world class outdoor music experience. Which means they do sell out fast, so get your tickets right when they are released! The full summer concert lineup announcement is coming on April 16. You can learn more here.

Red Butte Garden is just one of the 16 attractions you get access to with the Connect Pass. The Connect Pass is open to visitors to Utah as well as locals. Pass holders save 50-80% on regular admission!

Regular admission to all of the included attractions would add up to over $234, so the Connect Pass is an incredibly good deal at just $96. For a look at the full list of attractions, how to purchase and some FAQ’s go here.

Some other spots we are excited to visit this month that are included with the pass: The Leonardo, Tracy Aviary, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum and the Utah Museum of Fine Art. The pass is perfect for summertime exploring!

So, how do you get the Connect Pass? Go to the Visit Salt Lake website HERE.

We are so excited about this challenge. No matter where you are in the world we would love you to take part and show us how YOU #LoveWhereYouLive!

Kid Friendly Beaches in Hawaii

Hawaii is a dream location to vacation, until it’s 3pm and there’s no shade or restroom on the beach and you realize your kid is getting sunburned. After traveling there with a baby and now toddler, we’ve found a couple beaches that are great for all day adventures. So, here’s a list of family friendly beaches I’ve visited and loved with a little one.

BIG ISLAND

Hapuna Beach:

This is one of the largest beaches, which is great because there is usually plenty of space to play. It’s located near Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s easy to get there and if you don’t want to pay $10 for parking, enter through the Hapuna Beach Hotel and ask for one of their beach permits. They almost always have some available. Why I love it:

clean
loud (lots of families, so you don’t feel bad that your toddler is screaming and having a good time)
plenty of space
easy access, very short walk involved
close amenities – you can buy smoothies at the hotel pool bar and there are plenty of public restrooms and showers.
shade available

Mauna Kea Beach:

This is probably my personal favorite beach for a family day. Why I love it:

gorgeous views
clean
access to shaded and grassy areas
food and snacks available
bathrooms and showers are plentiful
beautiful areas to pop your babe in the stroller and go for a walk (we did this a few days and let our toddler nap in her stroller in the shade)

A Bay:

This is perfect if you want a waveless bay. Why I love it:

Very calm waters
Lots of activities available (water bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, whale watch tours, catamaran trips, etc.)
almost always turtles on the beach
great snorkeling
lots of restrooms, food and snack options available.

OAHU

Aulani Resort

Built for families, this man-made bay is practically perfect. Why I love it:

No waves, very calm waters
Lots of activities on the beach – you can even take a sandcastle making class
Nice food and restroom options
Great walking path along the beach
There’s dole whip at a tiki stand on the beach! What more could I ask for?

Lanikai Beach

Voted one of the best beaches in the world for obvious reasons. Why I love it:

calm waters
clean
seriously beautiful
Note: it can be tricky to find. You will know you are close when you see Lanikai on pillars. There are several pedestrian walkways down to the beach through residential neighborhoods.

MAUI

Ka’anapali Beach

Beautiful, huge beach in the heart of Maui. Why I love it:

Most of the big resorts are along this beach
Easy naptime accessibility
Shade available
Plenty of room
So many fun restaurants and shopping spots are also on this beach, so it’s a great central location.

If you have any questions about beaches, let me know and comment below. Don’t mind me going to daydream about Hawaii now.

Two Utah Road Trips You Should Try This Summer

Brooke and I grew up in Utah, but have realized the last couple of years that we have not seen a lot of really neat places in this beautiful state. It’s been a goal of ours to go on more road trips and explore more of the diverse beauty Utah has to offer.

So, first off, have you been to Zion National Park? Just an hour outside of St. George, it is the perfect stop on the way to southern Utah. Sam and I took Hazel on her very first hike in Zion. We did the overlook hike – it was perfect, about one hour round trip and very easy. It was amazing what we were able to see in such a short hike! Gorgeous views, rock formations, and even mountain goats. I would highly recommend it. As a couple, we agreed we need to make trips to more of Utah’s national parks because they are so accessible to us. It was $15 for the entry fee to the park – it is different if you take the shuttle.

Next time we are there, we are going to try two of the most popular hikes:

The Narrows & Angels Landing

What to know about Zion:

Very popular, get there early if you want to go on a hike and not have it be too crowded
There are hotels right outside the park so you can stay there or drive to nearby St. George
The weather varies throughout the year but is quite hot in the summer. We loved visiting in Spring because it was not too hot yet!

Brooke and Parker took Lila on her first camping trip over Memorial Day weekend. They went to stay at a family ranch in Bicknell, Utah. Where the heck is that? It’s in central Utah right outside Capitol Reef National Park. It’s a tiny little town with a population of just over 300, but they do have a movie theater! A couple of things they loved doing: visiting horses, riding dirtbikes and enjoying gorgeous red rock views in every direction.

What to know about Bicknell:

It’s a relatively short 3 hour drive from Salt Lake City
It’s a perfect place to camp if you plan on visiting Capitol Reef National Park
It does get chilly at night – around 40 degrees – so make sure to bring your layers!

You can get more information on Utah’s national parks here.

How to redeem your weekend when you miss your flight to Cancun

On Wednesday morning at 2:00 am Parker rolled over in bed and said, “this isn’t good” the details after that moment don’t need to be shared but I soon realized that we would not be boarding our flight to Cancun at 9:00 am that morning. Not that it was the end of the world, but we had been looking forward to the trip for the past three months…

After getting Parker some medicine for his sudden case of the stomach flu, I started the cancellation process. Talk about depressing! However, after it was all said and done I decided I couldn’t let our entire week go to waste. Grand America to the rescue! I have always loved The Grand but it is especially convenient when you need a last minute escape. We have stayed at the hotel before but this time was special because we got to bring our little lady. Here are some insider tips we found out during our stay:

Upon check-in, they gave us a special token for Lila to use at the Jou Jou toy store. When you enter the store and redeem your token your child gets to pick out a new toy! Lila got a little, stuffed fox and absolutely loves it, it’s pretty cute.
Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies in the check-in area. Maybe my very favorite thing about The Grand. The cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfection.
Tell them your story. If you are staying for an anniversary or special occasion or like us – need a last minute escape, they will make it special. When we entered our room they had set out a dessert platter with an eclair, creme brulee, chocolate cake, and cheesecake because they wanted us to feel special even though we didn’t make it to Mexico.
They have a program called Family First where they totally take care of you if you bring your littles along. They supplied us with a crib, rocking chair, and diaper genie in our room upon arrival. Talk about amazing!
The pool and spa area are incredible. It was fun to take Lila for her first ever swim in a pool. However, if you are there for a romantic escape make sure to go to the pool between 9-10 pm when it is adults only.
My very favorite treat at the grand is the Salted Carmel Bread Pudding. Even if you are not staying at the hotel you need to pick some up at La Bonne Vie. I took some to go and one order is plenty to share between two people. Bonus = it is only $4.50!

Now it is time to start planning a trip we can take in the next two months. All suggestions welcome and appreciated! We loved our stay at the Grand and I am so glad we were able to spend time together as a family!