High Line NYC
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Urban Walks: NYC’s High Line to Chelsea Market

A few months ago, my husband and I spent a wonderful weekend without the kids in New York City. Although it had just snowed there and the weather was colder than at home in Minneapolis, we had a fantastic time exploring the amazing different neighborhoods, restaurants and culture of the Big Apple.

One place I’d heard about that I desperately wanted to see was the High Line. I’d read about it in a travel magazine on an airplane months ago and thought it sounded like a really interesting concept. The High Line is a 1.45 mile-long elevated park built on an old railroad line called the West Side Line. Jetting high above the city, beginning in Hell’s Kitchen and traversing through Chelsea Market and other neighborhoods, this tree-lined urban walkway is rather amazing.

Street Art NYC

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Torrey Pines Reserve San Diego CA
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An afternoon at Torrey Pines

One of the highlights of our family trip to San Diego was our visit to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Located along the rocky coast of the Pacific Ocean between La Jolla and Del Mar lies a treasure: The 2,000- acre Torrey Pines Reserve, one of the wildest stretches of land along the Southern California coast. Named after the nation’s rare pine tree, the Pinus torreyana, this beautiful wilderness area offers several hikes affording spectacular panoramic views of the aquamarine ocean and craggy cliffs leading down to a vast, unspoiled beach. It is also home to several kinds of birds and waterfowl as well as magnificent, colorful wildflowers in the spring.

We headed to the park just as the midday sun was lowering, opting to drive our car up Torrey Pines Park Road to the Visitor Center on top and park there. You can also park your car at the bottom of the reserve near the South Beach entrance and walk up the road to the top of the bluffs- a distance of a little over a mile – but with children it was easier to park on top.

Torrey Pines Reserve San Diego CA

Driving up the paved road to the top of the Coastal Bluffs at Torrey Pines Reserve.

There is a nice visitor center with trail maps near the parking area on top, and on the weekends and holidays the reserve offers guided nature walks as well. Torrey Pines has over 8 miles of trails with many options depending on how far you want to go. You can hike the short half mile Razor Point trail to a gorgeous overlook of a gorge, badlands and wildflowers, or do what we did, simply find your way down to the beach.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve San Diego CA

View from atop the high, coastal bluffs.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve San Diego CA

The Torrey Pine is one of the rarest native pines in the United States.

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Torrey Pines State Reserve CA
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Top Five Things to Do in San Diego with Kids

This year for our kid’s spring break, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of spending our entire vacation in Tucson with my parents, we split our vacation in half and spent four days in San Diego and the remainder of the week in Tucson. We had never been to San Diego before and had heard it was a great place to visit with kids. We booked our ticket to fly from Minneapolis to San Diego and return from Tucson, Arizona. Given the high price of airline tickets, it really wasn’t that much different and would save us driving time.

I had high expectations for San Diego and I wasn’t the least bit disappointed. It is a fabulous city with tons to do, beautiful weather, excellent outdoor dining and enough sunshine and ocean air to make anyone smile, even a grumpy kid. What I loved so much about San Diego is its ease for pleasing everyone and its endless amount of things to do outside. By carefully planning a trip that involved a little bit for everyone, we all had a fabulous, memorable time.

When traveling with kids, it is easy to fall into the trap of doing everything that is kid-focussed and kid-friendly. But after you read this post, you will see that you can easily find enough fun for all ages making San Diego the perfect place for a family vacation.

Here is my top five list of what to do in San Diego with Kids:

An evening in La Jolla

La Jolla is magical, simply serene in its beauty and tranquility. And, what can be better than seeing all the mama and baby seals in the wild? The kids loved this place as did I. We meandered along the boardwalk taking in the gorgeous views, watched the seals and their pups and then finished with a spectacular Italian meal on an outside patio near the beach. In my book, it was the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon.

Then of course there were seals.

A day exploring the San Diego Zoo

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La Jolla Caves, San Diego California
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An afternoon in La Jolla

Nestled along the coastline north of San Diego lies the beautiful, hilly seaside town of La Jolla. Known as the one of the most affluent addresses in all of San Diego, La Jolla is the perfect place to dine, shop, and visit some of California’s most beautiful beaches.

I had heard all the rave reviews of La Jolla and was curious to see if it would meet my expectations. After landing in San Diego on a Friday afternoon in late March, we headed to our hotel in nearby Del Mar to check in and then drove straight to La Jolla. As soon as we arrived and we saw the spectacular, rugged 7-mile coastline I knew La Jolla would be wonderful. La Jolla is a place that anyone instantly falls in love with.

La Jolla Caves, San Diego California

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Macy's Flower Show Minneapolis MN 2015
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Macy’s Flower Show: An Explosion of “Art in Bloom”

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature”. – Gerard De Nerval

Every year, Macy’s Department Store rewards the public by putting on an incredible flower show at its five flagship stores in the United States. It is the highlight of my month because Macy’s Annual Flower Show falls at the end of March, right before spring break when everyone in Minneapolis is just plain sick and tired of our long, barren, colorless winter.

What makes this event even more wonderful is that it is free and the theme changes every year. This year, the theme is “Art in Bloom” and with the help of local florist Bachman’s, the show features thousands of eye-popping, gorgeous flowers juxtaposed with various movements of the arts resulting in a “horticultural art gallery” of color and fragrance.

Despite my head cold, I could smell the flowers as I rode the escalator up to the eighth floor of Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis. I could take the elevator but I find riding the escalator up way more fun as each floor the smell of flowers escalates. I brought only my iPhone 6 along as I wanted to see how much the technology has changed from my old iPhone 4 camera to the 6. It was remarkable and I still cannot believe that these photos are real.

Take a peak for yourself and walk with me through Macy’s “Art in Bloom” where we will pass through Classical Art, Impressionism, Modern Art and Pop Culture Art. I am certain these photos will brighten your day!

Macy's Flower Show Minneapolis MN 2015

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Street Art in New York City
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Finding Street Art along the Walls of New York City

I was on the plane Friday morning heading to New York City when I opened my email to see that the weekly photo challenge was walls. Instantly I knew how I was going to spend my free afternoon in the city. A photo walk.

I did a google search and discovered that New York City has a tremendous wealth of street art along its walls, buildings and store fronts. I love street art and knew that it would be a great way to spend the afternoon exploring some of the back alleys and streets in the heart of Little Italy and NoLlta in search of street art.

I took the subway to Spring Street and got off with a map in hand and a few written notes of where to explore. It was a chilly early spring day yet the sun was shining strong and the city was alive as usual with activity. I could tell it was going to be a great afternoon.

Spring Street Subway stop

Spring Street subway stop offers my first look at urban wall art.

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Snowbird Ski Resort Utah
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Snowbird Bliss

Its been 16 years since I’ve been skiing in Utah and after two days of hard skiing I realize what a mistake it has been not coming again sooner.  I love skiing out West and I especially love Snowbird. The fluffy white powder (averages 500 inches per season) and serendipitous deep blue sky is enough to make anyone love winter. In my opinion, Snowbird is one of the best ski areas out West.

Located in the heart of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Little Cottonwood Canyon only a mile down canyon from the Alta ski resort, Snowbird is a picturesque place with little development. The ski area is 2,500 acres with 168 runs and a terrain ranging from 27 percent beginner, 38 percent intermediate and 35 percent advanced/expert. The top elevation of the resort is at 11,000-foot Hidden Peak in which you can ride up in a large 125-person Tram in seven minutes flat. The views of the snow-capped peaks in all directions are breathtaking.

Landing on a cloudy date over the Great Salt Lake is amazing.

Landing on a cloudy day over the Great Salt Lake is amazing.

It has been a short, three-generational trip with my daughter Sophia and father. The conditions have been amazing with the most snow in the country and unseasonably warm weather. It has been a fantastic break from winter back in Minnesota. There is nothing better than being in the mountains whether it be walking, hiking, skiing or even just having a picnic. Here are a few shots from the trip.

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South Kaibab trail Grand Canyon Arizona
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Exploring the Grand Canyon: A Hike Down the Rim to Ooh Aah Point

On the last day of our October visit to the Grand Canyon, I decided it was time to take a hike down off the rim and explore. After a taste of hiking down the Bright Angel Trail, I agreed with everything I’d read. Getting below the rim was the way to truly see the magical colors, depth and splendors of the Grand Canyon.

Although we had seen some families with children hiking below the rim, I personally did not feel comfortable bringing my children. Not only was it incredibly steep, there was no protection. One slip and down you go. Thus, I decided to do a short 1.8 mile hike myself, on the South Kaibab trail to the OOH AHH Lookout Point.

South Kaibab trail Grand Canyon Arizona

Start of the trailhead

My husband and kids dropped me off and away I went, elated to be doing one of the things I love most: Hike!  I had the next hour and a half to hike before they would come back to pick me up. I could hardly wait.

South Kaibab trail Grand Canyon Arizona

Getting ready to go!

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Bright Angel Trailhead Grand Canyon
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Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail

One of the most well known trails below the rim of the Grand Canyon is the Bright Angel Trail. Meandering steeply 19 miles into the depths of the Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel Trail is not for the beginning hiker. There are warning signs everywhere advising to take serious precautions while hiking down into the canyon. Even the relatively short hike down 1.5 miles to the resthouse is not for the faint at heart.

Bright Angel Trailhead Grand Canyon

A snapshot of what your hiking options are below the rim on the Bright Angel Trailhead.

Since we were with our children, we only walked ten minutes or so down the Bright Angel Trail holding on tightly to our kids hands. I had heard that the best way to experience the canyon was to go into it thus we thought a short, safe walk would be worth the views. We noticed lots of people doing the hike, even some families with children, but we didn’t feel comfortable taking our kids very far. It is a long way down if you slip and fall, and there are no safety railings to stop you.

Here are a few shots I took during our short walk into the Bright Angel Trail. Although we didn’t go far it made me realize that I needed to add a hike down to the bottom of the canyon onto my every-growing bucket list. A stay at the Bright Angel Camp would be amazing!

Bright Angel Trailhead Grand Canyon

Start of the Bright Angel Trailhead

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the Grand Canyon Arizona
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The Grand Canyon with Kids

“A Land to Inspire our Spirit:  Grand Canyon – one of Earth’s most powerful, inspiring landscapes- overwhelms our senses. Its story tells of geologic processes played out over unimaginable time spans as a unique combination of size, color, and dazzling erosion forms: 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep. Our responsibility as good stewards is to pass on this gift, pristine and preserved, to future generations”.

Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon is arguably one of the most amazing geological masterpieces in the world and there are endless ways to explore her spectacular beauty. As an avid hiker, the way I wanted to see and experience the canyon meant on foot however my plans had to be altered when we decided to bring our two children along.

A visit to the Grand Canyon is wonderful at any age and thankfully the National Park System thought the development of the park out with this idea in mind. Whether you are an avid hiker, a senior citizen or a family, there are endless ways you can experience the Grand Canyon.

We planned our visit for two days in October when most children are in school and tourism is busy but not overwhelming. We flew to Tucson where my parents live and spent a few days there before heading out on our road trip north. Getting to the Grand Canyon involves a bit of driving and we split our trip by spending a day in Sedona before driving the rest of the way to the Grand Canyon.

We chose the small, touristy town of Tusayan as our base which is located about a ten minute drive from the South entrance of the Grand Canyon. There is not much there except for hotels and not so great restaurants yet it is convenient and our lodging was nice. If we do it again, which I hope we do, I would choose to stay at one of the many great places in the Grand Canyon. There are plenty of little cafes and restaurants and even a nice grocery store that serves wonderful, economically priced hot food. These hotels book up a lot faster than in Tusayan so it is probably best to reserve your hotel at least six months in advance and much earlier if you are going during summer high season.

We arrived at our hotel late on Monday night with only time for dinner and winding down before our big day exploring the Canyon. Our room at the Best Western in Tusayan was quite nice and even fit a cot for my ten-year-old son. I was surprised to see so many Europeans at our hotel. Given the time of year, the tourists at the Grand Canyon were mostly adults and not the van-loads of kids like you’d expect. It was quite an international crowd which I always enjoy.

We rose Tuesday morning to chilly temperatures around 39 degrees F, had breakfast and left for the Visitor Center at the Grand Canyon. Since it wasn’t high season, we had no problem parking in the main lot and left our car there all day as the Grand Canyon has an excellent shuttle service bringing you around to the main lookouts.

the Grand Canyon Arizona

There are tons of Elk at the Canyon. We saw them in the mornings and evenings.

We began our day with a short documentary film on the formation and history of the Grand Canyon, right at the Visitor Center. It was excellent and highly informative plus the kids loved it. We also grabbed a Junior Ranger Activity Book for the kids to fill out and complete during our time at the Grand Canyon. The Guide contains all sorts of learning activities which is an excellent way to keep young children engaged and interested in their visit.

the Grand Canyon Arizona

The Grand Canyon Junior Ranger Activity Book is a great way to educate and entertain children at the Grand Canyon.

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Sunset Crater Volcano National Park Arizona
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Road trip Arizona: From Sedona to the Grand Canyon

Back in October, my husband and I decided it was time to make a road trip north and show our two children the Grand Canyon. We had visited southern Arizona countless times before always staying with my parents in Tucson. Yet, we had never ventured north as a family to see one of the greatest natural wonders on earth.

Since I am not all too fond of long road trips with the kids, we decided to split our trip up into several different stops along the way. We spent the first night in sensational Sedona where we enjoyed the raw beauty of her legendary red rocks. It was also a perfect midway point to the Grand Canyon from Tucson ensuring our kids (or me) wouldn’t get too stir crazy with all the driving.

The next morning, after an early sunrise hike on the the Airport Mesa Trail Loop we set off for our long drive to the Grand Canyon making several fabulous stops along the way. Our first stop as secretly planned unbeknownst to the kids who were happily watching a DVD and had already been fed a sandwich, was to the trendy, hip college town of Flagstaff about an hour’s drive north of Sedona. We knew that there were tons of delicious foodie restaurants and found a perfect venue for lunch.

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9/11 Memorial Museum NYC
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Remembering even when its hard: 9/11 Memorial Museum

Last week, I wrote about my emotional visit to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.  It was a post that I sat on for a long time, not even sure how to begin to put my feelings into words. I realize that even thirteen years later, 9/11 still feels in some way like yesterday and the fear, emotions and horror of that day still remain vivid and raw within my soul. I didn’t lose anyone close to me that day. But many people around the world did. It is a day that we all would rather forget but can’t and should not.

Seeing the newly opened 9/11 Memorial Museum was very hard. It left me numb after walking through the remains of life and civilization within the very foundation where the two Twin Towers once stood. Yet, I will argue that it is a place that everyone should see and also that although the content and stories shared within the museum walls are tragic it also is done with hope, pride and resilience. A remembrance of the thousands of innocent and brave people who lost their lives that day and the ones that still remain alive.

Freedom Tower NYC

1 World Trade Center Tower or “The Freedom Tower” is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, in July 2013. She looms directly behind the 9/11 Memorial.

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