We made it after 3 days, to The Grand Canyon…that huge thing in the middle of America that many dream of seeing. We have arrived! The first thing we did was head to the camp site to set up camp. Across the street from our camp site was a deer…just hanging out. There was snow on the ground in most of the camp sites, but we found one that had a nice clearing for our tent.
After a brief setup, we got really good at setting up the tent, we headed out to hike around the rim (not the whole thing…only about 3 miles) of the Grand Canyon. The one bad part about the time of year we chose to hike was the early setting of the sun. It seemed to give us not as much time to play, earlier bed times and much colder temperatures.
Early in the morning of day 4 we hiked out on the Southern Trailhead down the slippery ice and into the canyon. We only descended about 1500 feet, (the Grand Canyon is like 7000 feet or something ridiculous like that) but the view was incredible.
As we trekked down, we wolfed down trail mix and stripped off the layers… oh and took a ton of super model poses.
At the bottom of our trek, there were mules and their cowboys in chaps…which I just couldn’t help but stare 🙂
We took our Apple & Eve juices with us for energy and rejuvenation.
Adam took a scary spill (similar to Jeff’s in Japan) (HINT: the ground is 1 foot down)
On the trek up we counted steps and took breathers, I am just not nearly as physically fit as that stud muffin husband of mine.
We finished the day and the hike with a nice Grand Canyon brew, an excellent night camping and more days of adventure ahead. We also wanted to add a very cool note about the water at the canyon. One very easy way for the National Park to make money would be to sell water to all the guests and hikers. But, instead you bring your own water bottle and can fill up at any of the billboards with faucets on it around the park…very yummy tasting and crystal clear.
What are the best tips for traveling with kids?Start with shorter trips to test how your family handles travel. Keep kids involved in the planning so they feel ownership over the trip. Pack light and accept that some days will not go as planned. The messy days often become the best stories.
How do you afford to travel frequently as a family?Priorities and planning. Most traveling families have made conscious trade-offs, spending less on things that stay home and more on experiences that go with them. Points and miles help. Slow travel in one place costs less than moving constantly. And treating travel as a line item in the budget rather than a luxury makes it real.
What destinations are best for first-time international family travel?Western Europe is logistically easy with excellent infrastructure, English widely spoken, and enormous variety. Mexico and Costa Rica are close for American families and have strong tourist infrastructure. Japan is extraordinary and safer than almost anywhere. The best first trip is the one that actually happens.
How do you keep kids safe while traveling internationally?Know your destination. Register with your embassy for longer trips. Have travel health insurance. Keep digital and physical copies of all documents. Teach kids your phone number and hotel name. Use location sharing on phones for older kids. Most international destinations popular with families are genuinely safe for prepared travelers.
How do you manage travel budgets as a family?Track everything for the first few trips until you understand your family’s actual spending patterns. Accommodation is usually the biggest lever. Cooking some meals saves significantly over eating every meal out. Shoulder season travel cuts costs across the board. And knowing which splurges are worth it for your family versus which ones you will not remember helps enormously.
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