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        • Woodstock, VT
      • Mexico
        • Riviera Maya
    • Europe
      • Florence & Tuscany
      • Munich
      • Puglia
      • Rome
      • Sicily: Syracuse & Taormina
    • Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Middle East
      • Turkey: Istanbul & Cappadocia
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Connecticut

It’s Time to Book This Romantic Countryside Getaway in CT: The Mayflower Inn and Spa

mayflower inn and spa

If I had one piece of advice for moms and dads looking to escape for a romantic getaway in CT at the Mayflower Inn and Spa, it would be this…   Extend the babysitter coverage and book one more day!  Trust me.       The Mayflower Inn and Spa, an Auberge Collection resort, sits…

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A DRONE EVEN MY KIDS CAN FLY No seriously - they A DRONE EVEN MY KIDS CAN FLY No seriously - they take it from me now 🤪 Meet the Hover X1 from @hoverair_global. It’s a game changer for family travel, solo travel, adventure travel, couples travel….really…any travel. HOW IT’S DIFFERENT THAN A REGULAR DRONE ✅No remote ✅Takes off with a click of a button, locks on its’ target, and then follows you ✅When you’re ready to land the camera, you simply stick your hand under the drone’s sensor and it lands softly ✅It’s also lighter and a lot less money than a typical drone WHY ITS GREAT FOR FAMILIES ✅Takes about 30 seconds to set up ✅Very small/lightweight and compact — making it easy to throw in the “mom bag.” ✅It’s safe and interactive — once I got the hang of it, I was able to teach my kids. They are now actually involved in photography shoots vs acting fidgety. FEATURES ✅There are a few different modes - it can follow you from behind, orbit around you, follow next to you, zoom out/in LIMITATIONS: ❌It can’t fly longer distances for more cinematic scenery shots (b/c no remote) ❌It can’t fly over water WHAT TO BUY: Standard HoverX1 with 1 battery $299 Combo (drone + 2 batteries) $329 Combo Plus (drone + 3 batteries) $359 I recommend the combo plus with 3 batteries — each battery lasts for about 11 minutes. I also love the “charging hub” that comes with it. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 $𝟏𝟎 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 HOVERAIRX1 | FAMILY TRAVEL | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY | DRONE | TRAVEL TIPS | AFFILIATE | HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS
JUST A REMINDER THAT YOU CAN VISIT THE INN THAT IN JUST A REMINDER THAT YOU CAN VISIT THE INN THAT INSPIRED GILMORE GIRLS 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 📍WHERE: @mayflowerinn is a perfect year round weekend escape, located in Washington, CT —2 hours from NYC. Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of the hit series Gilmore Girls, stayed at this inn and got the idea for the show while living here for a short time. At the Mayflower Inn and Spa, you can be ambitiously active…or just embrace the lounge-wear and take it easy.  You can catch up on sleep and enjoy a cup of tea overlooking the gardens or woods from your private balcony.  You can lay all day in the plush white lounge chairs of the spa reading.  Or you can relax by the outdoor pool and devour one of the kitchen’s gourmet picnics.  Alternatively, if it’s more your vibe to get moving and stay active on vacation, then start your day with a sweat-burning HIIT class, and head out on a guided tour of the property’s hiking trail. Don’t forget to ask the hotel for a “Gilmore Girls” cheat sheet – a list of nearby shops and restaurants that served as inspiration for different parts of the hit TV series. WHAT TO DO NEARBY: Litchfield county includes Washington Depot, New Preston, Woodbury, Litchfield, Kent, New Milford, Cornwall, and Salisbury (to name a few).   These charming CT towns are antiquing hot spots, but also have boutique stores that carry a hand-picked collection of clothes, home goods, and other items.   BEST FOR… ✅Girls getaway ✅Mom and daughter getaway ✅Romantic escape ✅Family weekend trip (summer time the pool and tennis courts are open) 𝐃𝐌 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐕𝐈𝐏 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐬 LUXURY TRAVEL | MAYFLOWER INN | GILMORE GIRLS | STARS HOLLOW | CONNECTICUT TRAVEL | WEEKEND ESCAPE | WASHINGTONCT
TO OUR KIDS…THIS IS WHY WE PRIORITIZED TRAVEL WH TO OUR KIDS…THIS IS WHY WE PRIORITIZED TRAVEL WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE 💕 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 There is something about that vacation sibling bond that is unmatched. These cutesy moments may happen in our regular day to day too, but on vacation it just hits different. Perhaps because they only have one another to busy themselves with. Perhaps because they’re experiencing new things together for the first time. All I know is…every time we return home from an adventure together, these two little ones are even closer than before (for the most part). I often have parents tell me, “Oh we really want to go to X, but we’re waiting for the kids to appreciate it when they’re older.” That one is always a head scratcher for me. 🤔 Why can’t they appreciate it now? How do you know they’ll “appreciate it” when they’re older? How do you know there will be time? Just…take…the…trip — especially when they’re young — when you’re their whole world — when the school schedules are flexible — when the extra curriculars haven’t entered your Google Calendar. The vacation days will be crazy busy, but the kiddos will remember more than you may think 🥰 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬. FAMILY TRAVEL | TRAVEL WITH KIDS | TRIP PLANNING TIPS | PARENT ADVICE | TRAVEL ADVICE
SAVE THIS WATERPARK IF YOU HAVE KIDS 📍Where: SAVE THIS WATERPARK IF YOU HAVE KIDS 📍Where: @bahamarresorts Even if you’re “not a waterpark” parent/ traveler… I highly recommend giving this one a try if you have kids. It’s one of the top resorts my kids beg to revisit. It does have a “Disney meets Vegas” vibe…so brace yourself…but 100% worth visiting. Here’s why: ☀️VARIOUS HOTEL OPTIONS: If you’re a 5 star luxury traveler — you have @rosewoodbahamar If you’re looking for a great hotel with top amenities but won’t break the bank — you have @grandhyattbahamar ⬆️Both are great for families if you’re looking for a 4 star hotel that’s better for a party vibe—@slsbahamar All 3 options are walkable to one another and the waterpark. ☀️WATERPARK HAS OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE: One thing I love about this resort is that there is a waterslide for every age! Gentle slides for the little ones and crazy tube slides and drop slides for older guests. There’s also a splash pad, wave pool, and lazy river. If you prefer to hang by the pool, there are 8 options — including ones with built in aquariums! ☀️FUN ON SITE ACTIVITIES: Flamingo encounters, white sandy beach, animal touch tank, camp Baha Mar ☀️RANGE OF DINING OPTIONS: Baha Mar is NOT all inclusive, and one of the most common comments I hear is that the food is expensive. Here’s a few things to keep in mind: Again…think of this as “Disney meets Vegas” — yes prices are generally going to be higher But…there are over 40 restaurants on site, which cater to a range of budgets and preferences. This means that foodies can go all out, but It’s also possible to keep in simple with pizza shops, food trucks, and cafes. I recommend researching options ahead of time and MAKE RESERVATIONS! 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 “𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤” 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬. 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 FAMILY TRAVEL | BEST FAMILY RESORTS | BAHAMAS | CARIBBEAN RESORTS | TRAVEL WITH KIDS | WATERPARKS
MY FAVORITE FAMILY TRAVEL HACK There’s somethin MY FAVORITE FAMILY TRAVEL HACK There’s something about the front of the US Passport Control line that makes even the most organized of parents start to fumble around. 🤪 Not anymore! A few years ago I learned this sticker hack, and it’s been a game changer when I’m traveling with kids. Everyone always asks me about my stickers! It’s all the little transition moments with kids at airports that can become chaotic at times — and this hack is so simple, yet soooo helpful. ✈️Write each family member’s name on a different colored label. ✈️Affix to the BACK of the passport. 👏🏻That’s it, you’re done. Why it helps? ✅Easier and faster to match printed tickets to each passengers name. ✅Makes it much more efficient to get through custom lines. ✅Smooth sailing for boarding international flights too. TRAVEL HACK | FAMILY TRAVEL | AIRPORT HACK | FAMILY | MOM HACK
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