by Missie Hills | Mar 22, 2023 | Local Adventures, North America
I grew up in Arkansas. I’m intimately familiar with its beauty. But my little Texan babies are not. So, watching them experience the Arkansas country side first hand fills me with nostalgia and love. With spring just barely in the air, we drove deep into the Ozark mountains to the tiny town of Pyatt, where my sister has a hidden cabin tucked away between three lively creeks. It was a chilly visit, but that didn’t stop the little cousins from wading in the creeks as daddy taught them to skip stones.
It was a short trip, but the memories these cousins will share will be huge. Memories like finding the perfect walking stick that also makes a great make believe wizards staff… searching for arrow heads but finding “funny” shaped rocks instead… and trying to pull apart sticky marshmallow covered gloves by the fire…
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 14, 2023 | Local Adventures, North America
I asked Little E, “Where is the one place anywhere in the world you want to go?” Without missing a beat, he said, “New York City.” From the day he learned in school the reason why the Statue of Liberty was green, he had asked to go see it for himself. So, when a three day weekend presented itself, we boarded the short flight to the city that never sleeps.
On the flight, we had some convincing to a 6 and 3 year old that they would indeed still be required to sleep. But I don’t think they believed us. Because it wasn’t long after we landed that we found ourselves exploring Chinatown at dusk, just in time to see the lanterns glow. Jason and I were eager to try soup dumplings for the first time… they did not disappoint.
The next morning, we packed up for a long day of walking… starting with a near mile and a half walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO. Jason and I have both explored NYC on our own many different times, but neither of us had ever been to DUMBO, and we were curious to see what all the fuss was about. The bridge stroll was an experience in itself. The air was full of a once in a lifetime buzz as tourists took their time crossing the East River. In contrast, the air in DUMBO felt less electric and more staged. Everyone was there to get that perfect Instagram shot, which seemed to take away from what this part of the city had to offer. Regardless, we found amazing views of the city, we took a ride on the 100 year old Jane’s Carousel, and we ate ice-cream under the bridge. All in all the walk was worth it.
We could have stayed in DUMBO longer and got more of the true Brooklyn experience, but we had a boat to catch. The moment had come to see the Statue of Liberty up close. We took a river cruise starting on the Hudson, rounding into the East River, and a finale right up to Liberty Island.
It seems like you can’t truly experience NYC without visiting Time Square. The boys were a little young for a show. So, this time, we decided to do a quick walk-through on our way to Central Park. Little E’s eyes were huge as he took in all the lights, street performers, and characters roaming the street. At one point, we were swarmed by Elmos begging us to take a photo for a fee. At the park, we visited the zoo, rode the central park carousal, and of course stopped for ice-cream. Jason also made friends with a local city squirrel.
That evening we met up with friends for oysters and drinks along the riverwalk. We all took an evening stroll to Battery Park where we rode our third carousel, and our favorite carousel, the Sea Glass Carousel.
Our family may have traveled across the world, but nothing has quite kept us on our toes like NYC. We only saw a fraction of what the Big Apple has to offer. And even so, E has decided that he will move here when he grows up. I’m good with that, kid.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 9, 2023 | Local Adventures, North America
Little E loves history. It is his favorite school subject. So naturally, he was over the moon to find out that we would be visiting our friends in our nation’s capital over Easter weekend. For us, it was a chance to meet up with our travel buddies, the first time we had been able to do so since 2020. For him, it was seeing all the places he had been reading about first hand in school. He couldn’t wait to see the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Little Evey was more interested in the street food more then anything else, a boy after my own heart.
We were lucky enough to see a few last cherry blossoms this time of year. But also very unlucky, as the view of the Whitehouse was fully blocked off as they prepared for Easter ceremonies, hence the very sad face of Ethan at the gates. He perked up fast though as we explored the city’s amazing free museums, our favorite being the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
My childhood didn’t include magical trips to places I had read about in school books. It didn’t include state of the art museums, precious art galleries, and famous monuments. It didn’t even include sloppy popsicles from park street vendors. So, to be able to provide this experience for my boys means the world to me. I want to soak in every minute as I watch them grow into curious beautiful humans.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 30, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America, Uncategorized
As we left Monteverde with beautifully clear skies, we had a newfound hope that our beach visit would be rain free. So far, our risk of visiting Costa Rica during the rainy season hadn’t exactly panned out, but we were due for a little good luck. We had a good feeling about Tamarindo.
Playa Tamarindo is known for its laid back culture and gorgeous white sandy beaches. It’s a hot spot for surfers and hippies alike. We fit right in. Our beach bungalow at, Ocho Artisan Bungalows, reminded us more of Thailand then of Costa Rica, but we didn’t mind. We were just ready for some sunshine and relaxation. The kids were ready for some pool time.
It took a lot of convincing to pry the kids away from the pool, but we finally managed to make our way to the beach. The evening glow from the sun was just right. Our good feeling about Playa Tamarindo was becoming a reality.
The next morning, we set out early in search of breakfast. There is a local hotspot on the beach called Waffle Monkey. They have gluten free waffles for those with tummy sensitivities like me! We had a big day ahead of us… We chartered a private sailboat for the day! We spent the day under the sun spotting sea turtles, snorkeling, and enjoying the ocean water.
We capped the night off with a horseback ride through Tamarindo. I wasn’t sure how Ethan would do on his own horse, but turns out he was a pro. I was left to manage a very wiggly toddler on my horse. The ride was exciting though, and the boys loved it.
For our last adventure, we boarded a flat bottomed safari boat and set way into the winding tributaries that lead into the ocean. We were hoping to see a crocodile or two, and our guide told us we might just get lucky! As we ventured deeper and deeper into the maze, we spotted monitor lizards, many birds, and so many different types of crabs, I couldn’t keep count. It took a while, but we finally found one lonely baby crocodile hiding in the branches. We felt accomplished.
We have started a new tradition in the Baltics that we carried here to Costa Rica, a family professional photoshoot. This is a great way to ensure that I get a few amazing photos of us as a family (me included for once). We use a company called Localgraphers to find us the perfect local photographer. These photos were taken by local photographer, Shade Souc.
Our time in Costa Rica was at its end. We had spent 2 weeks travelling the northern part of the country seeing everything from dinosaurs to sloths. The country wasn’t what we had quite expected. Or maybe I should say the trip wasn’t what we quite expected… What started with food poisoning at the Blue River and torrential rain at the cloud forest, ended with a beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. We were often reminded of the number one rule when travelling with children… Be Flexible.
And also of the number 2 rule… Enjoy every moment. Because this stage of life, when our children are little like this, is incredibly special. 2020 smacked me in the face hard. It woke me up and reminded me that time is precious . The Costa Ricans know this to be true, and that is why they have gifted us with the feeling of Pura Vida.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 30, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
Visiting a rainforest during the rainy season may sound interesting. Sure, you’ll avoid the tourists, but there is a reason why the tourist season is when it is… and that reason is, quite obvious to us now, to avoid the rain.
The rain tested us in a way that only parallel parking a manual vehicle on an incline in Casablanca has tested us before. Well, getting lost during the torrential downpour probably had a little more to do with it I suppose. Expert tip: if you are planning on getting rained on during your trip, make sure to allow enough cushion time in between activities for your clothes and shoes to dry out. Our hotel thankfully had portable heaters that we used to turn the bathrooms into mini saunas where our gear could dry. Even so, we still spent the entirety of our time in Monteverde damp.
Rain or no rain, we were hellbent on hiking. After checking into Koora Hotel, we decided to start with their onsite reserve, Reserva Aguti. They gave us a paper map of the trail, we put on all of our rain gear, and set off. We could handle some moderate drizzle right?
The hike started wonderfully. The giant trees covered in vines kept the drizzle at bay. Ethan had suddenly discovered his fear of ants on this trip. So, we kept on watch for leaf cutters and bullet ants along our path. We were really enjoying the beautiful walk when the rain started to pick up. Within a few minutes, the moderate drizzle turned into torrential downpour. We were hiking up a hill. So suddenly, our walking trails turned into streams. We were quickly soaked. We accidently left the paper map in the car and was relying on Jason’s phone for navigation, but we couldn’t risk getting Jason’s phone wet in the downpour and the service wasn’t working anyhow. Before we knew it, we were lost. We stumbled around in the rain for a while climbing over large broken tree branches and sliding down muddy hills all while everyone was crying and generally very miserable. By continuously moving downward, we made it out of the reserve in one piece although soaked to the core. We decided that was enough for one day. We would try again tomorrow.
Well tomorrow came and the rain didn’t leave. But we had plans, exciting ones! I had booked us a morning tour of the local coffee plantation. I love coffee, I wasn’t about to miss it. So, we leveled our expectations for the day with an understanding that we would be wet and headed out to brave the rain.
It rained a lot during the coffee plantation tour, and my camera didn’t like it. I began to worry that I ruined it forever. Everett also didn’t like it. I had to tend to a level five toddler meltdown midway through the tour. Ethan really enjoyed learning about the plantation though, and once I calmed Everett down, I did too.
We were already pretty wet, although not quite as bad as our hike from the day before. So, we decided to continue our day at the Selvatura Adventure Park. I was excited to visit this park’s hanging bridges. They also have one of the most famous ziplines in the world. While I explored the sloth and reptile exhibits with the kids, Jason had a chance to zipline in the cold rain. Our hike on the hanging bridges trail ended up being beautiful. It did downpour at the very end, but by this time we were very used to being soaking wet.
I will say I tested my camera’s waterproofing limits to the extreme on this trip. At one point, the controls started reading out random gibberish. The internal lenses were so full of steam, the autofocus was rendered useless. However, a night in our heated bathroom dried it out, and I haven’t had any problems since. As we left the parking lot of our hotel and started our road trip to the beach, the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We had missed it all by one day.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 29, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
We’ve been near volcanos before, but never like this. There is something phenomenal about seeing a perfectly symmetrical cone plunging out of the ground, a little over a mile high, before you. Arenal has been dormant since 2010, but we still felt a few tremors here and there.
Our risky personalities decided to visit the area during the rainy season. We weren’t sure if we would even get a clear view of the mountain. It did rain a lot, but we had enough good periods to hike the volcano and see the lava fields up close. We didn’t get a perfect view of Arenal, but we still got a beautiful one.
The best part of the 4 mile lava field hike ended up being the coffee shop at the end. It had beautiful views of the volcano and excellent coffee of course. It was a nice resting point where we could watch the storm clouds roll around us.
Our bungalow at the Montana De Fuego Resort, had an even more beautiful view of the countryside along with a good variety of large insects and birds. The hotel’s springs weren’t quite hot, but the boys absolutely loved them. I absolutely loved the hummingbirds. Jason absolutely loved the swim-up bar.
We came for the volcano, but the La Fortuna waterfalls stole our hearts. The La Fortuna waterfalls hike isn’t that bad… that is if you ignore the 500 step staircase to get to the bottom! Every step was worth the stunning view from the bottom.
Between the light rain and the waterfall splatter, we were soaked but still happy all while channeling the Pura Vida. We had good hopes that the rain would hold out for us at our next stop in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. but we were wrong…
Until next time,
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