Tag Archives: travel with family

A Walk in Paris

by Wendy
It goes something like this.

Bonjour Paris! Time to explore the city. Maybe visit Notre Dame and walk along the Seine?

Where do you want to go for breakfast? This cafe looks nice.

This cafe is the best! I could stay here for hours. Should we have another coffee?

Is Notre Dame this way?

Look at the dresses in those store windows. Tres chic! Which one would you choose? Continue reading

Sea Pines at HHI – The Perfect Beach Vacation

by Joe
My what a great week I just spent in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island (HHI). If you’re not sure where Sea Pines is located just check out the coast of SC. It’s smack down in between Charleston and Savannah. A great southern state and typically referred to as the “lowlands” in this part of the USA! But that’s not why it was perfect.

The location is close to a huge part of the US population and in most cases can be an easy drive. From Louisville, KY it’s about a 10.5 hour drive which is about as quick as you can get to the ocean from our city. Florida (gulf side) is the same as well a few locations further north. But that’s not why it was perfect. Continue reading

Standing in Line for Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors

by Wendy
I always look forward to spring break visits from my sister April and nephew J. We love hanging out in our DC neighborhood and taking road trips to nearby cities like NYC. Since they’ve been to Washington many times previously, Jack and I always try to design a varied itinerary.

At the top of the list this year are the recently opened National Museum of African American History and Culture and the temporary Yayoi Kusama “Infinity Mirrors” exhibit at the Hirshhorn. While all Smithsonian museums are busy, these two are generating a lot of buzz. I hadn’t the privilege of seeing either one yet. Both offer free admission, but require timed entry passes due to popularity. The advance online option doesn’t work out, so I must try for same-day timed entry tickets. I’m determined to secure entry to at least one of these coveted attractions, though there’s a good chance this will involve standing in at least one long line. Continue reading

More Love for London

by Wendy
I’ve written a lot about London. It’s like the blog is called Looks and Leaps and London. I can’t help it! I love this city and would happily travel there more often if I could. Here are a few more reasons why for those of you who aren’t sick of hearing about it. Continue reading

Favorite Photos from Iceland

by Wendy
When blogging about an Iceland road trip, images take center stage. I asked my fellow travel companions Jack, Mom (Cindy) and Joe (Dad) to choose a favorite photo or two and write a few sentences to accompany it. Continue reading

A Walk thru the Fire Garden

by Joe
What ‘da heck is a Fire Garden?  Doesn’t really sound refreshing or serene but it is quite a one of a kind experience.  While my wife Cindy and I were on a trip to London with our daughter Wendy and her husband Jack, we unexpectedly ran into a most unusual event.  Much like the surprise we all bumped into in Cordoba, Spain two years ago.  In the latter instance it was a huge religious procession that contained many enormous man powered floats, large numbers of clergy, altar boys, and lay people moving through the downtown streets of the city until dawn.  We had no idea we were going to be experiencing such a treat on our visit there.  The one in London was the 350th anniversary commemoration of the great fire of London!  We had no idea we would be seeing this one either. Continue reading

An Afternoon at Parliament

by Wendy
Next time you’re in London, consider booking a guided tour of Parliament followed by afternoon tea. That’s right, you can actually drink tea in a House of Commons dining room! This is a cool activity for anyone interested in England, history, politics, the Queen, or a fine afternoon tea. Continue reading

I Heart Stairs. And Heights

by Wendy
There were a lot of stairs on the Iceland and England trip. Not like running up and down my basement stairs to deal with laundry. Not like walking up and down a few flights to my office floor instead of waiting for what must be the city’s slowest elevator. This was more in the line of trudging up hundreds of steps in a narrow corridor or next to a steep drop-off. The work was usually rewarded with an impressive view, but that didn’t stop me from complaining. Continue reading

Funny Travel Stories

by Joe
It always seems to me that unusual events or actions occur when you travel. Some occur to you and some are incurred by you. Either way for some reason these events can turn into the stories we tell our family and friends sometimes more often then about the things we saw or did and become magnified in their humor. Here are some of the funny stories from a recent trip to Iceland and London with my daughter Wendy, her husband Jack and my wife Cindy. Continue reading

Dover: A Delightful Day Trip from London

by Wendy
follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps

Interested in taking a day trip from London to another part of the country? Consider Dover. We had a brilliant time in this southeastern city on the coast of the English Channel. Continue reading