Can you vacation with kids?

This Huffington Post writer says when you have little ones in tow, it’s a “trip,” not a “vacation.” With Little Kids You Take Trips Not Vacations “A vacation is for sipping drinks at 10 a.m. and taking those obnoxious pictures of the lower half of your legs while looking out onto palm trees. A vacation is for getting massages and eating nachos and overusing phrases like “beer-thirty.” A vacation is for pools and sun and servants, lots and lots of servants. Trips are just like that, except...

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California: Dolphins at San Clemente North Beach

Dolphin sighting! How exciting is it to be hanging out on the beach and spot dolphins playing in the surf? It took a bit to get her to see them (maybe we had some binoculars to our beach bag in the future), but once she did, she was delighted to spend time watching them frolic and play from North Beac...

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California: San Clemente Concerts on the Beach

We hit the beach tonight for the last of the 2013 Concerts on the Beach in San Clemente. It was a great time, with reggae music by World Anthem, and a yummy dinner for just $8 from The Fisherman's Restaurant. The band was really fun - Bria loved dancing in the sand! What a beautiful way to enjoy a sunset in our new hometow...

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California: Packing for a trip to Sea World with small children

Knowing what to bring on an outing is never an easy feat! Here are some packing tips for Sea World with littles: Plenty of spare clothes - there are opportunities to get wet and messy everywhere you turn, and that's half the fun! Towel - in case of an animal splash or if your children want to check out the splash pads in Sesame Street Bay of Play. Stroller - or rent one near the gate. Prices are reasonable and several options are available for singles and doubles. Sun screen/hat Sweatshirt/jacket Water...

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California: Sea World San Diego All Day Dining Deal

Sea World San Diego offers a plan called the "All-Day Dining Deal." Basically it works like it sounds - you pay one price, receive a wrist band, and can eat in the park all day. We were headed to Sea World this weekend, and I am a researcher (in case you hadn't caught on to that yet), so I did some poking around first. Was the all-day dining deal worth it? I read a few message boards with...

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California: Sunday at Sea World

It's Sea World day, and Bria couldn't be more excited!!! (OK, OK, I think Mom and Dad are pretty excited, too.) She earned the trip with her star chart, and has spent the entire week telling us about the things she'll be showing us. After her July 28 trip she is an expert, you know. The park was open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today (check out their website ahead of time for hours), so we decided we would...

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California: Hollywood Boulevard

It was Ella's last days in California, and she was wanting to see Hollywood, so we made a little jaunt over to Hollywood Boulevard to check everything out. Filthy and crowded, sure. But filled with fun things to see? Totally. ...

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California: Dana Point Farmers Market

Admittedly, we have lived in North Dakota for a long, long time, and this may not be as exciting to other coasters, but we had an amazing visit to the Dana Point Farmers Market today. This is a great place for kids, because you can set them out to choose something to purchase, and you know it will be healthy and local. We found everything from eggs, chicken, and fish to fruits and vegetables...

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