4 Reasons to Take Your Science-Loving Kiddo to Chicago

By Sarah Martin HoodFebruary 16, 2020November 2, 2021 travel with kids chicago, colt, experiences not things 1 Comment

There are plenty of reasons to visit Chi-Town. Sports, architecture, food, art, beer, shopping — Chicago has it all. But we had our eye on Chicago for the same reason we have our eye on…

A Mom’s Guide to Space Camp

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 13, 2019November 13, 2019 travel with kids colt, experiences not things, rocket city, space camp, summer camp, us space and rocket center 14 Comments

So you’ve got a budding engineer/scientist/astronaut on your hands and you’re considering Space Camp. I was in your shoes a year ago! And I’ve learned some things you can use — from registration to packing…

A First-Time Camper’s Take on Space Camp

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 13, 2019November 13, 2019 travel with kids colt, experiences not things, rocket city, space camp, summer camp, us space and rocket center 3 Comments

As I’ve indulged Colt’s growing love for space and engineering the last few years I’ve fallen for it, too. The dreaming big, the achieving the impossible, the magical reality of the whole thing. It’s all…

Seinfeld Night with The Mets

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 7, 2019July 8, 2019 travel with kids baseball, colt, jeff, jerry seinfeld, keith hernandez, mets, new york city, NYC, seinfeld 1 Comment

June 14, 1987. Mets. Phillies. We’re enjoying a beautiful afternoon in the right field stands when a crucial Hernandez error opens the door to a 5-run Phillies 9th – cost the Mets the game. Our…

Memorial Day Weekend with Cardinals and Characters

By Sarah Martin HoodMay 27, 2019 travel with kids baseball, cardinals, colt, jeff, st. louis Leave a comment

Two years ago, Jeff cooked up the idea to take Colt to a ballgame over Memorial Day Weekend and we jetted off to Los Angeles for a Dodgers game and a quick taste of Hollywood….

A Day Trip to Pearl Harbor: Travel (with kids!) Guide

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 28, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, travel, travel with kids colt, hawaii, maui, spring break, spring break 2019 2 Comments

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. Early in the planning for our trip to Hawaii we decided to stay…

Helicopter Parenting! Am I Doing This Right?

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 11, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, motherhood, travel, travel with kids air maui, colt, hawaii, helicopter, maui, spring break, spring break 2019 Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. I wish you could’ve seen the look on Colt’s face when I suggested…

We Tried SNUBA in Maui: Here’s What You Should Know

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 10, 2019April 11, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, travel, travel with kids colt, hawaii, maui, sail trilogy, snorkel, snuba, spring break, spring break 2019 Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. Two years ago I tried snorkeling for the first time in Belize, and I…

The Road to Hana: The Road Less Traveled

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 8, 2019December 12, 2021 active lifestyle, motherhood, travel, travel with kids colt, hawaii, maui, spring break, spring break 2019, waterfall Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. Driving The Road to Hana was one of the first things I put…

How to Build a Travel Itinerary of Memorable Activities for YOU

By Sarah Martin HoodFebruary 28, 2019February 26, 2020 travel, travel with kids planning, travel tips Leave a comment

So. You saw a breathtaking photo of CITY-OF-CHOICE on Instagram and you’re ready to book a flight and take the whole fam. Now what? This is one of the most common questions I get about…

Strataca: Our Adventure Through a Working Salt Mine

By Sarah Martin HoodJanuary 2, 2019 travel with kids colt, hutchinson, kansas, strataca 1 Comment

Once we decided to take a road trip to Hutchinson to visit the Cosmosphere, I did a little homework on the town. As if a world class space museum wasn’t enough, we learned that Hutchinson…

Cosmosphere: So Much More Than a Small Town Space Museum

By Sarah Martin HoodJanuary 2, 2019January 2, 2019 travel with kids colt, cosmosphere, hutchinson, kansas, space 1 Comment

As Colt’s interest in space has grown, he’s been keeping up with which artifacts he’s seen in person — specifically capsules from notable missions. Apollo, for example — he’s seen Apollo 7, 11 and 14….

Castillo de San Marcos and a Rainy Glimpse of St. Augustine

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 11, 2018November 11, 2018 travel, travel with kids colt, florida, florida trip 2018, national park, st. augustine Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 trip to Florida. Click here for all posts. As we build travel itineraries for experiences across the country, we always check the area…

A Quick Visit to Canaveral National Seashore

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 10, 2018November 11, 2018 travel, travel with kids canaveral national seashore, colt, florida, florida trip 2018, national park Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 trip to Florida. Click here for all posts. As we build travel itineraries for experiences across the country, we always check the area…

Two Days at Kennedy Space Center: To the Moon and Back

By Sarah Martin HoodOctober 30, 2018November 11, 2018 travel with kids colt, florida, florida trip 2018, kennedy space center, orlando, space 1 Comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 trip to Florida. Click here for all posts. With his interest in all things space and space travel increasing by the day, it…

A Science and History Weekend in St. Louis

By Sarah Martin HoodAugust 5, 2018November 4, 2018 motherhood, travel with kids colt, daniel boone, gateway arch, missouri, national park, st. louis 2 Comments

“Mommy, can we make sure my NASA shirt is clean this weekend? I need it.” Weeks before, we’d seen friends share photos of a summer trip to St. Louis including a stop at the St….

A Family Escape to the Cayman Islands

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 31, 2018November 4, 2018 adventure travel, travel, travel with kids beach, cayman islands, colt, grand cayman, horseback riding, jeff, parasailing, snorkel, stingray 1 Comment

We’re no beach bums, but this little family needed a slooooow dowwwwwn and we managed to pick the perfect destination. After an incredible summer of camps and travel and weekend activity (most of which I…

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Slot Canyons and Blue Skies

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 10, 2018November 4, 2018 active lifestyle, hiking, motherhood, travel with kids colt, junior ranger, kasha-katuwe, national park, new mexico, spring break, spring break 2018, tent rocks 2 Comments

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 Spring Break road trip across New Mexico. Click here for all posts. Early in the trip planning, Susan texted me a photo she…

Bandelier National Monument: An Unexpected Gem

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 8, 2018November 4, 2018 active lifestyle, hiking, motherhood, travel with kids bandelier national monument, colt, junior ranger, national park, new mexico, spring break, spring break 2018 1 Comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 Spring Break road trip across New Mexico. Click here for all posts. My friend Jackie once told me about a study she read…

UP! Hot Air Ballooning in New Mexico

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 4, 2018November 4, 2018 active lifestyle, motherhood, travel with kids albuquerque, colt, hot air balloon, new mexico, rainbow ryders, spring break, spring break 2018 Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 Spring Break road trip across New Mexico. Click here for all posts. I have a well-documented history of getting talked into trying things…