Our number 1 family resort in Maui:

Families flock to The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui in Wailea for the spacious accommodations, kid-friendly dining and activities, all within a luxury resort setting. As the only all-suite and villa resort in the state of Hawaii, the hotel boasts 413 suites with a minimum of 860 sq. ft. of living space and double doors to close off the bedroom. Families also enjoy the queen-size sofa bed, refrigerator, microwave and DVD player in each suite. The 37, 2- and 3-bedroom villas are separate from the main hotel and offer the comfort and convenience of renting a private home within a world-class resort setting. Each villa includes a full kitchen, washer and drier, entertainment system with Blu-Ray Player, Nintendo Wii, and the most popular family board games. Outside on the private terrace, parents and keiki (kids) enjoy the private plunge pool, and gas grill for family BBQ’s.

When children arrive at The Fairmont Kea Lani, they receive a logo sand bucket with shovel or a turtle/whale necklace as a gift. Complimentary amenity kits for babies & tots include a rubber ducky, no-tears hair wash, cleansing soap, and gentle lotion. Cribs are also available upon request. The Fairmont Kea Lani also offers a “KIDS EAT FREE” program for children five years and under.

During the summer and special family times, the resort offers daily activities such as hula lessons, ukulele lessons, or lei making and a game room with ping-pong tables, arcade games, video game stations and more. The resort’s children’s program, Keiki Lani, focuses on Hawaiian culture and includes building erupting volcanoes, crafting sandcastles, feeding koi fish, painting coconuts and exploring tidepools.

The San Diego Zoo is by far our favorite California zoo for many reasons. Our family took a VIP tour for the first time. I have to say, it was one of the best investments we have done, as not only did our kids enjoyed it, but we did too! I have a high respect for this zoo, their zoo keepers are very caring and friendly, their animals are well kept, not to mention –spoiled- and their zoo is clean and family oriented.

I personally have never liked zoos very much, but after doing our VIP “Look Inside” tour, I have become one of their major supporters.  There are so many things to talk about, how can I compile it into an easy format to read? Where can I start? Maybe it will be best if I can summarize it into bullet points:

• The location of the zoo is very family-oriented as it is in the Balboa Park, next to museums and parks that you can go visit or stay for an afternoon picnic.
• The layout of the park is easy to read, walk through and has many options to take a break, change activities, or just have a snack.
• For those horticulture lovers, there are many different types of plants and flowers that you can admire throughout the zoo
• The Zoo offers discounts throughout the year, we love going in October, as kids are free!
• San Diego Zoo has many VIP tours such as the Backstage Pass, the Inside Look Tour, Discovery Tour, Horticulture Tour, and Exclusive VIP Experiences.
• There are animal encounters where your kids can learn about exotic animals, look and take pictures from up close.
• There are zookeeper talks where you can learn about wolves, elephants, meerkats, orangutans, lions and jaguars among others.
• Don’t forget to take the Skyfari Aerial tram to get a rest and enjoy the aerial view of this mega zoo!
• Petting zoos are perfect for your toddlers. They are open from 9:30 to 5:30 every day and you can feed and touch the pygmy goats and sheep.
• Our favorite and over- the- top-cute viewing was the Panda one. You can see pandas while they sleep and watch mama panda take care of her baby from a screen. There are professional photographers taking family pictures at this trek.
• In case you haven’t gotten enough pictures, walk to the zoo characters meet and greet locations and get your cameras ready for some close ups.

Now, my favorite part of this blog is to talk about our “Look Inside” tour. I have never done a VIP tour before as I thought they would be a waste of money. Nevertheless, paying $276 for the four of us was worth every penny! We enjoyed, our tour guide, Sunny. She was very knowledgeable, friendly and caring. Her passion for animals showed as she stopped by every exhibition of the zoo in a golf cart and waited as we took pictures, answered all the questions and more. We have learned more about animals than we have ever before reading about them. We expressed our concerns about the animals’ feelings. But, she would show us how each one of the animals gets enrichment training whereby they are challenged to think, do some work out exercises and get rewarded for it. Our favorite one was the elephants getting in to get their caring facility to get their nails filed. How can you move a 400+ elephant to get their routine care, if it wasn’t for treats? Well our tour guide explained all the insights as to how each animal gets enrichment, but most of all ho close they become to their zookeepers and how much the zoo spoils them.

We loved seeing the cheetah with her “brother” which happened to be a dog together in the same cage, watching the people go by. There were so many instances, where we felt like we should have brought our cameras and videotape. Watching the hippopotamus enjoy his bath, feeding the tortoises was fun for the kids, and us as well as going to the off-exhibit compartments of the beautiful Okapis.  At the end of the 2+ hour insight tour, I was feeling like a little girl who had her own birthday party at the zoo with a personalized attention and all the caring and love of a zookeeper…  I can’t say how joyful we were of having had this experience, as it’s difficult to express this in a summarized format.   We were thrilled to see, learn, and enjoy so much of the wild, we can’t wait to come back and visit our favorite zoo next year!

It is an incredible experience to see how some of our ancestors lived in this amazing 52,073 acres Mesa, called Mesa Verde National Park. It is located in one of Southwest Colorado’s plateau and reached via ground transportation an hour away from Cortez. This park provides the opportunity to see and experience what life was really like for the Ancestral Puebloans, who later moved from this area into New Mexico and Arizona. The Mesa Verde plateau has spectacular vistas of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Today, it protects 5,000 archeological sites and about 600 cliff dwellings.There is also wildlife such as mountain lions, bobcats, deer, mountain sheep, elk, hawks, among others.

This is better than just going to an archeological museum! you can see and visit the dwellings of the Puebloans such as the Cliff Palace, Spruce Tree House, and the Balcony House (one of the most adventurous by far as you climb a 32 foot ladder). We recommend that you spend at least half a day here. Start by learning from the Puebloans at the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, then head down to the Spruce Tree House, one of the best preserved cliff dwellings and closest to the museum. You can actually walk in it, go inside a pithouse, and take close up pictures. If you feel like walking a little more with your little ones  go to the Petroglyph Point Trail.

Things You Should Know

• Park entrance fee is $10.00 per private vehicles.
• All activities, including hiking, depend on road and weather conditions.
• The Spruce Tree House visit doesn’t require a tour, but the Cliff Palace and the Balcony House are actual tours and you have to pay $3.00 per person of all ages.
• For the most part, all the houses and palaces are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm every day.
• There is a small cafe offering hot dogs and hamburgers. We suggest you pack a lunch and lots of snacks for your visit.
• Since you are visiting a plateau, it is recommended to bring coats or sweaters and wear a comfortable pair of tennis or hiking shoes.

What Our Kids learned:

• The Puebloans hunted animals like rabbits, deer, and squirrels, gathered wild plant foods, and grew corn, beans, and squash.
• With time, they developed architectural skills, created fine baskets, pottery, woven goods, and ornaments.
• Living rooms averaged between six feet by eight feet, which was enough for two to three people.
• Their domestic animals were dogs and turkeys.
• People lived in pithouses, which was a living room sunk a few feet in the ground with a firepit to get warm during the harsh weather.

Mesa Verde National Park has been one of our favorites so far, what is one of your favorite national parks?

What can I say? It’s the Four Corners. The one and only place in the United States where you can stand in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado at the same time. Pretty cool, huh? I have to say the kids really got a kick out of it, but I was secretly thinking “is this it”! I didn’t help that we drove forever to get here, only to see the gates closing. Yes, we arrived at 5:15, and closing time is 5pm. Who knew it closed! After begging and pleading, and more begging, Natalia and I convinced the guard to let us in. We used the “we drove all the way from California with screaming kids”…..guess the guy had kids himself and related, because he let us have our own private tour of this historical monument. Would I recommend the trek there? Of course, we made some great memories!

Located in San Diego, this magnificent park offers all kinds of entertainment for children of all ages. You can see shark tanks, turtle reefs, arcades, and rides. But, you haven’t seen it all if you didn’t watch birds and dolphins work together to amaze the SeaWorld crowd in one show. Stop by for a little comedy with the Pet’s rule show and before you leave the park see the new members of the Shamu family!

What Families Should Know:

• There are always discounts offered if you are a AAA member or if you are an expert at googling discounts.  We found a $50 discount through Subway. Otherwise, you will pay $69.99 for children over 10 and adults or $61.99 for children between 3 to 9 years old.  Parking is an additional $14.00 per vehicle.
• All shows, aquariums, and rides are included with the admission tickets.
• Seaworld is located in the bay. We recommend layering your family. It could get pretty warm in the early afternoon and very windy in the evening even during the summer.
• There is an inspection point before you go into the park. Drinks other than waters are not allowed inside. Although their website says that snacks are not allowed either, we were able to sneak some cereal bars, gold fish, cheese sticks, and fruit.
• You can rent a locker for $9.00 or use the lockers located inside the Sesame Street Bay of Play, at the Entrance of the Journey to Atlantis or Shipwreck Rapids for $1.25.
• Stroller rental fees are $12.00 for a single stroller or $17.00 for a double stroller. Bring your own stroller to the park and save the money for lunch!
• All shows are 25 minutes long so plan your visit ahead by getting to the park at opening hours if you want to see all the shows and visit all the exhibitions.
• Park hours during the week are 10 am to 6 pm, but they change to 9 am during the weekends.

What Families shouldn’t Miss:

• The Shamu Show “ One Ocean,” with Shamu and the new family members, you will see and experience life under the ocean with an educational and inspiring show.
• The Wild Arctic exhibition has the beluga whales, polar bears, and walruses that you can watch closely and take pictures with.
• The Blue Horizons Show with black vouchers, macaws, whales, and dolphins who take Delphis, the dolphin spirit of the sea, and Aurora, the bird spirit of the sky into a magical journey.
• If your children are tired of being strolled around the park and need a little break, take them to Sesame Street Bay of Play, where they will enjoy some fun at the gigantic Sesame Street playground! They can also ride Oscar’s Rockin’ Eels and Abby’s Sea Star Spin with a parent if they are under 42” tall or Elmo’s Flying Fish with a parent if they are 48” tall.
• The Pet’s Rule show that displays wonderfully trained pets such as pigs, dogs, cats, ducks, and doves in a comedy show.
• The Turtle Reef allows everyone to get a closer look and take pictures of seven different types of sea turtles such as hawksbills, loggerheads, and leatherbacks of all sizes.
• Don’t forget the Shark Encounter which lets you see the sharks inside the largest viewing tunnel. It was a fascinating experience!

Every parent knows the joys and obstacles of traveling with kids. As much as we enjoy traveling as a family it’s sometimes chaotic, unorganized and unpredictable. Fortunately, technology is lending a hand to aid in the planning and organizing of a family vacation. Get out your iphone, android or blackberry and start planning your next trip. Travel apps are plentiful so we’ve narrowed down the best. Here are kiddy travel’s top 5 picks for family travel apps:

Goby (free) – Find personalized recommendations for events and activities for kids to do in a particular city.

IFly Pro (6.99 ) – Provides in-depth details to over 700 commercial airports, in-terminal navigation to help you quickly find services and amenities near your location. Locate all the restaurants, toilets, shops & play structures in the airport.

Tripit (3.99) – A travel organizer -keeps your itinerary, confirmation numbers and other information in one spot.

Mom Maps (free) – Find indoor play areas, parks, and kid-friendly restaurants in the city your visiting.

Postino (free) – Create a real postcard with your travel photos and send it to your friends and family back home.

Legoland is one of our favorite entertainment parks. It doesn’t matter what season of the year you plan to visit, it offers all kinds of entertainment for all ages inside the main park for all seasons and a great water adventure for the summer. There are rides and sections for all ages and for all levels of curiosity. They offer family restrooms and a Baby Care section for breastfeeding mothers. And the best part of all is that it may be a crowded park in a beautiful day, but you may not notice it.

After visiting Hurricane Harbor and the Legoland Water Park, our Kiddy travel family highly recommends the Legoland Water Park for many reasons:

• Legoland’s Water Park is located inside the main park as you go into Funtown and close to the Lego Factory Tour. Therefore, you can hop from the main park into the water park and vice versa when you are ready to do so.
• Most of the pools are between 2’ and 3’ deep, which may take away your concern if you have capable swimmers.
• Talk about a park that is Safe!! there are a gazillion lifeguards everywhere you look to give you a peace of mind while you enjoy the park yourself.
• The Water Park offers 3 different slides, the Orange Rush with a a raft that fits all family members in it, the Splash Out slide where you can slide individually if you are over 42” tall, and the Twin Chasers, which are two slides that are completely closed out and very fast. All the slides go into a 2’ deep pool with at least 2 lifeguards watching at all times
• There are two sections with white sand and chairs in case you would like to get a tan or have the smallest members of your family play with sand
• We loved the Build A Raft River with legos that you can build around your own raft and  just let go and relax as your raft goes along the lazy river.
• There is an imagination station at the entrance of the park where kids can build their own bridges and cities with duplo bricks and play music in a musical water stand.
• Kids can also play at the Joker soaker station with water canons or at the Duplo Splash Safari and the Splash zoo when they decide not to go in the slides
• Legoland provides lifejackets at no extra costs at all times (except, they are the first things every parent looks for right at the entrance, so make sure you have one right away)
• This park is highly recommended for youngsters and it’s the perfect size for children under 12 years old. In comparison to Hurricane Harbor, which is better for tweens and teenagers with a wide variety of slides and water parks.

What Families Should Know:

• The Hopper tickets are $81 per adult and $71 per child between 3 and 12 years old and $3 for children one to two years old.
• There are current promotions going on at Wendy’s when you buy a meal. For a price of an adult hopper ticket, you can get a child in for free!
• It’s better to rent a family locker for $9 or a medium locker for $7 if you have a small backpack. But, we recommend the family locker so you don’t have to carry your change of clothes and valuables around the parks.
• There are family sized changing rooms for your convenience. We would have loved to see some showers, but at least you can change of clothes…
• The full day cabana rental is $179.99 and the half day rental is $129.99, which may work out for you if you are planning to stay at the Water Park for a long time. But, we didn’t find it necessary for us.
• There is only one restaurant inside the Water Park called the Beach Front Grill that offers burritos, salads, sandwiches, and fresh fruit. Although, as you exit the park, you will find other restaurant options within a few steps.

Our Kiddy Travel kids love to learn something new everyday, and what a fun way of doing it while interacting and playing! The Discovery Science Cube is one of our favorite places to visit and learn a bit more about how science has improved our lifestyles. You can see, touch, play, and learn anything related to water, geology, ecology, astronomy, energy, gravity, and more.

The Discovery Science Center is located in Orange County off of Main Street in the city of Santa Ana. It’s a two story building attached to the iconic cube that you can see from the 5 freeway. It’s a small museum, but with a great layout. It has a rock climbing wall for toddlers, a small theater and an outdoor exhibition.

Adult admission is $17.95 and children between the ages of 3 and 14 will only pay $12.95. But, you can get a AAA discount, or a California resident discount, and if you plan ahead and buy the tickets online, the adult ticket will be the same as a child one. If you are planning to watch the 4D movie and go into the Dino quest exhibition, you will need to pay an additional $7 for adults and $2 for the children.

You will experience anything from a bed of nails, learn from the geography stations, play in the bug playground, create your own gas rings, experiment being inside a hurricane, move a tornado with your own hands or even learn how to fly an airplane, but our favorite exhibits were:

• The Dino Quest Prehistoric Plaza Fossil: you will need to start by borrowing a transmitter for $4 ( you will need to return it) and pick one of the many scavenger hunt sheets that will tell you how many fossils, different stones, or things to look for and point at with the transmitter. The plaza has a gigantic dinosaur skeleton and the kids can play inside it. All around it you will find fossils, caves, and rocks that build up the atmosphere of a prehistoric era. Our kids couldn’t get enough of this exhibition and wanted to have more time to do more scavenger hunts.
• The Boeing Rocket Lab: you can launch your own Delta rocket RS-68. Just step into the rocket and see how the engine lights up and vibrates just as you are launching into space! Or you can play in the rocket launch station while learning about propulsion and compressed water rockets.
• The newest exhibit is the Eco Challenge: your kids will walk into a high tech-market never seen before! This market has all kinds of pretend groceries displayed in different sections and highly advanced checkout stands. Kids can now learn how to be more environmentally friendly as they learn about packaging and how to chose wisely as they shop.

Overall, we loved visiting the Discovery Cube! We spent three hours learning about different subjects while we played and had fun! Next time you have some available time stop by, learn and play!

Every parent knows the difficulties of keeping the kids occupied while traveling. Kids in confined spaces can lead to boredom, fussiness, bad behavior and even major tantrums. All parents dread the inevitable “are we there yet”, which is gut wrenching if it’s hour two of a ten hour flight. We’ve all been there – whether you’re on a cruise ship, airplane, train or car, the kids need to be entertained while traveling to their destination. With four kids, yes, I said four kids, I’ve tried just about everything to keep my kids occupied and  have kept a list of the best travel games and activities. These are ideal because they pack well, aren’t messy, don’t have many pieces and they’ll keep the kids occupied for quite some time!

Do you have a favorite travel game or activity? Let us know, we always love to try new things.

Flip to Win Memory Game, ages 3 & up – a fun on the go memory game that won’t get lost.

Lauri Toys Toddler Tote, ages 2-5 yrs. – a great learning toy to help toddlers with shapes, numbers & colors.

Around the World Brain Box, 8 and up - this memory game challenges kids to memorize as many details about the countries of the world as they can in just 10 seconds time.

Classic Etch a Sketch, all ages – everyone loves to doodle with this classic toy.

Magnetic Habitats Set, ages 3 & up – with its own carrying case, this magnetic wooden toy has 3 habitats – ocean, farm and African plains.

Fruitominoes, ages 3 & up – a fun  & colorful twist to the classic game of dominoes.

Travel Kiddy Activity Kits, all ages – high quality, compact travel activity kits that come in different levels for kids of all ages.

Pocket Fashion Designer, 3 and up – kids can make many different outfits and then color them – girls love this cool toy.

Fly It Quiet Activity Packs, all ages – printable travel games that will teach your child about the country you are traveling to (language, foods, currency).