Disney trips can feel intimidating for many families, especially if you have a child with special needs. Beth Vermillion joins Lisa to share her experiences at Disney Parks with her special needs children. She shares how Disney has accommodated their needs and she gives great suggestions of ways others can have great family experiences at Disney Parks. We talk through how to use the Disney Park Disability Access Service Card (DAS), practical ways to calm anxiety both before you arrive at the par...
Sep 24, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 86
Do you feel like you don’t have enough money to travel? Does it seem overwhelming to start saving money for your dream trip? Today Danielle Desir from The Thought Card joins Lisa to share many of her practical tips for saving money for vacations. There are many gems like “treat travel as a bill” and “you are always saving for a trip” plus many more insights. Learn how you can set up travel savings accounts, what apps are great for saving money, and how to shift your mindset to feel excited about...
Sep 17, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 85
Did you know that Pittsburgh is a great family-friendly vacation option with so many parks, museums, food, outdoor activities, and great day trips? Amanda Emmerling from Toddling Traveler joins Lisa to be your guide through all of the wonderful things to see, do, eat, and explore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We talk about parks you won’t want to miss, activities on the rivers, the many different museums you will want to visit, some of Amanda’s top food picks, neighborhoods you can check out, plu...
Sep 10, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 84
We all want to get out, travel, and explore with our family right now but the pandemic posses a big challenge. Today I’m sharing about trips our family took this summer, how we made them work, safety precautions we considered, places we were able to stay (and why we felt they were safe), how we traveled by both car and plane, and how we handled food and activities. I hope to inspire you to discover some great travel options in your area and you can use our experiences as a springboard for ideas ...
Sep 03, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 83
Are you looking for an amazing road trip to take with your family? Have you considered visiting Southern Utah? With several National Parks, lakes, charming towns, outdoor summer plays, the Shakespeare Festival, excellent hikes, and even dinosaur prints, this is a great family vacation option. Tami Wilcox from Postcards and Passports joins Lisa to highlight many of the places her family has enjoyed visiting over many years of traveling through this area. Listen in and let us help you start planni...
Aug 27, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 77
As a parent, traveling one on one with your kids can provide special bonding time, new shared experiences, a chance for your kids to shine, and a sense of adventure in your kids. Eric Stoen from Travel Babbo is joining Lisa to share all of his insights into why he does one on one trips with his kids and how to get the kids involved in the planning. Plus he shares some of his favorite destinations he’s taken his kids. After listening, you may be ready to start a new family tradition of one on one...
Aug 20, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 81
Are you looking for a family vacation option that is closer to home? Mexico City is a family-friendly destination that is easy to get to from the USA, has a great arts scene, lots of culture, amazing food, and great historical sites to explore! Sarah Wilson from The Wandering Rumpus joins Lisa to share her family’s vacation experience in Mexico City with excellent insights into where you should stay and what you can see and do in this fabulous Mexican city....
Aug 13, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 80
It’s easy to get in a rut and not explore where we live but let’s change that! Today I’m sharing 10 easy ways to discover new places, people, and food right in your own backyard. These are quick and practical tips that you can apply today and will help you get out and explore close to home. You may think that you have already done everything nearby but I’m guessing that you can discover new things to do when you apply the ideas on my list. Ready to explore close to home? Listen and learn how you...
Aug 06, 2020•20 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Now that we will be traveling closer to home for the next few months, a family trip in an RV is becoming a popular vacation option. If you’ve never rented an RV, you will want to listen in as Lisa talks with Shauna Kocman from @familytravelfever about everything you want to know to make your family RV trip a success. We discuss the benefits of an RV trip, things you will want to pack, how to manage the food, where to rent an RV, how to find great campgrounds, and great places to go in an RV....
Jul 30, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Going on a road trip with a family is a great way to explore new places. Today I’m here to share tips + ideas with you on ways to help your family have the best road trip ever with useful organization insights from Shellie Eldridge. Learn how you can pack clothes efficiently, make your snacks last the entire trip, how to plan out where to stop along the way, and keep the kids happy and entertained during long days on the road.
Jul 23, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Introducing our children to new places, cultures, ideas, and food is an important piece of their real-world education. Visiting these new places in person is always amazing but sometimes we can also explore right from the comfort of our own homes. Melissa Scott from @scottfamilytravels joins Lisa to share practical ideas on how to learn about places around the world while at home. Get ready to discover inspiration about how to use music, language, games, maps, food, crafts, and dance to open the...
Jul 16, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Phoenix makes a fantastic family-friendly vacation destination. Yes, even in the summer when the heat is high, there are still many places to go and things to do. Jana Tingom from Phoenix with Kids joins Lisa to share her favorite wintertime and summertime activities along with a few great road trips from Phoenix that you won’t want to miss. Let us help you start planning your family vacation to Phoenix, AZ!
Jul 09, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Are you searching for the perfect gift to give to your favorite travel lover? I’ve got you covered! This episode covers 10 of my favorite things that I love to take with me when I travel. Starting with my favorite lip balm and moving to my favorite suitcase plus everything in between. Listen in to hear what I love about each of my favorite ten items or click the link to the show notes to see my list with links to each item. Nothing sponsored here. It’s just a simple list of my tried and true fav...
Jul 02, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Let’s face it. Going to Disney Parks with your family is expensive. The good news is that there are ways to save significant amounts of money when heading to Disney Parks. Beth Vermillion joins Lisa and they discuss practical ways to save money when planning a Disney trip, how to find great accommodations at budget-friendly prices, bargain ways to enjoy lots of delicious food in the parks, plus many general tips that will help your Disney days run smoothly. Ready to plan an amazing Disney family...
Jun 25, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 73
We absolutely love visiting New York City as a family and have discovered so many fun and free things to do while visiting this fabulous destination. Today I’m sharing our top 10 favorite free things to do with kids in NYC. This list is a perfect starting point for planning a family vacation to the Big Apple as it includes iconic places, great places to walk and explore, cool photo stops, and even a free way to get out on the water. Ready to start planning your next trip to NYC with your family?...
Jun 18, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Did you go off to summer camp as a kid or wish you had? It’s not too late to have a fabulous summer camp experience and you can bring along your whole family! Joanne Jarret is joining Lisa today to share fun and inspirational insights into what a family camp is, where you can attend one, what it’s like to go to camp with your whole family (spoiler alert: it’s fabulous!), how this type of vacation bonds family members, and how this will foster independence in your children.
Jun 11, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 71
If you are looking for a unique and memorable experience when visiting New York City, then I highly recommend that you make plans to climb into the Statue of Liberty’s Crown. Our family has been able to do this a couple of times and I’m excited to share all of our tips and ideas for making this a smooth and exciting experience for your family. I’m sharing insights on acquiring tickets, getting through security, what to expect on Liberty Island, and things to know about the climb into the crown....
Jun 04, 2020•25 min•Season 2Ep. 70
San Fransisco is a fabulous city to explore with teens with so many exciting places to visit. Anne Abreau, a travel blogger living in the Bay Area, joins Lisa to share all of the activities that you won't want to miss on your next family vacation to San Fransisco. We talk through the typical touristy options plus discuss some not-to-be-missed experiences. As a bonus, Anne shares two exciting day trips that you will want to take if you have a little extra vacation time.
May 28, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 67
What makes Kona, Hawaii a great family vacation destination? Let me share our family’s Kona experiences with you and guide you to discovering wonderful activities that you can do together while enjoying this island paradise. Learn about our favorite activities that you won’t want to miss like visiting an octopus farm, doing a night snorkel with manta rays, kayaking with dolphins, and more! I’ll share all of the details about what you need to know about each activity. With so many wonderful optio...
May 21, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Wyoming has plenty of room to roam for your family on your next vacation. Today Piper Singer from the Wyoming Office of Tourism joins Lisa to share all of the highlights she thinks you’ll want to include when planning a family trip to Wyoming. With stunning national parks, natural hot springs, endless outdoor activities, rodeos, western museums, quaint little towns, and lots of open space there is guaranteed to be something for everyone with a vacation to Wyoming. Consider this your essential gu...
May 14, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 67
There are so many amazing cities to visit in the United States and today our family is sharing five of our favorite destinations. I asked each family member to choose one of their favorite US cities and highlight things they loved doing when we visited that city to share with you today. Is one of our favorites one of your favorites too? Join us to learn about places we feel make great family vacation destinations and what you can do when you visit these cities.
May 07, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 66
There are so many amazing places in the world to visit and it can be a challenge figuring out where to go next. We are here to inspire you with fresh ideas and inspiration on where you can take your family on your next big adventure. Maryann Jones Thompson joins Lisa to share her picks for the top 20 destinations you should consider adding to your bucket list this year. There are so many great places to share and this episode is divided into two parts. This is part two.
Apr 30, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Since we are all currently staying at home and finding fun ways to spend time together as a family, I thought I’d put together my top ten list for budget-friendly and travel-focused staycation ideas. I'll share creative and simple ways to enjoy some travel experiences while at home like having a family spa day, ways to get the most out of your backyard, finding a penpal, having a cultural day, and more.
Apr 23, 2020•25 min•Season 2Ep. 64
We all know that food can really enhance your travel experience but how can you discover the flavors, spices, and specialties that different destinations have to offer? Sandra Clark Jergensen joins Lisa to share her food discovery experiences from traveling to many destinations around the world. Learn how Sandra researches food before a trip, where she suggests that you shop for food while traveling, and how you can have the most authentic food experiences while exploring the world....
Apr 16, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you think about planning a family vacation? Do you want to try out new destinations but you aren’t even sure where to go? How much free time do you have available in your schedule to plan a trip? Trip planning can be a big task that prevents people from taking vacations and I want to help! Today I’m sharing my trip planning process which I hope will help you think of new ways to simplify the process and even make it exciting and fun. Join me as I talk through ch...
Apr 09, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Is visiting New Zealand on your travel bucket list? Looking for an exciting family-friendly vacation destination? We have the perfect information for you when Ann Frishmann from Travel Design by Ann joins Lisa to share her knowledge about the best things to see, do, and experience on a family vacation in New Zealand. We focus on amazing activities to do on both the north and south islands in addition to the best time to visit, how to get around, and where you should stay. Join us to learn what y...
Apr 02, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 61
Are you planning a family trip to Washington D.C. and feeling overwhelmed by all of the things to see and do there? Lisa is joined by travel expert and Washington D.C. local, Keryn Means, and they share all of the highlights a family will want to plan to visit on a trip to our nation’s capitol. There are insights on things you should book ahead of time, how to balance your time each day, how to get around, what free activities should be on your list, and places just outside of the city that you’...
Mar 26, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 60
My main goal here has always been to encourage you to make plans and make memories with your family. In light of the recent Coronvirus outbreak, that is shifting to look quite different than it usually does. Now, instead of venturing out around town or to new destinations, we get to spend time together at home. The message is still the same: Make Plans & Make Memories. Now get to make all of those memories at home while we wait things out. The good news is that although we can’t control ever...
Mar 19, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 59
There is something magical about getting your dreams down on paper. Not only is it a clarifying process but it allows the mind to be free from holding the information and gives you even more space to dream. This is why I believe that creating a travel bucket list will bring joy along with lots of inspiration for upcoming family vacations. Join me as I share my current travel wish list and I hope that it will inspire you to write down your dream destinations and allow you to find more joy and exc...
Mar 12, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Wondering where you should go on your next family adventure? We have a list of amazing family-friendly destinations to share with you. Maryann Jones Thompson, founder of ROAM Family Travel, joins Lisa to share her top destination picks for 2020. Many of these ideas are amazing bucket list style trips and we hope to spark ideas that encourage you to start planning an epic family vacation. There are so many great ideas to share, so this episode is divided into two parts. This is part one and part ...
Mar 05, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 57
