We Came and We Camped

We made our annual trip to Door County the week before school started. This was Isaac's first time camping and second time in Door County. It was Margot's fifth visit and Isabelle's eighth!

Camping Day One - Sunday, August 12, 2018 
We had a long drive to Door County; it probably seemed a little longer because Isaac wouldn’t nap and he kept asking for fruit snacks. The girls only wanted to watch certain shows that Isaac wasn’t a fan of, but we made it! After picking up a few extra supplies in Egg Harbor, we made our way to Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek where setting up the 8-person tent was slightly challenging and it was definitely a 2-person job. Isaac did not want to go in the pack n play and everyone wanted to help. Once it was all set up it was hard to get the kids out of the “bounce house.” Car camping quesadillas were on the menu that night plus lots of veggies, including cucumbers and tomatoes from our garden. For dessert we had s’mores and then let the kids run around and play. Soon it was time for bed and while Tom and I had plans to sit by the campfire, we just ended up going to bed with the kids. They said they were scared, but they kept chatting away until they dozed off.

Camping Day Two - Monday, August 13, 2018 
Everyone slept all night! Unbelievable, right? Its true! Isaac started stirring around 7, but we managed to keep everyone in the tent until 8. We had breakfast, played a bit and then went for a long walk to look at the water and the lighthouse. It was already starting to get warm, so after our walk we hopped in the car to get a few more supplies and ice. Isaac immediately fell asleep when we got in the car, so we went to the little playground in Ephraim for a bit so the girls could play before we had lunch at Wilson’s Dinner and Ice Cream Shop. They have great burgers and hot dogs and a wonderful allergy protocol for ice cream. Everyone left very full! After lunch we went back to Peninsula State Park where I popped over to the box office for Northern Sky Theater and got tickets to the 6pm show of the musical Dairy Heirs. Our next stop was Nicolet Beach. We had such a great time swimming and playing in the sand. The water even felt refreshing on a hot day. After some quick showers we made sandwiches and had an early dinner before the show. The Northern Sky Theater is in an outdoor amphitheater surrounded by trees. Plus, you can bring drinks and snacks. Its first come seating and we were happy to be in the last row. It still had great views and when Isaac needed to wander, it was easy to get him out. The girls loved the show, especially Margot! She wanted a double feature! After the show we had s’mores and cookies by the campfire. Then the kids went to bed and Tom and I sat out by the campfire. A perfect night!

Camping Day Three - Tuesday, August 14, 2018 
We started the day by going to the park in Sister Bay. We had a little time to burn before we went sailing with Sail Door County. Then the plans shifted because the Coast Guard was inspecting the parasailing boat which meant they couldn’t take us sailing at 9:30. They could take us out at 10:30. So we had some more time to burn by going back to the park and popping into some shops. Finally, it was time to go sailing in the 40-foot boat called The North Passage. We had it all to ourselves! Captain Peter was fantastic and only put up the jig sail so we didn’t tip back and forth a lot. The ride would have been really exciting with the main sail up, but this definitely worked out better for the kids. We were out on the water for 90 minutes. Tom and I loved every minute! Isaac was lulled asleep and slept for most of it. Totally opposite of what I expected! Isabelle and Margot were also great out there and talked the captain’s ears off. After sailing we walked to Wild Tomato in Sister Bay. We are out on the patio and the food was all delicious! Everyone was pretty tired after lunch, so we drove to Gill’s Rock for Tom’s favorite smoked fish. Then it was back to our campsite so we could get out swimsuits on and head to Nicolet Beach. It was another beautiful afternoon! Lots of swimming and sandcastles. That night the girls went to bed great. Isaac cried for a bit, but eventually settled down with the help of Tom and I trading off hanging inside the tent. Then Tom and I finally got to relax by the campfire, together. 

Camping Day Four - Wednesday, August 15, 2018 
Everyone slept in again and after breakfast we started packing up a few things and then went for a hike on Sentinel Trail. It’s a two-mile loop and everyone did it! Well, Tom did carry Isaac for about half. Still really great for an almost two-year-old! The kids loved all the signs that described the trees. After our hike we went to The Summer Kitchen for lunch and ate on their front porch. It was delicious! Their soup bar may not scream “summer”, but it was so good! After lunch we stopped by a cute shop in Ephraim for souvenirs and then went back to break down camp. We did let the kids watch a show while we got the dry tent down. Yes, a dry tent! It didn’t rain a drop this time! Then I took the kids for a walk while Tom finished loading up the car. We were done by 2 and that wrapped up our 2018 trip to Door County. Until next summer!

Road Tripping to an Island

A few days after school let out for the summer, we packed up the minivan and set our sights on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. That's right, we went road tripping with three kids. And survived! Here's a recap.


Saturday, June 9, 2018

Today was our big driving day. We left Illinois around 7 in the morning, stopped at a Fazoli's in Indiana for lunch, then made our way through Kentucky and Tennessee before spending the night in Asheville, North Carolina. We had lots of movies, books, crafts, snacks and one of those claw grabbers to pass everything to the way back. Wish I would have thought of that sooner!


Sunday, June 10, 2018
After a pretty OK nights sleep (I mean, there were five of us in one room) we made our way to the Biltmore Estate. Our first surprise of the day was the price tag. It is expensive! $75 per adult and we lucked out with kids being free this summer. Normally its $30 per child. Was it worth the $150 for a few hours...I would say yes, but I also would have planned for more time there. Two hours just wasn't enough. We started with a short, but beautiful walk from the parking lot to the main grounds and our first view was of the breathtaking home. It reminded us of a French chateau. The gardens were full of flowers and a special Chihuly exhibit, so we spent some time out there. Isaac just wanted to run everywhere, so he was a bit of a handful (understatement). The girls were great during the self-guided tour. We asked them what their favorite rooms were. Isabelle said the staircase, because it is very grand. Margot said the indoor pool, which would be fun to have. We all had fun imagining what it would be like to live there.

Monday, June 11, 2018
After everyone slept in (yes!!!), we had a quick breakfast and hit the beach. The tide was out and the beach was huge. We set up right by a tidal pool, so we basically had a kiddie pool and the ocean. It was perfect! We came back for lunch and ate out on the balcony. Then Isaac took a nap and Tom took the girls to the pool where they quickly made friends. Then they can back for a minute so Tom and I could swap places. Once Isaac woke up, Tom brought him down. He wanted to swim by himself just like his sisters. So soon we walked around to find the pool with the baby pool by it. Finally we found it next to pool number four by the bar. After a full day of swimming we tried to go to Salty Dog Cafe, but it was a two hour wait. So we went to Mellow Mushroom, which was delicious! Decor was fun too - Grateful Dead vibe. After dinner Margot and I ran into the grocery store for ice cream and then we had desert out on the balcony. A perfect day!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018
We slipped into a lovely routine during our time in Hilton Head. We spent the morning at the beach again and I packed a picnic lunch. Lots of playing in the sand, making sandcastles, burying Margot, burying my feet, playing in the ocean and tide pools and a sandy lunch. Isaac was getting tired and rubbing his eyes with sand covered hands. So I took him in for a nap, but as we walked by the pool he wanted to swim. So we took a quick dip. Why not? Tom stayed out at the beach with Isabelle and Margot until they decided to head to the pool. After awhile it was my turn to go swimming with the girls, but right when we got down there it started raining. So back we came, took showers and did a little relaxing. Then we went to the Lilly Pulitzer store. The girls each got new dresses and I got new top. When in Hilton Head! Then we went to the Salty Dog Cafe for an early dinner. We had a short wait and did a little souvenir shopping to pass the time. Soon our name was called and we were seated outside right by the water and close to the live music. It’s was so much fun! Food was great too!

Wednesday, June 13, 2018
When we went to the beach that morning Isaac wasn't feeling it, so Tom took him to the pool for a bit. The girls and I played in the ocean, found sea shells and started building sand snowmen and castles. Isaac’s mood finally improved and he helped build the sandcastles and played with a bucket of water. I was coming back from getting more water when a nice women asked me how old my kids are, told me how cute you all are and that we seem like good parents. Win! Then Margot dumped Isaac’s water and he had an EPIC meltdown. He was banging his forehead on the sand he was so mad! Luckily things did improve! He has fun knocking down the sandcastles and the girls loved going into the ocean. We took a quick dip in the pool before lunch. Ate on the balcony, then Isaac took and nap and I went swimming with the girls. Later Tom and I switched so he could go swimming too. Around 3:30 a storm rolled in so we showered, relaxed and then went to a shop before a delicious dinner at Reilly’s Grill and Bar. Isaac made friends with the table next to us. Margot and Isabelle loved their food...so did Tom and I! The BEST crab cakes served over fried green tomatoes. After dinner it was back to our place where the kids played and had ice cream. Tom and I spent the rest of the evening playing Scrabble on the balcony.

Thursday, June 14, 2018
We started the day again at the beach and we had a great time playing in the waves, searching for shells, making sandcastles and found a lot of little crabs. We popped in the pool before lunch and Margot did not want to leave because there was a hula hoop contest going on. We ate lunch on the balcony then Isaac took a nap while Tom took the girls back to the pool. I was supposed to switch, but it started raining. So we got cleaned up and when Isaac woke up we went to see the Harbor Town Lighthouse. We climbed to the top and had great views of Hilton Head Island. After we walked down the pier, popped into a few shops, put our name in at the Crazy Crab restaurant and went to the playground at Liberty Park. Very fun with a tree house, and nature inspired play sets. It was also jam packed! It was a great way to pass the time during our wait that was supposed to be an hour. We lucked out and sat down after about 35 minutes. The Crazy Crab was kitschy and the food was good. Although at that point Isaac just wanted to run and Margot was tired. So we ate quickly! After dinner we went back to the resort and started to pack up a bit. After the kids were in bed Tom and did our usual of sitting on the balcony and listening to the waves. We also talked about making out next visit to Hilton Head longer. We loved it there!

Friday, June 15, 2018

In the morning we packed up and left Hilton Head for the long drive to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We ran into several patches of traffic and got into Gatlinburg later than we had planned. So, our first stop was dinner at Mellow Mushroom on the main strip. We parked and had to walk a little bit to it. Gatlinburg is very busy, very touristy, lots of Ripley's Believe It or Not stuff, wax museums, you name it. After dinner we walked back to the car and checked into our hotel, The Park Vista. We had a suite with two rooms - one with two sets of bunk beds which the kids had a lot of fun with! Plus we had beautiful views of the Smokey Mountains that are full of bears! The hotel made sure to tell us that all food had to be out of the car because of the bears. One even ran up the main street of Gatlinburg a few days before we got there!

Saturday, June 16, 2018
Today we made a picnic lunch and then made our way to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We started at the Sugarlands visitor center to get our map. We also looked at the museum and saw all the animals (stuffed). The girls were impressed and wanted to know what every animal was. Isaac was running around like crazy and making animal noises. We got a few souvenirs and then made our way to the Cades Cove tour. The drive around the park is really nice. There’s a small, rocky river that runs along the road and we saw a lot of people wading in it. I was jealous! Before we started the tour we stopped at a really nice picnic area for lunch and we made sure to put our garbage in the bear proof garbage cans. The Cades Cove tour was really interesting. We went in the oldest log cabin in the area and walk around to see old farm buildings and an old mill where we bought some corn meal. The highlight was when we saw two bears! We were driving and all of a sudden the cars in front of us stopped. We knew they saw something, but would have never guessed it would be two bears. We had a good look at them eating and they were fairly close to the road. Very cool! It was around 4:00 by the time we got back to Gatlinburg, so we parked and made our way to the Anakeesta chair lift where we took a very hot gondola ride to the top. Beautiful views up there that we enjoyed with some much needed lemonade. Then we went in the coolest treehouse playground and took the tree canopy tour. Huge rope bridges connected platforms way up in the trees. It was so cool! We could have stayed up there for much longer, but dinner called. So we took the gondola back down and walked to dinner at Bennett’s Pit BBQ. It was delicious! We finally made it back to the hotel around 8:30. Everyone was beat!

Sunday, June 17, 2018
This was our last day of vacation and it was a full day of driving. It felt good to pull into our driveway! We made it!

Where to Eat

Tip: The AllergyEats app is such a GREAT resource!

Mellow Mushroom
33 Office Park Rd.
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
(843) 686-2474

903 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 277-0600

Salty Dog Cafe
232 S Sea Pines Dr.
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
(843) 671-2233
*When we checked in our hotel gave us a pass to access the Sea Pines community. Normally it is a $6 daily fee.

Reilly’s Grill and Bar
Reilly's Plaza

7D Greenwood Drive 

Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
(843) 842-4414

Crazy Crab
149 Lighthouse Rd.
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
(843) 363-2722

Bennett’s Pit BBQ
714 River Rd.
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-2400

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!

If only we could all have a fairy godmother to make our wishes come true. I would probably wish to be back at Disney World right now, IF my fairy godmother could make Orlando a cool 75 degrees all year long. Some wishes may never come true! Luckily we did go to Disney World for spring break at the end of March/early April.

Where We Went:

• Magic Kingdom
• Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Epcot
• Animal Kingdom
• Back to Magic Kingdom

Where We Stayed:

• Polynesian Village - 3 Nights
• Grand Floridian - 3 Nights

Day One – Chicago > Walt Disney World

Considering we had an early flight to Orlando, it went rather smoothly. My parents met us by O'Hare at a parking garage where we had two spots reserved.  You never know what you're going to get when you're flying with three kids, especially a baby on his first flight, but we flew American and it was uneventful. When we landed, thanks to Disney's Magical Express, we didn't even have to pick up our luggage or find a ride. It was wonderful!

Our first stop when we got to the Polynesian Village was to grab some lunch by the Lava Pool. Then the girls had to go swimming. It was the perfect weather for it! Somehow we lucked out (haha) and the temperatures peaked around 90 degrees the week we were there. Usually it isn't quite that warm at the end of March.

That evening we went to Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show and it was fantastic! The food was delicious and the show held the attention of Margot (3 ½) and Isabelle (5 ½). Margot even whet to the front to try out some hula dancing.

Day Two – Magic Kingdom

After a quick breakfast in our room, we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Wow, I knew it was going to be busy, but there were a lot of people! Although with Tom's expert Fast Pass planning, we got on a ton of rides that day, like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey's PhilharMagic and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. Isaac (6 months) even went on a lot of rides. It was so funny to see his expressions, especially on his first ride, Peter Pan's Flight. I think my favorite was Enchanted Tales with Belle, because Margot volunteered to be the Salt Shaker in the little reenactment. She was so, so cute! And guess what, Belle is her now favorite princess. So surprised, right? We spent pretty much the entire day in Fantasyland, including lunch, a break for ice cream and meeting Rapunzel, Tiana, Minnie Mouse and Daisy. At the end of the day we took the water taxi back to the Polynesian. It was a very relaxing way to travel. For dinner we made the girls sandwiches and got take out for the adults. We had adjoining rooms with my parents, so it was really nice to hang out in one room while the kids fell fast asleep in the other.

Day Three – Disney's Hollywood Studio

It was another busy day that started with a shuttle bus ride over to Disney's Hollywood Studio. I'll just say this, I'm not a fan of the shuttle bus. At least when strollers are involved. Once at the park we started off with the Toy Story ride where we spun around in a car playing a 3D video game. (It was 1000% better than the Buzz Lightyear version at the Magic Kingdom.) We also saw the Frozen Singalong show (my favorite), the Disney Junior show (the kids' favorite) and rode the Great Movie Experience ride. Isabelle and Margot also met Sophia the First and Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The lines were pretty reasonable at MGM and no fast pass was needed to meet the characters. For lunch we ordered from Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. Their pulled pork sandwiches and loaded nachos were delicious! The girls devoured their hot dogs and chocolate shakes. Bonus, we found a spot to sit in the shade and could still see part of the Star Wars show. After a long day at Disney's Hollywood Studio, we went swimming at the Polynesian's low-key Oasis Pool. It was Isaac's first time swimming and he loved it! The girls didn't want to leave so Tom made sandwiches for the girls and they ate by the pool. The adults got take out from the Oasis Bar and Grill. Later that night Tom and I went for a walk around the resort. Our main goal was to buy Margot a little treat (we didn't forget the other kiddos!) because she had been dancing around my parents' room and got a nasty bump on the head. Thankfully she was fine, but the new Minnie Mouse bracelet helped improve her mood.

Day Four – Epcot

Our day started with packing and getting our luggage picked up so we could switch resorts. So easy! Then we got stuck on the monorail. That's right. We were coming from the Polynesian and the monorail pulled into the Grand Floridian, but the doors wouldn't open. It had the same problem right before we got on. Should have known better! They had to pull off one of the doors and we had to break down the double stroller to get it out. Other people in our car had to climb over the seats to get out. Then it was taking eons to get on a shuttle bus, so we took a cab (a large van) to Epcot. Best decision ever! It really wasn't that expensive and we didn't have to break down the strollers. They just put them in the trunk. We had already missed a few of our Fast Pass rides, so before leaving the Grand Floridian, I did speak to Guest Relations about our experience. First they gave us a No Strings Attached ticket to get on the Nemo Ride. Then another person with Guest Relations gave us a No Strings Attached ticket to get on ANY ride that day at Epcot. (Although it still wasn't good for the Frozen ride. Luckily that Fast Pass was later in the day.) Once at Epcot, we had a blast! The Nemo Ride was cute and the Frozen ride was a favorite for the girls. Isaac wasn't a fan of the water, but he was a trooper! My favorite part was the World Showcase and visiting all of the countries, especially Japan, Germany, France and Morocco which is where Tom and I went on our honeymoon. For a second it really did feel like we were back in Morocco. We had a dinner reservation at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and not only was the food excellent, but the girls saw Belle again and met Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel. Isabelle and Margot were dressed up in their costumes we brought and walked in the princess parade. They were thrilled! Isaac was thrilled because he sat in a high chair for the first time in a restaurant. Nothing like a new vantage point for a baby. We ended the night with a trip to Mexico and a monorail ride home...luckily we didn't get stuck that time! We came back to our new room at the Grand Floridian where could see the Electrical Water Pageant! It ended up being a great day!

Day Five – Animal Kingdom

Today we didn't chance it and just decided to take a cab to the Animal Kingdom. It was a great idea! The highlight for the kids was the Lion King show. It was a shorter version of their Broadway show, which I saw ages ago. Very cool! The kids were so excited! Even Isaac was jumping around! My favorite was the Kilimanjaro Safari. We saw so many animals up close and I have never seen that many giraffes at one time! For lunch we went to Harambe Market in the Africa section of the Animal Kingdom. The food was outstanding and I would love the recipe for their Black-eyed Pea Salad. So delicious! My only regret that day is we never made it Kali River Rapids ride. When we got back to the Grand Floridian, we ate by one of the pools that had a really fun kids area which Margot, Isabelle and Tom enjoyed. It was a beautiful night and after the kids were tucked into bed Tom and I went for a walk and stopped by the Mizner's Lounge, where we listened to the orchestra play away. When we got back to the room, we watched some of the fireworks from our balcony, the Electric Water Pageant and we could even see Cinderella's castle all lit up!

Day Six – Magic Kingdom

Today was our last day at the parks and we spent it at the Magic Kingdom. Our first stop was Adventureland where we went on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, toured the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, experienced the Enchanted Tiki Room and went on a Jungle Cruise. Remember those No Strings Attached tickets we got? Well, my mom dropped her sunglasses into the water while getting off the Jungle Cruise boat and viola, she didn't even have to ask. They just gave her a No Strings Attached voucher to get a new pair of sunglasses. We had lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern and it was so nice to sit down and relax while we ate. After lunch it was back to Fantasyland where we went on many more rides, like Its a Small World and Isabelle and Margot's first roller coaster – The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. They loved it! We ended our day in Tomorrowland and Margot's only regret was not going on the Astro Orbiter to fly in a rocket ship like the cartoon Miles from Tomorrowland (surprisingly nowhere to be found at Disney). We said we would do it the next time we came. For dinner we went to the Grand Floridian Cafe and we got there just in time to miss walking through a big downpour. We lucked out!

Day Seven – Walt Disney World > Chicago

This morning we had breakfast and finished packing while the kids burned off some energy. Once we were ready, we checked our luggage in at the resort – one of the best perks of staying on property. Soon it was time to hop on Disney's Magical Express and head home. We had a GREAT vacation!

Disney tips

• Buy the book, The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. It was full of great information, like traffic patterns, which rides to use the Fast Passes on and the best places to eat. Personally, I loved all of the ride descriptions. Those were good for a laugh!
• Order groceries from Garden Grocer ahead of time. When you get to the resort, they will deliver them to your room. We had tons of snacks, breakfast food, fruit and veggies, water and juice. It was great! (Although I did go a little overboard ordering bananas.)
• If you're looking for a great deal on rooms, check out David's Vacation Club Rentals. That's how we could swing deluxe studios at the Polynesian and a two-bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian. 
• Amazon delivers to the resorts! Perfect when you loose something you need for the flight home.
• The Polynesian and Grand Floridian both had little shops where you could pick up basic groceries, diapers, more water and of course, beer and wine. 

Tips for traveling with a food allergy:

• Disney will do an allergy cleaning of your room if you request it. So great!
• At all of the Disney restaurants – sit down and quick service – they have a binder available that lists any and all allergens their food contains. For a sit down restaurant, they will even make your meal in a separate kitchen to prevent any cross contamination. Oh and the soft serve ice cream and chocolate Mickey Ears were free of peanuts and tree nuts (except for coconuts). We all ate a lot of ice cream!
• Bring a lot of Wet Ones!
• Instead of a large bottle of Benadryl, I brought single dose vials at Walgreens (their brand). I could put a couple in the Epipen case. Game changer! 
• Crib size fitted sheets fit perfectly over the seats on the plane. 
• Even though many airlines specially state they won't make accommodations for food allergies, many gate agents will let you preboard to wipe down the seats. I just asked when we got to the gate and they were so accommodating!