In 2004, our family traveled to Europe to visit our wonderful foreign exchange student, Maria (wearing the hat), in Austria. We ended up on a whirlwind 15-day tour of France, Germany, Austria and Italy, in a rented Opel sedan. At that time, our kids were only ages 5 and 7, and this was our first trip abroad with them. We traveled with only two Rick Steve’s backpacks, while the kids each carried their own school-sized packs. Without a doubt, this fantastic trip was worth every moment (and every dime) we spent.

(Picnic near a church at the top of a Carinthian mountain.)

We walked a lot, ate a lot, played a lot and found a playground in every town. You’ll notice in most photos, Craig is eating something, if he’s not on a merry-go-round, or in a sandbox.

(At the school playground, in Grafenstein, Austria.)

I’ll share photos with you in the coming weeks. I was looking through old photo disks and came across the pictures from this trip. Since that trip was pre-Pass the Torch, I haven’t shared these photos before – enjoy!

We had two free tickets and were in for a chilly low-60’s day, so we decided to hop on the Key West Express from Marco Island.

Had it been a warmer day, we could have spent more time outside, which would have been more enjoyable. My husband and son did spend some time watching the considerable waves hit our boat, and the sun was nice on the way South, even though it was too cold for the jackets we were wearing.

The kids played a bit of backgammon and we were seated at a table where we could watch TV the whole way back to Marco Island.

We didn’t have time to do much more than wander around on Duval Street, enjoy a nice Cuban meal, get some Key Lime Pie, and of course, take the obligatory photo next to the Southernmost tip of the United States.

Unfortunately, probably because of the cold front, the three-hour ride each way was very rough on the day we chose, and many were getting sick on the outside decks. I think Key West is a lovely place to visit, but it would take a few days to truly experience all it has to offer.

Key West Tips:
1. If you take the Key West Express, talk to someone who understands boat navigation, to find out what kind of water conditions are expected. The crew took good care of everyone, but it was very rough water and a generally miserable trip.

2. Arrive early so you can select your seat. We had a full boat and arrived at 8 AM, and were not able to sit next to each other on the way to Key West. For the return trip we arrived early and got desireable seats in the indoor upper deck, facing forward toward the TV.

3. Bring supplies for seasickness. The crew takes good care of the passengers, but Dramamine, baby wipes and small plastic garbage bags would have been very helpful to some people on our trip.

4. Consider staying a couple of days. There is snorkeling, boat cruises and a National Park – all of which required more than the few hours we were allowed during our single-day roundtrip.

5. Rent a car. I heard the drive from Miami to Key West is worth the trip and the extra time to get there. It’s also possible to boat one way and rent a car for the return trip.

Marco Island Series:
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares

Marco Island, Florida, isn’t well-known for shelling, but we must have come just at the right time this winter. We arrived just after a storm and found plentiful shells along the beach each day, especially toward the south end of the island, near the rocks.

We walked each day on the beach and always brought a grocery bag along, in case we discovered a “must-keep” shell.

We found literally hundreds of the Fighting Conch one day, as apparently there is a nesting bed beyond the rocks off the coast. These were mostly live, though, so we spent quite a while throwing them back into the Gulf.

Craig’s favorite passtime during the trip was identifying the shells and choosing which he’d keep.

He sorted the shells into categories: sharks eye, banded tulips, augers, conch, even sand dollars.

And the bleach-water mix helped remove the stench. He even found a small horseshoe crab shell, removed the soft tissue and bleached it as well.

These will be excellent trades at Collector’s Corner this winter!

Marco Island Series:
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares

The second meal our kids cooked for us required a little help, which Uncle Bill gladly provided. Cajun shrimp with Parmesan asparagus. YUM!

“You cut the asparagus where it naturally breaks…”

And here Craig is dicing apples for his signature apple/Cool Whip/Snickers salad (which, of course, isn’t salad at all:)

How do you spell, “AWESOME?”

Marco Island Series:
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares

During this winter’s Florida vacation, we decided it was time for the kids to start cooking some of our meals. We tend to eat pretty well on vacation because we stay in a condo and have access to a full kitchen. Why not teach the kids about cooking while we have some spare time!

The first meal they tackled together was supposed to be kabobs until we found out we didn’t have a grill. So it turned into sauteed steak strips and farm-fresh peppers and mushrooms. Yum!

Cutting the vegetables…

Sauteeing the steak…

Mmmm-Mmmmm Good!

Marco Island Series:
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares