Trip Reports Archives – Pack the Kid

March 26, 2020March 26, 2020

Visiting Los Barriles, Mexico, with a One Year Old

NOTE: The world has changed dramatically in the past few weeks. This post looks back at a trip that we took to Baja California Sur at the beginning of 2020. Lets hope that we get back to a state where such carefree adventures are possible again soon.

One thing struck us as we descended into the Los Cabos Airport: the region is a lot more mountainous and a lot less populated than we’d imagined. Looking out the plane window we saw almost no signs of civilization and while I’d expected a relatively flat desert like much of the American southwest the terrain was instead dominated by a significant mountain range. What is more, everything was green thanks to a recent period of uncommonly high rainfall. Lucky us.

November 26, 2019February 17, 2020

A Family Trip to Belgium and Luxembourg

For E’s first transatlantic adventure, we took a family trip to Belgium and Luxembourg. These little countries generally don’t get a lot of attention from American tourists. However, despite their small size, they pack a significant punch. I described the process that led us to choose Belgium and Luxembourg in a previous post. In this post, I’ll provide an overview of our adventure.

July 31, 2019January 16, 2020

What to Do in Westpunt, Curacao

Are you contemplating a trip to Curacao and want to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of colonial Willemstad? Less than an hour’s drive away on the island’s westernmost tip you’ll find the laid back town of Westpunt where you can swim with sea turtles and then eat iguana in the same morning. Here were our top three experiences in Westpunt, Curacao.

June 19, 2019January 17, 2020

Exploring the Ruins and Beaches of the Landhuis San Juan, Curacao

Landhuis San Juan in Curacao is a great place to get off the beaten path. It combines the atmospheric ruins of an old plantation house with dirt roads and four undeveloped beaches.

June 7, 2019January 16, 2020

Hiking to the Tree of Souls and Newtown Mine Ruins in Curacao

The excursion to the Tree of Souls and ruins of the Newtown Manganese and Copper Mine was a highlight of our time in Curacao. It’s a free hike with some great photo opportunities that can be followed up with a visit to one or more of the beautiful beaches on the western side of the island. For us, the trip required a bit of web sleuthing, but with the help of this post, anyone can find and enjoy the short trek!

May 16, 2019January 16, 2020

Climbing Mount Christoffel with a Baby

At 1,220 feet (372 meters), Mt. Christoffel is the highest point on the island nation of Curaçao. Although the island is better known for its UNESCO-listed capital and excellent beaches, climbing Mt. Christoffel is one of the top activities for adventurous visitors. As our blog’s name implies, we’re all about packing the kid along for our adventures, but as I researched this climb, I found little to no information about climbing Mount Christoffel with a baby. Well, we (and by that I mostly mean my amazing wife) did it!

May 13, 2019January 16, 2020

An Affordable Caribbean Vacation in Curaçao

Are you looking for an affordable Caribbean vacation destination? Somewhere that’s easy to reach from the United States and yet largely free of the tourist hordes? Look to Curaçao, an island nation and constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located about 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela. There isn’t much green to be seen on the island, but it has a UNESCO-listed capital, historical ruins to explore, vast swaths of uninhabited desert scrubland and beautiful beaches.

April 18, 2019January 16, 2020

Visiting Puerto Rico with an Infant, A Trip Review

Our trip to Puerto Rico began like many of our Caribbean adventures: waiting for ages at a mind numbingly inefficient rental car desk. Dollar Car Rental seemed to employ half of the island, and there were only two people in front of us. Yet it took a full hour to get the car we had reserved. We have been through this before. I guess it is just their friendly way of getting visitors used to “island time.” What was new this time around was the baby girl that my wife was trying to soothe while I waited in line. Yup, we were visiting Puerto Rico with an infant.