travel Archives - Page 15 of 68 - Have Sippy Will Travel

5 Spectacular Railway Journeys You Can Take With Your Kids

November 20, 2014 by Samantha Leave a Comment

In the current computer-crazed world, most kids end up with a cellphone or a tablet before they have even hit their teens. While this can be great for the peace of mind of their parents, it can stop children from really seeing the world around them. After all, kids love using technology and have to be dragged away from their phones and tablets kicking and screaming, even if it’s just to eat a family meal together.

This can pose a problem on holidays, in particular. If you’d like to see your child really taking in the sights on your next family vacation, perhaps consider booking in for a railway journey where you can all sit back together and spend time simply enjoying the view.

There is a vast array of breathtaking trips that can be taken on trains around the world, but yet don’t necessarily involve days and days spent stuck in a carriage. Whether you want to start off slowly with just a short, one-hour ride, or would like to select a journey that lasts a whole day at least, you’re sure to find something for your family to try across the globe. Read on for five top railway journeys that will help your family to see some of the most picturesque places around the world in a more leisurely, and technology-free, way.

1. Belmond Hiram Bingham in Peru

For a luxurious train ride, consider choosing the Belmond (formerly Orient-Express) Hiram Bingham in Peru. The train company runs full-day, round-trip excursions in Peru on board the Hiram Bingham luxury train. Journeys depart on a daily basis and the train trip links the colonial city of Cuzco to the iconic Incan citadel, Machu Picchu. Along the way, passengers can also take in breathtaking views of the Urubamba River valley. Each trip leaves at a time that gives customers the opportunity to enjoy the fascinating Machu Picchu destination in the late afternoon sun upon arrival.

The Hiram Bingham is a 1920s Pullman-style train that’s named after the explorer from America that discovered Machu Picchu in 1911. The service features two dining cars, an open-deck observation car, a bar car, live music, elegant upholstery and tableware, appetizers, brunch, and a four-course dinner.
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Head To Vermont, and The Basin Harbor Club

November 11, 2014 by Samantha 8 Comments

I am a sucker for a hotel that has not only history but also charm. The last time I was in Vermont I had the pleasure of staying at Basin Harbor Club. This hotel delighted my traveling soul. The location is not only is it scenic, but it offers so many opportunities for adventure that one could ponder why anyone would visit another place for a one of a kind vacation.

Located on 700+ tranquil acres, Basin Harbor Club is an ideal hotel for couples and families as well as large groups. Regardless of the size of your travel party, there is a spot for you at this wonderful resort. The scenery, the unexpected delights to be found around each corner and the endless opportunities for fun, relaxation, and a chance to reconnect with friends and family make this a noteworthy destination.

For more than 128 years this lovely resort has been operated by the Beach Family. The love of the property and pride in their resort are obvious and make this a destination that is unforgettable. The history of Basin Harbor Club is rich, which adds something super special to your stay.

Lake Champlain offers water lovers the chance to dive into boating, swimming, paddle boarding, fishing, sailing and more. Tennis lessons and a fantastic course for golfing will appeal to athletic guests. Lawn games are a favorite for guests that are looking to get active while playing together as a family.

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Filed Under: evergreen, travel Tagged With: family travel, hotel, resort, travel, Vermont

Plan A Visit To Cherry Crest Farm

November 7, 2014 by Samantha 10 Comments

In the heart of Dutch Country, Pennsylvania, is an adventure waiting to happen. Adventure is it’s middle name. No, really. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm offers any family a fun filled (and inexpensive) way to fill any day. Well, any day May through November, anyway. The day we visited was quite a rainy one, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits.

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm is not only a working farm, but also a wonderland for kids. It has all sorts of attractions from a science and animal learning center, where kids can learn about farming, animal husbandry, and even hold baby chicks

to “milking” a pretend cow, petting pigs, and feeding goats

to heading up a (quite steep) hill and taking a ride down these slides in potato sacks- and you will go whizzing down, let me tell you. The hill will wear your little ones out, so let them have at it. The lines generally are not too long, so you can wait at the bottom, take photos, and relax while your kiddos wear themselves out. They will sleep well after a visit to Cherry Crest, I promise 🙂
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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: family travel, PA, travel

The Cliff House Resort and Spa, Maine

October 23, 2014 by Samantha 3 Comments

I love resorts with history and oceanfront locations! Lucky for me, when I was last in Ogunquit, Maine I had the opportunity to stay at a lovely resort that offered both a rich history of welcoming guests for more than 142 years and a stunning location on 70 Oceanfront acres of land.

The Cliff House is an aptly named resort and spa. Situated on the cliffs of the Maine coastline, the centrally located resort offers vast meeting spaces and the largest banquet facilities in the area making it the ideal location for productive business travel.

I enjoyed the full service spa with 10 service rooms, a sauna, an outdoor stone meditation labyrinth and a state of the art fitness center. Not only was I able to relax in an adults only atmosphere, but I was able to do so with stunning ocean views! There is nothing like indulging in a massage or a pedicure while taking in the sights of the sea.

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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: family travel, Maine, spa, travel

Why Visit Wales?

October 9, 2014 by Samantha 12 Comments

As the weather turns colder and the leaves fall, many of us begin to plan our spring holidays and think of the days when everything will be bright and blooming again. If the thoughts of adventure, nature, a unique culture and history, good food and warm people make you want to book a trip- why not think Wales?

A tiny country surrounded by it’s better-known neighbors, England, Scotland, and Ireland, Wales is a part of the United Kingdom but has a heritage and language all it’s own. Fear not, non-Welsh speakers- almost all of the Welsh speak English, many as a first language (though you can hear the distinct language spoken often and all signs in the country are multilingual).

Bordered by England on the east, it is surrounded by water to it’s north, west, and southern boarders by the Bristol Channel and Irish Sea. The country is so proud of it’s coastline that it became the first country in the world to create a coastal path that covers the entire country. The Wales Coast Path began in 2012, and has been attracting nature lovers and hikers to the country since. If you love the beach, Wales is a must-visit, being the number two ranked coastal destination in the world. (National Geographic, 2011)

If it’s the coast you love, one of the most amazing sights is just a quick drive from Swansea- the Gower Peninsula. With it’s amazing views, scenery that is hard to match, and even some interesting bird sightings, this is one spot that should be on everyone’s “must see” list. Take a stroll all the way out to “The Worms Head”, named for it’s resemblance to a sleeping dragon. Along the way, marvel at the striking limestone cliffs, lush greenery, wildflowers, and historical ruins on the path, as well as the Rhossili beach below. For a very tiny area, there is a lot to see. If you are able, do take the walk down the steep hill down to the beach (wear appropriate shoes, this is not a path for flip flops or heels) and you will get an amazing alternate view- up at the cliffs. You can also see the remains of the Helvetia, shipwrecked in 1887 on the sands and visible during low tide. This spot has been designated as an “Area of Outstanding Beauty” since 1949, the first place in the UK to win such an honor, and once you are there you will understand why.

If you have not gotten enough communing with nature, why not try your hand at riding a horse? No matter if you are an experienced hand, novice, or child, there is a horse or pony with your name on it. Roughly an hour and a half from the Gower Peninsula (or slightly longer then one hour from Cardiff, 2 hours from London) in South Wales you can find the beautiful Brecon Beacons. Once you have arrived, there are quite a few stables to choose from depending on your skill set and how long you would like to ride (full day, half day, and even several day trips). The scenery is lovely, and your experienced guide will show you the best the area has to offer. If you choose, you can also get horse or pony riding lessons, a treat for adults or children alike. Visit http://www.horseridingbreconbeacons.com to find the tour for you.
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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: europe, family travel, travel, Wales

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

September 20, 2014 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Please read the full article on This Girl Travels!

OK, so maybe it wasn’t the President’s birthday- but it was my son’s. When I asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate, he told me he wanted to “finally” see Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson (third president of the USA and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence). “Finally” is a relative term- he was turning 7. So, off to Charlottesville, Virginia we went.

Charlottesville was the perfect place for this trip, because it has so much to offer in terms of Presidential history (and homes). In and around Charlottesville, you can see the homes of four of the most influential presidents in American history- along with Thomas Jefferson, you can visit the homes of James Madison, George Washington, and James Monroe. That is a lot of history for a little area. You can visit all the homes with a special pass should you so choose. The “President’s Passport” is one ticket that gives you access to all the homes of the four presidents. (Other added bonuses include free admission to 9 museums and historic sites in Alexandria if you show your paid ticket at the door, free wine tastings along the Monticello wine trail, savings at shopping areas, hotels, restaurants, and more. This is a good pass to get if you plan on spending a few days in the area.)

Our first stop, of course, was Monticello. I was impressed to see that they offered “family” tours with a guide who made the time spent even in “no touching” areas fun for the kids. She had a small bag packed with visual guides, books, photos, and toys that the children could see, touch, and play with to help them get a better idea of what she was explaining and the times that Jefferson lived in. She also aimed the tour at them, using language they could understand without “dumbing down” the tour whatsoever- she used appropriate language and explanations, scaled to ability and age- but never assumed the children were unable to understand or grasp the knowledge. This was something that the parents appreciated and the children thrived on- they all enjoyed the tour and remembered what they learned. (My son, of course, had to buy a stuffed Thomas Jefferson from the gift shop, just like the guide had. It was his birthday, after all.) There were also hands on activities to try one’s hand at when the tour was finished, such as using a quill pen and ink or playing with “old time” toys and games.
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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: education, family travel, travel, Virginia

Hotel Mediterraneo, Rome

September 16, 2014 by Samantha 9 Comments

When in Rome, where does one stay? If one stays at Hotel Mediterraneo, a one of a kind experience can be expected for an unforgettable trip. Located in the heart of Rome, this hotel is beautiful and easy to get where you need or want to go from.

Somebody’s sleeping in my bed….

First, customers are cherished at Hotel Mediterraneo. Expect exceptional service from the staff. The atmosphere of the hotel is infectious, you can’t help but feel very worldly, sophisticated, and maybe even a little pampered when you step foot across the threshold of Hotel Mediterraneo.

Located on top of a hill and across from the train station, you will admire the impressive views of the city. Designed by Art Deco Architect Mario Loreti in 1936, Hotel Mediterraneo is a 4 ½ star hotel that offers guests the ability to walk to all of the ancient main monuments. 10 stunning floors of art deco decor give this hotel a distinction of being rare, gorgeous and like an art deco dream come true. As the name suggests, the sea will be enjoyed through out the hotel. Marble busts abound and offer a certain sense of ancient class to the establishment that is fantastic and intoxicating.

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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: europe, european travel, family travel, hotel, italy, rome, travel

Go Natural In Norway

September 12, 2014 by Samantha 6 Comments

Most of us spend nearly the whole day with some sort of technology- in front of a computer, an app on our cell phones, watching the TV to unwind- and that might be why our minds and bodies crave time outdoors so badly that we find ourselves edgy, depressed, agitated. Just in general out of sorts. When you feel nature calling, answer it.

The natural beauty of Norway is stunning, with stunning views everywhere you look. (This is a bonus for the less-then-professional photographers among us, who will find themselves unable to take a bad photo.) Some of the most amazing sights in Norway revolve around fjords (long, narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs: usually formed by glacial erosion- dictionary.com definition for anyone not familiar with the term). What you might not know is how naturally beautiful Norway is. The pristine, unadorned loveliness around every turn is both stunning and even a bit startling. There are certainly not many places as pleasing to the eye as Norway.

Take the famous Flam Railway, which begins at the the mountainous Myrdal station on the Bergen railway, all the way down to the Flam station. This is easy to get to from major cities like Oslo or Bergen as the Flamsbana or Flam Railway corresponds with the trains along the Oslo-Bergen route. Along the way, you will be greeted with some of the most amazing scenery that you will ever have had the pleasure to gaze upon. Books will stay unopened in your backpack, and even your precious smart phones and tablets will be at rest- except perhaps to take a few photos of the memorable landscape. The train stops along the way, letting passengers on or off at several locations- but also it stops for your viewing pleasure. There are points that the train will allow you to get off just for photo ops- which is not only fantastic for shutterbugs, but should also give you an indication of just how glorious the scenery truly is.

One such “photo-op-stop” was in Kjosfossen. This waterfall (one of the most visited attractions in Norway) is larger then most others you will pass, and it has a deck or platform for viewing and photos to be taken. It also is used to help power the Flam line, how’s that for using your natural resources? In our excitement to take the best photo, we nearly missed an amazing, quite surprising spectacle- in the middle of the waterfalls appeared a woman, dressed in red, dancing as music played- then she jumped behind the rocks- seemingly into the waterfalls. We learned later that she is an actress from the Norwegian ballet school, portraying the legendary Huldra (part woman, part animal seductress who lures men to certain doom in Scandinavian folklore) for the summer season. After the “show”, climb back on board the train to your destination of choice. (Tip- save yourself the stress- let the “more pushy” passengers snap selfies first, then you can get a decent photo. No point pushing, the train does give ample time.)

Should you take the train all the way to Flam, you would disembark onto a storybook setting. Flam looks to be right out of a picture book or painting- quiet, idyllic, and unspoiled. Located on the most inner part of the Aurlandsfjord, you will find yourself surrounded by tall mountains and deep fjords. Outdoor enthusiasts and families will love this nature’s paradise, where you can not only get your fill of the outdoors, but steep yourself in local history, culture, and traditional foods as well.
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