travel Archives | Page 3 of 24

a long weekend in boston

November 28, 2017

|post room service snuggles with the boys|

A few weeks ago, Caleb and I took the boys on our first family (of four) trip. When deciding where we wanted to go, we had a few requirements: 1) neither of us had been there 2) easy walkability/getting around with two babies and 3) close to airport as we just had a few days to get away. Boston fit all of these and more – it was actually cold and felt like fall! We had the best time exploring the city on foot (and public transportation), the people in Boston are some of the friendliest we have ever met and we had the best view from our room at Four Seasons Boston.

STAY

Four Seasons Boston: You can’t beat the location, the service or the beautiful rooms. We arrived late Friday evening and the bellmen greeted us by name when we arrived. Our suite was one of the best hotel rooms we have ever stayed in – it was larger than our first apartment! Cribs were set up for both boys, along with toiletries, diapers and wipes. The suite had windows that overlooked Boston Public Garden and William loved looking out the window and pointing out all the buses. The location is right in the heart of Boston and we could get anywhere quickly – whether walking, taking the bus or taking the T. The food was great and there is an indoor swimming pool. We almost didn’t want to leave our room!

|welcome amenity from four seasons boston|

|beautiful fall day and the view from four seasons boston|

|room service at four seasons boston|

|the living area|

|loving the fruit skewers|

|cheers|

|room service with a view|

|always looking for buses|

EAT

Bristol Bar: By the time the boys were asleep, we were starving! Caleb ran down to the Bristol Bar to grab a few late night snacks and drinks for us. The hot pockets and wings were delicious!
Room Service: One morning we ordered in room service for breakfats. We loved waking up to a freezing cold day, ordering breakfast in and eating with amazing views of Boston Public Garden. William loved the pancakes and fruit skewers and Caleb and I had the egg white frittata and a traditional breakfast!
Tatte Bakery: Our first morning in Boston we walked through Boston Public Garden to Beacon Hill and had brunch at Tatte. It was such a charming (and packed) coffee shop. The avocado toast was amazing and so were the pastries.
Thinking Cup: This coffee shop is on Newbury Street and was a cozy spot to get coffee and breakfast on our last morning in Boston.
North End: There are hundreds of amazing Italian restaurants in this area, you really can’t go wrong! We ended up going with the concierge recommendation of Antico Forno – for a kid friendly spot with brick oven pizza for William.
Eventide: Near Fenway Park, one of our followers suggested this lunch spot for a brown butter lobster roll. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu – they have some of the best brussel sprouts we’ve had!
Select Oysters: We were in the mood for seafood one night, so we went to Select Oysters on the recommendation of the Four Seasons concierge. I had an amazing piece of sea bass and Caleb enjoyed oysters. The cocktail menu is incredible!
Modern Pastry: We had to try a cannoli after our dinner in the North End! So delicious.

|brunch at tatte|

|brought back pastries and cannolis from modern pastry to our hotel room- yum!|

|lunch at eventide|

DO

Boston Public Garden: Right across from the Four Seasons Boston is the first public garden in America. We loved having access to a park so close and William loved burning off his energy running through the leaves.
Beacon Hill: One of my favorite parts of Boston was strolling around Beacon Hill. It is one of the most charming places I’ve ever explored. The shops are so quaint and the houses are so inviting. A great place to spend a few hours strolling around, grabbing a bite to eat and shopping. Don’t miss Acorn Street – the most photographed street in the country!
Freedom Trail: This 2.5 mile walk is a great way to get a feel for the city, while also seeing so many historical spots. The boys loved strolling and we loved walking around!
Newbury Street: The best shopping in Boston.
Harvard: We had to – the campus is breathtaking!
Fenway Park: Caleb says we will be back to take the boys to a Red Sox game in a few years.
Plus, so much more. That’s all we had time to do, but there is so much to do in Boston. In the winter they have an ice rink, in the summer swan boats. We would have liked to do a duck boat tour, go to the Children’s museum and visit Boston Public Library, but there is only so much time!

|playing in the leaves|

|beacon hill- so charming!|

|touring the uss constitution|

|shopping along newbury street|

|visiting harvard|

|charming beacon hill|

|prettiest views in boston public garden|

|walking along the freedom trail|

|old city hall|

|walking the freedom trail|

|acorn street – the most photographed street in the US|

|we loved n.10|

WEAR

Stia: I packed a few coats – this parka and this down coat, this sweater, this poncho and this cardigan, this scarf and my favorite over the knee boots – black and taupe. I threw on a pom pom hat each day to stay warm!
William & Henry: I had the boys bundled because it was a high of 30 while we were there! William stayed warm in his pom pom hat, cords, his coat and thankfully, we purchased this footmuff before our trip! Henry stays very warm in his car seat, so I typically had him in a onesie, with this bunting suit, socks and a few blankets on top! Plus, he wore his pom pom hat that matches William’s!

|bundled|

|henry sound asleep when we landed|

|happiest little boy|

|travel outfit|

|snuggling with henry in boston public garden|

|a sleepy henry|

|stealing kisses with william in the boston public garden|

|aboard the uss constitution|

|we survived our first trip alone with two babies :)|

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

Thank you to Four Seasons Boston for collaborating on this post.

tips for traveling with a toddler

September 18, 2017

polo|shorts|shoes|backpack (dallas friends- we bought and had william’s monogrammed at hip hip hooray in dallas)

Happy Monday! This post is long overdue, but better late then never! Traveling with a toddler is waaay different than traveling with a baby. Babies are somewhat easy to travel with – they sleep the majority of the time and if they are awake and they cry it’s likely they are hungry or need a clean diaper. That’s not to say it doesn’t take some time adjusting to all the baby stuff that is needed and figuring out the logistics ie: whether to check the stroller at the check-in or at the the gate, bring or rent a car seat, etc. If you’re interested in more traveling advice, read our tips for traveling with a baby and traveling with an older baby!

Now… traveling with a toddler is a different story. William absolutely loves to fly, so there is not a chance in the world that he sleeps on airplanes anymore. In fact, it was when we went to LA in February when I realized I should give up on trying to get him to nap on a plane. He is way too interested in everything going on around him, flirting with the flight attendants and other passengers or wanting to walk up and down the aisle. He understood early on that when the seatbelt sign was on we had to stay in our seats, but the minute the light went off, he was ready to roll! Each time we traveled last year, we started to get better about keeping him busy on the plane. Here are a few tips we learned along the way!

Tips for Traveling with a Toddler:

Check your car seat: If you need a car seat at your destination, check this when checking bags. It’s free and takes a load off of your hands! We like to check William’s car seat in a wheeled travel bag to protect it, keep it clean and make it easy to transport until we get our car.
Bring an umbrella stroller: We won’t be able to do this now with two babies, but it was so nice to have a lightweight, umbrella stroller for traveling with William when he was older. It folds to nothing and doesn’t take up space in the car
Travel in the morning: If your toddler is like William and won’t nap on a plane, traveling before nap time (and before fussy time) is optimal.
Pack a meal: We like to pack a favorite sandwich and fruit to feed William once we’re air born. It gives him something to do while the plane is reaching altitude and before we can move around.
Pack snacks: We also pack a variety of snack foods such as Cheerios, cheddar bunnies, Annie’s snack mix and mini peanut butter crackers. These make a good diversion when we’ve hit the bottom of our bag of tricks 😉
Bring your toddler’s backpack: For William having all his things in his very own backpack makes it all the more fun to travel. And we don’t have to worry about digging through our bags to find his snacks and toys when we need to put our hands on something quickly!
Sit in the bulkhead: It may cost a little extra (although some airlines will assign the bulkhead to a family traveling with a little one) but it is well worth it! The extra space allows your toddler to sit on the floor and play and gives space for moving around while you’re in your seat. We lay one of William’s play blankets down on the floor and he can have his snacks there and read or play. This is a lifesaver on long flights!
Bring a couple of books and small toys: William isn’t really big on toys, so we only pack a few that we know will keep him engaged. He loves the All Aboard book series. Finding the conductor and pointing out landmarks in each book will keep William occupied for short periods of time. Small alphabet stacking blocks are also a good diversion. He loves to stack them into a tower, but also loves to look at all the pictures and letters that he recognizes.
Pack a favorite lovey and security blanket: William has far too many loveys to take them all when we travel. They would overfill his entire backpack! Before we leave we ask him to pick one or two of his “guys” to come along on the trip with us (Ellie the elephant always comes along!) and we always bring his small “baba” blanket.

We would love to hear some of your tips, too! And, please wish us luck as we are taking our first trip with William and Henry after Henry gets his 8-week shots. That will be a big adjustment! 🙂

Shop Tips for Traveling with a Toddler:

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

summer in vail, colorado

July 17, 2017

|view from vail mountain|activewear|

Stia celebrated her 30th Birthday earlier this year, but instead of taking her Birthday Trip around her actual birthday, she decided to wait until the middle of summer when the heat here in Dallas can become a little unbearable. Especially if you are 8 months pregnant! After thinking about different options, we decided that heading for the cool Colorado mountains would be the perfect thing to do. Four Seasons Vail became our destination!

We decided that a night in Denver before we headed up the mountain would be fun and a good way to acclimate to the altitude, so we spent our first night at Four Seasons Denver, located downtown just a block from Larimer Square. Four Seasons Denver is in a great location within walking distance of so much that downtown Denver has to offer. Spending a little time at the rooftop pool and enjoying cocktails at Edge Bar before heading to Larimer Square for dinner was the perfect way to kick off Stia’s 30th Birthday trip. The next morning we grabbed coffee and headed up the mountain to Vail and our destination, Four Seasons Vail!

We’ve highlighted our favorite picks from the trip for you in this post! We had the absolute best time. Everyone said it may have been their favorite trip ever and we all agree it needs to be an annual summer getaway. So… see you next year Vail!

|the stunning view from four seasons vail|

|the charming pedestrian friendly vail village|

|scenic bike ride along the river|

Where to stay

Hands down, the best place to stay is Four Seasons Vail. It has the perfect location, amazing rooms, a beautiful pool, the food is delicious and the service is the best. We can’t say enough good things about our stay! Here are just a few of the reasons we love Four Seasons Vail:

Rooms: The rooms at Four Seasons Vail are so spacious. Our rooms had an entry area with a bar and coffee service area, walk-in closet/dressing room, huge bedroom with gas-burning fireplace and furnished balcony with a view of the mountain. The bathrooms were amazing, with a deep soaking tub, double vanities and beautiful walk-in shower. The staff provided everything Stia needed for William: a crib, toys, toiletries, a humidifier, a robe and white noise machine. They made it so easy to be traveling with a toddler!
Dining: We could have eaten all our meals at the hotel, the food was so delicious. We had lunch at The Remedy a few times and cocktails at Remedy before dinner, where the views are amazing, with floor to ceiling windows looking out to the mountain and a balcony with fire pits. We also had lunch at the pool where a chef was manning an outdoor grill. And for a special dining experience at Four Seasons Vail, read more about Back of the House Burger Bar below. You don’t want to miss this!
Pool: We took William for an after dinner swim on our first evening and we were pleasantly surprised to find a heated pool with toys for him and heated robes and towels to snuggle up in after swimming. Service at the pool was as impeccable as it was throughout the hotel
Concierge: Our trip snuck up on us, but we started emailing with the concierge about a week before we left. They helped plan a lot of our activities, got us reservations at restaurants that didn’t have any reservations and helped arrange bike rentals and our fly fishing trip. They were amazing.
Spa at Four Seasons Vail: FS Vail is home to one of only two Forbes Five Star rated Spas in Colorado and the only one in the Vail Valley! It’s beautiful and a must do while in Vail.

|morning coffee on the patio at four seasons vail|

|the prettiest flowers all around four seasons vail | shoes, shorts, top |

|post spa treatment|

|poolside with uncle justin|

Where to eat:

Back of the House Burger Bar: Located literally back of the house, Four Seasons Vail Burger Bar is one of the most fun and delicious experiences we’ve ever had. We had to ask permission to share with you, because it is a well kept secret! There is one table in the kitchen of the resort that serves a burger menu each day from 2-5:30. We had the last reservation of the day at 5:00. When we say “burger menu” that doesn’t even begin to cover it! We were greeted by Steven the resident sommelier/mixologist who promptly asked us our favorite flavors and mixed up custom cocktails and libations. There is also a full wine selection including rosé and rosé bubbly! That was just the beginning… The elk corn dogs come highly recommended and the burger selection included 7X Farms Wagyu beef, Skuna salmon, chicken and white bean veggie prepared with basically any toppings you can imagine. After discussing with Chef Marcus we each came up with our own custom burger concoction. Saving the best for last, the staff repeatedly told us to save room for dessert- handmade milkshakes with toppings for both kids and adults (think Kahlua, Godiva white chocolate liquor, etc.). They were amazing and we did our very best to finish every drop! Next time you are in Vail- make plans to go here!
Sweet Basil: A Vail institution, Sweet Basil is celebrating their 40th birthday this year! This was our first time there and after all the recommendations and rave reviews by our readers, we were not disappointed. We were so afraid that Sweet Basil couldn’t live up, but the service, the food, the wine and the view over the river were all top notch. And an amazing thunderstorm was the icing on the cake 🙂 For starters we recommend the sweet corn succotash and the tomato tower, for mains order the coulotte steak and the salmon. Amazing!
Mountain Standard: This is the sister restaurant to Sweet Basil and also absolutely delicious as well. With a creekside location, it has a more rustic and relaxed vibe, with food that lives up to the Sweet Basil reputation. Most of the food is cooked over an open fire. For appetizers we recommend the ahi tuna crudo and the southern pimento cheese (so surprisingly good!), for mains the rocky mountain trout and monkfish curry were outstanding.
The Remedy: We loved eating lunch here and stopping in for a drink on the way out to dinner in the village. Everything we tried for lunch was wonderful and the cocktail list was so intriguing. We had visions of trying each one of the different house specialties, but we didn’t get very far!
Flame: Besides dining at the Burger Bar in the kitchen at Flame our first night, we also had breakfast at Flame. Let’s just say the buffet had just about everything you could ever want and the huevos rancheros were to die for. Yum!
Pool Bar at Four Seasons Vail: This was a great little spot for us to eat lunch before we put William down for his nap. The chef is outside manning the grill and they serve great summer foods. The fish tacos were delicious and William loved the cheeseburger.
Yeti’s Grind: Thanks to our readers recommendations, we found this little coffee shop on our second morning and went back twice a day until we left! It was some of the better coffee we’ve had, served great breakfast burritos and located in front of the grass covered ice skating rink where William could run off some energy while we ate.

|headed to dinner at the burger bar| tassel top, jeans, mules- c/o, bag|

|watching our mixologist work his magic at the burger bar|

table setting in back of the house burger bar

|our set up at the burger bar|

burgers at back of the house burger bar vail

|our orders are ready|

woman standing on deck looking out at view

|enjoying the view outside of flame restaurant|

a glass of rose with view of vail mountain

|yes way rosé and the view from the remedy bar|

baby boy eating fruit bowl on lounge chair

|poolside lunches were our favorite|

|yeti’s grind and running around in his pjs| pajama set |

What to do

There is so much to do during the summer in the mountains that we ran out of time! The weather and scenery is beautiful, so other than our time at the spa, we spent pretty much all of our time outside.

Take the Gondola up to Vail Mountain: Our first day there we took the gondola up to the top of the mountain. There is so much going on up there in the summer- who knew?! They have an adventure park, mountain biking, hiking, restaurants, etc. We did a day pass and spent most of the morning hiking from Vail to Lionshead and taking a few other short hikes. The views are amazing and weather is perfect for a hike!
Rent Bikes: We rented bikes from Gorsuch (they have a shop in the Four Seasons) and rode all along the base of the mountain. We also went to the Betty Ford Gardens, biked along the river and throughout Vail Village.
Fly Fishing: We booked this once we arrived in Vail and had the best experience. Instead of doing a wading trip, we opted for a float trip – fly fishing, while also rafting down the Colorado river. Such a great experience! Don’t ask how many fish we caught…
Shop Vail Village: Vail Village is such a charming town that we could have spent a whole day just exploring the city. We managed to spend a little time here and there, but with so many other things to do that’s all we could fit in! William loved getting into the (freezing!) river and playing in the fountains with all the other kids.
Vail Farmer’s Market: Every Sunday from mid-June until October there is a Farmers Market and Art Show in the village. We had a great time wandering around and checking out the different vendors. We stumbled upon the cutest handmade basket bags!
Pool at Four Seasons: We mentioned it above, but at least once a day we found ourselves relaxing by the pool. It is the perfect place to hang out any time of the day and has the best mountain views.
Four Seasons Spa: One morning the girls had pedicures at the spa. We had the best time relaxing and enjoying some time just the three of us. We made a morning of it and relaxed in the beautiful spa with some bubbly. The spa has a saline pool, whirlpool, steam room, relaxation room and slumber room. Pretty much anything you can think of to make you feel pampered and completely relaxed. We made sure to spend some time at the spa every day.! There is also a coed relaxation lounge which is nice if you’re enjoying the spa with your hubby 🙂