Looking for helpers! (and you don't even have to leave your house)

We're working on something that's outside of our wheelhouse and it's a very unique position to be in, so I have lots of questions for anyone that is more worldly than me.

One week of school is done. And I love it and also don’t like that we’re back into somebody else’s schedule. That’s life though and I’m happy to deal with it. With all that, it makes the rebel in me want to plan both work and fun trips. And that’s where I actually either need advice or a reality check (at the end).

Thank you, in advance, for helping me here out here. I know that we’ve been super privileged to always be traveling for work so not having to really be budget-conscious or dig into the research side of certain planning aspects, but now we’re in a spot that we have to really get smart and deliberate. Before that though, here’s a little about what’s new, and I’ve got a beach packing list to share (which I’ve never thought to do before).

New on the Blog: Key West Travel Guide and hotel reviews

I did a lot of writing this week now that the kids are back in school. It felt really nice to sit at my desk and just type type type. After multiple visits to the Florida Keys this year and over the last three years, I’ve finally put together my guide to doing Key West with kids. Unless you’ve been to KW as a family, it really seems like a party destination. It’s all iguanas and cats and patio bars and colorful houses, but when you’re visiting with kids it’s a totally different experience.

I also wrote about the hotels we stayed at during our visit last month. Key West can be really expensive to visit, but we just stayed at two great budget options: the Gates Hotel Key West and the 24 North Hotel. They’re both located in the New Town area (Roosevelt Blvd) so you aren’t in the historic district or one of the marinas. We like being out here because it’s more mellow, and these hotels are partners so they offer a shuttle to the main seaport area of Key West. Check ‘em out, because they’re both good choices for a more budget KW trip.

Beach-Going Tips from Someone Who LIVES at the Beach

One of my absolute favorite pastimes is watching people come to the beach who don't normally go to the beach. Getting to live in Florida and have almost every day feel like a dream vacation is such a treat. As I'm writing this I am sitting on our beach watching the kids dig in the sand, and watching another family who brought three times as much beach gear as they will probably use, and I love it all.

I feel like a few years ago if I were watching people try to set up beach equipment, like I am right now, I would probably be having the most judgmental internal monologue, but now when I see people here on our beach I just think it's amazing that people of every background and travel style can come here and just chill. And yes, I maybe was internally laughing watching the chaos of six adults trying to set up two umbrellas…

But instead of quietly laughing, let me share my tips for an EASY beach day, whether you live nearby or it’s the whole point of a vacation. And yes, this is a shopping list to make it easy:

• Bring shade - get something easy to put up, either a large umbrella w/ a sand-screw or a flexible lean-to style tent. We have a Neso Grande and it’s fast, easy, and has lasted multiple summers all around Florida

• You don’t have to have beach chairs, just a large blanket will do. BUT if you really want to bring your own though, we’ve had our standard issue Tommy Bahama beach chairs for 4 summers and they’re still going strong. **Don’t use camping chairs that sink into the sand

• A soft cooler w/ drinks and snacks is required - this is easily packed if you’re traveling, and you’ll really need this if you’ve got kids with you. Also, a reusable grocery bag with pretzels and fruit is easy and good for packing in and out whatever else you bring

• Simple beach tools are fun for adults and kids - you don’t need to buy the big beach toy set with colorful buckets and forms, but a good shovel and scoop is key to hours of fun and FINDING SHARK TEETH. We have this scoop-sifter and it’s both really hardy and compact

• Beach towels - bring the minimum necessary; kids can share towels and you’ll probably be mostly dry by the time you leave the beach.

Since we live a block away from the beach, we also use a beach cart (this is ours). It folds up like a stroller and fits in the car really easily, but if you’re travel, especially if you’re flying to a beach destination, you don’t need a whole cart. Keep it simple and you’ll have a much less stressful beach visit!

What I do When We Aren’t Traveling

In an effort to miss a little less school this year, and because Chris has so much work travel coming up, we will actually be “home” the rest of the month and the entire month of September. I am going to be gone to Gulf shores, Alabama speaking at the OWAA conference, which I'm totally excited about, and Chris will be going to Pennsylvania and the Bay Area to launch a project he's been working on for a really long time. The boys get to stick with the routine and really have a mellow September, which is what I mean by “being home.”

Something I've been working on with my trusty assistant is getting our keys site up to date and ready to roll for everybody planning trips to the Florida Keys. She and I have been working hard and I love how theKeysExplored.com is coming along. That also means I have been publishing a bunch of Florida Keys stuff on our main site too. Writing about the trips, both when it is paid work and fun work, it's just my favorite thing.

Lots is happening with Maine Explored too! From puffins to lighthouses and all the covered bridges in between, this month we’ll have a bunch more live on that site. Hopefully by spring, but the Keys and Maine websites will be big parts of my business. It takes time and focus to make a website worthwhile and turning a profit, so wish us luck!

HELP US: Planning BIG Travel for Fun

So, like I was saying, we rarely plan travel that is only for us and has no partnership/work element with it. Well, we’ve decided to use our airline miles and do something awesome. We are working on planning a trip to Peru with the whole family. All of our airline travel and hotel stays are going to finally be put to good use and it’s going to be an amazing trip.

What we need help with is this: none of us have ever been to South America and we would love to hear from people who have planned their own travels to Peru, including the rainforest and Machu Pichu. While there are lots of articles about visiting the Andes and such, there’s a big gap in people sharing the actual planning and executing travel side of things. Here’s what we’re looking at:

• Flying to Lima

• spend a few days in Lima before flying to Iquitos, where we’ll then take a boat to our big thrill: staying in a treehouse for 5 days

• we’ll explore the Amazon and see all kinds of wildlife

• then we’ll head back to Iquitos to fly to Cusco via Lima

• and then we’ll do Machu Pichu

The big questions we’ve got are around the actual travel portion and what to expect, any tips for making this all very smooth, and then if anyone has experience with this sort of stay in the rainforest.

This is a seriously bucket list trip for all of us and we want it to be smooth and unforgettable. Please share your thoughts and experiences!!!

---

Well that’s all for this week. I love when I sit down to write my newsletter because it’s a great way for me to think over how I’ve spent my time and who I spend it with. As the school year progresses, I’ll finally get through a lot of things I started to write, and maybe I’ll even jump into a creative writing project I’ve been wanting to start for a while.

Thank you for following along through our journeys and daily life, and I hope you all have a great wrap up to your summer!