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2020 travels in review
As for us all, 2020 was completely different than we expected. We had only one trip abroad to Austria. Other than that we stayed in The Netherlands. Luckily we made some beautiful trips in The Netherlands during the Summer. So here are our 2020 travels from month to month. January Just like in 2019 we started the New Year at friends in Almere. We played board games and watched the fireworks. Our first outing was Uden on Ice with my nieces during Christmas break. Later in the month I went shopping with a friend in Uden, while Paul and Yuri had the day for themselves. The last day of the…
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Going to the Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe
Each year we try to do something special for Halloween, last year we attended the Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe in Amsterdam. Halloween is on the rise in The Netherlands. Our son is still too young for haunted houses and fright nights, but luckily there are events suited for kids. Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe The Hard Rock Café organizes a breakfast buffet on Sunday before or on Halloween. Every family had its own table and could get plates full of delicious food. You did have to wait in line before getting to the buffet. The staff was all dressed up for Halloween. The café was also decorated in Halloween…
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Fun at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Halloween
Halloween isn’t a holiday that’s originally celebrated in The Netherlands. But more and more events with an Halloween theme are popping up in The Netherlands. We love going to one of these events each year and a few years ago we celebrated Halloween at Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Amsterdam. We had a blast. Ripley’s Believe It or Not Halloween The whole Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum was decorated with cobwebs and other creepy things. This added extra to the Halloween sphere for us. Without the Halloween decorations the museum is already bizarre, but this made it extra special. We came dressed up for Halloween, all 3 of…
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Krka National Park: Waterfalls, swimming and hiking
Krka National Park has it all: beautiful nature, hiking and swimming opportunities, architectural, historical and archeological sites. We visited the Krka National Park in Croatia on a road trip in 2017 during a hot Summer. So the swimming part was very welcoming to us. Where is Krka National Park? Krka National Park is in Dalmatia in Croatia. To be exact in the northern part of Dalmatia, near Lozovac and Skradin. It’s close to Šibenik. From Šibenik to Krka National Park is 15 kilometers, about 20 minutes by car. Zadar is an hour driving with 76 kilometers. Split to Krka National Park is an hour and 15 minutes for 85 kilometers.…
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De Hoge Veluwe National Park: beautiful nature and art
De Hoge Veluwe National Park is a park I used to go to with my parents during our vacations on the Veluwe. I have good memories of exploring this area. The beautiful nature of heathlands, sand drifts and forests. Later on I went to the Kröller-Müller museum with high school and admired the art collection. Recently Paul and I went with our son to the park. It was just as beautiful as I remembered. Where is De Hoge Veluwe National Park? Het National Park de Hoge Veluwe is in the province of Gelderland in The Netherlands. It’s between the cities Arnhem, Ede and Apeldoorn. So roughly in the middle (eastern)…
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25 Fun Things to do in Zeeland
Zeeland is one of the provinces in The Netherlands, which is perfect for a vacation. It consists of islands and peninsulas. There’s so much to see and do here, that we keep coming back. Whether for a weekend getaway or a vacation. Here’s our list of 25 things to do in Zeeland that we have compiled from all our visits over the years. 25 Things to do in Zeeland: Food 1. Eat Kibbeling or a Lekkerbekje. It’s braided fried cod, which is in big pieces (kibbeling) of still in fish form (lekkerbekje). You can eat both dishes all over The Netherlands, but so close to the sea you have the…
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21-day Road Trip from New York to Orlando
The USA is one of our favorite countries to road trip in, the endless roads and the sense of freedom you get with it. We’ve done several road trips through the USA and in 2015 we made a road trip from New York to Orlando. We took 21 days, with days in NYC in the beginning and days at the end for exploring Orlando. The New York to Orlando driving time non-stop would be 18-20 hours. But only stopping for gas and food would mean that you miss all the beautiful nature and attractions along the way. And there are so many stops worth your time. There are several options…
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Dickens Festival: the perfect Christmas outing
The Dickens Festival (called Dickens festijn in Dutch) in Deventer, The Netherlands was on my radar to visit for years already. We finally got to visit it in 2018 and loved it. It’s truly a unique experience and something for everyone looking for something spectacular around Christmas time. Dickens Festival Deventer For 2 days Deventer turns into an 19th century English town from the stories of Charles Dickens. Want to meet Scrooge, Oliver Twist or Mr. Pickwick? It’s possible at the Dickens Christmas festival. Listen to Christmas carol singers or watch orphans moan about their lives. See a living statue or watch Queen Victoria having a tea party. The area…
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Natural Bridge State Park: butterflies and hiking
In 2015 we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway and made a small detour to Natural Bridge. We loved exploring Natural Bridge, it was one of the many cool things we did on our 6 week road trip through the USA. Where is Natural Bridge State Park? Natural Bridge State Park is only 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the Blue Ridge Parkway. An approximately 30 minute detour. Natural Bridge is located in Rockbridge County in the state of Virginia. Some facts about Natural Bridge State Park The natural bridge is a geological formation carved out in the surrounding limestone gorge by the Cedar Creek. It’s the remains of a roof or…
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A family vacation close to home during the pandemic: Texel
When the intelligent lockdown was declared all our vacation and getaway weekend planning was put on hold. When they say stay home and only go out for necessary stuff, I’m not making plans for outings let alone a vacation. After a few months restrictions were slightly loosened, so we booked a long weekend getaway for Acension weekend, a vacation close to home. One of our first 2020 travels. We opted for Texel, an island in the northwest of The Netherlands. The reasons for choosing Texel are that it has beautiful nature, we’ve been here before, social distancing seemed achievable, biking is great on Texel and there are plenty of beaches.…
