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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
Last Updated: November 6th 2024. The Dickens Festival (called Dickens festijn in Dutch) in Deventer, The Netherlands was already on my radar for years. We finally got to experience 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…
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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, and a perfect stop on road trips. 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.…
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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.…
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Shenandoah National Park: bears and endless views
Last Updated: March 30th 2024. Back in 2015 we did a road trip through the USA, we drove from New York to San Francisco in 6 weeks. On that road trip we stopped at Shenandoah National Park. It was our first acquaintance with the Blue Ridge Mountains. They’re so beautiful! Where is Shenandoah National Park? Shenandoah National Park is in the Northwestern Part of the state of Virginia. Its located on a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park starts in the Northeast at the town of Front Royal and runs all the way to Waynesboro in the Southwest. Some facts about Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah National Park…
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Fun Times at Disneyland Paris: With and Without Kids
Last Updated: May 23th 2024. We’ve been to Disneyland Paris four times: once before Yuri was born, in 1999. Back then it was still called EuroDisney. Three times with our son in 2014, 2019 and 2021. In 1999 we went in the Summer and spent one day at EuroDisney. In 2014 it was a winter visit with an almost 4 year old boy, a road trip with a toddler. In 2019 was 20 years after our first visit to Disneyland Paris, again in the Summer. Last time was in 2021, again in the Summer time. Those 3 visits were all 3 days, 2 nights. We’ve enjoyed ourselves every single time.…
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Grandfather Mountain: climbing rocks and a swinging bridge
Back in 2015 we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway, which was simply beautiful. During our drive we stopped at several attractions just off the parkway. Grandfather Mountain was one of them, and was well worth our time. Yuri loved climbing the rocks and we enjoyed the grand views on the Blue Ridge Mountains. Where is Grandfather Mountain? Grandfather Mountain is located close to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It’s in the vicinity of the town of Linville. The detour is about 3.3 mile or 5.3 kilometers, which is approximately an 18 minute drive from the parkway. Some facts about Grandfather Mountain The elevation of Grandfather is 5946 feet,…
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Finding peace as a family
My husband was driving on highway 1, we had to be on time at San Francisco airport to catch our flight home. Home being Utrecht in The Netherlands. Far away from the beach and rolling waves I was seeing out of our car window. Yuri was asking why we had to go home, why couldn’t we keep on driving, he didn’t want to go home. Paul said shall we drive on? We all wanted to go further North on highway 1, was going through my mind. Half a half year before driving on highway 1 Paul, my husband, was unhappy in his job. That Monday in February, I was still…
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A week in Austria: roadtrip itinerary
Last Updated: July 30th 2024. In the Summer of 2016 we spent a week in Austria, during a 6 week European road trip. We had such a fun time. We had been to Austria before, however it had always been Austria in the snow, which is magical on its own. Below I give an itinerary for one week in Austria. Austria is a perfect country for road trips. Where to Start a Week in Austria We started our week in Austria in Breitenwang. It’s close to the German border and to Füssen, Germany. Füssen is home to the famous Neuschwanstein castle and the Hohenschwangau castle. Both are beautiful and both…
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What to do during lockdown
Like a lot of families around the world right now, we’re in a lockdown. In The Netherlands there’s a soft lockdown. We still can go outside for groceries, a short walk, a motorbike ride, to help someone who can’t go outside or to work if you have an essential job. Group formation is forbidden, more than 2 people together is forbidden except when you form a household. Luckily we can still go outside in moderation. Sadly I have a cold and Yuri the flu, so we have to stay inside. Here’s what to do during the lockdown. What we’re doing during the lockdown Although things we can do and where…
