You Opened My Eyes - My Family Travels

My senior year was approaching, so my aunts that live up in Monterey, CA invited me to come stay with them during my spring break. No other family, just me. They explained they wanted me to see what it was kinda going to feel like living away from my home also to consider going to college up there. So that was it, I got on an airplane for the first time ever! I left this dusty, tumble weed of a town and was going to land in a beautiful, ocean-blue water town. Where the green land smelled so amazing, running in grass, and taking walks to the beach was how I ended my days.

The minute I arrived and was taken to my aunt's house we left to go to the Wharf. Which was so cool, walking by all the shops, the sea food and getting to eat right on the ocean. Seeing the seals play out on the tires in the water was a sight to see. They explained they only lived a mile away from the beach so each morning I woke up and would take a run up to it . Beautiful seeing this clear blue water hit the land and run up to me, though one thing I should mention. Never get to close to the water in running shoes! I hadn't anticipated the water to come up so high that it covered me , my shoes were soaked and I almost lost the house keys!!! While my aunts were at work and I was done with my run, I would take walks into and around town to see where it would take me . Maybe even discover something new … And you know what, I did. Every person I ran into was so laid back and welcoming. Not to mention the green atmosphere! Tress so tall giving a shady path for me to walk through.

The best part of this trip was going to all the different beaches around the area . I had never been to so many beaches and only went once when I was younger. Watching the seals play, hearing the kids run around, looking for sea life in shallow waters ,and to feel a soft, fresh cool breeze pick up my hair made me feel like I was on top of the world. It gave me a since of myself. I could see myself being here everyday. I thought if I was to go to school up here I could spend every study moment laying on a blanket placed upon a sandy platform with families enjoying themselves as my background music. This area was urban with a beautiful scenery to wake up to.

When the time had come for me to go back home, I told myself this won't be the last time. After what I felt and experienced there was no way I could ever stay away. The kind of happiness this place could give you isn't easy to find, yet every morning I woke up I told myself I was blessed to have been given an opportunity like this.

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1 Reply to “You Opened My Eyes”

  • Trang Tran

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  • Ana Katrina Lopez

    Thank you for these tips on how to plan a family safari! I’d like to be able to take my whole family and show them the beauty of Africa. But it always seemed so daunting to plan a whole trip that everyone would enjoy. I mean there’s always the age differences, and differences in interest as well to think about. Just thinking of ensuring that everything goes well planned is stressing me out. That’s why I turned to the internet in search of tips! Definitely will use your tips on how to choose a safari.

  • Kristen

    Very good tips. We all should follow these tips for a safe road trip. Thanks for the great help.

  • Kiran

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  • Vouch

    Soon I’ll be planning a trip to Dubai. Thanks for the information about what’s worth visiting.

  • Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.

  • Dave

    How did you get around the Darien Gap?

  • CJ Sunny

    Thank you for sharing these warm and touching thoughts of yours! I’ve only been the Belarus once, but I wish I read it before going, something in my experience would definitely be different then. I did use some advise – from the telegram channel for foreigners https://t.me/Belanews but I guess your opinion would be great to consider and embrace too.

  • Devon Lansdell

    Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.

  • SKYFAREZ

    That place is really amazing. I want to spend my vacations on this beautiful place. Thanks for sharing this nice information.

  • Anonymous

    I've been there last year. If someone is looking for a nice hotel I can highly recommend to take a look at the Hotel Rappen Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

  • andymark

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  • Alexis Meyers

    The gardens of Suzhou are absolutely beautiful and something that you don’t want to miss while you are there.

  • Alexis Meyers

    Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.

  • George

    It looks like a beautiful experience. Turkey is a wonderful country -and the fact that it’s not that expensive compared to other countries makes a visit there even more tempting. Thanks for sharing.

  • EMMAHAD

    good tips, safety comes first so that our trip may be remembered as a happy memoir when we went to see and explore new places and have fun. and not as a terrifying night in the ER. god bless you all , be safe

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  • Anthony

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  • Amarnath Yatra

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  • Abdul-Majid Bushr Kanaan

    Being visiting is one of the best experiences of my life. Being there and enjoying every bit of time is wonderful. Personally, my best experience is an underground aquarium and desert safari. One visited Dubai must go for these two activities.

  • Roslia Santamaria

    Would love this for our family!
    We’ve always wanted to go and now they are old enough to enjoy it.
    Thanks so much for doing this!

  • Isabella Jones

    The beaches, the weather, the food, the attractions and the activities- everything was perfect.

  • Aika

    I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.

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  • Stacy

    Hi,

    I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?

  • sumit saini

    happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.

  • Gore Don

    Wonderfully informative article!

  • Jordantours

    I want to go travel with kids but I was not decided where we go. Your post is helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.

  • Dorota

    Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂

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  • I automatically think the word “gumbling” when I heard Las Vegas. I never knew that Las Vegas has something to offer for youngsters. Will bring my children here soon.

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    There is no Doubt, Dubai is most popular destination among tourists from across the world and have gained high popularity in last decade. If you are in Dubai and dhow go for dhow cruise, there is some thing missing on your list. There are Dubai dhow cruise, Musandam Dibba dhow cruise and Khasab Musandam dhow cruise. Try some of them and you will love.

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  • Matthew Quinn

    Great article! Wanted for Christmas again. Do you know anything about this place ? It is very interesting to know the opinions. How much advance it is necessary to book a hotel and various entertainment before the holidays?

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