Day 3 — Peace, Palaces, Orange Juice, and Marie Antoinette’s Village
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 By our third day in France, the time zone fog was starting to lift. Nobody slept much past 8:00 a.m., which felt like progress. We were…
The big voyages of the schafer family.
Day 2 — The Louvre, 30,000 Steps, and Sunset on the Eiffel Tower
Monday, April 20, 2026 Our first full day in Paris began with the rare luxury of sleeping in a little. We had tickets booked for the Louvre Museum at 10:30…
Day 1 — Arrival in Paris: Jet Lag, Bones, and the Eiffel Tower at Night
Saturday, April 18, 2026 – Sunday, April 19, 2026 We left home on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and arrived in Paris on Sunday, April 19, 2026, carrying that unmistakable first-day-of-international-travel…
Day 6 Cook Islands – Aitutaki Farewell: Sunrise Strolls and a Last Look at Paradise
Day 6 – Aitutaki Farewell: Sunrise Strolls and a Last Look at Paradise Date: November 18, 2025 Location: Aitutaki, Cook Islands We didn’t set an alarm. We didn’t need one.…
Day 5 Cook Islands – Aitutaki’s Lagoon Adventures: Crab Races, Survivor Islands & Plan B Magic
Day 5 – Aitutaki’s Lagoon Adventures: Crab Races, Survivor Islands & Plan B Magic Date: November 17, 2025Location: Aitutaki, Cook Islands There are days when you follow the plan—and then…
Day 4 Cook Islands – From Church Hymns to Car Trouble: Rarotonga to Aitutaki
Day 4 — From Church Hymns to Car Trouble: Rarotonga to Aitutaki Date: November 16, 2025Location: Rarotonga → Aitutaki, Cook Islands Some Sundays feel like quiet, sacred pauses. Others sneak…
Day 3 Cook Islands – Market Morning Mayhem & a Birthday to Remember
Day 3 — Market Morning Mayhem & a Birthday to Remember Date: November 15, 2025Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands Some days start slowly.Some days start with birds singing softly outside your…
Day 2 Cook Islands — Rarotonga Jungle Safari: Jeeps, Fruit Trees & Lagoon Naps
Day 2 — Rarotonga Jungle Safari: Jeeps, Fruit Trees & Lagoon Naps Date: November 14, 2025Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands There’s nothing quite like being bounced around in the back of…
Day 1 Cook Islands Family Adventure – Bananas, Bread & a New Beginning
Cook Islands Arrival: Bananas, Bread & a New Beginning Date: November 13, 2025Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands They say that when one door closes, another opens—but after 12 days on the…
Aranui Day 13 – Farewell
Farewell to the Aranui 5 – A Floating Family Adventure Comes to Shore Date: November 13, 2025 Location: Papeete, Tahiti The final morning on the Aranui 5 hit differently. After…