Day 4 — High-Speed Trains, Vikings, Romans, Café de la Madelon, and a Palace Hotel
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 This was our travel day from Paris to Nantes, so the morning started early. Very early.…
Twenty years of family adventures
Latest stories
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Aranui Day 13 – Farewell
Farewell to the Aranui 5 – A Floating Family Adventure Comes to Shore Date: November 13, 2025 Location: Papeete, Tahiti…
Aranui Day 12 – Bora Bora: Breathless Beauty, Shared Tanks & Showerless Soakings
Bora Bora: Breathless Beauty, Shared Tanks & Showerless Soakings Aranui 5 Family Cruise Blog Wednesday, November 12th, 2025 Words of…
Aranui Day 11 – Gravity-Defying Houses & Sourdough Miracles
Gravity-Defying Houses & Sourdough Miracles Location: Raiatea, Society Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 – Austral & Society Islands Adventure Day…
Aranui Day 10 – Sailing, Stories & Sea Breezes: A Day at Sea Aboard the Aranui
Sailing, Stories & Sea Breezes: A Day at Sea Aboard the Aranui Location: En route to Raiatea, Society Islands ️…
Aranui Day 9 – Archaeology, Adventists & Aloha Rain: A Second Magical Day in Raivavae
Archaeology, Adventists & Aloha Rain: A Second Magical Day in Raivavae Location: Raivavae, Austral Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 –…
Aranui Day 8 – Motu Piscine and Relaxation in Raivavae
Blue Lagoons, Lazy Vibes & Motu Magic – Raivavae, You Stunner Location: Raivavae, Austral Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 –…
Aranui Day 7 – Clifftop Views, Island Songs, and the Surprising Truth About Living in Rapa
Clifftop Views, Island Songs, and the Surprising Truth About Living in Rapa Location: Rapa, Austral Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5…
Aranui Day 6 – Day at Sea
Rocked Like a Baby by the South Pacific (Whether We Liked It or Not) Location: Somewhere between Tubuai and Rapa…
Aranui Day 5 – Hibiscus Bark, Banana Bread, and Blue Lagoon Bliss in Tubuai
Hibiscus Bark, Banana Bread, and Blue Lagoon Bliss in Tubuai Location: Tubuai, Austral Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 – Austral…
Aranui Day 4 – Community and Color in Rimatara
Three Villages, One Rare Parrot, and the Sacred Navel of Rimatara Location: Rimatara, Austral Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 –…
Aranui Day 3 – Caves and Culture of Rurutu
Caves, Culture, and Climbing Rocks: A Big Day in Rurutu Location: Rurutu, Austral Islands ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 – Austral…
Aranui Cruise Day 2 – We Went Looking for Whales… and Found Something Better
We Went Looking for Whales… and Found Something Better Location: En route to Rurutu ️ Voyage: Aranui 5 – Austral…
Aranui Cruise Day 1: Setting Sail from Tahiti to the Austral Islands
Why We Took Our Kids on a Cargo Cruise to the End of the Earth (and Loved It) Location: Papeete,…
Day 19 — Three Generations, Four Countries, and Every Transportation Method Except Submarine
There are trips you remember by the places. This one, I may remember by the vehicles. Over three weeks, across…
Day 18 — Rome in One Day by Scooter Was a Terrible Idea. Naturally, It Was Fantastic.
There are moments in family travel when a child suggests an idea so ridiculous that the responsible adult should immediately…
Day 17 — Rome Was Supposed to Be the Easy Stop. Then We Put Grandma on a Scooter.
There is a strange confidence that comes after surviving Morocco, Egypt, and Petra with three generations of family. You begin…
Day 16 — Petra’s Back Door, a Donkey Named Zuzu, and the Scam We Walked Straight Into
There are travel decisions that feel clever when you make them. Entering Petra through the back door was one of…
Day 15 — Cairo Airport Tried to Break Us Before Jordan Could Welcome Us
There are airports that feel organized. There are airports that feel busy. And then there is Cairo Airport, which felt…
Day 14 — Sixty Balloons, One Sunrise, and the Karnak Temple That Would Not Stop Being Huge
There are mornings when waking up at 4:30 a.m. feels like punishment. This morning felt like punishment with potential. We…
Day 13 — The Valley of the Kings, King Tut, and the Horse Cart That Took Us to the Wrong Market
There are places in Egypt where the ancient world feels far away. The Valley of the Kings is not one…