Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Orange Beach

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November 10, 2025 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

I have a feeling we won’t have many family trips now that my kids are almost all grown.

My three youngest begged to go to the Gulf this last summer, like they anticipate it too.

We visited PCB a couple years ago for a baseball tournament but he didn’t get a lot of free time and had to come home early for more baseball activities.

I love the Gulf and Alabama beaches. It’s still one of my favorite places since I was a kid.

We went to Gulf Shores a couple years ago but my son and husband couldn’t make the trip due to the baseball schedule.

We found a lovely condo at The Palms in Orange Beach, which I think is a perfect place.

We loved an easy dinner our first night at The Shrimp Basket.

We were very close to Publix grocery store, which has so many delicious things we can’t find at home.

Cactus Cantina was some of the best Mexican food we’ve had in many years!

We absolutely loved Wolf Bay, but Doc’s was extremely disappointing. We want to go back to try Big Mike’s.

We did all the cheesy touristy things.

We just love Alligator Alley and the boys really loved it too!

We loved walking around and feeding the alligators and listening to one of the shows. We also saw lots of herons and bugs!

We love the little town of Foley for their shops and vibe. The cutest ice cream shop! We went to several record stores and thrift shops.

He finally got to go to Lambert’s and got his throwed roll!

Of course, my son got stung by a jellyfish, but he said that won’t deter him from more beach and ocean, just no more swimming with purple flags. He healed up very quickly.

We saw lots of different crabs, sand dollars, some rays, cool fish, dolphins, herons, gulls, jellyfish and comb jellies.

There were several storms and we didn’t get to visit the Gulf Shores State Park, but we did get TCBY twice and played a fun game of puttputt at Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf.

We stopped at Blalock’s market to stock up on freezer fish and they are just lovely and great prices.

You might also like:

  • Panama City Beach Trip
  • Gulf Shores
  • Big Island Hawaii with Kids
  • Oahu with Kids
  • Maui with Kids
  • Kalamata Beach Weekend

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Filed Under: USA Tagged With: Alabama, beach, travel

Ocean City

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November 3, 2025 By Jennifer Lambert 8 Comments

My son had a baseball tournament in Ocean City, Maryland the end of June.

It’s been a very busy and stressful year for our family and we all longed for breaks in our routine. My middle kids couldn’t go because they took a summer algebra class at their university. I didn’t really want to go but I wanted to watch my son play in his last tournament.

I’ve never been to that part of the Atlantic coast.

Yes, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is really that big and scary.

It’s not my favorite place. It just seemed like one thing after another – a terribly dangerous heat wave, the AC broke in the condo building and we had to move, I lost my favorite prescription sunglasses in the ocean.

The food was absolutely excellent though.

Of course I ate my weight in crab.

We loved Harpoon Hanna’s, just over the Delaware border.

Lombardi’s was great pizza.

Guido’s was a fun taco bar.

Our favorite place was Fish Tales Bar and Grill. We sat on a sandy deck harborside and the food was outstanding.

We ate at the Greene Turtle twice because my son loved the turkey sandwich lol

While I loved seeing my son play baseball, the highlight of the trip for me was visiting Assateague Island!

It is the end of an era for my son, who played on this baseball team for about four years and now the team is dissolved. He learned a lot and improved so much and is now moving on to better teams with better coaches – both elite travel in Cincy and for our local high school.

You might also like:

  • Summer Gear for Sports Parents
  • Favorite Baseball Gear
  • Panama City Beach Trip
  • Gulf Shores
  • Big Island Hawaii with Kids
  • Oahu with Kids
  • Maui with Kids
  • Kalamata Beach Weekend
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Filed Under: USA Tagged With: beach, sports, travel

Panama City Beach Trip

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August 19, 2024 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

We planned a family beach vacation around Alex’s baseball tournament in Panama City Beach, Florida.

It was absolutely glorious and the first time Alex has been to the beach in his memory! He was born in Hawaii, but we moved to Utah when he was just a few months old.

We left Ohio on 14 June, and stayed in Homewood Suites (super nice!) south of Birmingham. We got Zaxby’s for dinner and ate by the pool.

We arrived in Panama City Beach on Saturday evening, 15 June.

I chose Tidewater Resort for their two pools and other fun amenities like a cute bar and shop, its proximity to the beach, walking to restaurants and Pier Park, and near the baseball facilities.

It was a nice place. Lots of street construction going on, but no real concerns and they have a lovely parking garage and walk over bridge.

There are rules for where you can place beach tents and chairs. Security patrols the property and we felt safe and protected. There are kitties who live under the boardwalk!

Our condo was on the 18th floor.

Balcony beach view:

View from our front door of a lagoon and Pier Park:

I thought everything was just lovely and clean and beautiful. My only real complaint were no hooks to hang towels or wet swimwear which I thought was a sad oversight.

I had read the horrifying reviews about the elevators, and they did take a while, but we only had two or three times when we actually waited more than 10 minutes. We had to plan at checkin and checkout with the luggage trolleys which take up a lot of space and weight. Many people were irritable, but it is what it is. I thought all the staff was very friendly and helpful.

We were pretty exhausted after driving two days and unloading the cars. We just got Marco’s pizza that first night.

Sunday and Monday were fun beach days for us, and the only days the water, waves, currents weren’t that scary.

It was red and double red flags every day after that. Some people even died which was so tragic.

Sunday was Father’s Day and the evening was absolutely torrential rain! We just ended up at Whataburger for dinner. Some local bars and restaurants actually got flooded. It was a mess!

Monday, mostly the whole team ate at Sharky’s and it was just adorable.

Craig, our waiter, was outstanding! The food is great and fun drinks in cute souvenir cups! Playgrounds and sand volleyball for the kids. A lovely experience all around.

Tori and I chose to walk back to our condo and we stopped at Pier Park to walk around. We stopped in a few of the tourist shops. There are some restaurants and bars and boutiques in Pier Park, popular places like Margaritaville and Dick’s Last Resort. At the circle, there is Sky Wheel and amusements like IMAX and Dave and Buster’s and some other places. It connects to the nicer shopping mall with Target, Dillard’s and JCPenney off 98/30A.

Tuesday, 18 June, was the official beginning of the baseball tournament and the boys won both their pool play games. In the afternoon, there were very disorganized skills competitions with misinformation, but the boys had fun.

Some of the boys got a golf cart with older brothers to cruise around. Alex said that was his favorite part of the trip!

We ate dinner at Sandbar. Three generations veteran family-owned and lots of veteran memorabilia inside. It was great, with live music and delicious food.

Wednesday and Thursday was double elimination tournament play. We didn’t make it to Thursday.

Wednesday night, 19 June, was a coach dinner at Diego’s Burrito Factory & Margarita Bar, as a consolation. It’s a really cute little beach taco bar. Counter orders and then they bring the food. Order drinks at the bar. Very basic menu excellently executed.

Thursday night, 20 June, we went to Swampy Jack’s Wongo Adventure, which is built on the old site of The Miracle Strip.

They tried to keep the memory alive of the Miracle Strip fun games and rides and it was a rush down memory lane for me!

They have an absolutely beautiful putt-putt course.

Friday, 21 June, we met another baseball family at Runaway Island and I got some gorgeous flounder.

Saturday, 22 June, Aaron and Alex left early and stayed in Huntsville to see a Trash Pandas game, then home for a local baseball camp.

We went shopping at some local thrift stores.

The Best thrift store in PCB is Save the Closet that helps hurricane victims.

We found some fun and silly things, like artsy sunglasses and a vintage handmade polyester pantsuit.

The photos are from when Miracle Strip was destroyed in the hurricane Opal in 1995.

The best ice cream is at Bruster’s!

We had dinner at Salty Sue’s and the fish and shrimp were overcooked, but the okra and hush puppies were great!

Sunday, 23 June, we drove to the Destin outlet mall. There’s a Häagen-Dazs shop there! Vans and Converse!

We stopped at Donut Hole for a snack!

We stopped in Seaside on the way back and that is the most beautiful white sand beach!

We ate dinner on the boardwalk. It’s not much different than my memories!

Monday, 24 June, we found some other thrift stores and drove around. It was our last day.

We checked out Rosemary Beach for some photos. It’s a lovely little place.

We ate dinner on the Pier at Hook’d right at sunset. The food was so fresh and delicious. The staff is wonderful!

We walked the beach back to our condo.

We left Tuesday, 25 June, stayed a night in Athens, AL, then home. It was hot in Alabama – 105°!

We loved the beach and Alex can’t wait to go back. I have done a good job raising him right.

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Filed Under: Travel, USA Tagged With: beach, familytravel, travel

Gulf Shores

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June 19, 2023 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

I took a little beach trip with two of my kids to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The kids haven’t been to a real beach in so many years.

We lived in Hawaii for three years when they were toddlers.

When we lived in Germany, we traveled to Normandy, Netherlands, and Bruges, but those beaches were cold and windy.

We’ve been to lakes in Utah and Ohio, but there is nothing like the ocean.

We won’t travel to Florida for political and personal reasons, so Alabama is a great choice.

I have fond memories of beach vacations when I was growing up. My parents and I took a week every summer to visit Florida, the Gulf, or the Atlantic coast.

My daughter attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, so we picked her up and headed further south.

We left Huntsville right after Space Camp graduation and ate an early dinner at Whataburger.

We arrived at our condo at 9:30 at night.

We couldn’t get in.

The codes didn’t work.

I called the 800 number and after the agent did some research and called me back, they gave me a code that worked. The instructions for entry were all outdated and it should not have been complicated.

We were so exhausted and stressed out for our first evening. We unloaded our bags and rushed down to see the shore in the dark.

The condo building was right on the beach, at the end of the strip, right before the state park.

The beach was so beautiful!

We had an easy schedule:

We ate breakfast in our condo, then spent every morning at the beach, walking, looking for shells, playing in the sand and waves.

Early afternoon, we packed up our beach stuff, ate lunch in our condo, and went out for the afternoon, shopping and exploring, then ate a nice dinner out.

Tori and I walked the beach at dusk each night and saw little sand crabs and mole crabs and minnows. There is a protected area where a sea turtle laid her eggs!

We crashed pretty early every night! I remember having more energy when I was younger, and we would do mini golf, or get ice cream, or walk around, but whew, not this week.

Day 1

The first morning, after looking at the beach and playing in the water a bit, we went to Walmart and Publix and stocked up on breakfast, lunch, and snack foods. We also got Publix subs because those are amazing.

We got sand toys and boogie boards. Just because they’re 16 and 17 doesn’t mean they can’t play!

Then the code to the condo stopped working the next afternoon. Seriously? One of the codes from my notes worked the rest of our stay, whew! I did not write a good review on their rental site.

We hit the tourist trap stores near our condo and got shirts and some fun pictures.

We got the best shaved ice. Very generous servings for only $3 cash only.

The first night, we ate at Caribbean Grill, right across the street from our condo. It was a fun place; food was ok. Tori got crawfish and shrimp pasta. Akantha got chicken strips. I got shrimp scampi and a festive fruity drink called What the Duck. It came with a little rubber duckie that the bartender squeaked before plopping in the glass.

Day 2

We went to the super cute town of Foley and shopped in the used DVD/CD/books stores. Got caught in a little thunderstorm.

Then we shopped in the Tanger outlet mall (kinda sparse compared to 20 years ago). We got Mellow Mushroom pizza for a “snack.” It’s not quite as good as I remember and very expensive.

The second night, we ate at Mikee’s. It was a little bit better, nice ambience.

My kids got red snapper and fried shrimp. I got the local redfish. Huge portions.

Day 3

We went to Alligator Alley, a rescue center for gators. There are about 700 gators in the park and a little zoo of other reptiles.

We got feed them nuggets; we paid for a bucket.

We got to hold a baby!

We got to see the big feeding time and hear about their preserve.

The kids said it was the highlight of the trip!

The third night, we ate at DeSoto’s and it was absolutely amazing!

They had adorable little mini loaves of bread and honey butter.

I got the flounder amandine with shrimp and scallops and I got very emotional because I haven’t had such fresh seafood in so many years. It was so beautiful.

My kids got the Caribbean triggerfish and fried fish and shrimp combo.

Day 4

We hit some thrift stores. Most are closed Sundays and Mondays. They all close pretty early – between 3 and 5 in the afternoon.

The last night, we ate at Lambert’s Cafe…because throwed rolls!

It was great fun and amazing food, generous portions, fun atmosphere. We got lots of souvenirs.

They serve some meals in a huge frying pan. I got country ham. My kids got catfish and chicken dumplings. They have the best fried okra I’ve ever eaten in my life.

Day 5

We headed towards home and hit a couple more thrift stores on our way out of town.

We stopped off again in Huntsville to rest a night on our way home to Ohio. There is just no way I can drive straight through for 12+ hours.

We got Zaxby’s for dinner and it’s so good. We only have Raising Cane’s in Ohio, and the kids agreed that Zaxby’s is very good, and certainly way better than CFA.

I love Gulf Shores so much that I could buy a beach house there. Maybe in 5-10 years when I have no more pressing responsibilities.

My kids were glad to be home and one said it is really not their thing; they prefer city trips. I love all the trips: beach, mountains, cities. There is always something fun to see and learn.

Linking up: Eclectic Red Barn, God’s Growing Garden, Pinch of Joy, Silverado, Grammy’s Grid, Simply Coffee, Lisa notes, Monticello, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Try it Like it, Imparting Grace, Slices of Life, Life Abundant, Joanne Viola, InstaEncouragments, Ridge Haven, Fluster Buster, Suburbia, Random Musings, Jeanne Takenaka, Jenerally Informed, Mostly Blogging, Create with Joy, Pam’s Party, Pieced Pastimes, LouLou Girls,

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Filed Under: Travel, USA Tagged With: Alabama, beach, travel

Oahu with Kids

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Please see my suggested resources.

August 14, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert 4 Comments

We lived on O’ahu for three years. Living in Hawai’i isn’t the same as a vacation there. But every single day, there’s a rainbow!

My husband was stationed at Hickam AFB. We lived on base. It was mostly magical. The kids still call it home and we all long to go back.

The thing about living in paradise is that you’re living in paradise. It’s not a vacation every day. Dishes and laundry still have to get done. We homeschooled. Everything is expensive. Gas and food prices are high. Traffic is terrible. You have to watch out for centipedes.

But you can go to the beach whenever you want. There are lots of lovely parks and gardens and hiking opportunities. Those are FREE!

O’ahu is a great place for families!

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

Attractions in Kaneohe

The Windward Coast is a tropical paradise.

  • Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
  • Bellows Air Force Station
  • Sea Life Park
  • Hanauma Bay
  • Kualoa Ranch – Lots of movies and shows filmed there like Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Lost, and Hawaii Five-O. There are ATV tours.
  • Kane’one Sandbar

North Shore Attractions

The beaches on the North Shore are best for families to visit during summer months. The waves get huge mid-November through March and host the famous Triple Crown of Surfing Championships.

There’s TONS to do on the North Shore of Oahu!

  • Matsumoto’s Shave Ice
  • Shrimp Trucks
  • Ted’s Bakery
  • Haleiwa Joe’s
  • Uncle Bo’s
  • Ray’s Chicken
  • Art Galleries
  • Surf Shops
  • Puu O Mahaka State Monument
  • Waimea Beach and Falls
  • Turtle Beach
  • Sharks Cove

Honolulu Attractions

Honolulu is the Hawaii state capital and of course, there are lots of fun things to do in the big city!

  • Honolulu Zoo
  • Waikiki Aquarium
  • Discovery Center Children’s Museum
  • Pearl Harbor
  • Pacific Aviation Museum
  • Diamond Head
  • Ko’olina
  • Bishop Museum
  • Friday Night Fireworks on Waikiki Beach (FREE)
  • Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden (FREE)

We loved living on Oahu for three years, exploring most of what the island had to offer. Some things we didn’t get to see or do since we had very little children. We’d love to go back!

We also traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.

Hawaii Coffee Company
Booking.com
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Filed Under: Hawaii Tagged With: beach, familytravel, Hawaii, Oahu, travel

Big Island Hawaii with Kids

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September 27, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 30 Comments

We visited the Big Island of Hawaii for Elizabeth’s 9th birthday in October 2009. I was pregnant with Alex at the time.

We stayed in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

It’s a quick and cheap hop over from the island of Oahu on Hawaiian Airlines. We lived in Honolulu for three glorious years.

We included FUN activities for the whole family – parents and little kids (we had a toddler and preschooler) and our older daughter.

The Big Island of Hawaii with Kids

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

We hiked ʻAkaka Falls State Park. It’s a circular hike through a jungle. It was super sticky in the rainforest. The waterfall view was so worth it!

We visited the small but lovely Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens to see Namaste, the white tiger, who has since passed away. They have a lovely monarch butterfly sanctuary.

namaste-the-white-tiger

The gardens were beautiful.

panaewa-rainforest-zoo-and-gardens

We toured the lovely Japanese-inspired Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens.

lili%ca%bbuokalani-park-and-gardens-pagoda-bridge
bridge-in-lili%ca%bbuokalani-park-and-gardens

We should have worn swimsuits to play in Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue). The water is calm with a little sandy bank and there’s always a rainbow to be seen!

rainbow-falls-family-photo
rainbow-falls

The black sand at Punaluʻu Beach was lovely for pictures in white dresses.

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girls-at-punalu%ca%bbu-beach
punalu%ca%bbu-beach-couple-photo
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pregnancy-photo-at-punalu%ca%bbu-beach

The best kid beach we found was Kahalu`u Beach Park. Great little sandy beach area and tidepools for exploring. Perfect to view the sunset.

tidepools-at-kahaluu-beach-park
kahaluu-beach-park-sunset

Visiting Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park was like traveling back in time.pu%ca%bbuhonua-o-honaunau-national-historical-park

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park preserves the site where Hawaiians who broke kapu (one of the ancient laws) could avoid death by fleeing to this place of refuge or puʻuhonua. The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle. The grounds just outside the Great Wall that encloses the puʻuhonua were home to several generations of powerful chiefs.

 

The 420-acre site was originally established in 1955 as City of Refuge National Historical Park, but was renamed on November 10, 1978. It includes the puʻuhonua and a complex of archeological sites including: temple platforms, royal fishponds, sledding tracks, and some coastal village sites. The Hale o Keawe temple and several thatched structures have been reconstructed.

The park contains a reconstruction of the Hale O Keawe heiau, which was originally built by Kona chief Kanuha in honor of his father, King Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku. After the death of Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, his bones were entombed within the heiau. The nobility (ali’i) of Kona continued to be buried until the abolition of the kapu system. The last person buried here was a son of Kamehameha I in 1818.

pu%ca%bbuhonua-o-honaunau-national-historical-park-tiki

We were disappointed in the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. No tours, just looking through the window and there’s a gift shop with samples.

mauna-loa-factory

We wasted a drive to the South Point to snap a photo of the plaque. It looked like a desert and only a portable potty.

south-point-hawaii
south-point

But don’t miss a trip to the Punalu’u Bake Shop!

punaluu-bake-shop

We only viewed the Captain Cook Monument across Kealakekua Bay.

captain-cook-monument

Although there are theories that Spanish or Dutch sailors might have stopped here much earlier, the first documented European to arrive was Captain James Cook. He and his crews on the Resolution and Discovery sighted Kealakekua Bay on the morning of January 17, 1779. He estimated several thousand people lived in the two villages. On January 28, he performed the first Christian service on the islands, for the funeral of a crew member who had died.

Cook had entered the bay during Makahiki. This was a traditionally peaceful time of year, so he and his men were welcomed and given food. Cook and his crew stayed for several weeks, returning to sea shortly after the end of the festival. After suffering damage during a storm, the ships returned two weeks later, on February 14. This time relations were not as smooth.

After the theft of one of Resolution’s small boats by a local native Hawaiian, Cook attempted to lure Hawaiian chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu aboard to hold as hostage until the boat was returned. A skirmish ensued during which Cook was killed, near the spot where he had first set foot on the island.

The monument can be accessed by a 1-hour hike from the road or by crossing the bay by boat.

Where we ate:

I cannot express how much we loved eating at Merriman’s. They also have locations on Maui and Kauai!

Ken’s House of Pancakes is great for breakfast or brunch. We took Liz for her birthday breakfast.

Hilo Fish Company is a lovely restaurant for seafood.

We did not enjoy touristy and commercialized Kona, but we stopped at Kona Brewing Company for my husband to try their beer. Since I was pregnant, I didn’t get any!

The Big Island of Hawaii has so much to offer everyone – history, lovely gardens, great food, and natural wonders.

Education Resources:

  • Volcanoes National Park Junior Ranger Program
  • Volcanoes National Park Teacher Curriculum Materials
  • Hawaiian Unit Study from Adventures in Mommydom
  • Hawaii State Study Notebooking Pages from The Notebooking Nook
  • State Study Pages Bundle from NotebookingPages
  • Volcano Unit Study from Stacy Sews and Schools
  • Volcanoes Lapbook and Unit Study from Homeschool Share
  • Volcanoes Mini Study from DIY Homeschooler
  • Volcanoes Unit Study AND Hawaii Unit Study from Homeschool Helper Online
  • Winterpromise Free Volcano Study
  • Hawaii Activities from Rose Garden Homeschool
  • Hawaii State Pack from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom
  • The Island Below the Star Literature Unit Study from Homeschool Share
  • Hawaii Unit Study from Craft Knife
  • Hawaii Printables from EdHelper
  • Enchanted Learning Hawaii Printables
  • DLTK Hawaiian Activities and Printables
  • Education.com Hawaii Resources
  • Hawaiian Activities from ChildFun
  • A to Z Kids Stuff Hawaii Facts and Fun
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Filed Under: Hawaii Tagged With: beach, familytravel, Hawaii, travel

Kalamata Beach Weekend

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

January 6, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 4 Comments

Kalamata is a darling beach town.

We rented a van with CarRentals.com to explore the Peloponnese. We drove from Athens to Kalamata.

As we drove through, it reminded me of the Destin, Florida, area with its shops, boat dock, and oceanfront restaurants.

We wanted to stay on the beach and we loved the Akti Taygetos Conference Resort. It was just far enough from the strip to feel secluded.

We played at the pool all afternoon.

Akti Taygetos Pool

The restaurant at the hotel was sufficient.

Pasta, pizza, salad, hamburgers, and grilled pork. All fresh and delicious!

And that gorgeous sunset.

Hotel AKTI TAYGETOS

Alex loved romping on the steps and petting the kittens.

Sunset at Akti Taygetos

The breakfast buffet was to die for.

A hot and cold bar, pastries, and drink station. Local delicacies and universal favorites. Something for everyone!

I really loved the steamed milk on the hot plate. Café au lait!

Breakfast Buffet at the Hotel AKTI TAYGETOS

We took some sunset photos on the little beach.

Kalamata Beach Couple
My Girls at Kalamata Beach
Royal Little Lambs Kalamata Beach
Royal Little Lambs on Kalamata Beach
Beautiful Sunset

We loved the beach and climate, food and people! We long to go back to Greece!

Check out our Eating Through Greece post! See our whole Greek trip itinerary here.

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Filed Under: Europe, Greece, Travel Tagged With: beach, Greece, Kalamata, travel

Maui with Kids

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November 3, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We spent Christmas in Maui right before our son was born.

A week in Maui was a blissful and relaxing time, even with kids.

Where we stayed:

We flew from Oahu to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines. They often post deals for inter-island hops.

Get an affordable rental car on Maui.

We stayed at Noelani Condominium Resort, near Lahaina. 

It was oceanfront and had grills. 

From our balcony, we could see whales frolicking in the channel and turtles near the shore!

What we did:

We love the beach! Launiupoko Beach Park is our favorite!

It’s a mostly enclosed little beach with a shallow, still lagoon that’s perfect for kids to play! The rock barrier breaks the waves and we could watch the surfers!

There was a large grassy park with grills and great facilities for families to spend the day!

We did the Atlantis Submarine. Don’t bother. A waste of time and money.

They have combo tickets for 1 adult and 1 child for $115 and additional kids are $38. You can buy photos and videos. We went down 127 ft. We didn’t see anything worthwhile.

We all loved the landscape of Haleakalā National Park.

It features the dormant Haleakalā Volcano, which last erupted sometime between 1480 and 1600 AD. There are two distinct sections: the summit area and the coastal Kipahulu area.

Take a tour of Haleakala Volcano.

Visitor Center Hours: All restrooms are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, except when the park is closed during severe weather events.

Park Headquarters Visitor Center (7000 ft.) – 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Haleakalā Visitor Center (9740 ft.) – Sunrise to 3:00 p.m.
Kīpahulu Visitor Center (coastal) – 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

Liz got her Junior Ranger badge.

This is a great educational program for all kids, but as homeschoolers, we love it!

We loved seeing the Hawaiian goose, the nēnē !

We went to the Maui Ocean Center.

It’s the best aquarium we’ve ever been to!

Turtle feeding time was the best!

The girls loved looking at all the colorful and fun-shaped fish!

Santa with a ray! He flashed us shakas!

Open daily: 9am-5pm
July & August: open until 6pm

Buy tickets online!

Day Passes:
Adults $25.95
Children (3-12) $18.95
Save a few dollars with the Fin-tastic Family Pass for 2 adults and 2 kids: $84.20 (can also add on additional kids).

We loved the huge 150-year-old banyan tree in Lahaina.

There are great arts and crafts fairs in this park!

Be sure to check out Lahaina Glass Blowing. We love glass and the art of blowing, but the kids were so very young. This would be a great souvenir!

We bought a lovely Christmas ornament and some fun original paintings.

 Check out this Top 10 list at  Wonders of Maui Activities.

What we ate:

As soon as we left the airport, we stopped at Krispy Kreme donuts!

Our favorite Chinese restaurant: China Boat. Fresh ingredients, and never any MSG.

We visited the Maui Brewing Company. Mostly because we could. Theirs is my least favorite Hawaiian beer. But I was pregnant, so it didn’t matter.

We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs on Christmas Eve at the beach!

We grilled steak for Christmas dinner at our condo. They have lovely professional outdoor kitchens!

What we’d love to go back to Maui and do:

Drive the Road to Hana and get the T-shirt! It was a just such a long drive with very little kids.
We’d love to go snorkeling when the kids are older with Things to Do on Maui or Molokini Snorkeling Tours
I know my husband would love Maui Scuba but I’m rather nervous.

We loved visiting the island of Maui and hope to return someday!



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Hawaii Coffee Company
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Filed Under: Hawaii Tagged With: beach, familytravel, Hawaii, Maui, travel

Beach Unit Study

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July 29, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

This month for Poppins Book Nook, the theme is Beach and Ocean.

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It’s kinda hard to teach about beaches in the landlocked state of Utah.

We went to a reservoir camping and they had a rocky beach and the kids had loads of fun. It wasn’t the ocean, but the kids got to play and didn’t notice really.

Liz with her friend in the water.

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I just loved this view!

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It was too rocky to go barefoot! Alex and Tori loved collecting pretty rocks. Alex put them in his pocket for her!

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Dad got some great portraits of the kids!

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Tori’s eyes are sensitive to the bright light.

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I got to go kayaking!

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My baby boy

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We read lots of books from the library and our shelves and talked about the ocean.

Alex doesn’t remember when we lived in Hawaii for three years, but the girls do.

Resources:

  • Gift of Curiosity Beach pack
  • 3 Dinosaurs Beach pack
  • 3 Dinosaurs Ocean pack
  • Homeschool Creations ocean pack
  • 1+1+1=1 girly ocean pack
  • Itsy Bitsy Learners Under the Sea
  • 2 Teaching Mommies Ocean unit
  • Hello Ocean lapbook
  • Mr. Seahorse unit
  • Deep Blue Sea Kindergarten Kit
  • Jenny’s Surprise Summer unit (we have Kittens for Keeps)
ProSchool Membership - Productive HomeschoolingVisit the other bloggers in Poppins Book Nook to see how they learned about the beach and ocean this month.
Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – Royal Baloo – 3 Dinosaurs – Monsters Ed – Chestnut Grove Academy – Growing in God’s Grace – Royal Little Lambs – Life with Moore Babies – Teach Beside Me – The Usual Mayhem – Mum Central – Fantastic Fun and Learning – Kathys Cluttered Mind – Play Create Explore – Toddler Approved – Growing Book by Book – Adventures in Mommydom – B-Inspired Mama – The Fairy and The Frog – Edventures with Kids – Learning & Growing the Piwi way – A Gluten Free Journey – Mom to Crazy Monkeys – No Doubt Learning – Preschool Powol Packets – To The Moon and Back – Our Craft ~N~ Things – Farm Fresh Adventures – Proverbial Homemaker – Look Were Learning
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Filed Under: Poppins Book Nook Tagged With: beach, camping, PoppinsBookNook

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