Rail Explorers in Portsmouth, Rhode Island - Rail Bikes with young kids

Northern Ramble with Kids (3 and 5) 

Since any of us could remember, our son Whitney loved trains. Toy trains, riding trains, shows about trains, trains were life. We spent mornings riding the steam train (special events like Thomas the Train and Polar Express included), afternoons riding the Shoreline East rail to go grab pizza, and evenings building elaborate wooden toy tracks. We celebrated Whitney's second birthday with a Chugga Chugga Two Two party and nurtured his love of trains. 

As he got older, the wooden trains came out a little less often but he still asked to "go the train track way" and stopped to point out a rail spur whenever we saw one. When I found out about the rail bike adventures around New England, I knew this would be a fun way to explore with our train-loving son. 

Two days (and a long run) in Rome

Recapping my time in Italy (back in April) has truly been a slow burn. Having young kids and running a company does leave little free time for leisurely writing but Rome was our last stop on our trip and far too special not to share. Every city we visited during my trip to Italy absolutely exceeded my expectations. Not only does Italy have the food, wine, and culture as a whole, but each city has its own flair and identity. 

Florence was cobblestone streets and sunsets over the river, tile buildings and affogatos in the piazzas. Venice was a maze of canals, beautifully colored houses by the sea, a carless city where ferry boats are the mode of transportation and it is a sort of magic to be buzzing around the twinkling city at night. 

Rome is different. Rome is time traveling, it’s walking down a road and turning the corner to see the Colosseum so casually framed between two buildings. It’s walking through a park that used to house hundreds of thousands of Romans watching chariot racing. It is living and wandering around an ancient city where everything is out in the open, a lesson in the Roman Empire that isn’t blocked behind a paywall. 

Parco Cafrella

We only spent 2.5 days in Rome but was able to experience a lot of the city in 2.5 days. We spent our first afternoon getting our bearings and exploring the northern end of Parco Cafrella. It was a Sunday evening and on a Roman Sunday, the city slows down and everyone soaks up the Italian sun at the park. Picnic were packed, trail runners were out, dogs ran around the fields and Italians lounged in the evening air. The birder in our group was happy to scout out new species, while I was eager to see what Rome was like from the local standpoint. After our evening in the park I planned to spend the next day soaking up some of the history of Rome. 

8 Mile route through Rome

Long Run Around Rome - Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant'Angelo, Tiber, Colosseum, and Roman Forum

I knew that the center of Rome is famous for its crowds, with the Colosseum being the most visited spot in Italy. I knew that if I wanted to find some solitude, I would have to be willing to get up early; easier said than done with the jet lag and time change. Nonetheless, I did some research and mapped out an 8-mile route from our Airbnb outside the city, to some of the major sites through Rome. 

2 Days in Venice, Murano, and Burano

When this trip came to be it was planned out to be four days in Rome with an overnight excursion to Florence. We quickly received an email letting us know our flight was being moved a day and so, with the extra day, the trip shifted a bit to two days in Florence, two days in Venice, and two days in Rome. Venice for me, was a chance to see the famous canal city. Venice for Corey was a chance at a whole new list of birds. A last-minute addition of two days in Venice was a slice of Italian magic and we loved being on the water. We had no agenda for our two days in Venice and we wandered in and out of shops, enjoyed cocktails in piazzas, tried different restaurants, and soaked in the culture of the canal city.

A Wanderer's Guide to (two days in) Florence

Adam and I made plans to each take the kids somewhere fun this year while the other had a chance for some kid-free time. 

For my part, I took the kids to Florida to visit my snowbirding parents in Daytona Beach Florida, while Adam and some friends had a guy's weekend skiing at Pico. In turn, Adam was taking the kids to South Carolina with his parents to visit family, and I had a 4-day weekend to myself. I quickly started searching around google maps, the only way I ever book a flight, and instead of something "simple" like Florida, a round-trip flight to Rome priced at $380 caught my eye. From here, an idea was born. Why spend a long weekend in the US when I could spend it abroad for truly a fraction of the price. An inexpensive flight, cheaper lodging and food, public transportation and no rental car needed. And of course, the chance to explore Italy with a glass of wine behind a plate of pasta. 

While I was more than happy to go alone, I quickly ran through my friend list of people who would A) be interested in traveling abroad and B) were okay with traveling the way I travel. I choose to travel in a budget-friendly way, focused on wandering and experiencing the culture through good food and a lot of walking instead of high end resorts and seeing big ticket items through tours. Instantly, Corey came to mind as someone who was wildly easy-going, and was okay with skipping the tourist high-ticket items in exchange for a long lunch filled with seafood. It was a pretty quick yes and from there, our Girl's Trip to Italy was born. 

A week at Lake Brome, Quebec, Canada

I consider myself wildly lucky to be surrounded by friends who love to travel, especially the international ones. My friend Mary Ellen, who invited us to join her for a week in Italy, invited us out of the country again but this time, a little closer. She booked a house on a lake in Canada, making an out-of-country getaway a bit easier with kids by making it within driving distance to the amazing lake area of Lake Brome. 

Lake Brome is about a 5.5 hour drive from coastal Connecticut, and just over the border of our northern neighbor. It is only 40 minutes over the border but you instantly notice the change of scenery and culture and you enter the very french area of southern Quebec. While there is plenty to do in the area, you are also only an hour drive from Montreal and three hours from Quebec City. We went up in August which was the perfect time of year to float on the lake, bike the recreation paths, and enjoy a different culture so close to home. 

We loved the area, and loved this relaxing week away with friends and wonderful weather. It is truly a perfect family destination with outings to local zoos, a trip to the city, and slow days spent at local parks and playgrounds. Canada does open spaces and parks so much better than we do, and we enjoyed free access to public pools, splash pads, parks, and recreation trails. There is such an emphasis on the outdoors, and making it accessible to families, that makes you envious of a bit disappointed we don't hold those same values here in the United States. 

This post is a bit different than most as it isn't a formal travel guide. We truly just spent the week relaxing on the lake, enjoying all it had to offer. I included some highlights which highlight some of our day trips and activities as we ventured around the area.