We flew in and out of San Francisco and toured Northern California. We chose to stick north as we were more interested in the national parks and geography and felt that a tour of the sophisticated southern coastal towns would have suited us more pre-children or would be best saved for when our family is a bit older.
As an aside, flying long haul with a little one isn’t relaxing like flying used to be. There’s no kicking back and watching a movie or dozing whenever you feel like it. However it’s completely do-able if you’re well prepared and follow the usual routine of meals and activities while on board. We always take enough food / milk to keep little tummies full for the duration of the journey. We pre-order the children’s meal but never assume it will go down well. Invariably you can find a whole host of fruit, biscuits, finger sandwiches, carrot sticks, crisps and journey sweets in our rucksack. We also always pack lots of activities (sticker books, magic painting, wipe clean puzzles, crayons, new novelty toys etc). An iPad and set of headphones is really useful if it gets fraught. Other musts are a change of clothes and plenty of nappies and wet wipes. I take a compact change of clothes for the grown-ups too just in case a poomageddon or travel sickness hit! Even though my babies never really used dummies I always packed one for them to suck in case their ears hurt with the changes in air pressure. Another top tip is to make sure you book the bassinet seat in plenty of time as they get snapped up quickly and it’s really handy to have somewhere for an infant under two to sleep which is not on you. We found a big muzzy was great for hanging around the bassinet to block out some of the light. And to get children to settle down for a night flight it helps to follow the nighttime routine with pyjamas, teeth brushing and story.
Anyway, on with the adventure! Our first stop was San Francisco itself. We stayed in the delightful Argonaut Hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf. We loved the quirky maritime decor and the airy bistro where we ate a delicious breakfast of pancakes and fruit each morning. A visit to Alcatraz to see the famous abandoned prison is a must, as well as a boat trip to see the Golden Gate Bridge and the open top bus tour which takes you all around the city to see sights including the colourful architecture and beautiful and rugged coast. We strolled to Pier 39 to see the famous sea lions, and a ride down the steep and twisting and twining Lombard Street is also good fun. We visited late September / early October and the temperature was perfect; sunglasses and sweater weather.
We then drove from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe in the mountains. We opted for a beautiful route along the coast and through the wine country. This was very scenic but in retrospect with a baby with us it would’ve been better to take a more direct route. None of the drives should’ve taken us more than about four hours but this one involved lots of crying baby because the winding coastal roads made it more of a detour than we expected.
In Tahoe we stayed at the Landing Hotel; a wonderful water front spa hotel. Our room was cosy, modern and spacious with plenty of room for the cot, and it had a huge bathroom. The elegant restaurant had spectacular lake views and a great patio. Our eldest tried his first American pancakes here and has loved them ever since! In the winter you can ski in Tahoe and we did actually arrive in a blizzard. But this soon cleared and for the rest of our time it was beautifully sunny, though we did need coats. We enjoyed scenic walks and picnics on the beaches around the lake and hiked down to Emerald Bay where the water colour was breath taking.
After our time in Lake Tahoe we drove on to Yosemite National Park and arrived just as the leaves were turning into the glorious yellows, reds and oranges of fall. We stayed at Tenaya Lodge, a traditional feeling lodge. Here we had a little cabin in the woods and felt as if we might encounter a bear along the paths to the main building. The American diner style restaurant was fun for meals and we enjoyed taking picnics with us on our excursions during the day. With older children we would’ve done more hiking but given we had a baby with us we took a bus tour around the park to see the famous sights including Half Dome and El Capitan which the more intrepid can climb. We also went on an excursion to see the incredible Giant Sequoia trees, otherwise known as Redwoods. These are the biggest trees in the word and grow to a height of 50-85 metres with trunk diameters ranging from 6-8 metres. Here we learnt a romantic fact that we love to re-quote to each other, sequoias grow and live in pairs.
On our last day in Yosemite we woke up to a dusting of snow outside our cabin. We were lucky that we were about to start driving down to the coastal town of Monterey because we may have needed snow chains to go up into the national park again. We chose Monterey as our last stop mainly because we wanted to take our little one to the aquarium where it was amazing for him to see all of the native marine life. However Monterey and nearby Carmel are also cute places to stroll and soak up the quaint atmosphere, boat spot and look out for seals basking in the sunshine. In Monterey we stayed in the Marriott as it was tricky to find affordable and characterful accommodation but it was perfectly pleasant and very central.
This was as much as we could fit in with a small one in tow but it would’ve been lovely to keep driving south down the coast to check out the other towns and fly home from Los Angeles. Instead we returned to San Francisco to save the rest for next time. So many happy memories of the perfect first family road trip and definitely a destination to recommend to other families looking for gentle adventure!
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Next up in our travel diaries is Costa Adeje, Tenerife, the Canary Islands. I have to confess, when I think of a Spanish island holiday I’m reminded of my two week trip to Magaluf after my A Levels and foam parties, laying on the beach all day and boat trips where shots are poured into your mouth. However our family holiday to Tenerife this year pleasantly surprised us...
We stayed at the Sheraton La Caleta. Although part of a big chain it’s charmingly built in red Spanish style stone with lush gardens and lagoon pools and it occupies a prime water front position. We had delicious and atmospheric meals in the onsite Spanish and Japanese restaurants and all the staff were really friendly and helpful. We were less keen on the buffet, possibly because they’re currently in the process of renovating the restaurant where it’s usually served so it felt a bit temporary and less extensive than you would expect. We also ate in a lovely restaurant called El Torre del Mirador which was a short walk along the sea front and overlooked the water. There are several bars, cafes, shops and restaurants along this stretch and we enjoyed running there in the mornings. The rooms at the Sheraton are spacious and we had a stunning sea view. The kids pool is fantastic, the biggest we’ve known, though it isn’t as shallow as some so a toddler couldn’t stand up. There are also two big pools in the main pool area and a shallow paddling pool in the kids club. The beach just outside the hotel back gate is a mixture of black sand and tiny pebbles but if you walk along to the next beach some golden sand has been imported. The beaches are nice enough though quite busy and the water is a little rough. We had fun playing in the waves but generally preferred to spend most of our time by the pools. The final lovely touch to mention is the complementary 9 hole mini golf which our boys loved!
To get a break from constantly watching the children in the pools (where they would’ve happily spent the whole two weeks!) we took three excursions. Firstly we chartered a boat for a day and pootled along the coast to see the stunning Los Gigantes Cliffs and swim in the bays on the way there and back. The rock formations were incredible and it was great to get out on the water and feel free with the sea breeze on our faces. The water was a little choppy for those who get sea sick and my sister, who is renowned for travel sicknesses and also pregnant, suffered a bit.
We then drove to Mount Teide which towers 3718 metres above sea level at its highest point, and if measured from the ocean floor is the highest volcano, base to peak, outside of the Hawaiian Islands and the Earth’s third tallest volcano. The boys were in awe to find out that we were going to visit an active volcano and we had a lovely chat about active/dormant/extinct. In actual fact Teide hasn’t erupted since 1909 so we were pretty safe. We weren’t expecting such stunning scenery and the whole family really enjoyed the drive and the views! We arrived at the lava field at the foot of the volcano via pine forests and watched as the trees disappeared and the terrain turned rocky. You can go up to the summit in a cable car but because we had my sister who is pregnant with us and she couldn’t ride we stuck together and went for a hike and admired the landscape which was still stunning at just over 2000 metres.
For our third excursion we braved the winding roads through the mountains to the north of the island and hit the Loro Parque. I visited as a child when it was a collection of beautiful gardens and a parrot show. Nowadays it’s much more, with fantastic animal attractions in the park and many conservation projects running throughout the world. We felt like we were observing a penguin colony in the wilds of Antartica in the penguin experience. You stand on a conveyor belt and go all around their circular enclosure watching them preen, dive off the ice and swim underwater. The Orca whales had the boys gasping. They haven’t seen whales in the wild before so it must’ve been amazing for them to see the real thing after seeing them in so many picture books. Many of the whales had been rescued and couldn’t survive in the wild, or were born in captivity, and they were clearly really well loved and cared for. The parrot show also had our two in fits of giggles and wowed as the parrots swept just above their heads in the audience. Plus there are also so many other species in the park to admire...sea lions, dolphins, parrots, flamingos, monkeys, chimps, gorillas, hippos, alligators, lions and fabulous displays of jellyfish and other marine animals in the aquarium... The only challenges were that, given we visited in peak season, the car park was full and we had to find a spot up the hill, and the charming but narrow walkways in the park were a little overcrowded. It was more blissful later in the day when the crowds dwindled (and if we’d arrived for opening time it probably would’ve been the same then). Other top tips are to buy tickets online to skip the entrance queues (we actually bought ours online while standing in the queue) and also arrive in plenty of time for the shows as they get full (we couldn't get into the dolphin show).
There are other opportunities for day trips that we didn’t manage this time including a submarine ride, the Siam water park which would probably suit a family with slightly older children and is supposed to be really fun, paramotoring (in the sky down from the mountains - the sky is full of them!) and paragliding (behind a boat), trips to Mount Teide by night to see the stars and several coves and little towns dotted around the island.
All in all we had a wonderfully relaxing time, scattered with day trips to keep us amused. My view of the Spanish Islands is altered to a classier one, though I’m sure a visit to Playa de las Americas would take me back to my partying youth if I wanted to go there (we didn’t check it out!) It was mainly a rejuvenation holiday after our busy year but we still found plenty to entertain ourselves and had a perfectly lovely family holiday staying in a really welcoming and comfortable hotel.
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We’re lucky to have quite a few trips planned after a year of hard work on the business; time at the beach in Dorset where Tom’s family have holidayed for years, a family sun holiday abroad, a visit to my aunty in Northumberland where we’ll explore the beautiful coastline and countryside, and a stay at the family farm of some dear friends in Scotland.
I thought I’d share with you my ideas for filling the rest of our time (though the number 1 activity is our amazing ExplorerBoxes of course!) I don’t think we’ll quite get through all of these so will save some for October half term too.
Has anyone got any other great ideas to add to our list? We’re always keen to hear about and try new things.
Activities at home (I've added links and Instagram accounts where useful):
Outdoors activities:
Indoors activities - just in case it rains:
However you choose to spend your time we hope you have a really great summer filled with adventure and giggles. Fingers crossed the weather stays lovely!
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As I reflect, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learnt along the way, to help inspire and encourage others who are on a similar journey to set up their own businesses, in the way that we’ve been supported by a whole host of amazing people ourselves:
1. Match your idea to your lifestyle: We had loads of business ideas which we used to scribble in a little book when we were on holiday and had time to dream before we had children. But in the end the winning idea for us was the one that fitted with our lifestyle. We have two small boys and Tom has a demanding job, so I need to work flexibly to run the business day to day while also taking care of our family. Our products are inspired by what I do with our own children so come naturally to us and meet a genuine market need, and I don’t need to travel throughout the world or be present at a client site or office because I can run our online business from home around the school runs. Working from home all the time would drive some people (including my old self) mad, but it's perfect for me and our family at this point in time.
2. Talk to people, you can’t get it right alone: When you have a new business idea it’s tempting to keep things to yourself for fear of copying or criticism. Tom talked me out of this and I’m so glad he did as you need to know what people really think to check that there’s a market for your idea and to get help refining it. There are so many skills and words of wisdom amongst the people that you know and they genuinely want to help. Our friends have given us tonnes of advice on all aspects of the business such as how to legally set up the company, recommendations for print houses, social media guidance, how to sell on Amazon, good packaging companies, setting up an online store, marketing tactics, registering trademarks…. Just tomorrow I’m off for a coffee with some friends from our village who know all about selling into garden centres and manufacturing in China.
3. Plan, plan, plan: Being an ex-business consultant and project manager, I love a good plan on a page and have countless exhibits stashed in my in-tray. They’re not pretty, they’re just scribbled timelines on A4 sheets. I haven’t always stuck to them and have re-planned many times because I’m juggling this all around two little boys whose needs trump most business tasks, but they’ve kept me focused on what I need to do, in what order and by when. And when I’m feeling lost and unsure about what to tackle next, the plan is my anchor point and guide. I never get entrepreneur’s block.
4. Things don’t always go right; it’s how you fix them that matters: I learnt a great lesson with our first packaging box. I spent ages working with the packaging company on the design and paid an extortionate amount for the first boxes so that I could get my first 50 test boxes out in time for Christmas 2017. When the boxes arrived, the colours looked all wrong. I went through a cycle of grief as ExplorerBoxes are my baby. I cried, I got mad, I wrote some long emails! And then I spoke to my dad who gave me some sound business advice; take the emotion out of the situation, use only the words that you need to, and be clear what you want to happen. There’s no point in dwelling on a problem, much better to find a solution and move forwards. Whenever I come across a business problem, I’m going to remember this, thanks dad. Oh, and always make sure you have a proof in your hands before you let anything go to print. There was a reason why I didn’t in this instance, but I won’t go into that here!
5. Pick where to be perfect: Tom and I have a lot of debates about how I spend my time. I confess I’m a detail lover and a completer-finisher. However recently I did get him to admit that in general he thinks I got it right with ExplorerTots. I spent a long time perfecting our ExplorerBoxes when everyone was campaigning for me to just get them out there and learn by trial and error. I strongly believe in customer feedback and iteration, but I needed to feel confident that our boxes meet all EU safety requirements and are really exciting for families to open. Because I picked to be perfect with the product we’re now at a point where we can scale up quickly rather than spending time iterating the fundamental product design. Some areas where I picked not to be perfect, and which went against my project manager inclinations, were my rough plans scribbled on paper, my huge pile of filing, and linking our bank account to our accounting software then not thinking about accounting until our first accounts were due. Where to be perfect will no doubt change in the next phase as ExplorerTots evolves. Being a natural perfectionist, I always remind myself that you need to get the right things perfect and a good job is good enough with the rest. Otherwise you will collapse in a heap!
6. Make time for you and reinvent your priorities: It’s easy to get run down and forget to take care of yourself when you’re juggling work and family life. Just after Christmas this year Tom and I were both exhausted, Tom from working hard for a promotion at work to keep the roof over our heads and me from pretty much singlehandedly running the home, making sure the children had everything they needed and launching the business. We were arguing more, shouting more at the boys, scraping together meals for us while we were working after the kids were in bed, and not fitting in enough exercise and time out both separately and together. We realised that something had to give so decided to redefine my goals. For now, I’m first and foremost running the home and fitting the business in around the edges and this is a real mental shift for me. That’s not to say I’ve stopped working hard on our ExplorerTots baby, far from it. It’s just taken the pressure off and brought the enjoyment back because everything that I get done for the business is a bonus rather than everything that I don’t get done being a stress. And we’ve both found more time for exercise, date nights and making healthy meals. In a few months’ time we’ll no doubt jiggle the priorities again as this constant reassessment is going to be key in managing our work alongside family life.
7. The power of genuine networking: When I worked in the corporate world networking was a big thing and of course I diligently kept up with colleagues and clients and have some dear friendships from my London days. But the power of the network has a whole new meaning for me now that I’m an entrepreneur. My networking has become far less political and much more about who can genuinely help and inspire who. I’ve come to realise that this type of genuine networking is critical to help you generate ideas and grow your business in the best way, and it’s also enjoyable and empowering rather than being a chore.
Anyway, enough words. As you can tell, off the back of this award nomination, I’m super energised and have some exciting new box themes to get cracking with! I really hope these nuggets are helpful and provide some comfort and camaraderie to those on the same rollercoaster journey as us. We’d love to hear your words of wisdom too. Wishing you loads of luck achieving your dreams!
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A big hello - welcome to our very first ExplorerBlog post!
If you’re reading this, you must love family adventures as much as we do. Thank you for joining us on our mission to explore our amazing world and have tonnes of family fun together…
Coming up on the blog you can expect lots of useful information for activities and adventures with little ones, as well as inspiration for awesome family days out and trips away. We'd love to share stories from other families out there too so please do get in touch if you’d like to be featured as a guest post…
So, with no further ado, here is our review of Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve which we visited Easter 2019 when our boys were just 5 and nearly 3.
Introducing Port Lympne!
Port Lympne Reserve and Hotel is a safari park and collection of unique hotels spread across acres of stunning parkland in Kent, England. They are run by the Aspinall Foundation who do amazing work breeding and reintroducing species into their natural habitats. During your visit you can encounter over 760 animals across 90 species.
Port Lympne also has a sister wild animal park called Howletts which is about 20 minutes’ drive away.
You can visit the animal parks as a day visitor or entrance is included when you book any of the accommodation, ranging from simple forest pods and glamping tents, to the quirkier Treehouse Hotel and Lion and Tiger Lodges where you sleep within a whisker of the big cats.
In Port Lympne Reserve regular safari truck rides take you on an exciting adventure to see animals from South America, Asia and Africa roaming free in the parkland. There is also a huge loop of more traditional enclosures which you can walk around. We were struck with how much space the animals have and how close you can get to them. We booked this holiday with the children in mind but found that we were also awed by how close we could get to the animals and how much we learned about the endangered species.
Howletts park is laid out more like a traditional zoo, although again we were really impressed with the space and variety in the enclosures and how happy and free the animals all seemed. We visited in the school holidays, but it didn’t feel at all crowded and we got many moments on our own to take in the animals. We even think we caught a glimpse of the Aspinall family playing with the cheetahs in their enclosure (they’re famous for getting close to their animals!)
For added adventure there is also a treetops high ropes challenge at Howletts and a dinosaur trail at Port Lympne with tonnes of dinosaur models hidden throughout the forest. We certainly learned a few more dinosaur types!
We were lucky to try out three of the fabulous accommodation options, one per night. Each was styled in its own unique way….
Night 1 – Bear Lodge
When you arrive at Bear Lodge it really does feel like you’re on safari in Africa. The tents are in two rows overlooking the bear enclosure and the beautiful Kent countryside. Each tent has loads of space inside. In our front-row tent there was a double bed; a double cubby bed which the boys opted to top and tail in as they loved being able to close themselves in with the shutters to go to sleep and play underneath it; and bunkbeds. Each sleeping area was partitioned off to create the illusion of separate bedrooms. The tent had a kitchen area with fridge, sink and storage cupboards; and a dining table, seating area and log burner. We were able to take breakfast foods and made several packed lunches. The toilet and shower were out back with an open roof, so you feel like you’re washing al fresco but have the comforts of hot running water.
It’s well worth choosing the front row for the gorgeous view. Each tent has a porch with lovely wooden furniture and cushions where you can sit with drinks and nibbles after a busy day in the park. Gin and tonics all the way for us (and fruit shoots for the little monkeys!)
You do have to be OK with hearing families in other tents as the walls are of course only fabric. I confess I struggled with the noise a bit as I needed to put earplugs in but wanted to be able to listen out for our small boys. We stayed in April and it got pretty chilly overnight. We were unlucky as we hit upon a night when the temperature dropped to zero degrees though! Being new to glamping I think we would have been better suited to a summer stay or one of the pods which might have been a little warmer than a fabric tent.
A stroll past the children’s park and outdoor fire pit takes you to the onsite restaurant, Bear Lodge Grill, which really took us by surprise as it’s modern, has a varied menu and the food was delicious. We chose to eat here all three nights even when we moved to the other hotels. It’s just a short walk or golf buggy ride away from these (some of the hotel rooms come with their own golf buggy). They serve delicious continental and cooked breakfasts. For lunch and dinner, you can opt for the Mongolian grill where you select protein, vegetables and sauce of your choice; choose rice or noodles; and then have the chance to cook it yourself on the grill. Such fun! They also have an a la carte menu with classic dishes such as steak, fish, chicken curry and burgers. And of course, there’s a children’s menu with the usual tomato pasta, fish fingers and chicken nuggets type options. This came in handy for our youngest who will only eat fish fingers at the moment, aaargh!
Night 2 – The Treehouse Hotel
Checking in at The Treehouse Hotel is simply magical. You’re driven down from the main reception in a cool safari truck and are greeted by super friendly hosts at a trendy safari lodge overlooking the rhino enclosure. You complete the paperwork while sipping prosecco and toasting marshmallows over the firepit before being shown to your stunning glass fronted treehouse. The treehouses are reached by climbing some steep steps built into the hill but another fabulous view over the estate makes it all worth it. They feel secluded and peaceful, literally as if you’re in the trees.
The treehouses are modern inside with a full kitchen, sitting room, television and wifi. Ours had a bathroom and two bedrooms which was perfect for our family of four.
One of the best bits about booking into one of the hotels is that you get a golf buggy with the room. Before we arrived I thought this was a gimmick but it was actually so much fun to take ourselves on our own mini safari around the park. Although you can’t go into the wide-open enclosures where the big safari trucks go, there is still plenty of ground to cover and it would have been quite tricky for our little ones to manage all the walking. Of course, the boys rode up front with Daddy and found it hilarious to be putting Mummy in the back for once!
Although I’m OK with camping and can do without my creature comforts, I have to confess this was my favourite of the three nights, but it did come with the highest price tag.
Night 3 – Port Lympne Hotel
We spent our final night in the manor house hotel. We were once again greeted by really friendly staff at check in and the boys loved hearing about the secret passage behind the bookcase.
The hotel is brimming with colonial charm with wood panelling, old paintings, a stunning Moroccan courtyard, and a dining room with an ornate jungle fresco all over the walls and ceiling. The boys enjoyed spotting the animals watching over our breakfast table.
Out back there are gardens to stroll in and a maze for the kids to explore. You can stand above it and watch them running through the passageways. They feel free but you can see their every move!
You also get a golf buggy with the manor house rooms.
All in all, we had a fabulous mini break and would thoroughly recommend Port Lympne. The accommodation was characterful, the food was yummy, the staff were lovely and the experience was magical. There was tonnes to do so staying over meant that we could take our time and enjoy ourselves rather than try to cram it all into one day. You can choose your accommodation based on preferences and budget, the pods/tents being the most affordable while loads of fun and the treehouse and lodges blissfully luxurious. The manor house is somewhere in between.
For more information:
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