Laidback Luxury at Montage Laguna Beach

After a long hiatus from "real" traveling due to the pandemic, this past spring my family enjoyed a luxurious weekend stay at the Montage Laguna Beach, a Forbes five-star resort. This Southern Californian hotel is located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, perched atop a very scenic cliff above the Pacific Ocean. The location is dreamy and makes you feel like you are visiting the French or Italian Riviera. The vibe is laidback yet luxurious.

From Land’s End to the Beach in Cabo San Lucas

I was super-excited to visit Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, during our seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise on the Disney Wonder. As an avid photographer, I could not wait to see El Arco, or the Arch of Cabo San Lucas, also known as “Land’s End,” since it sits at the end of Baja California. The Land’s End Coastal Cruise and Beach Break Port Adventure exceeded my expectations and allowed me plenty of opportunities to photograph Cabo’s stunning coastline and natural wonders.

Saving on (and Surviving) Travel with a Toddler

Traveling with a young child is not for the faint of heart: it takes planning, dedication, and a willingness to be flexible on a moment’s notice. Of course, it also takes money — and lots of it. Taking a vacation is never cheap, and when you add another tiny human into the mix, your travel budget can begin to fill a bit snug. So, here are a few tips to keep your wallet full and your stress levels low when hitting the road with your preschool entourage.

Day 8 – Disembarkation in Port Canaveral & Visiting the Kennedy Space Center: Seven-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Fantasy

If there were ever a bad thing about a Disney cruise, it’s having to get off the ship. It’ even worse if you have to fly home on the same day. This time around we thought we’d soften the blow by staying an extra night in Orlando, which was a good decision on our part. For our previous Disney cruise on the Magic, we flew out on disembarkation day, and it was sooooooo depressing.

Day 7 – Castaway Cay: Seven-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Fantasy

Best. Day. Ever.

When you visit Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, be sure to set your expectations high! It really will be (one) of your best days ever.

We had visited Castaway Cay two times previously (via the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic), so we were pretty pumped for a day in paradise, relaxing on the beach and in our cabana.

As noted in my previous post, we had to stop off for a medical emergency during our day at sea on the way to Castaway Cay. So, we were significantly delayed in our arrival. We originally were scheduled to be there from 9:00am to 4:00pm. We ended up not arriving until 12:30pm and were scheduled to leave at 6:00pm.