Do you ever have one of those travel moments where you think “Why on earth did I want to do this?” The Changing the Guard was that moment for me. Don’t get me wrong – I think if you are making the trip to London and you want to see it, it is definitely something you should see. Don’t forget…I love a good tourist spot just as much as I love the hidden treasures. When we told people about our London itinerary, everyone said to skip the Changing the Guard unless it was something that I HAD to see. I am glad we went…I think…but the only things I really remember about the Changing the Guard are the fact that it was miserable hot, Big S was whiny, and the crowds were absolutely atrocious and extremely pushy. Other than that, I don’t really remember much else! If you do plan on heading to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing the Guard, get there very early and bring snacks/toys to entertain the kids. These are our fantastic (note the hint of sarcasm!) photos from the event! I did get a couple of good pictures but these are more fun!
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When people find out I live in Pensacola, Florida, they usually call me right before their Disneyworld trip and ask if we want to meet for dinner. They don’t realize that it is a 6 hour drive and most of the time, they are not interested in adding the Panhandle to their itinerary. It seems as if the Florida Panhandle is like that special toy shoved in the back of your child’s room. Easily forgotten, but when found it is a gem to be treasured!
The approximate 90 mile stretch of Highway 98 from Pensacola to Panama City Beach is my Route 66. I love to put the kids in the car and cruise down Highway 98, stopping wherever and whenever the mood strikes me. Here are our favorite kid-friendly stops:
Gulf Islands National Seashore – Let the kids do some exploring while you relax on the beach.
John Duncan Memorial Park and Panhandle Butterfly House – The Butterfly Garden is open throughout the summertime as well as the splash pad at the John Duncan Memorial Park. Let the kids cool off in the water and enjoy the beautiful view of Navarre Beach.
Indian Temple Mound and Museum – See artifacts, a temple mound and learn about the history of Ft. Walton Beach.
Gulfarium – Get close to the local sealife at the Gulfarium. Check out the dolphin show, the touch pool, pelicans and gators.
Destin Commons – This is a fairly new shopping center that is a great stop for the kids. They can run around the Pop Fountains Splash Pad, make a buddy at the Build-a-Bear, check out the huge fish at Bass Pro, or play at the small playground.
Mellow Mushroom – Fantastic pizza, quick service so you are back on the road again and it is loud so the kids can blow off some steam while waiting for their dinner…need I say more?!
Seaside – This beautiful town might look familiar to some of you. It was the set of the Truman Show. Grab an ice cream cone and take a walk through town.
Eden State Gardens – Eden Gardens is one of the Florida State Parks. It is absolutely beautiful with its moss covered tree canopy and if you get there at the right time you can tour the Wesley House, which looks like it came right out of Gone with the Wind.
Pier Park – This is another great shopping center with lots of kid-friendly activities. Ride the carousel or the train, visit some shops and stop in at the Candymaker to buy some fresh saltwater taffy.
Shipwreck Island – You will want to reserve some time for a visit to Shipwreck. This water park will keep every busy all day long.
Today I am sharing one of my favorite travel blogs-Intelligent Travel Blog of National Geographic Traveler. They usually post more than one article a day and the articles are so varied that anyone can find something that appeals to them. I love to log on and see the beautiful blue cabana hut in the bottom corner…it is calling my name and sometimes I just close my eyes and wish that I was sitting on that little ladder! Some of my favorites include:
I Heart My City – Do you heart your city? Answer the questions suggested and you might find your answers on their blog.
50 Books of Summer – This is a list of 50 books that have helped inspire travel. I have read many of them but have added the rest to my library list.
Jenss Family Travels – This family is traveling around the world and reading about the travels has been part of our inspiration to begin planning a Round the World trip.
For this week’s Photo Friday at Delicious Baby, I decided to share some pictures that my husband took on his last Appalachian Trail hike. Due to work constraints, he is not able to be a thru hiker but he does have a personal goal to section hike the whole thing. During this last trip, they started at the beginning of the trail and hiked through a large portion of Georgia. Being the photographer of the family, I made sure that I sent him with our little point and shoot so that he could take some pictures!
Stop by Delicious Baby and check out all the great travel photos!
As I said in a post last week, I decided to make the move to the domain name even though the site wasn’t ready. I did this because I had a million and one reasons why I didn’t have time to work on my site. I decided that if I just moved the site, then I would be forced to get it up and running smoothly. I have a laundry list of things that need to be done and it will take some time. One of those items was to get my RSS Feeds going. You can now 
Subscribe to Two Kids and a Map in a reader or if you look at the top corner of the sidebar, you can subscribe via email.
I really appreciate all of you sticking around while we make this transition.
