Travel Family Spotlight: Tava Adventures

One of my favorite things about social media is meeting other families that love to travel and adventure. I like to dig in and find out what works for them and what draws their family to want to be "on the go" so we started a little series here on the blog where we spotlight other travel families. We hope you will enjoy the third installment of the "Travel Family Spotlight" series.

Kady Lieber is a mom of two and the business owner of Tava Adventures. Kady creates mini-travel guides (passport cards) for kids to use as they explore new cities. Up until recently, she and her family were based in Switzerland and they have been on family travel adventures all over the world. Her latest adventure, however, has involved slowing down and experiencing life at a different pace as she has adjusted to being a mom of a two-year-old cancer warrior, Ava. Kady is an inspiring mom who looks for the positive and "the amazing" in her every day life (even though she's spent 150+ days in the hospital this year with Ava). We hope you'll enjoy our interview with her. You can follow Kady on Instagram at @tavadventures or on her website at www.tavadventures.com.

Tell us about your family.
We are the Liebers. We have 2 daughters, Taylar 7 and Ava 2. We have been living in Switzerland for the past 8 years and just recently moved back to the USA. We are very passionate about travel. Living in Switzerland we were fortunate enough to travel all over Europe with our girls. We also started a small company in July 2015 that sells travel guides for kids. We wanted to make travel fun and exciting for kids so we made travel passports with information and games about major cities in the world. 

Where do you live when you aren't traveling?
Currently we are in the USA. That may change, but as of now we are in Utah. We are loving being in the USA for a while and enjoying all it has to offer.

How have your travel plans changed over the past year or two as you have dealt with your daughter's cancer? What has changed about the way you choose to travel now that you have to be more careful because of Ava's health?
Before Ava was diagnosed in August 2015 we had our biggest travel season yet planned for Autumn 2015. It all came to a screeching halt when Ava was diagnosed with a Meduloblastoma (Stage 4 brain cancer). For about a year we weren't really able to travel much. We did take a trip to Como as a family but that's about it  We tried to just do local things around Switzerland but even that was hard with Ava.  It's been about a year and a half now and we are hoping to start to travel a bit more. Though, we still have to be careful as her immune system is still quite fragile. We are planning some small adventures close to home for the next couple of months and just enjoying the Utah winter as we have had loads of snow so skiing is amazing right now!

How did you come up with the idea to create travel guides for kids? Tell us a little bit about the process? How do you decide which countries to pick?
When we first moved to Switzerland we had lots of guests come visit us and they all wanted me to play tour guide. While I loved doing this it got a little tiring after a while. I realized that most people don't want to know tons of information about certain places but just enough to make their trip interesting so i actually started making travel cards for adults. I wanted something that was easy to carry and had enough information so people knew a bit about where they were. 

Once we started having kids I realized that there weren't really any guides for kids that are easy to carry, entertain the kids a bit and are still educational. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I have a huge love for art and art history. When we moved to Europe and started traveling I wanted to hit every art museum in every city. So I made the travel cards for Taylar so she would be entertained in museums so I could see the art I have always wanted to see. She loved them so I kept making more.

Our city selection process is easy. I pick cities we have been to and we know. That way we have good experience with how that city works with kids and can give real life advice to parents on traveling to that city.

What are some unexpected things that you've encountered as you have traveled with your family?
I think the most unexpected thing we have encountered traveling as a family is how sweet and kind people are to us. When we first started traveling I was always nervous that people would be annoyed by my kids, but we have experienced the opposite. Even on airplanes people have been so kind to us. It's been very unexpected and has helped me relax more when I travel with my kids.

What's the most memorable travel experience you've had with your family?
Last spring we took a weekend trip to Como. It was our first trip after Ava had finished chemo therapy. It felt like a victory for our family. It was a short, simple trip. We didn't have loads of things to do, we just relaxed by the pool, sat by the lake and played. It was such a great trip. By far my favorite because it helped us feel like a normal family again.

What advice would you give to other families who want to travel more with their kids?
Do it! Don't wait until their older, or more well-behaved, just do it! You will never regret taking a trip with your kids. No matter how near or far, you will never regret it.

What are your favorite travel resources?
I love the Instagram community of family travelers. There are so many amazing people. We have met some great friends through Instagram and gotten some invaluable travel tips. Instagram is probably where I go first for travel resources.

What are three items you never leave home without?
Ava's pink blanket
Swiss chocolate
Diaper bag stocked with all Ava's medicine and supplies.

Where are you headed next?
We are hoping to go to the Caribbean in April. Until then we may take a few short weekend trips to explore more of Utah's National Parks.

Indoor Kids' Activities in Salt Lake City

During the winter we get a little bit stir crazy when we are stuck at home so we try and get out on an adventure at least once a week. One of the ways we've made winter more enjoyable for us is to explore museums, activity centers, pools, and aquariums around town. Of course, we always prefer to be outside (even in the snow) but some days it is just too cold or the air quality is bad. Below we've listed a few of our favorite Salt Lake City area spots and why. Before you go, you should always check hours and admissions prices in case they've changed (We've linked to their websites). For the few spots that we visit really often we like to get a annual pass/membership. Hopefully some of these ideas will help you survive and thrive this winter in Salt Lake City!

Natural History Museum of Utah: This museum focuses on the natural history of Utah and the Intermountain West and also is home to some amazing rotating exhibits. The last time we went there was one on poison. We especially love learning about dinosaurs, the organisms in the Great Salt Lake, and watching paleontologists at work. This museum is very hands-on for kids and interactive. The "Our Backyard" exhibit is particularly fun for little hands and lets kids use their senses to learn about species they might find in their own backyard (it's also a great place for parents to take a little break from chasing kids around). Hours: 10am-5pm except on Wednesdays they are open til 9pm. Fees: Adults $14.95, Kids (3-12) $9.95 Under 2 is FREE. 

The Leonardo: We just visited this science, art, and technology museum a few weeks ago for their LEGO Family Day and we are already wanting to go back for their new exhibit about Alien Worlds and Androids. This museum has something for all ages and genders -- from a giant airplane you can climb in, to an exhibit about where children sleep across the world, to hands-on art and science activities. I enjoyed the museum as much as my kids. Our very favorite exhibit was the "Where Children Sleep" exhibit by James Mollison that displays photos of children and their beds from across the globe. It was eye-opening to say the least how diverse bedrooms can be. The exhibit also includes some actual beds that children can climb on to get a sense of what it might be like to live like the children in the pictures. Hours: 10am-5pm except on Fridays they are open til 10pm. Fees: Adults $12.95, Kids (3-12) $8.95, Under 2 is FREE.

LDS Church History Museum: This is one of our go-to museums for rainy days because it is FREE. On top of it being free, it has recently been redone and it is perfect for small children. The first floor has exhibits you can walk through and it has interactive screens and hands-on activities to learn about the Mormon pioneers and how the church began. You can also watch a movie about Joseph Smith, but we haven't taken our littlest kids to that yet. The second floor has a beautiful art exhibit that changes periodically and interactive touch pads throughout the rooms. There is also a children's exhibit called "I'll Walk Where Jesus Walked" where kids can watch videos about Jesus, view nativity scenes from all around the world, build temples out of blocks, read books, dress in period costumes, color, and play in a large ship. The museum is currently offering a 30 minute interactive program where kids and adults can be museum detectives and discover artifacts, documents, and artwork around the museum. Hours: 9am-9pm except on Saturdays they are open from 10am-5pm. Closed Sunday. Fees: None

Discovery Gateway Children's Museum: This downtown children's museum is constantly adding new exhibits, workshops, and programs for the whole family. My girls love their weekly Creative Kids arts classes and occasional puppet shows. We also love the "Kid's Eye View" exhibit where they can pretend to be construction workers, grocery managers, farmers, homemakers, mechanics, etc. When we visited last month they had a large-scale Pinewood Derby race track and kids could make cars to race. We've been going to this museum since my first child was born and it continues to surprise us every visit with new and innovative fun. We like to go on Friday evenings when it stays open later and isn't very crowded. Hours: Monday - Thursday 10am - 6pm, Friday/Saturday 10am - 7pm, Sunday 12pm - 6pm. Fees: General Admission $9.50, Sunday Admission $6, Under 2 is FREE  

Salt Lake County Recreation Center Indoor Pools: Our favorite is Dimple Dell Recreation Center because it is close to us, but there are tons of recreation centers in the Salt Lake City area to choose from. We especially love the open swim hours because most of the recreation centers have amazing indoor pools with play structures and water slides. Dimple Dell has life jackets and puddle jumpers available for kids. You'll want to check each individual recreation center for hours and rules. Keep in mind, if you have kids under 5 years old you must be in the water with them at all times. Dimple Dell Pool Hours: 5pm - 8:30pm Monday through Thursday, 3:00 - 7:30pm on Friday, 11am - 7:30pm on Saturday, 10am - 2:30pm on Sunday. Fees: Adults $7, Children (3-17) $4.

Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point: This museum is about 25 miles south of downtown Salt Lake City but it is well worth the drive. We just went this week and we stayed for two hours and barely scratched the surface of everything the museum has to offer. The museum features a Rainforest climbing area, a Water Works exhibit where you can explore how wind, sun, and water works, a Kidopolis town, and a Geometry playground. The museum can be a bit overwhelming when it is crowded (lots of places for kids to disappear) so we prefer early evenings or afternoons to weekends or holidays. We were surprised to learn the museum stays open until 8pm on weeknights so we went this week afterschool and it was fabulous. We've been to a lot of children's museums, and this one is one of the very best. Hours: 10am-8pm Monday though Saturday. Closed Sunday. Fees: Adult $15, Children (3-12) $12, Under 2 is FREE. **If you get a membership to Thanksgiving Point you get access to this museum plus the Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, and Ashton Gardens.**  

The Living Planet Aquarium: This beautiful aquarium is a fabulous place for kids to see and learn about sharks, penguins, otters, Rainforest ecosystems, and mammals and marine life unique to Utah. The aquarium has a new exhibit that we are looking forward to seeing soon called "Expedition: Asia" that features leopards, small-clawed otters, red Asian Arowanas, Oriental Pied Hornbills, and Binturongs. One of my very favorite places at the aquarium (after seeing all of the exhibits) is Tuki's Island Play Center where moms can rest and chat and kids and climb and run around in an enclosed space. The play area is free with a membership and costs $3 for kids ages 3-12. We don't go to the aquarium very often because it is a little pricey if you don't have a membership but we are thinking about getting a membership this year! Hours: 10am - 6pm daily, Fees: Adults $17.95, Children (3-12) $12.95, Under 2 is FREE.

Jump Around Utah: This is a traditional bounce house kinda place BUT I love that I can sit and see my kids from anywhere that I am and there is free WiFi. This is a great place to meet friends. The play area has a large trampoline in the middle and then is surrounded by climbing structures and bounce houses, mazes, and slides. This place can get a little bit crazy on weekends and holidays, but is usually great right when it opens on weekdays. They also have an inexpensive snack bar with kid-friendly treats. Don't forget to wear socks (even adults). Hours: Open jump times change regularly so it is best to check the website for the latest schedule. Fees: Children (3-up) $10, $4 for 2 year olds, $2 for 1 year olds, Under 1 is FREE.   

Classic Fun Center: If your kids like roller skating, bounce houses, laser tag, and climbing, this is the place for you. It is a catch all for fun indoor activities. We like to bring our scooters with us and use them on the rink. We like the location in Sandy but there are fun centers throughout Utah. Check your location for discounts and special events. The Sandy location has special deals for Family Night and has an Early Bird Special on Mondays - Fridays from 10am-4pm for unlimited skating, bouncing, and jungle for $7.50 and on FunLimited Wednesdays you can do unlimited activities from 4pm-9pm for $7.50. Keep in mind there are extra fees for skate rentals. Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10am-9pm, Tuesdays from 10am-10pm, and Fridays 10am-midnight and Saturday 12pm-midnight, Closed Sunday. Fees: Most individual activities are $7 per person, so it pays to go on a discount day. Skate rentals are $3.00. 

Jungle Jim's Playland: Either you love or hate Jungle Jim's, and we love it. It is like an indoor amusement park with small rides and arcade games. It isn't very big but my girls love the freedom to run and explore and go on rides over and over again without waiting in a long line. It has recently been revamped and has bounce houses and a toddler area. My girls are obsessed with the roller coaster (it goes forwards and backwards) and the bumper cars. Hours: 11am-9pm Monday - Thursday, 11am - 10pm Friday, 10am - 10pm Saturday. Fees: $10 unlimited rides for kids ages $1 and older. Adults get in free. We love $2 Tuesdays.

If we missed any of your favorite spots, or you know of anywhere new we should check out in the Salt Lake City area, let us know!! We are always looking for new indoor activities and adventures!

Travel Family Spotlight: Smiths Holiday Road

One of my favorite things about social media is meeting other families that love to travel and adventure. I like to dig in and find out what works for them and what draws their family to want to be "on the go" so we started a little series here on the blog where we spotlight other travel families. We hope you will enjoy the second installment of the "Travel Family Spotlight" series.

Bron Leeks is a travel mom to three children who travel all over the world (like us) so we felt a kindred spirit with her immediately when we found her on Instagram at @smithsholidayroad. We admire her family's focus on travel as a vehicle to change themselves, push themselves, and prove that they are capable of anything if they try. She provides a unique focus on inclusive and accessible family travel, which she has first-hand experience with because her eldest son, Cooper (age 10) uses a wheelchair. We hope you'll enjoy getting to know this family of five a little bit better through our interview below. You can also find them at www.smithsholidayroad.com.

Tell us about your family.

We are a family of 5. We are outnumbered 2 Adults, 3 Kids. Cooper is 11, Pepper is 8 and Elwood is 5.

Where do you live when you aren't traveling?

We live in Melbourne, Australia. We take as many family adventures as we can!

How often do you travel with your family? Is it local travel or international or both? 

We travel both locally, domestically and overseas. We try and go overseas twice a year. (Some of the places they have traveled include: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, UAE, England, Wales, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and France)

Tell us more about your focus on sharing inclusive and accessible family travels. Are there a lot of places that are very difficult to travel to with a wheelchair? What resources do you use to help assess whether somewhere will be accessible before you travel there? Do you think your website and instagram help empower other families who have kids with disabilities to travel? 

We started blogging and sharing our adventures on Instagram with the view of inspiring all types of families. We do things a little differently because of Cooper's disability but that is actually the best part of it. We get to do and see things we might not have usually been exposed too. We do a little research just so we know what to expect but we would never not explore a place because access is bad. We just have to prepare a little bit more in those cases. 

Why do you like to travel with your kids?

I love the family connection time away from routine. I love that kids open our eyes to so much difference and can often be the icebreakers in meeting new people. I guess I like the escape it can create and the challenging situations you can discover.

What's a memorable travel experience you've had with your family?

Without doubt it was traveling to Cambodia. When we arrived at Siem Reap airport we had 70 kids welcoming us with big signs! Cooper had recently done a fundraiser for New Hope Cambodia and raised $15,000 and we were going to see the Kindergarten.

What are the easiest and hardest parts about traveling with your kids?

The easiest part is they all love to be out exploring. They are pretty fierce and driven so we can push them in different situations. The hardest part is trying to find activities to suit all ages and interests and abilities. Often we will divide and conquer. Andrew will take Cooper and I’ll have the younger two.

What are your favorite travel resources? 

I love family travel blogs and Lonely Planet Kids.

What are three items you never leave home without?

My DSLR, Travel insurance, and chewing gum.

What's your next travel adventure?

We are spending Easter exploring the North Island of New Zealand.

You can learn more about their family travels on Instagram at @smithsholidayroad and you can read more about their family online at www.smithsholidayroad.com

**All pictures are property of @smithsholidayroad and cannot be used without permission**

Travel Family Spotlight: Lizzie Hinckley Davis

One of my favorite things about social media is meeting other families that love to travel and adventure. I like to dig in and find out what works for them and what draws their family to want to be "on the go".  I decided to start a little series here on the blog where we spotlight other travel families. We hope you will enjoy the first installment of the "Travel Family Spotlight" series.

I "met" Lizzie Hinckley Davis via Instagram earlier this year and was drawn in by how effortlessly she appears to adventure all over the East Coast with her boys (ages 4 and 1). One weekend she is in Cape Cod, then New York City, then Tennessee, and then the next thing you know she is on a trans-Atlantic flight to London. Lizzie adventures non-stop with her kids around Manhattan and the East Coast and, honestly, I'm always a little bit jealous of all of the fun she is having. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know her a little bit better though our interview below.

Tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband and I are coming up on our 10 year anniversary.  We have two young boys, James and Harrison, ages 4 and 1.  Motherhood is my greatest joy and I love being a "Boy Mom." I am grateful that their desire to adventure, travel, and explore matches up with my own.  They are my best travel buddies.

Where do you live? Have you moved around at all?
We live in Connecticut, in a quaint New England seaside town only 45 minutes from midtown Manhattan.  We feel like this area really has it all.  We have the city close enough to take advantage of the good but we skip the inconvenience of living in it.  We take our kids to the Met Museum, Central Park, and can go to a Broadway show for date night.  Then back here in Connecticut we have all the perks of the suburbs: great schools, community feel, clean, safe and a yard.  We even have beaches that we frequent along the Long Island Sound.   We feel like our kids are city kids (they know how to hail a taxi), beach kids (they feel at home in the sand), and suburb kids, which is a unique combination.  Plus there are so many wonderful cities and places to explore within driving distance.  We feel like we found the perfect place for us.

How often do you travel with your family? Is it local travel or international?
I have an insatiable desire to see and experience so many places so we try to travel as often as possible.  We love to travel internationally when we can, but most of our travel is within driving distance.  We feel like we can drive in any direction and find a new wonderful place to explore.  We've done road trips to Boston, Maine, Vermont, Lake Winnipesaukee, Philadelphia, Martha's Vineyard, The Hamptons, Washington DC, and Rhode Island.  Since being on the East Coast, we've also explored Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, The Caribbean, The Carolinas, and Canada, which are all short flights away.  Our most recent trip as a family was to London!  We try to get go West when we can too - we love California, Utah, and Mexico. 

You do a lot of local adventures and activities with your kids around the NYC area. How do you find all of the fun activities you plan? What motivates you to get out so much and explore where you live?
We love to explore New York City and I am always amazed that even after 9 years of living out here I am still discovering new things to do and see.  The city energizes me and keeps me coming back for more.  I think one thing that continues to motivate me to get out and explore is seeing the city through my kids eyes.  I've experienced NYC in many different ways - as a young professional, as a young couple, as a girls night out, etc. - but my favorite New York is with kids.  Discovering the parks, playgrounds, activities, museums, and food through my kids eyes keeps it fresh and entertaining.  Just walking down the street in New York City is exciting for kids: "truck! bus! taxi! bike! hot dog stand! tall building! pigeons!" they yell.  It's joyful!

Why do you like to travel with your kids?
Traveling with kids is often a lot of work.  But I love to do it because they are only little once.  I can travel the world my whole life but I only get to introduce it to their little personalities for a short time.  On our recent trip to London, we decided to focus on only two things: Kid Friendly and Christmas activities.  Our itinerary was very different than if just my husband and I had come alone, but doing these new activities showed me a whole different side of London that I would never have known about without kids.  Having our kids with us changed the trip but it changed it for the better. 

What's a memorable travel experience you've had with your family?
One of our most memorable travel experiences as a family was on our recent trip to London. Since we were focused on kid friendly and Christmas activities, we found one unique activity we could all do and enjoy: ice skate on the mote at the Tower of London.  Normally you can't even walk down into the mote so being able to ice skate on it was a real treat.  The kids absolutely loved it as did we.  The views of the Tower were so pretty.  This experience was way more memorable than just taking the tour!

What are the easiest and hardest parts about traveling with young kids?
One of the easiest things about traveling with kids is that they typically adjust better than I do!  I was worried about the actual travel and time difference when heading to London, but I had a much harder time than the kids.  My 4 year old fell asleep before the plane took off and woke up after it landed.  I almost felt bad for him since he had been so excited about riding on such a big airplane!  But not bad enough to wake him up, of course.  One of the hardest things about just adjusting expectations.  For us we realized this in a big way on our second day in London.  We were staying near Westminster Abbey, so I insisted we go inside since my husband had never seen it.  Of course we wanted to read every plaque and listen to the audio guide.  But the crowds were thick, the doors and hallways were not made for a double stroller, and every time our one year old cried it echoed through the whole place!  We finally realized we had to bag it.  It was after that experience that we talked about focusing on only kid friendly and Christmas activities from that point on.  Once we made that adjustment to the itinerary (but mostly in our minds) the trip went really smoothly and we all had the best time. 

What are your favorite travel resources?
I read lots of websites and blogs, follow NYC instagram accounts, etc. but the best recommendations always come from other moms who are out exploring the city with their kids.  There is nothing like a mom-to-mom recommendation! 

What are three items you never leave home without?
My calendar & notebook.  I find that if I have a tangible notebook with me I'm more likely to write down my thoughts or experiences.  And my calendar goes right along with that because you never know when you might need to plan another trip or fun activity!

Books for the kids.  I always bring books for the kids and pull them out when we get caught in a long line, or when they lose interest at a museum.  Books never fail me!

Water & snacks.  Me and my little travelers are only about as good as how many snacks we have.  If someone's hungry, no one is happy!  #Hangry

What's your next travel adventure?
Our next travel adventure is the Turks and Caicos Islands!  It will be our second time there with the kids, and we can't wait to go back to this family-friendly and sunny beach!

You can learn more about Lizzie and her family's travels on Instagram at @lizziehdavis.

**All pictures were taken by Lizzie Hinckley Davis and cannot be used without permission except photo at Metropolitan Museum of Art of Lizzie and boys is by Amanda Petersen @_amandapetersen**

10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Travel Families

Almost everyone has someone in their family who loves to travel -- or wishes they traveled more. So, for this holiday season, we've got some ideas for you. Most of our gift ideas would be great for families but they could definitely work for anyone you know who likes to travel. We've tried to include a few ideas that are simple and easy and then a few ideas that might require a little bit more thought. We'd love to hear what your favorite travel-themed gifts have been over the years.

1. Try the World subscription box. One of our favorite gifts last year was a Try the World subscription box. This subscription box gives you the opportunity to discover the world through food. Every month you receive a themed box with a selection of curated foods. You also get tips on how to recreate a cultural experience at home. So far our girls have loved trying the variety of foods from Argentina, Brazil, Japan, France, and Italy. There are a variety of gift options you can pick from.

2. Scratch off World Map. This is on our personal "want" list because it is a fun and interactive way for our family to see which countries we have visited while also learning more about geography and the world. We love to pull out maps and discuss where we are traveling next, so this way we could also scratch off countries as we visit them.

3. Travel Books or Magazine subscriptions. We can't even begin to tell you all of our favorite travel books. We do post about some of them on our Instagram account every once in a while. Some of our favorite travel series are the Lonely Planet books for kids. You could also gift a subscription to National Geographic Kids or Time for Kids. Another idea might be to buy children's books about countries or cities that you know a family is traveling to. For example, for our younger kids we've loved the "Madeline" book series and the M. Sasek "This Is" book series.

4. Travel accessories. Almost everyone can use new travel accessories and they are especially great stocking stuffers. Think headphones, eye masks, toiletry kits, passport holders, luggage scales, stroller/car seat bags, luggage tags, etc. You really can't go wrong with any kind of big or little travel accessory because these kinds of things usually get worn out over time. Some bigger travel accessories for families might include travel booster seats, travel highchairs, strollers, a portable crib, baby carriers, etc.

5. Packing Cubes. If you follow us on Instagram you know that our packing cubes have been life changing. It is so much easier to pack and unpack when you use packing cubes. We used packing cubes on our Europe trip this summer as we hopped around to four different cities in three weeks and they made me actually enjoy (gasp!) packing. We especially love our TravelWise packing cubes and if you are new to packing cubes we'd recommend checking out the 5 piece weekender set that they sell on Amazon (it is usually a pretty good deal).

6. The Gift of an Experience or a Class. For the family that has everything, or for families who don't want to accumulate too much stuff, you can give the gift of experience. A few years ago my brother and his wife signed me and my husband up for a chocolate tasting class at Tony Caputo's in Salt Lake City. Caputo's offers the largest selection of premium chocolate in the United States. We learned about chocolates from around the world and got to taste them. It was an awesome experience. Some other ideas might be: a museum pass, zoo pass, subway or train tickets, tickets to a local show or event, airplane mileage, etc.

7. Travel games for the whole family. This is one of the simplest gifts you can give any travel family -- games! You can find travel size games at any big box store or online. Some of our favorites are UNO, Monopoly, Connect Four, Battleship, checkers, and just regular old playing cards. We even have a jumbo checkerboard that folds up easily that we like to travel with.

8. Boogie Boards. Last Christmas our kids received LCD writing tablets from their grandparents. My kids use these tablets on the airplane, road trips, at church, and in restaurants -- basically everywhere. These tablets let them use their imagination to write and draw and they are small and portable. If you do buy these for a friend, pick up an extra pen or two because they sometimes get lost...

9. Chatbooks subscription. Most people who travel also like to keep track of the memories they are making. We post a lot of pictures to Facebook and Instagram of our adventures. But, we also like to keep a photo album of our travels. Since we don't have the patience or time to create and design our on photo books, we've relied heavily on Chatbooks. Chatbooks is a subscription service that helps you create photo books automatically from your Instagram feed and you can also upload additional images from Facebook or your camera. For $8 per book, we think it is an amazing deal. So far we are on volume 56 of our Chatbooks. Our kids like to regularly pull out our stack of books and glance through them to re-live our trips and memories.

10. Ring Doorbell. For any tech-obsessed travel families, you should check out the Ring doorbell. This doorbell basically lets you answer your door from anywhere using your Smart Phone. It has wide angled HD video, smart motion detection, and cloud recording. They say, "it’s like you’re home even when you’re not". So if you travel a lot, you might want to add this to your Christmas wish list asap.

Did we miss anything you have on your Christmas wish list? Have you given any amazing gifts in the past to travel families? We'd love to hear your ideas.