Traveling with two

Julia is now 2 1/2 months old, and we are quickly growing accustomed to traveling with 2 young children. Perhaps the greatest advantage of this move is the ample opportunity for travel. I promised myself the day we moved that traveling with children would not limit our experiences. My children are the most wonderful gift I could ever imagine. However, it would be a lie to say there are not times I would rather travel as a couple than as a family of 4. Such negativities are forgotten when I remember what amazing experiences we are ALL encountering. Though it is unfortunate that my girls are too young to remember much of their travels, I love that we are so blessed to provide them with these opportunities. It goes so much further than a physical destination on the map. They are constantly surrounded by new and diverse cultures as well as history that feels as though it is leaping from the pages of Wordsworth's works.

I was reminded of all of this as we took a holiday over this long weekend. While the American's celebrate Memorial Day, the British enjoyed a Bank Holiday. This is essentially an excuse for a day off of work and a long weekend, which in my experience is enjoyed much more by Europeans than by us Americans. Whatever the reason, with a 3 day weekend upon us, we wasted no time in planning a trip on the island. We started off Friday afternoon to Bath. Here we visited Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. They provided a wonderful audio tour that even Alexandria enjoyed. We left Bath Saturday afternoon and made a pit-stop to see Stonehenge before continuing our holiday in Bristol. We chose Bristol not to visit the city itself but as a central location to the other areas we wanted to see. Sunday morning we loaded up the Buick and drove into Wales. While in Wales we visited Tintern Abbey and Caerphilly Castle. These sights were astonishing and well worth the drive. Monday we remained in Bristol and spent a more modern day enjoying the Bristol Zoo. I will always feel partial to the St. Louis Zoo, but I must say the Bristol Zoo was also impressive. We especially enjoyed the penguin and seal exhibit where we were able to view the animals both above and under the water.

The girls both behaved wonderfully throughout the trip. I was especially impressed by Alexandria who is usually a bit of a homebody. I absolutely love traveling with an infant because as long as we have plenty of diapers, wipes, and clothes, she is set to go anywhere. Ryan and I often joke about the increasingly long list of places I nurse her. It has almost become game of finding the best places to nurse while visiting public attractions. One of my favorite was at Caerphilly Castle where I sat in the Queen's chair in the Great Hall.