Marcie Cheung knows how to go deep on a destination.
She started out blogging about her family’s adventures on Marcie in Mommyland. She lives with her husband and two boys in the Pacific Northwest, but you’ll often find them at Disneyland or in Hawaii (she’s visited more than 30 times), so now Marcie has two more travel blogs focused on those spots.
Marcie shared her strategy for getting the most out of a travel day, her favorite under-the-radar locations in Washington State, and her must-have gear for adventures with a baby.
In three words, our travel style is…
Fast-paced, kid-oriented, and delicious.
During the pandemic, we have been…
Sticking really close to home—my husband is high-risk. We bought a vacation home a couple hours from where we live and we’ve been spending a lot of time up there enjoying the natural beauty. Plus, it’s been a good jumping off point for some scenic drives.
The first trip we took as a family was…
To Thailand when our oldest was 6 months old. We stayed in a big house in Phuket with lots of extended family. It was such a baby-friendly destination and we can’t wait to go back!
I’ve always been…
Curious about other cultures and how people live across the world. Growing up, I read a lot of books that were set in different places and it sparked a lot of curiosity about what it would be like to visit myself. My first international trip was to Rome when I was a teenager and I remember being floored at seeing the Colosseum in the middle of the city. I’ve been traveling ever since!
I think each member of our family would have a different answer to…
What’s been your favorite destination? Our boys really love theme parks, so they would probably say LEGOLAND or Disneyland. I love exploring cities and seeing lots of attractions, so I’d say Rome or Paris has been super fun with the kids. And my husband really fell in love with New Zealand and how friendly everywhere is there. But, our whole family loves visiting Hawaii for the laid-back lifestyle, incredible food, and fun activities.
My best family travel hack is…
To schedule all activities for the morning and leave your afternoons open. That way, you won’t worry if your kids start melting down after lunch or just need a break from touring.
Three of my favorite destinations are….
Hawaii, Italy, and Hong Kong.
Some of our favorite hidden gems near home are…
Doing the ice cream cruise in Seattle, doing a tram tour at Northwest Trek, exploring Winthrop, and hanging out on Whidbey Island.
My must-have family travel gear is…
If you’re traveling with babies or toddlers, it’s so helpful to have a comfortable baby carrier. We also love using backpacks as our carry-on bags so we can keep everyone entertained on long flights.
The best travel advice I’ve ever received was…
Just take the trip. It’s easy to second guess yourself, especially when traveling with kids. And the second best tip is to adjust expectations. It’s not realistic to think traveling with a toddler is the same as traveling solo or with a partner. It’s a very different trip.
The most important lesson I want my children to learn from traveling is…
I want the world to feel smaller and more accessible to them. We are all connected and there are many ways of solving problems and coming up with unique solutions.
We decide where to travel by…
Sometimes we hear about cool trips that other families have done and that inspires us to check it out. Or the kids start learning about a country and ask us if we can go there. A lot of time it’s my husband’s family that suggests a family trip to a specific destination.
The destinations on our bucket list are…
Costa Rica, Australia, Amalfi Coast, Scotland, Tanzania, Japan, Tahiti, New Orleans, and too many others to list!
The best travel app I use is…
Just my weather app. Our trips are usually pretty planned by the time we get there and we just need to make sure we’re wearing appropriate clothing.
Be sure to check out my websites…
Hawaii Travel with Kids, Marcie in Mommyland, and Marcie and the Mouse. You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
