Category: City Vacation

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That’s One Giant Causeway

For our last 24 hours on the island, we crossed the border into the UK and headed for the north coast. In case you were wondering, we did purchase ETAs beforehand, but it was completely unnecessary. There isn’t even a stop when you leave Ireland. Who knows if that’s how it will always be, but as of August, 2026, there was no need for the authorizations.

We made advanced reservations for both Carrick-a-Rede and Giant’s Causeway. We got to Carrick-a-Rede at around 11 am. This is a fun, short hike along the coast to a rope bridge leading to an island. It’s unique and beautiful, but the line for the bridge gets really backed up as moron’s spend 10 minutes trying to get the perfect photo. You should definitely go but try to get there as early as possible.

Giant’s Causeway is nothing short of spectacular. The hike is great, and the payoff is amazing. It’s hard to understand how these rocks could have gotten like this naturally, but as of now, there’s no explanation other than that they were put there by a giant. This area gets pretty crowded too, but it’s very expansive, so it’s not as much of an issue.

We drove into Belfast and grabbed a drink at Northern Lights Brewery. We really just wanted to do something in Belfast, and this seemed like a good option. We were able to sit outside, and they had a nice IPA.

We stayed the night in a town called Donaghadee, at Pier 36. This is pub, restaurant and inn. The food was good, the beer was good, and the rooms were clean. Check out in the morning was a bit tricky, as there was no staff on site until 8 am, but it was still pretty great.

This wrapped up our island tour. We didn’t get to do everything one might want; there simply wasn’t enough time. We could go back and do an entirely different trip. I am glad that we extended by one day; getting to visit Northern Ireland was terrific.

Next up for the Traveling Igoes…I actually don’t know. For the first time a in long time, we don’t have our next trip planned. I guess we’ll see where the road takes us…

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A Family of Dubliners

The morning we left the Galway area, we decided to use the drive to explore a bit to the north. We drove up to an area called the Caves of Kesh. If you love caves (like I do), there are like 17 of them lining a hill. It’s not the type of thing that takes more than an hour, but it’s very cool.

It’s also very close to an called Carrick-on-Shannon, another one of the cutest little towns on Earth. We ate at a cute little cafe, visited a tiny chapel and bought cheese from a woman from Los Angeles. We also made a quick stop Killukin Cascade. This is a very small little stream with a small little ‘watefall’. The kids thought I was being ridiculous for making us stop, but I thought it was a pretty cool detour.

From there, we made it our way north of Dublin, about 30 minutes or so, to a place called Duleek where we checked into our AirBNB. This one was basically a B&B that we fully rented. It had a tennis court, indoor pool and like 11 bedrooms. There’s not a ton of inventory in Ireland that can sleep a dozen people, so we were lucky to find what we did.

On our first morning on the east side, we got up early and headed into Dublin. We parked at Q Park St. Stephens and made our way over to Grafton Street. Eileen and Alyson wanted to shop, and I wanted to see the Molly Malone statue. This area is really vibrant with lots to do.

We slowly walked from there to our planned tour of the Guinness Storehouse. On the way, we stopped at Trinity College, Dublin Castle and Harkin’s Pub for lunch. This meal wasn’t anything special, but it is right by the Guinness building.

This was my second time touring the Guinness facility, and it’s definitely something that shouldn’t be missed. It was probably a bit boring for the kids, but it feels like a must-do in Dublin. We decided not to make them do any whiskey tours; one alcohol-based excursion was enough.

We spent most of the rest of the that afternoon, just wandering around. We visited the Brazen Head (which also claims to be Ireland’s oldest pub), Temple Bar and a really cool spot called the Confession Box. It’s now a bar, but it used to be a spot where Catholic priests would secretly hear confessions during The Troubles.

We had dinner that night with the whole crew at a place called Beouf and Frites. It had only four menu options, two steak, two chicken, but it was a lot of fun. Since we had 12 people for this meal, we’d made reservations beforehand, but even with that, there weren’t a ton of options.

For our only other full day on the east coast, we drove south to another national park, the Whitlow Mountains. We hiked the Spinc and Gleanalo Valley Loop. This is a solid 6 mile hike, but it was clear, so the views were spectacular. Even though it was longer, I would say it was probably the least strenuous of our hikes. The views are great, we saw two mountain goats attacking each other, and the back half of the trail follows a mountain stream most the way. I still preferred the Upper Diamond Hill hike, but Alyson says this was her favorite trail.

On our way back, we stopped at a place called Squirrel Scramble where there is a ropes course with several zip lines. It’s not the greatest we’ve been to, but Clara was able to participate, and the kids needed a break.

The next morning, we left the Dublin area and head towards Belfast for just about 24 hours in Northern Ireland. I’ll touch base on that one final Ireland post. We really enjoyed our time on the west coast but given the choice, I’d much rather be in the Galway area.

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Going Down the Danube

This summer, we were blessed with the chance to take a Danube River cruise with Alyson’s family. The cruise started in Munich, finished in Budapest and hit several places in between. Because this was a relatively rigidly planned out itinerary, this post will likely not be as exhaustive as was our EuroTrip last year, but hopefully I can offer some insights that might help you.

We flew into Munich on Delta, which was actually a pretty nice experience. We flew back from Budapest on British Airlines. Given the choice, I would avoid BA in the future. Everything about the experience was just a little bit crappier than with Delta.

We landed a day in advance of boarding, so spent some time in Munich. If you’re there at the right time, don’t miss the turning of the hour at the Glockenspiel. We hit the 11 am show and were happy that we did. It’s basically an elaborate cuckoo clock, and it is very touristy, but it’s a lot of fun.

We also rented a car and drove about two hours outside of Munich to a mountain called Herzogstand. We took a gondola up, hiked for a bit and had a really nice meal at a mountain hut. The weather wasn’t great, so it wasn’t super clear, but it was still a lot of fun.

We also rented bikes and tooled around Munich for a bit. There’s an area in the English Garden where people actually surf. It’s man made, but it is pretty cool and is fun to watch. We also had a nice meal at the Hoffbrau Haus. This is very touristy, and basically what you would expect from a German beer house, but it is a lot of fun.

We boarded the boat in Passau and set off along the Danube. This cruise was done through a company called Tauck. My mother-in-law has used them several times, and everything is very well done. It is similar to a Viking Cruise, but a little bit nicer. There were 130 guests, including several children. Most Tauck trips don’t allow kids, but they do a few each year that allow for younger passengers.

The boat isn’t as decked out as a major ocean liner, for obvious reasons. There were a few bars, two restaurants and a hot tub, but it is not the type of cruise where the boat is the destination. Most of the actually cruising was done at night, but everyone was very friendly. The food service was wonderful, with several options at each meal, and every meal available on the boat, if you liked.

The cruise included several stops, the first of which was in Linz, Austria. We didn’t spend much time in Linz but were bussed about 1.5 hours to Salzburg. Here, we learned more than most want to know about The Sound of Music and spent time in the Mirabel Gardens. If you’re really into that movie, like Eileen is, you would love this.

Next, we cruised through the Wacau Valley and parked for a bike ride along the Danube. This was a lot of fun, and good way to see the town of Durnstein. That night, we left for Vienna, where we spent a day and a half.

We did a walking tour, climbed the south tower of St. Stephens and had dinner in a palace. We spent the next day in Vienna as well, visiting the Prater amusement park, which has several pay as you go rides. This was a favorite for most of the kids.

Overnight, we sailed to Bratislava, Slovakia, which was by far my favorite part of the tour. We didn’t do anything spectacular, just another walking tour, church visit and site seeing, but there is something really special about this small European capital. We also went to Devin Castle and experienced the medieval games, which were quirky, but fun.

For our last night on the ship, we were supposed to sail to Budapest, but the Danube was too low, so we had to stop outside the city and get bussed in. This was a little disappointing, but what are you going to do.

My overall impressions of this trip are all very positive, but frankly, it doesn’t rank in the top 10 trips that we have taken. There were a lot of walking tours, which start out interesting but start to drag. There were a lot of really cool churches to visit, but that too starts to get a bit old. I believe these Tauck trips are definitely more geared towards an older audience. It was a lot of fun, but we probably didn’t do much of what we would have we planned the trip ourselves. That said, I am not at all complaining; it was a ton of fun, and a great way to visit several countries.

Next up for the Traveling Igoes, a 9 day trip to Ireland with the extended Igoe family. We’ll touch base soon…

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Somewhere in Middle America (Omaha)

The family and I have been wanting to go to the College World Series in Nebraska for several years now. We’d planned before but always had to cancel. This year, we pulled the trigger again and actually succeeded. If you’re hoping to go, regardless of which teams make it, here’s your guide.

Buy everything early!!! We booked our plane tickets on Southwest in January when they were still cheap. We actually flew in and out of of Kansas City, which is only about 2.5 hours south. It was cheaper and faster than trying to fly to Omaha, at least from New Orleans.

Same thing goes for our hotel. We booked in January, and the options were still limited and expensive. We paid $300/night for a Home2 Suites that was about 15 minutes from the stadium. I checked about a week prior to the first game to see if anything better was available, and by then, the cheapest rooms that any Hilton brand had were $700.

When we bought the tickets, LSU was ranked #2 in the country and Kentucky was #17. Neither made it. While that was disappointing in one sense, it was nice to go a simply enjoy ourselves rather than stressing over the success of our teams. We bought all of our tickets from resale vendors, and at the time, they weren’t crazy expensive. We spent about $100/ticket for five people for three games

We arrived in Omaha just before the start of the second game of the tournament on Friday evening. Parking would have been crazy, but we had the foresight to purchase parking from StubHub, so we were able to get in and out pretty easily.

It’s noteworthy that the parking lots nearby host several tailgates, including more than one for LSU, even though the team itself was not present.

All three games we attended were a ton of fun. An interesting aspect of the early CWS rounds is that the stadium is very split. About 25% of the fans are for one team, 25% the other, and 50% are just there to be there. The stadium itself is great, and while it doesn’t have the same amenities that a big league park has, there are plenty of food and drink options. You should research these yourself before and remember to get your ID checked once your inside. If you get in line for a beer without a wristband, you’ll have to get right back out, go to an ID station, then get back in line.

Outside the stadium, there are several family friendly, and baseball-specific, things to do. There’s a ballpark village with all sorts of interactive vendors that our 14 year old ball player loved. There’s also a fan area that has activities for younger kids, like a ferris wheel.

Aside from going to the actual games, there are some fun things to do in Omaha. We had planned to go to Treerush, a ropes course nearby, but weather changed our plans. It looks like a lot of fun though, and a nice way to knock out the morning, as the first games don’t start until 2 pm.

There’s also an NPS site, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. This site actually spans 14 states, but the spot in Omaha is cool. It includes a bridge that crosses the Missouri and allows you to walk between Nebraska and Iowa. We took advantage of this on Saturday morning, completing the 50/50 states quest for Alyson, Eileen and JR.

There are also a lot of fun places to eat, of which was sampled several. Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina is the iconic home of the jello shots. We went, keeping the minors outside, and took a shot. They were pretty gross, and I understand the food is mediocre, but it seemed like something we couldn’t miss.

Before the first game on Saturday, we ate at Blatt Beer & Table, which is right next to the stadium, and unsurprisingly packed. The food is nothing amazing, but it is a fun atmosphere.

Our last meal was at Caddy’s Brunch Bar, which is actually in Council Bluffs, Nebraska. We had a great breakfast there, and it made it feel a little more legit that we had a meal in Iowa, rather than just a few minutes in the car and a few steps on a bridge.

I think you’ve got to be a pretty big baseball fan or have a dog in the hunt to really want to go to Omaha, but if either of those describes you, you should put the College World Series on your list. It is a great, unique experience.

Next up for the Traveling Igoes is a river cruise starting in Munich and ending in Budapest. Stay tuned…

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A Soggy Memorial Day (Cummins Falls, Chattanooga and Helen, GA)

This year, my son’s 8th grade class took a retreat to San Antonio for Memorial Day, so the rest of us decided it might be a fun time to get out of town. We love New Orleans, but we also love getting away from it, so when we found cheap flights, we jumped at the opportunity.

We found affordable, well timed flights into Nashville and out of Atlanta, and there are several things on my list of must-see places in the area, so it seemed liked the right fit. We flew into Nashville on Friday evening, grabbed a rental car and drove to Cookeville, TN. For the purposes of this blog, I’ll break things down into the three main areas that we stayed.

Stop 1

Our first stop was really to visit only one place, Cummins Falls. This is a really impressive waterfall at a state park of the same name about 20 minutes north of Cookeville (about 1.5 hours east of Nashville). There are a few things to keep in mind before you go. First, you’ll need a reservation for each person in your party, at $6/head. We booked online in advance (although no one ever checked).

The website says that the hike to the base of falls can be treacherous, and suggests durable water shoes. A life jacket, which they will provide, is also required for kids under 12. Lastly, they hike to the base of the falls is often closed due to weather conditions in fear of a flash flood. Unfortunately, this was the case when we visited.

The good news is that there is a shorter hike to an overlook that still offers great views of a really impressive waterfall. I will admit that we were disappointed in not being able to visit the base, but it was actively raining, so we weren’t surprised.

Stop 2

Our next stop took us another two hours east (and into a new time zone) to Chattanooga. If you’ve never been, this is definitely one that should go on your list. Stuck right into a set of mountains, it has a wonderful small town feel with all the amenities of a well developed metro.

Our first stop was a really unique tourist attraction called Rock City. We booked reservations in advance, with a specific arrival time, but arrived almost two hours early. The people who work there were more than happy to help us adjust our tickets so as to not have to wait.

Situated on top of a mountain, Rock City has take several great natural formations and incorporated several family friendly activities. Admittedly, they have added a lot of artificial fun, but it was still fun. There are several caves, slot canyons and waterfalls. There are also great views, a storybook land and little gnomes hidden throughout.

There’s a nice set of restaurants at the top, so you can make a solid day of it. We probably spent less then three hours here, but we could have stayed for more if we didn’t have other plans.

Chattanooga also offers several great hikes. There’s a NPS site, the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. It’s Civil War site but has been well-developed and has some great trails. We hiked the Glen Falls Trail, which is about 2 miles round trip, with the back half being entirely along a great river in which you can swim. It’s a great trail, but parking is really limited, and the trail itself is treacherous, especially when wet (Alyson, Clara and I all fell).

From there, we made our way to Ruby Falls, which was at the top of my list for must-visit places in Tennessee. Again, this is a heavily tourist-ed attraction, but it is worth your time. Buy timed tickets in advance but get there a few minutes early. The let us take a tour about 30 minutes before our allotted time, and we had a nice local beer while we waited.

The cave is well developed, the tour takes just over an hour, and there is an amazing underground waterfall at the end. If I were to critique Ruby Falls at all, it would be that they let way too many people into the cave at a time. There was a lot of standing to the side to let a group pass, and getting out on the one elevator at the end took almost half an hour. They let in groups of 40 at a time, but really should limit it to more like 20, but I suppose that’s how business works.

That evening, we ate at Tailgate Beer, a brewery that also offers great pizzas. It is in a really cool area of downtown Chattanooga and has a great two story outdoor space. If we lived there, I feel like we’d spend a ton of time in this area.

The next morning, before we left, we hit the last major tourist attraction in Chattanooga, the Incline Railway. If you’ve taken an incline before, then you’ll know what this is, as they all seem to be more or less the same. This one gets really steep, and reportedly offers great views at the top. It was very overcast during our visit, so I can’t say for sure, but the experience is fun, albeit kind of kitschy.

Stop 3

Our final destination took us about two hours south to Helen, an adorable little Bavarian town hidden in the north Georgia foothills. The city has done a really nice job of maintaining its German identity while still offering modern amenities. It has definitely gotten very touristy, but is a lot more manageable than a place say, Gatlinburg.

We got there at around noon and immediately headed for Cool River Tubing. We had booked in advance, so were quickly able to get on the bus to tube the Chattahoochie. A nice thing about Cool River is that they offer regular, 1 hour tube rides, so it is very convenient. For those of you that tube a lot, you know it can become a bit monotonous, but on such a short ride, that wasn’t a problem. The river also moves quite briskly, so it is a really enjoyable ride.

After that, we hopped on board the Georgia Mountain Coaster. If you’ve ridden more than one alpine coaster in your life, you’ll realize that they are more or less all the same, which was confirmed by the one in Helen. It did include a ride up on the coaster, which is somewhat unique, but the line was over an hour, so only debatably worth it.

That night, we had a very authentic German meal at The Heidelberg, and Alyson and I grabbed an after-dinner drink at Big Daddy’s and Paul’s Margarita Deck. There are several interesting places to eat and drink in town; if only we’d had more time.

One more thing to keep in mind is that the are has ample great hiking trails. Our first stop was Anna Ruby Falls, which I would say was my favorite part of the whole trip. This a very well developed, short trail in a National Forest. The hike isn’t long, but it is pretty steep all the way up. It is certainly worth it though. The payoff is two towering waterfalls that come together to form a roiling river.

Before we left, we also hit the Dukes Creek Trail, which is about two miles, but downhill to start (boo). It is actually similar to Anna Ruby in that it ends in the confluence of two impressive waterfalls. I preferred the former, but both trails are totally worth your time.

We had a really great Tennessee/Georgia experience, and I was able to cross three things off of my list. Next up for us is a short trip to Omaha for some baseball (and to get Alyson, Eileen and Clara their 49th and 50th states).

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Detroit, Tigers and Jesus

After the Pirates’ game, we headed straight out of town on the way to Detroit. The cities are about four hours apart, so it’s not the simplest trip, but we stayed overnight in Akron which is more or less in between.

I am going to be totally honest, I went into to Detroit expecting (possibly hoping) to hate it. Growing up as a Blues fan in St. Louis, I detested the Red Wings but that rivalry has fizzled. I am quite pleased to say that we had a very nice experience.

It feels as though Detroit is undergoing a bit of a renaissance. It is not finished, as there is work going on everywhere, but what has been done so far was quite nice.

What We Did:

Joe Lewis Fist: In downtown Detroit, there is an homage to the legendary pugilist Joe Lewis. It’s is basically a forearm making a fist and reminded me a bit, conceptually, as the Bean in Chicago. There’s very little to do there, but it’s something to see. It’s also right by the riverfront, across from which you can ogle Windsor, Canada.

Buddy’s Pizza: We ate at the one near the ballpark, which is not the original, but was still really good. It was hoping right before the game, and Detroit-style pizza is one of my favorites.

Tigers’ Game: Same as above, I went in with very low expectations for the Tigers and was pleasantly surprised. While the stadium is not as amazing as Pittsburgh, it is built in the same fashion, with an open centerfield that features the cityscape. It is also very kid friendly, with several areas that include carousels and ferris wheels. Oh, and for you St. Louisans, they’ve got a beer hall that serves classic T-Ravs.

Belle Isle: In the middle of the Detroit River stands a moderately sized island that has a lot for the family We went there on Sunday, and technically, there is a charge to enter, but no one asked us. The Isle has a huge slide, a golf course and a lighthouse, amongst other things. We spent out time at the aquarium, which is definitely a throwback. It might not be super PETA friendly, but our family enjoyed it. The Isle is getting a lot of work done, much like the city itself, so in the future, it will probably be an even better stop.

Easter Mass: This part of the blog is for those of you that are interested in my thought on Easter church services, so likely very few of you. I will try to be brief but feel free to hop past. We went to a 9 am service at the St. Joseph Shrine and frankly, I did not enjoy it. To begin, it was a Latin mass, and I like the Latin, but I did not like this. Evidently, it was a traditional Latin mass, where the priest faces away from us the entire time, was not mic’d and did not address the congregation. It felt like I was watching mass, rather than celebrating.

The homily, which I did not realize was happening, as I was quite lost, began with several minutes of parish announcements. It is hard enough to keep people’s attention and starting with info about the upcoming gala is not a good start.

The congregation itself was very unusual. There was an oddly large number of veiled parishioners, including children, and it felt like almost everyone had at least four children under the age of 8.

I understand that the Latin mass is growing in popularity, and I love the Latin, but I also want to participate. I believe the numbers about the popularity are skewed. Most cities have only one or two Latin services/week, so the fact that they are well attended might have to do more with scarcity than demand but enough of my soap box. The church itself was gorgeous.

San Morello: For brunch afterwards, we ate at a nice place near the hotel. We were skeptical, as the brunch menu didn’t look super kid friendly, but the food was really good and the kids were happy.

Next stop for us is an impromptu Memorial Day trip to Tennessee and Georgia; stay tuned…

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A Home Opener in Pittsburgh

This year for Easter, we decided to make another ballpark trip. We caught two games, one in Pittsburgh and one in Detroit. For the purposes of the blog (again), I am going to break it into two posts, starting with the Steel City.

We left New Orleans on Friday morning, and had some travel complications, so didn’t arrive until about 2 pm. We had a few things planned, but since we lost about an hour and a half, and the Pirates’ game started at 4, we had to abbreviate our plans.

What We Did:

Pittsburgh Incline: The city has a pretty fun incline that only costs a few dollars (cash only). The top has great views of the city and a lot of cool restaurants and bars. We unintentionally parks at the top, so rode down, then back up. I recommend doing it the other direction. We were hopeful that we could park there and walk to the game, but it’s too far.

Pirates’ Game: If you’ve ever seen PNC Park on TV, you know that it’s pretty impressive, but what you see on TV does not do it justice. The Pirates’ park is spectacular. The views of the city and the river are incredible, and they’ve done a great job of integrating the stadium into the city. If you drive a few blocks away, things change fast, and the teams has been only arguably competitive for several decades, but they got it right with the stadium. I think this is 18th home team that I’ve seen, and I would definitely put PNC park in my top 5.

Aside from this, we had very little time for much else, as we headed straight out after the game for a hotel on the way to Detroit. Pittsburgh’s got several breweries that we hoped to visit and an interesting downtown, but that’s the way it goes. Onwards to Detroit…

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A California Adventure

On our second and final day in Disneyland, we visited California Adventure, which has fewer rides overall but is more geared towards older park goers. The two parks rotate which one opens half an hour early, so we got in line in time to rope drop and went straight to the Pixar area and got in line for the Cars ride. It’s the one ride in the park that can’t be Lightning Lane’d (unless you pay), so getting there early is a must.

Overall, our five year old did very well with the bigger rides. She was too short to ride the IncrediCoaster, but beyond that, she jumped on everything. We knew we were leaving earlier than the day prior, so we decided not to bother stacking Lightning Lanes, and we still managed to ride everything that was available.

Radiator Springs Racer: This ride is fantastic, but as mentioned, can only be Lightning Lane’d if you pay. We went straight to line and had to wait about 30 minutes, but most of the rest of the day, the line was over 2 hours. I recommend you knock this one out first; it is really well done and a lot of fun.

Golden Zephyr: This is a nice filler ride. It is basically a different take on a classic ‘swing’ ride. It’s fun, and the line is usually pretty short.

Grizzly River Run: This was one of our favorite rides of the day, and we rode multiple times (possibly because the line was usually short). It is a variation on a log flume; you ride in a seven seater tube rather than a canoe. You should expect to get wet, but it’s a lot of fun and the line moves quickly

Guardians of the Galaxy: This is one of California Adventure’s most popular rides. It is basically the Tower of Terror, re-imagined with Rocket Raccoon. Disney did a really good job of incorporating the Guardians theme, and considering what I remember of Tower of Terror, it is far more exhilarating than it is scary, perhaps because it is not mostly indoors.

IncrediCoaster: Evidently, this is a fantastic roller coaster. My wife and older two kids loved it, including my son, who was nervous about the one loop. Clara couldn’t ride, so we spent our time elsewhere, but JR and Eileen managed to get on three times in a short day.

Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: This is a nice balloon-style swing ride. It is definitely more geared towards the little ones, but the line moves quickly, and it is definitely fun. Clara and I rode it a second time while the big kids went on the roller coaster.

Jessie’s Critter Carousel: This is basically just a standard carousel, which I do not think should be prioritized during a Disney visit, but it did the trick for Clara and I when the big kids were riding elsewhere.

Jumpin’ Jellyfish: This is another fun, filler ride geared towards the little ones. It’s an up and down ride, kind of like a kiddie version of Tower of Terror. Clara loved it, but the big kids skipped it.

Little Mermaid: This ride is fun, but the animatronics feel out of date. Also, the line can get very long, and I do not feel it is worth an hour long wait. We got to it early and didn’t have to wait at all, but we didn’t go back in the afternoon when it got slammed.

Monster’s Inc: We Lightning Lane’d this one, and I thought it was fun. You are basically zipping through the Monster’s world. I wouldn’t put it at the top of our list or say it’s a must ride, but the animation is really good.

Soarin’ Around the World: This is a pretty cool ride that simulates flying all over the world. It’s lovely and fun, but not particularly exhilarating, and the line was always super long.

Toy Story Midway Mania: This is a classic shooter, spinning ride. It was a little difficult for Clara, as the concept was a bit above her, but the big kids thought it was worth the relatively short wait.

We were unable to ride Webslingers and Goofy, due to them being shut down most of the day. This, evidently, is not all that rare, so you can’t let it get you down. You’ve got to just make the best of it.

We had a great time at California Adventure, and I think the big kids’ favorite ride was the IncrediCoaster. That, there seemed to be more to do in Magic Kingdom, so overall, I think we preferred that.

From here, we went back to the classic Igoe trip and drove East out of LA en route to Joshua Tree. I’ll cover that next, but just want to leave with the thought that though Disney is expensive and hectic, it is a lot of fun, and the Disneyland experience can definitely be done in two packed days.

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A Magical Kingdom for New Years

For those of you who have been waiting patiently, we are back. After a hiatus from personal travel plans in order to focus on family events, like Parents’ Weekend at UK, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Traveling Igoes finally got back on the road. Since our kids’ new schools all have different Fall breaks, we were unable to take the usual fall trip. To supplement, we took a trip over the Christmas break, New Years in particular. It is a busy time to travel, but we had a great experience and will likely continue it for at leas the near future.

This year, we jetted from New Orleans to southern California and took on Disneyland and Joshua Tree NP. For the purposes of the blog, I am going to break the trip into three posts, so for all two of you that are following along, you’re welcome.

We left Louisiana in the evening on New Years Eve and made it to our hotel in Disneyland (Frontier Tower of the Disneyland Hotel) at about 7 pm. We had reservation at Goofy’s Kitchen for 8:30, hoping that would give us enough time to get settled and to dinner (which it did).

We made a reservation, but it was still kind of first come, first serve anyway. It’s hard to explain; it is worth it to make the reservation in advance, but you should still be prepared to wait. The food at Goofy’s is served buffet style (except the beer) and is actually pretty good (for a buffet). From pizza to chicken to pasta to desserts, we all found something we wanted to eat, and at these prices, you’ll want to go back for as many servings as you can stomach. For five of us, including tip, it was almost $500, but you’ve got to go into a Disney trip knowing that you’ll be taking a hit.

The best part of Goofy’s Kitchen was watching our five year old interact with the characters. She is just the right age and was hilarious telling Pluto that he is a good boy and telling Minnie that she will keep this day in her heart forever. Yeah, it cost a shit-ton of for basically cafeteria food, but seeing Clara’s reactions was worth (almost) every penny.

I am not going to delve too much deeper into the food. The rest of the days in the park, we pretty much just ate on the go. My eldest discovered (via TikTok) that the best way to maximize your ride time is to order food online through the Disneyland App so that there is no waiting, and she was right. The food in the parks is still expensive, but much less so than the actual ‘formal’ restaurants.

Now to the important part, the rides. For this entry, we’ll focus on just the rides in Magic Kingdom. On our first day, this was our stop. We went early, as this park rotates with California Adventure as to which opens half an hour earlier. We got in line in time to rope drop, which probably got us one or two extra rides. We also purchased the upgraded Lightning Lane tickets, which allows you to skip (most of) the line for certain rides once/day.

One suggestion I make before we dive into the rides is that you figure out how to stack your Lightning Lanes. It is basically, starting with one, then pushing it all the way back to the end of your day, then filling in the afternoon as your day goes. If you’re interested, I suggest you have your teen watch several TikToks about it and handle it for you. Now, for what we rode:

Space Mountain: We hit this first, right after rope drop, and were lucky enough to be able to ride it again later in the day. What an awesome roller coaster! It is smooth, fast and fun. Most of us, including the five year old, thought it was the best ride of the day. The older kids, who stayed until close, rode it a third time. Go early though, and check often, as this line can get over two hours long.

Dumbo: This is the classic Disney attraction. It is not all that thrilling, but the lines are not usually terrible, Clara loved it, and even the older kids had a good time.

Jungle Cruise: I love the Jungle Cruise. This 8 minute ride that usually comes with a 30 minute wait is probably only worth doing once, but it is fun to cruise around, see the animatronics and listen to the guide’s non-sense.

Pirates of the Caribbean: This is another classic that didn’t fail to deliver. The big kids rode it twice, since they stayed late, but we all loved it. Clara was a little scared, but at the end, she said she had a great time. This is another one to get to early, as the lines get super long.

Haunted Mansion: We were there for the Christmas theme, which is A Nightmare Before Christmas, which is not actually as fun as the classic theme, but it was still a good time. The animations are great. This line gets long, but not quite as quickly, so prioritize it for the morning, but after rides like Space Mountain and Pirates.

Indiana Jones: This was the one ride in Magic Kingdom for which Clara was too short (48 inches), so Alyson and the big kids rode, and loved it. Again, go and wait in the morning, then Lightning Lane in the afternoon. While Clara and I waited, we played around the Swiss Family Treehouse. It’s actually not called that anymore, but it was very age appropriate.

Big Thunder Mountain: This is a classic that we did not get to in the morning, but Lightning Lane’d at night. It’s bumpy, but a lot of fun. At nighttime, it is really cool; you get a great view of the entire park lit up.

It’s a Small World: This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think I hate this ride. You wait in line interminably to listen the same fucking song thirteen times in a row. I know it’s a classic, but I could certainly live without it. The best part of Small World is when they light up the outside at night.

Tiana’s Bayou: Absolutely awesome! This is the reworking of Splash Mountain, and it is fantastic. The ride itself is a lot of fun (but prepare to get wet), and Disney has done a great integrating the Princess and Frog theme. This is another one to ride early, then stack a Lightning Lane for the afternoon.

Peter Pan: This is another classic that always has a long line and cannot be Lightning Lane’d. Walt said this was his favorite ride, which perhaps is why the line always 45 minutes-plus, but it is worth it, if only for nostalgia purposes.

Winnie-the-Pooh: This is a fun, filler ride, especially for the little ones. It’s a great one to knock out while you are waiting for your next Lightning Lane to come up.

Mad Tea Party: This is another good filler ride that usually has short lines. I made the point that if we were going to skip anything, it out to be the tea cups, as they are not unique to Disney, but I lost that argument.

King Arthur Carousel: Cut and paste Tea Party comments.

Autopia: This is a fun one. The line is usually long, but not so long that you’d want the Lightning it. The younger kids think they are actually driving, even though there is little one can do to actually control the cars other than take one’s foot on and off the gas.

Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters: This is one of the interactive rides where the car comes with two ‘blasters’ that you can use to rack up points shooting aliens. I believe we used a Lightning Lane for this in the late morning after we had stacked all the big rides for the PM.

Casey Jr. Circus Train: This was the last ride Alyson, Clara and I did, at around 9 pm, after they had closed off some rides for the parade. It is definitely geared towards the little ones (JR and Eileen) never rode it, but it could be a good filler ride depending on wait times. I think it’s really cute, and the mini-Disney landscape it traverses is quite well done.

Storybook Land Canal Boats: This boat ride basically traverses the same route as the above train, but it is well done and great for little kids, or great as a filler between the big rides.

Matterhorn: This is another one that we Lightning Lane’d in the PM, and that the big kids did again after 10 pm. The ride is a lot of fun. It was a little bumpy for Clara, but she powered through, and it also gives great views of the park lit up at night.

Smuggler’s Run: This is a new ride in the Star Wars area, which is really a cool part of the park. This ride is not as busy as it’s counterpart mentioned below, so you should to try to hop on when you can. It’s fun, but might not blow your mind like Rise.

Rise of Resistance: This is currently the ride in Magic Kingdom that usually has the longest lines. It can be Lightning Lane’d, but only if you pay $15-$35/person. This will likely change once it is not so new, but as of now, you can try to get there early, but it opens half an hour later than the rest of the park, wait 90 minutes (at least) or pay. We pulled the trigger and paid. It was worth it.

Pinocchio: This is a good filler ride, as the line moves fast, but it is kind of creepy. Clara was holding tight to an adult the whole time.

Roger Rabbit: This was by far the worst experience of our whole trip. The ride is ok, but the line was interminable. It wasn’t all that long, but it barely moved. If I could have that hour of my life back, I’d take it.

Star Wars: The Adventure Continues: This is an older Star Wars ride in a different area. It is not that great, but it is right by Space Mountain, so if you can hit that early, then get straight on this one, you’ve knocked out two rides in quick fashion.

We didn’t make it to Mr. Toad, as when we went, it was closed due to the parade. Something to keep in mind in the later evening. We also never made it on Alice in Wonderland, as it was shut down all day. Astro Orbitor also never made the list, but it is basically the same thing as Dumbo. We did catch fireworks at 9:30, then Alyson and I put Clara to bed while JR and Eileen cruised the park, hitting about 4 rides/hour in the last minutes before close.

I feel like we did everything we could to maximize our one day, and I don’t really feel like we missed out. Starting early and stacking Lightning Lanes seems to be the way to go, and this was a busy time of year. If you do the research and have a good outline as to your plans for the day, you should be able to get to every ride you want, and several rides more than once.

Next stop, California Adventure.

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Sleeping with a Bear

This year, for the annual Igoe Family Vacation, we met up with my parents and brothers in Arcadia, Michigan, which is about an hour south of Traverse City and in the general Sleeping Bear Dunes area. Michigan is always a relaxing trip, and there is a lot to do, but it does include a lot of driving. It is worth it though, the temperatures are moderate and there’s a lot to do.

What We Did

Sleeping Bear Dunes: This National Lakeshore offers a plethora of activities. Of places that we have visited recently, this one felt the most like it could or should be a National Park, not just a Lakeshore. There are lots of trails, lots of dunes, lots of lakes and a few associated satellite areas.

The first thing we did was take the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and stopped at marker #4 and hiked the Cottonwood Trail. This 1.5 mile lollipop loop takes you to the top of the large dune that’s part of the dune challenge without having to hike up it. The view point at the top is great, and it is doable for those less physically able to climb a vertical sand dune. We recommend taking the loop clockwise, and also recommend stopping at markers 3, 9 and 11, if you’ve got the time.

Later on, we walked the Empire Bluffs Trail, which offers great views of Lake Michigan and several surrounding lakes. It is an easy, 1.6 mile out-and-back. Honestly, it is not spectacular, but it was worth the drive.

Our favorite trail was Pyramid Point. This loop is just under 3 miles and offers a great variety of scenery: dunes, woods, meadows and lakes. It is not very strenuous if you go clockwise. That said, the best lake views are at the beginning, but you go down all the steep dunes climbs, instead of up.

Speaking of, we also recommend the Dune Climb. This steep dune is the start to the Dune Challenge, which we did not do, but is a fun trek in and of itself. The kids really enjoyed rolling around and getting all sandy.

Boat Glen Lake: We booked a pontoon boat that could hold 14 from the On the Narrows Marina. We spent four hours cruising around Big Glen and Little Glen, tubing and swimming at several different spots. It made for a really fun day that all the kids loved.

Swim at Crystal Lake: There is a great public beach with amenities in the Beulah area of Crystal Lake. The waters is chilly, but not so much as Lake Michigan. The big lake is almost too cold to swim, but the interior lakes are bit more moderate.

Tube the Platte River: We used Crystal Lake Outfitters to tube the Platte River, and we did the longer version, which took about 3 hours from arrival to leaving. The Platte River is great to float, and the outfitter was competent, but it did feel like it took a long time to get started.

Craig’s Cruisers: On morning, we went south towards Shelby, MI, where some of my family used to attend camp. On the way, the kids, Alyson and I stopped at Craig’s Cruisers. They’ve got go-karts, bumper boats, mini-golf, a zip line, a roller coaster and an arcade. The kids had a blast, and it was a lot less expensive than you expect those activities to be.

Mac Woods Dune Rides: Also south of Aracadia, this dune tour was way more fun than I thought it would be. It opens at 9:30, but we didn’t get there until about 2 pm, which was a mistake. The had to wait over an hour for the 40 minute ride, but it was totally worth it. You might think it’s not that exciting, since your basically in an open-air bus rather than a dune buggy, but the ride is great. There’s lots of up and downs, lots of great views and the guide was really informative.

E-Bike Tour: My son’s favorite activity was riding about 8 miles along the Leelanau Trail north of Traverse City. I was a little unsure as to whether or not I’d enjoy an e-bike, but it was a lot of fun, and it is still good exercise.

Brewery Tours: There are dozens of breweries in the general area, and it feels like we tried to hit them all. We’ll touch base more on this in the section below.

Where We Ate

Storm Cloud Brewing: This was the closest brewery to our house, it was good, but it wasn’t our favorite. The pizza was solid, and the beer was fine, but I didn’t love the atmosphere. It felt really crowded and touristy. It was still certainly worth the visit, and I’d go back, but it wasn’t #1.

Hop Lot Brewing: I think this was my favorite brewery. It has really good beer, solid food and fantastic outdoors space that the kids loved.

Boondocks: This restaurant in Glen Arbor gets really mediocre reviews, but I thought it was just fine. We were able to sit all 13 of us outside, the fried fish sandwich was good and the beer was cold.

Cherry Point Farm Market: This farmers market reportedly has good sandwiches, but I could not disagree more. The entire experience was terrible, including the service and the food. It is basically just a grilled cheese restaurant, but it takes forever, and it costs way too much.

North Channel Brewing: This brewery was a great place to stop on our back north from the dune rides. They were friendly, had good beer and had a pretzel, about which Jr was over the moon.

St. Ambrose Cellars/Brose Brewing: This stop actually started out as place that brews meads but has expanded, including beers and food. The mead was really interesting, and the outdoor space is wonderful. You can even get a close look at a commercial beehive, if so include.

Where We Stayed:

This year, we stayed at an AirBNB in Arcadia, Michigan, which is about half an hour south of Sleeping Bear and an hour south of Traverse City. The house was great, and right on Lake Michigan, but it was a trek to get to just about everywhere. Given the choice, I think we would stay in either Empire or Traverse City itself in the future.

This is the first time in quite some time that we don’t actually have anything planned. We’ll be meeting some friends in Gulf Shores for Labor Day and visiting St. Louis for Thanksgiving, but those are old hat. With Eileen starting at UK in the fall, and JR starting high school, our calendar is in limbo. We might try to take a short weekend to see a ball game, maybe somewhere like Pittsburgh. We also are considering a Christmas break trip, maybe someplace to the south. We’ll keep traveling and will keep you posted; thanks for listening.