About Us

Hi, I'm Melissa. I am a mother of three (most times) wonderful boys. I have always been passionate about traveling. One day many years ago, I realized that I spend many hours researching the history behind most places we visit, not to mention the logistics of each trip. But after each trip, all that knowledge I had accummulated becomes of no use to me and is eventually forgotten. Not being one who likes to let anything go to waste, I was lamenting this to my husband. It was him who suggested that I start a blog to share the information I had worked so hard to gain so that others may benefit. I hope that my posts can be of some help to you when planning out your memory-making trips.

My husband has since joined me in my passion for exploring and discovering. Together with our three boys, we are out to discover the world, one step at a time. We love exploring National Parks, Science Centers, Museums of Natural History, Historic Preserves, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and anywhere that will get us closer to understanding the world that surrounds us. Through travel, we hope to instill in our kids a sense of awe at the amazing Earth that we call home and our place in it. It is through travel that I have learned to appreciate home and all the comforts that come with it.

Near Delicate Arch, Arches NP, Utah
Near Delicate Arch, Arches NP, Utah

We are a typical middle class family living in United States who travel part-time, whenever our schedules allow. We have three kids in school, all with their respective interests and extra-curricular activities. We have monthly bills familiar to most families, so we really cannot afford to spend all of our disposable income on traveling. So we find creative ways to travel on a budget, more so now that we have kids. I learned a long time ago that travel can be expensive. I also realized that there is usually a less expensive way to enjoy an experience. Our typical trip nowadays involves domestic travel within United States for a week, costing $1000 or less, which includes flights, accommodations, rental car and entertainment for the five of us. We love to travel and we do it every chance we get, usually about 3-4 times a year for weeklong trips, about 12 times a year if you count long weekends. We don't travel abroad often at this point, only when opportunity allows. To be able to travel as often as our schedules allow, I try to find as many deals as I can. Feel free to check out my budget tips.

Along Cote de Granite Rose, Brittany, France
Along Cote de Granite Rose, Brittany, France

We are active travelers who enjoy hiking. I view hiking as a way to explore and experience an area more intimately in its natural setting while being outdoors. Hiking is also usually an economical activity to do, giving us a chance to catch up with the family while getting exercise and fresh air. We usually try to incorporate at least a 5 mile hike in most of our trips in order to explore an area a little better, and sometimes as a mode of transportation. Hopefully, as our youngest son gets older, we will be able to do longer hikes, probably much to their disappointment. Our kids are not huge fans of hiking, like most kids of their age, their preferred activity involves interacting with the virtual world.

Above the shores of one of the Big Pine Lakes, Bishop, California, USA
Above the shores of one of the Big Pine Lakes, Bishop, California, USA

Feel free to leave us a comment or share your experiences. Happpy Exploring!

Let's go Exploring!