The Talking Suitcase

Cruise & Curated Travel Specialist

Family Friendly Accommodations in Costa Brava, Spain

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Family Hotels in Costa Brava, Spain

The Costa Brava area of Spain is the perfect choice for families with countless family-friendly accommodations to satisfy all travelers and budgets.  We stayed in three different villages during our recent travels.  Below is a peek at our lodgings and why they are excellent options for families.

Camping Costa Brava in Plaja d’Aro – Valldaro

Valldaro moble home

Valldaro game room

Valldaro is family run and feels more like a little village than your typical campground. In addition to a place to rest your head, you can find 3 swimming pools, 2 supermarkets, a laundry mat, 2 restaurants,  a hair salon and a game room.  There’s even a Zen center to relax and enjoy a massage, waxing or other spa services.

There are numerous  accommodation options at Valldaro. You can pitch a tent, hook up your RV, rent a bungalow or mobile home  or choose to stay in one of the new Fun Tents.  There are many families that return year after year, leaving their RV set up,  waiting for their next vacation on Spain’s sunny coast.

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North Carolina Bucket List – 8 Awesome Things to Do in NC

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North Carolina Bucket List

From exploring marshlands to adventuring into white water rafting, North Carolina truly has a little bit of everything for everyone!  If you’re planning a visit, browse through our North Carolina Bucket List to find your next adventure in The Tar Heel State.

Living on the southern border of Virginia, I’ve spent countless vacations in North Carolina.  I hope you enjoy your time in NC as much as I do.

North Carolina Bucket List

The Great Outdoors

Mingo Falls – Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Mingo Falls is nestled on a land trust of the Cherokee Indians. The hike to the waterfall is less than a half mile each way, and is only moderately difficult, making it fun for the whole family. Wear your good hiking shoes, and don’t forget your camera!

Lighthouses – There are many lighthouses to see in North Carolina. Ocracoke Lighthouse is located on Ocracoke Island, accessible by ferry from Hatteras. It’s the state’s oldest lighthouse still in operation. Old Baldy is another lighthouse worth visiting. Visible from Oak Island if you just want a glance, or take a ferry to Bald Head Island and climb the 108 steps to the top of Old Baldy for the best views around.

Gem Mining – Franklin is known as the gem capital of the world. Because of that, gem mining is the major attraction in this town. Gem mining is fun for kids and adults alike, and there are several spots you can enjoy gem mining. Most mines have you pay an admission fee for the day, and they sell gem dirt in a bucket to dig through. Bring ziploc bags or some tupperware to take your stones home. Wear old clothes, because you’ll probably get dirty!

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10 Kid Travel Games – Having Fun on the Go

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Kid Travel Games

Traveling with kids is both exciting and stressful. Kids get bored easily especially on long car or plane rides. Take a look at these kid travel games to keep your child occupied during your next vacation.

10 Kid Travel Games:

Hangman – Take ‘N’ Play Anywhere Game

Hangman - Take 'N' Play Anywhere Game

Take ‘N’ Play Anywhere games feature big magnetic playing pieces that are easy for kids to use and hard for kids to lose! The convenient 6 3/4″ square tin case makes it easy to slip the games into most bags to take everywhere and keep kids entertained on a trip, waiting at the doctor’s office, dining out, while stuck in traffic or just visiting grandma’s house!

Educational Insights Travel Blurt!


Now you can Blurt. on the go. This handy, portable version of best-selling Blurt. includes 75 new Blurt. definition cards (450 new Blurt. clues), cardholder, scoreboard and magnetic pieces. Take turns passing the cards, reading the definitions and blurting out the answers.

Travel Bingo Set


Bring back the glory days of childhood travel games with a rousing round of Auto and Interstate Highway bingo on your next road trip with Regal Games Original Auto and Interstate Highway Bingo Travel Set.

Melissa & Doug License Plate Game

Road trip Add excitement to travel with this sturdy, reusable classic travel game. Learn the name and location of all fifty states, identify states by their license plate design or simply plot your trip by flipping the states along your route…this is truly fun on the go No loose pieces to leave a trail.

Spirograph Travel Set


Whether at the park, on the road, in the air, or anywhere else, your child can now create their own Spirograph art wherever they go. Compact sizing and integrated case allow for easy storage.

My Friendship Bracelet Maker Traveler


Celebrate friendship and creativity with our portable Traveler Friendship Bracelet Maker. The Traveler features a weaving work surface with slide-out storage drawer and 20 pre-cut threads in bright shades that appeal to every child. Color instructions are included.

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Free Printable Travel Budget Worksheet

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Travel Budget Worksheet

Sometimes the cost of travel can get away from us if we’re not prepared.  That’s why I prefer to do a quick travel budget worksheet before each trip just to help keep our spending in check.

It also helps me to know what we actually spent while on vacation.  Maybe I notice I over estimated the cost of food,  but under estimated the cost of entertainment.  Knowing the estimated and actual cost of travel can help you plan accordingly for future vacations as well.

Save the travel budget worksheet after each trip, so you can reference the cost of previous trips while planing your next adventure.  You never know, you might be able to afford more vacations that you think!

Download the Travel Budget Worksheet PDF here.   Once you download the PDF, you can either print it off or edit the document with all your budget right on the form!

What other tips can you share for creating a travel budget worksheet?

Things to Do in Annecy, France with Kids – Exploring the Venice of the Alps

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Annecy with Kids

After sitting nearly 6 hours elbow to elbow on a crowded train from the Côte d’Azur, we at last pulled into the first stop of our grand summer European tour, Annecy, France. Hopping off, we stretched our legs and gazed up in wonder at the souring alps of Southeastern France.

All in a line, like a row of ducks, we made  our way from the train station, stopped on a small bridge and tried to solve the riddle of where to meet the property manager of the apartment that would be our home for the next week. A phone call did the trick and a little further along, we saw a man waving his hands at us as we waddled our way towards our accomodations.

We were fortunate enough to stay right in the heart of the charming medieval Old Town.  The apartment couldn’t have been better, with the exception of not having A/C. It would have been nice to close the windows and not hear everyone having a grand ol’ time at the bars until 2am…

The area is perfect for families, couples and solo travelers.  Architecture and history buffs will enjoy exploring the Old Town including the Palais de l’Ile and Carillon de la Basilique de la Visitation. Adventure seekers and water lovers will find endless activities such as hiking, biking, parasailing, paddle boarding, swimming and sailing.  There are so many things to do in Annecy, it’s a destination with something to satisfy any type of traveler.

With or without children, there is plenty to do in Annecy.  Since my children are older, they can keep up with Mom and Dad without much problem.  And sometimes I can keep up with them without much problem as well!. We just take more breaks during the day.  Not that I’m complaining 🙂

Things to Do in Annecy, France

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