Rob Taylor's Blog, page 25

Why We Love Blogging Today: Growing a Portfolio of Websites

When we sold our house and moved across the country, our main goal was to be able to retire from corporate work and spend time together as a family as much as possible. Since we launched 2TravelDads in 2014 we’ve grown the blog from being a fun hobby to being an awesome job, and now we fully understand what that can mean for us. Growing a portfolio of websites has turned into a great pool of potential.

As we continue to grow our projects and business, we’ve learned that partnering with locals...

Unique Geologic Sites to Visit in Mammoth Lakes, California – Hot Springs and More!

Mammoth Lakes, California has so much cool geology to experience. It’s a great ski and hiking destination, but there are lots of hot springs and earth phenomena that make the region itself a fascinating place to visit. A trip to Mammoth Lakes is a lesson in geologic time and science!

I love being a geology nerd. Geology rocks! We incorporate as many scientific activities and sights in our travels as possible. It’s one of the ways we make sure the learning continues, either during summer break...

All the Best Things to do in Williamsburg with kids

Living history is something we LOVE experiencing together and Colonial Williamsburg is THE spot for it. A part of what’s called the Historic Triangle, Williamsburg is basically a snapshot in time, just before the start of the Revolutionary War. Visiting with kids is wonderful because it gives them a real life understanding of America 300 years ago, and visiting as adults is both educational and just a beautiful, relaxing time.

Where to stay near Colonial Williamsburg

While it might not ...

Great Things to Do in Portland for a Weekend Trip

Portland, Oregon has tons of things to do for visitors of all sorts. It’s known for being a hipster city, but it’s so much more. There is great food, lots of art, spas, parks and it’s the gateway to the Willamette Valley wine region. Portland can be a home base for a week long Oregon vacation or just a weekend getaway.

These are our top picks for planning a chill and fun weekend in Portland. If you have additional recommendations or questions, leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always h...

Where to stay at Zion National Park (and dining ideas too!)

There’s no doubt that you’ll find lots of choices for where to stay at Zion National Park, but how do you choose which one to book? Should you look for availability at a National Park lodge or book glamping outside the park? We’ll help with all of that, including where to eat at Zion.

Depending on your travel style, you may approach visiting a National Park, like Zion National Park, differently than other families. We range from camping to to hotels nearby to National Park Lodges. And our din...

A Day in Labadee, Haiti: Activities and Relaxation at Royal Caribbean’s Private Escape

It’s totally not difficult to find a way to enjoy a day in the Caribbean.  Everywhere you look is beautiful, the water is warm, and there’s a lot of rum.  When I set sail on the Oasis of the Seas with Royal Caribbean, I got to visit some beautiful places and do some awesome activities.  One place I was particularly excited to visit was Haiti.  Labadee, Haiti was one of our ports of call and I had no idea what to expect.

When I first heard that we got to visit Haiti, I was thinking that we wer...

Best Places to Eat in Mammoth Lakes, California – Local, Unique and Delicious Picks

We were very surprised by all the great places to eat in Mammoth Lakes, California. Often times it seems like winter destinations don’t have stand-our restaurants for summer dining, but Mammoth proved that theory wrong. From standard American to fancy French cuisine, we found it all there.

Mammoth is a great place if you’re into good food and hiking, so just add it to your California travel list now. Also, we don’t often write about food when we’re reviewing our travels, but Mammoth Lakes had...

Staying at 250 Main Hotel in Rockland, Mid-Coast Maine (hotel review)

After a week of camping in Maine, the 250 Main Hotel was a welcome change full of comfort and in the perfect location. Mid-Coast Maine can feel pretty rough around the edges at times, so checking into a nice, welcoming hotel was a great surprise. Often we stay in larger hotels or resorts which made 250 Main seem small and quaint, but the service and luxury matched the larger properties we frequent.

This is our review of staying at the 250 Main Hotel during summer season. We visited over a wee...

Glacier National Park Boat Tours: Everything You Need to Know

Glacier National Park boat tours are one of the more unique National Park activities in the USA. The setting is picturesque, and the actual mode of transportation opens up views and access in the park for people who might not normally get to experience as much of it. In Glacier NP, it’s a vintage experience that opens up a trip into more than hiking.

We still haven’t visited Switzerland.  It’s been on our list for some time and somehow we haven’t gone.  We have been to the Rockies in the USA ...

Review of WOW Watersports Inflatable SUPs: the Rover and Soundboard

We love testing gear and sometimes we find new favorites. This year we partnered with WOW Watersports to try out all sorts of gear, from swimming pool and beach fun to inflatable paddleboards. The WOW Watersports inflatable SUPs, the Soundboard and Rover, are new additions to our paddling gear and have been a hit thus far, so these are our reviews of both.

We’ve used them in both salt water and fresh water, they’ve been dragged through the sand and crashed into rocks, and we’re still enjoyin...