Moms share: My family’s best spring break vacation

Nichole Beaudry and her husband Craig wanted to pass on their love of travel:

My husband and I never missed an opportunity to travel before we had children. Everyone tells you to travel before you have children because once your little ones come along, vacations are no longer restful, they’re just parenting in a better location with none of the conveniences of home.

When our daughter was approaching her first birthday, we planned our spring break — a trip that required air travel from California to Florida, then a week later, from Florida to Maine and finally, from Maine back to California.

With a 1-year-old.

I scoured the internet for tricks and tips for flying with a baby. New little toys, check. New books, check. Ample snacks, check. We waited for our flight that would take us from one coast to the other, laden with more carry-ons than I could count, and my husband and I took turns preparing to profusely apologize to our fellow passengers for the craziness that was about to ensue.

But within minutes, it was clear that we had a natural-born traveler on our hands. Our sweet girl sat in her seat so quietly that when we deplaned, the couple in front of us was shocked that there was a baby in our row. Score! For two weeks, she soaked in the world around her, clapping with joy at each new adventure. We saw old sights through new eyes and loved every second of our trip. Who needs to lay in a beach chair sipping fruity drinks all day when you can wander along behind your 1-year-old as she experiences things for the first time (with a fruity drink in hand)?”