Kayla Voigt

May 14, 2024 | familyvacationist.com | Kayla Voigt

It’s supposed to be the “happiest place on earth,” but if you ask any parent—or look around at the beleaguered faces of adults standing over a meltdown-in-progress minutes before the big parade—then you know Disney World can sometimes feel like the most stressful place on earth. Long wait times, eye-popping food prices, and a tangled web of logistics makes going to Disney feel like work if you’ve got a little one. Is it worth going if they won’t even remember it? In short: Yes.

Feb 26, 2024 | familyvacationist.com | Kayla Voigt

I live in a place that gets dark at 4:00 p.m. in the winter. It’s so cold my teeth ache in the short sprint up the driveway to get the mail each day. So, it’s probably no surprise that I spend a lot of time dreaming about white sand beaches and poolside snacks. The only way for me to get through the winter blues is to have a trip planned on the calendar somewhere sunny and warm. Now that I’ve got a toddler in tow, though, I can’t just pick any resort.

Dec 23, 2023 | familyvacationist.com | Kayla Voigt |Josh Roberts |Beth Luberecki

Hurtling down an icy mountain on two pieces of wood? No, thank you. I was not the kind of kid who had the impulse to throw myself down an icy slope. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I even heard of Nordic skiing, which is downhill skiing’s endurance-sport sibling. As a washed-up collegiate runner, I figured I needed to do something during the winter to keep the blues at bay. So, I strapped on rented skis and took off with an instructor, the quiet swish the only noise deep in the snowy pines.

Sep 2, 2023 | familyvacationist.com | Kayla Voigt

Traveling with a baby takes work. You’re hauling tons of gear (who knew so many tiny pieces of clothing could take up so much space?), juggling nap and feeding times, and hoping they won’t try to put something they found on a gross airport carpet in their mouth. It’s not a vacation—it’s a trip. But it’s so worth it. As challenging as traveling internationally with a baby can be, it forces you to slow down and truly experience a place.

Jul 27, 2023 | familyvacationist.com | Kayla Voigt

After months of hunkering down under snow and ice, summer and early fall in New England feel like a collective sigh. Families flock to the northeast’s lake towns and coastal villages for quintessential New England vacations that go all-in on the regional charm. Think clapboard houses, rows of bright blue hydrangeas, and lobster shacks covered in colorful buoys.