Central & South America
The smell of sautéed onions, bell peppers and garlic filled the kitchen. Our children 6 and 3 years old were laughing wearing their chef’s hats and aprons as Norma guided them gently through the process of forming and filling their own homemade empanadas. As a parent, it was a pleasure watching their little hands form … Read more
There is something magical about getting up close and personal with animals in their own habitats. When we started planning our family gap year trip, we knew that wildlife spotting would be a big draw for our little kids but we didn’t realize just how amazing and accessible parts of Argentine Patagonia could be. Many … Read more
When you visit a place like Patagonia, so much of the conversation between travelers sounds like a brag book of code names as you all go around the same well-trodden circuit of tourist destinations. It’s just the reality of a trip to Patagonia: given that many areas are too remote to have services like hostels … Read more
We had an amazing time trekking El Chalten during our family trip to Patagonia, but the long days on the trail left us with little energy for our usual money-saving plan to cook dinner at “home”. Fortunately, the El Chalten restaurant scene is alive and well! Despite the remote location, they were some of the … Read more
Prior to arriving in Chile we heard that Chileans are known to be friendly and welcoming. During our hosted visit to MontGras Winery in Chile’s Colchagua Valley our family was shown firsthand Chilean hospitality (and wine) at its finest. Gonzalo, our host, took us on a comprehensive tour of MontGras’ expansive property. As Californians and … Read more
Gritty. That was the most common word people used to “warn” us about Valparaiso and its reputation for petty crime, dirty streets and abundance of stray dogs (of which there really are a disturbing number). Those things may not be entirely wrong, but in just one day Valparaiso, Chile won our hearts with its vibrancy. … Read more