I'm so happy to share one of my very favorite travel sites with you today. The site? Wandermom - Resources for Independent Family Travel. I LOVE IT. We've interviewed Michelle Duffy before, about her excellent book, Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling With Kids. On Wandermom, Michelle  explores so many great topics about family travel - activities and adventures, advice and resources, food, helping hands, international escapades, product reviews, and more. What's most fun about it is that Michelle is so REAL about traveling with kids - and shows us that exploring the world with your kids is really one of the best things you can do for your WHOLE family.

We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Michelle, about Wandermom, travel tips, planning a year-long trip, giving back, and more. Here's what she had to say...

WE: Please tell us about your site, Wandermom: Resources for independent family travel...

MD: My blog, WanderMom.com is intended to be a place where families planning trips (especially outside the U.S.) can find information on lots of interesting destinations and other practical details related to traveling with children. I've traveled widely in Europe with my children (since that's where our extended family lives) and we're currently planning a year-long trip around the world. I'm in the process of adding information on accommodation, dining, and attractions for every destination we've visited - which includes such diverse locations as Cyprus, Peru, Ireland and Mexico. I plan to keep this up while we're on our long trip.

WE: What was the genesis of your site?

MD: I started blogging on WanderMom.com while I was writing my book, Traveling With Kids. As I was writing the book, I realized that I had a lot of information about all the travels we've done since my older son was born (he's now 13) and really, there wasn't enough room to put it all in the book. It made more sense to spin up a blog to share more personalized travel experiences online.

WE: What are your top family travel tips?

MD: There are three things which I think are important. Firstly, focus on the goal of your trip. Is your plan to relax, to explore or to learn something new – or a combination of all of these? Secondly, keep in mind the temperaments of the members of your (family) group; and finally, be conservative in planning the pace of the trip. I try to keep the goal of the trip in mind as I investigate activities and attractions before we go. There’s no point in planning long days of sightseeing when what everyone needs is really plenty of rest and relaxation.

Temperament is huge in our family since my one of my children is a (very) reluctant traveler and he has ADHD. As parents, we expect him to complain and resist and really work hard at being calm and upbeat about where we are going and what we plan to do – doggedly so sometimes. When we travel we regularly take “medication vacations” i.e. my child with ADHD does not take the medication which he needs to stay focused in school. Thus we must be even more careful in planning our daily activities and having multiple backup options available all the time.

There is one way in which I know I differ from a lot of moms when we travel: that is planning parent-time. My husband and I both work full time and we look forward to our vacation as time to spend with our children. Even when our boys were little we did not stay at resort hotels with kid’s clubs for example. We do use children’s programs on ski trips, but that’s because neither of us ever learned to ski (we’re self-taught snowboarders). I feel that it’s important to be honest about what you need when planning your trip. If you’re a stay-at-home mom who really needs quality time with your spouse or partner, then look for a cruise or resort with a good kid’s program. Your vacations are not just for the children, it’s important that you come home feeling rested and rejuvenated too.

"My husband and I both work in software. Our children, poor lambs, could type before they could write. Having a three-year-old who’s more technically literate than most of the adults around him was extremely cool in 1999. Now, I’m paying the price. When we’re traveling, my child will take my camera and take detailed photos of technical glitches in information displays anywhere and everywhere we happen to come across them. The photo above was taken in Darling Harbour, Sydney."

WE: You're heading into a year-long trip around the world - what have been some of your challenges (and rewards) in the planning?

MD: I'd say the biggest part is planning to "homeschool" on the road. I've met with my children's teachers, read a lot about subjects, curricula and textbooks and researched some online schooling options. Currently, my plan is to focus on core math skills with formal instruction, to keep my children well-supplied with books to read and to require them to write daily - whether in a journal or on a blog. I expect all of us to learn about the history and geography of the places we're visiting and to pick up (or improve) language skills while we're traveling. But none of that prevents me from worrying about having "homework battles" or from being concerned that this plan will be enough. Strangly, though, I find that the times when I worry that I'm not doing something well are the times when I actually do my best work - as if the act of worry is like a self-inflicted high standard.

As for the rewards in my planning so far for the trip overall? I've learned more about the history and culture of a wide range of countries already - and we haven't even left the U.S.!

WE: Your kids - what is their favorite part of travel?

MD: My children just get a kick out of visiting new places. Of course they moan and complain about the friends and social events that they miss when we're away, but after a few days of being together without the interruption of work and school, our family starts to act more like a unit and genuinely have fun in each other's company. I think my children don't realize it, but they enjoy this tremendously. I can see how they find it difficult to be in a new country with a strange language at first, but it's marvelous to me to see how they rise to this challenge and get comfortable with their temporary new home.

  Akumal, Mexico

WE: How can families best prepare for travel?

MD: I like to talk to my children about the place we're planning to visit and to read about that place - fact and fiction - before we travel. We also have some map-based board games such as "Discovering Europe" which is a fun way to learn about the countries in a different part of the world. And our globe is battle-scared from overuse! Online tools such as Google Earth are a great way for my tech-savvy boys to actually "see" a place before we visit. Finally, I buy a couple of good guidebooks and research practical information such as accommodation and fun things to see and do months before we travel. I use the guidebooks as my starting point and supplement with lots of online research on travel websites and blogs.

Sydney With Kids: Visiting The Powerhouse Museum

WE: How do you suggest families give back, while traveling?

MD: Well, for example, as part of our extended trip we'll be volunteering at an orphanage in Bolivia. The organization which runs the orphanage is one which my son's school supports and other members of the school community have volunteered at a sister property in Nicaragua. I've found that, especially in developing countries, you can find ways to help in schools, churches and orphanages even for a short time usually just by contacting such organizations in advance and asking what you can do or bring with you to donate to support their work.

WE: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

MD: Travel Happy :)

WE: Thanks so much, Michelle! I love your site. You've always got such great tips and travel information. We highly recommend it to our readers.

For more information, please see:
http://wandermom.com

Feature photo:
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, our son decided to get out and climb the dunes himself. He was three years old when we took that trip.

All photos courtesy and copyright of Wandermom Michelle Duffy.