Today's episode is all about sharing our favorite summer vacation destinations and itineraries for families! Summer offers warm weather and more flexibile schedules, so it feels like the whole world is open to families! It can be hard to narrow down destinations when your bucket list is long but your vacation time and budget are limited.

I'm sharing our personal vacations in this epidode, and linking all of the itineraries below!

Best Summer Vacations in the USA for Families

Kid-Friendly South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary

Costa Rica 1 Week Itinerary for Families

2 Week Italy and Greece Itinerary for Families

The Ultimate 10 Day Guatemala Itinerary with Kids

2 Week Germany and Austria Itinerary for Families

1 Week Scotland Itinerary with Kids

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This episode covers the last portion of our spring break road trip from Nashville to Gatlinburg, and finally stopping in Louisville, KY before heading home.

We only had about 24 hours in Louisville, so this is by no means a comprehensive guide, but it was a great taste of this awesome city, and made me want to come back and experience all it has to offer!

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

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This episode is ALL about visiting Gatlinburg, TN with kids! We've visited twice - once in summer of 2018 with a 1, 3, and 5 year old, and now in spring of 2026 with kids ages 6-12.

Both were really fun experiences, so I'm sharing the pros and cons of visiting in spring vs summer, and which age is more fun for this type of trip.

I'm also recapping everything we did in Gatlinburg for our spring break, plus a few tips for visiting.

Links:

Family Travel Guide to Gatlinburg blog post

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

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In this episode I'm covering our spring break trip to Nashville. I'll share where we stayed, what activities I think are great for little kids vs big kids, and more!

Many think of Nashville as a place for bachelorette parties and girlfriend getaways, but it can also be VERY family-friendly if you do it right.

We spent 2 nights there this year on spring break, but we also visited back in 2019 when the kids were much younger, plus it was during summer time.

Read my Nashville Blog Post here: https://www.emilymkrause.com/blog/fun-things-to-do-in-nashville-for-families

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

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Today's episode is all about how to plan your first trip to Hawaii with Certified Hawaii Destination Expert Marcie Cheung! She has visited Hawaii over 40 times, and is a wealth of knowledge on how to start planning your first trip to Hawaii if you're feeling overwhelmed.

Even if you've been to Hawaii before, Marcie has lots of insider tips and personal recommendations that you may not have heard before, so be sure to tune in.

You can find Marcie here:

Hawaii Travel with Kids Website

Hawaii Travel Made Easy podcast

Hawaii Travel with Kids Instagram

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

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In today's episode, I'm walking you through exactly how I prepare for spring break trips as a mom of four so our travel days go as smoothly as possible.

We're talking about what to do a few weeks before your trip and what to do a few days before you leave, from checking warm weather clothes to confirming reservations, prepping your house, and starting the packing process.

A little bit of planning ahead of time makes a huge difference, especially when you're traveling with kids!

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

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In today's episode I'm sharing everything I've learned over the past 8 or 9 years about running a travel content creation business and becoming a travel content creator (or travel influencer).

I'm also sharing tips about how to grow your business and get work done as a mom to young kids. We're just moving into the elementary age kids stage of life, so I wanted to share what it was like and how I found time to work on my business during that season.

There's so much opportunity, and this episode will discuss how you can share your personal story and point of view to stand out. It's not too late!

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

[email protected]

Today's episode is all about how our family is handling how EXPENSIVE travel has gotten in the last year or so.

Hotels and airfare have skyrocketed, but I'm not giving up yet! This episode contains my strategies for budgeting better, saving more, and using points and miles more strategically so we can still make our annual spring break and summer vacation happen.

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

[email protected]

Today's episode is all about taking solo trips with your kids as a mom. It can be scary to venture out without your partner. You can feel especially vulnerable as a woman out in the world with young kids.

But I always say it sometimes feels just as challenging to take little kids to the grocery store solo as it is to take a trip with kids solo, so why not give it a try?

I'm sharing my personal thoughts, how I pack, what precautions I take, and some solo trips I've taken with my kids.

Don't forget - solo mom trips can also mean meeting up with friends and their kids, or bringing a family member along as an extra set of hands. We make our own rules here!

Finally - be sure to check out the Trip Tales Podcast with Kelsey Graves if you're looking to add more travel themed podcasts to your playlist.

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

[email protected]

In 2022 I started taking my kids on one-on-one birthday trips that focused on one of their interests.

I've continued this practice through 2026, and don't have any plans to stop! It's become one of my favorite traditions with the kids, and we love planning their birthday trips together throughout the year.

Whenever I talk about our birthday trips on social media, I get a lot of questions about how often we do them and whether we still celebrate their birthday at home on a birthday trip year.

Today I'm answering all of the birthday trip questions I normally get, and sharing ideas for birthday trips we've done in the past based on interests like LEGO, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and princesses.

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

[email protected]