3 Traveling Tips with Littles and Fun Things to do in Baltimore

I know it is almost the weekend again but I wanted to recap our weekend in Baltimore with some fun things to do with the littles and some helpful things to remember when traveling with littles.

We went up to Baltimore to meet one of my good friends. I meet Erin in a mommy group when we were pregnant! Has it seriously been over 2 years since I have known her! Wow amazing! She has a little boy that is about 2.5 months younger than Kinley and let me tell you, they are #BFF.. This was the third time we have seen Erin and Bodie. They live in Connecticut so we try to meet in the middle every few months. It doesn't always work out but we do what we can. It's pretty amazing to have online friends and actually be able to meet in real life.

Below are 3 helpful hints to make your traveling with littles easier.

1. Stay at a kid friendly hotel. 

This is really important to me. Initially we didn't have a pool at our hotel so we switched (thank you Erin for noticing that) and I am glad we did even though we didn't spend much time in the pool; it was good for one afternoon. I think if we were there another day we would've spent more time in the pool. Kinley loves the water and it kills some energy so it's always a good choice. The rooms were fantastic! It was plenty big with room for her to roam. We booked on hotels.com and I would definitely do it again. The restaurant was great too. It was a free hot breakfast with made to order omelets. Kinley is so picky these days, so having many options was a definite plus!

 2. Bring a carrier

This is my go to for just about anything! I love love love my ergo! We even tried the back carry this trip and she didn't mind it and it gave me a break from her being on the front. It was great to have the carrier when at the aquarium since strollers are not allowed. I was a little confused as to why strollers were not allowed but once I was inside I understood completely.

3. Bring food and water.....and LOTS of it

I am highly suggesting to pack a bag full of snacks and water. Kinley is an eating machine. She is a snacker like her momma! She wants to eat all the time but pick at everything. So having many options is a must for us. I could always buy something where ever we are but the chances of her actually eating what I purchase are slim to none. Did I mention she is picky!

We were not in Baltimore very long but did find some fun things to do while we were there.

1. The National Aquarium

I am going to be 100% honest with my opinions on the National Aquarium. Don't get me wrong, the place is a great experience but I do not think it was worth the $40 per person we paid. I was expecting a lot more! Thankfully we didn't have to pay for Kinley since she was under 3. We were only there for 3 hours so I would have been extra disappointed if we spent money for her too.  The exhibits were amazing and there were lots of fish and sharks, I was just hoping for more. There was also a great dolphin exhibit and a jellyfish one too. That's about it folks. I really was expecting a lot more! I was hoping to see some seals or manatees maybe. At this point I am glad I can say we have been there but I will not be visiting there again any time soon.

2. The Port Discover Children's Museum

We wanted the kiddos to burn off some much needed energy before we spent hours in the car! And boy am I glad we did because it took us 6 hours to get home! The kiddos really enjoyed the children's museum and we did too for the price! There were so many things to do I think we could have spent hours there! There was even a play room for kiddos under 3 which was awesome! We got there right when it opened, which was brilliant, because it was getting quite busy when we were heading out the door. Perfect timing on our part!

3. The Big Grassy Area and the Hallways in the Hotel

This one makes me laugh because I think the kiddos had just as much fun running around in the grass and up and down the hall in the hotel as they did at the aquarium or the Children's museum. There was a big hall that lead to a bunch of ball rooms that Kinley and Bodie ran around chasing each other in. It was a great way to burn some energy after dinner, before bed. Kinley loved taking the lead and Bodie rewarded her with kisses. They were so adorable. After we left the aquarium we let them run around in the grass which was great. Again these two are free and I am pretty certain it might have been their favorite activities in Baltimore. Sorry some of the pictures are blurry but these kids were on the go!

We definitely had a great time in Baltimore and Inner Harbor was fun to walk around. I was greatly impressed with the hotel we stayed at, Embassy Suites, and will most definitely be staying there if we ever get back up there again. We always have a great time seeing Erin and Bodie and hope to get to see them soon.

What are some of your kid friendly activities when traveling?