5 things to do with teens in Chicago

By Jess, aged 17:

Over summer, our family spent the most amazing week in Chicago. Though very full on, we all had a fantastic time, and there is not one activity which I didn't enjoy. Chicago is a genuinely beautiful city; busy but not too loud or congested. There were things to do for all the family, and here are my highlights from the trip, which I think teenagers would particularly enjoy.

Baseball

I had really wanted to go to a baseball match as I felt it was a typical American thing to do. Instead of watching the more famous Chicago Cubs, we opted for the White Sox, and I had a really fantastic time. Unlike football games in the UK, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, with people walking around the whole time. I definitely enjoyed this, as I can get very stressed when watching live sports!

[caption id="attachment_4559" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We really enjoyed watching the Chicago White Sox![/caption]

Despite never playing baseball before, the people sitting around us were more than willing to explain what was going on, and I found myself getting very engaged with the game. The experience felt very American, with an audience cam, lots of adverts for pizza, a fill in the song lyric game, and everyone standing up and singing "Take me out to the ball game" between the seventh and eight innings.

There were other activities in the stadium as well, such a speed pitching test and a free interactive centre for kids. Mum and I collected free badges and certificates to commemorate our first visit to the stadium, and the people sitting behind us were generous enough to give us White Sox temporary tattoos and t-shirts.

I would definitely recommend baseball games to people visiting the US - not only was the game exciting, but I loved getting a taste of what it's like to be a real American. Mum says that it was expensive though - and we were all shocked by the cost of the food and drink inside the stadium (a bottle of Pepsi was over $6!)

Our tickets to the baseball cost around $50 (they were more expensive because we chose to be under cover - a good decision, as it was very hot!).

Second City

Second City is a famous sketch and improvisational comedy troupe, known for producing stars such as Tina Fey and Steve Carell. I am a huge fan of SNL, and it was especially exciting spotting lots of famous names in the programme we were given. Our family saw a production named "Grinning from Fear to Fear", which included two sets of sketches and an improvisational section.

I thought the production was hilarious, and unlike anything I'd seen before. Ranging from meeting your girlfriend's parents to sleepless late night anxieties, the production was very well done, and I laughed more times than I can count. They also used a lot of suggestions from the audience and even brought people up onto stage.

This was definitely one of the highlights of my holiday.

Second City is not for younger children - the show we went to started at 8pm and didn't finish until nearly 11 and there was quite a lot of swearing in it. Tickets cost $52 each.

Cycling food tour

Cycling isn't something we do very often, so I was somewhat terrified at the prospect of cycling around busy Chicago streets. However, I shouldn't have worried: our Bikes, Bites and Brews tour with Bobby's Bike Hike was great. Our guide Ro was extremely friendly and enthusiastic, and she toured us for 13 miles across Chicago.

[caption id="attachment_4560" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We loved all the food on our cycling tour with Bobby's Bike Hike, and the views were great too![/caption]

We sampled pizza, cupcakes, hot dogs, and drinks from all across Chicago, learning a lot about the city in the process. A particular highlight was eating delicious deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's, and spending half an hour cycling down a cycle path right next to Lake Michigan. The views were brilliant, and it was very relaxing. The tour was both interesting and exciting, and we definitely wouldn't have had the confidence to ride around Chicago without a guide. The city was easy to ride around and the views were gorgeous.

I would definitely recommend cycling around Chicago, and there are lots of places to rent bikes from. Though we wouldn't have been able to navigate the streets by ourselves, the cycle path by the lake boasted brilliant views and was easy to make our way around.

This Bobby's Bikes, Bites and Brews cycling tour costs $66.75 for adults and $61.75 for students (Mondays to Thursdays) and lasts four hours. 

Disclosure: We were gifted the opportunity of taking part in Bobby's Bike Hire, the Bikes, Bites and Brews tour, in order to write about it. However, the company had no input whatsoever into this blog post.

Escape room

Our whole family loved going to an escape room at The Escape Game Chicago. Though only an hour long, our experience probably provided us with the most fun of anything we did over the holiday. Our challenge was called "The Heist", and our challenge was to retrieve a painting from the office of a man accused of stealing it.

[caption id="attachment_4557" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We were pleased to find the painting with only two minutes to go![/caption]

I've been to three other escape rooms before, but this one was definitely the best. It was so well maintained, and some of the parts were genius. It was very difficult, but definitely not unmanageable or frustrating, and we were pleased to escape with two minutes remaining!

Escape rooms can be found all over the world and there are a copious amount in the UK alone, but I would recommend doing this one if you're in Chicago. We all had a fantastic time.

Read Rob's post on the Escape Game (he really loved it too!)
The Heist at the Escape Game costs $35.99 per person.

Beach

Chicago is particularly special as it is on Lake Michigan, so there are a copious number of beaches to relax on. We were all struck by the sheer size of the water - it seemed unfathomable that it was only a lake and not the sea! We went to the North Avenue beach, which was great as it was quiet, and there was a lot of space to sit down and unwind.

[caption id="attachment_4561" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Looking out to Lake Michigan on North Avenue Beach[/caption]

The water was ridiculously cold, but we appreciated that it wasn't salty like the sea. It also didn't get deep quickly, providing ample space for wading in the water and swimming. Chicago's beaches are especially notable as its gorgeous skyline is behind the lake, leading to gorgeous views wherever you look.

Overall, Chicago is a perfect place for teenagers, and I honestly enjoyed every aspect of the trip. Aside from these five highlights, there were so many other fantastic attractions, making the city perfect for all the family. I enjoyed incredible views of the city at the top of the Sears Tower, saw chicks being born at the Museum of Science and Industry, and looked at the largest T-Rex ever found at the Field Museum. Even activities which sounded boring, such as an architecture boat tour, were fascinating!

It may not a common holiday destination for those of us in the UK, but our trip to Chicago was great - both for the adults and the teens.

Read Rob's post on his two favourite activities: 

We also found useful information on the Choose Chicago website and the Enjoy Illinois website.

What to do on a family holiday in Dorset

[caption id="attachment_4502" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Us at the beautiful Durdle Door[/caption]

Robert, who's 14, is back to tell you about our summer family holiday in Dorset - a place we would highly recommend.

Over to him:

"At the beginning of the summer holidays my parents and I drove to Dorset for a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable week-long visit. We stayed in a cottage around a ten-minute drive from Weymouth. It had two rooms, a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen area, living room and basically everything you would want in a living accommodation. It was a lovely place to relax in the evening; reading books, watching TV and playing games. 

Weymouth  

[caption id="attachment_4504" align="alignnone" width="1200"] On Weymouth Beach[/caption]

To say Weymouth is busy on a summer weekend is a huge understatement. Parking was hard to come by (although we did find a space every time) and the beaches and streets were bustling with locals and tourists alike. However, it never felt too crowded and there weren’t long queues for refreshments or long waits to get a meal. The beach was lovely – we rented deckchairs for £2 each – and spent a good few hours there on our first day. The sea was amazing to paddle, wade and swim in as there were basically no waves at all - due to the natural defences at Chesil beach.  

There are so many places to get an ice-cream or slushie in Weymouth and even more places to get yourself a quick lunch in the afternoon. Be warned though: a majority of the cafes and shops close relatively early and on our first night we found ourselves wandering the streets for a while before deciding on getting food to heat up at home. Weymouth and the surrounding area is not short of massive supermarkets and we had dinner in our cottage every night bar one, so the shops closing early is not a major problem. 

Chesil Beach 

[caption id="attachment_4505" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The stunning Chesil Beach[/caption]

After relaxing in the sand on Weymouth’s coastline we drove about twenty minutes to a completely different type of beach. Chesil beach is the largest tombolo in the UK and is 28 kilometres of pure pebbles which increase in size as you move across. The stretch is classified as a Heritage site so you are not allowed to take any rocks home with you although you can obviously pick them up. The sheer size of the beach was impressive and it was a beautiful to go and have a look at. There is a great exhibition about the beach inside the visitor centre with lots of things to touch and look at including fossils, animal bones and millions of years old rocks. For a free attraction I would definitely recommend going, if only to have a quick look. 

[caption id="attachment_4506" align="alignnone" width="900"] One of the exhibits at the Chesil Beach Visitor Centre[/caption]

Cycling 

The next day we set out on a cycling trip organised by Jurassic Trails. We got our bikes and helmets then proceeded to begin our journey down the many cycle lanes and general streets in the area. We got lost almost straight away, we’ll blame it on the lack of clear signs, and ended up following a route we made up using the map we were given. We then lost Dad and pulled over but ended up stumbling across a strange sculpture, so really Mum and I came out of the loss pretty well. It was fun and exhilarating cycling around Dorset, although my bottom and legs were aching by the end of it. Even after a lot of wrong turns and small pavements that we walked down with our bikes it was still a thoroughly enjoyable day and cycling up and down the seafront near Bowleaze was one of the highlights of the trip. Although this bears no relevance to this post you may be amused to read that we went cycling on the day of what I can only assume to be some sort of Dorset Marathon which brought the difficulty level up significantly when cycling down the lanes shared for both walking and biking. 

Hiring the bikes from Jurassic Trails cost £54 for the three of us and could be used for the whole day. We thought this was pretty good!

Windsurfing 

[caption id="attachment_4509" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert tries out windsurfing[/caption]

On our third day I went windsurfing at the Official Test Centre in Portland.  My only vaguely similar experience in my life was going Water-skiing in Greece three and a half years ago so I entered a complete beginner but came out, quoting the words of my instructor, “a natural”. I got the hang of it practically straight away; there was a secure position, a sailing position and the act of turning around. Once you learn those – which we did on the shore – the only difficulty is keeping your balance and not falling in. The two hour session went by quickly and I would definitely try it again – possibly in windier conditions than the test centre. The water is so shallow and the one time I fell, my feet touched the floor so there is no reason to be scared. The centre also teaches paddle boarding which is an easier water sport that you could attempt if you wanted. 

Robert's two-hour taster lesson was complimentary (lucky us!) but would have cost £49. The Official Test Centre is on Portland, just past Chesil Beach. Although they gifted us the session, they had no input into this blog post.

Castletown D-Day centre 

Earlier that day we visited the Castletown D-Day centre, an activity which my parents weren’t too scared to take part in. The museum was one of the best I’ve been to in a while, due to the fact that there were so many interactive things to do which seemed to be one of the things the owner had been really pushing for when building the centre.
There were tanks and army vehicles you could climb in and move, videos to watch, boards to read as well as proper army uniform and an array of guns that you could wear and pick up. Upstairs was a surprisingly creepy enemy bunker focusing on the Germans and their experience of D-Day, and a tea-room where we coincidentally saw the museum's owner who we had just been watching in the videos downstairs! The centre is only open between 10.30 – 3.30 but it was really fun and interesting, the staff really knew their stuff and it was a really nice place to go. We ended up spending a lot more time there than we had expected to.

The Castletown D Day Centre is situated in Portland, where thousands of American soldiers stayed before they left for France in 1944. It costs £7 for adults, £5 for 12-17 year olds and £4 for children. 

Natural Landscape 

[caption id="attachment_4511" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Lulworth Cove[/caption]

Throughout the holiday went to some beautiful places including Lulworth Cove – a stunning bay with about 100 places to get an ice-cream, Opa Church Cove, a small rocky area on Portland which was once used by smugglers, and the area around the Portland Bill Lighthouse – not to mention many other beautiful views and beaches that we visited. The most amazing place to see however was Durdle Door – a natural limestone arch in the sea.

[caption id="attachment_4512" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The stunning Durdle Door[/caption]

Although quite a long walk from the car park it was a beautiful sight and the rocky beach preceding it was a great place to swim, relax and stare in awe. There were so many places of natural beauty in Dorset and they made the holiday feel much more relaxed than constantly visiting museums and man-made attractions. 

Jurassic Coast 

[caption id="attachment_4513" align="alignnone" width="1200"] An ammonite (fossil) found on Charmouth Beach[/caption]

The most unique activity we participated in throughout the trip was definitely our fossil tour on the Jurassic Coast. Our tour guide Martin, from Jurassic Coast Guides, explained how different fossils are formed and helped us remember what they look like and how to spot them. After the talk, which lasted about an hour, and a toilet break which gladly lasted less than an hour, we set off down the coastline to find some fossils. Martin had explained the places with the best chance of finding a fossil but even before we got to them he had found a few which he let us “find” and keep after giving us the general area it was in. This stayed the case for the majority of the two hours we spent on the beach. Although grouped together, Mum, Dad and I found three, maybe four traces of fossilised creatures to Martin’s 20 or so more impressive ones. The whole experience was really interesting and fun and we came home with a bag full of 14 190 million year old rocks. If you are considering going fossil hunting, on the Jurassic Coast or elsewhere I would definitely recommend doing it as part of a tour or with someone experienced and we would have had no clue whatsoever if we had gone on our own. 

Private fossil hunting walk with Jurassic Coast Guides costs £100. We were fortunate enough to be given one for gree in order to write about. However, no one from the company has had any input into this piece, which is also our (particularly Robert's) opinions.

Dorset Adventure Park 

[caption id="attachment_4514" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Corfe Castle[/caption]

Our hour at Dorset Adventure Park felt much longer – it was one of the most fun activities of the holiday and Mum and Dad really enjoyed it as well even though they were in the water for most of it!  Everything is inflatable and if you only fall off you have to swim to nearest entry point or attempt to climb back on where someone pulls you up by the lifejacket.

Read more about our trip to this brilliant park and also nearby Corfe Castle in this post from Robert.

Sea life and adventure golf 

[caption id="attachment_4515" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Playing crazy golf![/caption]

We only spent an hour or so in Weymouth’s Sea Life as we saw all the different attractions and didn’t stick around at each for too long. However, for younger kids it looked like a great place to visit – there were at least five different schools visiting when we went. Our favourite bit was the “shipwreck” with lots of cool sea life to see inside: jellyfish, crabs and fish and we also liked seeing some otters being fed – one of the events that occur throughout the day. There were seals, sharks, turtles and penguins as well as lots more cool things to see for children to enjoy. We also visited the Pirate Adventure Golf just outside which was really fun. Beware though, we went in the morning around when it had just opened and it was extremely busy, meaning long waits to play the next hole. 

A Pirate Adventure Golf & Weymouth SEALIFE combi ticket (booked online) is Adult £24.95, Child (3-14) £20.95. We were lucky enough to be given these in order to write about them, but the organisation had no input into this blog post.

Overall I loved going to Dorset and is my favourite holiday in the UK in many years – if not my whole life. Coincidence that Jess didn’t come on this one! It was so nice not to go to a bustling city and just visit museums and theme parks – although I could’ve done with a few rides; instead there were beautiful coves and beaches and activities involving nature. On top of that there were so many delicious foods to sample, I’m pretty sure I had more ice-creams than days of the holiday! If you are thinking of going to a place in England I would wholeheartedly recommend Dorset as we spent a week there and there were still loads of things we didn’t do or visit. There are definitely enough things for adults, teenagers and children and I hope to go back again in the future." 

Disclosure: Visit Dorset helped us to plan our holiday, but had no input into this blog post. They have information for everything to do across the county.

Read more on family holidays in the UK: 

A family trip to Cornwall

What to do in beautiful Pembrokeshire

Why we loved Lincoln (and are sure you would too!)

Four days in Toronto with kids

Jess, aged 15, writes: We have just returned from a break in Toronto, Canada, where we spent four days discovering the city. We did everything from bus tours to cycling, and really loved our time in the city. There was a lot to see and do, the people were friendly, it was unusually clean for such a big city, and the attractions were very well done. Here are our highlights of the trip and what we'd recommend:

What to do

Jess writes: My favourite part of our trip to Toronto had to be the island cycling tour. We met our friendly and knowledgeable guide Mina early in the morning and were quickly armed with bikes and helmets. Soon, we found ourselves cycling downtown to the port, where we took a ferry to the Toronto Islands. We spent the morning cycling around the islands, and learning about their history. I particularly enjoyed visiting the beach, listening to ghost stories, and seeing the lighthouse. This was especially interesting as it was only built six metres away from the seafront, but sediment deposition means that it is now inland. We all had an excellent time - the islands were gorgeous, the stories were fascinating, and the cycling wasn't too strenuous. Despite not being used to cycling on roads, we all felt very safe. It was a wonderfully tranquil morning.

[caption id="attachment_4303" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Casa Loma was spectacular[/caption]

Brian says: One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Casa Loma, a huge medieval looking mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens and a fountain. The gothic exterior with its two towers in completely different styles makes it look a bit like a fairy tale castle.
We began our visit with the very interesting 20 minute newsreel type film about the life of Sir Henry Pellatt, the financier who spent millions building Casa Loma then was forced to leave in 1923 after going bankrupt. We really enjoyed looking at the film posters on the walls downstairs showing the many movies shot there, and there was also a TV screen showing some clips (e.g. X-men, Chicago, Cocktail etc) with captions letting you know which room had been used for that scene. We then took an excellent audio guide of the nearly hundred rooms, the most beautiful ones for me being the Round Room and the Conservatory. We then climbed up the narrow steps to the Norman tower, which gave stunning views of the city in the distance. We were there for about two and a half hours, and hadn’t seen everything we would have liked to (especially the secret tunnels) as we just ran out of time. It might be a tourist trap, but Casa Loma is definitely a must-see when you come to Toronto.

Read more about Casa Loma here, in a full blog post by Sarah.

[caption id="attachment_4304" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Ripleys Aquarium was a must-visit![/caption]

Robert, aged 12, writes: Ripley's Aquarium is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, tourist attraction in Toronto with so much to see and do for both kids and adults. There are loads of different creatures to look at including jellyfish, sharks, turtles and an octopus. Throughout the aquarium were loads of interactive things to play or touch. There was a section when you could feel how cold the water is for the fish, customise your own jellyfish or even feel some baby sharks. Some of the creatures were incredible to look at especially the ones in the tunnel - I loved watching the sharks swim over my head. Over all I had a really fun time and there was really something for everyone. There's even a play area for younger kids.

[caption id="attachment_4309" align="alignnone" width="1200"] If you like shopping, you need to visit the Eaton Centre![/caption]

Jess says: The Eaton Centre is the busiest shopping centre in North America, so we knew we had to give it a try. The Centre contains a range of shops (varying from high end to ones you may see on the high street) and we enjoyed walking around and finding chains which we don't have in the UK. We exited the complex with books, t-shirts, and trousers, and generally had a nice, relaxing time traipsing the stores.

Robert writes: One of the tallest, most symbolic buildings in Canada is the CN tower which can be seen from nearly all the city and even further away.

[caption id="attachment_4311" align="alignnone" width="1200"] View from the CN Tower[/caption]

Classified as one of the modern wonders of the world, the tower stands at 1,815 feet so the views are amazing. We went up the first viewing point which was great, you could see the whole city. You could pay extra to go up a few extra floors but it seemed pointless to me as it is the same view. One floor down were two glass walkways on which you could sit, jump or even lie on while looking down at the roads directly under your feet.

[caption id="attachment_4310" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert on the glass floor at the CN Tower[/caption]

I found the whole experience very enjoyable, but it was just another view which I've seen a lot of - and there were so many great things to do in Toronto that it wasn't my favourite.

[caption id="attachment_4308" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The spectacular Horseshoe Falls[/caption]

Sarah writes: It’s hard to tell you how wonderful our visit to Niagara Falls was without referring you to our full post on it (which you can see here!). It was, honestly, the most fantastic day and we cannot recommend it enough – it’s unlike anything else we’ve ever done.

[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/PhfPag2VQCw" width=200 height=100 ]

The Falls are majestic and beautiful, a real wonder of the world. And it doesn’t mater that Niagara is really busy, because all the people who are there simply want to enjoy what you do – extraordinary waterfalls!
I have never seen The Falls from the US side, but my husband assures me that the Canadian side, with the Horseshoe Falls, is far better. I can believe it. We experienced our trip from different angles – a helicopter above, a boat riding on and going down to see the Falls at the level at which they gush past. All were well worth doing.
We hired a car to get to Niagara and it took around two hours. We left early in the morning and would recommend that. It really was a wonderful day.

What to see

[caption id="attachment_4307" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The views from the islands were amazing![/caption]

Jess writes: Aside from Niagara, the best views on this holiday had to be on the ferry from Downtown Toronto to the Toronto Islands. During our cycling tour, we took a ferry from the port to Hanlan's Point, and the view was simply stunning. We had a clear, close up view of the Toronto skyline, the water shone in the sun, and there was a small breeze in our hair. It was truly lovely; very serene and tranquil. It made our visit to the islands even more special.

The City Sightseeing Toronto bus tour is another way to see the sights. The two hour journey takes you all around the sights of Toronto, giving lots of information. There was also a real guide, as opposed to listening through headphones and hearing the same annoying music again and again! The only negative of this was it could be difficult to hear the guide due to the microphone static. The trip was very pleasant, though traffic meant we moved quite slowly.

Where to eat

[caption id="attachment_4321" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The food at Eva's was so delicious![/caption]

Brian says: We ate some delicious food on our Canadian holiday, but Eva’s Original was one of the standouts. My sweet toothed daughter had found out about this before our visit, and it took us about 20 minutes to get there from our hotel downtown, but it was really worth it. Eva’s bake traditional Hungarian chimney cakes fresh on the premises. They look delicious enough all by themselves, but we added some extra calories by each having chimney cones which are filled with delicious vanilla soft serve ice-cream. I chose a cone that had been baked with coconut flakes, and a chocolate sauce topping. It was huge, but delicious, so I managed to finish it. We then saw that a couple at the table next to us were sharing one. Eva’s Original was a real treat, and I would love to go back again one day.

Jess writes: Kensington Market is very different to the rest of Toronto, as it is filled with vintage clothes stores and hipster places to eat. I would have loved to explore had we had more time, as there was lots to see and do. We had lunch at a waffle shop which was a bit of a let down, but I know that there were many other places to go to which looked nicer.

[caption id="attachment_4306" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Beavers Tails were so delicious![/caption]

Sarah says: We found the BeaverTails stall down by the waterfront in Toronto. Quite honestly they were utterly delicious and it is lucky they don't seem possible to get in London, as I would galumph my way through them and become far too vast! Put it this way, we got one each and the couple sitting opposite us, shared theirs...
They are basically pastries with toppings on, but that doesn't sell them well enough! They are huge, the pastry (fried!) is delicious and the toppings - whether chocolate hazelnut or nutella are utterly decadent. A real holiday food!

Jess writes: In conclusion, we all had a lovely time in Toronto. Paired with an excursion to Niagara, it was a holiday with something for all the family. The atmosphere was friendly, it was easy to navigate, and there was lots to do. I definitely recommend a visit.

Disclosure: We were fortunate enough to be given a CityPass to try out when we were in Toronto. This meant we got free entry into a number of attractions and, as importantly, that we skipped the queue - particularly brilliant for the CN Tower and Aquarium! We genuinely thought the CityPass was fantastic as it gave you freedom to do what you wanted, when you wanted - but the company had no input into our decisions of what to do, or what we wrote in this post. The CityPASS costs around £55 per adult and £37 per child.
We were also very fortunate that Toronto Bicycle Tours provided us with the bicycle tour of the Islands, including bike hire and ferry crossing, on a complimentary basis. This usually costs around CAD 90 per person (around £54). However, they also had no input into this post and all our thoughts, as usual, are our own.

Cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (by Lucy)

My lovely friend Lucy had an amazing holiday in California with her husband and two sons. Here she shares one of her highlights - cycling across the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge.


San Francisco was the first stop on our three week tour of the West Coast of America. We arrived in Fisherman’s Wharf, staying for four nights at the Argonaut Hotel and the highlights were Alcatraz and of course The Golden Gate Bridge, which we were going to cycle across.

San Francisco can only be described as a hybrid between Camden Town and New York City!  The Wharves were heaving with tourists with every shop catering for them. We found all the Alcatraz paraphernalia you can imagine, from snow globe Golden Gate Bridges to Alcatraz prison pyjamas!

When it came to cycling, we found a bike place next to the hotel (there's one on every corner) and our two boys, aged 7 and 11, and my husband and I were fixed up with helmets and a fairly basic bike each. It cost around $50 per adult per bike.

We were then pointed in the direction of the bridge and that was it! I don’t think we would have attempted it had our 7-year-old not been a competent cyclist but he’s coordinated and fearless, so off we went.

Now the bridge wasn't really where we thought it was going to be. It’s so huge that it was a good hour of cycling from our hotel before we actually reached it, even though it looked so close! It wasn't a bad hour, but it seemed to last a long time, as you could see the bridge in the distance but it didn't seem to be getting any closer. On our way to it there was a thong of people all headed in the same direction, and all cycling along the side of the river. Everyone was excited to see when the entrance to the great bridge would appear.

[caption id="attachment_3413" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Lucy and her two sons after cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge[/caption]

We finally reached a point where we were were directed up a very steep path, leading to the entrance. And there it was: The Golden Gate Bridge, in all it beauty.

But (there had to be a but)...getting onto it was quite tricky. There were just so many people and groups all trying to stick together and claiming right of way. Fortunately, the cyclists and pedestrians were separated from the cars by a barrier but I’d say the whole experience was, for me, rather hairy.

Having said that, though, the Bridge is awesome, rusty red in colour (definitely not golden!) and impressive and massive, and thrilling to be cycling across. It's quite an experience.

However, once you are on that Bridge, it’s every man (or person) for themselves. If you are in a group, as we were with two children, you want to stick together but it’s single file with a few trying to get in front whilst continually dodging the pedestrians.

[caption id="attachment_3412" align="alignnone" width="1200"] View of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in mist[/caption]

The Bridge is so vast that, when looking up, it disappears into the clouds. Looking down? Well we didn’t do much of that as it was so high up it was just a bit too scary, particularly for the adults!

Cycling across took us about half an hour and once over we felt exhilarated and excited. We then continued cycling down into a place called Sausalito , a beautiful and picturesque town where we caught the ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf. We felt it was too much to cycle back over the Bridge and the 20 minute ferry ride was great fun after such an achievement. It was a fantastic activity and something the whole family will never forget.

More from America:

Three days in Washington DC with kids

Opening the Magic Kingdom - being family of the Day.

A wonderful trip to Lake Wolfgang in Austria, part 2 (including Salzburg!)

[caption id="attachment_610" align="aligncenter" width="940"] There were great views of the city from the top of the Fortress[/caption]

We had a brilliant time on holiday in Austria, near Lake Wolfgang (the Wolfgangsee) as you may have seen from Jessica's first post last week. Here she tells you about the rest of our terrific stay - including a trip to Sound of Music heaven...

Over to Jess:

Our wonderful holiday continued with a trip to Salzburg on Thursday

Today, we visited Salzburg, and were very lucky to have a tour around the city by Michaela our amazing guide. She took us to churches, statues and locations from where The Sound of Music was filmed.

[caption id="attachment_601" align="aligncenter" width="940"] These steps are in the Sound of Music - they're where the children sing "Do, ray, me"[/caption]

I especially liked walking through the pretty square where part of “Do Ray Me” was sung and you can see some Sound of Music references in our video!

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ivzOAzN7FY" width=460 height=325 ]

Salzburg is full of stunning Baroque architecture, and we loved looking at all the incredible buildings, especially all of the churches. There are lots of religious places to see in the city, but my favourite was the church where Mozart was baptised. It was absolutely beautiful, and the walls had lovely black and white decorations.

[caption id="attachment_608" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Mozart was baptised at the beautiful Salzburg Cathedral[/caption]

Mozart lived in Salzburg, and his presence was everywhere. Salzburg is the home of Mozart chocolates which (happily) were in almost every shop, while you can also visit his old house and see a statue of him.

[caption id="attachment_603" align="aligncenter" width="940"] This is where Mozart lived in Salzburg[/caption]

Michaela told us lots of facts about Salzburg, which I was fascinated by. I never knew that Salzburg used to be an independent country but was annexed to the Austrian Empire in 1816, or that Salzburg means “salt castle”. This name is because of all the salt mining done nearby. We also bought some delicious things to eat...

[caption id="attachment_599" align="aligncenter" width="940"] I was lucky enough to find a huge doughnut pretzl in the Salzburg market.[/caption]

After this, our family took the cable car up to the fortress, which had lovely views over the city and was also full of history.

Next, we took the bus to the lovely palace of Hellbrunn, built in the 17th century, and which has lovely grounds and even boasts the pavilion where the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” was filmed for The Sound of Music.

[caption id="attachment_600" align="aligncenter" width="768"] You may recognise this pavilion from the Sound of Music[/caption]

Instead of exploring the rooms, we opted to go to the trick fountains, which we all loved. My brother got absolutely soaked.

Hundreds of years ago, the Archbishop loved inviting friends to his palace, but always tried to liven up their visits. By placing surprising fountains around the gardens, he would shock them and get them soaking wet!

[caption id="attachment_604" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Robert was soaking after a tour of the water gardens at Hellbrun[/caption]

We got to walk around, sit on chairs and watch shows which ultimately left us covered with water! One example was when we were watching a show with small figures powered by water. Before starting, our guide told us to watch the cannons. Once the show had finished, we were quite confused - no water had come out the cannons! Just ask we started to walk away, water started to spew out from the steps behind us, giving us a shock…

Friday

[caption id="attachment_607" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The water was so green and so clear[/caption]

On Friday, we went cycling again. First of all, we went to tobogganing centre in Strobl, passing a clear blue lake with people swimming in it on the way. It was gorgeous, and I thought it was amazing how unpolluted it was! In London, a lake like that would be brown and full of rubbish!

[caption id="attachment_609" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The tobogganing was lots of fun[/caption]

The tobogganing was lots of fun, and Rob especially loved it. You went up really high before sliding down the hill very quickly, and half of the time you were practically riding on the wall. Each go took a very long time as going up the hill took aages. There were two different ways you could go down; one was short and fast, and one was longer and slightly slower. You also got to control how fast you went by pulling a lever on the board you were riding on.

Next, we cycled 14k to St. Gilgen at the top of the Wolfgangsee, which looked sublime. It was another hot day, and we quenched our thirst with lemonade and a really bitter lemon drink that everyone hated but me!

[caption id="attachment_605" align="aligncenter" width="940"] This swing in St Gilgen has a beautiful backdrop![/caption]

After a brilliant pizza, we took a look around the shops, got cream cakes from a bakery and took a ferry back to Strobl.

Saturday

Today we had a short cycle in the direction of Bad Ischl, passing beautiful mountains, trees and waterfalls on the way. The weather was not lovely, but an erdbeer torte in a cafe back in Strobl more than made up for it…

So that was our fabulous holiday for the summer. Even though we spent a lot of time running, swimming and cycling, I still felt really relaxed and refreshed throughout the week, which is something that does not normally happen to me. The holiday was very different to others I have been on, and is definitely one of my favourites. Funnily enough, I had never been cycling for longer than half an hour before, but the holiday really helped me to improve my confidence, and there were not too many parts of the journeys that were uphill.

[caption id="attachment_598" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We loved our cycling experience by Lake Wolfgang[/caption]

I would 100 percent recommend this holiday to anyone - there seemed to be something for the whole family and I honestly cannot think of anything bad about it! The sights were incredible, the food was fantastic and there was loads to see and do. I wish that we could go back next year!

Disclosure: our tour around Salzburg with Michaela Muhr, a licensed guide, was complimentary and you can book your tour via the Salzburg Experience website. All the views and opinions about the tour and the city are our own.

Disclosure: we were offered a discounted media rate for a Headwater cycling holiday to Austria. However, all our views are entirely our own.

For August departures this year, Headwater would have charged: £1038 for an adult self drive including Eurotunnel (child under 12 sharing £599), £1238 for an adult flying with with BA from Gatwick-Salzburg (child £819) and £1029 for an adult tour only (child £619). This is for half-board accommodation, including transfers, plus the bikes!

This week we're part of the Sunday Traveler (or traveller as we would write in the UK!) where you can link up and read about travels around the world. It's hosted by by the lovely Sarah-Jane at Chase the Donkey!