WizTrip Family Travel Blog
Every trip we've written up, newest first: destination guides, itineraries, and honest hotel and restaurant reviews.
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Duck Donuts vs. The Donuttery: Two Huntington Beach Donut Shops We Like
Duck Donuts and The Donuttery are two of our favorite donut stops in Huntington Beach. Here is how they compare on freshness, toppings, price, deals and vegan options, and which one wins for our family.
The Original Pancake House Huntington Beach Review: Huge Portions and a Breakfast Classic
We had breakfast at The Original Pancake House on Adams Avenue in Huntington Beach. The portions were huge, most of what we ordered was excellent, and the history of the place turned out to be just as interesting as the food.
Visiting Huntington Beach: Our Guide to the Pier, Main Street, Parking and Sunsets
We have been to Huntington Beach many times over the years. This guide covers the pier and Main Street, where to park and what it costs, the beaches north and south of the pier, sunsets, and where we like to eat.
Fire Pho Huntington Beach Review: The Fire Bowl and Kindling Bowl
Fire Pho is a small pho spot on Edinger Avenue near Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. We tried the Fire Bowl and the Kindling Bowl, and both were excellent. Here is what to order, prices and what to know before you go.
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Irvine Review: Big Plates, Friendly Staff
We stopped at The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill in Irvine after Activate Games. Here is what we ordered, what it cost, how big the portions are, and how the staff handled our son’s food allergies.
Sri Lanka Itinerary: Our 4-Week Family Trip (Colombo, Road Trips and Where We Stayed)
This is our full Sri Lanka itinerary from a 24-night family trip: two adults and our 10-year-old, who has food allergies. We have family in Sri Lanka, so we used Colombo as our home base and went out on two road trips with a private driver, one through the south coast...
Sri Lanka with Food Allergies: How We Ate Safely for Four Weeks
We spent almost four weeks in Sri Lanka with our 10-year-old son, who is allergic to fish, peanuts and tree nuts. He can have sesame, but we avoided it on this trip to be safe. Before we left, Sri Lanka food allergies were our biggest worry. Sri Lankan cooking uses...
Anantaya Resort and Spa Pasikudah Review: Three Nights on Sri Lanka’s East Coast
We spent three nights at Anantaya Resort and Spa in Pasikudah, in the middle of our road trip around Sri Lanka. This Anantaya Pasikudah review covers the room, the pool, the beach, the snorkeling trip and the full board food, including how the kitchen handled our...
Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Road Trip: Pinnawala, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla
Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle is the area between Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, and it holds most of the country's ancient cities, rock temples and royal ruins. On our trip we covered the Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle on a road trip from Colombo with a private...
Colombo Travel Guide: Where We Stayed, How We Got Around and Where We Ate
Colombo was our home base for most of our time in Sri Lanka. We split about two weeks across three different apartments in the city, heading out on road trips in between and coming back to Colombo each time. This Colombo travel guide covers what we learned: where to...
Sri Lanka South Coast and Hill Country Road Trip: 5 Days From Colombo
This Sri Lanka south coast and hill country road trip took us from Colombo down to Galle and Weligama, up into the hills around Ella and Nuwara Eliya, and back to Colombo in five days. We did it with a private driver, stayed in three very different places and fit in...
Touristanbul Tour Review and Turkish Airlines Business Class to Sri Lanka
We had a 13-hour layover in Istanbul on our way to Sri Lanka, and we spent it on the free Touristanbul tour from Turkish Airlines. This post covers both halves of that journey: what the Touristanbul tour is really like, and how Turkish Airlines business class held up...
Estes Park: Getting There from Denver, Where We Stayed, and Where We Ate
If you're planning a trip to Estes Park with kids, most of your time will probably go to Rocky Mountain National Park. But where you stay, how you get there from Denver, and where you eat shape the whole trip. We spent three nights in Estes Park in mid-July with our...
Rocky Mountain National Park with Kids: Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, and the Dream Lake Hike
If you're planning a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park with kids and want big mountain views without a hard, all-day hike, this is the plan we used. We spent two days in the park in mid-July with our 10-year-old. One day was the Trail Ridge Road scenic drive up to...
Rice N’ Spice Anaheim Review: Orange County’s Only Sri Lankan Restaurant
Sri Lankan food is one of the most underrepresented cuisines in the United States, which makes Rice N' Spice in Anaheim a genuinely rare find. It has been the only Sri Lankan restaurant open in all of Orange County since it opened in 2016, and it is one we keep coming...
A Day in Houston with Kids: Space Center, Great BBQ, Retro Arcades, and Hermann Park
Houston is a city that rewards families willing to plan their day well. We had one full day to work with during our Texas road trip, and we came away with a clear sense of what the city does well and how to structure a day that works for everyone. We started with...
Space Center Houston with Kids: Tips, Tickets, and What Not to Miss
Space Center Houston is the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center and one of the most impressive family attractions in the country. We visited with our 10-year-old on a busy spring weekend and spent just over three hours there — which felt like the...
2 Days in San Antonio with Kids: The Alamo, River Walk, and the Best Places to Eat
San Antonio is one of the most family-friendly cities in Texas and an easy day trip from wherever you are staying in the region. We spent two days exploring downtown during our April 2026 visit, covering the Alamo, the River Walk, a Go Rio boat tour, and three very...
Hyatt Vacation Club at Wild Oak Ranch Review: A Family Stay in San Antonio
If you are a Hyatt Vacation Club member looking for a San Antonio base, Wild Oak Ranch is one of the most talked-about properties in the HVC portfolio. We used our HVC points for a two-night stay in April 2026 and came away with a clear picture of what this resort...
Visiting La Jolla Cove with Kids
Why La Jolla Cove Is Worth Stopping For If you are planning a trip to San Diego with kids, La Jolla Cove should be on your list. It is free, it is accessible, and it delivers the kind of close-up wildlife encounter that you honestly do not expect to find just off a...
Kalahari Indoor Waterpark Wisconsin Dells: A Family Review
This post contains affiliate links. If you book or buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we have personally used or genuinely believe in. Wisconsin Dells calls itself the Waterpark Capital of...
Tom Foolery’s Adventure Park at Kalahari: What to Expect with Kids
When the weather in Wisconsin Dells is not cooperating, or you just want a break from the waterparks, Tom Foolery's Adventure Park at Kalahari is the obvious next move. We spent a Saturday afternoon there with our son and one of his friends, and three hours flew by...
MarAzul Wisconsin Dells Review: Authentic Mexican on Broadway
If you're looking for a sit-down Mexican restaurant in Wisconsin Dells that goes well beyond the usual Tex-Mex playbook, MarAzul Mexican Bar & Grill on Broadway is worth a closer look. We stopped in for dinner on a Friday night during the off-season and walked...
Smokin’ Jack’s Barbecue Review (Milwaukee, WI): Real Smoke, Great Atmosphere, Allergy-Friendly Staff
2311 N Murray Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211 We went to Smokin' Jack's Barbecue on Milwaukee's East Side to celebrate a birthday on a Sunday evening in March, and it ended up being one of the better meals we've had in the city in a long time. The Murray Ave location is...
Activate Games Tustin Review: Why We Keep Going Back (Pricing, Rewards and Tips)
We have been to Activate Games Tustin four or five times now. Here is what a session costs, why 90 minutes is the best value, how the coin rewards and leaderboards work, and how to plan a visit with kids.
Universal Studios Hollywood in January: A Detailed, Low-Crowd Family Guide
We visited Universal Studios Hollywood on a Wednesday in mid-January as a family with one elementary-age child. This wasn’t our first visit, and that actually helped—we knew what usually goes wrong, which made it easier to appreciate when almost nothing did. If you’re...
Easy Sedona Wins When You Don’t Want Another Big Hike
Sedona is famous for spectacular hikes, but you don’t need to tackle another long or strenuous trail to enjoy the landscape. If you want beautiful views, short walks, scenic drives, cultural stops, and relaxing experiences that let you soak in the scenery without...
Hyatt Vacation Club at Piñon Pointe Review
We recently stayed three nights at Hyatt Vacation Club at Piñon Pointe in Sedona and were impressed with the property overall. This is a villa‑style resort that worked well for our family and served as a great base for hiking, dining, and walking around Uptown Sedona....
Two Great Sedona Hikes for Families: Cathedral Rock and Birthing Cave
When planning our Sedona trip, we had a long list of hikes we wanted to do. Some big, some shorter, and some we knew we might need to play by ear once we were actually there with our 10-year-old. What we ended up doing on one of our favorite days was two very...
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