Xanten

We woke up for one more day at Camping Kurskenshof and watched our firefighter friends pack up and leave. After saying goodbye, we got on the bikes and rode back into Xanten for the LVR Archaeological Park.

The park had Roman ruins, an amphitheater, a temple, old bath houses, and a lot of very cool Roman gear. Nolan was completely in his element. His recap included “seeing the Romans fight,” seeing where they fought, and seeing “the bear who roars,” so clearly the park delivered. The kids also had an awesome playground with a jump pad, water area, wooden equipment, and a few balance beams that required some legitimate bravery. Both of them did a great job crossing everything and generally acting like fearless little gladiators.

Inside the museum, Nolan and Nina got to dress up like gladiators while we looked at weapons and armor.

We ate lunch there and then entered the gift shop, where each kid chose something that matched their personality perfectly. Nolan selected a sword with a sheath and belt holder. Nina chose a small warthog stuffie and keychain. One child left ready for battle; the other left ready for snuggles.

We biked into town, stopped at an ATM, and visited Saint Victor’s church.

The kids were very well behaved inside. Nothing makes ancient architecture more enjoyable than spending the entire time pleasantly surprised that your five- and three-year-old are not touching everything.

It sprinkled a little on the ride back, but we made it to camp, cooked dinner, and went to feed the goats. One goat stole an entire box of food out of Nina’s hand, which felt a little aggressive after we had so kindly brought and paid for its dinner. We recovered with some time on the swings and headed back to Lightning McQueen for bed. Nolan’s new sword was his clear winner for the day, while Nina’s review wandered through being a tiger—“raaaaaaah”—before landing on ice cream. Three-year-old storytelling remains our favorite genre.

Düren

The next morning we packed up and moved into our Airbnb in Düren. The journal from this day is short, which usually means the logistics of moving four people and all of their belongings out of Lightning McQueen did not leave much energy for literary reflection.

Still, the important points were covered. Dad’s favorite part was a sushi poke bowl, Mom’s was talking to Yaya, and Nina was thrilled about going to the apartment. Nolan chose feeding the goats, apparently proving that the campground goats—food theft and all—had made a lasting impression.

Family-Camping Mesenich

We packed up the Airbnb the following morning and managed to get Lightning McQueen out of a very tight alley. After a grocery stop, we drove through a beautiful river gorge and across the river into wine country, eventually arriving at Family-Camping Mesenich.

We snagged the very last campsite, although “snagged” makes it sound easier than squeezing Lightning McQueen into a tight spot and getting everything situated with leveling blocks. We made it work, which is basically the official van-life motto.

The kids immediately changed for the pool and met a one-and-a-half-year-old German toddler. The water was cold, but the sun was out, the pool was shallow, and the three kids had a blast together. Mom and Dad supported this international friendship by drinking a fresh, chilled local Riesling nearby.

Mom started laundry, Dad cooked, and then Teacher Mommy officially opened school for the year.

Nolan and Nina were so excited for their first lesson, which made starting school at a campground in German wine country feel almost normal. We had salmon for dinner, Dad worked, and then we discovered that the campground dryer was essentially just a machine for keeping wet clothes warm. Nothing was dry, so we hung a weeks’ worth of laundry all around the campsite before bed. Lightning McQueen looked like it had grown a damp clothing garden overnight.

Cochem

The next morning started with bread from the baker cart and preparations for a big family bike ride. Unfortunately, Nolan’s seat clamp appeared to be broken. Coons responded with the sort of careful mechanical repair you would expect from an experienced father traveling Europe: he attached it with bungee cords.

With Nolan’s seat now technically connected to the bike, we set off for a bike shop in Cochem. It was about a 40-minute, 10-mile ride along the river valley, and it was one of the most beautiful bike rides we have taken. The bike shop was very busy and had never worked with that seat before, so they could not help us. The bungees would ride another day!

We tried biking up toward the castle, quickly learned that was not going to happen, and took a bus instead. We walked the rest of the way and had lunch at the restaurant with a view.

Ultimately, we decided against going inside the castle because it required a 40-minute guided tour. A 40-minute tour with Nolan and Nina can either be delightful or feel like several years, and we chose not to test it.

After walking back down and collecting the bikes, we went to the Sesselbahn and took the chairlift up for more great views.

We got ice cream at the top, rode the chairlift back down, and biked all the way to the campground. Twenty miles with two little kids and one bungee-supported seat—not bad!

Back at camp, Teacher Mommy held school while Dad cooked. The German toddler and his mom came over, so we included him in the lesson. Our campground classroom was already accepting international students on day two. After dinner, Dad worked while Mom took Nolan and Nina to the playground. We finally finished the laundry and dishes and went to bed, with the bungee cords still somehow holding strong.

Neef

For our last full day at Family-Camping Mesenich, we got more bread from the campground service and let the kids play before gearing up for another ride. Nolan’s bungee seat was still holding, so this time we headed south toward Neef.

Our first stop was Wajos Lounge, where we ordered a bottle of wine and some delicious pizza. More importantly, there was a sandbox and play area for the kids. This is our current version of fine dining: local wine, good food, and somewhere nearby for Nolan and Nina to dig holes and serve us sand food.

We continued toward Neef hoping to find a winery or tasting room, but it was closed. We pivoted to Gaststätte Zur Blauen Traube, which was run by Nino. He loved the kids, the kids got ice cream, and we got another Riesling. Everybody won.

We eventually biked back to the campground, where Mom taught school before we went to the campground restaurant for dinner. Nolan and Nina were extremely brave and tried all sorts of seafood, including calamari and octopus. This is the same pair that can occasionally treat a normal meal they asked for like a personal betrayal, so watching them willingly sample tentacled sea creatures was most impressive.

Dad’s favorite part was biking, drinking delicious Riesling, and watching the kids do such a great job hanging out at the different restaurants and bars. Mom also loved the leisurely ride and wine stops. Nolan picked both the restaurant and the bike ride, while Nina chose going to bed with her sweet mommy. After two days of big rides, playgrounds, school, wine stops, and bungee-based engineering, we were all ready for sleep.

The Rhine

On Friday we left Mesenich and headed to our new campsite on the Rhine. The campsite was along the river and had views of a brilliant, yet privately owned, castle! Nolan was feeling a little under the weather, so this became a quieter family day. He got some snuggles from Mom and took a nap in the sun, which we assumed was the best part of his day since he was not up for giving an official report.

Mom went to the pharmacy and met a guy from Boston—or at least someone who knew where Boston was—which apparently felt exciting enough to make the daily favorites. She also talked to Auntie Kristian on FaceTime. And she got Nolan snuggles, so she really won the day! Nina, meanwhile, remained focused on the essentials: playgrounds and biking.

Dad’s favorite part was simply arriving at the new campground and relaxing together. After a packed few days on the Moselle, letting Nolan rest and spending time around Lightning McQueen was exactly what we needed.

River Day

By Saturday, we were ready for a little more exploring along the river. The day included biking, a boat ride, and a new beach where Dad, Nolan, and Nina skipped rocks. They also found mussels and glass in the water (we’re still learning the difference between sea glass and just glass), which Nolan considered important enough to include in his full report.

Mom got some one-on-one time with Nolan by the river and had a picnic with him. It was her favorite part of the day, while Dad chose skipping rocks with both kids at the new beach. Nolan listed the boat ride, the beach with Daddy, the mussels and glass, and his picnic with Mommy. Nina kept her answer admirably concise: biking.

It was a simple end to the week—rocks, a river, a picnic, and a little individual time with our five-year-old after he had not been feeling well. Sometimes Roman ruins, castles, chairlifts, and Riesling country win the week. Sometimes it is just finding the right beach and throwing rocks into the water together.

Bunkers, Bikes & New Friends

We started the week with the sort of low-key campground day that somehow still involved a bike ride, World War II bunkers, two playgrounds, an indoor pool, and several new friends. Relaxing looks a little different with a five and three-year-old.

After grabbing some bakery items from the store for breakfast, we loaded everyone onto the bikes and followed a loop of marked trails through some very pretty purple-flowered fields . Along the way we passed several old World War II bunkers that people used to hide in, so naturally we stopped to explore.

Coons chose the bike ride and bunkers as the best part of his day, because apparently old concrete structures in the middle of a family bike ride are exactly his love language.

The trail eventually brought us to a small town whose name we never figured out, but it had a playground, which is really the only important detail anyway. We let the kids play for a while and then biked back to camp for swimming at the indoor pool.

Nina’s review was concise: “That’s the fun of my day with swimming in a pool.”

After dinner, Nolan and Nina met some new friends at the indoor playground and then continued the party outside. Nolan was particularly excited about meeting his new friend, although swimming and biking also made his very full list of highlights. We ended the day hanging around camp, enjoying our last night before packing up Lightning McQueen again.

Gietelo

The next morning we took our time packing up. The kids got in one more round of playing with their new friends while Mom and Dad had a nice breakfast and a few quiet minutes together. Then we went grocery shopping and drove about 30 minutes to an Airbnb outside Gietelo for Dad’s work day.

A very nice Dutch couple met us at the house, which came stocked with Legos. This was excellent news for Nolan and Nina and also excellent news for the adults who needed to unload, do laundry, clean the van, shower, and generally put our lives back together. Mommy’s favorite part of the entire day was taking a nice hot shower, which tells you everything you need to know about camper van life.

The kids played with Legos, watched some TV, and had a video call with their Yaya. Nolan was still thinking about the friends from the campground—especially one older girl with orange shorts, a golden-and-silver dress, a rainbow, and a rainbow crown. “She was really pretty, oh my god,” he explained, with the full sincerity of a five-year-old who had clearly been struck by true love… again.

We ordered pizza and chicken nuggets for dinner while Coons worked and Kourtney handled the kids, laundry, bills, and bedtime prep. It was not our wildest day in Europe, but everyone was fed, the laundry was done, and Mom got a hot shower. Huge success!

Camping De Waay

The kids squeezed in a little more Lego time the next morning before we packed up and hit the road. About 30 minutes into the drive, we stopped at a grocery store and received a text from our Airbnb host: Nina’s polar bear—and another stuffy—had been left behind.

There are forgotten items, and then there are forgotten stuffed animals belonging to a three-year-old. We turned Lightning McQueen around, drove back to the Airbnb, rescued polar beary and its companion, and started the journey again. Crisis averted.

Our next stop was basically the Dutch equivalent of Best Buy, where Dad bought a new travel monitor and more adapters for work. Again, van life: one minute you are conducting an emergency polar bear retrieval, and the next you are shopping for a second screen that miraculously was crushed.

We eventually made it to Camping De Waay outside Doornenburg, where we would stay for three nights. Our spot had a playground right in the center, and the campground had a big lake, water slides, and a pool. The kids went straight to the lake, first in their Ninja Turtle suits and then in their birthday suits, which was Mommy’s favorite transformation of the day. After dinner they headed to the pool while Dad worked.

Nolan was excited about building his new car, Nina was delighted to sit in her chair, and we were all happy to stop driving in circles.

The following morning we set off on another family bike ride, stopping at Spar for bread before heading to Doornenburg Castle. We climbed around the castle, saw some very cool armor, and walked along the walls.

Nolan loved exploring “the castle of the very old things,” which is honestly a fairly accurate description of most castles.

From there we biked to Fort Pannerden. We did not go all the way to the top, but we explored the first floor, which had a collection of random games including a marble run, stacking a nail, and getting a loop onto a hook. The kids also got poffertjes at the restaurant, so they were perfectly happy with our chosen level of fort exploration.

Back at the campground, we moved on to the playground, the pool, and the lake. Mom and Dad both went down the lake water slides, which were fast and awesome.

Nolan got back on the trampoline after hurting himself, Nina happily bounced, and we had a long pool session before Dad cooked dinner and took some work calls while the kids played. Castles, forts, poffertjes, trampolines, and water slides: not bad for a Wednesday.

We kept the next day intentionally simple. We biked into town for bread and groceries, spent plenty of time in the pool, went down the lake slides, and made the rounds of the playgrounds. Nina made new friends on the seesaw and eventually fell asleep on Mommy, giving Kourtney a rare campground nap snuggle.

While Nina slept, Dad and Nolan went to the campground restaurant for dinner together and brought food back for her. Having dinner with Nolan was Coons’ favorite part of the day, and Nolan agreed that dinner with Daddy deserved a spot alongside swimming and the bike ride. Dad still had work calls, the kids went back to the lake, and we settled in for one final night before crossing into Germany.

Xanten

We woke up to rain on our final morning at Camping De Waay, packed everything into Lightning McQueen, and went to Bistro Bar Proof for brunch. The kids got poffertjes, Mom and Dad had a very nice brunch, and Coons managed to get a work document printed and squeeze in a haircut. Nothing says international family adventure like urgently locating both a printer and a barber. Nolan has declined any hair cuts this trip so stayed tuned for his boy-bun.

Across the street, we wandered through an open-air market and bought some delicious goat cheese, plus chocolate-covered nuts and raisins for the kids. We made one more grocery stop and then crossed into Germany, heading for Camping Kerstgenshof outside Xanten.

It rained a little more that evening, and the campground restaurant was full, so we waited for the weather to clear and made dinner at camp. Nina spent part of the meal pretending to be a vulture, circling Mommy and eating most of her dinner. It was both cute and strange, and –from Nina’s perspective– highly effective.

Then our neighbors returned, and the evening took a major turn. They were a group of actual and volunteer firefighters, along with kids ages 11 to 17 who were interested and training in becoming firefighters. The chief told us they simulate smoke by using dry ice to rescue individuals, let them use the rescue ladder to save someone from a two story building, and let them put out fires that the veterans make themselves (all safe they assured us). The volunteers showed Nolan and Nina around their cars and trucks and let them try on helmets, vests, radios, and other gear.

Later, they played a little volleyball and soccer with the kids.

Nolan was especially excited about “the girl firefighter,” while Mom and Dad both chose meeting the firefighters and watching the kids try everything on as the best part of the day. Nina selected going to bed, which feels a little unfair to the firefighters but is also extremely Nina. She loves a good snuggle with mom. We were very happy to learn that our new neighbors would be camping there for the next few nights.

The next day we biked into town and made a full day of hanging out together. We ate two restaurant meals, and Nolan and Nina were such good eaters and “restauranteurs” that Mommy chose watching them at the restaurants as her highlight.

Dad enjoyed the family bike ride, the meals, and a few good German beers.

The kids, naturally, had their own priorities. Nina loved going to the playground, while Nolan’s favorite parts were playing with his new friends and getting ice cream and candy. Between the firefighters next door, the playground, and dessert, Germany had made a very strong first impression.

This was the week we officially became an e-bike family. There were horses, beaches, canal boats, science experiments, M&M waffles, new helmets, and enough playground time to make moving back into Lightning McQueen seem restful.

Veer

We started Sunday by walking out of the campground to a nearby bike rental shop and renting two e-bikes with kids’ seats on the back. After getting everyone situated, we rode around the corner to Aldi for breakfast. The baked pastries are getting a little better as we move through the Netherlands—more meat, more variety, and generally more reasons to eat breakfast in an Aldi parking lot like the classy European travelers we are.

From there we set off around the bay toward the town of Veer. Coons estimated that we rode “almost probably 25 miles,” which is not an especially precise unit of measurement, but it was a big ride. We followed the beaches and water, passing plenty of other cyclists and even some horses that ran alongside us for a bit. Nolan loved watching and running with the horsies, which was “pretty cool,” and both kids seemed perfectly happy riding behind us while Mom and Dad let the electric motors do some very necessary assisting.

We stopped in Veer for a little sightseeing and then debated taking the ferry back. Instead, we retraced our route and stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a playground on the edge of the water, just outside Kamperland. This was essentially the ideal family restaurant setup: food for us, playground for them, and no expectation that anyone sit quietly for very long.

Back at the campground, the kids swam, we cooked dinner, and then Nolan and Nina returned to the playground and made new friends. Nina stayed out there for a long time, and Nolan kept going until 10 p.m., when he officially shut down the campground playground.

Mom’s favorite part was biking around the lake and watching the kids make friends. Dad chose the family bike ride. Nolan had so many favorite things that he opened with, “There’s a lot of things I want to say!” He loved the horses, playground, new friends, and being with his family. Nina, meanwhile, selected going to the potty. Twenty-five miles of beaches, horses, swimming, and friendship, and the potty took the crown. Three-year-olds keep you humble.

Leppelstraat

The next morning we packed up the campsite but squeezed in one more ride before returning the rental bikes. We went back to Aldi for breakfast and then rode to the beach, where the kids played in the sand. Nina got into the water, Nolan searched for shells, and we found a lot of dead jellyfish washed onto the shore.

The sand was beautiful and the weather was nice, even if the jellyfish situation added a slightly bittersweet layer to the morning.

After dropping off the bikes, we loaded everyone into Lightning McQueen and drove about an hour to our Airbnb in Leppelstraat, just outside Halsteren. The Airbnb was on a horse farm, which meant Nolan and Nina immediately forgot about basically everything else. They spent a couple of hours feeding apples to the horses and playing with the dogs and cats while Dad worked.

Mom ordered a full sushi feast for dinner, and the kids actually tried the food. This was exciting enough to earn a spot among Mom’s favorite moments, along with watching them play with all the farm animals. Nolan’s favorite part was petting the horses, while Nina specifically chose feeding one an apple. After dinner we called Yaya, got the kids bathed and ready for bed, and Mom tackled a large amount of laundry so Lightning McQueen would be ready for another week on the road.

The horse farm was magical during the day and slightly less magical overnight. We did not sleep especially well thanks to loud horses and lots of creatures running above our heads. Nothing helps you drift peacefully to sleep like lying awake and wondering what is moving around right above you in the ceiling.

Thankfully, we had a late checkout the next morning. Mom finished the laundry while Dad took Nolan and Nina back outside for more time with the horses, dogs, and cats. Then we packed up, bought groceries, and headed off to make a fairly major purchase.

The Great E-Bike Purchase

Europe so far has been a major bike culture. So naturally Coons is jelly and thus we drove to EbikeXL and bought two used Trek e-bikes, complete with kids’ seats on the back. We also bought a lock and two adult helmets. We still needed helmets for Nolan and Nina, but otherwise our family cycling fleet was officially ready to go.

Buying two e-bikes while traveling Europe in a camper van felt like a fairly significant logistical commitment, but everyone was thrilled. Dad and Mom both picked the purchase as the best part of the day, and Nolan agreed. The kids also behaved incredibly well while we were in the store, which Mom correctly considered an additional highlight. Nina’s favorite part was sitting in the van, so once again the expensive outing itself was not strictly necessary for everyone.

With the new bikes sorted, we continued to Camping Gasper, just south of Amsterdam and right near the metro. The forecast called for rain, but we were excited for a few days in the city—and very excited that our two new bikes and their two new passenger seats had successfully joined the already crowded cast aboard Lightning McQueen. And of course the bikes are both gray because we are somehow destined to have only gray modes of transportation.

Amsterdam

We got another late start on Wednesday and took the train into Amsterdam. Our first stop was Madam Pancake for lunch, where Nolan and Nina loved the M&M waffles. Side note: we promise they are eating their fruits and veggies as well as all of these yummy things. Once everyone had been properly fueled with pancakes and or chocolate, we hopped onto an open-top boat for a cruise through the canals.

The canal ride was Dad’s favorite part of the day, and Nolan called it the “best friend” of his day or was that the beautiful blonde running the bar on the boat?

Afterward we went to Vondelpark for a bit, then took the tram and train back to the campground so Dad could work. It had rained in the morning, but the weather ended up cooperating for most of the day.

The other major cultural discovery was not Dutch architecture, canals, or public transportation. It was the Spice Girls. Mom’s favorite part of the entire day was watching Nolan and Nina discover their girl power, listening to their Spice Girls’ Yoto card for the first time, which felt like a successful piece of parental education. Nina still voted for staying in the van.

The next day looked rainier, so we planned our outing around the NEMO Science Museum. We arrived a little early and walked around Amsterdam, got some mini pancakes, and did a little shopping. Nina bought a stuffy, and Nolan bought a remote-control Spider-Man race car—his “Spidey car,” which immediately became his favorite part of the day. Nina called the city “weird” because there were so many fun-looking adult stores they couldn’t go into and honestly she is completely correct.

We spent about three hours inside NEMO exploring the exhibits. The kids loved it, and Dad played Mario Kart and other video games with Nolan. Nolan particularly enjoyed the fighting game because the characters punched Daddy in the face many times and Nolan won. Educational science! Mom spent time exploring with Nina, and we eventually had a snack on the rooftop terrace before heading back to camp.

That evening we cooked dinner, Dad worked, and the kids went to bed. It had been a successful couple of days in Amsterdam: canal boats, parks, pancakes, science, video games, and the Spice Girls. We are not sure what else anyone could reasonably ask from a city break in Amsterdam…. with kids.

Camping de Wildhoeve

By Friday we had traded Amsterdam for Camping de Wildhoeve, with a stop to get the kids their own bike helmets. Nolan selected an orange one and was extremely pleased with the purchase. His list of favorite things that day also included climbing a rock wall unassisted, using a fire pole, swimming without a shirt, watching Daddy go down a giant slide, riding with Nina, and getting ice cream. It was a very full day for Bubby.

Nina also loved the playground and swimming pool.

After dinner we finally put the whole new cycling setup into action: two Trek e-bikes, two kids’ seats, four helmets, and the Moana soundtrack.

We rode into town for ice cream, which was about as perfect a first family ride as we could have hoped for.

Dad loved finally riding the new bikes with everyone properly helmeted, while Mom chose the ride, the ice cream, and listening to Moana.

On Saturday morning we visited the campground shop for bread and donuts. Then Mom took Nolan and Nina to the indoor playground while Dad worked, because even on a travel week somebody has to pay for the e-bikes, sushi feasts, and steady flow of ice cream.

After lunch we all went to the pool, where the kids swam for about three hours straight and made more new friends. Nolan and Nina seem able to build a social circle at every campground within minutes, usually before Mom and Dad have figured out where the bathrooms are.

Once everyone was finally out of the pool and changed, we climbed back onto the e-bikes and rode to Epee for dinner at Het Wappen Grill and Chill. Mom and Dad ordered steaks, the kids had burgers, and we finished with ice cream. Then we made the roughly 20-minute ride back to the campground.

It began raining a little after we returned, so Nina got to go out in her rain suit—her favorite part of the day—before we all piled into Lightning McQueen and got ready for bed. Dad and Mom both chose our bike ride and family dinner as their highlights, while Nolan went with swimming, biking, and ice cream. That pretty well summed up our weekend at Wildhoeve: play until everyone is exhausted, bike somewhere for food, add ice cream, and retreat to the van when the rain arrives. Honestly, we could get used to this.

This week had medieval battles, giant chess, big cats, Belgian waffles, brave trips down water slides, and an extremely important 33-foot extension cord for Lightning McQueen. In other words, a little something for everyone.

La Roche-en-Ardenne

We woke up at the campground in La Roche-en-Ardenne with one very sleepy Nina and eventually rallied everyone for an adventure into town. We loaded both kids into the wagon and made our first thrilling stop of the day for a 33-foot—or 10-meter, because Europe—extension cord so we could plug in Lightning McQueen. Van life is nothing if not glamorous.

The town itself was beautiful, with cobblestone streets, small buildings, and colorful balloons hanging overhead. On our way to the château, we passed a tank from the World War II Museum and then began the climb up to the castle. We left the wagon behind and went in on foot, which always sounds like a reasonable decision until someone’s three-year-old legs stop working.

There was an archery range near the entrance, so Coons tried his hand at it and hit the target every time. Daddy’s still got it! We explored the castle while workers dressed in medieval garb practiced battles with swords, pikes, and a musket.

Nina later summed up her highlight very clearly: “My big part of my day was going into the castle.” Fair enough. It is hard for a normal Tuesday to compete with an actual castle.

After climbing around, we headed back down for pizza and scampi pasta in red sauce, followed by ice cream, of course. The kids also did a little shopping. After carefully assessing the available wares, they decided to pool their money, buy some candy, and save the rest for another day. This may have been their most financially responsible decision to date, despite the candy.

Back at the campground, we had a great pool session and Nina started jumping into the water for the first time. We celebrated with poolside drinks until she fell asleep in the wagon. Then we made dinner, met some neighbors, and called it a night.

We spent the following day right where we were. Dad had a big headache and was not feeling well, so Mom took the kids to the playground, where they played independently, shared all of their sand toys with friends, and made Mommy very proud per usual. We also played cards and soccer, and Dad managed a game of Uno with Nolan. The weather was warm but a little rainy, which made hanging around Lightning McQueen feel like the right move.

That evening we ate at the campground restaurant. Dad had fish, Mom had a great meat-and-cheese board, Nolan had pasta, and Nina had cheese croquettes.

That’s kind of like grilled cheese, right? Nolan declared the restaurant the best part of his day, while Nina chose eating dinner. Once again, Nina would like everyone to know that the food here is divine.

After dinner the kids played in the sandbox, we went down to the river to skip rocks. Dad and Nolan waded across to the other side and back, which ended up being Coons’ favorite part of the day. It was a very nice ending to a slow campground day—especially considering that the morning began with Dad barely leaving the van.

Park Attractive Reine Fabiola & Nemur

On Monday we packed up camp but squeezed in one more stop before leaving La Roche-en-Ardenne: Park Attractive Reine Fabiola, up on the hill near the castle. We ate lunch, played on the swings, and Dad and Nolan faced off over a giant chessboard.

Dad chose giant chess as his favorite part of the day, although there is no official record of who won. We will assume the result was controversial.

From there we drove to our Airbnb just outside Nemur, Belgium. Dad set up his office, the kids discovered the television, and Mom tackled the laundry. We ordered food, got everyone bathed, and spent the evening resetting for another week on the road.

Mom’s favorite part was taking a long, hot shower, which is the kind of luxury you fully appreciate after several days at a campground with only cold water. Nolan said his favorite part was happening right then as he played with Play-Doh, and Nina voted for the toys. The Airbnb was not a castle or a pool, but it had hot water, television, Play-Doh, and laundry facilities. Five stars from the whole family.

Pairi Daiza & Jabbeke

The next morning we packed up the Airbnb and drove about an hour and a half to Pairi Daiza, one of the largest zoos in Europe.

It was spectacular, with different sections built around different parts of the world. We saw pandas, snow leopards, lions, tigers, polar bears, and walruses.

There were a lot of big cats, which made Dad very happy, while Mom especially loved the tigers, polar bear, and walruses. Her official review was “spectacular, exquisite,” so the zoo did pretty well.

The kids also did pretty well, especially considering that we did not have the stroller or wagon. They walked a lot. We carried them a lot. Everyone got through it. This is basically the family-travel version of an endurance event, except the course has pandas and the participants regularly ask for snacks.

At the end, Nolan and Nina spent time in the gift shop choosing new stuffies with their own money. Nolan’s favorite part of the entire zoo day was buying his stuffy and getting candy, which feels about right after the adults spent hours admiring the carefully designed exhibits and rare animals.

Then we hopped back into Lightning McQueen and drove toward the coast. We set up at Klein Strand in Jabbeke, just outside Bruges, where we planned to spend a few days slowing down at the campground. Nina wasted no time identifying the day’s true highlight: swimming at the campground. Pandas, snow leopards, polar bears, walruses…and the pool still won. Tough crowd.

Bruges

We started our Bruges day with breakfast, then walked to the bus stop and caught the number 30 into town. Our first stop was a canal boat tour, which lasted about 30 minutes and took us past many of the historical buildings.

Mom loved seeing the city from the water, and the boat ride was one of Dad’s favorite parts too.

Afterward we found an outdoor table and ordered pizza and pasta. The kids got ice cream for dessert while Mommy did a little window shopping. This was only the first dessert stop of the day, because we were in Belgium and apparently had a responsibility to conduct thorough research.

Next came the Fry Museum, where we learned about the history of french fries, played interactive games, and shot potatoes at giant bugs. The giant green bug was a particular favorite.

We also watched a movie and, naturally, ate fries before leaving. It would have been irresponsible not to. Did you know that people from Belgium consume the most amount of french fries in a year? 16kg!

Then we went to a dessert shop for more ice cream and a real Belgian waffle. Nolan’s recap enthusiastically included the Fry Museum, ice cream, and Belgian waffles, so our educational goals and his dessert goals were both successfully met.

We took an Uber back to the campground so Dad could get on a call. Nolan and Nina spent plenty of time in the pool and playground, made new friends, and then played with our neighbors Daisy and Lily. They stayed up much later than bedtime, but after a full day of boats, fries, waffles, swimming, and friends, there was not much chance of a calm or punctual bedtime anyway. Nina chose the playground as her favorite part of the day, because Nina remains loyal to her brand.

Jabbeke to Zeeland

Before leaving Klein Strand, we packed up and crossed the street to spend the morning at the lake. The beach was great, and there were a couple of big water slides. Nolan was incredibly brave, going down by himself as well as with Mom and Dad. Nina was busy showing off her own new water skills, swimming independently and going under the water.

Watching both kids grow more confident in the water was the highlight for Mom and Dad. After a couple of hours, we packed up, ate lunch, filled up Lightning McQueen, and hit the road. Two hours later we crossed into the Netherlands for the first time and arrived in Zeeland. Our new campground, De Molenhoek, was in the little town of Kamperland, and our site was right next to the playground and pools. We could not have designed a more dangerous location for bedtime negotiations.

We set up camp around 4:00, and the kids immediately went swimming, played on the playground, and made more friends. We cooked dinner, after which they went straight back into the pool. It was a very good first evening in the Netherlands and an excellent start to our three-night stay.

De Molenhoek

After a week of castles, zoos, cities, borders, and long walking days, we were ready to stay put. Saturday was a full campground day with repeated trips to the playground, jumping pads, and swimming pools.

We got lunch and soft-serve ice cream at the restaurant, then cooked dinner back at camp.

The kids spent the day with their new friends, playing soccer and swimming. Nolan especially loved swimming with his “big friends” (more tall tween boys) and throwing each other into the water. Nina’s favorite part was—you already know this—the playground.

Dad caught up on some work and enjoyed watching Nolan and Nina play soccer with their friends. Mom’s favorite part was simply having a low-key day at the campsite with the family. Nobody visited a museum, climbed a castle, or walked through an enormous zoo. Lightning McQueen did not even have to cross a border. Sometimes the best travel days are the ones when the kids make friends, everyone gets an ice cream, and we barely go anywhere at all.