Paris Arc du Triomphe and Sacré Cœur

There are so many places in Paris to see incredible views. This is from the top of the Arc du Triomphe.

Paris Marathon, camping, and more

Where can a family of six stay in the city of Paris, make as much noise as they want and have fresh baguettes and croissants for breakfast?

Paris, Musée d'Orsay & Seine River Cruise

We spent the weekend in Paris for the marathon. We hadn't planned on going with my husband since we were just here a few months ago, but at the last minute we decided to join him. I'm so glad we did. I just can't get enough of this city!

Paris with Kids

Although Paris might not be at the top of the list of child-friendly destinations, there are a few things you can do to make it more enjoyable for yourself and them. Before we left on our trip we studied some of the things we would be seeing in Paris so that it would be more meaningful when we got there. That is one of the primary reasons I enjoy homeschooling, the freedom to take my kids to see historical sights rather than just read about them. Here are some resources we used in planning our trip to Paris. 

The Louvre: We downloaded the Louvre Kids iPhone app which is a great way to learn about some of the works found in the Louvre. It's perfect for kids because they are learning about the works of while they find specific parts in the painting or work puzzles. Ethan was so excited when he saw a work of art that was featured in the app and all the boys did extremely well in the museum (we lasted 4 full hours!) 

Paris, Day 3

Our last day in Paris was spent at the Palace of Versailles. The palace is quite spectacular, ornate decor, paintings and grounds. I can just imagine how beautiful the gardens would be in the Spring. The boys tolerated the palace but loved running wild through the gardens. We rented a little boat and paddled around the lake, cold as it was, and yes, fed more birds.

Paris, Day 2

The second morning we planned to visit Notre Dame Cathedral first. We plugged in the GPS and I searched for the cathedral, found it and compared the street address from my travel book, then we headed out. After about 15-20 minutes we realized we were still really out in the country (our hotel was near Disneyland Paris) with no city in sight. I checked the gps map and realized that it was routing us to another Notre Dame cathedral with the same street name, but in a different city, well not really a city at all, a small country town the opposite direction of Paris. Since we were already almost there we decided to go ahead and see it, and I'm glad we did. It was so beautiful, and the little cobblestone streets and century old houses were enchanting.

Paris, Day 1

Last weekend we visited Paris! (I'm a little behind since we just got the Internet hooked up). It was a different experience from the last time I visited there. Being 7 months pregnant with 3 small children makes everything more difficult and takes longer than expected. We still had a wonderful time exploring the city and I have lots of photos to prove it! Here is day 1: