It's no secret that I'm a fan of Alice in Wonderland. I have the animated 1951 Disney film practically memorized front to back. I love the live action remakes with Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp. I even love the animated 1988 Burbank Films Australia version of Alice in Wonderland.

If you're like me, you may wonder where you can find Alice in Wonderland-themed statues, restaurants, and shops.

My parents, Mark and Cindy, recently celebrated their 40th anniversary with a cross-country trip on Amtrak. They purchased Amtrak's USA Rail Pass and made several stops during their cross-country adventure, visiting friends and family and seeing some of the country's sites.

I read a meme recently that said, "Traveling with kids isn't a vacation. It's just taking care of your kids in a different place." I laughed because of course there is some truth to that. But as parents we do not travel just to go on a nice, relaxing vacation. As kids get older and more self-sufficient, there will of course be times you will be able to relax and enjoy your vacation, but travel should be more than just lying around on a beach. Many of the reasons Marvin and I love to travel - for education, for cultural awareness, for personal growth, and for just a general change of scenery - are also reasons we want to travel with Emmett.

We met Ian through his wife Sophia. Sophia and I work as real estate agents together and hit it off from the start. Luckily for us, our husbands also get along well, and we always enjoy lots of laughs when we get together.

Let's start right off by defining what this article is not. This is not an article for seasoned travelers. If you already know what you're doing and have no worries when it comes to travel, you do not need this article. This is also not an article for people who have no desire to travel. Some people are homebodies, and that's totally cool. If you are content at home with all your creature comforts, this article is not aimed at you. And this is not an article for those who love to travel but are simply limited by budget or time constraints.

However, if you are a beginner traveler, and you want to travel but feel overwhelmed when you even start thinking about maybe trying to plan a family vacation, this is for you. You are not alone. Others feel the same worry and even dread when it comes to planning and executing a family trip. But this post is full of tips to help you set yourself up for vacation success.