Whenever our family takes a vacation or trip my youngest son is always our first, middle, and last consideration. He was diagnosed with autism when he was two and a half years old and while I would love to say it hasn't changed the way we do things as a family, that would not be the truth.

We always consider where we will be going, what we will be doing, and whether or not he will be able to enjoy himself, therefore allowing the rest of us to have a good time too.

Longwood Gardens , just outside of historic Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, fit the bill for us.

We're a very outdoorsy family to begin with and our youngest is very happy {read: content} when he is free to be outside running and just enjoying nature at it's finest.
And, boy, the gardens did not disappoint!
We arrived on a beautiful Sunday morning and I'll admit, I stressed out a bit when I saw the packed parking lot (crowds and our son do not mix).
We walked through the doors into the park and I let out a deep sigh of relief.
While the parking lot was packed, the gardens are huge and not only was there plenty of room to roam, but there were many moments where we felt like we were the only people there.

I will admit, my oldest kids didn't act all that thrilled when we told them we were going to Longwood Gardens (they've just gotten to that point where they would rather spend time with friends than family. ACK!)
However, all of them were blown away by the outdoor gardens, the fountains, the gorgeous fall foliage all around, and the treehouses, so incredibly cool. My kids kept asking my husband if he could build one like it at home.
(unfortunately, my youngest son would not have any parts with us going inside the conservatory.)

All of the kids also loved the Garden Railway. It's a adorable set-up with G-scale trains running through tunnels, over bridges, and through "mountains". It was perfect especially for my second youngest son, always a train enthusiast and Thomas the Train lover. We were barely able to pull him away to see the rest of the gardens.

Prior to arriving, we had our 4 middle kids check out the activities available online and it really proved beneficial for sparking conversations as we walked through the gardens.

I think what we all loved best was that we could just walk freely, taking as much or as little time as possible to enjoy every little detail. The paths were easy to navigate, the maps were easy to follow, and the views were just...gorgeous.

It was a perfect afternoon.

We spent hours walking (and running) through the gardens and the whole time I was wishing I lived closer because I could imagine wanting to spend every afternoon there enjoying the flowers and just the beauty of it all.

We definitely plan to go back again. I would love to see how the gardens are dressed for the winter holidays and I imagine the spring there is spectacular.

I checked out the rates, and while a little steep for a family my size, it is worth the price for all of the benefits.

Anything that can put a smile on my son's face like this...and give him the ability to run freely, happily, and safely is worth the cost.

This review is based on a complimentary visit to Longwood Gardens. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view. The opinions I express are entirely my own.

The final day of our 22 day cross country trip was spent at the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Of course, we arrived there well before the memorial was actually completed, but it was still stunning and we spent the entire time there in awe...
in silence, remembering those lost.
It was honestly one of the most moving things I have ever experienced with any of my children.
We walked along, looking at the items left behind by so many visitiors to the site and were just astounded by the love and respect everyone holds for those we lost on September 11th.

I definitely want to return now that the memorial is completed and would recommend it to everyone.

One of our stops along our 22 day cross country trip was in Colorado to visit with dear family friends.
They decided we could not leave Colorado without seeing Garden of the Gods and after arriving, I knew why.
It took our breath away.
The views were just beautiful...
stunning.

We spent at least an hour walking along the beautiful trails, stopping to look at the wild life and the mountain climbers. (which fascinated all of the kids, and adults)

I'm sure we would've stayed much longer enjoying the views, but unfortunately there was a storm rolling in so we cut it short but definitely plan to one day return and pack a picnic lunch.

It felt like we walked for hours and, let me tell you, Pete walks FAST, so we covered a lot of ground in that day and ended our walking tour at the Field Museum.

Although it wasn't one of Will's favorite things to do for the day {read: he hated it and screamed until he fell asleep}, the other kids loved that it reminded them of Night at the Museum. There was a little bit of everything to see and the kids kept wondering when we would run into Teddy Roosevelt, Jedediah or Sacajawea ;)

It felt like we walked for hours and, let me tell you, Pete walks FAST, so we covered a lot of ground in that day and ended our walking tour at the Field Museum.

Although it wasn't one of Will's favorite things to do for the day {read: he hated it and screamed until he fell asleep}, the other kids loved that it reminded them of Night at the Museum. There was a little bit of everything to see and the kids kept wondering when we would run into Teddy Roosevelt, Jedediah or Sacajawea ;)