What can I say? Amsterdam, you were a delightful, idyllic surprise. The four hour drive to the Netherlands in July was a piece of cake (minus forgetting to update our cell phones, #roaming), the kids happily napping(!) and watching their Kindle Fires while Mark and I listened to That’s the Ticket (three-part series via Pod Save America) and This Land (highly recommend both).

The streets are tiny, and the canals are a plenty - Amsterdam is a, GEM. We chose an Airbnb in the Jordaan/Westerpark area and couldn’t have been happier with the light filled rooms and swoon-worthy hutch filled with gorgeous (handmade?) dishes. The boys sat perched on the window seat watching the garbage trucks (a true spectacle!) and admiring the hooks atop each building used to pull larger pieces to the proper floor, a necessity once you lay eyes on the compact staircases.

Day 1: Arrive in Amsterdam, meet Airbnb host and head off on foot once unpacked to explore the neighborhood. Stopped for supplies at Albert Heijn where per usual I bought more snacks than necessary, including stroopfels. If you have not tried one please do, ASAP. We had an easy dinner of frozen pizza and salad in our Airbnb before tucking in for the night.

Tip: parking is a BEAST and can be costly. If you plan to drive, plan your lodging/parking accordingly and be sure to check out parking prices online - Mark found a garage for 20% cheaper online (versus driving around and paying $$$ like we did at first) about a mile(?) from our Airbnb which worked out fine as we traveled mostly on foot.

Day 2: Breakfast in Leliegracht at Pluk gave us sustenance for a full day of exploring. We ordered a smattering of breakfast selections that all were top notch, including the coffee. From there we walked to the Red Light District, watched the passerby’s at Amsterdam Central, tried to get a glimpse of Begijnhof (sadly, it was closed), took in Dam Square and the Damrak Houses (I could stand perched there for hours). Then we took in the Bloemenmarkt (a flower lovers dream) after stopping at a nautical store nearby to replace the boy and girl door signs Mark’s grandparents gave him. Strolled across Herengracht Canal, got out our wiggles at the Vondelpark, grabbing frites (punchy cheese and ketchup, respectively) from Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminchx on our way to the Anne Frank Museum. Our plan to tire out the kids in the park so they’d sleep during our tour did not go as planned. An overtired Asher whined on/off throughout from his perch in my Happy Baby carrier while I weaved throughout as quickly as I could. Owen took amusement in the audio tour stops, a welcome bright spot from all the sobbing. Had we known the tour was an audio tour (read: silent), we would have heeded the employees advice to come back another time. Oh well. Capped off the day with a walk around The Nine Streets, stopping for a sweet treat at Winkel 43 for the parentals (appeltart with cream is a MUST) and gelato for the kids (located across the street from Winkel).

Day 3: Headed North for a day trip to Haarlem. Stopped in town to explore Grote Markt before having lunch at Grand Cafe Brinkman where we tried Dutch meatballs called Bitterballen. Got our first parking ticket (ugh). From there we set off for a day at the Bloemendaal aan zee beach, where upon arrival Asher yelled “shark!”. We can’t wait to return for a beach vacation, the town is so beautiful and the beach has loads of activities for kids (trampolines!) and adults (here’s looking at you, beach clubs) alike.

Day 4: We booked a boat to tour thru the canals at our leisure (and sans others amid the pandemic) which was incredible. We grabbed breakfast at De Bakkerwinkel West, located steps from the boat dock and FEASTED while waiting for our boat. So yummy. Our boat ride was a wet one due to rain, but that did not stop us from having a great time (or Asher for taking a full on leisurely nap in my lap). Owen found immense joy in the emergency whistles, giving us a front row seat to his concert while Mark manned the boat and I sat convinced we were lost (we weren’t, I have no sense of direction). We played at the Westerpark before grabbing doner takeaway and headed back to our Airbnb to relax. After the rain cleared we set off for dinner at The Good Companion. The kids fell asleep on our walk so it felt like a date night and after clearing it with the staff, wheeled the double Thule up to the table in lieu of waking them. Mark tried Jenever (Dutch gin), we shared Shrimp Croquettes, ate our dinner (and part of the kids because they were still asleep!) and had a glass of wine recapping our trip and luxuriating in the silence.

Tip: bring a rain jacket. Rain is unpredictable.

Day 5: Arose, packed up and headed off to grab our car, stopping for breakfast at De Bakkerswinkel West (guys, it is THAT good) before loading up the car and setting off for home. Successfully detoured away from a stau (aka, traffic jam; we had no desire to relieve our initial 2 hour stau ever again) and made it home with a camera full of photos, and plans to return again, soon.