Family Fun with Love Taza
Naomi Davis started Love Taza in 2007 as a way to share glimpses of her newlywed life with her husband Joshua in NYC. Since then, the wildly popular blog has become an online journal chronicling the no-filter-necessary lives of Naomi (also known as Taza), her husband and their three children, Samson, Eleanor and Conrad. The blog sounds off on everything from what not to miss around Central Park to best-ever homemade bread recipes, but if there’s one thing the Love Taza family does best, it’s travel and travel well.
Seasonal in Scottsdale
Each Christmas, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess transforms into a desert holiday oasis complete with toy soldiers, a candy cane forest and over two million decorative lights that ensure Santa won't miss his exit. Trading snow for sun, Naomi and Joshua watched as the little ones curled down water slides into the pool before the whole family hit the 6,000-square-foot ice skating rink. Lobster tacos at La Hacienda took the place of turkey and dressing before everyone cuddled up in a private cabana for a fireside smores session. Christmas may be a time to indulge tradition, but the Love Taza itinerary brought the whole family some refreshing yuletide yin-yang. Venturing off resort grounds, the Davis family explored nearby Butterfly Wonderland, the largest indoor rainforest conservatory in the U.S., featuring over 3,000 winged beauties.
The Bermuda Bunch
The Davis family found beach bliss with a side of historical panache just a two-hour pond-hop from JFK on the pink sand shores of south Bermuda. On their Fairmont Southampton must-do list, Love Taza toured garrisons left from British rule and dined at Waterlot Inn, a dockside tavern with three centuries' worth of tales to tell. Samson, Eleanor and Conrad were never far from sand castles and the prospect of buried treasure at the hotel's private beach, while the family's customized itinerary included excursions that kept the wind in their sails. A pontoon picnic included feeding fish at a local shipwreck, and amateur spelunking at the crystal caves was a notable memory maker. At the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, the Love Taza kids got up close and personal with the underwater residents, petting sharks and nurturing an injured sea turtle.
Saddles and Surf in San Diego
You can try to explain to your children why the HOA won’t let you keep a horse in your back yard, or you can do things the Love Taza way. Complements of an active San Diego itinerary, the crew saddled up at Fairmont Grand Del Mar to learn the ins and outs of equestrian care. The hotel offers private lessons and trail rides through scenic Los Peñasquitos Canyon, and although Conrad couldn't reach the reins, he was happy to pet an albino beauty named Ghost. After splashing around in the decked-out Mediterranean pools, the Love Taza team tried their hands at bocce on the hotel lawn and decorated saucer-sized cookies with a professional pastry chef. A visit to the famous San Diego Zoo was a must for the whole family, but when it came time to relax, California's blissful beaches provided the perfect backdrop. The Grand Beach Service transported the entire family to and from Del Mar’s 18th St. beach and set them up with essentials in the sun.
Family Fun Victory in Victoria
Love Taza saw Victoria, BC by air, land and sea with an action-packed itinerary from the Fairmont Empress. A helijet ferried the family from Vancouver to Victoria for views you just can't get from a 747, and the whole family hit the ground pedaling on an I Spy bicycle tour. They explored world-class museums and heritage sites in Canada’s cycling capital, then took to the high seas the next day on a luxury scarab boat. The Davis family ended their busy day by sharing memories over Prince and Princess Tea at the Empress (tiara and Cinderella costume not included). The next day, Taza, Joshua and the kids headed to Clover Point to watch daring thrill-seekers strap themselves to kites during a wind storm. Although inspired by the aerial display, the family was happy to keep their own feet on the ground.
Wading through Pinterest fails and experiencing the wrath of a two-year-old who’s missed naptime makes the idea of family travel seem like a fool’s errand. A trip to the movies? Maybe. Let us hope they don’t hear the wine glasses clinking around in mom’s purse this time. Journeying to the likes of Scottsdale, Bermuda, California, and Victoria with three small children in tow – that’s going to take a little bit of crazy and a whole lot of Love Taza.
Travis Jones is a storyteller at heart. You can find his work in boutique publications, covering everything from nightlife to outdoor adventure and profiles on trendsetting artisans. He grew up on a ranch in Texas, backpacked through the Costa Rican rainforest and made pit-stops at legendary bars and restaurants along the way. But his biggest adventure to date? Fatherhood.