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The Amazing Love I Discovered in Switzerland

 Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash

One of the reasons that I consider travel invaluable is due to the opportunities it affords you.  I love to discover things when I travel.  One particular discovery occurred when my friend and I visited Lugano, Switzerland. The only reason why we were even in Lugano was that it is really close to Milan. We spent the majority of the time we had on this trip in Milan, Italy. Lugano is a pretty charming little town that is not too touristy. It looks very picturesque. The town's main claim to fame is Lake Lugano which is usually overshadowed by the frequently praised Lake Como. 

We stayed in an Airbnb while in Lugano. Our host made suggestions on places to eat and check out in the town. One of her suggestions was to get some chocolate from this shop in town. She described the chocolate to us and went on and on about it. I thanked her for her suggestions and then thought to myself. "It's chocolate! How amazing could it be?" 

While we were exploring the town we happened to pass the chocolate shop our host told us about. So I decided to give it a try. BEST decision I ever made!  Läderach chocolate is the TRUTH! When I tell you that this chocolate cost me about $12 US dollars for 5 pieces and was worth every cent!. I am a recovering a sweet addict and I like chocolate just as much as the next woman but OMG! This chocolate was better than Lindt and Lindor by far in my humble opinion. 

I willingly walked up and down hills to get to this chocolate on our last day in town! and Savvy Travel does not do hills 

I wanted to bring back samples to all my friends at home. I made a righteous effort to do this but the samples somehow got eaten on the long plane ride.  Y'all pray for me!

If you ever get the chance to eat Läderbach chocolate please sample the chocolate with the caramelized toasted almonds and give me your opinion. When I bit into that piece of chocolate my mouth thought it had died and gone to heaven. 

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Washington DC Great Spring Break Destination For Families

“Mom, where is the Declaration of Independence”?

“In Washington D.C.”

“Well why didn’t I see it when we were there”?

 

This was an actual conversation I had with my 11-year-old daughter a few months ago. It was prompted by her watching National Treasure a million times. I had to remind her that she did indeed have the opportunity to view the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives. But she had declined to go, deciding instead to sit outside the building and try to eat from every food truck she saw.

Spring Break season is upon us.  Spring Break can be a great time to plan a short family vacation. You too can answer amusing questions about the Declaration of Independence!

A great Spring Break location which might not be on your radar but should be is Washington DC.

Washington DC might be a little chilly depending on how your children’s Spring Break calendar runs but it is ideal due to all of the free Smithsonian museums. You might also be able to catch the cherry blossom festival activities. http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/.  The kite flying activities surrounding the cherry blossom festival are fun for family members of all ages.

The Smithsonian boasts 19 museums, a garden, and a zoo. Your child might not be interested in all of the museums, but I am sure there is at least one museum that will spark his/her interest.  The Museum of Natural History, The Air and Space Museum, The African American Museum, The Native American Museum, and the Smithsonian Zoo are probably your best bets. https://www.si.edu/museums

Another great reason to go to DC is to see all the national monuments. Visiting national monuments can take up a considerable amount of time and by the time you get back to your lodgings, your children will be out like a light! (You probably won’t be far behind either.)

There are so many things to do in Washington. All of the activities are not free but there are enough free activities to last a week on Spring Break. I also encourage you to visit the Holocaust Museum and the White House. To get a White House Tour can be challenging but not impossible. Submit your request 3 months ahead of the date of arrival as tours are first-come-first-serve. Requests have to be made by a member of Congress. You can find your representative contact information here https://www.house.gov/representatives. Tickets to the Holocaust museum are required to see the permanent exhibition during certain parts of the year. You can get more information here https://www.ushmm.org/information/visit-the-museum/admission-tickets

If the above wasn’t enough incentive for you to put Washington D.C. on your radar for Spring Break, then the abundance of food trucks around the National Mall should have you packing your suitcases right now. I promise you D.C. is a Spring Break destination that will never disappoint. 

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