Magnolia's First Trip to Utah

Park City was a charming colorful little town nestled in the mountains. The streets were busy with outdoor dining and the breeze of fresh mountain air. We had a delicious lunch at an Irish pub called Flanigans.


After lunch we walked around for a bit and we stopped in a few shops. I loved all the boutiques and could have spent the whole entire day shopping. We decided Park City would be a great place to visit in the fall or winter when the mountains are covered in sparkling snow. We dreamed about renting a cabin in the mountains and eating at all the restaurants. One day definitely wasn't enough time to fully enjoy what Park City had to offer.



After our day in Park City we headed back to the hotel taking the more scenic route and driving through the mountains. Magnolia and I sang Happy Birthday 😉  to Ryan and gave him the cupcakes we got him at Ye Olde Cupcake Shoppe in downtown Ogden.


Each morning we were able to enjoy the hotel breakfast with Ryan before he headed into work. It was a nice little treat to be able to wake up with him and wish him well before his day started. On Monday night we had dinner with his coworkers. After dinner we enjoyed the Horse & Hitch Parade that was going on right outside our hotel. I shared a few live videos of it on my Instagram stories @wendycorreen. The chunky little ponies were adorable! Just hearing the clippity-clop of horse hooves on the downtown streets was memorable.





During the days while Ryan was at work Magnolia and I would spend the mornings in the hotel room. We thankfully had a huge suite and I was able to lay a blanket on the floor and we had lots of floor playtime. I even did some yoga during the day to pass the time. To be honest it was challenging to take a shower and get ready because the only place I could safely put Magnolia was in her stroller! She was very patient with me each day. By lunch time we would go walking around the downtown area outside our hotel room. Once Ryan got back we would go back out for dinner.


We went to get frozen yogurt and shopped around a bookstore. She went with me to have Mexican for the second time that week at this place called Sonora Grill, they had the best vegan dishes.




Magnolia's bedtime routine was definitely thrown off track, and she was up way later than I would have liked, but she did amazing! At the end of this post I'm going to share all the items we took with us and a few things we learned along the way.


Traveling with a baby for the first time certainly comes with new stressors. I'd say our biggest concern was simply how she would do on the plane. I wore comfortable clothes and a tank top that made it very easy to nurse her during take off and landing. Being able to nurse her and prevent any issues with her ears was definitely the best thing for her. Ryan made sure that our seats were on the side of the plane with only two rows and that gave us a little bit more privacy than if we had been in a row of three. She fell sound asleep on both flights!





Traveling with a baby tips and what we learned along the way:

1. Carseat: Originally we had planned to rent a carseat with our rental car. After further research I decided that would not be the safest nor cleanest idea. Just the thought of having her ride around in a carseat that another child had pooped or puked in was enough for me to explore new options. Additionally, we knew our carseat was safe. We bought this travel bag to put our carseat in so that we could bag check it. Ryan was able to put it on his back before we checked it in and although he looked like a Ninja Turtle, it was GREAT to have. Most airlines will allow you to check your carseat and stroller for free. 
2. Stroller: We took our full size Baby Jogger City Select and we did not bag check it. We wanted to have it for her to ride in through the airport and as we waited to board. I had thought about getting a bag for it, simply to protect it from scratches and dings, but after talking to a friend we decided not to put it in a bag before boarding. She made the valid point that we don't want to deal with bagging and unbagging the stroller before boarding and getting off the plane. The airline even had the stroller put back together and ready for us once we got off the plane. Getting through security with the stroller brought about some inconsistencies in TSA's guidelines. One person would say they'd simply hand check it, while another would say it needed to be disassembled and put through the scanner. 
3. TSA Pre-check: Ryan and I both have a TSA Pre-check KTN and it was very much worth the extra expense. I would highly recommend this to any family traveling with babies or kids as it saves a lot of time and hassle. I don't even know how I would have taken my shoes off with Magnolia in my arms. 
4. Sleeping Arrangements: We took her DockATot, Halo Sleepsack, and Dohm Sound Machine. Having her sleep stuff really helped make her feel the comfort of home and made it easier to get her to sleep each night. We used the DockATot in our bed for a safe co-sleeping setup. 
5. Bathing: Our bedtime routine includes a warm bubble bath every night. I knew I wouldn't want to bathe her in the hotel bath tub because of the germs. We brought her Puj Flyte bath tub with us and we were able to use it in the bathroom sink each night. I also packed her hooded towels and wash clothes, along with all of our favorite bath products from Mustella. 
6. Diapers and Wipes: I packed her diapers and wipes inside the carseat travel bag! 
7. Toys, Blankets, and Books: I brought along a few of her toys and books, knowing we'd have time in the hotel while Ryan was at work. 
8. Rental Car: With all the extra items it's probably pretty obvious that a full size SUV is a must.