Oh.. Amsterdam.. where do I start? It’s one of the city that on my list for our Europe trip that I have been planning. We want to be able to go there in a couple years.

The first thought that came to Mr. Rojo’s mind is of course the “coffee shop” and the redlight district. So he questioned if it will be family-friendly city to visit with kids. I have read several posts and reviews and found that on the contrary, Amsterdam is highly recommended for family with children.

Staying:

I’m dreaming of renting a house boat and spend the morning sitting on the porch watching life happening along the canal.

Doing:

I’m dreaming of visiting the Keukenhof in Spring and being mesmerized by the beauty of the colorful tulips. But if we can’t get there by Spring, I’m dreaming of checking out the flower market along the canal or take a day trip to check out the flower auction.

I’m dreaming of renting a bike and putting on our helmet and setting off around town to check out little hidden gems that might not be in any travel guide. After a long bike ride, we will stop by one of several parks around Amsterdam like Vondelpark to enjoy the beautiful summer and free music performance at the Open Air theatre on Sunday; or Museumplein park to take a break from museum visits.

I’m dreaming of visiting various museums – being the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt and Vermeer masterpieces, the Van Gogh Museum to learn about his lifework and let Miss J and Mr. Z enjoy the audio tour, or the Science Museum Nemo where the only rule is ‘please touch everything you see and explore!’. And depend on the energy level we have left, we will want to check out the Ann Frank House. It will be a great educational experience for them to learn.

I’m dreaming of cruising on the boat along the canals to see what Amsterdam has to offer or maybe renting pedal boats called ‘canal bikes’ and sweating ourselves pedaling around the canals.

Day-tripping:

I’m dreaming of taking a day trip to Zaanse Schans. We can’t go all the way to the Netherlands and not visit the working Windmills.

Eating:

I have to admit. I don’t know much about the dutch food but I do know that we will have to try the famous snack ‘Vlaamse frites’ - which basically french fries with mayo. And based on WhyGoAmsterdam, the best french fries in Amsterdam is either Vleminckx Sausmeesters or Manneken Pis. For a quick bite, I might try FEBO vending machine per EuroCheapo‘s recommendation. This is not your American vending machine but a fast-food franchise in the automat style. We might also try our hand (or stomach) on Indonesian food. It might seem weird but Amsterdam has a large Indonesian population so the food there is amazing.

Now that’s my dream. Check out other travelers’ dreams at Mother of All Trips.

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