We are Ryan and Monica Hoffmann, proud parents of special needs children. It took a long time to get here, but we have been to 33 US states in the past 4 years and we are just warming up.
We are so happy you are here! There are so many places on the internet you could be right now, and you chose to spend a moment with us. Thank you!
We are the Hoffmann’s, a family of six from Seattle, Washington.
Our conundrum is this: As individuals, Ryan and Monica love to travel, but as parents, we have two boys with autism and two more kids with ADHD. True story. We also have careers, own a home, and our parents aren’t getting any younger.
These aren’t the easiest years to explore planet earth, but this is exactly what we feel inspired to do!
UPDATE: WE PULLED IT OFF! WE ARE NOW LIVING FULL-TIME ON THE ROAD IN A MOTORHOME!
If you want to read our story and get to know us, click here!
We started this website for three primary reasons:
1. It will make an amazing scrapbook for our family.
2. Our research, planning, and photos seem to inspire those around us.
3. We want to share what we’ve learned about traveling with special needs children. Maybe your children aren’t special needs, but it’s still hard to take them in public. We empathize. It’s been a long, hard road raising kids for us. For years we couldn’t travel more than an hour or two from home, and it frequently ended with tears, stitches, or multiple people yelling in frustration.
We never thought travel would be possible as a family. It was always too difficult. Then, as if someone turned off the crazy-sauce spigot, suddenly we could. No one had to tell us twice, so we started planning big adventures, then moved ourselves into a motorhome and went at it full-time.
If you would like to know more about why and how we started the website, you can read about how Hoff to See the World became a travel blog for families (and everyone else).
Being on the road as a family gives us ample opportunities for teaching moments. We believe in making mistakes — it’s how we learn and keeps us laughing. This truly is a blessing to us all.
Over the past five years we’ve figured out a few things by spending so much time away from home. Here are our Ten Guiding Principles on the Road.
If we pride ourselves on anything, it is honesty. 95% of the things we recommend and discuss we have done ourselves, and perhaps that percentage is too low. We are not advertising for the world — we are sharing what we understand to be true as objectively as possible to help people. We make exactly zero dollars from this website, nor have we attempted to do so, so there’s no need to push anything.
Monica and I really try to avoid hyperbole. If something is awesome, we’ll gush. If it sucks, we’ll outline exactly why it sucks. Just ask Detroit. Or Deadwood. Or Myrtle Beach. They all know. If it is somewhere in-between awesome and sucky we’ll probably highlight the positive attributes. What we’re noticing is, the more articles we write, the less flattering we’ve become. The internet doesn’t need travel fanboys. It needs honesty. If this means we disappoint a few people, so be it.
Most of our recommendations will be about the things we find interesting: National Parks, Monuments, and State Parks; Lakes, Caves, and Mountains; Hikes; Beaches; Museums, Mansions, Botanical Gardens, Ghost Towns, and Military Relics; Roller Coaster Parks, Candy Stores, Arcades; Stand-Out Local Cuisine; Festivals; RV parks; and anything else that is extraordinary in a region.
Our recommendations will never include: Wineries, Breweries, or Bars; Hotels; Rental Car Agencies; Tourist Trap establishments like go-karts, putt-putt courses (unless they are truly amazing), small waterslide parks, and restaurants serving “fun” atmosphere over good food.
Here you will find information about places to visit and things to do:
20 Things to do on the Oregon Coast
20 Things to do on Hawaii, Oahu
Here you will find a mix of things we’ve learned that we think is useful information.
Don’t be Afraid to Buy a Motorhome
5 Good Reasons to Begin Roadschooling
VA Travel Nursing: All You Need to Know
Here you will find blog posts about our experiences parenting, adventuring, and organizing a life on the road with special needs children.
That Dumpster Fire Started Itself
Feel free to reach out anytime! Email address: hofftoseetheworld@gmail.com
And be sure to get our Free E-Book.
7 Best Things to Do in Memphis Tennessee
Things to Do in Door County: Complete Guide
20 Best Things to do on Hawaii Big Island
Don’t Be Afraid to Buy an RV
20 Best Things to Do on the Oregon Coast
North Shore Minnesota: Sights & Stops
20 Incredible Things to Do in Wisconsin
Las Vegas With Kids?
10 Tips to Visit Big Bend National Park
25 Things to Do in Charleston SC
Learn our skills for traveling as a family. Get our free e-book PDF and jumpstart your family's journey.
I first found your articles about Charleston and found them so helpful in planning our trip next May. I couldn’t believe you would be so generous and spend so much time helping others, especially with a family requiring so much special attention. And then I read that we belong to the same church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It all makes sense and made me very happy and tearful. Thank you, thank you, for your service! Now I can’t wait to read all your tips about other vacation possibilities.
This makes me so happy, Cheryl. Thank you for the affirmation. You are correct that writing these articles takes a good deal of time — the family is supportive of it, mostly, as long as the testimony of family and Christ is clear. We absolutely loved Charleston and we hope you feel the same way. Our ward in Ladsen, SC was one of all-time favorites. Thanks again, Cheryl. God bless you! Let us know if you have any questions.