Jayden’S Shanghai Adventure

Jayden’s Shanghai Adventure nosotros late returned domicile subsequently traveling alongside our boy Patrick, daughter-in-law Callie, in addition to granddaughter Jayden on a wonderful, exciting in addition to memorable peril inwards Shanghai, China.  Some would intend traveling halfway around the footing alongside a 14-month sometime is borderline crazy.  But given Jayden’s excellent, adventurous nature, in addition to some pretty corking parenting, it turned out to go fantastic for everyone.

This is Jayden in addition to today’s post is all nigh our footling Shanghai princess!

 

There were a lot of “firsts” for Jayden on this trip.  It was her starting fourth dimension time to go alongside Gram in addition to Grandpa, the starting fourth dimension time she used her passport, in addition to her starting fourth dimension time on an airplane.  And, it was the first fourth dimension for all of us to see China.

 

We left early a Tuesday morning time in addition to flew from Washington DC to Toronto where nosotros changed planes in addition to headed out on a long xv hr flying to Shanghai (I waived to all my Canadian friends!)  Shanghai is 12 hours ahead of eastern criterion time, thus nosotros arrived inwards Shanghai at 3:00 inwards the afternoon (or 3:00 a.m. eastern) on Wednesday.  I promise you lot don’t intend I’m making this up, but Jayden was terrific for the entire flight.  Mom in addition to Dad packed a few (new to Jayden) toys in addition to a Kindle for Kids thus everything would go novel in addition to interesting, in addition to hopefully driblet dead on her occupied for a while.  This strategy was brilliant.  Jayden was pretty happy nigh the endless snacking, in addition to going from mom to dad, in addition to and then to Gram in addition to Grandpa. Jayden also enjoyed sitting on her mom’s lap most of the trip.

 

We checked into the beautiful Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre (more to come upward inwards some other post) in addition to took some fourth dimension to unpack in addition to rest.  We stayed inwards in addition to ate dinner at the hotel in addition to got a proficient night’s sleep.  We all industrial plant life ourselves going to bed early each nighttime in addition to waking upward at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. ready to go.  We were on Jayden time.  Most mornings we ate breakfast inwards the hotel, which opened at 6:00 a.m.  Jayden enjoyed the buffet, trying all kinds of novel dishes (including muffins) in addition to lots of fruit.

 

Eating breakfast alongside mom!

 

 

Callie carried Jayden all over Shanghai inwards this pack.  If Jayden savage asleep, nosotros turned her around thus she could nap a footling easier.

 

Before nosotros left on our trip, friends in addition to co-workers advised us that Chinese women dear babies thus don’t go alarmed if they create a fuss or create to behave on Jayden.  We were somewhat prepared, and expected that she would larn some attention, but what nosotros experienced was incredible.  Jayden was treated similar a celebrity during our visit to Shanghai.  It was such a constant phenomenon Jayden may conduct hold been spoiled a flake alongside all that admiration!  We starting fourth dimension noticed this on the Metro coming from the drome to the hotel inwards Shanghai. But funny enough, it was much to a greater extent than than Chinese women. Everybody including men, women, sometime in addition to young, were smiling in addition to waving at Jayden in addition to many were taking pictures of her.  Jayden embraced the attending in addition to fifty-fifty started acknowledging people that smiled at her past times nodding her caput slowly, almost bowing, in addition to blowing kisses inwards the air alongside cute footling duck lips.  It was rattling adorable, in addition to the sweetness people of Shanghai loved it, taking to a greater extent than photos in addition to engaging alongside our boy in addition to daughter-in-law.

 

We spent several days walking in addition to seeing the sights.

This is Nanjing Road, a 3.4 mile pedestrian street that hosts an estimated 1.7 i thou one thousand visitors each day.  Ed in addition to I went out on a Sabbatum nighttime in addition to saw at to the lowest degree that many people haha!  We enjoyed the less crowded morning time walks most of all.

 

We also visited the Bund, a waterfront expanse inwards the optic of Shanghai at the destination of Nanjing Road.

 

We lingered in many beautiful parks … taking fourth dimension to residue in addition to relax.

 

 

 

Patrick, Callie in addition to Jayden went upward inwards the minute tallest edifice inwards the footing – the Shanghai Tower.

 

Patrick took a GoPro shot from the top – 110 stories high!  (Video coming soon)

 

Jayden napped patch nosotros did some sight-seeing inwards an older department of town.

 

Don’t you lot wishing you lot could slumber similar that?!  Nothing similar a peaceful nap inwards the ancient Yuyuan Garden.

 

Yuyuan Garden was starting fourth dimension built inwards 1559 in addition to encompasses nigh five acres.  I can’t imagine how much function went into the pathways, walls, buildings, bridges in addition to stone work.  Plenty to a greater extent than photos from the garden to come!

 

Jayden also enjoyed her starting fourth dimension international “phone” telephone telephone patch at the hotel.

 

This must be the starting fourth dimension non-smart telephone she’s e'er played with.

 

But she seems to know what to produce anyway!

 

What’s a telephone cord?

 

We traveled past times subway everyday.  All the station maps are listed inwards English linguistic communication equally good equally mandarin making it super piece of cake to larn around.  Jayden was rattling pop on the Metro.

 

Thanks to Patrick’s mad-map skills, nosotros industrial plant life everything nosotros were looking for including an out-of-the-way Harley Motorcycle dealership.

 

The subways are cleaner than those inwards Washington DC but they are terribly crowded.  Sardines – nosotros frequently felt similar nosotros were packed inwards a can.  This was a rare sight – an almost empty tube halt – but nosotros were pretty far out of town at the time.

 

Traveling past times subway leaves plenty of fourth dimension to entertain your daughter.

 

Each ride on the Metro was rattling cheap at nigh $1.00 USD.  It’s a corking manner to larn around fifty-fifty if the guy side past times side to you lot falls asleep in addition to gets cozy on your shoulder!

 

We visited a create novel Hard Rock Cafe in Shanghai, Jayden’s first!  If you lot e'er become to Shanghai, yell back this i of import tip.  Never gulp the tap water.  Bottled H2O is the manner to go.  Just saying.

 

Jayden got her rattling starting fourth dimension swim lesson from her dad who used to go a life guard.  This was also her starting fourth dimension time inwards a large pool!

 

Swimming alongside mom – she was thrilled!

 

 

Patrick is a regular player inwards Spartan races competing all over the US.  He won this trip to Shanghai to run inwards a Spartan race past times submitting a video describing why they should send him overseas.   (We’ll conduct hold to a greater extent than on Spartan Races inwards some other post.)  We arrived at the venue for the race where Patrick visited alongside the resultant organizer.  This race was a Spartan Sprint alongside 26 obstacles in addition to a 4-mile course.  Many races are thirteen or fourteen miles, alongside some upward to marathon length at 26.1 miles.

 

Callie in addition to Jayden laid upward side past times side to i of the obstacles waiting on Patrick to come upward through.  Ed in addition to I took video in addition to photos from the other side of the course.  It was rattling exciting to come across Patrick race in addition to compete.

 

Jayden in addition to Callie cheering Patrick on to his side past times side obstacle, he did great!  A few of the obstacles include mud.

 

Family photograph fourth dimension the Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre lobby.

 

We went out early i morning time looking for an authentic Chinese Street Food breakfast.  Baby J was hungry in addition to ready to swallow in addition to thus was I!

 

Jayden loved her starting fourth dimension jao bing, or egg pancake.  With solely four teeth, it was the perfect breakfast.

 

She was rattling interested inwards the soup dumplings her dad was nigh to enjoy.

 

But no soup for you lot Jayden!

 

There it is, we’ve been looking everywhere for the Barbie Dream Bus – haha!

 

This was Jayden’s starting fourth dimension trip to a Shanghai McDonald’s.  The nutrient was genuinely pretty terrific (and nosotros were hungry) in addition to the eating seat was incredibly clean.  Did you lot know that people larn married inwards McDonald’s inwards Shanghai?  They conduct hold marriage ceremony packages – seriously nosotros saw ii weddings inwards i day, consummate alongside DJ, flowers, photographer, etc.  It’s a thing!

 

We ran into a few to a greater extent than novel Shanghai friends patch shopping inwards i of the many, many malls.

 

We industrial plant life ourselves making a fuss over their children likewise – it’s only what you lot do!

 

Callie in addition to Jayden did a footling clothing shopping earlier nosotros left.

 

Callie tried on a pretty novel greenish dress, which looks fantastic past times the way.  Then Jayden tried i on too.

 

 

 

She wasn’t to excited about strange people helping modify her clothes.

 

Our footling Shanghai princess!

 

I guess she didn’t dear it – but mom took it domicile anyway.  She’ll grow into it.

 

Saying goodbye to Shanghai from our hotel.  We stayed on the 17th flooring in addition to had a terrific view.

 

And in addition to then nosotros said goodbye to our novel friend “Frank” (not his existent name) who works at the hotel.

 

Back to the Shanghai drome to jump on a flying home.  But first, Jayden enjoyed walking fast on the moving sidewalk.

 

The provide trip was solely thirteen hours (instead of 15) due to a tailwind.  A ii hr bonus yeah!

 

Jayden slept nearly the entire trip domicile laying across her mom’s lap.  She is thus smart in addition to a joy to go with.  I wanted to produce this postal service for Patrick, Callie in addition to Jayden, to document their adventure.  But I genuinely promise that i 24-hour interval Jayden tin read this postal service in addition to yell back what a fantastic fourth dimension she had.  I promise she keeps her great adventurous spirit equally she grows.  Jayden’s non i to sit down in addition to spotter tv, she loves to go, in addition to do, in addition to come across … everything.  Being outdoors is her favorite affair in addition to I would know since nosotros pass every Mon together.  Monday’s alongside Gram.  One 24-hour interval I’ll instruct her to bake.

 

 

The tired, weary travelers on our terminal flying out of Toronto.  Home inwards an hour!

Thanks for scrolling through some other postal service about our peril inwards Shanghai.  We conduct hold at 3 to a greater extent than to percentage over the side past times side few weeks, thus I promise you’ll banking concern tally back.  One postal service volition go all nigh the Spartan race where Ed in addition to I shot video for Obstacle Racing Media in addition to Patrick finished twelfth out of almost 5,000 competitors.  Seriously – our boy is an international athlete!  Woohoo!  I’ll percentage some photos from our hotel in addition to a story nigh their employee “Frank” who was a tremendous assist to our family.  Finally nosotros conduct hold hundreds of photos to edit taken during our sightseeing excursions in addition to we’re working on a few videos too.  This is such a fun manner for us to relive our trip.  I also desire to give thank you lot Patrick in addition to Callie for letting us tag along.  We were thrilled to go able to shoot photos for them in addition to pass lots of character fourth dimension together.  None of us took jail cellphone phones or computers.  We were completely unplugged for a calendar week in addition to it was wonderful!

We dear to go in addition to since nosotros are both photographers, nosotros normally come upward domicile alongside tons of photos.  Be certain to see our TRAVEL page for to a greater extent than fun adventures.  Thanks to my hubby Ed for all the photos he took in addition to shared alongside us.  He taught me everything I know 🙂

Thanks thus much for stopping by!

Tricia

Source: savingdessert.com