Ancient ruins, an enchanting culture, and a beautiful landscape allured me to Peru. And Machu Picchu of course. My family visited this summer; we were not disappointed. With Machu Picchu the pinnacle destination, I planned eight days in the Sacred Valley and two in Lima. This was our first international family trip since spending a few weeks in Europe three years ago.

My kids are older, 13, 16 & 20. All seasoned travelers. After flying Dallas to Lima via Orlando we arrived in Lima late one night. Customs was quick and painless. I had prearranged a taxi to meet us there not knowing what to expect. They were there with my name handwritten on a sheet of paper, and we were off. We stayed in the neighborhood Barranco, a 30 minute drive. Much of the drive was along a coastal road, and the sea roaring and crashing out our windows was a welcoming sight. We found our guesthouse, the kids in one room, my husband and I in another, and were off to sleep.

Our first day in Peru, we planned on taking it easy. Everyone slept in and then we sat down to a wonderful free breakfast at our guesthouse. Then we were out to roam the neighborhood. Barranco is artsy and quirky with parks and painted murals everywhere. We meandered around, ran across the Bridge of Sighs holding our breath for granted wishes, and listened to street musicians.

We even walked down to the beach and played in the very rough surf. A nice first day.