If you’re planning a February escape, these three destinations deliver romance, culture, and unforgettable memories, many of them completely free.

Puerto Rico: Tropical, Adventurous, and Passport-Free

Puerto Rico is an ideal February destination for military couples who want warmth and adventure without the stress of international travel. While there, my husband and I explored El Yunque National Forest, ATV’d through the rainforest, and swam in the cool natural waters. It was one of those experiences that pulls you fully into the moment and reminds you how good it feels to step outside of routine. In Old San Juan, we shopped, walked cobblestone streets, and studied the historic culture and architecture that tell stories of resilience and history. February weather is sunny and comfortable, flights are often affordable, and no passport is required, making this destination especially military friendly.

New York City: Cold Weather, Cozy Love, and Free Experiences

We traveled to New York in February, and it quickly became one of our favorite trips. Winter slows the city down and makes it feel intimate. We visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, grabbed classic hot dogs, and walked through Central Park bundled up together. We rode bicycles over the Brooklyn Bridge, explored DUMBO for dope photos, and admired the stunning architecture inside Grand Central Terminal. So many of the best moments were completely free. February hotel rates and flights are often lower, making this a surprisingly affordable anniversary or Valentine’s trip.

New Orleans: Romance, Culture, and Mardi Gras Magic

February in New Orleans is electric. Mardi Gras season brings music, color, and celebration, and you don’t have to spend much to enjoy it. Couples can walk the French Quarter, listen to live street jazz, explore historic neighborhoods, and admire the architecture around Jackson Square. Parades, people-watching, and spontaneous moments fill the days, while boutique hotels and local food spots help keep costs reasonable. New Orleans proves that romance doesn’t have to be quiet. It can be joyful, cultural, and full of soul.

These destinations make sense for military life because they offer:

• Easy Logistics – Straightforward travel and minimal planning stress when leave days are limited.
• Flexible Budgets – Options for modest hotels, short stays, and flights that don’t require premium pricing to feel special.
• Plenty of Free or Low-Cost Experiences – Museums, architecture, parks, parades, culture, and nature are where the best moments don’t come with a price tag.
• Memories That Feel Intentional, Not Rushed – Space to slow down, reconnect, and be present together instead of chasing expensive activities.

Military couples understand that love is built in the moments in between. Leave days, quiet walks, and shared adventures. Sometimes love looks like rainforest trails and natural waters, sometimes it’s snowy city streets and warm food, and sometimes it’s music in the air and beads flying past. Wherever February takes you, choose the place that lets you pause, reconnect, and celebrate choosing each other again.

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PCS time is a hectic time fraught with timelines and decisions to be made. Before departing the old duty station, there is often more to consider and do than time to do it. It does not slow down after arriving at the new place either with finding new quarters, learning your way around, getting to know your new coworkers and neighbors, and getting the children settled into new schools and daycare can be stressful.

One of the concerns many have at the new installation is childcare. What happens when you arrive and find there are no openings at the Child Development Center? How do you provide for someone to care for your child so you can begin your new duties? A new provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act launched a new program offering reimbursement for moving someone to your new station to care for your child. The new pilot program started 1 Oct 2024 and will run through 30 Sep 2027 and will reimburse travel expenses of up to $500 for an in CONUS move and up to $1,500 for an OCONUS move. The provider may be a family member (but not a dependent), a friend, or even an au pair.

How does the program work?

Upon arrival at the new duty station, the military member visits the military child care website to apply for care. If there are no openings within 30 days of arrival, the member will be entitled to bring a care provider to the new duty station. The website has instructions that the member must follow to obtain the needed information to arrange for transportation with the installation travel office. Reimbursement is limited to the cost of commercial airfare, transportation to/from the airport, and enroute and departure rental car. While mileage for privately owned vehicles is not payable, reimbursement for gasoline used is. Only one reimbursement is authorized per military family even if both members are active duty.

This program is designed to help members provide adequate child care and ease the expense in doing so.

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We scratched the surface on our Normandy trip and visited, The American Cemetery, Point Du Hoc, and Omaha Beach.

Here is a bit of a brief overview of D-Day:

• On June 6th, 1944, Allied troops descended onto the Normandy beaches; the weather was not ideal, causing issues with navigation, time, and overall having the upper hand. Yet the troops persevered and conquered.
• It is insane to think of all the troops trudging through cold and treacherous ocean waters, propelling and climbing up cliffs with 70+ pounds of equipment, and facing gunfire from the enemy, all while on foreign soil. Seeing the landscape they landed on really put things in perspective.
• About 133,000 US troops and British & British commonwealth troops were involved, sadly over 10300 casualties.  

Highlights From Our Visit:

The American Cemetery

• This beautiful cemetery homes
• Over 9,000 buried there who lost their lives during D-Day.
• We learned a lot about  D-Day and some of these men, their bravery, and their ultimate sacrifices.

Point Du Hoc

• The fact that soldiers had to climb up these cliffs while avoiding gunfire  is utterly incomprehensible
• Here you can see craters from bombs and go into where the bunkers were.

Omaha Beach 

• Omaha Beach was one of 5 beaches Allied troops landed on if they could survive being dropped off into the ocean. It was full of German soldiers, mines, and obstacles. While today is a beautiful tranquil beach, it is hard to imagine the horrors many soldiers went through.

 If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend visiting Normandy; it is a humbling and eye-opening experience.

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We made the decision to home school when we moved to our new duty station. I had found that my kids had some deficiencies in their learning, and I wanted to help move them along. So home schooling came into play. We had discussed it on and off for a few years, but it never seemed like the right time. Moving gave me the open to make the jump that I needed to get started. There have been great days, there have been down days. but the good days make it all worth it. Here are the top reasons I love being a home school mom!

1. Cool Field Trips – we get to take some amazing field trips! We live in a history rich state, and we have been able to get out and take some fun trips during the week. During a normal school year, we take anywhere from 30-50 field trips. Hands on learning helps bring the information we are studying home. Aquariums, museums, historical sites – there are so many fantastic places to see! We have been to Antietam, Williamsburg, and Jamestown. These are just a few of the things that we have seen this year.
2. Learning is not all books! Book learning is great, but there are some fantastic movies that can be used (Gods and Generals. Cleopatra, 13 Hours, Fort Apache, and The Longest Day are just a few). Getting some hands on experience. Take an afternoon and go outside and collect leaves. Look at the different designs and shapes. Check out the wildlife in your local area, as well as the floral and economics that are at play. Hiking, bugs, and mud can make for some very happy kids. It is pure science! Let them get out and get dirty! Spring is a great time to get out and take some nature walks. Baby animals, collecting egg fragments (and then figuring out which type of animal they came from), or just getting out to see fields being prepped for planting… it is all learning.
3. Travel – I LOVE to travel. Last year we took an extended Spring Break to go and visit the grandparents. We had a lot of fun just getting away from home and being able to relax a little more. We did take a few field trips while we were there, going to Fort Knox and seeing the General Patton museum that is there, among a few other excursions. We have been able to take off and get some random travelling in during our home school time. We just pack up the books and take them with us. The flexibility it has created has been amazing. I don’t worry about moves. or any other unexpected things that the military throws our way, as we can adapt to any situation easily.
4. Focused Studies – We have enjoyed being able to do more focused studying. While we still follow a curriculum, we can focus on the areas that we want to more. We do a special project each year, and each of my boys gets to choose the topic of study. We delve into reading, movies, music, art, and anything else that we can find that fit the topic. We build notebooks and compile the information they are finding. They are discovering new things that they want to investigate more, and I am okay with that! We keep a running list of topics for future usage.
5. Family Time – While we stay busy with scouting (this counts as school too), and other activities, we have a lot more family time. There are days that we simply put the books down and have a lazy day. We will pile onto my bed and watch movies and read books. We all love these days. I use these as rewards for hitting milestones in our work.

There ya’ll have it – the top five reasons I love being a home school mom. While there are days I wish for a little kid free quiet, I would not change these days for anything. I know they are only going to be little for a short while, and I have loved being able to watch them grow and learn.

Share your favorite home school moments with us!