Between rentals, all items are thoroughly cleaned. Hard surfaces are wiped down with hydrogen peroxide and all removeable covers are laundered in a hypoallergenic detergent specifically for babies, the couple said.

“We want to make sure we provide a clean and safe product for our little ones,” said Becky Buckingham, noting that they have a saying: “We don’t want you sharing your vacation with the last vacationer.” 

Baby equipment rentals are nothing new, but having a rental location right in the baggage claim area of an airport is certainly unique. The business is located in the Main Terminal at Level 1 Red Baggage Claim behind the Southwest Airlines baggage office near the SkyConnect elevator.

“The Concessions and Commercial Parking Department welcomes this unique service to the Airport”,  said Joel Feldman, Tampa International Airport’s Senior Manager of Airport Concessions. “We’re very excited to help make this new service available to our customers.”

Rental prices range from between $65 to $200 depending on the equipment and length of the rental. The company will even deliver beach chairs, toys and umbrellas to families vacationing along certain sections of the Pinellas County beaches. 

For more information on Our Little Suitcase and the company’s plans for serving TPA customers, click here to learn more. 

1. New York's capital city: When people think of the perfect place to watch the leaves change, they often first think of New York – and for good reason! One of the best places to watch fall make its entrance is the Catskills in southeastern New York. This mountain range has been a favorite of travelers who love to explore outdoors. With nonstop flights from TPA to nearby Albany on Southwest, you’ll be feeling a cool breeze in no time.

2. Some Midwest charm: If a growing metropolis with down-to-earth hospitality is more your speed, give Kansas City a try! While many don’t often think of this Midwestern town as a place to watch the leaves change, the large maple and cottonwood trees in the area are sure to delight. Take a stroll downtown, visit the World War I museum, grab food at Union Station, or visit a pumpkin patch nearby. If you’re looking for a short drive, don’t miss a day trip to the rolling Flint Hills. Southwest Airlines offers nonstop service from TPA to MCI.

3. Breathtaking 360-degree views: To the West we go! If a rugged adventure or a mountain town getaway is what you're looking for, Salt Lake City is a standout option. With nonstop service aboard Delta Air Lines, you’ll be soaking up the views of the colorful leaves in neighboring Park City or wandering through the forests of Millcreek Canyon before you know it. Visit one of the many rooftop bars for stunning views of the changing scenery. 

4. Some country twang: We can hear the guitars from here! Nashville is a fan favorite and autumn is a perfect time to visit. Don’t miss a stroll around Radnor Lake or an afternoon walk through downtown Franklin. You’ll be surrounded by bright fall colors as you adventure outdoors and meander through small towns in the greater Nashville area. With nonstop flights available on American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, it’s never been easier to access a Tennessee fall.

5.  One of the nation's oldest cities: If you’re dreaming of a coastal escape with old-world charm, autumn’s embrace of Rhode Island is not to be missed. Although the state is the smallest one in the US, it packs a large amount of fall festivities and scenery. Bowen’s Wharf and Eisenhower Park in Newport are sure to charm the leaf-looker while Prospect Park in Providence offers incredible views surrounded by colorful trees. Catch a nonstop flight to the Ocean State aboard JetBlue, Southwest or Spirit and you’ll be on your way in no time!

San Diego Zoo

With more than 3,500 resident animals, the San Diego Zoo is the most visited zoo in the United States. The zoo is so popular, it even has its own show on Discovery+, called “The Zoo." Looking to visit the San Diego Zoo in the near future? You’ll get the chance to see some new faces including a flamingo chick, an infant Merry Monkey and a wildebeest calf. Single-day tickets are now available.

Get to San Diego nonstop on Southwest Airlines.

St. Louis Zoo

Lemurs and Tasmanian devils and capybaras – oh, my! These are just three of the nearly 13,000 animals that call the St. Louis Zoo home including a mix of nearly 500 species. This zoo is known as “America’s Top Free Attraction” – yes, you read that right – it won’t cost you to visit this critter-filled facility, so bring the whole family along! The zoo is as serious about its animal management, wildlife conservation, research, education as it is visitor safety, so make sure you reserve a date for your visit and bring your masks.

Get to St. Louis nonstop on Southwest Airlines.

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Be it Sunset Safari for the whole family or wine, beer and bourbon tasting, the Cincinnati Zoo has more to offer than animal watching. The zoo, which opened its gates in 1875, is the second oldest in the U.S. and averages 1.5 million visitors annually. Home to more than 3,000 plant species, you’ll probably enjoy the botanical garden if you’ve got a green thumb, or if you just like to see pretty plants! Not into the greenery? The zoo has plenty of unique occupants like the golden-headed lion tamarins, arctic fox and the aye-aye. Reservations are required and it’s recommended to reserve your day at least two weeks in advance.

Get to Cincinnati nonstop on Delta, Frontier or Southwest Airlines.

Bronx Zoo

Since it first opened in 1899, the Bronx Zoo has been the largest metropolitan zoo in the U.S. with its 265 acres land and habitats separated by the Bronx River. The zoo is world-renowned for its massive animal collection, award-winning exhibits and makes for a great escape from the bustling metropolis surrounding it. With more than 600 species, this attraction earns a spot on the best things to do when visiting New York City. The Bronx Zoo is now open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekly with hours extending until 5:30 p.m. on weekends. Visitors must have date-specific tickets and a reservation.

Get to New York City nonstop on Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit or United Airlines.

Philadelphia Zoo

Known as the first zoo in the U.S., this famed Philly amenity is where Rocky proposed to Adrian in Rocky 2– it’s true! Beyond its historic accolades, the zoo is home to almost 1,300 animals including a sloth bear cub (yes, that’s a real creature) and a Rare Animal Conservation Center with some of the world’s most endangered species. The Philadelphia Zoo is now open daily and timed reservations are required for all guests and members.

Get to Philly nonstop on American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest or Spirit Airlines.

From the east to west coast - and somewhere in between - the best zoos in the country can be visited via nonstop flights from Tampa International Airport. Book your flight, make your reservations and bring the whole fam - your adventure awaits. 

So we finally took a chance and did it. This is what it was like.

The flight

When Delta Air Lines announced last year that it would launch nonstop flights between Tampa International Airport and Amsterdam in May, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it. In January, I booked two round-trip Main Cabin tickets for a June flight, which cost me around $2,000 total. I considered upgrading to Delta’s Comfort Plus, which offers more legroom and little perks to make the nine-hour flight more enjoyable, but decided to go with the cheaper option and it was fine for us.

The flight left Tampa on June 10 at 7:30 p.m., which was great because my daughter slept for much of the nine-hour overnight flight, making for a smoother ride for both of us. I don’t sleep well on planes but the flight seemed to go by quickly and we arrived in Amsterdam around 10:30 a.m. the next day.

The return to Tampa was a different story. My 3-year-old did not sleep and asked every 30 minutes if were “there yet.” However, Delta did a wonderful job of keeping her stocked in milk – she still likes to drink from a bottle for comfort, don’t judge – and they broke up the ride with several meals, snacks, ice cream bars, a hot towel service and a couple of (free!) cocktails for me. I have nothing but great things to say about the Delta flight experience and the friendly flight crew.

The city

Getting from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam’s central train station was about as easy as it could be. We daughter and I stumbled off the plane and sort of just wound up on the right train and dropped into the middle of the city in a blur, that’s how easy it was.

Getting from the train station to our B&B hotel was a different story. It was only about a 13-minute walk but doing it while carrying one roller carry-on, a heavy backpack, a purse (I pack light!) and hanging to a small child’s hand for dear life made it feel like 113 minutes. I printed a map off Google but it was useless to me and my poor directional skills so I pulled up the real Google and it led the way. Amsterdam streets, if one isn’t aware, are ruled by heavy bike traffic. Pedestrians must yield to bikes, and stepping in a bicyclist’s path is a fast way to get nasty looks and maybe an insult hurled. I knew this going in so I made sure to keep us out of any paths or streets at all times, leaving us only some very narrow and cobblestone-y sideways to traverse, which was not easy given all my cargo I was carrying.

Amsterdam streets are not stroller-friendly and I didn’t want to haul one around anyway. My daughter did fine on her own little legs, which surprised me. We walked at least four or five miles each day, stopping many times to sit and rest with some gelato or French fries or candy. She got so used to me buying her unlimited treats she had a meltdown one day because I wouldn’t buy her an enticing and colorful cannabis lollipop we saw in a window.

Speaking of cannabis, yes, there is marijuana everywhere. People smoking it parks, the scent wafting from cafes, gift shops selling brownies and other edibles. But it wasn’t any more pervasive or offensive than, say, people drinking wine nearby. It’s fine.

I did, at one point, accidentally take a wrong turn on the way back to our B&B one day and realized too late that I was right in the middle of the Red Light District and we were surrounded by scantily clad sex workers in windows and some potential male clients walking alongside us. Again, wasn’t an issue – my daughter was unfazed and we moved through the alley and out onto the normal streets pretty quickly. I was more worried about being judged by the women in the windows for having my child there.

I never felt unsafe in Amsterdam, and in fact, it’s considered to be one of the safest cities in the world.

The highlights

Here is my approach to most travel: No need to hit every landmark and tourist attraction because I will probably be back because this place isn’t going anywhere. Trying to see everything is stressful and I don’t want to be stressed on vacation.

Thus, we did not go to into Anne Frank’s house. We didn’t hit the Van Gogh Museum, we didn’t go to the Rijksmuseum and we did not ride a bike. My kid, again, is 3 and she would’ve been bored to literal tears in a museum, ruining it for me as well, so I didn’t bother. She would’ve probably liked riding in one of the child baskets on a bike, but honestly, it looked like a lot of work and the last thing I needed was a potential biking injury to ruin our trip.

What we did do, and loved, was take a tram to visit the vast and tree-filled Vondelpark, which had playgrounds, trails and a nearby gem called Kinderkookkafe where kids can play with dough make their own pizzas or baked goods and parents can get coffee. There was also a sandbox outside where my child, who lives in Florida and is at the beach all the time, would have spent hours making sandcastles and sand “cakes” if I let her. Vondelpark was the only place my daughter requested to go a second time, so even though I had another planned adventure the last day of our trip, we decided to go back to the park instead.

Other fun Amsterdam memories:

• A half-day bus tour to see a cheese factory in Volendam and the windmills and grazing sheep in Zaanse Schans. I was wary of being trapped in a tour with an unpredictable toddler but we managed, even during some cranky moments, and saw some stunning sights along the way.
• Madame Tussauds wax museum. I was not planning on going to this, as wax museums are pretty cheesy, but we happened to come across it while it was raining and the line was short. My daughter and I had a ton of fun taking photos with all the “celebrities,” including some she recognized, like Shrek’s wife and the Incredible Hulk.
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Same thing. Was not planning on going to this but there was no line and it was raining. Very entertaining for a kid and they had a special door so you can bypass the scary parts, plus there’s a bar and snack shop on the top floor.
• Canal tour. We missed the one I had booked ahead of time due to an unfortunate lost squishy unicorn toy incident, but they were only about $20 to ride and there were plenty of boats around so we hopped on another one. It’s a great way to relax and get an audio history of Amsterdam, its unusually narrow buildings and some tales about the city.

For parents interested in visiting Amsterdam with small children, it’s worth noting that in Amsterdam – like in many European cities – children 3 and under are FREE just at just about everywhere. I didn’t have to pay for her fare on public transportation, nor in any of the museums, so other than paying her airline fare, my daughter was a pretty inexpensive travel companion.

I do plan on going back when she’s old enough to appreciate Anne Frank’s house.

To book a flight from Tampa to Amsterdam, go to www.delta.com. Flights run seasonally through Oct. 26, 2019, and are expected to return the following April.