Touring the Natural Beauty of California

travel in CA

Those planning their very first trip to California probably think it is a state that is overflowing with celebrities and that the main attractions are theme parks and beaches. Actually, for many that may be the case, but if you have never been to this amazingly beautiful state that has some of the nation’s most diverse topographical features you are in for a real treat. Of course you may want to see Hollywood, LA and San Francisco with their nationally famous dispensaries, but you will not want to miss any of these five amazingly beautiful landmarks.

Sequoia National Park

Located in the southern Sierra Nevada area of the state, Sequoia National Park is a destination that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each and every year. What most visitors come to see are the gigantic old Sequoia trees among which is the famous General Sherman tree noted as being the largest tree on the planet. Along with contiguous Kings Canyon Park, Sequoia National Park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the year 1976.

Kings Canyon Park

Contiguously neighboring Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon Park is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is thought to have one of the deepest, if not the deepest canyon in the nation. Here you can find miles and miles of trails upon which to ride horses, hike and camp. There are two separate parts to the park: Grant Cove in which you will find the General Grant tree and Cedar Grove where photography enthusiasts have a field day taking pictures of the magnificent Sequoias.

Napa Valley

Who isn’t familiar with some of America’s most famous brands of wine such as Robert Mondavi and Beringer that have both been award winning vintners year after year? If you are going to visit the natural beauty that is California, you will want to tour several of the Napa Valley vineyards and wineries. You can go on guided tours much of the year and some do allow self-guided tours but you must call ahead. Because of the amazing wines coming out of Napa Valley, American wines have begun to rival their European counterparts.

Death Valley National Park

With an odd distinction from all other U.S. national parks as the lowest, hottest and of course the driest of all, this is one park that is not for the faint at heart. Extremely cold in the winter and hot in the summer, Death Valley has some of the most remarkable scenery in North America. Even though it has a morbid name, an amazing number of species do survive and thrive here.

Yosemite National Park

Last, but certainly not least, Yosemite National Park is the one you must see if there is only time to visit one of these breathtakingly beautiful sites. Also within the Sierra Nevada Mountains there are also ancient Sequoias throughout the park and a number of waterfalls among which is the majestic Bridalveil Fall that measures a phenomenal 617 feet in height. With majestic trees and breathtaking waterfalls, it is no wonder that Yosemite National Park sees more than a million visitors a year.

Because of the sheer size of California, there is so much to see and do that you will want to spend an extended vacation touring the state. These are just 5 of the most remarkable natural landmarks to visit on your trip through the state but if you want shopping, dining, dancing and entertainment, California has that too. Whatever it is you are looking for, you’ll find it in the Golden State.

Planning For Travel Emergencies

It’s been said that if you fail to plan, you have planned to fail. Traveling with kids requires a lot of preparation. You have to get clothing, grooming products, and comfort items for the whole household, all of which goes on top of determining an itinerary, finding a good deal on hotels, and planning a route.

In the middle of all that, there is an endless list of things that can go wrong, no matter how well you’ve prepared in other areas. Make sure you give careful consideration to as many potential disasters as you can, without burdening yourself with excess baggage–mentally or physically.

A Wrecked Car…

Nobody wants to think about this possibility, but according to one legal practice with extensive auto accident experience, there are 6.2 million automobile crashes reported to police every year. If you’ve never been involved in one yourself, you may feel like it won’t happen to you. But it might, and if it happens when you’re on vacation, it can be incredibly disruptive if you aren’t prepared–even if no one is hurt.

What do you do when you’re hundreds of miles from home on your Idaho vacation and your vehicle has been so heavily damaged that it can’t be driven? Will you have the financial resources to secure another means of travel? It’s important to discuss these issues with your insurance agent before you travel and to consider automobile club coverage that can help get you back on the road.

…Or Wrecked Plans

When most people think of vacation problems, they think of the 1980’s movie National Lampoon’s Vacation, in which a cross-country trip from Chicago to L.A. turns into disaster when the destination theme park is closed for repairs.

It’s unlikely to happen to you, but it’s certainly worthwhile to review your planned venues for fun and togetherness in order to make sure everything you expect will be available. This is especially important with natural attractions like Yellowstone National Park, which has experienced partial closures over the years due to active forest fires.

Construction, renovation, weather issues, and safety concerns can all shutter famous attractions. Check news outlets and the sites’ web presence before assuming you’ll be able to walk or drive right in.

Illness Outbreaks

With the hectic schedule, new foods, and exposure to lots of people, it’s very easy to get sick while traveling. Local allergens can attack you, leaving you sneezing and coughing. A stomach virus or food poisoning could hit the whole family.

Check things out before you travel. Make sure you know where the nearest emergency room is for each city where you’ll spend the night, and if you’re finding hotels day by day, make sure you can use hospital-finding features on your phone.

But you should also be prepared to treat illnesses without professional help. Bring over-the-counter allergy medications, fever reducers, and upset-stomach products along–even if no one is sick when you leave home. And stock up on kids’ electrolyte solutions and gentle foods like crackers so that you can avoid a midnight trip to the store in a strange town.

There is a spectrum of travel styles that ranges from the minute-by-minute planner whose day is ruined if they miss one turn, to the free-and-easy sojourner who just lets the chips fall where they may. Somewhere in the happy medium is the best place to be, but one thing that can’t be left to chance or whims is your preparation for potential travel problems. Make plans for how to deal with the most likely problems so that they don’t ruin your treasured family time.

How to Deal with Unexpected Financial Emergencies

It happens to everyone sooner or later. You get a cold that takes a weird turn for the worse. You get rear-ended. You lose a job. Your landlord sells the house you’ve been renting, and you have to move. Your computer dies. Whatever it is, even though you’d been doing your best to scrimp and save, this unexpected expense is not something you can easily afford. What do you do?

The action you take is going to depend on upon the nature of the expense. Is it a big bill that you might be able to break down into smaller, more manageable payments like a medical bill? Or is it something longer term, like  trying to find cheap SR22 insurance after getting caught driving while uninsured? We’ll talk about how best to approach both of these types of situations.

Great Big One Time Bills

In the case of giant but one-time expenses like a medical bill or your car needing a massive repair (or even needing a new car altogether), the best thing you can do is ask about setting up a payment arrangement. Trust us on this: hoping the bill goes away or trying to dodge collection attempts will only hurt you. Most companies–even medical companies and the IRS–are more than willing to work with people who make a good faith effort to pay off their bills regularly. Sometimes they won’t even check your credit before setting up these payment plans…though rest assured that if you default on these payments, the default will be reported on your credit history.

Typically the criteria used here is your annual income (verifiable through tax records and pay stubs). If you can afford to pay off the bill within a certain period of time (usually seven years or so) you’ll be approved, and you can begin making payments. If you can’t, there are other options available to you including debt consolidation and bankruptcy.

Note: Bankruptcy is no longer the death sentence it used to be, we promise.

Smaller but Long Term Bills

Finding the money to make these payments or to accommodate a new bill, like the aforementioned special insurance is a little trickier but should still be doable.

The first thing you’ll need to do is scour your budget. Can you make cuts anywhere? Can, for example, you take 10 percent away from what you put into savings or other bill payments and put it toward this new account? Can you trim the amount you spend on groceries or other incidentals?

If you are already living on a stretched too thin budget, do you have the time/energy to take on another job or start a side gig? You’d be surprised at how many ways there are to earn money on the side of a full-time job. Sure it might eat up your free time, but hopefully it won’t have to be that way forever, right? Though, you might find that your side gig allows you to pay down other debts quicker, which is a good thing!

When You Need It Now

Hopefully, these instances are a rarity, but they do happen to people from time to time. Having to suddenly find new housing or afford a trip home to take care of a dying loved one or to flee from a bad situation. When you need a bunch of money right now, what do you do?

The first thing you should do, and you probably already know this, is to look around you for items that you can sell and sell quickly. This is not a time to get sentimental. If there is an emergency, selling your television or some jewelry might be the only way to get the money you need.

If housing is the issue, your best bet is to put your belongings in storage and then couch surf for a while as you work to build up enough savings to pay for a deposit and moving fees. Yes, this is a hard thing to ask from your friends, but surely they’d rather help for a week or two at a time than see you homeless!

If the money is for something else, and you have some time to get it together, you should set up a GoFundMe account and promote the heck out of it. People are more generous than you might think!

Most of all, do your best not to give in to prolonged panic. Freak out for a few minutes, sure, but then do your best to stay calm and look for opportunities for help. You might be surprised by how many you find!

South England Interactive Travel Map

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When going on a  trip, one of the most important ways to prepare for it is with research.  Research is a whole lot easier with the right tools and a wealth of information pertinent to your trip.  One great tool which I was recently introduced to is the South England Interactive Travel Map.  When visiting the UK, it can be difficult to figure out what places to visit, what things to do, and where to find them. This map helps do just that in one place, broken down by area and destinations.

This map brings various locations in Southern England to your fingertips, and is broken down into four categories: directions, activities, food and drinks, and local attractions.  Each category is broken down into bite size nuggets of information with just enough to whet your appetite to visit locations for yourself.  Each destination also has a picture included with the short description, to give you an interesting sneak peak. Some of the locations included are: Berkshire,Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Sussex, Devon, and Cornwall.  What I really like about the site is the local attractions section. This area includes not only historical and cultural locations like castles and cathedrals (tours Americans typically love, being as we don’t have much in the way of those here in the USA) but also family friendly fun locations like adventure parks and beaches.

I also like the food and drinks section, which includes local dishes available from both small family owned restaurants and pubs as well as upscale restaurants.  (Always try local favorites and whatever the area is famous for!) The combination gives visitors a great overall taste of the area.  This is the perfect tool for planning your next trip to England.  It doesn’t matter if you are planning a short visit like a long  weekend or a more in depth trip, the interactive map of Southern England is a valuable tool when planning and doing research and will help you find all the local hot spots.

9 Things Your Toddler Can Do to Help You Cook

Helping in the kitchen isn’t just for older children and teenagers. There are plenty of cooking steps that are safe and easy for your toddler to help with. By letting him or her get involved in helping you cook healthy recipes, you show your child that healthy food is fun, teach him or her valuable life skills, and create a special parent-child bonding time. Next time you cook, consider letting your son or daughter help with some of the following steps.

Help Gather Ingredients for the Recipe

Allow your toddler to help you gather ingredients for your recipe. He or she can get small jars or bottles out of the refrigerator, bring you items on lower shelves in the pantry or low cabinets, and bring you spices. He or she may also be able to open some types of packages.

Prepare the Ingredients

In some cases, your child can actually help you prepare the ingredients for the recipe. If you will be using bananas, let your toddler peel them. Are you using lettuce or another leafy green? He or she will have fun tearing it apart into smaller pieces. Your son or daughter can even help by scrubbing potatoes for you.

Measuring Ingredients

A child who is only two or three years old probably won’t be able to measure out ¾ a cup of flour or ½ teaspoon of salt, but he or she will be able to fill a spoon or tell you when the ingredient reaches a certain line in a measuring cup. Doing this part together not only creates a bonding experience, but begins to teach your child how to measure and read fractions.

Mash Ingredients

If you are using softened fruits or vegetables, your toddler will have lots of fun mashing them up for the recipe. This part can get a little messy if he or she gets overexcited, so be sure to set down a towel or two and put an apron on each of you. The possible mess will be worth it to see the delighted giggles and teach your child a new skill at the same time.

Add Items to the Bowl

Once you have measured your ingredients and are ready to put them into the bowl or pan, you can have your son or daughter take over. He or she can add everything to the bowl or pan based on your directions.

Stir the Ingredients

After you—or both of you—have put everything into the proper bowls or pans, you can let your toddler stir dry or wet ingredients. Teach him or her how to do it slowly to avoid spilling and how to scrape the sides to ensure everything mixes together as evenly as possible. You probably won’t want your small child next to a hot stove, but if you do decide he or she is ready for that responsibility, be sure to stay right there to supervise and prevent burns.

Brush on Butter or Oil

Are you making rolls or basting a turkey? Let your toddler help. He or she can use the brush to help you coat the food. You have the benefit of a little helper to get you through the task faster, and your son or daughter will get a kick out of “painting” the food.

Help With Cleanup

Once your recipe is in the oven, it’s time for cleanup. This is an especially important task for your child to help with because it teaches him or her responsibility. Together, you can throw away garbage, put dishes in the sink and put unused ingredients back into the refrigerator or pantry. Don’t forget to wipe down the table and sweep the floor if necessary.

The Easiest Way to Let Your Child Help

Sometimes life gets so busy that you don’t have time to cook on your own, let alone time to instruct a toddler in helping. You can still take a special day from time to time to bake an easy “recipe” that takes almost no time at all. Simply purchase premade cookie dough, have your toddler put scoops of it onto a cookie sheet, and stick it in the oven. Hamptoncreek sells organic, plant-based cookie dough that tastes great and is healthy for the entire family. You can find it in Walmart, Target, and a variety of other retailers.

Spending time with your toddler isn’t just important for his or her own needs. It may seem like you have forever, but remember, they grow up fast. By cooking together, you will instill responsibility and build memories you both will remember for a lifetime.

Preparing Children for Upcoming Airplane Travel

travel with kids

Planning a family trip can seem overwhelming enough to most parents, but planning on surviving the trip with children may seem impossible. With proper preparation, any parent can survive taking a trip on a plane with their children, no matter how old they are. It’s helpful to prepare yourself and your children ahead of time for the upcoming trip and always plan for the worst-case scenarios just in case.

Prioritize Safety

Safety needs to be your number one priority at the airport and on the plane. Airports are busy places and when parents are busy worrying about their luggage and boarding on time, children need to remain close by the entire time. As any parent knows, children can wander away rather quickly, so remain vigilant in keeping your children under control by giving them something to do or allowing them to help out. On the plane, try to keep children out of aisle seats. Ear pressure and pain are common in children on planes, so ensure you purchase appropriate ear protection. You can get padded child-size noise-attenuating earphones from this online pilot store prior to your trip.

Get Them Excited About The Destination

Children love to have something to look forward to, so spend some time getting them excited about where you are taking a trip to. Whether it’s a trip to Disneyland or a family vacation to explore a new place and learn about a culture like Mexico, tell your children about all the cool adventures in store for them. If you are going somewhere where the culture is very different than what your children are used to, teach them about it so they know what to expect. You can help them prepare by watching travel videos and reading books about your destination.

Leave Early and Plan Accordingly

Make sure you arrive at the airport super early, because you never know what will happen that could potentially set you back and make you late. Don’t rush to be the first ones on the airplane. It’s good to wait until the crowd has already gotten on the plane. Try to plan your trip on the least traveled days like Tuesday through Thursday. Late afternoon and evening flights might be hard for young children to handle, so try to plan morning or early afternoon trips if possible.

Plan Activities to Keep Them Entertained

One of the most important things you can do to survive a plane trip with children is to find ways to keep them entertained. Pack a fun bag for them filled with things they’ll enjoy for the duration of the trip. Make sure to learn the rules for what you can and cannot carry on the plane first before packing a bag. Some items you can pack include:

·  Books

·  Coloring books

·  Drinks and snacks

·  Stickers

·  Magna-doodle

·  Portable DVD player

·  Music player with headphones

·  Handheld video games

·  Small stuffed animals

·  Cards

Older children will be able to tell you what they want to bring, but you can encourage them to bring items like books, brain teaser games, and crossword puzzles. Get the little ones involved by letting them help pack their carry-on bags.

Airplane rides can be a fun and exciting experience for adults and children. With careful planning and preparing your children ahead of time, your trip can end up going smoothly. Get your children involved as much as possible and have them excited about the destination. Keep reminding them of all the fun they’re going to have once you arrive so they have something to look forward to.

 

WIN PLAYMOBIL Water Park with Slides Playset @playmobil

Summer is heating up and there’s no better way to have fun in the sun than with PLAYMOBIL‘s NEW Water Park with Slides playset, a colorful, creative, high quality playset for lots of imaginative play.

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Great for outdoor use, this playset includes two jumbo slides for the figures to slip and slide their way down to the wave pool! Take a break from the summer heat and fill the wave pool with water, watch the octopus come alive and create ripples throughout the pool for the ultimate splash of fun! Get ready for a sun-sational time.

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This set is great indoors and out.  It’s a breeze to set up, and doesn’t take much water to fill.  It comes with  two jumbo slides, one regular and one for tubing. This way, Playmobil kids can slip and slide their way down to the wave pool at the bottom and play there as well. The octopus in the middle spins, creating fun ripples throughout the pool. When ready to take a ride down the slide, use the park’s pulley to pull the tube up to the top of the slide. Just be sure to wait until the pink octopus gives you a green smile for heading down the slide. Set includes two adult figures, one child figure, multi-level structure with slides, tube, life ring, and more.

You can pick one up on Amazon, at Toys R Us, and http://www.playmobil.us/

If you would like to enter to win one of your own, please feel free to enter using the RC form below.  Good Luck! Ends Aug. 19, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Head to Dutch Wonderland @FunatDW

This time of year, one of the best ways to escape the summer heat as well as those long, boring summer days is a day at a theme park. One of our semi-local favorites is Dutch Wonderland, home to Duke the Dragon (whom my son loves). Located in Amish County, Lancaster PA- a great place to spend a vacation, as well.

Dutch Wonderland

 

Dutch Wonderland has tons of rides and games, as well as many food and drink stands. Some favorites are the “Panda Party”, which is an adorable ride in which the kids ride in Panda Bears and go around the beehive in circles, the Leapin’ Frogs, which bounce around causing the kids to erupt in giggles until the ride hops to a stop, and the Double Splash Flume, a classic ride with two drops (but not too scary or steep that would frighten the kids).

dutch wonderland

 

We were there on what turned out to be a stormy day, but before that it was sunny, not too hot, and clear. Also, the lines were almost non-existent, which was great. We were able to get on a bunch of rides.

dutch wonderland

Just two years ago, Dutch Wonderland opened Exploration Island, where you can walk among more then 20 dinosaurs the roar and move as you view them. We had hoped to visit again this year, but they were closed. We did get to see the dinosaurs when they first opened, and it was a lot of fun- my son really enjoyed it.

“Exploration Island is a rediscovered island of adventure and fun where guests will have the opportunity to walk with over 20 lifelike dinosaurs, dig for fossil remains, take a spin on the newly relocated and lengthened Turnpike ride and travel the Island canals on the classic Gondola Cruise.
This once under-utilized area of the Park has been re-purposed to house not only our dinosaur families, but our Turnpike ride as well. The Turnpike was one of the four original rides at Dutch Wonderland when it opened in 1963. We have moved this classic ride to Exploration Island and more then doubled the ride length in the process giving guests more spectacular views of dinos and the surrounding farm landscape.
We’ve also discovered dinosaur fossil remains and set up a permanent archeological dig at Dino Dig, where young explorers can unearth the fossil remains of dinosaurs. Brushes, buckets and diggers are available for use.”

PA theme parks

There are many live shows offered at the park, including water shows. Choose from shows like “Really Royal, the story of Princess Brooke”, “Adventures of the Frog Prince” a show that combines the high dive and fairly tale, and “Dutch Wonderland’s Royal Friends”, where you can meet and greet costumed performers of the park’s mascots. There are more to choose from- go to https://www.dutchwonderland.com to see more options, times, and rides.

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Bring your bathing suit and visit Duke’s Lagoon, sure to be everyone’s favorite on hot summer days. With several different play areas (and larger water slides nearby) including one for the smallest park goers, there will be a place for everyone to enjoy. Even mom and dad- they provide plenty of lounge chairs and tables to relax at- if you are really lucky, you might even score an umbrella.

dutch wonderland dragon

 

Enjoy your day, and get your tickets soon at the park or at https://www.dutchwonderland.com . Unlike previous years, there is no more free parking, I’m sad to say- so just be aware of that. There is a lot to do in the area, so if you want to do more then one day at the park, or visit some other attractions, grab a hotel (there are plenty to choose from) and spend a few days- Lancaster is a great place for families.

PA waterpark

 

Follow Dutch Wonderland on Social Media! Twitter: @FunatDW
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DutchWonderlandPA
Instagram: @DutchWonderland