TRAVEL ADVICE BETTER THAN THE TOP 10 TRAVEL TIPS YOU ARE USED TO

March 26, 2012 by 11 Comments

Thousands of travel tips flood the internet and the ever-present airport magazines, but with all the advice and catchy titles like “10 best travel tips”, the truth is that the most important advice is often ignored.


However, the most basic, and most often ignored, is pre-travel planning advice, where the most confusing questions crop up, such as:
1. How do I travel?
2. How much do I want to spend?
1. How much luggage should I carry?
2. How do I get to the airport?


How do I travel: Deciding which means of transportation to use is one of the most basic travel decisions you can make but, because of external circumstances, this decision is often confusing to most travellers. The single most important factor for choosing a mode of transportation is the distance of the journey; people travelling short distances often prefer to take their car which might also be relatively affordable. However travelling long distances more often than not requires the use of air transportation. Deciding whether to drive your car to the airport is also crucial, and, as the majority of airports charge a fee for this service.



How much do I want to spend: Carefully deciding how to spend your money is the new reality of today’s travellers. With so many options available to the modern day traveller, the most basic questions to ask are:
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5 Ways to Spend Less on Your Next Vacation

March 26, 2012 by 7 Comments
As the economy has continued to flounder, many families have held off on booking vacations (some for three years or longer). But if your job doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy, you’ve got some money in the bank, and you’re just itching to pack up the kids and get the heck out of Dodge, it may be time to start planning that family vacay you’ve been postponing. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to go hog wild and blow all your dough on a pricy retreat. Here are just a few ways to save some cash on your next adventure.
  1. Book early. You’ve probably heard this sound advice before, but the importance of planning ahead cannot be stressed enough! You should start looking at tickets at least six months ahead of time with rough dates for travel in mind. This will give you plenty of time to finalize your plans and wait for ticket fluctuations to fall in your favor so that you can nab a great deal. Plus, most travel websites can send you updates whenever the price of “your trip” is reduced. While some people talk up waiting until the last minute to get discounts on unsold seats that the airlines just want to fill, the truth is that you could end up paying a lot more if you wait, or potentially seeing the flights you need sell out.

  2. Stay at an Inn-and-Suites establishment. The term “suite” tends to come with the connotation of a high price tag, but an establishment billed as an inn and suites often has lower prices on bookings for rooms that come with multiple beds and bathrooms, a seating area, and a kitchenette. This makes them ideal for family travel since they will accommodate a group and allow you to prepare some meals [Read more…]
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Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park – the perfect place for kids to play

March 26, 2012 by 11 Comments
One of the best places to take kids is somewhere they can run and play. If they are able to get wet, that’s an extra bonus (well, for the kids)…
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a world-class treasure. If you’re anywhere near Michigan, it’s definitely planning a visit! There are so many things to see and do – a tropical conservatory (where butterflies bloom each March and April), indoor and outdoor sculptures, paths through woodlands, fields, and by a lake, a farm garden (with really cool farm animal sculptures), a concert series in the summer, and more. But the most fun for families is the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden – it’s a play wonderland, open for discovery, exploration, music, water, spiders, learning, and child-sized sculptures and play areas.
You enter the Children’s Garden through a regular gate, OR through a tiny, magical, child-sized gate (called the mouse hole). There are various gardens where you can learn about plants – in the Kid Sense garden, you can find a flower that looks like an eyeball, feel different plants that look like something else, or hear and listen through special speaking tubes.

Our favorite part is the Great Lakes Garden – large cement pools that are shaped like the 5 Great Lakes. There are boats you can play with, lots of water to splash, levels of water like waterfalls, showing the altitude of the water, and benches out of splashing range for the parents. There’s an empty sailboat you can sit in, a wall of water, and even a pump where you can fountain water at unsuspecting passersby. [Read more…]
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Budget Travel & High Flying with Kids

March 24, 2012 by 10 Comments
Happy travel with children is all about preparation, careful planning and control. Budget rent a car travel and planes are two of the best ways to master control even if you have three small kids and the adults are always outnumbered. The two worst options for traveling with children include travel bus tours and connecting intercontinental economy flights.
Why a Car Hire with Kids Makes Travel Sense
At first glance a car rental seems like parental suicide. My kids and me trapped in a car for several days rather than flying from Sydney to the Gold Coast. No thank you! However, renting a car gives a parent that all important and illusive quality: control! Hungry? Diaper change? Need to run around? Just pull off at any number of the roadside cafes and let your family join the Australian families on holiday. Small moments like these are the moments that make travel memories. There is nothing better than seeing your son running madly after a cute little Australian girl exactly his age at a caravan park.

Renting a car gives you and your family a chance to really spend hours and hours of uninterrupted time together. These days there is always something interrupting quality time in the car at home. Cell phones, in-car movies and game systems literally make people that travel together everyday into little digital islands. At first the togetherness of a car rental can be overwhelming but after the first few hours and teaching, “the ants go marching one-by-one,” to your children the together time takes on a special quality.
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Filed Under: family, kids, travel

5 Must-Haves for Long Distance Road Trips

March 24, 2012 by 5 Comments
Every parent who has suffered through a long road trip with the kids knows that highs and lows are par for the course. There’s no denying that it’s amazing to watch your children experience new places for the first time, and you could certainly use a break from the daily routine, but there is also that element of boredom that inevitably sets in after hours in the car. And while you can stop frequently to stretch legs, hit the restroom, and even check out wacky roadside attraction, the truth is that you still have to get back in the car and keep on trucking until you reach your destination. So here are just a few must-have items that will make a long-haul a bit more tolerable for everyone in the car.

  1. Sugar-free snacks. Hoo-boy! You only have to get trapped in an enclosed space with the kids when they’re bouncing off the walls (literally) on a sugar high once and you’ll never do it again. In fact, forget the high-energy phase; what about the crash that follows close on its heels, complete with irritation, fatigue, and in most cases, a meltdown of some sort? It’s definitely a good idea to have snacks on hand so you don’t have to pull over every five minutes, but for goodness sake forego sodas, candy bars, and anything else that has artificial sugar. Your best bet is to include fruits, which have natural sugars (and plenty of fiber to balance out all the fast food), vegetables (most kids will happily munch carrot sticks and celery with a bit of peanut butter), and more filling items like string cheese and trail mix. And instead of soda, stock your car with water. Bonus tip: don’t forget the trash bags! Spills and car sickness are bound to occur, and you definitely don’t want the flooring area of the back seat to turn into one giant repository for empty food wrappers and uneaten scraps.

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Strasburg Rail Road’s Easter Bunny Train

March 21, 2012 by 4 Comments
We will soon be on our way to the Easter Bunny Train, and we can’t wait! We hope to see some of you there- what better way to celebrate Easter weekend? Hop on over, and spend the day with the Easter bunny at the Strasburg Railroad!

Hop into the season with an Easter tradition at Strasburg Rail Road. Travel with Peter Cottontail as an authentic steam train takes you on a 45-minute journey from the East Strasburg Station to Paradise, PA and back. Also enjoy a ride on our miniature steam train, or steer the Cranky Cars around a track.
Filed Under: family, holidays, kids, travel

7 Fun Travel Shots

March 15, 2012 by 20 Comments

Travel photos do things to you, don’t they? They take you away, bring you back into a happy memory- or inspire you to see a new place or culture.
Jessie Voigts of Wandering Educators invited me to take part in in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots – where each travel blogger shares 7 of their favorite shots with you all. Now- you are getting stuck with what I have (since losing some from my hurricane experience recently, LOL) but whatever- travel is travel, and it’s all wonderful.

Come dream of far off (or maybe not so far off) places with me, and plan for your next getaway!

A photo that…takes my breath away…

It’s the Taj Mahal- what else can I say? The beauty of the Taj took my breath away- literally- and brought tears to my eyes. By now I think you know I am not an overly emotional, cry at the sunset type of girl. But this was the most beautiful (man made) thing I have ever seen, hands down. I wasn’t expecting it to be so moving, and so it took me by surprise. It wasn’t even the “reason” I went to India- just a nice perk! But the Taj is a must see- go!

A photo that…makes me laugh or smile…

This was the first time these orphanage kids in Eastern Europe had ever played with bubbles. You all know by now that I spent a lot of time volunteering in orphanages, and it never ceased to amaze me at the things that would just amaze THEM. In other ways, the kids were just so grown up….

A photo that…makes me dream…

A lazy day, this picture [Read more…]
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Columbus, Ohio- Plan your next trip

March 5, 2012 by 17 Comments

When you are looking for something to do in Columbus, Ohio, you won’t have to look far to find something amazing. My husband recently decided he would have no problem living here- you can thank the fact that this is a real “foodie” town, and that there are many, many varieties of micorbrews and local and well known beers available here (you know he is an enthusiast, he even brews and is in a beer club) and to the fact that it the people are so very friendly. Can I tell you- even in a sports stadium, when their team was losing, fans were still cool? I love Ohio. And you will, too!

Even in the dead of winter, when it has done nothing but hail, snow, and sleet for the past few days, there has been lots to see and do, both indoors and out. And don’t let a little “weather” stop you! Get going- there is a lot of fun to be had in Columbus. Not to mention, Spring is right around the corner, and this is a great time to plan your spring vacation.
Some fun ideas for your trip?

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, voted #1 Zoo by USA Family Guide (and Jack Hanna’s zoo!)

In the spirit of the Spring Season, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is ready to create some EGGstreme fun this year. This two day event will feature tons of exciting attractions, but there are always fun things to see and do (as you know from my previous posts!)

Take in a hockey game at the Nationwide Arena
Fans can win weekly prizes by watching “Jackets TV” on Blue Jackets.com, following the team on Facebook and Twitter, or signing up for Jackets Alerts courtesy of Verizon Wireless. Every week, one of the platforms will provide game tickets, an autographed jersey or other autographed items to one lucky winner.

This is a great bonding event with the family- and a great way to take in some local [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, travel