Search Results for: blog traveling with young children more dos and donts

Scared to Vacation

I worked in TV news for 16 years, so I am a bit jaded when it comes to hearing bizarre stories, but a recent report about what can happen when you leave home on vacation shocked even me. Earlier this month, a couple living 20 miles north of my neighborhood took a week’s vacation to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Unfortunately, they didn’t bother to secure their patio furniture or lock their gas grill in their garage or shed before they took off. When they returned home from their trip up north their deck was completely wiped clean. The grill and their … Continue reading →

Vacation Reminders

Summer is winding down and for many families that means taking one last getaway before the chaos of a new school year starts. Whether you are planning a road trip to the beach or you’re jetting off to a major theme park, you’ll want to cover all your bases. In addition to packing as efficiently as possible and getting the kids geared up for the haul, you’ll also want to take steps to protect your home while you are away. For starters, don’t use social media to inform the world that you will be flying to Orlando and your home … Continue reading →

Preserving Your Sanity on the Road

And they’re off! Our neighbors have officially departed on their annual summer pilgrimage to Canada to visit their family members and friends. They left about four hours ago in a Chevy Blazer filled to the gills with three kids, two adults, one Beagle and a ton of luggage, plus two well-stocked coolers and what looked like the kitchen sink. Better them than me. I’ve driven cross-country before, but never with three young kids in the backseat. Not me; I prefer to fly 5,000 miles with my infant turned chatty toddler, thank you very much. I don’t think anything properly prepares … Continue reading →

Preserving Your Sanity on the Road

According to AAA, gas prices are likely to increase to record highs just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Currently, I am paying $4 a gallon here in Wisconsin. In Hawaii, my parents have been shelling out more than five bucks a gallon for nearly a month. Will the price of gas influence your summer travel plans? If you already committed to driving to grandma’s house for Memorial Day, then you will likely have to suck it up despite the sky-high gas prices. However, there are other ways you can preserve your sanity while on the highway. If you … Continue reading →

Deadly Summer Travel

Hot enough for you? Record-breaking temperatures have been recorded from coast-to-coast this summer and the end result has been horrifying for some families. In the last three months alone five children in Florida have died in cars that have been left sitting in the blazing hot sun. I won’t speculate on what kind of parent leaves his child alone in a vehicle with the air-conditioner turned off when the temperature is above 90 degrees, but I don’t think it takes a genius to figure out that deadly temperatures can be reached quickly in vehicles that are left out in the … Continue reading →

Flying the Fee-Friendly Skies with Kids

Flying with kids is an exhausting ordeal, but with all of the additional fees airlines are pushing on passengers these days, it can be extremely expensive too. And I’m not jut talking about the dough you have to shell out to buy your kid the mid-flight Pringles she’s screaming for. Airlines are fee happy and you could easily drain your wallet before you arrive at your final destination. If you plan to fly with kids during the busy summer travel season, but can’t afford to go broke in the process, consider the following tips: If you plan to bring a … Continue reading →

Not the Way You Want to Start Your Vacation

“Hope for the Best. Expect the worst.” I think Mel Brooks helped make those words famous. Or maybe it was the person, who typed them up on small pieces of white paper, and stuck them into fortune cookies. Either way the idiom often becomes my mantra when traveling with children. I just survived a 10,000-mile journey to and from Hawaii with my young daughter, and yes, I hoped for the best, but expected the worst. Shockingly, things went fairly smoothly… unlike past trips. Despite two delayed flights and a few shoulder blows courtesy of the guy sitting behind me, who … Continue reading →

Save on a Winter Ski Vacation

I much prefer sunbathing on a tropical island than skiing down an icy slope. However, the deals being offered by ski resorts across the nation right now are so incredible, they actually made me reconsider my upcoming Hawaiian vacation… for like 30 seconds. If you are aching to feel the rush of flying down the face of a mountain at highway speeds, without having to drain your wallet, then you might consider the following fabulous winter ski deals: COLORADO If you are a serious skier, then you can save big by purchasing Vail Resorts’ $599 Epic Pass. The deal offers … Continue reading →

Family Fun in Mississippi

Forget about Manhattan, the Muppets are taking on Mississippi, and they want you to come along for the ride. “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” a new interactive exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art, offers fun for the entire family. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a die-hard fan of the quirky, hairy puppets, which used to have their own television show. One stroll through the “Fantastic World” and you’ll be mesmerized by the magic Jim Henson has created. In addition to the weird-looking, fanged puppets, which performed skits on “The Muppet Show,” the exhibit also features more familiar characters, such … Continue reading →

Winter Break Travel Specials For Families

Don’t let the fear of nut cases with liquid explosives strapped to their bodies poised to bring down jumbo jets ruin your family’s winter travel plans. In the wake of the failed Christmas Day (alleged) terror plot on Northwest Airlines flight 253, several airlines have been actively promoting their “Kids Fly Free” deals. Here’s a look at one of the best packages available: Note: Reservations must be booked by December 31, 2009. United Airlines and American Airlines have teamed up with Vail and Beaver Creek resorts in an effort to give your family quality time on the slopes this winter. … Continue reading →