How NOT to Pack!!!

I just couldn't resist!  Obviously this is a joke! :) Thanks to Drea, Caleb, Natalie and Miko for letting me post this picture!

How To Have Sane Holiday Travel with Kids When You Are Flying

Have you ever sat on a plane with a crying baby and felt so bad for the parent? Or maybe you were the one complaining about the baby (as if they could help it?) well, folks, I have been there.

I remember one time I was flying to Tx from Coloado to see my brother and his family. My oldest was just 3,  my middle child was 1, and I was pregnant! The trip out there was delightful. Really. I couldn't have asked for a better trip. I had passengers walk to the back of the plane to use the restroom and tell me how well behaved my kids were and one gentleman in particular, who was sitting very close to us, commented on how he hadn't even realized there children on the flight!

Fast forward one week on the return flight.....I had JUST gotten over a 24 hr bug that left me with no sleep and dehydrated, my children had not really seen me the previous day, due to being sequestered near a bathroom at all times....and as a result, were extra clingy for some mommy attention. Now, throw in a mad dash for the plane, cabin pressure so that ears won't pop, and the need for attention from an exhausted and stressed mom and you have a recipe for a miserable trip.

So what are we to do?  Never leave home?

Now that would be torture!

The obvious:

    1. Rest.

            You, as the parent, need to be rested! Stay calm, children feel

            your stress and react accordingly. If you fly early in the day,

            children are rested from night and not yet tired.

    2. Food.

            Make sure the kids and you are fed, BEFORE boarding the plane.

            Have easy snacks that aren't too messy such as fruit roll-ups or

            granola bars. If the kids are old enough, gum works well for ear 

            pressure.

    3. Bathroom.
            Teeny-tiny airplane bathrooms. Enough said.
    4. Distractions.

            One or two well thought out toys or books go a long way. An iTouch 

            for an older child will keep them plenty busy with all the apps. A 

            favorite QUIET baby toy goes a long way. Your plane mates do not 

            want to hear "Old MacDonald" 53 times from L.A. To Dallas.

The not-so-obvious:
   1. Touch.

             Cranky baby? Try massage. Rub baby's tummy in clockwise motion.

             Try rubbing temples lightly or light compression (gentle squeezing)

             on limbs.

   2. Luggage.

             As tempting as it is to bring everything AND the kitchen sink,

             you WILL survive without every toy baby owns. YOU can survive     

             without 3 changes of clothes per day. If you are not juggling as

             much luggage, you have more hands and attention to your children. 

             BUY diapers when you get to your destination. Check everything that 

             you can do without. Diapers, blankie, snack should be carry on. 

             That's what I call a BARGAIN! 

   3. Enlisting Help.

             If you are the lone adult, like I was, then consider enlisting the

             help of friend. Besides dropping off or picking up at the airport,

             what about asking them to accompany you INSIDE to help corral

             toddlers or luggage? Did you know airlines can give you a gate

             pass so they are allowed to accompany you to the gate even though

             they won't have a boarding pass? You will have better luck on a

             non-busy day, but if you don't ask, you don't receive! Also, don't

             forget a friend can accompany you all the way TO (but not through)  

             security if they don't have a gate pass. 

             And don't forget help on the other end! The same rules apply for help 

             when you arrive at your destination!

Have fun, travel safe AND smart!

Why I LOVE my husband!

You know what else I like about October travels? It's my bday!! AND  our anniversary.  So there has always been lots of surprises this month. It makes me a little anxious, to tell you the truth. But in a good way.

For our 15th anniversary, my sweet hubby planned a trip aboard the American Queen. It was an overnight paddle boat that went up the Mississippi, Ohio, and Cumberland rivers. We met while we were working on the Mississippi Queen, a sister boat, so he wanted to take us down memory lane, but sadly, the MQ wasn't running anymore so we were off to the AQ. Now Rick is pretty brilliant in that he had me fooled the entire time and I didn't suspect a thing! I said he likes to surprise me, right?

We had dear friends as company at our house that week, which probably helped me not to notice anything unusual, as we were busy with them. So the morning we are to leave for the AQ trip (that I knew nothing about), we were supposed to take our friends to the airport and then off to a business meeting so I am dressed in heels, skirt, the whole thing!  When we arrived at the airport, he parked instead of just dropping off our guests, so now, I knew something was up....when I asked him why we were parking he just smiled and out comes the suitcase!  Well, long story short,  he had it all planned, our oldest daughter who was 13 packed for me, and did a GREAT job! I was a bit surprised but I had everything I needed and more. He had thought of everything, he usually does. :)

Ummmm.......What the?????

SURPRISE!!!!!

Just a bit overwhelming by all my friends!

So why should THIS October be any different? I really didn't suspect anything as our anniversary had passed which is when he usually does a surprise. but of course, this being my 40th......

It wasn't a trip. It was better.  I got to spend it with all my family and friends that I love so dearly. It was a wonderful evening filled with lots of laughter!  I wouldn't trade it for anything! Thank you to my family for setting it up and my friends for making a GREAT memory! I love you all!

Leaves, Color, & Breezes

Ahhhh.... Fall. Don't ya just love it? Here in Colorado, the aspens are past their peak but there are few holding on to their bright golden color. We are supposed to get a little snow on Mon. so they will be completely gone after that.  I just love this time of year and most years, here, we are lucky to get two weekends of "fall". Today, we could smell the smoke from the neighbors fire, my daughter is baking cookies, and we had chili for dinner. What a perfect fall day!

We don't have any trips planned this month; although my sister is trying to get me to come visit her for our birthdays (we're twins).  We personally love to travel this time of year, so even though I am not going anywhere, I have been thinking of other October trips. The drive to Alaska was certainly memorable. My favorite fall day that trip was in Dawson City, the start of the AlCan highway. Our kids were young (just under 4, 2, & 1!) and we had stopped at a local playground park for lunch and to let the girls run around. There was tons of big, crunchy Maple leaves that they loved sliding down the slide into, and a brisk fall breeze. We played until their little noses were red and runny, then went across the street for hot soup! It was like a commercial for Cambell's Soup! :).  It started snowing about a week later, and we never saw the ground again while we were up North! It was covered in snow the rest of the trip!
Another trip was through the Parkway, the colors were magnificent! We drove the North Carolina section, and it was up beautifully kept up with nice pull offs for whatever.
Unfortunately, I have never been further north up the East Coast for Fall, than Pittsburg. So that is definitely on our list! I have to say, though, that being on the Mississippi River up to St. Paul, is so gorgeous, I'm sure it gives the Coast a run for it's money.
I have experienced Autumn in I think all the states I've been to which is something like 40! Including Hawaii, which didn't seem like fall at all! while we there. Hopefully you all are enjoying this season no matter where you are. "Traveling" or not. Get out there and LIVE it!

My Favorite Place

I must confess, my favorite place in the whole world is right beside my hubby, my best friend, the love of my life. Wherever he wants to lead me is fine by me!

Trust me, this can literally mean to the ends of the earth! What do I mean by that? Do I mean the far flung Orient? The wilds of Alaska or Timbuktu? While some of that may be true, I mean the end. The end. of. the. earth. As in no people (or precious few, anyway). I chose to follow this man to..... Antarctica! Yep! You read that right. "Why would I want to go there?", my family asked. I had never been anywhere but the Carribean. Simple, really, I had just gotten a taste of exploring a small part of this great world; also, Rick and his sister wanted to go to Antarctica, as this was the last continent for them. So! I asked what any sane person would, "Could I come too?"

Antarctica. Such understated beauty! Don't get me wrong, the penguins are great. But past all that, the sky is open, the land and sea, vast. The sound, like you are ease dropping on a private conversation between the Creator and His creation. You would think it is eerily quiet but actually, the ice is always creaking and groaning, breaking and calving. The penguins are making penguin noises, the walruses grunting and snorting, and the gulls and Albatross, squawking.

Do you know how my man confirmed that I would follow him anywhere?
After he got me to the end of this earth, on a cliff overlooking the ocean, he got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. Of course, I told him he was lying! :) I really did. But when I regained my senses, I told him yes! See? I really do have a favorite place. It is in the arms of the one I love. And now, 17 years later, I would do it all again! Happy Anniversary, Honey. I Love You.

Favorite Places....Tell Me Yours and I'll Tell You Mine!

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to tell me your favorite place. What made it so special? Why is it different than any of your other travels? What are the memories you visit again, and again? Was it a trek in the rain forest? A hike in Nepal?
I would love to hear from you and hope you aren't too tired from too much travel to answer! :) If you haven't physically been there yet, then where do you want to go?

I have to say, Rick has been to so many more places than I have, that he asks me this from time to time. To each of us, it will always be different. Maybe your favorite place keeps changing. That's OK. Pick one. Tell me about it. And I promise next time to tell you mine.


So I have to add, that even though the first comment says it was written by me, it was my hubby Rick. We use the same computer so it comes up as me, but then it sounds like I am writing in third person! Too funny!

Flying Cheap. Is It an Oxymoron?

There is not much to say because I think no matter how average price the ticket, we all wish it was cheaper....
I, for one, am no expert. I only fly about twice a year domestically, the other travels being road trips. That said, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. 
 
First - Air Miles
       If you are going to use a card that gets air miles, get one that can be used on any airline with NO restriction. Citibank has such card.

It came in VERY handy!

Second - Search! 
       Try all the majors, orbitz, travelocity, kayak, etc. Then if you are not on a time crunch going or coming, priceline.com can deliver the goods.
       Or, have you considered smaller airlines that don't participate in those big search aggregates? Southwest is great with the "Ding!" service for last minute bargains and Allegiant Air has great prices but has limited routes. 
      However, owning our own business, I am always on the lookout for the best bargains, as it is still ultimately MY dime.  I stumbled across lastminute.com
I don't recommend waiting till the last minute, but sometimes it is unavoidable! I got very reasonable tickets from Denver to Baltimore for around $225 RT with a stop in D.C. No deplaning and tickets on other sites were $400-600 because it was within 2 weeks from departure. Again, it may not always work out, but worth the look! They have a US version and a UK one.

Third - Buddy Passes
      Totally depends on the airlines. Some run certain price per leg, like United. If you are going non-stop, decent prices and especially last minute. Others are flat rate. Some end up being same as buying ticket ahead of time, like when I flew from Denver to New Orleans. However, the buddy pass ended up cheaper because it cost nothing to change flight out when otherwise was around $100!

When flying overseas, there is all sorts of other factors, namely the countries going to/from. My sis found great deals last minute (unlike USA) because they would rather fill a flight. I have heard of other small airlines in Europe that you can get a ticket from country to country for next to nothing! $45 vs. $225 on major airline.

As with anything, do your research, it pays! And trek responsibly

Hotel Bargains...

Everyone wants to know how we travel so much. Simple. Keep it cheap aka always look for a bargain! Timewise, we homeschool so we are not bound to the school calendar, and we don't work for other people so we are not bound by THEIR schedule.

So, how do you keep all the day to day cost down? Take hotels for example, average cost for an average hotel (Day's Inn, Best Western) seems to be right at $100/night. Well, for starters, be prepared. I am sure Priceline.com has it's merits, but truthfully, I've never used them. Especially on a road trip, it doesn't make much sense as likely or not, we don't know where we are gonna end up. What if we decide to push further that day? Or if we found a really cool Swedish village like Kingsburg, KS and decide to stop for lunch or spend a couple hours seeing the town? 

This is where Travel Buddy comes in handy!   

In my previous post, I mentioned getting a discount book like this one for hotels.  They are found at local Denny's, or gas stations and truck stops.  Look at the cover, because sometimes you find one for an area you are not going to, like the midwest but you are expecting to be in New Mexico that night.

I can remember only one time this book did not pay off, and that was because the AAA discount was better. It has never happened again. It is important to note that not every hotel for an area is in here....but what is listed is a fair showing. Besides, they tell you what is included for each hotel, like wi-fi or breakfast! Again, hotels that serve free breakfast are such a bargain. These days, you can find basic hotels that will even serve scrambled eggs or sausage!
Typically, we can find a hotel, that serves breakfast, for our family of five for around $50!!!   :) 
Who doesn't like that? 


Did you know Hosteling is world-wide and not just for back-packers anymore? Again, check the area you are going to, they come in every price-range as well.
Before we had kids, we stayed at the YMCA in Seattle, (the Seattle YWCA did not allow men). I believe we paid around $20/night! Of course, that was arouond 15 yrs ago....these will only be in urban/city areas and sometimes are the same price of regular hotels, so be sure to check!

One last thing we have always employed, is to look up family, even ones we have never met, or friends you may not have even talked to in years! Your friends are friends for a reason, maybe they don't have the time or $ to travel either, but will gladly put you for the night for a chance to reconnect! Especially if you give them a day or two notice! We have wonderful memories of traveling through the San Juan islands area, and looking up my moms first cousin. I had never met her and yet she welcomed us with open arms. We had a great night getting to know them with fresh crab :) caught in her backyard, and a wonderful home cooked breakfast to boot!  
Don't forget the most important rule of travel, have fun!

For all my fellow Trekkers, I will touch on flying cheap next time! 

4 Road Trips in 4 months!

I love to travel. It invigorates me and soothes my soul at the same time. There is nothing like trekking across the USA and the open road with a great book and full tank of wanderlust. 4 road trips in 4 months!? Are you crazy you ask?   Did I mention I like to travel? 
Yes. We still do old-fashioned road trips.  This summer was a lot even for us. In June, we hit the road for a weekend conference to Cleveland. Next planned was a trip to San Diego in August, for work and play! But what should happen? We are invited up to northern Montana in July for a weekend with great friends, food, & fun! How could we resist? We will gladly slip that one in and then another business/family trip to North Carolina & Tennessee to round out the summer in September! Whew!
How can anyone travel this much and afford it? Well, like most people these days, we are on a budget, so we plan accordingly and do things a little different than some. Here are some of my tips for making the most of a little ($) :
          Plan ahead - 
                            Snacks:
                                 Gorp, popcorn,  CHOCOLATE, Swedish Fish :)  
                                 carrots, & plenty of water!
                             Breakfast:
                                  Bagels & individual cream cheese travel well                 
                             Lunch:                                                       
                                   PB&J, or cheese & crackers & salami stick
                             Dinners:
                                   Find reasonable Local fare.  One of our favorites is 
                                   stopping at a local cheese shop in WI and getting some      
                                   with Loaf of French bread, or smoked fish from the shores 
                                   above Duluth, MN....
          Hotels - We always pick up those little books that are in gas stations or at 
                      Denny's.... If you are not using these, you may be missing out on a 
                      HUGE savings!

Have fun! Take a trip. There are bargains to be found and deals to be made!