Make the Most of Summer Travel

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Whether you homeschool year-round or take time off during the summer months don’t let the season of sunny days fly by without a few fun lessons. Family road trips are the ideal vehicle for hands-on learning.  Rather than allow your kids to blow travel time watching movies, playing video games or annoying their siblings have them master geography using colorful flashcards or practice math facts using your vehicle’s odometer and mile markers along the highway. By involving the entire family in some interactive “car-schooling” your kids will have the states and capitals memorized in no time.  To test your children’s memory … Continue reading

Must-Have Travel Accessory for Kids

I’ve spent the last eight years racking up more than 160,000 frequent flyer miles with my daughter during our annual jaunts from Wisconsin to Hawaii.  If all goes according to plan, we can get from our home to my parents’ house in roughly 18 hours. Of course, things rarely go according to plan. Honestly, I’ve lost track of how many hours I’ve spent in various airplanes and airports with a young child who would rather be anywhere other than in an airplane or airport. What I do recall are all of the mistakes I’ve made during those seemingly endless flights. … Continue reading

Save on St. Patrick’s Day Travel

The luck of the Irish is on the side of frugal travelers this month. Several hotels are offering money-saving deals on St. Patrick’s Day themed packages.  Meanwhile, some cities are featuring holiday fun for the entire family for free, including: California:  Go green in sunny San Diego this year.  On Saturday, March 16th the city will be hosting an Irish bash like no other beginning with a massive St. Patrick’s Day parade.  It features more than 120 marching bands, towering floats, dancers, bagpipe contingents, singers, drill teams, clowns and a variety of other entries.  The parade kicks off at 10:30 … Continue reading

Stretch Your Thanksgiving Travel Dollar

According to Tripadvisor.com, more than 35 percent of Americans will be traveling during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Of the people who are planning to leave town, more than one-third will fly, despite the sluggish economy and higher airfares. The remainder of travelers will take to the roads or the rails to get to grandma’s house for turkey and pie. With millions of people getting ready to hit the highways to drive 500 miles or more during the holiday weekend, gas prices will be an issue. In addition, you will have to factor in hotel costs, especially if you can’t stomach … Continue reading

Let the Summer Travel Chaos Begin

Ready… set… travel. Friday kicks off the start of the summer travel season. Where are you planning to spend Memorial Day weekend? According to AAA, nearly 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the long holiday weekend, a slight increase over last year. Interestingly, even with the exorbitant price of gas, AAA is predicting that more than 30 million people plan to drive to their vacation destination. That means roughly nine out of ten holiday travelers will take to the nation’s roadways during the Memorial Day weekend. If you are planning to travel with kids, … Continue reading

Prepping for Summer Holiday Travel

Memorial Day is the official kick-off to the busy summer travel season. However, surging gas prices don’t paint a pretty picture for families looking to hit the highway or take to the air to visit grandma while school is out. Fortunately, there are ways to save if you plan on making travel a top priority this summer. According to experts at Travelocity, despite insanely high fuel prices you can still find a decent deal on domestic flights if you book early. And by early experts mean now. The online agency claims that you can score reduced rates on airline fares … Continue reading

Heat Up Winter Travel

This winter’s wild weather has even the most seasoned meteorologists shaking their heads. Imagine what it’s doing to travel agents. According to industry experts, winter travel inquiries have nearly doubled in the last two weeks. Unexpected snow along the West Coast, wind storms across the Midwest and tornadoes down south have prompted many people to seek refuge in tropical locales. If you don’t have enough money to fund an escape to Hawaii or the Caribbean, then consider a more affordable jaunt to Florida. Miami has experienced a recent surge in budget-friendly hotel openings. Some decent options that provide comfort and … Continue reading

Traveling for the Holidays

Are you planning a road trip this Christmas? Visiting family is important during the holidays, but traveling can be a little intimidating if you are a single parent. Just loading the kids up to go to the grocery store can be a challenge. You may be feeling a little discouraged about the long drive, but here are some tips and tricks we’ve learned from our own road trips to make the journey just a little less stressful. Bring plenty of things to keep the kids entertained. Long car rides are boring, especially for children who seem to have the attention … Continue reading

Save on End of Summer Travel

I’ve gotten to a point in life where I am thankful to be alive, but I don’t celebrate turning a year older. I’m old, but still breathing. Why harp on a number? That said, I do reveal my age when necessary. For example, doctor’s appointments, security checks, and… when making hotel reservations. You might consider divulging your age as well if you are looking to score super savings on a hotel room this Labor Day weekend. Starwood recently announced that it is bringing back its “Pay Your Birth Year” promotion. It’s not as painful as it sounds. In order to … Continue reading

Three Games to Inspire a Love of Letters

Bananagrams is a fun, fast and portable game that appeals to wordsmiths and word strugglers alike. The genius of this game rests in its simplicity. To play you simply need a flat surface. A table, floor, or tray will do just fine. The entire game is kept in a banana shaped pouch with is easy to bring anywhere. The object of the game is to spell out words in a crossword style. The first person to use all his or her tiles is the winner. This game can be played in as few as five minutes. This is a great … Continue reading