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Where Oh Where Should We Go On Our Next Vacation?

This is a common question asked online literally hundreds of times a day, in one form or another. Needless to say, the world is huge, and there are literally thousands of cities to visit, so it can be a daunting task to pinpoint just one to vacation to when the time comes to plan one. This also becomes a bit more complicated when you have multiple people traveling together with different wants and needs when traveling. The vacation planner, usually me in my case, will have to consider many things when making the decision, like the nearby attractions and things to do that particular spot and also the weather and eateries. This may be why Florida is usually at the top of the list when this question comes to mind for me.

Florida has something for everyone, literally. Like rides? Theme Parks. Like to eat? Themed restaurants and unique diners. Like Nature? State Parks with springs and nature hikes. Like to lounge? The Beach and countless pools. You see? Everyone has something to look forward to doing when going to the Sunshine State. Yeah, they get hurricanes, but those are easy to plan around. Every place in the US has something quirky or irksome to watch out for, California has fires and earthquakes, Vegas has swarms of grasshoppers, the midwest gets tornadoes and floods, and so on and so forth. Anyway, Orlando being the main attraction in Florida is centrally located, and since it’s not on the coast isn’t usually hit too bad by hurricanes.

Well, it’s that time again for me and I was thinking if not Florida, then where? My first thought was Mexico. The kids have been bugging us to take them on an international trip ever since we went and got their passports. I figured we’d take them somewhere, sometime, out of the country, but never got around to actually planning it. It’s better to be prepared with the passports in case we got some spare time off and wanted to do a spontaneous trip. Well, guess who’s got the next 8 days off?! Me. And who’s asking for time off at their job, too? My husband.

So, we were thinking Cancun. It seems to be a great starter location when traveling abroad. The weather seems as if it’ll be hot and sunny during the stay and there’s plenty of activities to enjoy, like Xcaret and Xel Ha. Not to mention the old, historical Mayan Pyramids. I mean it’s kind of like Florida in the way that the weather will be nice and plenty of stuff to do at the resort and nearby.

I also already found great airfare. I’m guessing since the summer is over and the kids are back to school the rates have gone down significantly. It’s only like $150 per person when usually it’s over twice that much. Then, when I was looking for a place to stay, we came across some really good timeshare deals that included meals and drinks. The resort promotions on the Stay Promo site looked amazing and I saw that it was a lengthy stay (4 nights) for under $1,000. The pieces just kind of came together and it seems to be pointing to Cancun as the next vacation destination for me and my family. We still need to do a little bit more research and make sure my husband can get these short notice dates off, too. Then we will need to decide if we want the kids to miss a couple of days of school (I mean, they all maintain A’s and B’s, so I doubt they’d miss much or get behind for just a couple of days). I know we have to move quick though, these days off will go fast especially with the first and last days already taken up by travel and packing.

I know one thing for sure, the kids would be Stoked, with a capital S. I mean, they don’t even know that we’ve got this extra time off. I’ve just been quietly lounging at home on my laptop computer, researching different options all day and texting with my husband to get his input on it. Not even one of them has asked me what I’m doing, so they’re obviously oblivious to the plan I’m trying to put together for us. I mean, if we are able to do this, spend a week or so in Cancun, with meals and drinks included for the whole family, for under a couple thousand dollars, we should definitely do it. Who knows when we will get another chance? The kids are getting older and will eventually leave the house and get busy with college, and then we may have missed the opportunity, if we don’t do it now.

Now, I know that sounds dramatic, but it seems like time flies when you’re stuck in a day to day life. The mundane routine, wake up, shower, go to work, come home, go to bed, wake up, shower, etc...and so on. It’s a really vicious cycle and sometimes you just need to shake things up. Stir the pot. Really go out and experience new things and it’s all better when you’re with the ones you love. Memories are priceless, and if you don’t take full advantage of it when you have the time to, when will you? I might wake up tomorrow to discover that I’m 90 years old and have never seen the beautiful cenotes of Cancun. How dramatic, but how true?! Anyway, I’m sure you get my point. It seems like I’ve found our next vacation destination.

I have about 20 tabs worth of deals I found up to show my husband when he gets home from work. And I’m fairly confident that by this time tomorrow we’ll all be packed and ready for a few fun days in Cancun. Now I will just need to spend tomorrow making last minute purchases at Walmart of things we’ll need to bring with us and putting together a list of fun activities and sights to see while we’re visiting.

First thing on the list: Beachfront Daiquiri with my husband.

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Tips For Families Traveling To Orlando With Toddlers

I’m so excited! My husband and I just got some surprise time off, at the same time. That happens so rarely that we have to make sure to take full advantage of it. We booked a quick trip to Orlando post haste! We decided to stay with Westgate again, but this time Westgate Lakes. We all had such a great time during the last visit, and it was so reasonably priced (it is rainy season afterall, and who likes to come up with rainy day activities in Orlando?) that we decided to try out one of their other properties.

Packing and getting ready for a quick getaway got me thinking about how lucky we are that we can literally just pack up and go pretty much whenever we want to. I thought I’d share some of my best kept travel tips that helps me and my family get going and have a great time on vacation.

TIP #1: Don’t overpack.

This might be a difficult one for any family with teenagers because they may have anxiety about traveling and not having that one specific item they’ll only need if they Don’t bring it (ie, makeup, jewelry, hair gel, 7 pairs of shoes, etc), but if you’re traveling with little ones, toddlers specifically, this should be a breeze. Pack your normal outfits, diapers, wipes, and a couple of their favorite toys and you should be all set. Really, you don’t even need to bring your own pack and play since most hotels offer cribs these days, but if you’re like me, you may prefer to bring your own just in case. Germs are everywhere!

TIP #2: Involve everyone in the packing process.

A lot of times, when we’re getting ready for a trip, I’ll be rushing around the house looking for all the things we need to bring with us. I’ll be ignoring the kids while trying to make sure not to forget anything. I have found, however, that the easier and quicker approach is to sit the night before and make a list of everything we’ll need. First I start with a column for each traveler, me, my husband, and each one for the kids. The next day I present the list to each individual (except my husband, I do his packing for him, he’s got enough to worry about, plus I know where everything is), and I leave them each in charge of gathering their own items. I also provide the luggage for them and they know that once it’s filled, that’s it. Once they’ve claimed they have it all, I sit and go through the list and make sure they got it all.

This does 3 things: 1.) It makes sure that they really do have everything they’ll need....2.) It allows them to have some responsibility and teaches them how to pack for themselves.....and 3.) It takes some of the pressure off me.

TIP #3: Pre-Plan your trip and then expect delays.

There’s no way that you can plan for everything, but if you have a general outline to follow it’ll help with time management and it’ll also make sure that you get to do mostly everything you want to do in the destination you’re visiting. It’s usually a good idea to have backup ideas and this is definitely something that you want to get everyone involved in. The last thing you want to do is have any of the travelers feeling left out, especially if they’re kids. You want everyone to feel like their opinion matters. Even if they recommend something that’s not great or sounds boring, still consider it. There’s obviously a reason they mentioned it, and it’s always a good idea to show interest in your kids interests. If there is something that is completely out of the question, make sure to recommend something that is way better than the original suggestion. Parents you know what I’m talking about. My son wanted to go to a shooting range with live ammunition, when he was 8, and I said “No way”, he’s older now, I may consider it...Instead I hyped him up to go play laser tag and eat pizza.

TIP# 4: Stay at a hotel with lots of perks.

Anywhere you go on a vacation there is always going to be the difficult choice of where you’re going to stay. If you’re coming with kids you will want to pick a place that gives you the most for your value. Try to find a hotel or resort that offers plenty of things for the kids (mini golf, water park, movie theater, etc.). Free breakfast is always a good perk, too. If you’re traveling with teenagers you know how much they can eat. You can save a bundle if a hearty, hot breakfast is already included.

TIP# 5: Allow for real downtime. You don’t have to be doing Something all the time.

This is difficult one for me. I am a go-go-go kind of person. This was something my husband had to teach me. A vacation should be about relaxing, especially if you’re an overworked parent with limited time off. The last thing you want to do is shell out hundreds of dollars for a getaway, just to come home feeling even more exhausted than you did when you left. So make sure to pencil in a day or two to just lounge. Lounge by the pool. Lounge at the beach. Lounge and have a picnic. Just RELAX. There’s plenty of time to squeeze in nearby attractions, but make sure to take care of yourself first and the rest will fall into place. Also, if you’re coming with a spouse or partner, make time for some alone time with them, too, to keep the passion burning.

These are just a few of the very important tips that I live by when traveling. Sometimes it’s hard to remember and to keep your cool when traveling with toddlers, especially to Orlando where there’s an attraction on every corner, but it’s definitely possible to go for a short trip and have a great, relaxing time with the whole family. Just put together a plan before you get there and, most importantly, make sure to relax while you’re there.

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What Wonders A Day At The Beach Will Do

Have you ever noticed how tired you get after a nice day at the beach and how amazing a nap afterward is? How rejuvenated and relaxed you feel? Well, we just went to the beach this past weekend. The ride there was raucous with all the kids full of energy and excitement at the thought of a fun-filled day splashing around in the waves and building sand castles.

We got up early Saturday morning, packed the car with everything we were going to need for the day, including munchie foods (chips, grapes, and some sandwiches), beach toys (sand castle molds, football, boogie boards and kites) and our towels and big beach umbrella. We left the house by 9AM after eating a big family breakfast.

Once we arrived and found a parking spot (the place was packed!) we all unloaded and everyone had their assigned item(s) they were responsible to bring. We shoved as much as we could into the cooler with wheels, but the big items, like the umbrella and the boogie boards, have to be carried. That’s always fun. Once we hit the sand and found a spot to lay our stuff out, the kids all darted away in different directions. They all know not to go too far away and to check in with us every few minutes.

While my husband had the duty of keeping a watchful eye on them all, an assignment he gladly takes, I got to lounge on our huge beach towel and catch up on some much needed leisure reading. I have made it a goal to reread the entire Harry Potter series this year. It was one of my favorites book series and I’m trying to get the kids into it now, too. Lead by example, right?

After we wrangled the kids up, ate our lunch, and reapplied sunblock all around we played a bit of catch with all of us together. Just seeing the kids running around and laughing as they dive in the sand for the ball made the whole outing worth it. After a little, when it was getting close to time to go, we all decided to go splash around in the water. The waves were the perfect size to allow us to launch them to the shore on their boogie boards. That was always one of my favorite things to do with my father when I was a kid and hopefully it’ll be theirs, too.

After everything was packed up and ready to go we headed back to the car. We also packed a couple of two liter bottles of water to keep in the car to wash the sand off our feet before getting back inside the vehicle. There’s nothing worse than sand in the floorboards and seats of a car. No matter how many times you vacuum, you will never get it all.

On the ride home we all napped. It’s not even a long ride, maybe an hour and a half. The kids were out within 20 minutes. I tried keeping my eyes open, for my husband’s sake, but just couldn’t do it. He woke me up as we were pulling into the driveway. That short nap was only maybe an hour or so, and yet I felt like I had slept an entire day. I hadn’t felt so relaxed in a while.

Mt final conclusion and the only thing I can think of to explain it, between the warm sun, working out my stressed muscles in the water, and the salty breeze on my skin, is that the ocean is a source of rejuvenation. If you don’t believe me, you must not have been to the beach recently, maybe it’s time for you to go see for yourself.

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The Westgate Town Center In Orlando Was The Perfect Resort

When traveling to Orlando you have to do a lot of searching to find the perfect place to stay. There are also many things to consider. You will have to decide what area you want to stay in. Do you want to be near Disney, on I-Drive, closer to Universal, etc? While it may cost a pretty penny to stay anywhere near the attractions, with enough persistence you may also get lucky and find a really good deal, like I did.

Our last trip to Orlando took weeks of planning. I even made a couple of reservations, but ended up having to cancel them when I found a better deal somewhere else. After I cancelled the second reservation I had made, we finally decided on the Westgate Town Center. Let me breakdown the reasoning as to why this ended up being our pick for our Orlando vacation.

This huge Westgate resort is located right in the heart of Kissimmee, Florida. It's literally less than 15 minutes from Disney and offers free shuttles, which was a convenient plus. They have so many amenities onsite that we literally could've stayed there the entire time and not taken advantage of everything. They also had a water park with plenty of splash cannons and a lazy river to keep the kids busy for hours while me and my husband took full advantage of the poolside bar and grill. If you're saying that a waterpark wouldn't keep the kids busy all day, there was also a movie theater and mini-golf course onsite, too.

Now, keep in mind that It's not everyday that I take time out of my busy day to rave about a place, but this place really was the creme de la creme. Besides the water park and the poolside bar & grill. The room was also great. We got a 2-bedroom villa with a full kitchen and washer and dryer in the unit. It was perfectly spacious enough for our family of four and had a jetted tub which got plenty of use while we were there.

While we were visiting Orlando we also checked out a bunch of other great attractions in the area. We decided to spend one of our days at Discovery Cove. That park included everything from the meals and drinks to the sunblock and we got to swim with the dolphins. Definitely an amazing experience. We also visited the Pirates Dinner Show on I-Drive and got to have a swashbucklin' good time with dinner and show. The kids loved it, that's for sure. Besides a couple of other outings, like to the nearby outlets and the Orlando Science Center, we mostly just spent our time at the resort.

We stayed in Orlando, at the Westgate Resort, for 5 nights and while the nights are usually $200 and up per night, but we ended up finding a really good deal on our stay for over 50% off the stay...all thanks to my persistent online searching. We will definitely be staying there again in the future. We both had gotten a full week off from work, so we decided to spend our last night at the beach. That was a last minute decision, but it was nice to spend a day at the beach and wake up to the sound of waves outside.

Overall I'd say we all had a really great time on this vacation. By the end of it the kids were hyped and ready to head back to school and me and my husband were well-rested and ready to get back to work. That's what a vacation should do. You should never come home from a vacation and not feel relaxed and 100% ready to dive right back to reality.

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A Disney Packing List Comes Through In The Clutch

If you find yourself planning a trip to Orlando you're going to need to make sure that you have all of the items on your Disney packing list together. It's important when traveling for any longer than just a couple of days that you make sure you have everything with you that is going to make your trip more comfortable.

Let's start with the basics. First you're going to need a good travel wallet. Travel wallets are essential for any real traveler. There are plenty to choose from, in all shapes, sizes, and colors. These will easily hold the items you will need with you at all times, like your ID, passport, cash, and your phone. You will definitely want to find one that comes with a sturdy wrist strap. I bought one of these before and it was merely held together by a tiny metal link, that was already cracked open a bit. Since I had noticed this prior to actually going out of town and using it, I had to do a little bit of my own modifications. I ended up replacing the broken (or breaking) link with an old key chain ring. That was 4 years ago and my travel wallet is still in excellent shape and packed away nicely in my empty suitcase.

You will also want to invest in a comfortable pair of tennis shoes. I know you're thinking, duh, obviously I'm going to bring shoes, but I didn't think of this before, and I had to find out the hard way. On our last trip to Disney I wore a pair of flip flops. They were my most comfortable pair, really broken in, but midway through our trip one of my flip flops flipped its last flip and never flopped again. While I was devastated that my favorite pair of sandals were no more, I was also devastated that I had to shell out over $40 for another pair of shoes that didn't look like they'd be able to handle more than a couple of hours of wear and tear. I couldn't walk around the park with one shoe and I wasn't about to leave to buy a new pair at a cheaper rate, especially after spending over $100 each to get in. If I'd have had a pair of lightweight sneakers this wouldn't have happened and that $40 could have gone towards something else during the trip (like a few margaritas...just saying) or I'd be $40 richer.

The last bit of advice I have for a trip to Disney and what to pack is to bring your own towels. I'm not a germophobe by any means, but most of the hotels I've stayed at I've seen my fair share of other people's hair embedded into the towels. The last thing I want to do, while trying to enjoy a vacation, is be drying my face with other people's hair. Many of you are probably thinking that I'm crazy, but next time you go stay at a hotel, look at the towels. They'll probably be white, so it'll be very easy to spot the hair. Granted, it's not at every hotel I've ever stayed at, but it's been at enough that I've decided to pack my own towel when I travel. It doesn't even take up much room in the suitcase, you just fold it once, and put it at the bottom and stack everything else up on top.

There are many different tips and tricks and ideas about what to bring on a vacation to Orlando and Disney, especially if you're traveling with toddlers or teenagers. All it takes is a quick search online and you can find dozens of packing lists and helpful hints of things to make sure you don't forget.

A couple of things to remember when coming down to Florida for a nice getaway:Small umbrella or poncho, sunscreen, and plenty of spending money.

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Taking A Toddler To Orlando On A Budget

When you hear Orlando you probably think of overcrowded theme parks and outrageous prices for everything, and while that's mostly true, there are still plenty of things you can do that are not overpriced. I travel with young children and have come across a few lesser known attractions that are perfect if you're taking a toddler to Orlando on a budget. Here are a few free and/or free things that you can do in Orlando without even stepping foot into Disney.

A lot of people don't often think about the natural beauty of Orlando. If you venture a little past the hustle and bustle of the big theme parks you will find loads of parks with lakes and hiking trails. There are also plenty of springs throughout Florida, too. If your kids are anything like mine they can probably spend hours just splashing around in a lake or river. If that's the case you can check out Three Sisters Springs located in Crystal River. During certain times of the year you will find it full of manatees. Or, if you have any little ones that like mermaids, maybe check out the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park for an activity they will be awed by. They have mermaid show and the water stays around 72 degrees all year. These are just a couple of suggestions if you and your family enjoy natural surroundings and tranquil areas full of fun water activities. There are plenty to choose from and most are free to get into or charge a low rate per car.

Another great option is to take advantage of good old fashioned Window Shopping. When we go on vacation we do not get suckered into buying things we do not absolutely need. We set a limit and that's it, once it's spent, it's gone, so we're very careful with what we spend our money on. The kids, too. So, we do a lot of window shopping when we go on vacation. We check out the outlet malls, which are plentiful in Orlando, and just look around. The Florida Mall and the Premium Outlets are a couple of our favorites. We head into the toy shops and let the kids run around and play with the various toys or the novelty shops. This is a fantastic way to spend the day, and as long as we set expectations before we go in, the kids are well-behaved. We do allow them $5 each. This is also a great way to teach them how to manage their finances and really make them rethink their spending. You'd be surprised how much my 7 year old son has saved by now, by not buying what he wants, or settling for something cheaper, and saving some of his money.

Mini-golf is also a great activity for the family. There are tons of mini-golf course scattered throughout Orlando. They even have a glow in the dark one located in Festival Bay and ones where you can hold a live alligator. Some of these offer deals for families that allows for hours of fun. They have so many little statues and characters that go along with the theme that the kids will even want to take a bunch of photos while you're there. If you decide to check out the mini-golf around Orlando, check out the lobby of your hotel and you'll probably find coupons that'll save you even more.

Now, the last thing I'd recommend, if you're really on a budget but still want to have a great time on vacation in Orlando with your toddler and kids, is to just stay in. Enjoy the hotel or resort you're staying at. Most of the properties in Orlando offer amazing amenities, especially for kids. You can expect video arcades, splash areas and waterslides, and I have even seen some resorts offer kid's clubs with arts and crafts activities. The latter one is usually offered with a small surcharge, but completely worth it if you're trying to squeeze in a smidgen of quality time with your spouse.

This is literally just the tip of the iceberg. As you can see there are plenty of things to do in Orlando, besides Disney, that'll still allow you to have a great time on vacation, even if you're traveling on a budget. Orlando is such an enriching place to travel to with so many options and things to do, it'd be impossible to list them all here. By taking just these few recommendations you're sure to have a great time a while saving beaucoup bucks.

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Travel As A Lifestyle And A Word On Flats In The North

Traveling is something that I have always been passionate about ever since I was a toddler and saw those Disney World commercials that paint it as just the most wonderful place to be. I guess it always seemed a much better place to romp around and cause mayhem than the living room of our modest 2-Bedroom flat in Poughkeepsie, or maybe I was frequently bored and unimpressed with the banality of a middle-class family’s lifestyle, (big fish, little pond syndrome?) I don’t know. Whatever the reason, I always dreamed of just sprouting wings and floating off with the wind to see all of the different places in the world like a wayward leaf that broke free from the oppression of the twig of the mundane.

Currently, I guess I’m not too far from Poughkeepsie, but I have made use of me and my family’s free time we’re occasionally generously bequeathed to get out and expand our horizons. I believe the longer we’re cooped up in our own home city without a break, no matter how big our city may seem to us or the outside observer, the more the walls start closing in not only on our surroundings, but inside our minds until we become closed-minded shells of our own existence. Too much of a good thing is always bad as a constant and, along the same vein, the comfort of a home can plausibly become too comfortable over time, hypothetically causing irreversible damage.

In my mind, once we start discovering the world, we truly start to discover ourselves. Not necessarily in a visible manner, but in a more existentially survivalist and ultimately altogether human fashion. Travel has become more than just a behavior, but one of a few beneficial habits of a cleansing nature like cleaning accumulating dirt and dust in our house or like one’s daily shower. Time heals all wounds and sometimes it becomes time to heal the wounds of routine. Everyone in my family has learned and grown so much from our adventures, and more importantly, I believe it has made us all more of a family, so to speak, in a bringing us closer together type of way. Every vacation is a piece of a puzzle of discovery we have yet to complete and gets better in its own unique way.

The family transcends the dictionary definition and begins to intersect more with the definition of the word “team”. We work together so well and whole-family inside jokes are a more of a regular “thing”. I have read and learned so much about travel and the different destinations of the world, I feel like I could write a book or 10. I keep collages, whiteboard studies/plans, all types of research, my own infographics I make to sort out the pros and cons of making a certain location our next destination, books (we WILL see the Egyptian Pyramids soon. (Thank you, Randy!)), travel current events, and very importantly, research on Deals and how to find them. We save so much on our travel and every part of it (it’s like the Extreme Shopping/Couponing, but on travel, so Extreme Travel Shopping?), but I feel I can always do better. We have been paid, on occasion, to travel. So proud of that.

The benefits have become innumerable and too many to list off, but getting out and seeing the world can and should be done with a family for best results. Just saying. Which is why I’ve decided to make our blog here about travel and its many experiences, causes, effects, and laterals. The process of traveling, the particular goings-on of travel, some of our own stories in general, travel industry news, deals I discovered, and so much more will be shared so I can share the idea, the knowledge and the love I have for this simple action (hobby?) that has given so much back to me and my family. We feel like if 1 traveler out there is able to learn, save a few bucks on travel, or discover their next life-changing destination, this thing was worth it. And if you’re not a regular traveler yet, hopefully with time, you can read enough of our blather to be motivated to get up, get packed, and get on out of your proverbial “Poughkeepsie”.

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Where are we

You would think it would be cold year-round up north where we’re at but it is just ridiculously hot today. It’s really making me wonder whether we stepped into some time warp or alternate reality where the world has decided to be topsy-turvy. BTW really liking this thing, it’s (what do the kids say these days? I don’t know) happenin’ cool. They told me to use this # thing so #reallycoulduseadipinafrickinpoolsometimesoon haha

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Is This Thing On?

Let’s see how this thing works. #definitelywanttoseewhatthispostlookslike

Dreary outside our car window