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TTK: Holiday Travel
Sunday, October 28, 2007 GATHERING THE GANG AWAY FROM HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Tribune Media Services It’s only October but Sandra Arthur has her extended family’s Thanksgiving gathering entirely planned out. And she’s not going to spend a single minute in the kitchen. That’s because Arthur, her four siblings, spouses and their kids plan to spend the Thanksgiving weekend at the YMCA’s Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park, Colo., (http://www.ymcarockies.com). “We’re coming from all over the country,” says Arthur, who lives in Southern California, adding that everyone is looking forward to the snow. “It just makes it more fun than getting together at someone’s house. There are no hassles. Everyone can relax.” Another plus: it’s less crowded than the summer.” Clearly, a growing number of families agree. They’re planning to travel just as much over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, travel experts say, but instead of crowding into grandma’s house, sleeping on lumpy sofa beds, many are meeting on cruise ships, at ski resorts (Thanksgiving can be a bargain), dude ranches, Walt Disney World, far flung locales like Costa Rica, Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands, where grandparents are footing the hefty bill, and the YMCA of the Rockies - where lodge rooms cost just $80 a night. (Check out http://www.trustedadventures.com. ) More "GATHERING THE GANG AWAY FROM HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS" »Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The U.S. Department of Transportation received more than 11,000 reports of lost luggage per day last year—the highest figure since 1990. We’ve arrived in the Caribbean without baby clothes and in Wyoming without our skis.
USA Today reports that airline delays increased sharply last year. With the Air Transport Association reporting that record numbers of people will fly this summer—approximately 21.4 million passengers on U.S. airlines—expect delays and long security lines. Here’s how to cope when flying with the kids:
AAA says more than 80 percent of vacation trips this summer will be by car, despite high gas prices. (AAA’s site www.fuelcostcalculator.com can help you figure out how much you’ll spend on gas and visit www.carcare.org for a free guide) Here’s how to make the road trip part of the adventure and not an endurance contest:
Sunday, December 24, 2006 Looking Back at Memorable Holiday Trips
Tribune Media Services Talk about a holiday miracle. I don’t mean the kids not fighting over each other’s toys, or not complaining that they’re bored as soon as they’ve ripped the brightly colored paper and ribbons off the last gift. I’m talking about watching palm-sized baby turtles gingerly make their way from a nest hidden at the edge of the Costa Rican rain forest across a desolate beach to the water’s edge on Christmas Eve. They reached the Pacific just as the sun was setting, and we cheered. Seeing those tiny turtles would have been a stellar experience any time. But the fact that it was Christmas, that the locals thought all the turtles had already hatched, that we were in such an exotic locale, and, most important, that my family was together that night on that remote beach made the experience all the more special and memorable. (Good thing, because none of us had a camera!) More "Looking Back at Memorable Holiday Trips" »Sunday, December 17, 2006 Surviving Airports This Holiday Season
Tribune Media Services Uh oh. Maggie Washburn inadvertently booked her daughter Lane’s holiday plane ticket from Kansas City to Connecticut for the wrong day. Sixteen-year-old Lane, who was coming to visit my daughter Melanie, was one very unhappy camper when her mom discovered the mistake just before her trip. Lane and Melanie had already bought concert tickets! Because flights were so jammed, Washburn was convinced she wouldn’t be able to switch Lane’s ticket. I advised her to call the airline anyway. In the end, the Southwest ticket was changed for just $32. Phew! Washburn joked that she no longer was the worst mom on the planet. The girls made it to their concert. Should your air-travel plans be derailed this holiday season by a mistake, bad weather, overbooked flights or long lines (gone are the days when ticket agents would bump you to the front of the line if you were running late), whip out your cell phone and call the airline to see what it can do for you. In fact, it’s often quicker to call than to wait in line at the airport. The worst that can happen is some grumpy agent will turn you down. But maybe an elf is looking over the agent’s shoulder, watching out for you. We can hope, anyway. More "Surviving Airports This Holiday Season" »Thursday, December 14, 2006 Surviving Holiday Flights When You’re Taking the Kids
Whether infrequent family fliers are heading to visit family or squeeze in some R&R with the kids during school vacation, here’s what they need to know before heading to the airport this holiday season: SHIP THE GIFTS ahead and if possible, your must-have gear and luggage. You can ship FedEx Ground, UPS or through companies like http://www.luggageconcierge.com or http://www.luggageforward.com among others. It isn’t cheap but it will save you time waiting for your bags—and considerable aggravation should they get lost, an increasingly common occurance these days. ALLOW A LOT OF EXTRA TIME. This is especially important for families who may need to park at crowded airport lots and shepherd three kids through security lines. Traveling during the holiday season is stressful enough. You don’t want to compound the stress by worrying about making your flight. And remember, airlines no longer bump you to the front of the line if you’re running late. More "Surviving Holiday Flights When You’re Taking the Kids" »Wednesday, November 22, 2006 Surviving the Holiday Travel Crush When You Fly with Kids
For more tips, visit http://www.takingthekids.com
Sunday, November 19, 2006 Surviving Thanksgiving with the Relatives
(click image to enlarge) Tribune Media Services We must be crazy. We pay through the nose for plane tickets on the busiest travel weekend of the year, brave crowded airports and long security lines, and endure bickering kids and clogged highways just so we can sleep on a lumpy sleeper sofa, overeat, and try (mostly unsuccessfully) to keep the kids from wreaking havoc in someone else’s house for four days. No wonder a recent Expedia survey showed that 42 percent of us would prefer to stay in a hotel rather than with our families when making an out-of-town visit during the holiday season. The American Automobile Association says that more than 65 million Americans—a record number—will be traveling this Thanksgiving, with many of us making the trip by car. (Visit http://www.aaamaps.com to find the best routes.) There’s not much you can do about heavy traffic or bad weather except get your car checked before you go, stock up on CDs and audio books from the library, and remember to bring batteries for the kids’ gadgets, along with plenty of snacks. This may be the trip to invest in a portable DVD player, too. And wherever you’re going, allow plenty of extra time. You’ll need even more extra time if you’re flying. I can tell you from personal experience that airlines don’t necessarily bump you to the front of the line if you’re short on time. We’ve been chided for not getting to the airport earlier (we thought two hours were sufficient), and we missed our flight. We weren’t able to get home until the next day. Check the Transportation Security Administration Web site (http://www.tsa.gov) to see the latest rules for carry-on bags (remember: no liquids or gels that weigh more than 3 ounces), and be mindful of the weight of your other luggage (more than 50 pounds and you’ll be assessed a fee). Don’t be surprised if your suitcase gets lost, either. More "Surviving Thanksgiving with the Relatives" »Wednesday, November 08, 2006 A Guide to Surviving the Relatives Over the Holidays
Here’s Eileen Ogintz’s TAKING THE KIDS GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE RELATIVES:
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