The All American Road Trip

Do you love new adventures and exploring new areas? I have loved "family drives" since I was a kid.   When I was young, my parents would put us all in the car and head out to a mountain lake, a fair, an historical site, a beach ... you never knew where you'd end up!  

As an adult, I love to continue to explore.  I like to map out a path and then stop and explore as the mood strikes or places I've highlighted on my list. How else would I know that there is a life sized recreation of Stonehenge in Virginia, known as "Foamhenge"?
 

And I definitely would not have otherwise spent 2 hours exploring the most amazing boot barn somewhere in Missouri (yes, I do have boots from that stop!), wandered the coast of North Carolina envisioning the Wright Brothers' first flight, or exploring funky metal work shops and collections in Arizona. 

When I'm mapping out a road trip (for me or for a client), after I have all the important things settled -- the

hotels, the main route, then the fun begins.  What are the quirky things to see on the way? Famous restaurant that you saw on a TV show?  Area where some of your favorite old westerns were filmed? Scope them out, make a list, and keep it in your itinerary. 

As a travel agent, I find out what my clients enjoy - history? food? science? fossils? and then I research these things on their travel path.  Roadtrip vacations can be so much fun if you are flexible and willing to veer off the beaten path every once in a while.

You might not stop at everything on your list, but you can have options available based on the mood in the car. 

Sometimes the unexpected stops add to the best family memories and stories!

What are some of the fun stops you've made on your travels? Share in the comments!

What is there to do on a cruise?

 Yes, I have absolutely said those words. Or something along those lines.  I wasn't sure I would like being on a ship for a week -- I'm not a take it easy kind of girl after all! 

I'll just leave a few things here to show you that taking a cruise is as much or as little as you want it to be. I was by no means going all day like crazy, and there were lots of activities that I missed because I was doing something out.  FOMO is real baby!

Here are photos of some of the fun things to do on a cruise ship (yes, its messy and random on purpose!)

Swim, relax, enjoy

 

Lounges, pubs, and dining. Lounges are not just for drinks - think trivia, karaoke, dance lessons along with tastings of different categories, such as champagne, wine, bourbon, martinis, etc. 

Music Music Music so much music - live music, djs, relaxing music, fabulous party times, on the ship, on the islands, everywhere.

Shows & entertainment

Strolling the ship, enjoying the views and people watching

 

Kid and Family time

These are the photos of things I did, but of course there were lot of things I didn't do because I was busy  doing my own thing and having fun!

What are some things I didn't do?  dance classes, work out (bahahahaha), play basketball, fooseball, bowling; yoga on deck; crafting (ok, I did do a paper craft one day, but I forgot to take a photo and I gave my gorgeous paper flowers to a crew member who admired them); liquor tastings (champagnes, whiskeys, wines, different offerings at different spots!);trivia of all sorts- kids, tv, music, general; bingo; pickleball; language lessons; ping pong; comdey shows..so much.  

Most of those things are free (some of the liquor tastings had a cost) but there are add ons also - spa time! shopping, and many of the shops have special programs where they talk about the different times of luxury items so even if you are planning to buy diamonds, its fun to learn about them. 

Yeah, FOMO is a real thing on a cruise, even when your days are as full as you want them to be.  If you're bored, its because you want to be!

It's the posh life for me

When we booked the Yacht Club level on the MSC Meraviglia, my mind wandered back to the movie ChittyChitty Bang Bang.

Remember the scene where the bumbling spies capture the wrong Mr. Potts? Yeah, I sang that song in my head a lot.

The Yacht Club is considered a cruise within a cruise.  Before we even exited the parking area, we were invited to leave our luggage at a Yacht Club luggage drop off.  It was very convenient and simple.  Having attached our luggage tags before leaving the house made it even faster!

We were escorted through security and to a private wait area with champagne, juice and snacks. Before we could even finish our champagne,  our butler arrived to ecort us onto the ship and to the Top Sail lounge. 

 

Fresh drinks and a great view of lower Manhattan welcomed us. Our butler, Faisol, had already taken our personal item to our room. We followed after finishing our drinks. 

 

Throughout our stay we had top notch, friendly service.  We dined at our convenience in the Yacht Club restaurant or outside on deck 19, where there was a breakfast and lunch buffet with made to order eggs, steak, seafood or burgers. Want Pizza? Just ask and it would be delivered to your tile or lounge chair. 

  The staff in the Yacht Club area were outstanding.  Always friendly and helpful.  George, whose official title I don't know, was clearly the man in charge of the YC staff. He was AWESOME - and it was clear that he was going to do whatever it takes to make sure that guest had a great experience. 

Throughout our stay we saw him seating people at dinner, serving wine, offering concierge services, chatting and warmly greeting guests--even running the sweeper to pick up crumbs when necessary. He even hunted down some ginger tea for me when high winds had my tummy a bit unsettled.  If the regular staff didn't know how to do or get something, George did. 

Our butler, along with others, were on hand as well. To escort us to a show, provide dry towels, or just make recommendations about the ship or port, they were on hand.

We were treated with daily surprises like this adorable towel puppy in our room, and the turn down service always included a delicious sweet treat on our pillow.

 

Our service included full beverage service anywhere on ship, so whenever we were strolling the Promenade or enjoying music in the lounge, we had only to scan our room key or bracelet and enjoy. 

There are a few things not included in Yacht Club -- the a la carte restaurants, ice cream, chocolate and coffee shop on the main deck, but most things are included.

 

 

Our day at Ocean Cay was just an extension of the luxury - we were escorted off the ship to a tented area with seating and fresh water while we waited for a ride to the private beach area.  The transports are golf carts that seat 4 - 6 people at a time, and the beach area is a bit of a ride.  If you are leaving the ship with a lot of other people, you may have a short wait but its a great time to strike up a conversation and make new friends, or browse the shops on the island -- they're very close. 

 

Note: bring your swim shoes because the first 10 feet or so of shore is rocky.  The Yacht Club area does have swim shoes that you can use if you forget yours.

MSC Meraviglia

My spouse and I recently went on a week long cruise out of Brooklyn NY on the MSC Meraviglia.

We had a great time on the cruise and can't wait to do another. 

The basics:

• December 2 to 9

• Yacht Club balcony cabin

▪︎ Ports: Port Canaveral, Ocean Cay, Nassau Bahamas

I am going to share aspects in a few different posts to help keep the posts shorter. Definitely they will be picture heavy!

Sailing out of Brooklyn was surprisingly easy. Just as easy as sailing out of Manhattan. We drove from Pennsylvania and parked right at the Port. It cost $340 for the week which is comparable to what we would pay in Manhattan,  and less than what we would have paid for car service or for flights to Florida.

The view of lower Manhattan was great and we enjoyed picking out landmarks and favorite haunts from my college days at Pace University.  

The view of the Statue of Liberty and sailing under the Verrazano Bridge were wonderful from our balcony!

Travel shows & promos

 I love when I have the opportunity to visit trade shows promoting a destination or my professional association, ASTA.  I always learn some new thing about a destination, or meet a new business vendor to work with.

I attended an ASTA event recently and made some great new connections along with reconnecting with long time business partners.  It gets me excited to promote things like the new MSC cruise ships coming up soon. Did you know that MSC Cruises also leave from Brooklyn, NY? A great spot for folks in the Northeast who would rather not fly to Florida. 

I picked up a few luggage tags to give clients staying at Iberostar Rose Hall Suites in Jamaica in a few months and found out some fun facts about that property.  Iberostar is not just the Caribbean, but is throughout Europe and has many beautiful properties.  

We chatted with a rep from Tenerife - I did not know that this beautiful island in Spain, part of the Canary Islands, offers a little bit of everything: diving, birdwatching, hiking, wine, black and white sand beaches, stargazing, history and more.  I need to visit this volcanic island and see the almond trees in blossom!

One of the fun things about being a travel consultant is just this: learning about new destinations and opportunities, and meeting new clients - and making those connections to find just the right spot for each family.

Ready to find your next destination? Visit vacationkids.com or send me an email at maryellen@vacationkids.com. 

Travel like a European

If you are an American, you probably don't spend much time thinking about how you approach vacation is very different than Europeans. But there are definite differences.

Americans on average start out with 2 weeks of paid vacation a year, or 10 days.  Some companies add to that based on your length of service other factors, but think about your 10 days.  Maybe you chip away at  them during the year for family activities like a child's dance recital out of state, or a wedding that requires you to leave on a Thursday or a Friday.

People who live in the European Union get at least 20 paid vacation days each year - twice what Americans receive. 

So when American's finally are able to take vacation time and experience their vacation, they are often trying to jam as many activities into that 5 or 10 day trip as possible.

 You've heard people say they want to "Make the most" of their trip, or "we want to do everything because we probably won't go here again".  So the typical American family plans their vacation, fills their day with tours and activities, and goes non-stop for the entire time. They come home full of stories but exhausted from their trip.

Europeans have more time, so they can chip away at their 20 days a little here and there, and still have time to relax and enjoy.  They plan a trip to a new location, and then they live there.  What do I mean?  They wake up and enjoy a relaxing breakfast, with a few cups of coffee in the garden. Maybe walk to the market and explore shops, take a little time in the afternoon to nap or read a book and recover some energy.  Spend the day exploring a little town without rushing to the next activity.  The pace is a little slower, more relaxing. 

 They tend to savor the experience and enjoy the time they have without completely filling every moment of every day.  Find the local playgrounds and plan to just take a picnic and let the kids play.

Before you take your next vacation, ask your travel professional to plan one that highlights a few key areas and then gives you suggestions to relax and explore. Take a book....or a deck of cards!  Live your vacation destination and truly experience it.

Disney World for Adults

If you have visited Disney World with your children, you have spent major bucks on an exhausting, foot aching, long days vacation. 

And it was fun. The kids laughed, smiled, hopefully gave you lots of appreciative hugs. 

But you needed a vacation to recover from your vacation.

So let's talk about visiting Disney World WITHOUT the kids.  Yes. You can. And it's great!

Enjoy your resort. Book a deluxe resort...the amenities are worth it for your adult vacation.

Sleep in and then take a book and a beverage and relax poolside. No rushing to get to a park. No guilt for sitting still, and no whims to cater to except your own.

Visit your favorite park for a casual trip. You don't have to do every ride and attraction. Get a beverage and people watch. Have a conversation with your partner, or even a stranger.  Do one or two favorite spots and then leave before its steamy hot.

Visit an upscale restaurant where you can enjoy a meal and, in some cases, a beautiful view.

The hot tubs are great, especially at the end of the day. Relax with a book and a beverage and feel the stresses melt away.