You may say I'm a planner....

      Annnnnd, you would be right. I thought I’d use this post to share a couple of tools that I have used to plan our family vacations.

If you could travel back in time to when hubby and I first met and got married, you’d be looking at the southern grit that had barely been anywhere in the world. Growing up, our family vacation plans consisted of heading to the great Myrtle Beach to camp in our family’s travel trailer- and even then, I can probably count on one hand how many times our family could actually go. If I recall, I think I had been on a plane exactly two times- to and from Washington DC for the National Young Leader’s Conference/Caucus. I had taken a bus trip down to Florida to explore a potential college (because, Florida beach!); and between my senior trip and a couple concert road trips, I had explored a few states on the east coast. Not bad, but I was definitely not a world traveler, either; and I definitely hadn’t planned any of those trips myself. Hubby, however, had already earned himself a reputation as a traveler because he was born to travelin’ parents. He even has a Clark Griswold-like story to tell about a cross country trip in the family station wagon!

Anyhoo, in the early days- Martin did all the trip planning. He was really, really good at it. He was the one who scoured the interwebs to find us airfare to Munich for $250/pp!!!! That was 2004, and we haven’t come close to that since. We were broke as a joke, but we pulled the trigger anyway, because we knew that opportunity might not come around again. Still don’t regret that. He also found us great places in Europe to stay on the cheap as a family (hello, we aren’t hosteling with a baby in tow); but that is for another blog.

Cut to a couple years ago, and we were planning our Costa Rica trip, and frankly, he’d become too busy to be the planner. So, I stepped tentatively into the role, at the risk of screwing up family vacation. I mean, it’s a first world problem- but I’ve heard stories from other families about bed bugs, dirty environments, and big $ let downs; so there’s a lot riding on family vacation- especially if you can’t do it often. Last summer, I became the die-hard vacation planner. We weren’t sure where to go at first- in case you didn’t know- Texas is big and getting anywhere interesting- well besides San Antonio, takes HOURS in the car.

We originally started planning a trip to Broken Bow, but once I started the research, I found that we could travel to Colorado for much cheaper, yes, a longer car ride- but the cooler temperatures and even better scenery won the day.

So, I started planning the Colorado trip from scratch- having never set foot in Colorado, and here’s how I did it….

1. If you are planning a trip for seven days or longer, give yourself at least 3 months to plan. This only applies if you are a control freak like me and want to know what you’re in for; what the terrain is like, where the grocery stores are; the best possible places to visit and when to go to maximize your experience. If you prefer a more easy-going, meandering type experience, reduce this time frame to on-the-fly to your preference, and skip to step 2.   
2. Choose your destination: I use tools like www.City-data.com and just plain ol’ google on the city. City-data will give you information about demographics, crime, etc- so that you can choose the areas you might want to stay or avoid. I also use the infamous www.Tripadvisor.com to see what the top attractions are and if they will be interesting and family friendly. I think that sometimes people only think of TripAdvisor for hotels, but it really can be used for so much more.
3. Choose your time frame. Are you shooting for particular weather? Do you want to avoid the crowds/busy times? Are you looking for low-key relaxation, or action packed adventure? When we considered our trip to London, we made concessions on the weather by going in March; so that we could reduce airfare and have more cash to spend in the city. This choice was opposite our original plan to go in June- for the Queen’s birthday celebrations. Turns out, June might have been a bad time to go because many of the main attractions would have been closed for the celebrations, and the crowds- well, let me just say- I’ve since discovered that one of my kids does not do those well. It’s important to check city calendars to make sure that there’s nothing huge going on, if you want to avoid crowds.
4. Once you’ve selected the city you’re interested in, you’ll need to consider lodging. I usually find that this is one of the most extensive pieces of research for me, because we like to search and search for the best possible bang for our buck. If you’re leaning towards a hotel stay, I would definitely seek out reviews via www.tripadvisor.com, and www.familyvacationcritic.com. Family Vacation Critic is a tool I’ve discovered relatively recently. I love that it scores the choices and rates them with Mom and Dad, and different kid age brackets. Obvious advantages to hotel stays are things like pools, maid service, on site restaurants, and location.  However, sometimes it works to your advantage to consider a vacation rental- so that you can save on eating out, and have more space to spread out. If you have several children this is a huge consideration. But remember- rentals may not provide every creature comfort you’re used too, and I usually end up packing everything but the kitchen sink to make sure we’re covered. For instance- we’re foodies, and packing certain spices and things was important to our cooking process. Packing is another blog I’ll get to eventually…. If you’re looking for a vacation rental or actual home, I like to use and compare www.airbnb.com; or www.vrbo.com. I’ve mentioned the later in a former blog post, and I haven’t personally booked through Airbnb yet, but both let you create a trip and save your favorites. You can search by price, bedrooms, location, and more. Both offer pictures of the rental and reviews, in most cases. We have booked through vrbo.com twice and corresponded with owners of potential rentals on numerous occasions and have yet to have a bad experience.

Next up is itinerary planning. That is a whole ‘nother blog because I have lots to say about it. Don’t let it scare you, because just because there’s a plan, doesn’t mean it’s regimented…. I think my kiddos actually enjoy the fact that they knew what each day would hold for them. Until then- happy planning!  

Rainbows and Hummingbirds Galore

Here's a link to the cabin we rented in Colorado last July. I will go into how I found VRBO.com and why I used them, later in another blog, but we've used them twice now and have not been disappointed. My review of the cabin is there under Amanda H., so feel free to check it out. I tried to put in some extra info that would be useful if you're visiting the Pike's Peak area. You can check out this cabin with amazing views, here:
https://www.vrbo.com/287182

Stay tuned for more travel blogs! I'm a quite a bit behind, but I have reviews and notes on travel to Chicago, Colorado Springs/Pike's Peak, and most recently, LONDON!

Bon Voyage,

Amanda

Dream, wonder and wander

Some of you may be asking why I decided on a travel blog. I’m not a twenty-something, single girl, alternating my red beret in France, and my red bikini on a Caribbean beach. My husband and I are not childless jet-setters blazing a trail to India…. And some of you might think that because you aren’t those things either, you might as well stick close to home. I’m here to tell you, it isn’t true- if you don’t want it to be.

Stating the obvious, I love to travel. I love to see new things. I stand in awe of God’s and man’s creations on this great, blue and green sphere. There are times when I travel and I just stand there, gazing in amazement that something could be that beautiful. Or that historic. That God would align my visit just for me- with the perfect temperature- or the not so perfect one; that the rainbow in the Colorado valley could be that vivid; that the ocean really can be that green, or blue; that man could build beautiful towering buildings straight up into the sky, and that I can step out onto a clear ledge and flirt with heights of which ancient man had no concept. I love to smell the smells- the exotic foods (except the fish, I struggle with that one); the smell of a city; the salt in the ocean air. The history, the stories, the stuff of legends…. They all give me the greatest thrill. And it never, ever fails- I find myself praying a silent mouthed prayer,  when I’m alone in these moments. “Thank you, God. Thank you for letting me see this. Thank you for letting me have this moment, and experience these things. And have a story to tell.”

Growing up, my family did not have a lot. A lot of you know that. We were a family of 7, and I lived the greater portion of my home life in a home that was less than 900 square feet, with one bathroom. My dad worked (and still does)  60 hour work weeks- not at the office, but hard, manual labor- wiring the ever growing bevy of buildings in “Downtown”; or in the factory making the machines, or making the factory itself work.  My mom took a variety of odd jobs- driving the school bus, helping clean the church… because there was always a sibling that was sick in the hospital; always more bills to pay than could be paid. I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, that things were bad enough once for the local fire department to bring us Christmas groceries and presents. My dad worked so hard, but having sick hospitalized kids and bills to pay, was more than they could do. I can’t wait for the day when my dad can finally rest.

My parents felt that Christian education was important, so my mom, dad, brothers and sisters and I worked for a good many years- cleaning the school gymnasium. That was often a humbling and sometimes humiliating experience among my peers- but that is for another blog. When four of us needed the education, some choices had to be made. At this point, around my sophomore year- I was horrified at the idea of leaving behind the group of 25 friends and classmates I’d known since first grade, to venture into unfamiliar public school territory. So, I decided to pay for my private education myself. I got a job, and I worked. It was sometime around this time of my life, that I decided, I would not be a victim of my circumstances. If I wanted something, I would just buckle down and make it work; I would make it happen. Class ring payments became due- I made it work. Senior pictures came up- I made it work. Cap and gown, field trips, lunch money- I worked, worked, worked. I had to make the tough choice to forgo my long standing plans to attend college in Florida with my best friend. When it came time to purchase my car (college was starting in a week and I was a commuter!)- you can imagine after paying for private school, and all that went with it- there wasn’t a lot left. I took out a “small loan of a million dollars” (haha, I just couldn’t resist); anyway, I took out a small loan of $2500 from the bank to buy my first car. It died of engine failure within the first few months- thanks to a slick talkin’ salesguy who took advantage of my small price tag. Lesson two learned in life- don’t make big decision in the hastiness of the moment. Aside from 3 small scholarships- a drop in the bucket of college life- it was on me to get through school. I worked two jobs a lot of my college career, and tried to maintain my grades, homework and two hours of practice required daily- okay, and I have to say here that my social life *may* have taken a few of those hours. Long story short- here I am, nearly 39 years old, without a document to show for it. That’s next on my list.

But you know what I do have???? I have all of these memories. I have all of these life experiences that some people only dream of. Without Broadway, I would never have dreamed of becoming a music major. Without my trip to Washington DC in high school for the National Young Leaders Conference- I would never have my knowledge of the government, how it works, and my interest in politics. I would never be able to share with my children my firsthand experiences of Monticello, or Mount Vernon; the very places that probably planted the seed for my love and avid study of British History. These early travels in my junior and senior year whetted my appetite to see more, to experience more.  I’ve planted my feet where Columbus stood. I’ve seen Mozart’s birth home. I’ve crossed the Rialto Bridge, and stood in St. Mark’s Square while the sound of a stringed orchestra filled the courtyard in the damp evening air. I’ve gambled in Vegas, in Reno; and breathed the mountain air in Lake Tahoe and Colorado. I was in love with all that Puerto Rico had to offer, and riding horses (um, okay, do not “canter” no matter what the guide says- “cantering” means running) overlooking the bay in the Dominican Republic. I have brought stories and souvenirs back to my children from Mexico, and the Bahamas and we have explored amazing places as a family.

I say all this, not to air my list of travels- but to inspire someone, somewhere. That it is all worth it. In my opinion, a life well-traveled is a life well lived. And traveling, well, it makes you dream and wonder, and wander. And you know what? This little girl, who used to clean toilets in a gym, this TRAVELIN’ GRITS got to do it. . I dedicate this blog, to you, dear reader- the one who wants to see the world, and will find a way to make it happen. Here are my experiences and tips to help you make it happen.