7 Places Your Kids Must See on Vacation
Vacationing with your kids is about spending some time away from your normal everyday routine and responsibilities. It’s a chance to set work and schoolwork aside and really have some unique experiences. It’s a chance to relax, to get out of your familiar surroundings and create some memories that will last all of you a lifetime.
Because of this, you want to create a vacation experience that’s not only relaxing, but positive and memorable. A good part of making that happen is choosing the right travel destinations.
Here are a handful of the top places in America you should make sure your kids get the chance to see on vacation, if at all possible:
Ground Zero, New York City. The site of the World Trade Center attacks allows you and your children to mourn those that were lost, as well as celebrate the heroism and bravery displayed by your fellow Americans on 9/11.Ellis Island. While you’re in New York, you should visit Ellis Island. Around 40 percent of people in the U.S. today are descended from immigrants that passed right through this spot.Washington, D.C. Our nation’s capital is truly something to behold in young eyes. From the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument to the Smithsonian, you could spend weeks in D.C. and still have plenty of new and exciting experiences ahead of you.Independence Hall. This is the spot where George Washington received his commission as the head of the Continental Army. It’s also where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and where the U.S. Constitution was written.The Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is as breathtaking as you’ve heard. The canyon is nearly a mile deep and averages 10 miles across, making it one of the most magnificent natural sights in the country.Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom has been a family destination for decades, and it just keeps getting better and better each year.Redwood National Park. If you want to get a feel for how truly vast and ancient nature is, visit this park. You’ll find 300-foot tall trees that are more than a millennium old.
Pick your destination today, and make sure you call your insurance agent to set up trip and travel insurance in case your family journey meets with unexpected delays or disasters.
Photo via Mat Honan
Tags: country.walt disney world, United States, 10 miles, 300-foot tall trees, everyday routine, Grand Canyon, year.redwood national park <BR/>
Airline Travel Made Easy
Air travel is stressful. Gone are the good old days of showing up just before your flight departs, running to the gate, and getting on the plane. Planes are now crowded, security is a hassle, and it all adds up to unnecessary stress. Here are a few ideas to help take the stress out of your airline travel. Remember that nothing can beat some good travel insurance during any vacation!
Arrive early
Airport security is a pain. Keep in mind that everyone gets to share in this pain. The best idea for you to remain stress free is to arrive to the airport early. Ask around how security is at the airport if you have never been to that particular airport. Bring some sort of entertainment to help kill time in the boarding area. Better to be early than be grounded.
Plan layovers accordingly
Layovers are so much fun these days. You deplane, run across the airport in hopes to make your flight. Give yourself a stress free layover by picking flights an hour apart. This will help with delays and allow you some time to pee in your airport sprints.
Pick your seat carefully
This option varies depending on the airline you are flying. Some airlines will allow you to pick your seat at the time of booking. Others will only allow you to choose your seat at check-in.
Picking your seat should be something you consider carefully. If you are a taller person, you might want an isle seat so you can stretch out. Choosing a window seat is advantageous for sleeping and not having to constantly move for your seatmates and people walking up and down the aisle. Exit row seating offers a greater amount of legroom, but often comes with a stiffer cost.
Checking in the easy way
Airlines have finally come up to the 20th century. You can now check into your flight from the comforts of home. This speeds up your process of getting to the security checkpoint and to your gate. Some airlines will even let you upgrade when you check in online.
No wiggle room, no problem
You only managed to get a window seat, or even worse a middle seat. This is not the end of the world. You are prepared for this situation. First thing to do is make sure you have all your items from your carry-on. Grab any reading materials, music, laptops, gaming devices you might have brought. This will help keep you from having to get up and squeeze out of your seat.
You might not be able to do anything about the kid screaming behind you, or the larger person next to you. Pack some earplugs to drown out junior. The biggest item to keep in mind is that you are only on this plane for a short duration of your life. Why stress out about your seating arrangement?
Air travel takes a bit more planning. This should be no reason to avoid it. Get your travel insurance to help when the airlines can’t. Most importantly, know that you are well on your way to being less stressed out than the guy next to you is.
Photo via ricoeurian
Tags: exit row, short duration, taller person, isle seat, travel takes, airline travel, travel <BR/>No Tech Vacations
Vacations are supposed to be a time of relaxation. Yet, so many people bring their tech worlds with them. Here are a few ideas to get you disconnected from the world while you unwind. Just don’t forget to put that mind at ease with a bit of travel insurance. Leaving the tech at home will not do much to make Mother Nature that much more cooperative.
Camping
Camping is one of the easiest ways to cut loose from technology. You can make this as simple as grabbing a pillow and sleeping back to sleep out under the stars on a nice night. Sure, you won’t be calling up the travel agent for travel insurance, but you can do this with no planning.
You can also make camping an excursion of epic proportions. You don’t need GPS and phones though. Work with travel guides to plan a weeklong trip through the heart of Alaska. Most likely your boss wouldn’t be calling you out there. Make sure you got some travel insurance though. You may find it just as much work getting into the heart of Alaska as it is getting across town in rush hour traffic.
Mountain climbing
Some people just want to push themselves. What better way than climbing a mountain. This one activity can be as simple as climbing a hill and enjoying the view. You can take it to the extreme and plan a trip to the top of Mount Everest.
No matter what way you go, you can easily leave the laptops and phones in the car. You might want a camera for all the splendid views you will be partaking though.
Backpacking
Time to load up a backpack and go for a walk. Considering you will have to lug all of your clothing, shelter, and food with you, you most likely will not want the added weight of electronics like a laptop. Backpacking is a great way to get outdoors for a day, weekend, week, month, or even longer. Pack some good walking boots with that travel insurance.
Considerations for
People sometimes get anxious over cutting the electronic umbilical cord. You can reduce this anxiousness by letting a few people know how to contact you in times of extreme emergencies. Maybe your trail guide will have a phone.
You should never do extreme vacations alone. If you are going to hike the Appalachian Trail by yourself, be sure people know all your checkpoints. They can have messages waiting for you. Even better, people will be able to know you are still alive.
If you really have to carry a phone, keep it turned off. Use of your phone should be limited to emergencies like leeches sucking blood from in between your toes. This will give you a way to contact help in an emergency. It will also give you a way to call your travel agent in the event you need to claim some of that travel insurance.
No technology vacations can be fun and enjoyable. You will be surprised at how much you really don’t need to keep in contact with work. People got by just fine years ago without all this constant connectedness. It is about time for you take time for yourself. Just be sure to keep that whole trip protected with a bit of travel insurance.
Photo via ewige
Tags: technology vacations, travel agent, heart of alaska, travel insurance.Considerations, Human Interest, mount everest <BR/>
