Places you should go before you turn the big 40

I am pretty unsure about whether or not I am going to have internet access starting tomorrow. We will have to see how everything goes.

I apologize but I am going to get a little personal here. How old are you? If you are around thirty, this blog post is written specifically for you.

Bucket lists have been huge. And I know they are not as big as they once were, but they are still . If you are around thirty, here are some place you might want to put on your list.

• Don’t you want to see the Taj Mahel? After all, it is one of the seven wonders of the world. Someone built this place to honor his favorite wife after she died giving birth to their fourteenth child. It is recommended to visit this place first thing in  the morning because sunrise makes this place spectacular.
• Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? This is another beautiful place to get to at sunrise. You will want to take a day or more to explore, do some hiking/walking.
• You might want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. This is in Queensland. Here you know will find all ks of sealife.

Tips for traveling with kids

Let’s get back to discussing tips for traveling with kids.

• First, you might want to consider boarding early. Yes, I know that will make your trip feel that much longer. But doing this will enable everyone to feel more settled in their places. It will be especially helpful if you do not have assigned seats.
• Everyone getting enough rest is essential for a nice, smooth trip. Consider getting a condo. If you are for sure staying in a hotel or resort, consider getting a suite or at least another room.
• Having free breakfast not only cuts down on costs, it also cuts down on stress. This is one meal you’ll know what you’ll be doing and won’t have to have any discussions about.
• I know a lot of people like to just go with the flow while they are on vacation, but some planning is a good idea when you’re traveling with children. You’ll want to try your best to work your children’s sleeping and eating schedules. Not messing with those will help keep everyone happy and on track.
• But you don’t want to overplan your trip, keeping everyone busier than usual.? Children love afternoons at the pool or movie nights.
• You will want to pack everything that you need, but you do not want to overpack. You don’t want to have more to carry than you have to. A lot of places are going to have washers and dryers that you can use.
• If you aren’t going to a resort that has a children’s program, consider bringing a babysitter. It isn’t going to cost that much extra. And vacations are the perfect times to get in some extra dates.

MSC Cruises

I’ve decided that I like doing two things at once. Sure, writing about what I am learning about in this travel agent school seems to take me a little longer. But we are supposed to get the word out about the things we’re learning, and writing about the things I am learning does help. And since this school has many different courses, I should keep quite busy for a while.

Today we are going to look at the MSC Cruiseline. MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. MSC  strives for excellence in everything that they do, and has won a lot of awards for what they do.

• Where do these cruises go? Basically anywhere you would be interested in traveling to. They do Mexico and the Caribbean, they also do Europe and Asia. They also do an excellent South American cruise.
• Let’s take a closer look at some of what they have to offer. When it comes to food, their specialty is Italian. They have a lot of great pasta dishes. You will be able to get a great pizza any time that you’d like. But Italian isn’t the only cuisine that they have. They have a famous Asian chef that is over their Asian restaurants. And of course, they have a pas chef to make sure your sweet tooth is satisfied.
• MSC has partnered with LEGO to bring children and their families experiences they will never forget. They will have all the supplies that you will need for your baby and toddler that you will need.
• MSC also understands your need to keep up with your fitness program while on board. They will help you create the right exercise program while you are on board. They will also help you come up with healthy menus.

I would love to know your thoughts on any of this..

Okay, I know there are ways to book trips on the internet. So why would you need a travel agent? Let’s look at some times you might want to use a travel agent.

 

• Travel agents are great when you and your extended family are going on a trip together. You have a lot of people, some people may have special needs to figure out..People may need to come and go on different days. There are just a lot of details to figure out.
• You might want to book through a travel agent if you are going to a place you’ve never been. You may have a lot of time to do the necessary research. A travel agent can help you to set everything up. We can figure out your complete itinerary.
• And when you’re planning your honeymoon, you probably want to go through a travel agent. You have a thousand other things you need to plan. And this is a special trip you is really do not to mess up. Let a travel agent handle all the details .

Movie places

I am going to try to do this, and hopefully I’ll do a better job than I did yesterday.. I’m still doing a lot of experimenting and figuring things out as I go along… x

I think a lot of us like to watch movies when we want to relax. But have you ever wanted to go to the places where specific movies were made? Let’s look at a couple of these today.

• Do you have any Indiana Jones fans in your did you family? You might want to visit Petra, Jordan where these films were made. This has become a popular destination since the films were made.
• Slovenia might be small, but it is where Narnia was made. If I am remembering right, the place has some absolutely gorgeous spots.

Planning the perfect girls’ trip #2

Let’s get back to discussing how to plan a great girls’ trip. I have several things I’d like to look into more today, but feel like I need to do the normal things first and just see how the rest of the day goes. Let’s pick up where we left off.

• Some friends don’t need much except to have a place to gather and some nice food to enjoy themselves. Other groups will want to go to some of the more exotic locations. If your group is trying to start their annual trips together, it might be wise to have a gathering and discuss what everyone is thinking as far as overall budget. Is it going to be easier to gather in each other homes, or do people want to mark places off of their bucket lists? One of you might want  to play hostess more often than the others to cut down on her costs. You can find solutions that work best for your group.
• If one person is planning the whole thing, this lady will want to give some clues. You might want to get creative with the e-mails you send your group. Some people will go a step farther and send cute little packages to give hints. Groups who are going go somewhere exotic will usually meet at one member’s house, and then they do the reveal at the airport.
• This is a girls’ trip, so you are going want to have comfortable places where ere you can sit and gab. You might want to have one more than one place like this in case your group wants to split up for whatever reason.
• But as much as girls like to just sit and talk, you will want to have a few activities planned. Especially if you are going somewhere you’ve never been, you’ll want to get out and enjoy some of the sights. The planner should have a pretty good idea of the things your group likes to do.

Have you done anything like this? I would love to hear about it.

Go play in your favorite video game

[Disclaimer : I have never been into video games. I have never enjoyed playing those type games. I hardly know anything about any of those games. I’m just going to tell you what this article says.]

I may not know much about these games, but I know they are pretty popular. I know some children, and adults, absolutely love these games. If they aren’t playing them, they’re thinking about playing these things. So let’s look at some places you can play these games in RL [for those that don’t know, RL is real life].

• The first one is, of course, Mario Brothers. I do remember sitting and watching people playing these games. Who doesn’t dream of getting into these games? The closest thing you can get to this is in Tokyo.
• There is always Pokemon Go. And I know that you can play that anywhere. The cool thing about this game is that you have to play it outside.
• In l Las Vegas you can play Any Resident Evil. There you can play zombies to your heart’s content
• .And now I have good news and bad news good news is that  Nintendo is building its own amusement park. The bad news is that it will not be ready until 2020.

Flying standby

There is so much to learn and figure out when you are in the travel business. One person can not learn everything.. Today let’s look into what what it means to fly standby.

Flying standby is a good way to fly if you don’t especially care when you leave or come back. It’s usually the least expensive way to fly, you’ll usually pay around twenty-five dollars, but you are not guaranteed a seat. So if you think that flying standby would be a good fit for you, here’s what you should do.

• Firs, you will want to see which airlines have this option available . You will want to read up your chosen airline’s policies to make sure that you, and they, play by the rules.
• A lot of times they’ll want you to purchase a normal ticket. Sometimes you can get away with a friend flying. Again, you will want to know the specific policies.
• Another thing that would be good to remember is that you do not want to have checked luggage. They’ll more likely to take you if you don’t. You’re allowed one carry on and purse in most situations. The day before or the flight, you will want to look at the airline’s website to get the latest info on the flight. You will not want to check Expedia or Priceline, they are not going to have the latest information.
• You are going to want to get there at least two hours in advance. You will want to go to the ticketing agent, and let them know that you’re interested in flying standby.
• Next you will want to proceed through security and all that. Be sure to let the people at the gate know that you want to fly standby.
• At the time of the flight, the gate people will be able to let you know whether you’ve made it on.

I would love to know your thoughts  about any of this.

More places your family will love

What do you like doing on your vacations? Do you like sitting beside water, doing absolutely nothing, except maybe reading a good book? Or do you like getting out and doing fun things Let’s continue our discussion about where you might want to vacation this fall.

• Are you dreaming of a beach vacation? You might want to go to Aruba. You shouldn’t be in hurricane season in the fall. Build your sand castles. Look for shells. Enjoy the waters, whether you are playing in it or sitting and admiring its beauty. And this is another great place for water sports.
• Are you and your family really into baseball? You might want to check out Cooperstown, New York. This is where the baseball Hall of Fame is. Of course, you probably already know that. Go during the World series, and indulge in your favorite sport each evening.

Places your family will love this fall

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I am going to take a couple of different vacations in July. One will be with my family, and the other will be with some good friends of mine. Believe me, I am starting to really feel the need for a break. It is not that I do not love this job, I do, but I am getting tired. But if you are thinking that you would feel more comfortable if you and your took your first vacation after all of this that is going on in the fall. Or maybe you are doing a big family family gathering this summer, but want to do a trip with your immediate family this coming fall. Either way, here are some ideas for you.

• Niagara Falls used to be the place where a lot of honeymoon couples would go. You will love looking at the beautiful colors were of fall. You might even enjoy looking at it from a helicopter. You might also enjoy riding were the ferry or picking apples.
• Or you might want to go to Colorado Springs and enjoy the beautiful mountains. This is a beautiful place to hike. This is also a great place to take in the fall leaves. You might want to go rafting on their Echo Canyon River. This is also the home of Focus on the Family.
• We’ve talked about Vegas recently, and what a family friendly destination it is getting to be. It will be hot in the summer for sure, but fall is a wonderful time to go. If you are looking for something to do outside of the city, you may want to go explore the deserts that are around there. You may also want to enjoy some water sports while you are there.

More fun adventures

 

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Who is ready to go on some kind of adventure? I know I am ready to do something fun after all of this mess we are going through lately. If you know what I mean, please read on.

• Do you and your family love going mountain biking together? Why don’t you go on a weekend long adventure in Scottsdale, Arizona. You’ll be riding through their desert. The trip will take you anywhere between three and seven hours. Don’t worry, there are plenty of nice resorts and other things to do in this area.
• Or do you like waterfalls? Ever dreamed of going down one like they do in the movies? New Zealand has a twenty-three foot waterfall you can go down if you are brave enough. And yes, they do offer guided tours.
• Do you wish you had been able to go through Boy Scouts\Girl Scouts? You can still go through some wilderness training. Not only will you and your family learn about the basics of camping, you will also learn how to make hunting weapons, and how to use traps and snares.
• Do you love looking out from the top of the world? At the CN Tower, they let you lean over the edge. Now, you are on ropes, and everything is safe just so you know.

Adventure anyone?

 

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Life has gotten pretty monotonous for many of us. You’re probably doing something similar to what I am lately. Wake up and do your morning routine, work on your job stuff before and after lunch. Do something relaxing after dinner. Then you’ll wake up and do it all over again. I do have some fun times coming up in July, and I’m starting to count down the days. If you’re looking for some exciting things to do on your next vacation, here are some ideas that you might be interested in.

• In New Zealand, they have this thing vehicle that looks like a shark. And in it you will be leaping, diving and rolling. This is in Queensland, and you will be able to choose between a mild or a wild ride.
• Do you love being cold? You might want to try going out on a frozen lake. Go ice floating, as they call it, in Finland and you will also be able to see the Northern Lights. They will be giving you special suits that will help keep you warm and dry. And you do not have to be able to swim.
• Or is hanging out in a cave more of your thing? You will probably also want to be to sure that you can enjoy being around those things they call snakes to go to this place. The Cave of the Hanging Serpents which is in Maya Ka’an. This is in the Mexican jungle, [learn something new every day], and you’ll be riding bicycles through the night to get here.
• Have you ever dreamed of camping on a cliff? You can do that in Colorado. You will sleep in a hanging tent system.

Relieve stress while traveling

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Okay,, having a travel agent plan your vacation is not the only way to reduce your stress while you are on a trip. Let’s look at some things that might help you have great vacation.

• First of all, how’s your relationship with your parents or your in laws? Is it great the first couple of days, but after that things start going downhill? Do you feel like they still think of you and your husband as kids? You will want to think through these things before you go on any trips with them. Lay groundrules before the trip starts. Discuss who will pay for what. And discuss it up front if you know you are going to want sometime to yourselves from time to time.
• If you are going to a place you’ve never been before, how do you know your taxi driver isn’t going to take you the long way around everywhere you go? Do some research before you leave on your trip. Ask the people at the front desk of your hotel about the route you might want to take. And never be afraid to ask for the fastest route.
• You may be able to pass through security with no problem, or it could take a while. You always want to get to the airport in plenty of time. If things go well, and read a book. Part of any good vacation is getting some good rest in anyway.
• You want to make sure you have everything you need without packing too much. Take clothes you can mix and match. Are you going to a nicer hotel? You might not need to take things like shampoo and conditioner.

How travel agents help

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I think everyone is feeling a little stressed these days, and that might be the understatement of the century. No one is quite sure when things are going to open up.. Everyone is wondering when things are going to be normal again, or if they ever will be. Everyone is questioning whether we are going to have to have another lock down.

Anyway, in all of the uncertainties that we are facing these days, the last thing you want to be worrying about is your vacation. This will hopefully be a time of freedom for you and your family, and hopefully a time without a lot of stress. One way you can cut down on the stress is by letting a travel agent handle all of the arrangements. Today let’s look at some ways we travel agents can help you

• Problems can come up when you travel, that’s just an unfortunate reality, and sadly that may be even more true in the next little while. But travel agents will know exactly who to call when something goes wrong, whether you miss a flight or something goes wrong at the hotel.
• Travel is what we do for a living, so we are going to know what is popular, when the best times to go are, etc.. We will also try to get to know your interests and tastes and plan accordingly.
• Sometimes the least inexpensive option is not the best idea. Sometimes you simply have more expensive tastes. Sometimes the cheapest thing is in the wrong part of town. We can help you figure out all of those details.

More about Vegas and families

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I know that you might not think of Vegas as being the most family friendly, but this city is truly whatever you want to make it. They’re working hard to make it this way. And while some of what they have to offer in this city can get pretty expensive, you should be able to find pretty inexpensive hotels which may have cheap meals as well. At least it used to be this way.

• The first attraction we are going to look at today is their monorails. The Strip is only four miles long, but you might not want to walk everywhere. That can get old.. The monorail is a great way a to see the city, especially for those who are seeing it for the first time.
• Some of the pools here are not particularly family friendly. People are going to be drinking at the pools, even during the day. But the main pool at the Mirage is pretty casual and laid back. You will want to swim here.
• The Mirage also has Siegfried &Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.. Here is a place where you can see the big cats.

Vegas for families #1

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When you think of Las Vegas, you probably think of anything but family friendly attractions. You’ll probably think of casinos and a lot of things like that. But the reality is that they have a lot to offer anyone. People are always holding conferences and conventions, and in order to keep this big business going, they are needing to add attractions that will appeal to all kinds of people.

• The first one we are going to look at today is the Hello Kitty Cafe. Take your family to enjoy their themed drinks, pastries and ice cream. Is your husband planning a business trip to this city. Ask as if you and the kids can tag along.
• Do you know that Vegas has an aquarium? It is actually inside one of their hotels. It is actually hard to find. But go to the Mandalay Bay hotel and ask someone, they’ll be able to tell you. Here you will be able to find sea turtles and lots of different kinds of sharks.
• They have an indoor park. Here you will be able to bowl, mini golf and lots of good rides. Don’t worry, they will have stuff for the littles to do as well.
• You will want to take some time to visit the fountains in Vegas. The place is called Bellagio. And everyone has to see it at least once, at least that is what I hear. And this is one thing that is actually free.

River cruises

River cruising is growing more and more popular. And why not? Yes, most river cruises are luxury, and you’ll pay a pretty penny for them. But a lot of these cruises are in Europe, and you are likely going to pay pretty much to see Europe anyway. And river cruises do give you a lot of luxury. And once you pay to get on, you usually don’t have to worry about money again, because everything is already paid for. Let’s look some more at what these cruises are like. First, let’s look at some of the basics about river cruising.

• You are not going to get many sea days like you would on an ocean cruise. They usually have excursions you can be part of each day. Everything is going to be completely optional, of course. But there is not a lot you can do on these ships. And often, even your shore excursions are already paid for.
• Sometimes you will be able to choose between walking tours and motorcoach tours. You will be exploring places like castles and vineyards and food tastings. Sometimes you will pay a little more for things like evening concerts and cooking classes, or even art classes.
• You are usually going to get to explore three countries in a week’s time, with some lines starting to offer longer itineraries. Almost always you will be are starting in some fantastic city you are going to have some exceptions with the Christmas markets and the New Year, these generally run between April and October.

I apologize for this being really quick. I’ve had quite a day. I think the question on a lot of people’s minds is when will it be safe enough travel. Everyone is tired of staying home. They are bored and more than ready to do something different and fun. The good news is that here in America, we have a lot of room to move around. Taking your family camping might be a great idea now that we are allowed to move around a little more. Many Americans think that traveling is a good idea. And camping, and going around in RVs, is getting more and more popular.