Making Vacations Fun for Everyone.

          As you plan your vacation keep in mind what kind of trip you are taking. Most vacations are family wise and should be treated as such. Teenagers want independence and alone time. Younger kids want hands on activities that require supervision. Toddlers and babies --when not sleeping-- want constant attention. And of course you as parents want privacy and romance. As your vacation approaches consider the following to keep everyone happy.
1. Do not over-estimate everyone's stamina. If your driving, take a short break every two hours. It'd good for kids, and the driver too, to stretch your legs and get fresh air.
2. Embrace Plan B. It could rain on your trip, so make sure to have indoor activites such as movies. Kids don't ahve proper stamina to demand another hour or so of hiking or activies.
3. Visit a State Park. This is especially helpful to you if your saving money as most parks have free admission to under 12 year olds. The Parks will have alot of things for the whole family to do.
4. Hiking and training children on what to do in the events of emergancy. These are good times to teach your kids on what to do. It helps everyone show that kids can do anything. Be sure to carry your own survival guide. To prove and show your kids the ropes and teach them basic survive skills.
5. Invest in headphones or earbuds. Whether on the road or in the air; adults will soon tire of the dings, blings, and beeps of the kids games. The headphones will keep the kids happy and keep you sane.
6. Have seperate rooms for you and your kids. Try to get a seperate room for everyone so that while the kids are sleeping you can enjoy the peace and quiet and have some alone time.
7. Bring the friends along. Having your kids bring a friend alone will reduce the risk of boredom. It will build camraderie and keep them occupied so not to be in your face the entire time.

Deciding where to go on Vacation! :)

From the lake that's an hour away to that exotic island halfway around the world, the vacation spots farely exceed the number of vacations anyone could take in a lifetime. Making a list of places you wish to visit someday, then prioritizing the list to the most desireable or realistic is the easiet way to go.

Time contraints are the main voyage issue, because obviously trying to go to Italy on a weekend getaway is basically unrealistic. In the past my friends told me about this formula they use to calculate if your vacation is worth it. (Divide the number of hours you will spend traveling by the total number of vacation hours to come up with a percentage.) I found that "travelmath.com" calculator is helpful.

Expences are a running second on the vacation meter. When planning your vacation be sure to look at your vacation finances and see what you have in there. This will give you a better look at where you can go. Be sure to calculate travel, rentals of cars if need be, lodgin, food, admissions and misc expences. It's safe to say the smaller expences add up quickly so prepare yourself for anything.

Something old or something new? You are now ready to look into where you can afford or if the time allows. However you have that urging problem that you've narrowed your spot down and it's between and old familiar place or a brand new place, with exatly new things. This is up to you, are you up for an adventure then go with new, but if memory lane is calling you then go to an old place.

Finally, are you traveling alone? If not then you will need to get the opinion of your tabel partner on the destination. You don't want your friend to be miserable while your having a blast or visa versa.

A few things to do to prepare for a short/local vacation.

As my last post was not noted as "international" but contrued as one, this list is a prep for local/short trips. A follow up if you will, mind you I don't do short/local trips as I prefer to go out of state and stay a while if I am going on vacation. Some things may be repeated but very important to remember.

1. Contact kennel or sitter for pets you dont want to have trouble getting your animal a place to stay at the last minute.
2. Depending on how long you're going away you might want to put a stop to your major deliveries because it would help to avoid mail/delivery loss.
2a. Lock all windows and doors so not to get robbed while away.
3. Plan your trip: Prepare yourself especially for a short trip making sure you know when your doing what is always a stress reliever.
3a. Map out your drive so to avoid trouble and get where you are going especially in an uncharted area that you aren't familiar with.
3b. Check out local transits so you are not always driving and you can relax.
3c. Look into places you've never been before to enjoy the entire vacation.
4. Cell phone earpiece is essential when/if you are driving to your destinations. You don't want to receive an unexpected ticket while out.
5. Look up things to do in the area of interest.
6. check the weather reports, be sure to pack for unexpected weather, "Better safe than sorry."
7. Inform any friends/family if you'll be in their area so not to get upset calls when you return.

Of course I'm probably forgetting something or a few things but these are a few touch base items.

Also; ENJOY your vacation and have a good time you've earned it after all the planning.

A few things to do before you go on Vacation!

What are the first things that you think about when you decide to travel? Where to do, who to go with and what you need to do before hand. Well I've had all those questions before so here are a few tips to get you started, by all means these are not everything but these are the essentials.
#1. Dont forget to get you passports and visas if you plan to travel out of the United States. Plan on getting them 2 to 3 months in advance.
#2. Get your vaccinations. Check with your doctor on the specific ones you need.
#3. Put a stop or have a neighbor/friend collect your mail.
#4. Pay your bills in advance, depending on how long you are going out of town.
#5. Color copy all the important documents. (Passports/Visas) In case you lose them while traveling.
#6. Give Emergancy contact information, like location and how long you will be there, and phone numbers.
#7. Make sure you contact your credit card companies, and bank to let them know that you will be out of the country (if that is where you choose) so they don't cancel your cards.
#8. Communication: Gather a list of people you want to inform you are okay when you get there.
#9. Bring all apropriate chargers.
#10. Have someone check in on your house/apartment while you are gone especially if you have animals or plants that need caring for.

Again, this is just a short list of things you should need to get done while planning a trip. Otheriwise have fun and enjoy the planning, it's going to be an adventure.

Introductions

Hello, My name is Elisha Gallagher. I am a 25 year old enthusiastic, full of life, crazy coffee fenatic, and most of all the "best" Aunt to my nieces and nephews. I love children, and I love spending time with family and friends. I work for Safeway as a cashier/bookkeeper (mostly bookkeeping) and would love to one day not be there but for now it is a filler job!

My objectives in life are as complicated as my family ties are complicated. I dont even know what I want I want out of life. I'm in a pickle or a bind. I dont know where I want to go after I get my AA. I am a very undecided person, and that is what I stress out about most at the moment.

The objectives for this blog were mainly my wants and likes about traveling. I find traveling fun and adventurous. Granted dont get me wrong because I don't travel much, I've had little travel time, but I want a lot more travel time. I have alot of places I would like to visit or go to. Maybe I just want my readers to read about the adventures I have taken and the adventures I would like to take when the opportunity presents it's self.

If anyone would like to get into contact with me, my e-mail is Elishagallagher@g-mail.com