Ann

Touristy Attractions

April 23, 2014 by Ann

Iconic sites and touristy attractions are the Three O’s: Overrated, Overseen, and Overwritten about

I have no problem visiting overrated, overseen, and overwritten about sites – or as I’ll refer to them, the “three Os”. Just because 95% of the people who go to Rome visit the Colosseum doesn’t mean that I have seen it for myself. And when I want to see something for myself, I want to see it for myself.

Touristy attractions are a good thing for kids. Don’t let travel cynics stop you from giving kids something relatable. The iconic images that they’ll see in their textbooks and in movies are part of the fabric of travel that will connect their memories with what they’re learning. It will get them to continue to be interested in seeing the world. And that’s ok.

Ways to make a visit to the Three O’s a pleasant one for your family

That said, I do think there are some positive and negative ways to handle visiting the three Os. So, here are some things for your consideration.

Research it in advance
- Learn the story
  - What’s the history leading up to the creation of this iconic site?
  - Why is it still so popular today?
  - What are some tidbits that may be interesting to your kids?
- Consider the responsible tourism angle
  - One of the problems with overrated sites is that they’re crowded. In the short-term, this is bad because no one wants to spend a lot of time in line visiting a place that’s over crowded. In the long-term, it can have negative effects on the resources in the community. Find out when high season is – and do your best to avoid it.
  - Make a plan to visit the site in a responsible way when considering any hotels, tours, and even souvenirs you may purchase.
- Figure out the logistics
  - How can you maximize your visit? Is it better to buy tickets online to avoid the long wait, or do you have to book a tour to get decent access?
  - What’s the best way to approach the site? The first time I visited the Eiffel Tower, we drove right up. It wasn’t quite the “moment” I was looking for. The next time, we took the metro at night and I turned a corner and all of a sudden – wow! I mean, I’d already seen the thing before, so you could imagine my surprise to actually be wowed by it.
  - Know your kids. If you’re visiting a field in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of old stones jutting out of the earth and touching those stones is illegal – are your kids old enough to understand this or will they be tempted to touch? Find an alternative place to see.
  - Think about the length of your visit. Know that you may have to cut it short if the kids get antsy.
  - Make sure everyone has eaten before you go.
  - When’s the best time of the day to visit to avoid the crowds?
  - Do they offer guides (people or audio) that are aimed towards kids?
  - What else is there to do in the area that would be interesting for the family?
Share the information with your family
- Talk about the history of the site leading up to the trip. Look for those popular images in movies and books.
- Talk about the history the day of your trip as you head to the place. Remind them of what life was like back when this was made and why it is still popular today.
- Encourage them to look out for something that they’ll only see there.
- Remind them of the things they should do to be responsible travelers, especially in these places that get so many visitors.
- When you leave, give them some time to reflect on what they saw.
Don’t do too many of the Three Os in one day. The key to enjoying the uniqueness of some of these destinations is to balance it with something completely different.

Thee Getaway Gal is talking travel in her A-to-Z Challenge. In fact, within this challenge she’s issued a fun Instagram Challenge to encourage everyone to travel locally. I love it (and I’ll be launching a separate site soon focused just on the local-to-me travel opportunities, so this is close to my heart. Please visit her site and join the challenge.english to malay translation google outdoor car cover nz usb hub

Filed Under: atozchallenge, Encourage, Engage, Explore, Family Travel, Thoughts, Travel Philosophy

Scavenger hunt

April 22, 2014 by Ann

One of my favorite activities to do on a trip – a photo scavenger hunt. The rules are simple:

Create a list of must-take photos
Decide if you want to do the hunt in teams (parents v. children, male v. female, or whatever combination suits you) or as a family (and all work together in taking these shots)
Grab a camera – and go

Here’s a sample of some must-take photos our family has had in the past. I think it works best when you stick to the same 5-15 photos on every trip so that you can see how the same prompt compares from place to place.

In front of public transportation
Stand in front of a statue and pose like the statue
A sign that is very “that place”
Something that has made you laugh
A landscape shot
A meal or drink
A paparazzi shot
In front of a famous attraction
A reflection of yourself
A selfie
Something looking straight down
Something looking straight up
Wildlife

What photos are your must-dos when you travel?

Please take a moment to check out fellow A-Z Challenge paricipant, Black Frog Publishing.jessie jane anal TF-125 Black gopro white edition review fiat 500 car cover reviews

Filed Under: atozchallenge, Memory Keeping, Thoughts

Rest planning

April 21, 2014 by Ann

When I was a travel agent, I used to preview customer itineraries for the trips they were planning. I love planning itineraries. Seriously, send me a question about yours anytime.

Anyway, I like to plan, but my travel style is different. I prefer to have a simple goal of the day. It could be a site I want to see, a region I want to explore more in-depth, or just a day for strolling around aimlessly (which tends to be my preferred method of travel – and why I often leave a place wishing I saw more!)

Regardless of how someone plans an itinerary, one important part to consider – whether you have kids or not – is rest. Back at the travel agency I worked with many young adults visiting Europe for the first time. Because they had limited time and wanted to maximize their trip, their schedules were very go – go – go. City after city, train ride after train ride. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, it’s a good idea to take a break every few days. If you’re scheduling everything in advance, take a break from the big cities by heading to the beach or a small village. If you’re going with the flow, the easy tip is when it all starts to feel the same, change the course.

(Please note: the slow traveler approach lends itself to more rest than the “I want to see as much as possible” approach does. And, to be honest, you know yourself and what you can handle. If you want to travel to a new city every day for a week without a break, that’s ok, too! I wouldn’t suggest it, but I’m not going to get upset if you do. 🙂 That said…)

When you have kids, these rest days are crucial. We all know that we should plan for a kid’s day or two while on a trip. That’s a day where the sites are more geared to them, as oppose to say, Harrods food court. It’s also important to plan a rest day for trips that are kid-activity-centric. Say you’re going to the popular theme parks in Orlando. Instead of visiting four back-to-back, take a day to enjoy something more relaxing.

In addition to having a day for resting every few days, make a plan for rest during busy days. Even if the kids no longer nap, it’s a good way to decompress before facing the rest of the day. A good time to do this is after lunch. Go to a local park or cafe and just relax. Or just head back to the hotel. Grab a book, or give the kids some time to reflect in their journals.

To me, resting during a busy trip is the key to making it a successful trip.

Lynne is doing her second A-to-Z Challenge on her blog Winnie’s Views. She writes about her travels with her dog, Millie, in her winnebago. Visit her site today!sun cover car Apple Watch Prology TFT

Filed Under: atozchallenge, Encourage, Explore, Family Travel, Travel Advice

Queues with little ones

April 19, 2014 by Ann

While most people with young kids will say that flying is the hardest part of traveling, I disagree. I think it’s queues. They’re everywhere. Perhaps a good way to prepare for a trip, especially to theme parks, is to stand in the longest line you can find for 30 minutes and see what happens.

Let me know, though, as I really hate lines and will never force myself into one without any benefit.

So, how do we deal with this?

The culture of the queue

First – queuing is a cultural thing. Here’s a sample of different types of queuing cultures.

First come, first served.
Loudest is first.
Survival of the fittest.
Whatever, we’ll all eventually get helped.
Pick a number.
Show me the money.
What’s a line?

Now that we have that out of the way, figure out what the line culture is where you’re going. Then remember that what may be considered rude where you’re from, might not be rude where you are going. So, get over any feelings of being polite or you’ll still be standing in line as I’m posting the Z for this challenge.

Very basic queue etiquette

Regardless of the above, there are still some line rules that you just don’t break.

Don’t push pass people in any line that is roped off.
If people are going in or out of a place (subways or elevators), let the people out before going in.
Don’t look at the reservations book to find the last name of someone else and pretend you are them.
Actually, never pretend to be someone you aren’t just to get preferential treatment.
In dangerous situations – women and children first

Dealing with long lines and waits

Kids aren’t good waiters, so prepare some spur of the moment games and distractions to keep everything fun. Here are some ideas:

Play two truths and one lie
Talk about what’s around you via the game I spy
Take turns with the game 20 questions
Recap the things you’ve done and discuss what you will soon do
Take selfies on your phone, post them to IG #queueselfies
Eat a small snack

If you have any fun line anecdotes, tips on how to queue in a country you’ve visited, or suggestions for keeping wait times somewhat fun, let me know in the comments!

Adventuring at Home‘s blog is about life in Charlottesville, VA. Her take on the A-to-Z challenge are things she wants to do in her 20s. Check it out!

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Filed Under: atozchallenge, Encourage, Engage, Family Travel, Travel Advice

Parks, Playgrounds, & Picnics

April 18, 2014 by Ann

Before I had kids I thought authentic travel experiences had to include places where locals drank or ate. Once I had my own kids, I worried that finding that local connection might not be so easy. Especially now that I prefer drinks and food via room service many nights – don’t judge, I never realized how enjoyable eating at a desk-turned dining table could be when the alternative is dealing with over-tired toddlers in a public place.

Then I discovered that parks and playgrounds are filled with locals. The conversation that used to be struck up over a drink, now starts while pushing a swing on a swing set. The parents I meet at the parks and playgrounds, they’re the ones that can give me the inside tips that I worried I would miss having kids. Only these tips are more suited for my new travel lifestyle because these tips are suited for my children.

So feel free to let your kids run loose at the playground, you never know who you’ll meet.

What about the food, though?

In my pre-kid days I enjoyed tasting new dishes at restaurants. These days, I’m rediscovering my love of picnics. Plus, it’s a complete cultural experience. Shopping in a local grocery store and figuring out what treats are perfect without heating or plates is just the half of it. Then there’s searching for the perfect spot to snack. A place with a view and a playground. Some of my favorite travel memories are those that happened while eating a picnic.

Know this – if you’re travel changes when you have kids to include more parks, playgrounds, and picnics, it’s really not a bad thing.

If you have a moment, please visit fellow A-to-Z Challenge travel bloggers Kitty & Francisco of Bay Essence. Their alternating their posts between English and Spanish, so take a look!

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Filed Under: atozchallenge, Engage, Explore, Family Travel, The Journey, Thoughts, Travel Advice