atozchallenge

Volunteer Trips for Families

April 25, 2014 by Ann

Here’s another type of travel to consider: volunteer trips for families.

I haven’t done this with my family, yet. I know I will when they are older. Some of my favorite bonding memories with my friends are those where we volunteered with an organization for something greater than us. I can’t wait to bond in this type of meaningful way with my kids.

This isn’t something, when the time comes, that I will go into half-heartedly. I imagine hours upon hours of researching the right fit.

In the meantime, I want to do things a little differently with this post.

First, I want to ask if anyone reading this has any experience with a volunteer trip – domestic or international. If so, please leave your thoughts in the comments, or shoot me an email.

Second, here are a list of resources I’ve found online. I will update this list and this post as I learn more about it.

Resources for Family Volunteer Trips

International Volunteer Program Association: Includes a list of member organizations as well as a lot of information for people interested in volunteering.
Global Citizens Network: Offers information about volunteer and plans scheduled or custom trips for independent travelers, groups, or families.
The Great Pro jects: Provides volunteer projects focused on wildlife around the world.
Outreach 360: Started in orphanages, but has branched out to include empowering children in poverty-stricken areas.
Me To We: Focuses on volunteer trips that provide the sustainable community development.
Give Kids the World: This Orlando-based company helps children with life-threatening illnesses make their wishes come true. Volunteers have to be at least 12 years old.

For more articles about family volunteering

USA Today lists the 10 Best Family Volunteer Travel Vacations
New York Times discusses some of the things families should discuss before embarking on a volunteer trip.

On another note

I have loved doing this A-to-Z challenge. It’s been fun writing new posts almost daily, and meeting so many travel bloggers. I can’t believe we’re already at V! Only 4 more (very difficult) letters to go. I’m not ready to stop these daily, themed posts. In the month of May I’m going to write a new post every week-day about an attraction (museum, park, anything) that our family has visited. I’ve wanted to write about these anyway, and this is a good time to do it. If this is something that interests you, please join me! I hope you stick around for those posts – and I’m sure I’ll still check out a lot of your blogs in the future.

A funny thing, my A-to-Z spotlight blog of the day, the Traveling Suitcase, is also going to continue the A-Z challenge in May. Let’s see if we can get a group of travel bloggers doing the same! In the meantime, check out their blog!

Photo by danielthornton BARI RAV4 W1712 Stockpair

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

“Unknown” Destinations

April 24, 2014 by Ann

The challenge in these destinations

Yesterday I wrote about touristy attractions. Today I want to discuss the complete opposite: unknown attractions. I value showing our children the popular destinations. However, there’s something fun in discovering something relatively unknown.

The problem is – how do you find out about these places?

Well, the good news is most of these places are in a guidebook. Not all guidebooks, though. Comprehensive guidebooks, focused on a smaller region, will have more unknown sites and destinations. This is actually a good thing. No one wants to spend their vacation in a place that is just “meh“. If it’s not in a comprehensive guidebook focused on the region, that might be because it’s just “meh“. (And if it’s not in a comprehensive guidebook and you still want to go – that’s ok, too!)

The bad news is that off the beaten path places are not off everyone’s beaten path. I tend to think that statement refers to sites that aren’t on a top 10, 20, or even 50 list of things to do. These are places that your circle of friends might not be as familiar with, but they’re likely a local person’s treasure. The reason this is bad news: crowds are still possible. Don’t worry we’ll talk more about that in a moment.

There are four types of unknown/lesser known destination trips.

A popular destination, such as Paris, with visits to sites that are off the radar.
Off the radar cities that are off the typical tourist trail of cities.
Regions that aren’t visited by many people from your circle or nationality, but have tourists from within the region or are a popular destination for people from another country.
Places that have tiny populations and tourists rarely go or get a chance to visit. These are much more remote, challenging, and likely expensive to get to.

Six steps to finding and enjoying an “unknown” destination

For the purpose of this post, I’ll focus on the first three I listed above. Remote, challenging, and expensive destinations aren’t something people go into lightly. I’m sure anyone going there with their family will get better resources than I can offer.

For the other three, though, I want to talk about how to find and enjoy them. Remember, the nature of the “unknown” place is they don’t get as many tourists as wherever you’re from. Hopefully, these tips will help.

What kind of trip do you want? some sites within a popular city, something of the tourist trail in an often visited country, or something completely unfamiliar to you and your circle.
Search online: Look up photos, websites, and social media and follow the clicking or hashtag trail until you find something appealing.
Check out a guidebook: Find a comprehensive guidebook for the area of the world you want to visit. Skip the parts about places you are already familiar with and see if you can find a place that interests you.
Research: Now that you know where you want to go. Go back to the web and guidebook.
- Know the history and geography.
- Consider your transportation options. Remember, it’s “off-the-beaten-path” – roads and public transportation may not be as reliable as places you are accustomed to.
- Learn some language. Don’t count on English speakers working the hotel desk, kiosks, or tours if they don’t get many English-speaking visitors.
- Don’t forget the meals. Research the food. Don’t worry, meal selections will likely be more authentic. This may not appeal to the youngest or pickiest of travels. Knowing what to expect can help. Then you can order something you know they will like, or pack some peanut butter and buy some bread.
- What will you do there? See what attractions, events, and festivals are there. Even if it is relatively unknown, it will likely have a list of must-sees and dos.
- Who does travel to this place – does it have a high season? Try to find out who travels there. Is it a local favorite? Is it popular with German tourists? If there’s a chance it could be busy with their more typical tourist, consider visiting during shoulder season. Then you get the best parts of the destination, without the crowds.
- Is traveling off-season an option?Be cautious of traveling off-season, though. In some places off-season is actually closed season and there may be NOTHING to do.
Once you are there, talk to locals. What do they recommend?
Wander. What kinds of things do you stumble upon when you travel without any direction? Some of my favorite trips have been because I hadn’t pre-planned anything and just took random turns as we wandered around.

Photo by Rome Cabs

Every day of the A-Z Challenge I link to another participant writing about something travel-related for the challenge. I actually picked my links before I knew what I would be posting about on any given day. Today’s planned link is with Tui Snider’s Offbeat and Overlooked Travel. Lots of great information fitting in with going to places that aren’t necessarily on a typical top 20 list.Audio-Technica AT2020

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

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