Search Results for: blog generation y vacations

Travel Trends—“Parents-Only Vacations” Part 2

In a previous blog I detailed the latest travel trend: vacations for grown ups. I wondered how many of you parents go on vacation without your children. We don’t; but that’s just because we are typically visiting out-of-state relatives, so leaving our child behind doesn’t really make sense. I wanted to know how popular these adult-only trips really are so I did some research and found some startling statistics. According to a survey conducted by AAA travel, adults-only trips now make up nearly 70% of the leisure travel market, which was once dominated by family trips. Hotels say the trend … Continue reading →

Generation Y Vacations

Move over mom and dad, it’s your teens and tweens that hotels are now looking to target. Travel to a just about any resort and you’ll see—it’s all about Generation Y. If you are a Generation X-er (like me) your childhood vacation memories likely contain flashbacks of time spent sitting in the backseat of a station wagon squished between siblings, suitcases, and saran-wrapped salami sandwiches. Forget about stretching out in air-conditioned SUVs or minivans decked out with DVD players and built in coolers. Please! We were lucky if our wagon made to the Budgetel without getting a flat and once … Continue reading →

Getting too Used to the Good Life

We have been without our main car for a week now, and we still have another two weeks to go before we get it back. Meanwhile, we are driving our oldest vehicle, a 1998 SUV, and driving it only when we have to. It has been an adventure. With one car seat and two booster seats in the back, the car is cramped, and someone always seems to wind up with an elbow in the eye or a foot in the back. The air conditioner is loud and noisy and only cools the car if the temperature is below 80 … Continue reading →

Vacation Memories

Vacations are so much fun, and part of what makes them so special is spending a large block of uninterrupted time with family members. Families strengthen their ties during vacations as they have fun and create memories that will bring them joy long after the trip is over. Some families vacation in the same place every year. Some even pass down a vacation home from generation to generation, or they return with their families to places that their parents brought them as children. Vacations are an important part of each family’s story. If you are a family historian, you may … Continue reading →

Group Scrapbooks

One of my mom’s most cherished possessions is a scrapbook she received on her 35th wedding anniversary. It was made by a large group of family and friends during my parents’ anniversary party. Some call this type of project a “guest scrapbook” since it is compiled from photos and memorabilia donated by guests who attend a particular party or function. My parents’ book is a little different in that each guest came to the party with a pre-made 12 by 12-inch page that was then added to an album. At the end of the bash my mom left with a … Continue reading →

How Much Are You Planning to Spend on Your Kids this Holiday Season?

Recession? What recession? Seriously, I often wonder how much the media has skewed our view on the nation’s economic situation. Every headline, every news ticker, every “top story” has to do with how poor our country’s financial situation is, and how things are only going to get worse before they get better. While news anchors are reading stories about record unemployment, mounting foreclosures, no money here, less money there, my friend’s 10-year-old daughter is heading to the spa. No kidding. Young Keera scored an invitation to yet another birthday party, this time at a local spa that caters to tweens. … Continue reading →

Are Travel Clubs Really Money Savers?

With the price of airfare skyrocketing to new highs it’s no wonder travel clubs are attracting more interest than ever before. Commercials and print ads for travel clubs offering, “super deals and deep discounts” are virtually everywhere. The advertisements promise huge savings on everything from airfare and cruises to rental cars and hotel accommodations. If you are a cash strapped traveler who has always dreamed of taking a Caribbean cruise or a fantasy flight to Paris, then one of these flashy ads or mailings (typically in the form of a postcard) may have caught your attention—-especially the ones that promise … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Royal Viewing and Happy Hybrids

I admit I was a die-hard Princess Diana fan. My mom woke me up at 2 a.m. Hawaii time to watch her fairy tale wedding to Prince Charles. I used my allowance to buy special editions of PEOPLE magazine whenever she was on the cover and I went gaga when her boys were born. So when it was announced that a dozens of Diana’s gowns were going to be displayed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa in Florida, for a split second I considered making the trip (then reality hit and I remembered that I can barely … Continue reading →

Surviving Holiday Trips with Teens

Millions of families throughout the world will be hitting the highways, the rails, or the air this week as the busy holiday travel season reaches its peak. For many parents that means spending uninterrupted time with moody teens who would rather be any place, besides stuck in a minivan or plane with the entire family unit. So how can you make the most of a family vacation that spans hundreds of miles and costs thousands of dollars? Here are a few tips: Choose Your Destination Wisely. Do so by first getting input from your teens on where they would like … Continue reading →

Traveling With Grandparents—Survival Tips

I have a friend who would rather get her toenails ripped out with a set of pliers by an angry football player than take a vacation with her parents or in-laws. I, on the other hand, grew up vacationing with my parents and grandparents and am currently in the process of planning a trip that includes my 91-year-old grandmother, my parents, myself, and my own child—four generations on the same trip… I can’t wait. I’m serious. I don’t have a problem with multi-generational family vacations. Do you? If you are like me and tend to travel with parents and grandparents … Continue reading →