Search Results for: blog ways to have fun at the airport

10 Ways to Save on Your Next Trip to Hawaii

Last year, my then six-old daughter celebrated her 12th visit to Hawaii. However, to her, the Aloha State is more than just a top tourist destination, it’s also home to grandma, grandpa, and a huge network of aunts, uncles and cousins. I kid that she would have been marking trip number 20 if it weren’t so dang expensive to fly from Wisconsin to Hilo. Fortunately, once we land in the “Land of Aloha” we score free room and board. Bottom line: traveling to Hawaii is not cheap. However, there are ways you can save on your next vacation there provided … Continue reading →

Ways to Make Summer Travel Easier on Your Child

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It takes a brave soul to embark on a long vacation, with lots of travel, accompanied by young children. Parents of kids who have special needs are going to need to plan ahead in order to make their child’s travel experience as comfortable as possible. This could mean the difference between a family vacation, and turning the car back around towards home. All vacations require planning. Parents of children who have certain types of special needs are going to have to do some extra preparation in order to make it easier for their children to tolerate the stress, unexpected changes, … Continue reading →

What Happens When An Airport Takes Over a Cemetary

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Chicago is a strange place sometimes. Locals are probably aware of the ongoing drama that involves the expansion of the O’Hare Airport. It’s been going on for years, and is one of those situations where you cannot possibly please everyone with the solution to the problem. The current plan, which is already in action, involves moving hundreds of graves so that the airport can expand over what is currently a church cemetery. This is making quite a few people upset. For whatever reason, there is something about the airport runways in Chicago that cause people in authority to behave in … Continue reading →

Passenger-Friendly Airports

Take it from someone who recently spent 13 hours straight at Chicago’s (in)famous O’Hare thanks to American Airlines’ lack of well engineered planes and even worse professional conduct, there’s only so much one can do in an airport before going stir crazy. Did I mention I was trapped at O’Hare with a tired, hungry and antsy kindergartner? Yeah. Thankfully, some U.S. airports are trying to become a bit more passenger-friendly. Granted, no one should be forced to sit in an airport for 13 hours straight, but if you ever find yourself in a wretched situation similar to mine, then aim … Continue reading →

More Ways To Have Fun At the Airport

For harried parents traveling with a children or overscheduled business travelers looking to get home as soon as possible, airports are far from fun. Still, if you are using air travel to get from point A to point B, then you have little choice than to spend some time at an airport. So why not make the experience relatively fun? If you find yourself in any of the following airports in the near future, consider yourself lucky. Travel experts recently ranked them as some of the “Most Entertaining Airports” in the nation: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA: If you are looking to pass … Continue reading →

Ways To Have Fun At the Airport

The words “fun” and “airport” are rarely featured in the same sentence, especially since 9/11, and even more so since that dimwit allegedly tried to take down Northwest Airlines flight 253 on Christmas Day by stashing liquid explosives in his underwear. However, savvy travelers know that certain airports feature noteworthy boredom busters. If you are planning on flying through any of the following airports this holiday weekend, consider what they have to offer: Las Vegas: Who says you have to bid Lady Luck adieu when you leave your hotel on the Strip? You can continue pressing your luck at the … Continue reading →

Hotel Room Fun for Family Travel

Nighttime is sometimes the hardest part of the travel day. Children are tired of being cooped up in the car and are cranky. Adults are tired of being cooped up in the car, and are trying not to be cranky. Sometimes it’s really hard to get everyone settled down. If the hotel has a pool, use it – even though it’s a hassle to get everyone changed. Something about the water makes everyone more relaxed, and it makes the kids sleep better. Ditto for a playground or play area. Packing just one overnight bag with everyone’s stuff makes getting in … Continue reading →

How Much You’ll Have To Pay If You Want To Extend Your Vacation

Remember the good ol’ days when changing your flight at the last minute was as easy as showing up to the airport a little earlier? Or, if you were having such a wonderful time soaking up the sun on a tropical island and wanted to stay a few extra days all you had to do was call the airline and book a later flight… and not have to offer up your first child to do so? These days it’s next to impossible to make changes to your itinerary without being socked with a fee. Some carriers are a bit more … Continue reading →

Romantic Hurricane Adventures: Fun with Floyd

For me, September brings to mind hurricanes. It all started the year we moved to Florida. The Summer of ‘99 We moved to Jacksonville in May of 1999. Our move had been a bit rocky. Wayne and I had been separated for four months until our house sold in Phoenix. (Actually, it hadn’t even sold yet. I just couldn’t stand not living with him anymore, so I decided I was moving. Luckily we got an offer at the same time.) But I had only been in Jax a month when Wayne’s company declared bankruptcy and laid him off. It could … Continue reading →

The Benefits Of Advance Technology Airport X-Ray Machines

I you read this blog regularly then you know I have a lot to say regarding the airport security screening process and specifically the X-ray machines employed by the Transportation Security Administration. Simply put: I am not as concerned about the intensity of the X-ray as much as I am with the consistency of the machine. (For whatever reason, I always seem to get stuck behind the passenger who makes the machine malfunction.) Bottom Line: I just want to get through the security checkpoint as quickly as possible. If you share my philosophy on airport security checkpoints you will be … Continue reading →