Comments on: Planning Summer Travel

By: PBM

PBM — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:28:11 +0000

His plans are not written in stone. They are just that…plans. And if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. At least he has some goals in mind for his family. What do you have planned for yours?

I love the idea of planning in advance. At least it gives you something to look forward to and something to work for.

Let me repeat…. if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

By: Cortney

Cortney — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:09:49 +0000

Gretchen #28 and Sheila #36- I think it all depends on the kid if they’ll have fun or not. My ex’s family was extremely outdoorsy and they (his sisters)took their kids camping/hiking pretty much from birth on- hiking in the mountains, camping in the cold, etc. And he and his sisters were taken hiking/camping pretty much from birth by their parents. They were also big into scouts and such though, so that may have made a difference- all the kids were into camping and being outdoors. Personally, I loved camping as a child, even when I was very young. But depending on how the parents approach it and treat the kids, I can see how it wouldn’t be enjoyable for some kids as a result.

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 05:26:59 +0000

You can save by booking last minute. For instance, tody we booked a 10 day cruise at 85% off list price within two weeks of sailing. We can easily drive to the cruise terminal, no airfare required. It was considerable less money than flying to Florida, renting a car, booking a hotel and purchasing meals for a four day weekend. It pays to be flexible and weary of this cold, snowy winter.

By: KC

KC — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:20:17 +0000

New Orleans in the summer? You are a brave one. That being said I was in Seattle last June and it was 104 – so go figure?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:07:50 +0000

While I agree that #2 Steven’s post might not be completely appropriate on someone else’s blog, it does demonstrate what a thoughtful, well-researched blog commentary looks like. Water bottles and plan trips early are but one tip that have been broken out to become a full post. Again, fewer entries, better content would make this a better blog. I’m like many others who skims Trent’s entries and reads the comments.

I’ve gotta say though, that’s genius on Trent’s part. Get your commenters to do the heavy lifting and reap the benefits of sponsorship!

By: Sheila

Sheila — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:21:03 +0000

I have to agree with Gretchen (#28) about “extenstive national park” camping. My parents hauled me on cross-country camping trips beginning at 5 years of age, and we often stayed in areas where we had to be constantly reminded to stay out of long grass (snakes in Florida), be on the lookout for bears and cougars and other dangerous stuff that we would never have encountered back home.

A trip may be memorable for parents and older siblings, but I was the youngest and so have only a few vague memories that I cannot attach to particular places. My father would show me photos and tell me things to try to jog my memory, to no avail. When people ask me if I’ve been to the Grand Canyon, I have to say, “I’m told that I’ve been there, but I have no recollection of it.”

I’m all for waiting until kids are older until you travel with them. I would suggest planning visits to special places on each trip that will appeal to the interests of each of the children. That way, they can have something on the trip that they can really enjoy, and they won’t end up feeling like just a piece of luggage.

By: Des

Des — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:32:00 +0000

I think this is a great plan if your life situation is stable enough to warrant it. DH and I have been trying to conceive for three years and are now in the process of adoption. We haven’t been able to seriously plan anything in our life for those three years (or the one upcoming) because we have no idea when kids will come (and now that we’re adopting, we don’t know what age they will be either.)

That being said, once we do get our kids we have a laundry list of vacations we’d like to take, so I’m sure we’ll need to be planning them way in advance.

By: Hope D

Hope D — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:23:09 +0000

For my 25 anniversary, I would like to go on an Alaskan cruise. That will be in 6 years. I’m not calling any cruise line. It is just a loose plan. I think that is what Trent is doing. He is making long term goals.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:43:48 +0000

I don’t think Trent is talking about making reservations & definite plans 5 years out. But knowing where you hope to go for the next 5 years & some of the broad details gives you time to figure out approx. how much those particular trips will cost & what you need to save to do it, instead of planning to go to DisneyWorld or Paris in a month or two, putting it on a credit card & then paying it off. If you’re making 5-year plans for your money & life, then getting probable travel destinations in that plan is necessary for the plans to be valid.

By: Interested Reader

Interested Reader — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:42:03 +0000

I’m part of a forum where there are lots of posts like “I’m going to be in The City the last week of Feb anyone want to get together?” or “Hey! I’m going to Paraguay in the fall -anyone have any tips or advice?”

And that leads to a lot of off board emails and conversation which is cool.

Also re connecting with soemone you really want to re connect with is cool too.

But what it sounds like Trent is saying (at least to me) is that he’s not re connecting for the sake of builidng a friendship but to get information from them. And it sounds like he’s talking about connecting with semi strangers just to get information from them.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:00:08 +0000

Really, you can only realistically start locking in reservations for cost savings about 372 days in advance. That is about how far out most hotels, airlines, etc are accepting reservations. No need to panic if you don’t know what you are doing in for the summer in 2015. We try to have to always have a flexible plan in place for the next 13 months. Often, last minute deals are the cheapest. You have to be flexible and always on the look out for bargains.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:32:44 +0000

Disagree, Matt. I love it when old friends (or even acquaintances) look me up when they’re in or planning to come to town. It’s not “usery” to ask someone what’s neat about their city. I would do this to a stranger on the street, but it’s inappropriate to ask an old friend or colleague? I don’t think so. They’re well within their rights to respond briefly or not at all. I’m more discriminating about who’d I’d ask if I could stay with them, but if we used to be very close friends even if we’ve drifted apart now, I still wouldn’t feel weird or like a taker for asking. (If I’d be excited if they showed up in my city and asked for a place to stay, I’d ask without much reservation.) However, I’m also an avid couchsurfer (mostly a host), a community of people who regularly open their homes to or stay in the homes of complete strangers, so perhaps my perceptions of hospitality are skewed towards generosity.

By: Interested Reader

Interested Reader — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:25:17 +0000

Valleycat – he’s talking about DisneyWorld in 5 years so his youngest will be 5 and that doesn’t seem to be an unreasonable age to take a child to Disney.

I think I was 6 or when I went to Disney World for the first time and had a blasst, I still have some fond memories of it.

My parents also took us camping and stuff and we liked that too but Disney was lots of fun.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:11:52 +0000

Even “extenstive national park” camping seems like not the best choice for three very small children.

thanks on the hotel tip. I think the key is to pick a chain and stick with it.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:08 +0000

I’m surprised Trent wants to go to DisneyWorldl when young (toddler-13 or so, at least) my children had much better times at real places & events instead of fake ones. Zoos, lakes, caves, the beach, family & friends instead of characters in costumes & standing in lines with a gazillion strangers in the heat for a brief thrill ride. And as teens to now they still prefer experiences to that kind of thing.

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:30:37 +0000

Jules, I totally disagree with you. I found Steven’s tips to be quite interesting and I’m glad he shared them.

I think Matt#25 makes a valid point.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:15:07 +0000

I can’t say “lame” enough when I hear of people “reestablishing contacts” just to get a free place to stay or free advice for somewhere they want to go. Lame lame lame. That’s absolutely putting a price tag on “friendship” and is just usery. Come on, guys. Man up and call it what it is.

By: colleen c

colleen c — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:38:22 +0000

Here is a money-saving tip for anyone planning a Walt Disney World vacation (like Trent). Planning ahead helps so much because the place is overwhelming in size AND costs.I am a Disney fan and one of my favorite planning guides is a book called Passporter. It has all the details about everything from rides to shows and resorts. It’s easy to read and makes planning your trip so much fun. Because a new guide comes out each year, the authors offer the “old” year at a very reduced rate. You can get a copy for about $5 including shipping. This offer is typically offered in the first months of a new year on their website, Passporter.com.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:03:28 +0000

Viva frequent flyer miles, especially the ones you don’t have to fly to earn!

By: Jules

Jules — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:45:39 +0000

@ Steven: taking up two whole screens with a comment is not a way to share information, because nobody reads it. Less is more if you’re trying to drive traffic to your blog. You want to leave enough so that they’re interested, but not so much that they won’t bother clicking your link.

Which is not to say that they will bother clicking your link–most people won’t. Just gotta get over that.