Gray Line Wanderings Travel Blog

An Especially Untimely Visit to Bangkok during the Floods of '11. Photo by Author.

The mistake of visiting Southeast Asia during monsoon season or Northern Europe during winter is one that you only make once. You may not even realize just how much the weather can affect a vacation until you make a serious misjudgment. Traveling during unfavorable times of year can affect anything from opening hours to availability to comfort, but there are some advantages to visiting during the down season. Before you travel next, at least check this list, then check the weather to make sure you’ll get what you’re looking for from your vacation:

• Stuck in the Hotel Room - In some countries, the changes in season are so severe that even the locals head to the hills (or the beach) for some refuge. Be sure to check online for drastic weather conditions in the country you’ll be visiting to ensure that you time it right.
• Is Anybody Home? - Certain countries take what seems like a nationwide vacation during the “bad” seasons of the year. If you visit Spain in August, you can expect the majority of stores to be vacant or the hours of operation to be cut short so the vendors can escape the heat. Check in advance that the activities you want to do are actually available during the time you plan to travel.
• The Jumbo Suitcase - Traveling light is an amazing thing. The first time you travel with JUST a 10kg bag for your week long vacation, you might never lug a huge bag again. However, weather conditions mean the difference between packing winter parkas & rain boots -vs- tank tops & flip flops. If you want to pack light, it’s best to travel during times where no jacket is required!
• Your Crystal Ball – Check out BestTimetoGo.com for comprehensive advice about… well… the best time to go to your vacation spot.
• Finally… forget all my other advice - There is a good part about traveling during “unfavorable” times of year. NO tourists. Imagine yourself wandering alone through world wonders that are normally packed. Sure, you may be covered to your knees in mud, sweating profusely or unable to feel your toes, but it’s still kind of awesome.

Ever been trapped in a tropical storm or caught underdressed in a blizzard? Tell us about your most ridiculous weather story from your travels in the comments below or on Facebook! (Can’t access the comments? Click here for a link to the full story: The Highs & Lows of Traveling with the Weather)

Part of the Author's Geocaching Team

Ok, I’d admit it. I was late to the Geocaching party. Fashionably late but still, I was late. I’d heard people talking about geocaching and didn’t understand the language they spoke. They wrote things like TNLN, TFTC and FTF? Their Facebook pages seemed alive with interesting activity. Intrigued, but still confused, I wondered if I too could be one of these treasure-seeking players?

The truth is anyone can go Geocaching. It’s great for travelers of all ages and it can be enjoyed almost everywhere.  It’s free and easy to figure out and requires very little in terms of knowledge or equipment. In other words, it’s perfect for my family! I recently took my 3 kiddos, my mom and my nephew geocaching in rural Iowa. It was a huge hit. Our first find was an easy one, which built confidence in our newly formed team. With a successful find under our belt, we headed near my childhood home where the website boasted 2 nearby caches. The terrain was too difficult (think no trail, waist high foliage and 4 kids) so we abandoned those finds. We were not to be discouraged and headed out again to a new destination.

Everyone had such a great time; we are planning our next adventure and have gained participants who want to join us and get in on the action too.

If you haven’t tried Geocaching, you should give it a try. Try it on a trip, try it in your own hometown, but definitely give it a try. If this entire post seems like a foreign language, start by checking out our recent post about Geocaching to get the basics of this fun-filled adventure game: Geocaching Fever.

Are you a Geocacher? How many finds do you have under your belt? Share your experiences in the comment section below or on the Gray Line Facebook page. (Click here if you can’t see comments: Catching the Cache)

Photo courtesy of Cachemania

Are you still a Muggle? Or have you caught the Geocaching bug yet?

Geocaching seems to be everywhere. Literally everywhere. Currently there are over 1.8 million locations worldwide and that number is growing daily. I kept hearing about geocaching but wasn’t sure what it was so I decided it was time to do some investigating into this new pastime.

In a nutshell, geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game for adventure seekers of all ages around the world. Players have hidden millions of “caches” for you to find literally in every corner of the world. A cache is a small container (not always small – they do vary in size) which contains a log sheet for you to record your team’s arrival and the date that you found the cache.  If the cache is big enough it may contain a small treasure. You may take the treasure as long as you trade it for something that you have brought with you of equal or greater value.

Players find the hidden caches by using GPS coordinates and often additional clues to narrow the search further at the location. With a GPS unit or GPS enabled smart phone players navigate their “team” to the hidden spots and try to locate the cache. A team can be one or more people – it’s totally up to you.

Once you locate the cache in its secret hiding spot, you put it back exactly where you found it for the next team to discover and leave a note online for the cache owner detailing your visit for them and future visitors to read about. You can also leave notes indicating if you could not find it, if the cache needs maintenance or anything else that might help future players.

And the best part? It’s free. You can sign up for a free account on geocaching.com,  create a user name and start locating treasure near your current coordinates (there is also a premium service available for a fee).

Keep in mind that you definitely need a GPS enabled device. I also decided to download the Geocaching App for my phone and that made things super easy on the go but it’s not mandatory. As a novice player, I would also recommend tennis or hiking shoes (no flip flops!), bug spray, a pencil and maybe even a hat as you are definitely outside and some of the terrain may require you to tromp off trail. We have also learned to read the description of the cache you are seeking carefully as some are out in the open and easy to find making them great for younger seekers and others may require that you hike off trail or though difficult terrain which make them a better fit for those without small children.

You can also plan a trip using geocaching to break it up along the way. So far my family has found caches along a roadtrip we have taken though the middle of America to great success and new experiences. Kids and adults have both enjoyed the “game” as we have played it. It’s a nice way to see your own destination in a new way or experience a destination in a way you may not have expected. You may also meet other players along the way which is a great additional benefit we have discovered.

Have you tried Geocaching yet? What’s the most unique cache you have found so far? Share your experiences in the comments below or on the Gray Line Facebook page. (Click here if you can’t see comments: Geocaching Fever)

Enjoying The Denver Chalk Art Festival

I love festivals. My kids love festivals. I admit it – we are the festival kind of people. We love themes and all that people do to embrace and celebrate them.  I’m also not embarrassed to say that kitschy equals better in the rating of festivals. The joke in our family is if there is a crowd, my husband deliberately goes the opposite way. I, on the other hand, run towards it to see what all the excitement is about. That many people can’t be wrong!

Our community seems to have an abundance of festivals. I’m positive yours does too – you just need to uncover them.  A quick Google search for our state + festivals led me to multiple sites with calendars full of festive celebrations.  We have paid tribute to dragon boats, peaches, chalk art, apples, summer, fall and multiple nationalities and cultures just to name a few.

If you are new to the festival scene, this summer is the perfect time to get acquainted. The lazy days of summer combined with long daylight filled hours make them super easy to enjoy.

When I travel, I like to see if the trip coincides with any celebrations big (or small) in our destination.  If you are like me and love a crowd celebrating, then a festival might be just what the doctor ordered to enhance your connection with the community you are visiting.

I’ve rarely met a festival that I didn’t love. There’s a certain sense of camaraderie that develops when strangers get together to celebrate a common (or random) interest.  But then again, that sums up travel and why many of us love to explore our world.  Common experiences and settings often breed alliances and friendships that make this a small world after all.

Do you love festivals? What unusual festivals have you experienced? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Photo by Joe Mazzola

Yes, I’m crazy. Well, maybe not certifiably; but unhinged enough to think I can and should take my kids lots of places. Whether by plane, minivan, train or rental vehicle, I think it’s my duty to show my kids our world. From the get go I take them anywhere and everywhere I can to show them places that will give them a greater understanding of our world. I take them to places close to home, places dear to my heart and places that spark that spirit of adventure and wonder that lives deep in my soul.

People often ask me, “You took your kids WHERE?” and more often than not the answer is, “Yes!” The follow up question is almost always “How do you travel with small kids?” Well, dear friends, I’m going to share with you a couple of my tips. My top 5 to be almost exact. It actually takes more than just 5 tips to travel with small children. I would love to share with you all of my travel tips that I’ve accumulated through the years but here are 5 (or so) as an appetizer.

1. SNACKS – LOTS AND LOTS OF SNACKS – I’m talking enough to sustain a small village for a while. I’m also taking about the “good stuff.” Now is not the time to scrimp on the snacks. Bring the stuff they love, the stuff you don’t buy on a regular basis, the stuff they beg for in the market. We had a flight delay and a subsequent rerouting once that left us in an airport after all the retail shops had closed. I’ve never been so grateful for a stash of goldfish, skittles and bottled water in all my life.

2. ENTERTAINMENT – KEEP ‘EM BUSY. Get them something they’ve never seen before and it can be as simple as post it notes. An airline tray table and a package of post it notes can provide loads of entertainment. Kids can stick and unstuck those crazy fluorescent squares for quite a while. They can make patterns if you have multiple colors and when all of that fun is done – draw on them, make a picture that spans multiple post-its and BAM you have a puzzle for a toddler.

3. BE PREPARED – have extra everything – especially diapers. I repeat, always have extra diapers if you have a child that small. Once they became a bartering item, a currency if you will, on a trip when a flight of ours got cancelled leaving us stranded in Washington DC with 2 kids past bedtime. I traded diapers and wipes with a woman for jarred baby food. Her baby smelled and mine was hungry – problem solved.

4. KNOW YOUR GAME PLAN WHEN YOU ARRIVE – give the kids something to anticipate. My kiddos have always been thrilled at the prospect of scoping out their destination. We dream of what we will see and how we will see it. One easy way to get them excited is a ride in a motorcoach, train, trolley car, gondola or something that they normally don’t see in your own garage. One of my girls still talks about the trolley tour she took in Zurich. We loved feeling the fresh air in our faces in the open-aired trolley and learned a little about the city and its people. Ok, my husband and I learned about the city and its people – she tried to figure out how many pets she could spot.

5. PREPARE FOR THE WORST….HOPE FOR THE BEST – I always bring along current shot records and medical info from their last check up along with a small first aid kit with Tylenol, Motrin, a thermometer, band aids, Neosporin, etc. and a correct dosing chart for any and all medication per kid. Luckily, I have rarely had to use the kit. I think that’s because I have it with me at all times. The token trip I didn’t take it on, we ended up in a doctor’s office nearly 1,000 miles from home.

Ok so I promised 5 tips but I couldn’t stop at 5 so here’s a bonus one and arguably the most important:

6. HUMOR – if you don’t take along a large and healthy dose of humor you might as well stay home. Some of the best laughs of my marriage and my family have happened when we travel. How else could I have a photo like this one….

Author's Child Entering The Great State of Nebraska

What are your great travel tips with kids? Share your tips and tricks in comments below.

My family of 5 just finished spring break. Well, most of us were on spring break but one member of the family had to work (gasp!) during the week of our family vacation.

Due to the working nature of one family member, part of our vacation included a stay at a traditional “business” hotel. Not a family friendly resort but a wear-your-professional-attire kind of place.

The decision to stay at a hotel predominantly occupied by the traveling business person turned out to have a boatload (yes, that is a technical unit of measurement) of benefits that bear repeating as we will definitely repeat a trip like this.

By being the only family staying at the hotel, the staff was quite enamored by us. We were singled out (in a good way) with complimentary cookies and milk for the kids, extra special treatment in the restaurant and best of all – a pool all to ourselves.

While everyone else worked the days away and the meeting rooms were filled to capacity, we ruled the pool and the hotel grounds. The nights and weekend were a different story but during the workweek days we were hotel royalty.

I’m sure this isn’t always the case but in my humble opinion, it might be a gamble worth trying. Especially if your kids are as cute as this one. (But, I’m a little biased.)

Have you had an unusual trip become a pleasant surprise? Share with us in the comments! If you can’t see Facebook comments, click here: Getting Down to Business on Spring Break Travel Blog.

Hula Dancers at Hawaiian Sunset Luau

When visiting Hawaii many travelers wonder if a luau is on the “must-see” or “must miss” list. For me, it is definitely a must-experience each and every time we visit the islands. The following are my own personal top 5 reasons never to miss a luau when the opportunity presents itself:

5. A Festivus for the Rest of Us – A luau is a wonderful festive gathering. People are generally friendly attending these soirées and I have met many lovely people from around the world when partaking in the luau experience.

4. Music and Dancing – Hearing those distinctive drums and watching the fire dancers just makes me happy.

3. The Sunsets are Breathtaking – The luaus I have attended have had amazing sunsets in full view. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the end of yet another beautiful day in Hawaii.

2. The Mai Tai – Enough said.

1.  When will you ever see a darling baby look as cute as this little girl?

Well, do you luau? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below! (Having trouble viewing Facebook comments? Click here)

“It’s the journey, not the destination.” Repeat that to yourself 3 times, and then listen up while I do my best to convince you that hitting the open road on your next vacation could just very well be the best time of your life.

First, let me say sure, there’s always the option to fly.  You’ll arrive in a few hours and be on your way. That is, after you’ve dealt with airport parking, security, baggage fees, a flight delay, and a guy in the seat next to you that may or may not be coughing up a small kitten. If that sounds like your thing, by all means, check those flight times and pick that perfect itinerary.

If, however, you’re like me and prefer freedom when you travel – to go anywhere, at any time, to do anything – fill up the gas tank, grab a road map, and prepare to go road trippin’.

Like choosing chocolate or caramel, your road tripping options are pure win-win. All you need to decide is who’s coming with (if anyone at all), and in which direction to start heading. To make things really complicated (note the sarcasm), you might also want to pick some tunes to set the mood for the trip. Personally, I’d select some good ol’ Grateful Dead for a solo trip through the national parks of the Northwest, rock an 80’s playlist for a trip with a friend through Southern California, or pump some Willie and Waylon driving through the Smoky Mountains with the fam.

Are you following me now? These decisions are FUN.  Not to mention, limitless. Why always go left when this time you can go right? Take some time to explore the way that you want to do it.  If you want to go see the House of Mud like Clarke W. Griswald in the movie ‘Vacation’, go see the House of Mud! If you’re dying to see the great peaks of the Grand Tetons, make the drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and see the Tetons. If along the way to the Tetons you decide that you’d rather stop in Montana to camp under the stars, then by all means, stop in Montana and camp under the stars!

Enjoy the freedom of the open road.  Share some quality laughs with your family. Blast your favorite song with the windows open. Get out and take a goofy picture in front of the Grand Canyon. I guarantee you it will be worth it.

What are your summer road trip plans? Tell us in the Facebook comments below. (having trouble viewing comments? click here)

I feel like a grown up. Technically, I’ve been an adult for quite some time, but for the first time in a long time I actually feel like a real grown up. Why? Because I just returned from an adults-only vacation. What?!? Travel without your children? I know what you are thinking, but trust me–it was still fun without them.

This type of vacation doesn’t happen very often in our house. After all, we don’t have grandparents nearby to help nor are we able to pry ourselves from our kiddos for an extended period of time. I mean we dig those little people so why go somewhere without them?

I’ll tell you why. Because sometimes you need a break. Sometimes you want to eat more than one meal in a row without crayons and ketchup. A vacation is just the perfect time to accomplish both of those goals and a few others you will come up with on your own, I’m sure.

To make your transition to being a relaxed grown up easier I thought I would share a few things that helped us prepare for the trip. Although not an exhaustive list, it’s enough to get you started dreaming about enjoying a meal without a slide near your table.

• Get your legal house in order. I’m in no way a lawyer but I felt better knowing that our will, life insurance, medical power of attorney, medical records and other important documents were up to date and available for our caregivers.

• Get your physical house in order. I found it helpful to make sure the house was clean, the fridge was stocked and I had enough meals prepared and frozen that no one had to worry about the terrifying “what’s for dinner?” question every day.

• Stock some gift cards. I heard this tip from a friend and it seemed to come in handy. I left some gift cards (coffee, restaurants, grocery store, etc.) for the grandparents so if they wanted to take the kids out to eat or if they needed extra groceries or something they could just use the gift cards to get what they needed.

• Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We were lucky to have grandparents come stay with our kids but since they do not know our local area, I left maps and directions to important places like the doctor’s office, emergency room, pharmacy, etc. I also left directions to not so important places like fun parks to play at, the kids’ favorite restaurants, shopping, etc.

• Have a communications plan in place. My anxiety was easily calmed with daily (sometimes more often) video chats with the kids. Whether you call on the phone, text, Skype or send carrier pigeons, planning your method of communications and even the general time of day you will communicate helps ease everyone’s anxiety.

• Let it be a vacation for the kids too. The entire time we planned the trip and talked about it we told the kids it was their vacation from us too. Grandparents helped ease or get rid of some rules while we were gone, schedules were relaxed and I had plenty of food in the house I wouldn’t normally permit unless we were hosting a party. Even these little things helped the kids view the week as a positive of what they were getting rather than what they were missing.

Recently I had to travel without my 3 wonderful children. Translation: I ran out of town for an impromptu weekend to visit some of my friends…..all by myself! Now don’t get me wrong, I love traveling with my kids. I really do. They are actually very good travelers and I find a lot of joy trekking around with them. It’s just I had not traveled without my kiddos in quite some time and was amazed at just how darn easy it was.  It wasn’t without some hiccups (flight delay, friend’s flight cancelled, etc.) but it was still relatively easy. In case you haven’t traveled without the accompaniment of small people in some time or if you always travel alone and have forgotten the joy of it all, here are some reminders of why solo travel can be so darn easy:

It’s Quiet:

Ok, not collegiate library quiet, but relative to the noise level in my house, it is quiet. Yes, airports are noisy but all of that eventually just levels out as white noise.

Good Old Fashioned Reading:

I love a good book. I love pop culture magazines. Traveling alone gave me uninterrupted time to cash a book. I read a whole book in one setting plus caught up on the latest in pop culture news. Pure joy.

People, in General, Are Mostly Interesting and Nice:

I am normally not a “talker” when I travel. It’s not that I won’t talk, I just prefer not to. When I’m alone and if someone tries to chat me up, I generally give short answers and keep my headphones on. But once in a while there is someone next to me on a plane I can’t resist. Oftentimes it’s someone kind and interesting. That, I like.

It’s Just You and Nobody Else But You:

What’s so great about being alone you ask? Well, that’s just it. You are alone. You can eat what you want when you want.  You can walk instead of taking the moving sidewalks to stretch your legs. You can grab a cocktail in the bar.  You can think and zone out and just be…and THAT is easy.