Multi-Generational Holidays

Traveling with multi-generations of the family is a great new trend in vacationing.

I recently went on a long weekend trip with my husband, sister and her kids and husband, her in-laws and my mom and step-dad.  My nephews enjoyed spending time with Auntie and Uncle as well as Grandma and Grandpa!  It afforded us all an opportunity to spend time together and to make memories with the newest members of our family.

A friend of mine recently returned from a two-week stay at Dreams Palm Beach Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  She traveled with her mom and young son.  While there she was able to relax on her own, while Grandma played with her son.  Additionally, her had mother-daughter bonding time with her mom, while her son made new friends at the resort’s kid’s club.  And one of their best memories from the trip was that her 3-year-old son finally learned how to swim and he learned in the Caribbean Sea!

Here are some images from Dreams Palm Beach in Punta Cana

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Multi-generation holidays offer wonderful experiences to the most senior members of the family, all the way down to youngest children!

Travel Pillows, reading materials and more!

My friend Jennifer is leaving for her honeymoon soon and it will be a LONG flight to the South Pacific.  She asked me my opinion about travel pillows, books and bug spray

Ok, as far as travel pillows, there are tons of options. Here is a page featuring some top pics. Some prefer the comma shaped ones, some prefer the… inflatable variety. I like the ones that are the traditional collar like the “runner’s up” at the bottom. Just make sure that whichever one you choose, that it is thick enough to fill the gap btwn your neck and shoulder so you don’t get a sore neck. http://www.consumersearch.com/travel-pillows

I also suggest bring a pair of comfy slipper socks or compression socks to wear on the plane. Your legs will love you for it after a long flight.

Also, to help get cozy in a coach class seat, I put a carry-on bag or back pack under the seat in front of me and use it as a foot best to elevate my legs. This makes my legs and back feel more comfortable on the long flight, making it easier to sleep or get cozy while watching all the in-flight movies.

As for reading material, I tend to have a short attention span in-flight, so I stock up on a few tabloid/fashion mags. My husband enjoys reading those too.

For books, that is another tough one, as so much is personal choice. I suggest hitting the local library. I pick up a mixture of chick lit books, romance novels and an action/mystery type of book. I find paperbacks that are not too big and bulky.

If you want to bring your own books, I like to go to Target. They have some NY Times best sellers and they are usually cheaper than the book store. Many resorts have trade out libraries, so you can swap out your book for another once you get there.

And for bug spray, I like the Off spray that has the pretty floral scents. It is effective and smells pretty, well prettier than the alternative.See more

Cougar Cruise

Yesterday I attended the Governor’s Conference on Tourism for the state of Georgia in Athens, GA.  The final speaker of the day was talking about new trends in travel.  I had heard of most of them, but one that was new to me was a Cougar Cruise!  That is right, a cruise that is full or Cougars on the hunt for Cubs!  With the new TV show Cougar Town, the obsession with Ashton and Demi and of course, the classic Cougar Movie, to The Graduate (1967) – “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?”

Here is a recent article about a Cougar Cruise on Carnival.  It looks at though Carnival has decided to move on from being the Cougar Den Cruise Ship, but plenty of other cruise lines were eager to pounce on the opportunity. 

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1953423,00.html