Family Vacation Central

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A family vacation kicking back at the cabin is great – in theory.

In practice, the results can be less than ideal, especially when the little people get a serious case of cabin fever.

Fear not, because experts say finding a cure is easier than you think.

And it starts with reaching back into the past.

Pull out your own favourite childhood games and activities, says Dave Besson, at Calgary’s Discovery Hut.

“Think about the games you played as a kid – your kids will love [them] no matter how old school you think they are,” Besson says.

The key is to “do things you wouldn’t normally do at home,” adds John Tait, the store’s owner.

Tait suggests holding off bringing out all the activities the first day. Instead, he says, unveil different things over the entire vacation.

Here are a few ideas to make cabin time fun and memorable. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Back Seat, Cabin Fever, Childhood Games, Dave Besson, Different Things, Discovery Hut, Family Vacation, Game Pieces, Game Suggestions, John Tait, Memento, Memory Makers, Picture Cards, Rainy Days, Rush Hour, Scraps, Survival Guide, Theory In Practice, Twigs, Weather Days

The 4th of July holiday weekend is typically the busiest time for auto travel. According to AAA, more than 37 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles over this holiday weekend (down a bit from 2008). While gas prices are a bit lower than last year’s $3+ per gallon, they have risen recently — possibly making this summer’s last-minute, carefree road trips unrealistic for some.

Before you give up on your dreams of a family vacation, take the time to sit down and develop a plan. Following are a few suggestions to make this summer’s vacations more enjoyable and less draining on family pocket books.

• Avoid paying with plastic. Planning to pay for gas by credit card is definitely not a wise financial move; gas cards typically have higher than average interest rates than other credit cards. If you must use credit, use a general purpose card with affordable terms and make a plan for a quick pay off. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 4th Of July, 4th Of July Holiday, 4th Of July Holiday Weekend, Aaa, Better Mileage, Credit Cards, Cruise Control, Excessive Speed, Family Vacation, Few Suggestions, Gas Cards, Gas Mileage, Gas Prices, General Purpose, Highway Speeds, Pocket Books, Power Fuel, Purpose Card, Road Trips, Wise Financial Move

Dreaming of a beach vacation your whole family will enjoy?  Consider the Cayman Islands.  This peaceful Caribbean archipelago is known for stunning beaches, excellent diving and a family-friendly atmosphere.

Delta Air Lines is now offering great deals to the Cayman Islands with plenty of freebies that families will love.

The fifth consecutive night is free at several different resorts, including the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort and the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa.  Kids age 11 and under stay, play and eat for free, in addition to having free access to Cayman Island Sea School with Sir Turtle.

Finally, if you have older kids, diving is free on pre-purchased packages for kids age 12-17.  There is a 50% discount on night dives for everyone with the purchase of diving packages.

Be sure to book flights and hotels before the school year starts up again: this deal is good for travel through Sept. 7.

The Hotwire 2009 Travel Value Index named Orlando the “Top Destination for Deal-Seeking Travelers.” The Index includes the top 10 cities where savvy travelers across the country can find the best value and entertainment options.  The travel index is based on a statistical model that evaluated 50 U.S. markets for consumer vacation value. The discount prices on hotwire.com are then compared to published prices to help determine which places offer the lowest rates and greatest discounts to travelers.

Tripadvisor.com voted Orlando as the number one “Best Family Vacation” destination for 2009; named Orlando number four on their list of Top 10 Places To Go in 2009, which is based on user votes; announced Orlando as the No. 1 destination travelers with children plan to visit this year, according to a family travel survey with more than 1,500 respondents; and announced Disney’s Pop Century Resort and All-Star Music Resort, Homewood Suites Orlando/International Drive and Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando International Drive as part of the Top 10 Bargain Family-Friendly Hotels. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Amp, Bargain Hotels, Disney, Entertainment Options, Fairfield Inn, Family Friendly Hotels, Family Hotels, Family Travel, Family Vacation Destination, Orlando International, Respondents, Savvy Travelers, Star Music Resort, Statistical Model, Top Hotels, Travel Index, Travel Survey, Travel Value, Tripadvisor, Vacation Value

The best cures for mosquito bites, of course, are those that stop the little critters biting in the first place. But if it is too late for that, there are still a few things that you can try.

A mosquito bite is not like the sting of a wasp or bee which is an injection of poison. Mosquitoes just want a little taste of your blood. But to stop it coagulating so that they can easily drink it, they also deposit a protein which causes an allergic reaction in some people.

It seems that some people get bitten constantly and others never have a single itch, but this is probably nothing to do with whether the insects like you. The truth is that some people do not get allergic and so they do not know they have been bitten.

If you ask a hundred bite-scratching people what they recommend, you may get a hundred different answers. Here are some of the most popular ideas. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Allergen, Allergic Reaction, Aluminum, Blood Flow, Cures For Mosquito Bites, Fingernail, Fingernails, Inflammation, Insects, Little Critters, Little Taste, Mosquito, Mosquito Bite, Mosquitoes, Poison, Protein, Sting, Toothpaste, Truth, Wasp