Let’s Plan Our Holiday

Recently, I have been doing a heck of a lot of business traveling and if you are anything like me – you have probably wanted to tell the TSA off more than one.  Well – if you have ever felt like that, there is actually an iPhone application that lets you do just that.

After you have replaced your laptop to its case, slipped your shoes back on and finally belt back up, you can go to the Survey on the Spot app and it will actually allow you to reveal your true thoughts about the TSA.

When you open up the app, it will automatically identify the airport by the GPS and the feedback is collected in a survey format.  While there is no room to spout off exactly what you are thinking, this is still a start.

The key to traveling well during any time of the year but especially during the holidays involves packing.

Specifically, you want to pack smartly; you want to pack wisely. This is not the time of year when you are apt to be able to fit everything you need into a simple carry on bag. The rest of the year you might be able to get away with not checking any baggage, but that really is not likely during the holiday season.

Ah, and you now have the liquid and gel rules put into place by the TSA.

Well, you get can away with that — somewhat. You can, of course, bring three ounces worth of liquids or gels, as long as they are in a clear zip up plastic bag — quart sized. Or you can buy liquids and gels after you have gone through the security checkpoint.

But anyway, remember that the majority of airlines charge if you have to check bags — sometimes for more than one, sometimes for just one.

Know the rules at your airline, and try to pack as smartly as possible.

Wherever you are going and however you plan to get there, here is a tip that will always serve you well: leave early.

If you are taking a plane, naturally you have to arrive at the airport early — but this is not one of those times when you really have any give. Make sure you get to the airport as early as you can.

The same thing goes for taking the train. Just in case anything happens, you want to be there early. Trust me, when those trains are ready to leave, they go.

If you are driving, well, come on. You never know what traffic is going to do. Accidents happen, the highway gets backed up all to heck — you need to give yourself plenty of time, and it wouldn’t hurt to map out some alternate routes, too.

Thanksgiving; Hanukkah; Kwanzaa; Christmas; the winter solstice: it’s that time of year again, folks. A beautiful time of the year, full of giving, thanks, love, generosity, togetherness, faith, and magic … and holiday travel, which can make it difficult to fully appreciate all of those things due to all the frustration you have to endure to get to where you are going.

It’s a peak time of year to travel, which means expensive fares if you decide to fly or take the train, and mad traffic and crazy gas prices if you decide to drive.

It is all enough to drive you crazy; I’m not even going to go into details about stale cabin air, screaming babies, and insane drivers — we all know how bad it can get. But I am going to provide you with some advice to ease your holiday traveling woes.

Ski vacations, spa vacations and now we come to the coveted beach vacations.  These are the vacations for those who are absolutely sick of the cold and bitter snow and want to just lie on the beach and relax for a while.  If this describes you, there is a ton of different places that you can visit and do just that.

Beach vacations are fun because there are so many destinations that you can visit.  You can go down to places like Florida all the way to places overseas.  You could even take a cruise vacation that will lead you to all sorts of different beaches if you want that.

For all of your vacation needs – make sure that you check back, I can promise that I will update you on any destinations that are hot!

Now that we have talked about skiing, let’s go ahead and touch base on another form of vacations for Christmas.  To be honest, I think that this one is the best; however I am a huge, huge fan of the spa.  Spa vacations are fantastic when you are trying to get away for Christmas by yourself.  Sometimes, you just need that time off and that time to yourself and taking a spa vacation is fantastic for that.

There are a ton of different places that you can go to take a spa vacation and you do not have to go overseas.  However, if you do want to go overseas for your spa vacation, I think that Italy as well as England has some of the best spas in the world.

More Christmas vacation destinations in the next blog – so make sure that you stay tuned, it is going to be good!

What is one thing that you usually want to get away from around Christmas time?  For most of us, it is all about the snow but I personally think that snow is a beautiful thing to see and it truly does not feel like Christmas without some snow.  If you are like me, I have to say that you should spend your time in Aspen right around Christmas, as it is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

The skiers all love Aspen and I have to tell you that the ski lodges there are jam-packed with everyone.  Whether you are looking to get away from your family or you are looking to bring your family with you to Aspen, it is by far the best place to spend your Christmas vacation.

You can ski, eat and drink and it is all beautiful and good!  The restaurants are all fantastic and the décor in Aspen is absolutely fantastic … seriously!

It is pretty much a universal fact: you cannot get much more family friendly than Disney, am I right? And the great news is that it extends to Halloween as well! Between September 5 and Halloween Day, you can catch Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.

All your favorite characters will engage you and your children in some great trick or treating fun during what is sure to be a highly enchanted adventure. And yes, the kids can trick or treat all throughout the Magic Kingdom, while enjoying events like a parade led by the one and only Mickey Mouse and plenty of stunning fireworks.

Terror … behind … the Walls! How much spookier can you possibly get? Nor do you have to spend a fortune or rush your time, because this event takes place during select dates throughout both September and October, in none other than Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Terror behind the Walls takes place in a former prison — you can’t get much scarier than that! It is no wonder it is considered one of the spookiest and most macabre haunted houses in all of the United States.

The Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania is home to this event, and it has been the force behind the fright of all kinds of horror fans for almost twenty years. The wonderfully grotesque and creeptastic attractions span eleven acres.

And for those of you with kids, there are specially designated family nights that aren’t quite so horrific!

It may be a little hard to believe that there is a town in Minnesota which touts itself as being the absolute Halloween capital of the whole wide world, but the town of Anoka, Minnesota does just that, and with very good reason!

Not only that, but Halloween gets a family friendly renovation in Anoka, and the tradition gets much, much bigger and much, much better every single year! There is a Miss Anoka beauty pageant, the favorite Orange Tie Ball, a pumpkin carving contest, the Gray Ghost Run, a chili cook off, plenty of ghost tours, and the Grand Day Parade!

So what are you waiting for? Why not celebrate the spookiest day of the year in a family friendly fashion, at an all but month long event packed with tons of fun!