Author: JenniferRound

Will this be the summer of the road trip? Travelers are anxious to vacation, but at the same time are anxious about relaxing too much with regards to social distancing and appropriate mask wearing. While airports are still only seeing a fraction of travelers they normally see this time of year, things are beginning to pick up. With that in mind, if you are planning to fly this summer please keep a great deal of flexibility in your schedule. We’re seeing a lot of last minute flight consolidation to keep planes full. We are also hearing many travelers report that with flights full there is no room for social distancing and while airlines are requiring masks in flight they are not enforcing the use of masks while onboard.

So, what does all of this mean for even the most seasoned traveler? Perhaps the comeback of the road trip. Inquiries with RV rental companies have skyrocketed in the past month. As have searches for campgrounds. While I am not opposed to a road trip (I’ve driven cross country twice now), I don’t get excited at the idea of sleeping in anything with wheels. Find me a cozy 4 star hotel and we’ve got a deal.

For those of you who’s children just finished up 4th grade, don’t forget that their Every Kid Outdoors pass is still valid until August 31, 2020. For those of you with rising 4th graders, make a note that you can get yours as early as September 1, 2020 by following this National parks service link.

One of my favorite vacations as a child was the year I went to Yellowstone with my grandparents, parents and brother. I was 13 and we were celebrating my grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary. Luckily, our road trip began with a flight to Montana where we rented family truckster. Dad drove and we all piled in for the drive to Yellowstone. I remember stopping somewhere in the Rocky Mountains along the highway so my brother and I could play in the snow (the trip was in June!). We also rode horses through the Wyoming countryside and went fishing in Colorado. Mostly I remember the laughs and the time spent together as a family.

Maybe this summer you want to keep your feet on the ground and plan a vacation that doesn’t involve flying. Maybe you’re ready for take off. Either way, we’re here to answer your questions about the ever changing landscape of 2020 travel restrictions and subsequent relaxations. Reach out, we’d love to help you plan a getaway to make memories with your family this summer.

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Here at Slaydon’s Travel one of our core values is to enable and inspire people to experience and explore the world. We can only accomplish that if the world is inclusive and safe for all, not some. There is a lot of work to be done. We are here to stand in solidarity, listen, educate and advocate for equality.

Those of you who have spent any time discussing a trip to Washington, DC with me in the past several years know of my love for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In my opinion it is a must for any trip to DC. It is the most well planned museum I’ve visited anywhere in the world. I’ll share a bit this week about some of my experiences there and encourage you to visit, or revisit when you have the opportunity.

The first time I was able to visit the museum was back in September of 2017, with my daughter, who was 9 at the time, my husband and my brother. Luckily, my brother is an architect in DC and while we were waiting to enter he was able to point out some of the symbolism in the architecture. The building itself is shaped like a three tiered corona, a tribute to West African Art. It is wrapped in an intricate iron lattice which lets in daylight. According to the museum website, “The openness to light is symbolic for a museum that seeks to stimulate open dialogue about race and help promote reconciliation and healing.”

Once inside the museum we took the elevator down to the lowest floor, where the timeline begins. We had the pleasure of following an off duty docent who was visiting with friends. She took a few minutes to explain how the museum was laid out and a little bit of the background about the timeline. I will admit that with a 9 year old by my side that I was not able to move at my own pace. There is a beautiful contemplative fountain, where the two of us spent a lot of time once we reached the cafe level waiting for the others. We eventually made our way upstairs to view the community and culture galleries.

I’ve had the opportunity to revisit twice more, and am still trying to catch a docent tour. Certainly seeing the museum itself is an educational experience, but nothing can replace the first hand knowledge that an expert can share.

The museum has been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic. However, there are exhibits you can explore on their website. There is also a “learn” link on the website with some fantastic resources.

You have all been indulging my story telling these past few weeks, and for that I thank you. It’s not the time for us to book that vacation just yet, but it’s never too early to dream of that next destination. The one that has been in the back of your mind for years. Beginning this week, I’ll share some of my favorite stories from our travelers through the years. Perhaps it will stoke an interest with you as well and prompt you to dig a little deeper into a destination you’ve been considering. Goodness knows, we’re all going to need a vacation once all of this is over. Until we can wander, we will continue to wonder about that next trip.

This week I wanted to share snippets from three different travelers, each of which had traced their family tree long before the technology of today.

The times they traced their roots….

Ireland…

Several years ago I had the pleasure of planning a trip to Ireland, long known as one of my favorite destinations. Two sisters came into the office and we started to plan their route. They wanted to visit several towns, one of which was the one their mother had lived in before she came to the States, as a child. The town was quite small, but since they wanted to experience Ireland as authentically as possible, they were utilizing the fantastic network of B&B’s available. There were several in town and we chose the one who’s proprietor had grown up in the village and been operating the longest. The sisters had a photograph of the house their mother had lived in. Many locales in Ireland use only house names as identifiers, not street names and even less likely house numbers. Upon arrival at the B&B they showed the photograph to the gentleman and his wife, asking if they knew anything about the house. He quickly replied “I know this house!” He then took them over to a window in the breakfast room and pointed to it! Their Great Grandfather’s house, where their mother lived until she came to America, was just 200 yards away. It turned out that the couple running the B&B also had known some of the family. They were able to visit with a cousin that they didn’t even know existed.

Scotland…

This past fall I was able to assist a couple plan a trip to Scotland that they had been dreaming about for years. Mrs. S. had been researching her father’s family for decades. We were able to match them to a driver, based in Edinburgh that was able to take them to visit many locations they had researched. They were fortunate that the records were very detailed. They knew that Mrs. S’s great-great-great-great-Grandparents had been married in the village church in 1762, ad that the church had only been built 4 years prior. As fate would have it, the small town consisted only of one street and a single church. The lentil over the door was dated 1758.

Italy…

Maybe you’ve scrolled through this newsletter far enough to be familiar with this next story, which has been featured below recently. Pat left no detail overlooked when planning her dream trip to Italy. She had relatives still living outside of Naples and was able to incorporate a visit with them into a longer vacation stretching from Rome to Sicily. During some unexpected free time we were able to quickly rearrange Pat’s itinerary so she could spend a few nights in Naples, where we were able to arrange a hotel with a view of the port. Now, you may be wondering why this was so significant, Naples isn’t known for tremendous views, those are normally found just an hour away along the Amalfi coast. However, this port, the historic port of Naples just happened to be the very same port that all four of Pat’s grandparents had boarded ships and left Italy for America from all those years ago. Later, during the same trip the driver that we had hired for a tour of Messina was able to locate the address that Pat’s Grandmother had lived on as a child. She was able to stroll down that very same street, taking in the same sites her grandmother had seen decades later.

Each of these stories share the power that travel can have on personal connections, whether it be between generations past or those we are sharing our experiences with as we travel. The power of connection through travel is profound.

I hope you are all staying home, staying safe and dreaming of your next vacation. Please reach out if you would like to start making plans, or at the very least, a dream sheet of those places that are tugging at your sense of wanderlust.

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Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Certainly one bright spot to come from these events is the positive impact that so many people staying at home is having on the environment. It is my hope that once the current restrictions are lifted that we can continue to pay greater attention to the impacts our movements have on the planet. Here is a link to an opinion article that gives some insight as to what travel may look like moving forward. These ideas are very much in alignment with the Vacation For Good program at Slaydon’s Travel.

My story this week is about the time we vacationed for good…

We have had a few opportunities to take part in vacations that centered around community engagement and giving back. Each of them have had a profound impact on every member of my family. Unfortunately, the company we traveled with has since dissolved. However, we continue to work with several suppliers that offer these types of opportunities for travelers around the world.

During our first family trip to Puerto Plata in the northern part of the Dominican Republic we had the opportunity to to participate in several impact activities. I’ve highlighted each of them in previous blog posts on our website. There are a few things that stand out to me from that trip. During our first afternoon in Puerto Plata, before the activities began we took a private tour of the town with a driver. We had talked to Hannah prior to arriving about the different living conditions that we would encounter. That afternoon, while driving through the busy streets of Puerto Plata she leaned over to me and said, “Mommy, I didn’t think they would have cars here.” During that trip we worked alongside locals in a chocolate factory, a recycled paper facility, worked with local families on their English skills and visited an elementary school. My husband and I both thought that Hannah’s favorite activity would certainly be the chocolate making, where the workers filled her tiny hands with melted chocolate for her to enjoy. It was a highlight, but her favorite activity was visiting the school where she was able to interact with kids the same age as herself. There was certainly a language barrier, but smiles are universal. Three girls took her under their wing and shared their lunch, they danced, played and before we said our good byes it was clear this was her favorite. She actually came up to us before we left and asked “When can we come back here again?” I asked “Here to the Dominican Republic?” to which she responded “No, here to the school to see my friends!”

Our second impact trip was a bit different, but we had the opportunity to revisit Puerto Plata, this time to work with coffee plants We also visited a music school and build paper violins in San Juan. The final stop was in the Turks and Caicos where we helped with storm recovery to beautify the grounds of the Turks and Caicos National Museum. Hannah continued to make new friends, which she still stays in contact with to this day.

All in all, the impact activities we experienced during both of these trips really helped us feel connected, not only to each other, but to the communities we visited. This was not a cookie cutter tropical vacation where all of the ports and islands look the same and tourists venture from one souvenir shop to the next. We were able to immerse ourselves in the destinations, get to know the locals and how they live, all while being able to Vacation For Good, something we’re passionate about here at Slaydon’s Travel.

It’s also something that is going to become increasingly important as we emerge from this latest crisis. We’re learning that as the article linked about so eloquently states: “Slowly, our world will reconnect – border by border – and open up. And yet, returning to baseline should not be our metric for success, because mass global tourism had a very sordid underbelly. We must stop looking to “recover” the tourist industry but rather, work to transition travel and tourism to a truly sustainable level.”

I hope you are all staying home, staying safe and dreaming of your next vacation. We are getting more requests from travelers for the second half of 2020, please reach out if you would like to start making plans as well.

Does it feel like you’re living the same week over and over again? Hopefully it isn’t changing and you are staying safe and at home. Yes, I know that intro didn’t change from last week, but honestly there’s nothing new around here, I hope that’s the case for you as well.

My story this week is about the time we went to the Boston Marathon…

This is a story I share each year around this time. Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. You may ask why I would share such a dark memory. My memories of that day are anything but dark, my memories of that day are centered around a community coming together. I think that’s something we can all use today as well, just not physically coming together, of course.

April 15th is now known as One Boston Day, where random acts of kindness are celebrated and encouraged. Here is an excerpt from their website yesterday: “Each year, the day serves as an opportunity to celebrate the resiliency, generosity, and strength demonstrated by the people of Boston and those around the world in response to the tragedy of April 15th, 2013.

This year, as we collectively battle a global public health crisis, the spirit of One Boston Day is more important than ever. We’re asking you to stand together by staying apart.”

Some of the acts suggested for this year:

~Stay at home for those who can’t.

~Pick up the phone to check on a loved one.

~Give to your favorite charity

~If you need to go out in public, help slow the spread by social distancing

Here is the article I wrote back in April of 2013, days after the event, as well as his update for the 2014 Boston Marathon.

I am not a runner, but I was in Boston on April 15, 2013. I, along with my family, made the trip to cheer on my brother, who is a phenomenal runner, in my very biased opinion, as he ran the Boston Marathon. The long weekend was full of fun, laughter and taking in all that Boston had to offer. We ate fabulous Italian food in the North End, sampled beer at the Sam Adams Brewery, visited the iconic Fenway Park, and watched street performers at Quincy Market.

Then, on the morning of April 15th, while my brother was preparing to run the marathon, we lined the streets of Boston to cheer on the runners. We stood shoulder to shoulder and clapped, whistled, and cheered for thousands of men and women we did not know, and one that we did. The enthusiasm was infectious. Together, the crowd worked to buoy the spirits of these runners, so full of endurance and determination. While not personally connected we all fed off each other. We cheered for the troops that walked the course in fatigues and boots, carrying full backpacks, we cheered for the wheelchair and hand bicycle participants. We cheered as the elite runners sped past, and we will cheer again.

The beautiful day, and hard work of over 27,000 runners and over 500,000 spectators, was soon interrupted when bombs were set off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Luckily, my brother is a fast runner, finishing the marathon in just under 3 hours. By 2:50pm, when the first bomb went off, our family was accounted for. We had taken an extremely crowded train to the equally as crowded family meeting area and were all within about 3 blocks of the bomb site. It was quite a while before we discovered the severity of the situation, however, it became immediately clear, by the number of emergency vehicles, sirens and helicopter hovering overhead that something larger than an industrial accident or car crash had occurred.

As word of the disaster filtered through the crowd we turned to our smart-phones for more information. We were unable to make calls, but the internet connection was still available, it wasn’t until a few hours later that we learned that cell phone service had been shut down, as a precautionary measure throughout Boston. It was through social media that we were able to quickly get a message out to friends and family that we were safe. We then set off on foot across town to the Omni Parker House hotel, where my brother was staying for the weekend. When we arrived at the Omni we were met in the lobby by the wonderful staff of the hotel. A hospitality room, stocked with tables, chairs, water, bagels and a large screen TV was set up for marathoners and their families. The Omni did a superb job of relaying the little bit of information they received. A few hours later we decided to set off again on foot in search of dinner. The streets were eerily quiet, except for the very strong police presence. By late evening we were able to take the train back to the hotel we were staying in just outside the city.

A long day had come to an end.

I’ve been asked many times in the few short days since about my thoughts on the safety of travel in light of the bombings. I learned a lot that cool spring day, much of it from the runners themselves who throughout their training and 26.2 grueling miles exhibited such determination and endurance. I know this doesn’t come as a shock to many of you that of course I will continue to travel. In fact, just this evening my family was discussing a return trip to Boston. I realize that the world we live in is increasingly becoming a hotbed for destruction and violence. However, I also deeply believe that we cannot let these acts of terror allow us to bury our heads in the sand, that is what “they” (whomever, they are) would like the most. I read recently that travel changes people, and people change the world. I know that the world needs change, it needs compassion instead of complacency, it needs much more than taking a vacation can provide. But, if in some small way I can expose my daughter to a world where people work together and cheer people along that they don’t even know, if I can show her our similarities and kindness there is hope, and that is why we will not only continue to travel, but return to Boston as well.

***Update – My family did return to Boston the following year for the Marathon. Brian even raised $2,650 for the victims from the 2013 bombing. Unfortunately 9 days before the race he was running a 5k charity run to raise money for foster children in Washington DC. He won that race and was playing with the kids at the finish. He stepped off a curb and fractured his ankle. He was in a cast for a few days but was able to find an orthopedic doctor that told him he wouldn’t do additional damage if he ran the marathon, but “it’s going to hurt like hell.” He did run on his broken ankle, he had to stop a few times and walk a good bit, but he finished. His time of 3 hours and 24 minutes was not quick enough for him to qualify for the 2015 Boston Marathon. 

I hope you are all staying home, staying safe and dreaming of your next vacation. We are getting more requests from travelers for the second half of 2020, please reach out if you would like to start making plans as well.

Does it feel like you’re living the same week over and over again? Hopefully it isn’t changing and you are staying safe and at home.

My story this week is about the time we discovered an underwater world…

My husband and I have often commented that we believe our daughter was born with salt water running through her veins. Much like the two of us, she is most comfortable in or around the water.

We had the opportunity to visit Turks and Caicos several years ago while I attended a conference. We knew that this trip would be the perfect opportunity to introduce her to snorkeling. Of course, like any parent, we also knew that she would take to this new activity much quicker were she to get some instruction from the water sports crew, rather than Mom and Dad. So, we sat poolside as she donned a mask and snorkel for the first time and swam around the pool like she was a mermaid.

Our next stop was the beach, Turks and Caicos is known for its sugar sand beaches, beautiful blue waters and one of the best reef infrastructures in the Atlantic. While the reef just off the beach was small, it was a great place to start. Hannah was at ease in the water and excited to snorkel.

My favorite moment was once we got over the first bits of coral she swam around a bit, then popped up, spit out the snorkel and exclaimed “Mommy! Daddy! There’s a whole underwater world down there!” and was off again to explore.

We quickly worked up to the snorkel boat and enjoyed many hours under the sea together. I’ve had the opportunity to snorkel and dive in iconic locations around the world, but this experience remains my favorite. I’m looking forward to the day that we can SCUBA together as a family. There is nothing more relaxing than the quiet calm of floating underwater surrounded by nature.

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Have you been able to establish routines in your house? For those of us in Virginia it feels like a very long time until our stay at home order is lifted (fingers crossed) on June 10th? I’m still coming into the office most days as we continue to sort out vacation plans for those traveling in the next few months. Although we are starting to plan trips for clients for the second half of 2020, I’ll continue to share some of my favorite vacation stories for the near future.

My story this week is about how the time we rode a camel in Africa…

We had the opportunity to visit Tunisia in 2010, Hannah was just 2 1/2 at the time. Many people thought we were crazy to take her to Europe, although she had several stamps in her passport already. They said she will never remember the trip, why would you go? That’s like asking why would we read to her if she isn’t old enough to remember the story? She does have memories of that trip, and even if she didn’t the memories that it left us with are priceless.

We were on a Disney cruise that left from Barcelona, our first stop was Tunisia. We had been telling Hannah about the long airplane ride, the hotel stays and the ship. She had been on a Disney cruise the summer before and was excited about seeing the characters, but she was most excited about the promise of a camel ride. (Ok, I may have bribed her a little bit, or a lot, to be completely potty trained in order to ride the camel, but hey, it worked, and only took a week, so I’ll consider that a win!)

When we docked in Tunis we took a tour that visited the ruins in Carthage and the town of Sidi Bou Said. Hannah loved the ruins and may have napped her way through Sidi Bou Said, which in itself was a feat for this non-napper. For my husband and myself it was our first introduction to Northern Africa, we’ve been yearning to see more ever since.

By the time we made it back to the port, the camels had arrived and it was time to hop on, which is easier said than done! We all piled on and took a short stroll. When it was time to hop off the camel, Hannah was the happiest I had ever seen her! She started running around in circles squealing with excitement! She did this for several minutes, she still remembers riding that camel, but even if her only memories of that day were through our stories it was well worth the experience. The photo above was snapped just after her camel ride and remains one of my favorites to this day. It’s an expression of pure joy that I will never forget. 

The rest of the cruise was wonderful as well. We went on to make several other port calls before returning to Barcelona. We visited Malta, where we got stuck for hours in Mosta because all of the buses were full. We spent a day in Rome when the ship pulled into Civitavechhia. We took the train to Pisa from La Spezia. We spent a beautiful day on the beach Corsica and visited the local market. Then, quite possibly our favorite port, Villefranche-sur-Mer in Southern France where we took the train to Monte Carlo to have coffee with an old friend, but those are stories for another time.

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How are you handling staying at home and the disruption to your routine? It’s been an interesting transition at our house. I’m still coming into the office most days as we continue to sort out vacation plans for those traveling in the next few months. As most clients are not ready to start planning that next vacation just yet, I thought starting this week I would share some of my favorite vacation stories.

My story this week is about how we lost our 11 year old in Paris this past summer…

We were nearing the end of our European vacation and had just left the rest of our travel party in London as we took the train to Paris. By this point we had been in Europe nearly 2 weeks and had visited London, Belgium, Denmark and Norway. Hannah is no stranger to travel and we usually give her the lead to navigate the airports, train stations, neighborhoods, etc. However, as I mentioned, we had just arrived in Paris. We were taking the Metro to our hotel, it was only a few stops from Gare du Nord to St-Michel. According to a quick Wikipedia search, Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe with over 700,000 passengers daily.

When we got to the platform there were at least half that many perched to step onto the next train and equally as many getting off that same train. Normally we work as a family and Hannah positions herself between us so if something happens as we board she’s always with one of us.

That didn’t happen. 

In the push of people, Hannah made it on the train, we did not.

The doors closed (nope, they don’t stop for anything, we tried) we were able to communicate through the window for her to get off at the first stop and wait for us. Of course, we were also able to communicate that with everyone else crammed against the window, who all now knew that she was alone. As the train pulled away, I’m quite certain that my husband and I looked exactly like those cartoon characters who’s eyes bug out and jaws drop to the floor, but we managed to keep our cool. We never entertained the offer (verbally at least) that she wouldn’t be waiting for us at the next stop. Remember, this was her first trip to Paris, she had not yet navigated their metro system and wasn’t exactly sure where the hotel was at that point.

An excruciating 3 minutes passed until the next train entered the station. We jumped on as soon as the doors opened (my apologies for being the ugly American who didn’t wait for anyone to get off the train first). Quickly we arrived at the next station and found Hannah standing right there with a lovely local lady who waited with her to make sure everything was ok.

Now, you may be wondering how this made the list as one of my favorite travel stories! It’s at the top of the list because it taught all three of us what to do when something unexpected occurs and that panic is not the answer.

You also may be wondering whether or not you would trust me with your own travel plans when I couldn’t even keep up with my own child when I was on vacation.

I’ve got two answers for you:

#1 – I’ve already navigated the worst and given you a detailed plan on how to handle a similar situation.

#2 – Let’s support each other through this unsettling time – by your entrusting me with your vacation plans you are supporting a local small business, getting personalized attention and in turn supporting my family (maybe even future therapy sessions as an adult when Hannah flashes back to the time she was lost in Paris)

If you have a story you would like to share, I would love to have you post it to our Facebook page.