Author: JenniferRound

I’m not going to ignore the Elephant in the room, otherwise known as Covid-19, or Coronavirus. However, I’m not going to give it attention either. Each headline brings new and different information. The only position I’ll take on the current situation is that when it is finally resolved, travel will be a fantastic value.

Reports from our travel partners throughout Europe, and especially in Italy, are that economies are suffering. Much like those in Australia that were impacted by the wildfires, the best stimulus package that the average person can contribute is their presence.

Start making a dream sheet of all of the places that you’ve wanted to visit, but thought were out of your reach, or beyond your comfort zone. When the time is right, and the all clear is declared, give us a call and we’ll help match you to the best value and destination. It’s not about stepping out of your comfort zone, it’s about making you more comfortable where ever that zone may be.

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You would have to be living under a rock not to have been inundated by the constant news around the coronavirus outbreak. This week I wanted to share with you an article written by Jesse Ashlock, the U.S. Editor of Condé Nast Traveler, 4 March 2020 regarding the current travel climate.

“Our primary mission at Condé Nast Traveler is to encourage people to travel more, because we believe that more travel makes the world a better place. A related mission, however, is that we want people to travel smarter, both so that they can get more out of their experience and so that the act of traveling can serve as a net positive for the places they go. When disaster strikes around the world, those two missions—to travel more and to travel smarter—can feel at odds with one another.

In fact, they rarely are. To choose a very recent example, during the height of the Australian bushfires, smart travelers recognized that this was not a time to avoid Australia but a opportunity to book a trip. Much of this vast country was unaffected and remained open for business, and because the fires had ravaged the tourism industry, an individual’s travel dollars were that much more meaningful to the local economy. In a place like Australia (or the Brazilian Amazon, where fires burned for much of last year) that has slashed its environmental funding, that money is critical for conservation programs. As an added benefit for the traveler, the crowds were thinner. If you’re still looking for a big trip to book in 2020, Australia is an excellent choice. The same goes for the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean countries affected by hurricanes in recent years.

The coronavirus is more complicated, because it’s ongoing, and we don’t yet know what’s going to happen next, or where. Travelers, like markets, aren’t big fans of uncertainty. Still, though, the same principles apply: Don’t avoid travel—be smart about how you travel. That means what it always means: traveling consciously, with awareness and respect for the place you’re visiting. In the case of this epidemic, it means taking State Department advisories and the advice of industry professionals seriously, and of course exercising the common sense precautions every major news outlet has been offering. It also means recognizing the valiant work the travel industry is doing to respond to the situation, from airlines relaxing their cancellation policies to cruise ships screening all passengers before boarding. We are all in this together—travelers and travel providers, Chinese and Iranians and Europeans and Americans—and recognizing our common interests as members of the global community is one of the pillars of being an astute traveler.

Our readers—you—are, by definition, smart travelers. We’ve seen this borne out time and time again, most recently in a reader survey we just conducted which revealed that four out of five of you have trips planned in the next six months, and that only a tiny percentage of you have cancelled planned travel due to the coronavirus. The world is not off-limits; we all just need to understand where we’re going. To help you make those decisions as intelligently as possible, we pledge to continue covering the coronavirus as it relates to responsible travel, because we believe that informed travelers are better global citizens.

Even as the planet grows ever more interconnected, there’s been a movement in many parts of the world over the last few years away from the very idea of connectedness. Nobody would argue we’re not living in trying times, but our challenges are best faced collectively, and there’s no better tool for promoting human understanding and shared purpose than travel. Let’s not let Covid-19 drive us all further into our corners.”

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This weekend we observe that odd phenomenon known as leap day. That extra day in our year that comes along just every 4 years to keep our holidays and seasons in place. So, what are you going to do with your extra day this year? I had some ideas to share with you that may just help you turn your extra day into an extraordinary one.

#1 – Spend the day exploring our local museums as a family. We often visit museums while we travel, why not take the day to explore a little bit around your own city. Have you been to Venice and seen the glass masters at work? Relive your visit by taking in the demos at the Perry Glass Center at the Chrysler Museum. What about a trip out to Norfolk Botanical Garden to daydream about your last trip to Keukenhof?

#2 – Recreate your favorite meal from your last vacation. You’ve been drooling every time you think back to the cassoulet you had in Paris, right? Maybe it’s time to break out the cookbook and dive into the kitchen as a family. While you prepare your meal you’ll have plenty of time to reminisce about the favorite parts of the vacation and which spots you want to visit again on your next trip to Paris. Of course, no Parisian meal would be complete without crepes for dessert.

#3 – Start planning your next vacation! Gather the whole family around a map and start brainstorming. Is 2020 the year you’ll finally get the kids off of their devices and into the rainforest of Costa Rica or the desert of Morocco? Listen to what their travel aspirations are and see if there is a way to build an itinerary around those. I’ve seen through the years that families who involve the kids in the planning process are met with much less grumbling when it’s time for teenagers to “leave their friends at home” and jet off with Mom and Dad.

Regardless of what you choose to do this rare February 29th, I hope it’s nothing short of extraordinary. Should you decide it’s the right time to start planning your next vacation simply reply to this email and we can get started.

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I have to tell you how impressed I am at the number of families planning European Vacations for 2020. It’s been a pleasure planning out itineraries for the youngest travelers, the older siblings, parents and even grandparents the past few weeks. I am often faced with questions on how to keep the younger kids happy on those flights to Europe overnight, so today I wanted to share some tips that I hope you will find useful for the entire family.

#1 – Keep them informed, don’t try to gloss over the fact that the flight is long. However, it’s important to break it down into terms they can understand. The concept of a 7 hour flight might be lost on a preschooler, but when you explain to them what your expectations are for them it makes things more clear.

#2 – Routines don’t stop at 30,000 feet. One thing we have found helpful on the overnight flights is for kids to change into pajamas either right before they board the plane or just after they eat dinner on the flight, depending on the departure time. If the flight doesn’t leave until 9pm we’ll eat dinner in the airport rather than wait for the inflight meal. Brushing teeth and putting pajamas on helps signal your body that it’s time for sleep, as do completing all the steps of your child’s nighttime routine. Also, lets be honest, pajamas are pretty darn comfy! Is the sleep they get on the airplane going to be as good as what they would get in their own bed? No, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

#3 – Discipline doesn’t stop at 30,000 feet either! If your kids know the rules and know that you’re serious about enforcing those rules you won’t have a problem.

#4 – Bring the headphones or ear buds that your kids are used to using. Sure they pass them out on the plane, but we all know how uncomfortable they can be on us, let alone the smaller ears of children. No body wants a melt down because they can’t watch a movie or listen to some “nighttime music” to drown out the airplane noise because the ear buds “don’t work right.”

#5 – Pack a carry on for each person – let your kids (within reason) pack their own. We love story cubes when we travel. They are lightweight, easy to pack and can provide some good entertainment. If they have a favorite stuffed animal you may convince them to leave that one at home and take a runner up just incase the favorite stuffed animal decides to head off on their own adventure and becomes lost. Some gum or kid friendly snacks and an empty water bottle can come in handy as well. As far as travel pillows everyone has their own favorite, but I’ve found for kids that the inflatable pillows are a nice solution. Being able to fill them to fit tiny necks and not having to carry around a larger item comes in handy.

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Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! While most of the vacations that I plan for clients involve the whole family, I do work with couples as well who are in all stages of their relationships from engagement trips and honeymoons to 50th anniversary trips, and beyond. These couples vacations are a wonderful way to reconnect and step away from the every day. As my colleague Shannon LeBlanc, chief romance officer of Paradise Vacation Escapes says “don’t just fall in love, stay in love!”

This Valentine’s Day I wanted to share with you a few of the hottest destinations for couples this past year. The emphasis for most couples getaways fall into one of the following three categories – romance, relaxation and reconnection.

Top Romantic Destination – Paris – The city of love certainly lived up to her name for couples this past year. Even for a long weekend it makes a great destination from the east coast. Imagine spending the afternoon with the one you love strolling the streets of this iconic city, stopping in sidewalk cafes to linger over a bottle of wine, then gliding down the Seine as the lights of the city begin to flicker on around you. That was just part of one day planned for a couple celebrating a milestone anniversary. There was also a photo shoot planned by the husband to surprise his wife in their favorite city. How romantic is that?

Top Relaxing Destination – An all-inclusive resort that is not only adults only, but couples only – On the rare occasion that you are able to get away with your spouse and leave the kids at home the last thing you want to do is spend your vacation watching someone else’s kids! Making sure the resort is not going to be over run with kids is a great first step to enjoying your escape. Another popular feature with couples is butler service. Isn’t it time to let someone pamper you for a change? Combine that with a beautiful beach, a world class spa, super mojitos and fantastic al a carte restaurants and you have the perfect ingredients for a relaxing vacation.

Top Destination to Reconnect – French Polynesia – There aren’t very many people, especially this time of winter who don’t day dream of jetting off to their own over the water bungalow! You’ll feel like the only couple around as you snorkel from your private dock or have breakfast delivered by outrigger and set up on the deck as you sleep. An easy flight from the west coast and in the same time zone as Hawaii you’ll feel worlds away. Did you know the islands of Tahiti only receive as many visitors in an entire year as Hawaii welcomes every week? There’s no better place to completely unplug from the rest of the world while you reconnect with your spouse.

Hopefully today’s ideas have sparked some interest, click here and we can start planning today!

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Thank goodness the groundhog predicted an early Spring! Granted, we’ve had quite the mild Winter so far. I would love a good snow, but as I drive through town I notice many daffodils already in bloom. My philosophy is that if it isn’t snowing it should be 70°. I certainly am not a fan of cold rainy winters here along the East Coast.

Whether we get an early Spring or six more weeks of Winter, warmer weather is on the horizon. This warmer weather brings a laundry list of Spring cleaning, outdoor chores and busier schedules.

Before the warmer weather is here to stay and you make a weekly date with your lawnmower, make a date with your family to reconnect. Time for you to regroup, reconnect and spend time together as a family before Spring sports resume. Maybe this is the year you use your 4th Grader’s Every Kid in a Park pass and take that trip out West to Yellowstone? Maybe you jump across the pond and trace your family roots? Maybe you trade those board meetings for some stand up paddle boarding?

Before you know it you will be spending evenings at the ball field, then rushing to grab a bite to eat on the way home so the kids can finish their homework.  Don’t wait to plan your getaway, click here so we can get started planning today. Don’t let another year slip away without that vacation you’ve been dreaming about.

#1 – Contact me to get started with the planning, I’ll take care of the other 9 steps for you!

It’s that easy! When you work with a travel professional you can sit back and enjoy the process rather than spending hours scouring the internet trying to find the best fit for you and your family on your next vacation, click here and let’s get started planning today.

I think that generally there can be two categories of travelers when it comes to vacation planning. The dancers and the jugglers. What do I mean by that?Let’s take a look.

The jugglers are those who really want to do and see as much as they can during a vacation and research everything but really don’t go so far as to seek the advice of a travel professional or even lay out their own itinerary when it comes to the trip. Their vacations could come off without a hitch, but often result in one resembling controlled chaos. Sure, they “see” everything, but often don’t really know what it is they are seeing.

On the other hand, the dancers put the same level of research into their trip, but also seek out the advice of a professional who can seamlessly lay out all of the steps of the trip. Much like a ballroom dancer who has a well choreographed series of steps when put together with thought and executed make the process appear not only effortless, but beautiful.

Certainly it is no one’s intention to take a vacation that is more stressful than staying at home. However, when not planned out to take full advantage of their time it can certainly turn out to be quite stressful for everyone involved.

That’s not to say that every moment of your vacation needs to be planned out like the steps of a dance. I love building downtime into itineraries where clients can explore on their own and experience serendipitous moments that will create memories to last a lifetime.

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****UPDATE  – These dates have been pushed back to October 1, 2021 due to the COVID-19 restriction*********

This is my year for renewals, both my drivers license and my passport are on their last legs of eligibility. Knowing that the REAL ID deadline is fast approaching I decided to kill two birds with one stone and not only renew my license this week but “make it real!”

You may be asking, “What is a REAL ID and why do I need one?”

The federal Government passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 basically requiring a minimum security standard for state-issued IDs such as a driver’s license. The enforcement date has been pushed back repeatedly over the years to give the States time to put procedures into place. That time is quickly winding down.

Beginning October 1, 2020, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States.

So, now that you know you’ll need one to fly, your next question is probably “How do I get one?”

I’m happy to report that the process is quite simple in Virginia, albeit a bit cumbersome. You’ll need a combination of documents: one proof of identity, one proof of legal presence, two proofs of Virginia residency, one proof of your social security number and your current driver’s license. Personally, the combination of my current Passport, voter registration card, current license and my social security card were enough to fill all of the requirements. Check the DMV website for your state to obtain the complete list.

I went yesterday to start the process. I was in and out of the DMV office in under 30 minutes. I should have my updated license within a week. (I miss the days where you were able to walk out of DMV with a shiny new license in hand.) In the meantime I have a nifty “VOID” chunk missing from my current ID and paperwork that I need to carry along with me until the new license arrives. At first glance the standard driver’s license and the one with the REAL ID compliance will appear the same. The only difference is the REAL ID will have a star in the upper right-hand corner that indicates it’s REAL ID compliant.