The happiest place on earth

We’ve all heard the slogan, “the happiest place on earth”. 
Disney, Universal, Canada’s Wonderland, and other theme parks provide great family fun and entertainment.

Before going to a theme park over your vacation, there are some things to consider, such as:

• Price
• Tickets
• Food and drinks
• Souvenirs
• Crowds

• Can be very busy, so safety may be a concern
• Waiting in lines, some offer an express pass but this will come at an additional cost
• Need patience for lines and parking
• It will be loud, with screaming kids and crying babies
• Weather
• When the weather is nice, there will be more people
• Bad weather (thunderstorms) will not be as busy but some rides will be shut down
• Can be difficult finding a place to get out of the sun or rain. Seating can be hard to find.
• Age

Theme parks have something for all ages, but that doesn’t mean that you should take your toddler. Everyone can still enjoy themselves but it will limit your choice of rides and it can be difficult maneuvering a stroller. Also, your children won’t remember it. My parents took me when I was young but I don’t remember anything, besides my Fifel doll. If you’re going to take your children, take them when they will be able to remember the park. Children should be at least four but eight is a great age. At this age they can do more rides, walk around the park will less complaining and remember the day.

Planning Your Vacation

Before you can even go on vacation, there is one thing that you have to do, plan your vacation!

Remember, planning a good vacation takes time and to get some ideas about where you want to go or what you want to do, you can look at travel books, magazines, or online at sites such as Expedia, CAA, tripadvisor and many more and do not forget, to talk to friends, family, coworkers and peers. Chances are they have experienced some great and some not so great, never shall return again, travel destinations. They are a great resource so utilize them.

Whether your family chooses to go away or have a staycation, there are many factors to consider when planning your vacation.

Some of the things to keep inconsideration when planning your family vacation are:

• Location
• Accommodations
• Amenities
• Activities
• Weather
• Climate
• Culture
• Relaxed vacation or a jam packed busy vacation
• How you are going to get there?
• How many people are going?
• The ages of the people who are going
• Food and drink
• Budget
• And itinerary

Keep in mind when you are traveling. The first time my family visited Hilton Head Island was in December over Christmas break. It was not as warm as we had hoped. Also if you decide to go to Florida in the summer, expect to experience a similar scenario as that in Summer Rental.

Planning can be hard but just think, once you are on vacation, it will all be worthwhile.

Are We There Yet?

The most annoying travel question.

As I’ve said before, my family travels by car. But no matter what type of transportation you take, parents and travel companions be warned, you are going to hear the annoying, are we there yet question.

I know that my siblings and me were guilty of asking this question, not once but multiple times on our trips and it can quickly become aggravating. With the use of technology and some preplanning before travelling, you do not have to hear this question or hopefully not as often.

Ideas for kids or adults to kill time while travelling:

1. Activity books 
2. Car games (Ex. eye spy) 
3. Music
4. Books/magazines 
5. Movies
6. Playing cards
7. Travel board games
8. Game systems such as Nintendo 3ds (Don’t forget the games)
9. IPod
10. Ipad or tablet 

Some of my personal favourite car past times are:

1. Books
2. Movies
3. Ipad
4. And when I was younger my Gameboy, I loved playing Pokémon

These are just some ideas. You may find that your miniature travel buddies can’t read in the car but listening to music might be the key to keeping them entertained. If you are going to bring electrical devices, make sure they have plenty of battery to keep the entertainment going.

Last tip, the best time killer for travelling at any age is sleep!

Learning to Ride

Family bike ride on Hilton Head Island

A vacation is a great time to try new things. For my brother, it was where he learned how to ride a bicycle. For him, this was a challenge and resulted in a few misadventures. When we were in Hilton Head Island, SC., my parents thought this would be the ideal environment because the island is flat. 

My dad loosed his training wheels, gave my brother encouragement, and we began our ride. An hour in, Jordan thought the wheels were too loose and couldn’t ride any further; his solution was to bail into a ditch. He fell so badly that he left skid marks in the grass and broke his bike. The sod was freshly laid, so here we were, trying to cover up tread marks, pick up the broken bicycle, all before someone saw us. Jordan had to walk back until my dad was able to purchase a toolkit to repair the bike. Eventually we made it back to the resort without further incidents.

Summer vacation in Orillia

This wasn’t my brother’s first fall, he had bailed into ditches twice before this. Once earlier that day for not wanting to cross a bridge over a swamp and another time for going too fast down a hill.

Jordan eventually learned how to ride but I think my parents should have reviewed some of these bicycle tips first. It could have prevented some injuries along the way. Also, always carry a toolkit, you never know when you may need it.

Jordan riding on the beach at Hilton Head