Tips for Tuesdays: Building Anticipation for your Kids

Today's Tip: Before the trip, make up bedtime stories around the sights you'll be visiting. Or, check out these fantastic children's books by Miroslav Sasek. His "This Is..." series includes illustrated books on New York, Paris, San Fransisco, London, Washington D.C., Ireland, Rome, Hong Kong, Greece, Britain, Texas, Edinburgh, Austraila, Venice, Israel, and Munich. The kids will be more excited to see things they've spent nights dreaming about.

Tips for Tuesdays: Stay Over on a Sunday

Today's Tip: This goes hand-in-hand with last week's tip...Stay over on a Sunday. Many hotels get Friday and Saturday night traffic from leisure travelers and Monday-through-Friday bookings from business travelers, so there's a void on Sunday nights - which usually means better rates and a chance at an upgrade. Instead of going for Friday and Saturday nights, book Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday if you can.

Tips for Tuesdays: Fly on an Off-peak Day

Today's Tip: Fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. Traveling on off-peak days - and at off-peak times - means lower fares, a less crowded cabin, and a greater chance of snagging those elusive mileage-award seats. 

Taking two days off for a long weekend? Instead of a Thursday-Sunday or Friday-Monday trip, save money by flying on a Saturday and returning on a Tuesday.

Tips for Tuesdays: Finding a Great Travel Doctor

Today's Tip: Traveling internationally? With yellow fever (and more) making headlines, it's very important to find a doctor who knows the latest in travel precautions. Plus, most general practitioners won't have the vaccines you'll need on hand (typhoid, for example). Search the International Society of Travel Medicine database for a list of health providers who specialize in pretravel immunizations. 

Also, the CDC Travelers' Health web page offers a vaccination guide as well as notices for high-risk locations, and the World Health Organization puts out a helpful International Travel and Health report annually.

Tips for Tuesdays: Taking Kids to the Museum

Today's Tip: When going to a museum with children, first go to the gift shop and buy postcards of some of the artwork. Give five to ten of them to each child and make a game of finding the art.

Photo Friday: Singapore

One of my favorite cities in Asia has got to be Singapore. Few cities in the world can rival its fascinating ethnic brew, fashion-forward population and amazing street food. Where else in the world can you dip into the cultures of China, India, and Muslim Malaysia all in one day, all against the backdrop of ultra-modern Western commerce? And to top it off, it's one of the cleanest places I have ever seen! Now if only it wasn't so humid...I might have to move there one day!

A stunning view from the Ritz Singapore.

Hanging out with my hubby in front of the iconic Mer-lion. 

For as modern as most of the city is, 

there are still some beautiful old temples. Such a contrast!

One of my favorite sights in Singapore is the development center.
This is a working model of what the city will look like in a few years!

Browsing around Chinatown. 

Gorgeous flowers at the National Orchid Garden.

In front of the famous Raffles Hotel.
Can't leave without tasting a Singapore Sling!

You better Belize it!

Thanksgiving greetings from Belize! As I write these words, I am sitting on the porch of our private cabana at the Capricorn Resort on Ambergris Caye just watching the waves roll in and taking a moment to think about how thankful I am. 

 Our cabana at the Capricorn Resort. I'm sitting on that porch!

I feel like I have so much to be thankful for this year. On the top of my list is my wonderful husband, Ryan, of two years and my loving family. With their unwavering support, I have been able to make my dream of running my own travel consulting business a reality! I'm also super grateful for my health and the health of my loved ones. I never take those things for granted. After that, I feel so fortunate to have had some of the most amazing travel experiences in past few years. Just yesterday I had the opportunity to snorkel the second largest barrier reef in the world and swim with nurse sharks! Being in their environment and watching them dart all around us was so cool, especially given my child-like fascination for sharks. This is definitely a Thanksgiving I won't soon forget. I hope yours is as memorable!

One of the most fun ways to spend Thanksgiving. 

Grateful to still have all my fingers and toes!