Lilac City Momma

Travel

Summer Sun With The Kids – How To Organize Cheap A Vacation

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Every family should have at least one vacation per year. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time together, away from the pressures of work and school. The kids can play on the beach or in the pool and the adults can chill out. Because everyone is so much more relaxed on vacation, there will be fewer arguments and less stress.

The biggest problem, however, is how to find an affordable vacation. The more kids you have, the more costly a blue sky holiday will be. Fortunately, it is possible to find cheap vacations to family-friendly destinations, and here’s how.

Travel During Off-Peak Periods

Traveling during school holidays is always more expensive. Travel operators bump up the costs during peak travel times, so the average family vacation can double or triple in price in July and August. Many families are restricted to booking vacations during the school break, but if you have any flexibility or your child’s school is willing to let you book a trip during term time, make the most of the cheaper prices.

Book in Advance

There are plenty of bargains to be had if you are willing to lock in a family vacation several months in advance. Popular operators offer great family discounts on early bird deals. If you are lucky, you may be able to book a package holiday to a popular destination where the kids travel free. For families with special requirements, or a burning desire to stay in a specific hotel, this really is the best option, as leaving it until the last minute means places will be limited.

Look for Online Last-Minute Bargains

Whilst making an advanced booking often secures some great discounts, there is also a lot to be said for waiting until the eleventh hour to book a family getaway. Most operators drastically cut their prices because they would rather sell a cheap vacation than have hotel rooms left empty. Travel operators sell off holidays much cheaper close to the departure date. If you are flexible, you should find all kinds of bargain deals to a range of different destinations, including 5* resort hotels.

Take Advantage of Online Deals

There are some amazing deals, coupons, voucher codes and special offers if you have the time to look online. Sign up for vacation websites such as Secret Hotels and wait for amazing deals to land in your inbox. These operators do the hard work and all you have to do is book your dream vacation for you and the kids.

Use Free Points to Go on Vacation

Do you use a credit card for your everyday spending? Many major credit cards have great value loyalty schemes that let you earn points for spending money on groceries, gas, and even your utility bills. You can earn Avios points and spend them on flights and hotels or save up points and redeem them for vouchers to spend on a vacation. What’s not to like about that?

Got any more great tips? Let us know!

5 Ways to Make Your Flight More Comfortable

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One of the modern wonders of life in the 21st Century is the rate at which we can get from one location to another, tens of thousands of miles away, in a single day. Even so, flying transatlantic and then perhaps across Europe could take the better part of 24-hours if you have any layovers along your route. Comfort is something you should always plan for, whether your trip is only going to be a few hours long or a flight that is much, much longer. If you’ve never taken a long flight before, these ideas may keep you as comfortable as possible that high up off the ground.

1. Wear Loose Fitting Clothes

There is almost nothing as uncomfortable than being stuck sitting in an almost upright position in tight clothing. While you are at it, you could also wear several layers. No matter how warm it is on the ground, traveling in a plane at high altitudes gets extremely chilly. You can always take off your layers, one by one if you feel too stuffy.

2. Carry Along a Travel Pillow

While most airlines will hand out small travel pillows and lightweight blankets if you ask, some don’t offer that service anymore. Also, who wants to rest their head on a pillow that someone else has used recently? While many germs die within moments after leaving the body, you can’t guarantee that, so at the very least bring your own travel pillow. If you aren’t sure which one to buy, check out various pillows that have been reviewed on the indreviews website.

3. Don’t Forget Your Earplugs!

You can always tell a frequent flyer by the quality of earplugs they bring with them. Noise levels in the cabin can get extremely loud with people talking and laughing, babies crying in the background, and the person next to you listening to music through headphones at decibels you are sure will make them deaf. Earplugs can help bring your comfort up many levels. Besides the noise levels, your ears will pop uncomfortably as the plane gains altitude, and earplugs help reduce the changes in pressure. Many frequent flyers say that earplugs keep them from discomfort on the plane and earaches after they land.

4. Comfortable Slip on Shoes Are a Must

On longer flights, you will be transferring planes at least once. Your next flight may not be on the same concourse and you may have a good long distance to walk to get to the next gate. Always wear comfortable walking shoes; slip-on shoes work best because you can slip out of them on the plane, take out your pillow, put your earplugs in, and take a nap.

5. Keep Your Pockets Empty

One last suggestion which many people often overlook is to keep items in their pockets to a minimum. Not only will you be able to get past security quicker without setting anything off, but you won’t be bothered by keys, pens, or coins jabbing at you as you sit in the narrow seat. Coins are a royal pain when they fall from your pocket because there is no room to move about to gather them up.

Yes, you can fly ‘quickly’ around the world, but quick is still a relative word. After half a day on the plane, you will appreciate having taken the time to plan for your comfort. These five ways to make your flight more comfortable should help you get the most enjoyment when you fly, no matter how long a flight you are on.

Top 5 Fun Things To Do In Utah

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Utah is a place of great natural beauty and is a great tourist destination. With several national parks, this is a wonderful place for hikers and nature enthusiasts. So to fill up your Utah vacations guide here is the Top 5 Fun Things to do in Utah.

1. Park City

A popular skiing destination, Park City is the home of several ski hills, including Deer Valley Resort, Canyons Resort, and the Park City Mountain Resort. The home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Olympic Sports Park is another great place to visit while here. A great winter destination Park City is also the home of the United States largest independent film festival Sundance Film Festival.

2. Zion National Park

Only a few hours from Las Vegas, Zion National Park is a prime destination for its great natural beauty. With hikes from the easy to the hard, as well as sightseeing bus there is a way for anyone to enjoy the marvellous scenery of Zion Park. Taking one of the easier hikes is a great way to keep your kids occupied while on vacation. The Zion Canyon is home to the more impressive of the park’s sand stone monoliths. Other areas of interest are the Narrows, the Kolob Arch, the second largest arch in the world, and Lava Point, which offers a panoramic view of the entire park.

3. Arches National Park

Outside the town of Moab, the Arches National Park is home to more than two thousand natural stone arches. The unusual geographical nature of this park makes it the home of the greatest density of natural stone arches in the world. The Delicate Arch has to be the most well known spot in the Arches National Park, the horseshoe stone formation creating a frame for the far off mountains, but there are numerous trails and hikes to explore the other many stone formations from the Double Arch to the Devil’s Garden.

4. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Though receiving less visitors than many of the natural parks the Grand Staircase is no less interesting despite, or perhaps because of its remoteness. Visitors are able to see a range of landscapes from canyons and arches to waterfalls and forest. One of the more popular destinations here is Lower Calf Creek Falls and its hiking trail.

Also the home of the abandoned town Paria and the Paria film sets, the ghost town was a popular location to film westerns. Films with scenes recorded here include Billy the Kid(1941), Sergeants 3 (1961) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976).

5. Golden Spike National Historic Site

North of the Great Salt Lake is the home of the place the Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail-roads met, this site was the place where in 1869 a ceremonial golden spike join the two rail systems into the USA’s first transcontinental railway system. With an exhibition housed at the Visitor’s Centre, the importance of the site is elaborated on. There are also recreations of the golden spike ceremony seasonally. The Golden Spike National Historic Site is a great place to visit for those interested in history.

From hiking to skiing those who enjoy physical pursuits would enjoy a trip to Utah. The striking natural scenery of Utah also draws tourists around the world and this list should let you fill up your Utah travel guide for your visit.