Vacation close to Home?  

Not as crazy as you might think

For those of us who believe that a vacation has to begin with a flight, the idea of driving an hour away from home, is not a vacation.  I drive further than that to shop.  However, with the world in lockdown, we have no choice but to consider the idea.

Last spring I made the decision to vacation close to home.  A friend had told me about a cottage resort near Algonquin Park.  I went on-line and discovered that they had experienced many cancellations from international guests, and they had openings they normally would not have.  

My husband and I discussed the idea of a cottage rental and quickly decided to give it a try.  Why not, we can't go anywhere else.  Ontario is a beautiful Province, why not see it again and again.

We booked a one bedroom cottage and had six weeks to wait.  

Now the fun starts.  I get to plan what to take, and make lists.  There was a list for groceries, meal planning, kitchen utensils, outdoor activities, indoor activities, and clothes.  Even though the resort website said the cottage came fully equiped, here are a few things that made it on my list.  

• two fans, one for the living room, one for the bedroom
• a card table for jigsaw puzzles and games
• a TV tray, because you never know when you need a extra table
• ice cube trays
• a blender for mixed fruity drinks
• a tray to carry snacks to the beach
• over-the-door hooks, there are never enough hooks

I used every single one of these items and more.  Fully equipped does not mean the cottage comes with things like, dish soap, hand towels, tinfoil, and ice cube trays.  

We had a great time. We planned a picnic on the way there, took morning walks everyday, layed in the sun by the lake, BBQue'd every night, and when I brought a tray of snacks to the beach, I was the envy of the Resort.  

There's no place like home, where ever to take it.

 

Spring is in the air.  You can feel the first warm breezes, the sun on your face, and the fresh smell of Spring.  My favorite day of this season is the first day I can walk out the door without a coat.  No more boats, scaves, gloves, or winter coat.  Can the capri's and flip flops be far behind?  

If you have a secret desire to get in your car and drive south until you see a flower blooming, then you're my people.

But alas, we cannot drive south of the broder in search of flowers blooming.  We can't even drive to the southern tip of Ontario, where I'm sure the tulips are cresting out of the earth, because we can't cross  lockdown zones.

We aren't making these journey's because we respect the regulations and most of all, we have a healthy respect for a virus that has deadly consequences.  We respect it, and we are "Adulting" throught it.  Being adults about it.

But those of us with wanderlust in our hearts are finding it very hard to be adults right now.  Spring is in the air! It makes us want to do crazy things, like travel.  I miss travelling.  Recently, I was travel shamed for suggesting vaccines would give us the safety to travel.  Travel Shamed!   Wow!  It's a first for me.  I've never been publically called out for my profession before.  I've always been so proud of it.  I love what I do for a living.  Helping poeple discover the best vacation or vist a sick loved one, or make the last trip of a lifetime memorable.  It's my job to keep you safe.  To prepare you and advice you for a smooth, safe trip.

By the way, noone is getting on a plane, and I'm not suggesting that any time soon.  That's my Adult advice.  The wanderlust child in me wants to have fun.  I want to walk on the beach and feel sand between my toes.  I want to sit on a balcony with a cocktail and watch the sunset over the ocean.    I want to sit on a plane and watch the ground beneath me disappear as we take off.  I want to step off the plane onto the tarmack and feel the blast of hot air.

And until we can experience all of those things, I want to walk out my door without a coat and smell spring in the breeze.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I've been away too long

 Wow!  I can't believe it's been over a year since I posted on my Blog.  Every time I thought about it, I wasn't sure I had anything to say.

Scatch that, there has been so much to say about what has happened to Travel over the last year.  I didn't know where to start.  

The life of a Travel Agent sure hasn't been easy.  I could make a list of pathetic, awful things that have happened to me over the last year.  But, I didn't want to use this platform as a dumping ground for my complaints.  As a rule, I try to stay positive in my thoughts and deeds.  

I have turned to humour on my facebook page.  I Believe in Travel.  with the tagline "Trust your neighbourhood Travel Agent, When it's safe to travel agian, we can help you navigate a complicated world"

"When it's safe to Travel again"  what a loaded phrase.  It will mean something different to everyone you ask.  When will it be safe to travel again?  What is safe?  Is it when flights resume and quarantines are gone?  Is it when rapid tests are use everywhere?  Is it when the entire population has been vaccinated?  

I don't have the answer.  Only time will tell.

In the meantime, we wait, and dream.  Here are a few suggestions that might help us through the winter.

• Listen to the sound of waves on the shore before you fall asleep
• Look back through the photos of your first trip.  Take your time over each picture and remember. 
• Pop the lid on your favorite bottle of sunscreen.  Close you eyes and smell.  
• Cook your favorite foods from your favorite country.  Taste your way around the world.
• Pick up a souvenir, like a shell, and feel the surface.  Let the sensation bring back memories. 

And, if all that fails, crank the thermostat up to 80, put on your shorts, pour margaritas and dance to the Beach Boys, Kokomo Beach.  

Getting Ready for the Journey

Forty-five days and counting.  That’s how many days it is until my next trip.  I know this because at 60 days before departure, I started to panic that I would not be ready for the trip. 

I don’t mean packing the suitcase.  That’s easy and will only take about a week, give or take a few days.    Packing is a topic for another day.

I mean I will not be physically ready for the trip.  Travelling can be a grueling, tiresome experience.  One that I must prepare for.  I’m not as young as I used to be and the idea of dragging a suitcase through airports, running to catch connecting flights, waiting for buses, and surviving on snack food, takes a lot of perseverance.

I remember the days when travelling was a breeze.  I never worried about how much the suitcase weighed or if I had the “right” kind of snacks packed.

 

Now a days, the doctors tells me I shouldn’t lift over 40 pounds because of my heart.  I can’t eat too many sandwiches, or I bloat up like a blow fish.  There’s so much to think about.  And all of that needs planning.

Fifteen days ago, I decided that this time I would lose weight before the trip.  Not a lot, maybe ten pounds.  It just might make it easier to haul everything around if I weighed less.  So far, I’ve lost 2 pounds.  Yippee for me!  It’s a start, but not enough to make me think that in the next 45 days the other eight pounds will disappear.

 

I’m trying to eat less.  No sugar or bread.  Have you ever discovered that the minute you tell yourself you can’t eat sugar that every chocolate bar in the checkout line starts calling to you?  I never eat chocolate as a rule, now I can’t stop thinking about it.  Popcorn is supposed to be a good snack.  Lots of fiber and very little fat.  Is that still true if you eat the whole family size bag?

 

I’ve joined a workout Club for Women fifteen days ago.  You know the one, with the purple circle.  I have met some very nice woman and a team that is very encouraging.  If I don’t meet this goal it won’t be their fault.  I’m going to the gym 4 times a week.  I hurt all over.  I have headaches, and I am falling asleep at my desk at 3:00 in the afternoon.  I’m still waiting for the part where it's suppose to feel good.

 

All this so that I can pull my suitcase through an airport, run to catch a connecting flight, wait hours for a bus, and eat junk food for energy.  All that, so that I can stand on the deck of a beautiful Cruise Ship in Amsterdam and say to myself.  “You did it” sigh 

I will put on my formal black dress, toss my hair, grab a glass of Champagne and get my picture taken with the Captain.  And it will all be worth it.

Let’s talk about Hotels and Accommodations

In my job, I’m on the road a lot.  I live out of a suitcase, in someone else’s home, or in hotel rooms.  I have shared hotel rooms with strangers.  Stayed in a Hostel in Morocco, an Inn in England, a tent in Ontario and a Ships Cabin on a River Cruise.  This has given me a unique perspective on the topic of hotels and accommodations. 

As a Travel Agent we deal with the problem of finding customers affordable accommodations all the time.  Hotels have become so expensive you can’t travel anywhere in the world for under $200 a night.  That’s outrageous.  Where do they come off charging those kinds of rates?  We want to borrow the room for the night, not give them half a week’s salary for clean sheets.

It’s no wonder people are turning to Air BnB and short-term rentals.  For less than $100 a night, someone will give you clean sheets, coffee and a muffin. 

Customers are asking for this type of accommodations more and more.  However, as a short-term renter, there are a few drawbacks to home sharing.  Have you tried to stay in the spare room of the house of someone you don’t know?  When you arrive, you are met at the door, told to take off your shoes.  Then you are given a list of “house rules” and shown your half shelf in the refrigerator for your food.  They give you a tour of the house, tell you not to be bothered that their dog is sniffing your butt, and hand you a piece of paper with the Wifi password.  The next thing you know you’re in a bed room all by yourself, the door is closed, and you have no idea how you ended up there surrounded by their son’s old high school trophies.

It’s like going to stay with long lost relatives you didn’t know you had.  Are you supposed to stay in your room, or go out and be friendly?  How much do you share about yourself with these strangers?  Do you have to spend the evening with them in their Family room watching the only TV in the house?  Who’s sharing the bathroom?

 

I had a moment once when I was using the facilities, ran out of toilet paper and prayed there was a roll under the sink.  Isn’t that where normal people leave the spare roll?  At that moment $200 a night for a hotel didn’t sound like that much money.

Now imaging doing all of that in Italy where you don't speak the language, didn't understand a word they said and they handed you 5 squares of toilet paper that looks more like recycled tissue paper.  

As Travel Agents we have stayed in just about every type of accommodations available, all over the world.  When we tell you, you won’t be happy in a 3 star hotel in Cuba, trust us!

When & How to book an All-inclusive Vacation

I wish I had a crystal ball.  Then I would know when to book everyone’s all-inclusive vacation.  As Travel Agents we see trends year after year, we monitor the sales and deals, and we can give you a pretty good idea when to book. 

It’s the third week in January, if you are not already booked to go away this winter, you will most likely not get a deal or, save money.  

I understand that some people don’t have a choice.  They have to book last minute.  They can’t get the time off work, the kids don’t have their hockey schedule, the in-laws are sick and can’t watch the dog.  We all have busy, complicated lives.  I get it. 

However, if you can plan ahead, here is a little advice.  Book early.  I mean as early as August, but certainly before the end of November.  Last year I booked my vacation in November.  We watched the price, looked at highs and lows for the resort we wanted and then booked when the price hit its lowest.  The next week, our resort sold out.  If we had waited for last minute we would not have got what we wanted.

That’s the service your travel agent should provide.  If they are not, get a new Agent.  Using a Travel Agent does not mean you are week, or that you don’t understand the internet, or that you are not a world class traveler.  It means that you are secure enough in yourself to ask for help.

I give this advice now because we are dealing with a lot of disappointed people.  The phones are ringing off the hook with people wanting to go to Cuba for $800.  The taxes and fees alone are $400.  They expect a seat on a plane, a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep in, and all the food they can eat and drink for $400.  The resorts are at 90 – 100% capacity and they don’t need to sell off anything. 

When the resorts are full, they have to put people every room.  Even the ones that need repair.  Last week, we had a customer that didn’t have a toilet seat in the bathroom.  The resort was filling every room they had to keep up with the demand. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think you should travel this time of year, it is the greatest feeling to be warm when the rest of your world is freezing.  Just be realistic.  If the budget will allow, upgrade the star rating  of your resort.  Upgrade your room category

If your room category is “Super Saver" or “Daily Deal” you’re not getting a room, you’re getting a broom closet.  What is “Super Saver”?  That’s not a room category.  Don’t get caught with the “last minute” people with rooms that overlook the parking lot.

My advice to you: Whenever possible in life, Upgrade,  You’ll never regret it.

Packing! What a Nightmare

I just spent the weekend packing for our Christmas Holiday trip to Puerto Vallarta.  Yes, I'm spoiled.  My husband surprised me with a trip to Puerto Vallarta for Christmas.

This will be our first time away from home on Christmas Day, and I think I will be alright with it.  I'll let you know when I get home.

This year packing was especially challenging because I was doing it in the middle of Christmas wrapping, family dinners, eggnog, Christmas carols and the in-laws.

Packing?  My first dilemma is always what size suitcase should I take?  There is the challenge of weight versus my need to have the things I want.  I love to rise to the challenge of complying to the airlines weight and size restrictions.  I pride myself in never having to pay the fees for being over weight. On the other hand I need to take everything I want to have a great vacation.

For example, I need to have three or four bathing suits to wear over seven days, and each bathing suit weighs two pounds.  (Yes, they weigh two pounds each.  I'm over 50 years, nothing that I have fits into a string bikini, and Lycra is heavy)

Then there are the cover-ups, the day time clothes, the evening clothes, and the appropriate shoes to go with it all.  That's three outfits per day over seven days.  You do the math. 

I need four pairs of shoes, minimum.  Running shoes for the plane, walking sandals, beach sandals, and evening sandals.  And even then I have to wear the same sandals with every outfit every evening.  What's fun about that? 

Going down my check list there are necessary things to pack.  The extra book to read, the sun hat and the beach bag.  Sun tan lotion alone can weight up to ten pounds.  You need the SPF 30+ for the first two days, then you can drop to the SPF 15 for two days, and then finally you might be able to drop to an SPF 4, if you don't get two days of rain that sets back you tanning progress.  Oh, and you can't forget the SPF 80 for your nose and toes.

Another thing that gets complicated are purses and bags.  You need a big purse to carry your valuables on the plane, but once you've arrived at a Resort, you don't need a big purse anymore.  You need a small purse to carry around the resort that holds your room key card, SPF lip gloss, and cell phone.  Heaven forbid, you didn't have your cell phone and missed the facebook posting of the cute cat under the Christmas tree.

You need a beach bag to carry your book/kindle or tablet and the multiple bottles of suntan lotion.  You may need a knapsack or shoulder bag for day excursions which is not the same as a beach bag.  All of these bags and purses are important and very necessary.   I hear you guffawing in disbelief.  Yes, one bag can be used for more than one purpose.  What's fun about that?

Did you know that some high end resorts are now using the wrist band as your room key, eliminating the need to carry a room card in your bathing suit top.  Very Smart.

Finally there is the decision of whether to take a carry-on suitcase or not.  Now I'm not talking to the women who can travel with only a carry-on suitcase.  I don't relate at all of those skinny women who can wear a string bikini, with a sarong that doubles for evening wear.  Real women need stuff and more than one suitcase.  I can assure you that I use everything that I pack.

In closing I'm proud to say that I packed it all.  Everything that I wanted to take, and I met the airlines weight challenge.  My suitcase weighs 42 pounds (allowance is 50 lbs)  That's enough weigh allowance to buy two bottles of tequila cream, and I know I'll get it back safely, because I remembered to pack my bubble wrap.

See you in the New Year.