Cheap Travel

Have you traveled with your elderly parent or parents when they were frustrated, overtired, and stressed? Based on personal experiences with my own mother, I’ve put together ten ways to help achieve a safe and joyful air travel experience with your elderly parent. In order to avoid stressful moments in travel with my elderly mother, I made conscious efforts to create joy in our travels. My goal was to keep any frustrations for my mother and for myself to a minimum.

We just finished a three-day air trip traveling across the country for a family reunion and had a smooth, joyful experience!

1. Include your parent in the planning stage of making reservations for rooms. Some parents prefer having a separate room. Others like the security of sharing a room.

2. Review procedures for closing out their residence prior to leaving. Stop paper, mail, etc. Make sure there are no appointments lined up for the time period of the trip.

3. Plan to travel on a day ahead of the main activities of the trip. This time gives space for transition to the new environment and rest from the trip.

4. Arrange with the hotel/motel for adjoining rooms if you are in separate room This gives you the opportunity for easy connecting. Even keeping the key for your parent could be helpful. Doors are usually very heavy and are not easy to handle. Better to have your parent wait in the room until you are with them.

5. Go over the procedures for contacting the front desk so that the security of having help nearby is there. Caution against opening the door thinking it could be family. Rely on the phone for connection if you don’t have the key to their room.

6. If agreeable for your parent, arrange ahead of time for a wheelchair. Distances in the airport are LONG and there is so much confusion everywhere. Being in the wheelchair takes away that stress for your parent. AND you can zip through the security lines when you are with a wheelchair passenger!

7. Take along extra reading material for your parent to make the waiting time go faster. Something you have may be more interesting since it is different from what your parent usually reads.

8. Take along a nightlight so that there is safety at night for going to the bathroom. So many elderly people have falls which lead to inactivity which leads to degeneration of the body. Having light at night is a great safety precaution against falls.

9. Be careful not to pack the schedule too tight. Leave room for naps when necessary. Take along plenty of reading for yourself so that you are not impatient waiting.

10. When returning home, check over their residence to make certain all is in shape for reentry. Make certain lights are working. Check for any leaks in water lines. Ask if there is anything that you can do for them before you leave. Coming home after a trip is another important transition.

One final note: Be sure to check over your parent’s carry-on luggage or purse. Make certain there are no liquids there that either need to be put in a separate ziplock bag or packed on their checked in luggage. This will avoid any confusion when going through the airport security. Isn’t travel getting more complicated every year?

If you’d like some support in keeping your productivity up even when life circumstances can be energy draining, a coach can help! Suzanne Holman, MAEd is your Exuberant Productivity Coach, working with you for a Healthy Bottom Line + Quality Time For Your Family and Fun! Exuberant Productivity.com

You’ve got the plane ticket, the hotel reservation, the itinerary. But have you given any thought or taken any steps to protect your health and safety? The worst thing that can happen is that you spend your vacation in a hospital– or bring home a weird, exotic virus that has you bedridden for weeks.

You also want to avoid theft, mugging, or worst, terrorist attacks. Your resort may call itself an “island paradise” but let’s not be naïve and assume everyone is as friendly as they look in the brochures.

Be smart. Prepare, make informed decisions, especially if you’re traveling with your family. This vacation is supposed to be fun–and you can do your part by preventing most disasters.

1. Check Travel Advisories

Your embassy will list places that they recommend “caution” or right-out tell you to stay away from altogether. This could be because of a tense political situation, or a low level of security in underdeveloped areas.

But also take advisories with some degree of salt. You can safely assume that the capitals and major cities of a country will be more tourist friendly, since governments would’ve probably taken great efforts to develop them. The exception, of course, are countries going through civil war–in which case, read the international newspapers (or the web-version of their local English paper) to see how bad it really is.

2. Get Vaccinated

Some viruses that are relatively rare in your country may proliferate in the climate of another–and you don’t have the natural antibodies to fight them. Get the full range of vaccines (your embassy website will also recommend which ones you really need, depending on here you want to go).

3. Bring Medicines and Prescriptions

Ask your doctor for two copies of your prescriptions (carry one in your wallet, and leave one in your luggage). Also bring enough anti histamines (for allergies) or any maintenance vitamins or medications. Asthmatics should carry have a nebulizer–especially since attacks can be triggered by change in climate or physical exertion (you never know how much walking you’ll be doing during the tour).

4. Never Flaunt Your Valuables

Wearing your Rolex or flashing large amounts of money practically screams “Rob me!” to the pickpockets. Keep small bills and change in your belt bag for easy access (these are for entrance fees, cab fares, snacks). Keep larger bills in a zippered pocket. To be very safe, divide the money and distribute it among several pockets–at least, even if you do get robbed, you still have something left.

Another tip: bring only what you need for that day and leave the rest in the hotel safety deposit box.

5. Travel in Groups

This is unfamiliar land, and you may not even speak the local language. So stick together (at least divide into pairs), especially at night.

6. Ask the Hotel Receptionist/Travel Agent Which Places to Avoid

Before exploring the area, get a list of places known for its crime rate, or streets that tend to get dark after a particular hour. Identify the areas on a map and avoid accordingly.

7. Tell the Hotel Receptionist Where You Are Going

This is very important if you are going skiing, hiking, or participating in any activity where there is a risk of getting lost or injured. Name how many people will be in your party and what time they can expect you. Then, they can alert authorities if you have not returned.

Source:

Enter to Win a FREE Trip to the Wine Country! New Flights to and from Santa Rosa, California to L.A. & Seattle Go To: http://www.SonomaCountyAirport.com

Travel across the endless plains of the Serengeti to the immense Lake Victoria; descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient, collapsed volcano with the highest concentration of game in Africa; drive across the magnificent, wild Selous Reserve and not see another vehicle the whole day; end the day by drinking cocktails as you take a sunset cruise along the Rifuji River. The beautiful Udzungwa Mountains, a National Park without roads, has been created primarily for the protection of flora rather than fauna and is a colorful sight. Then go on to the Spice Islands which are a cultural and culinary delight of mixed religions making it as intriguing as it is volatile. These Islands consist of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia and further north, off the coast of Kenya, Lamu Island.

The list could go on and on for Tanzania is a truly magical place. The African violet, the world’s favorite flower, was discovered in the East Usambara Mountains. The explorer, Doctor David Livingstone, landed in the ancient slave port of Bagamoyo, which is now a sleepy fishing village north of Dar es Salaam.

Unlike many countries in Africa, Tanzania is politically stable despite the hot blooded people of Zanzibar. The people are always friendly, warm and welcoming. The welcoming of the people here is due to the first President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, who united the country under the one language of Swahili. There are over 120 different tribes in Tanzania and the situation could have been quite different. Julius Nyerere, often referred to as the ‘Father of the Nation’, and who died in 1999, protected and created many National Parks, for he was aware this was the legacy of the people.

Many visitors come and leave Tanzania without knowing that they are able to help the communities which they visit. The poverty is so great, the corruption so out of control, that the mission appears insurmountable, a task, we tend to think, that should be left to the international charities who know best. However, this is not necessarily true. It is possible for the individual to help. Make your enquiries with a tour operator that is involved in the community at grass root level – perhaps building schools or clinics, or developing infrastructures. It is not necessary to get personally involved. Just by relaxing and enjoying your safari, climbing Kilimanjaro or diving off Zanzibar Island, you can help. Choose your safari operator with care and you can enjoy your vacation even more, knowing that you are making a difference.

Tanga, situated on the tropical coast line, is surrounded by an area famed for magic and traditional healing. Also found in the town is an American research team working with traditional healers and their medicines. They are in partnership with the local people, finding plants that can provide medicine to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Their work is exciting and rewarding and they encourage visitors. This is a memorable place and well worth your visit. Guests are welcomed to walk the hills and forests with a traditional healer gathering herbs and plants for medical research. These plants are then propagated for research.

In Africa, a little helps so very much. Making the decision to find a company that helps communities, or better still, helps the groups within a community to help themselves, is the most affective way to create community welfare. Tanzanian’s are a proud people and do not wish to become dependant on handouts. Responsible Tourism is the perfect partner to sustainable development.

Nevertheless, be warned. Once you visit Tanzania it permeates your very soul and you will want to return. Should this happen to you and you wish to become more involved with helping the peoples of Tanzania, there are several ways to do this and with great effect. The most rewarding however, is to take time out, come to Tanzania for a month or two – maybe even six months or a year and come to work. Work directly with the communities. It will be a most unforgettable experience – a most rewarding partnership, a treasure trove of memories to keep forever.

There are several companies in Tanzania that help with communities and encourage cultural tourism. I ask that if you visit Tanzania, or indeed anywhere in Africa, you choose a company that genuinely helps the people of the country you visit. I also encourage you to spend time with the different cultures for it is an education and an experience not to be missed – should the opportunity present itself. Take time, slow down, and enjoy your time in Africa. A cultural addition to an African safari does not have to involve squatting on the floor of a mud hut and eating boiled grass – whilst watching a group of village elders [in western dress] dance and chant as they progressively get more and more intoxicated on home-brewed banana beer. It involves talking to people and spending just a little time together. The rewards are great and you will not regret it as long as you take care and use a reputable company to organize a cultural safari suited to you and your needs.

Author: Bethel Adventure cares about responsible tourism; we use tourism to improve lives. http://www.betheladventure.co.uk We believe responsible tourism should give back to the communities that tourism relies upon. see http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk for information on Tanzania

Recently I had the opportunity to visit The Tallac Historic Site, which has been declared a national historic site, located in the beautiful city of South Lake Tahoe, CA, The site houses three estates: Baldwin (1921), Pope (1894). and the Valhalla (1923). These resorts, constructed from 1894 to 1923 were lavish resorts at the edge of the lake. Up to 250 guests could attend the estates at once, which included a casino and the biggest resort of the time.

During the late 1800’s, the south shore of Lake Tahoe became a resting place for pioneers searching for gold. Upon completion of the transcontinental railroad, the site soon became a popular retreat for wealthy landowners from Virginia City and San Francisco.

The Pope Estate, built in 1894, is now open for guided tours and houses various art exhibits. Valhalla is a grand hall with beautiful wood floors, an open wood beam ceiling, a balcony of lodge pole construction and a twenty-foot high stone fireplace! It was built in 1923 and now stands as the site of many musical concerts, contains a cultural arts gift store, and even has suites available for rent. The entire Tallac Historical Site encompasses a full seventy-four acre tract of land and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. It is located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. The rustic and mainly logS built sites are nestled in the secluded woods along the beach of Lake Tahoe.

One of the highlights of my visit was the Anita Gibson Cabin. Anita was credited as one of the first women to invent and model the “slip” or “leotard” type undergarment. She was an avid designer, and also ran the resort when her father died. We actually saw a manikin dressed up as Anita, sitting in the corner of the cabin. She wore a beautiful white dress, which looked like one hundred percent cotton. It was soft, flowingly pretty, and very conservative.

Anita was always full of ideas and was actually one of the first women to run a resort (her father’s business), and kayak across the Emerald Bay. She was once even challenged to a harder boat route around Emerald Bay, and not only kayaked faster than the existing time, but also ended up setting the record.

In all of the signs and materials that we read about Anita, she came up as an intelligent, energetic, creative, but very conservative woman. What is ironic though, is that she is the one responsible for the destruction and demolition of the larger Casino that her father had built. She stated that she did it for “environmental and economic” reasons, but one has to wonder, if she did it for religious or moral reasons. The Casino at the Baldwin Estate was the biggest of its time. Not too long after her father’s death, Anita had it blown to the ground. Perhaps she may have felt guilty about the type of clientele the resort was attracting as well. The reason that I am reflecting upon this possible option does indeed go back to the signs and the manikin itself inside her old cabin.

She was a beautiful woman, with a firm jaw, and yet beautiful eyes. The monuments next to her all told of her inventiveness and conservative ways. She was known to pray and read the scriptures on the edge of the lake.

Further reflection really makes me wonder about this incredible woman named Anita Gibson, heir to the Baldwin Estate. She may have indeed made the best decision of all in blowing up her father’s casino. Perhaps she felt it was a way to redeem herself and her father for allowing the sin of Gambling. History only knows. I will never forget my visit.

Author:

Don Alexander, Published Writer & Online Business Mentor

http://www.leading-online-business.com

“Helping ALL to Succeed”