My Blog

Huatulco, Mexico

Looking to stay close to the U.S. during spring break, but also travel internationally? Take your family (if you have older children) to world-famous Huatulco, Mexico located on the Pacific Coast in the state of Oaxaca. The area is known as a tourist development, and the industry is centered on nine bays where travelers will find numerous hotels, oceanfront villas and condos, inns and bed and breakfasts. The famous Dreams Resort and Spa is one of the most popular luxury resorts in the area. Huatulco is near the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains and about 500 km south of Acapulco. The area has a very Caribbean-like feel with palm tree-line beaches and turquois-blue bays to enjoy water recreation. The weather isn't too warm in springtime and provides the perfect escape for the entire family to enjoy some relaxing time together.

Magical Christmas on the Railways

Kids love train rides. Parents love train rides too -- especially at Christmas time when they can enjoy holiday lights. In our region in California, we have several railway excursions for families to enjoy holiday rides (note: these book up fast so make your reservations now). In Sacramento, you can enjoy the annual Polar Express trip. The Polar Express gives kids some special train time with Santa Claus and take some pictures. Another fabulous ride can be had Roaring Camp Railroad near Felton, CA where the run a Holiday Lights Train through the redwoods and down to Santa Cruz. Also, check out the Santa Ride via Railtown 1897 State Park. Ride begin in November and go through December. 

Last-Minute Summer Escapes

August is winding down and Labor Day is just around the corner. If you’ve been itching to get away on a quick trip, now is the time. Here are three great weekend escapes if you live in the greater Sacramento area and you don’t want to travel more than three hours either by road or air.

San Diego (one hour, air) – What’s not to do in San Diego? You have the ocean and great regional activities to enjoy. The world-famous San Diego Zoo and Sea World are located here. If you have small children, you can always enjoy Lego Land, and if you travel by car or rent one, you can drive a little over an hour north back to Disneyland in Anaheim. Spend the day on the beach or take a boat ride around the harbor to enjoy the ocean air or fish. Venture down to La Jolla and shop in some of the cute beachside boutiques or enjoy one of the great restaurants along the beach with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean.

Santa Cruz (2.5 hours, car) – Another fun beachside town to enjoy the shopping, local seafood cuisine, or beach fun. You have, of course, world-famous Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk, which just finished a major facelift on many of the buildings and rides. Enjoy the old-fashioned carousel or the rickety Big Dipper Roller Coaster – both are old-style amusement park treats. Don’t forget to enjoy a few fatty calories with the corndogs or ice cream cones. You can also catch a train ride through the redwood forest to the boardwalk at the Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton. If you would like to stay in a more upscale area to spend the night, you might head about 10 miles up the road to Capitola and make reservations at the Capitola Inn. Capitola is another seaside village that contains dozens of boutiques to shop or spend the day at the beach.

Willets (3.5 hours, car) – Willets is a nice town on the edge of the redwoods and makes a wonderful launching point to hike and picnic in the redwoods or take the Skunk Train to Fort Bragg. You can leave your car in Willets, travel through the redwood forest to Fort Bragg, stay the night, and return the next day or you can stretch it a few days in Fort Brad and enjoy the beach. Midway on the Skunk Train, they stop at an open-air market where you can eat and shop. You might consider a bed and breakfast in Fort Brag since most of the hotels are nothing more than hotels with few amenities. You can also camp in Willets at the KOA and catch the train no more than a mile up the street and only do the mid-way trip and return that day to your campground.

Holidays in Europe from $899*

Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Years and More!

Europe Express makes it easy for you to plan your ideal holiday getaway. Whether they want to ring in the New Year watching the Eiffel Tower fireworks show as they drink champagne on the Champs-Elysees, spend Thanksgiving eating pasta and exploring Rome or hop across the pond for a quick getaway to London over Labor Day weekend, Europe Express has a vacation for them. From shopping in Central Europe's stunning Christmas markets this winter, to spending time in Dublin or Barcelona, let's make your holidays even more memorable. For more information or to book your trip, send an email to etaylor@worldlesstraveled.com. 

 

Why You Have to Try First-Class – At Least Once!

Moms and Dads with older children, time to treat yourself at least once. You have to get to say you flew first class just once in your lifetime. First, a first-class experience – and it is an experience – is well worth the extra cost for the luxury of discovering what it’s like to truly fly comfortably somewhere. Nothing can compare to having the stewardess wait graciously on you, cover your tray with a table cloth, pour you an endless supply of drinks and snacks, and enjoy real hot food. Imagine also getting to enjoy using real steel cutlery! How can that be? Yes, and you have get albeit a dull knife in which to spread your butter, but a real knife none the less. Every carrier has its own first-class experience to offer. After several different first-class trips, here are some nuances.

United – they serve warm nuts, put a table cloth on your tray table, and offer you an unlimited variety of drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and snacks and your choice of meals but no dessert. You will enjoy a damp, hot cloth to refresh with. The seats are broad, padded and comfortable. You do watch your movie on the LCD, drop-down screens and have no control over programming.

Hawaiian – they offer your own personal viewer and several choices of new or recent movies to watch from your seat. They also have a recliner with a inclined footrest that goes up only a short ways, but is nice to stretch out and sleep. They serve a menu of hot, five course meals and include dessert. You have your choice of limitless snacks and drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic).

U.S. Airways – they offer basic first-class with limitless drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and a wide seat. They will offer you a hot towel for refreshment and a new movie to watch with everyone else. This first-class, though, is definitely no frills but adequate leg room and space.

 

Three Items to Always Take on an Airplane

If you travel often by air then you know that you always want to carry certain save-the-day items. Here are three super useful items you might want to consider packing in your carry-on bag.

Bose headset – don’t want the noise of the airplane ringing in your ears? Pick up a pair of these goodies. They block out the unwanted noise and quiet your trip. They wrap fully over your ears to protect your ears from the roar of the jet engine. You can also plug them into your iPod to listen to uninterrupted music in peace.

Visine – now this is hearsay, but once you get dry eyes, you can understand why it’s probably true. Some suggest the reason we get are open to getting sick is the dryness we get in our eyes and the need to rub and touch and introduce germs. Truth is the plane re-circulates air, blows it in your face, and dries your eyes. Visine can be used to keep your eyes moistened and block irritation.

Anti-bacterial toilettes – everything you touch on a plane has likely been exposed to germs. Many experts say the best defense is hand washing. If you can’t get to the bathroom, or the bathroom strikes you as the best place to pick up germs in the first place, make sure you bring anti-bacterial toilettes to regularly cleanse your hands. Do avoid touching your eyes and nose at all times.

 

Three Things a Mom Can’t Travel Without

Ever notice that ideal mother who travels seamlessly with her kids. She seems to effortlessly pull whatever her young child needs to make him or her happy, calm and complaint-free. Ever feel jealous as you’re digging through your unorganized bag in hopes of finding something to quiet your child? Here are three things a Mom (or Dad) should carry in their bag to effectively handle junior.

Wet Ones – I don’t care if your child is 10 or 2, Wet Ones are great to wipe spills, clean dirty hands and faces, and generally wipe up just about any mess – whether on the car or airplane seat. Heck you can even use them to wipe off greasy fingers on your iPhone or iPad or even your sunglasses. No mother should leave the house without moist tissue like Wet ones.

Bottled water – Either leave the bottled water in your cup holders in your car or carry an extra bottle or fill up a holder and hook it to your bag. Keep water on your person at all times. Just think how many times you’ve been at a park or in a car for a long time and needed a drink of water. You will prevent the need to leave an attraction sooner than later if you keep water on-hand.

Crayons and a little tablet of paper – Again kids 10 or even 2 love to color. Got a bored kid? Just hand them some crayons and paper. It’s a winner whether at dinner or an event. There is a reason restaurants gives kids crayons. An occupied kid is less likely to wreak havoc on a nice meal or a quiet ride.

 

Half-Moon Bay Beach House

The Half-Moon Bay Beach House gets high marks for being clean, lovely and very spa-like. The design is modern and upscale from the minute you walk in the front doors. It sits right on the beach near the ocean, but a break is built in the front of the ocean, which means that even with your slider and windows open you will not hear the rhythmic crash of the waves. The views facing the southern side are of the gorgeous beach just yards south up the road, and the views in the back are of the beach and bay. Wild flowers line the beach, so you will enjoy the sprinkle of color and some small trees in your view. On the southern side of the building, find two small enclosure, one for the pool and one for the large-sized Jacuzzi. If it’s cool out, your children will play in the Jacuzzi and can go back and forth. The facilities get very high marks for upscale, modernized rooms with full kitchen. They served complementary wine and your room may have a fireplace if selected. It’s nice to wind down with a glass of wine and a fire. They also had two televisions so the kids could watch their shows while you watched yours in the same, big room. Full-sized showers included a separate nozzle to pull down and rinse your kids off if they happen to get sandy from the beach combing and swimming. And finally, a full continental breakfast is served complete with homemade bagels, Danish and toast, and coffee and juice. This resort is the type of place stay and never leave the grounds. Recommended for a long weekend or a true vacation escape. Costs range from $175 to $215 per night. 

 

The Back Roads of Sonoma Central Coast

If you want to take a quick getaway, try the back roads of Sonoma Central Coast in the springtime. Right now, the rolling coastal hills are a lovely shade of bright green sprinkled with California’s state flower, the poppy, and an assortment of wild flowers. Try and get off the main highways as much as possible. If you live in the greater Sacramento area, take Highway 80 up to Davis and then cut across to Highway 29 that will lead you toward Napa Valley via Lake Berryessa, which will twist and turn up to the lake and continue on around until you drop back down into the valley. Continue on 29 until you connect with Highway 12 that takes you through Sonoma and on toward the coast. Another option is to set your GPS for Bodega Bay or Lawsons Landing in Dillon Beach, and if it takes you fastest route, that means leading you through the back roads toward Petaluma without worry of getting lost, but still experiencing the beauty of the hills. You can also veer off once in Petaluma and twist and wind your ways toward Occidental or Jenner. Once you pass Petaluma, and if you go north, you will be in Redwoods country. Try and stay off main highways as the trees are at the tallest and most beautiful on the back roads. Many different creeks snake throughout the area, so feel free to bring a picnic and stop at one of the many day use parks. It’s still foggy and cold this time of year so be sure to dress in layers. As the sun comes out, it will warm up enough to shed your jacket. You can be daring and just stumble your way along and look for a quaint inn or bed and breakfast, as there are dozens to choose from on this route. It is always nice to see accommodations before you select a room. Now we don’t recommend this during a weekend or holiday where crowds may ascend upon the area and leave few vacancies available for the night.

 

Tips to Traveling with Children

Moms and Dads sometimes avoid traveling with small children because it’s just a lot of effort and work just to get out of the house. This work makes a “stay-cation” start to sound much more desirable if you’re a parent; but if you would like to travel more with your children, there are tips and tricks to make your vacation go much smoother.

360-degree rollers on a pull-along suitcase – this tip comes directly from a mom with a little girl who loves to pull the suitcase. Put the work back in your children’s hands. Avoid forward-rolling, over-sized suitcases. Pick one that can be stowed away and ensure it has 360-degree rolling capabilities. What happens with forward-rolling only is that the child will end up getting frustration as the suitcase turns over and your little one drags it rather than rolls it. Also, kids like a sense of responsibility. So, give them this easy-to-manage job, and they will follow behind you with pride and delight at their accomplishment of pulling their own luggage.

Portable devices with video capabilities – the new iPads if you use services like Netflik’s allow you to download movies before the trip. iPad’s battery life lasts up to nine hours and will keep your child entertained on trains, planes and automobiles. Also, iPad is easy touch-screen driven and makes it easy for school-age children to load up and turn on. You will find that school-age children will be entertained with just the device alone, which you can play games with the many apps. Online services like Club Penguin will entertain addicted children for hours and hours. And if you’re on a long air trip with Go-Go Internet, that means hours of peace and quiet and no fidgeting, complaining and whining, “Are we there yet?”

Backpacks are awesome – overload your child’s backpack with snacks and toys. Again, put your child in charge of his or her backpack to give them a sense of pride and responsibility. Let him or her pack it on his or her own too with a little supervision. Then have your child pack his/her own lunch or snacks. Remember, on airplanes you cannot bring liquids so purchase something before or after your board. If you have a baby, bring the backpack as your diaper bag – that works too and makes it more manageable when carrying your baby around and gives you two free hands. Be sure to stuff the pack with your child's beloved blanket or favorite toy.