Trip Review: Wild Dunes Family Gathering
Lauren and Mindy’s family traveled to Charleston, SC, and the Wild Dunes Resort this month to honor the memory of their father who passed away last year. The gathering consisted of three generations with 21 family members gathering from 5 different cities. We spread out in two rental homes and two beachfront condos that were located a short walk from each other. We appreciated the ease of getting to the beach, especially with a baby and toddler in tow. Chair and umbrellas can be rented in advance and set up daily. The recreation at the resort kept our family as active as we liked with several pools, tennis, bike rentals, golf, spa, gym, family activities, and more. The property also has several restaurants and a specialty market. Wild Dunes is located on the Isle of Palms about 25 minutes from downtown Charleston. It showcases two hotels along with condos, townhomes, and home rental options of all sizes. The brand-new Sweetwater Inn opened just this month next to the Boardwalk Inn and features a large pool, fire pit, games, restaurants, and free valet parking. Keypads on the entry doors allowed us to avoid a traditional check-in process and we easily communicated with Guest Services by text for anything we needed. A Harris Teeter grocery store on the island kept our kitchens well-stocked. Highlights for our families were relaxing massages, kayaking on Morgan Creek that runs along the back of the resort, long beach walks, and group dinners at several local restaurants including the Boat House and The Refuge. We also cooked a BBQ feast one night with charcoal grills stationed near the condos along with covered picnic tables. And Lauren was excited to meet her long-time clients, the wonderful Gaugler family from Connecticut, who were also vacationing at Wild Dunes at the same time! Overall Wild Dunes provides an ideal setting for family gatherings both large and small.
Travel Tip: Reloadable Credit Card
If you don’t plan to spend a lot of extra money on your next trip or want to stick to a budget, consider getting a reloadable credit card. These cards will help avoid stolen card numbers and even provide a money lesson for your children. FamZoo, a virtual family bank, offers a prepaid Master Card that allows you to control your accounts and the money rules within them. This includes scheduling tasks for your children to complete in exchange for money (or even to lose money). Some of the other convenient features are instant or scheduled transfers between cards, activity alerts (great for knowing what your children are buying and where), the ability to lock and unlock cards, no foreign transaction or ATM fees, and purchase reimbursement. There are small monthly fees, but discounts for paying in advance.
Travel Tip: Passport Check
Now is the perfect time to check all of your family’s passports! There is heavy demand for travel and for passport services. The passport office is telling us that it can take 10-12 weeks for a new application or renewal and 4-6 weeks for an expedited application when processing by mail or at local acceptance facilities. You can also check the status of your passport application online 7-10 days after applying. Because of increases in COVID-19 cases and local health conditions, the passport office has an extremely limited number of appointments for in-person service if you are traveling in the next 72 hours (with at 3 business days). Remember that passports for children under age 16 are only valid for 5 years. Adult passports are valid for 10 years.
Trip Review: Florida Keys Getaway
The Slone Family from Penn Valley, PA (2 adults and children ages 12 and 14) traveled to The Florida Keys for spring break with a stay at the lovely Isla Bella Resort in Marathon. They let us know they had a fabulous time. The family flew into Key West, rented a car and traveled about an hour north to reach Marathon. They thought the resort was beautiful and a perfect size with 199 residence suites with kitchens along with one- and two-bedroom suites. They stayed in a spacious Grand Oceanfront 2-Bedroom/2 Bathroom with Balcony. Minor complaints included a lack of storage in their room, small bath and beach towels, and tiny trashcans. And due to COVID, housekeeping was every few days instead of daily. The family enjoyed the one large pool and beach area, but there were also smaller pools scattered around the property which helped with social distancing. The resort used plexiglass to separate groups of chaise lounges and had plenty of sanitizer available. The resort offers daily activities, some watersports, beach yoga, bike rentals, spa, gym and more. Five minutes by car are public tennis courts which the family used several times. The rest of their time was spent by the pool, swimming, reading, and playing board games. Daily texts from hotel staff let guests know about daily activities and what is open or not open depending on the weather. The family found the resort food above average, but they enjoyed great meals in Marathon at the Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House, Island Fish Company, and Lazy Days South that offered plenty of waterfront outdoor and covered seating. Sweet Savanah’s was the place to go for ice cream. A very relaxing trip for a much-needed vacation with ideal weather to boot!
Trip Review: Winter Wonderland
When your Florida teens have never seen snow, it is time to plan a trip to The Rockies! The Getsy family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teens age 16 and 13) traveled to Jackson, WY this month to celebrate a special wedding anniversary. They had a great time experiencing winter and snow with various adventures, including snow tubing, chair lift, and alpine sliding at the Snow Mountain Ski Resort; snowmobiling through the Gros Ventre Mountains; sleigh riding in an Elk Refuge; making snowmen at the hotel, and more during their stay. There was no need to snow ski to appreciate this winter wonderland. The family stayed at the Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa in two peaceful creekside rooms with fireplaces (which proved to be quite hot, but good for drying towels). This upscale property, across from the National Elk Refuge, showcases a 7-acre nature preserve and is just a few blocks from downtown Jackson for plenty of dining and shopping options. There is a shuttle to town as well. Mind-blowing bacon and a nice variety of food options made breakfast a hotel highlight. Their favorite meal out was at the White Buffalo Club in Jackson. Pricey, but worthwhile to taste delicious and fresh bison and venison. Trio, The Kitchen, and The Blue Lion also received praises and Bin 22 was a good spot for buying and sipping wine. Their vacation package featured a free (and thanks to COVID), private excursion! They chose Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris’ Best of Jackson Hole tour with a visit to nearby Grand Teton National Park, a windy National Elk Refuge (dress extra warm), and the Wildlife Art Museum along with light breakfast, lunch, and a sleigh ride. In Grand Teton, their excellent guide helped them spot moose, coyotes, rams, buffalo, and various birds of prey. They also loved their Granite Hot Springs snowmobile experience with the Teton Tour Co. that included an excellent guide and dip in the hot springs. The teens also had a chance to take the snowmobiles for a spin in the beautiful wilderness. Thankfully cold-weather outerwear was also included. Overall, the trip was a great success for a fun and first snow encounter.
Travel Tip: COVID Test with Miles
American Airlines is now allowing AAdvantage members to redeem miles for COVID-19 tests. For only 12,000 miles, you can order an at-home COVID-19 testing kit through LetsGetChecked. The company is a direct-to-consumer at-home health testing business. Their test incorporates a nasal swab at-home which you mail to the lab for PCR analysis. Typically, a test result is available on-line within 24-72 hours . The test is Federal Drug Administration approved under emergency use authorization provisions. Just be sure this lab is an approved one for your specific destination.
Trip Review: Cancun Celebration
Nadia and Jahmal from Philadelphia enjoyed an adult escape to Cancun for a special birthday celebration with their stay at Live Aqua, an all-inclusive and adult-only property in the Hotel Zone. The couple enjoyed their Aqua Suite which was a quiet corner room. They loved how the curtains opened automatically when they walked into the suite revealing gorgeous ocean views! Their extra spacious balcony was accessible from both the living room and bedroom and they appreciated having two bathrooms. Wine and macrons were waiting for them in the suite on arrival for Jahmal’s birthday celebration. They found the resort food to be tasty and food service to be excellent. Highlights included a yummy burger stand by the pool, waiter recommended fried fish and shrimp tacos for lunch at the Sea Corner restaurant (with a surprise birthday song from the staff) and an Asian dinner tucked away amongst the trees at the Hidden Garden restaurant. They also found the COVID protocols to be excellent. Staff wore masks and shields, hand sanitizer and soap were plentiful, pool and beach chairs regularly sprayed, and getting their test to return to the US was easy and well-arranged through the concierge. They had some fun adventures off property including a yacht trip to Isla Mujeres; an adventure tour with zip lining, ATV rides, cenote swim/dive, and tequila tasting in the Riviera Maya, and also went parasailing. Overall, they had no issues during their 4-night stay and found the staff very friendly and helpful. They look forward to returning!
Travel Tip: World Education
We love showcasing efforts to expand our children’s exposure to the world and all its amazing culture. Such an effort is available through Planet Classroom, a global network for youth by youth. They recently announced their first-ever multicultural channel for youth voices. Season 1 programming will represent creators from over 50 countries and include over 150 films, dance, music, video game, and art videos as well as VidOps and workshops featuring innovative youth start-ups. Planet Classroom brings together musicians, dancers, video game creators, filmmakers, innovators, and emerging technologists to entertain, educate and engage through YouTube, podcasts, and social media. Check out and share https://www.planetclassroom.world/browse/.
Travel Tip: New Testing Requirements
As you may be reading, pandemic travel requirements are constantly changing based on new CDC rules, individual state mandates, and regulations in other countries. Feel confident that we are constantly keeping on top of the situation. The latest requirement for antigen tests to return to the US from another country begins today! Currently, there are two types of diagnostic tests– molecular tests, such as RT-PCR tests, that detect the virus’s genetic material, and antigen tests that detect specific proteins from the virus. Antigen tests are generally less expensive. Our tour operator partners are continually updating what the hotels and resorts are offering and charging for testing and your quarantine option…should you test positive. As with any travel during this time, whether in or out of the country, there are some risks, but many of our favorite hotels and resorts are offering free tests and free stays if you need to quarantine. Some destinations require you to purchase, for a minimal price, a COVID protection insurance plan to cover costs should you get sick while traveling. Many countries also require a PCR test within 72 hours (or other date frames) to enter. Our travel insurance partners are also still determining the full amount of coverages for this constantly evolving situation as this is new for them as well. Without a travel agent…you are on your own.
Trip Review: Holiday Ski Getaway
The Sedaka Family of New York City (2 adults and 3 children ages 8, 6, and 4) drove to Hunter Mountain this winter break for some outdoor recreation and relaxation and to celebrate the New Year! They stayed in a spacious condo at the Kaatskill Mountain Club which sits at the base of the ski mountain. The family let us know it was a perfect accommodation for young children. It was ski-out and mostly ski-in (unless conditions were bad or for beginner skiers as you had to walk up a hill to get back to the lodge vs. going up the lift and skiing directly into the lodge). Their 3-bedroom condo was well designed and spacious with Roku televisions (and basic cable). Unfortunately, the internet connection was lousy; so they did depart earlier than planned. The heated outdoor pool was large and warm, and the children swam daily. The property took pool reservations to limit the capacity. The spa, gym, hot tubs, and firepits were unfortunately closed due to COVID. The property also had a restaurant called Van Winkles which was only open to guests. They had a decent meal there and said the waitstaff was excellent. Grocery and prepared food delivery services were also available to order online and then delivered right to your condo. They also appreciated the warm and accommodating front desk staff. The family also noted that the ski school staff was also very friendly and helpful, but there were some issues with getting the number of lessons they wanted due to the new state protocols. The ski school was on the opposite side of the lodge and down a hill. Getting there and back was a little challenging. A trip highlight was getting cooked-to-order donuts, coffee, and tea at Twin Peaks Coffee and Donuts in nearby Tannersville. Overall a fun time was had by all and they plan to return in the spring to use up their prepaid nights.
