Eileen's Monthly Blog...

As the New Year approaches, I would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy one.

Once the holidays are over and the winter is upon us,we tend to dream about a nice vacation to take place some time during the year.I will be returning to work next week getting my students ready for their summer journey to Sail Caribbean in Tortola.

It has dawned on my that as this new year approaches and plans are being made, we should all take a look a tour passports to be sure they are updated. Planning the trip is fun and exciting, but finding out at the last moment that your passport is outdated, can be a horror.So, make it a rule that when you are planning a trip out of the country, you make checking the passport apriority. Also, check to be sure there are no visas necessary for your travel. Applying early for either of these will make your life much easier when the time comes to travel. Remember, everyone needs a passport to travel outside the USA.

Happy New Year
Eileen

Eileen Rothschild is a veteran travel agent located outside of Orlando, Florida. She is the Travel Coordinator for Sail Caribbean and Lori's mom.

Home for the Holidays

When you travel as much as I do... staying home becomes a luxury. I'm enjoying Christmas break in Germantown, Maryland with my family. My sister and her family (hubby and two children) are here with us from Greensboro, NC. It's chill and relaxed. It is so relaxed that I found it hard to actually sit and write a blog about travel. How do you write about travel when you are not traveling? The closest thing to a travel tip that I came up with this week is that you can have anything you buy from Nordstroms shipped for free to your home! Imagine that, you go out to Nordies to spend your xmas cash.. and you do not even have to worry about fitting it in your suitcase! You ask them to ship it... and DONE... for free. Ok, Ok... its a stretch.

With all of this time off, I have been doing a lot of reading... mostly travel mags. It made me think about all the travel there is to do in 2008. So, I decided to update my top 10 list of dreamy travel destinations....

• Brazil - I really want to explore the favelas of Rio... I can just smell the feijoida now.
• Mali ... specifically Timbuktu. One of the most influential cities on the face of the earth
• St. Moritz - I'll probably kill myself skiing... but, I bet I would look fabulous on those slopes
• Bali - to overnight at the Bambu Indah... a hotel made entirely out of bamboo
• Kenya - safari yes... but I also want to stay at the Il Ngwesi... a lodge built and managed by the local Laikipiak Masai tribe - simply beautiful people
• Barcelona - still one of my "must see" cities... I would also love to take a cooking class there
• Northern India - I have not picked a city yet... there are so many. I just want to go to a village market at 5am to pick the best part of the daily slaughtered goat and cook it over an open fire and get drunk with the locals.
• Peru - Machu Picchu - this should be on your list... the closest thing to heaven in my opinion
• Madagascar - island life in Africa... where there is a lizard that can sit on the tip of your finger and the local crafts are amazingly beautiful
• New Orleans - still one of my favorite places in the world and it needs our tourism money! I would love to dedicate a weekend to build a house and maybe make a nice gumbo with my N'awlins friends. Mardi Gras is comin'...

I also wanted to make my New Years resolution for 2008... my resolution is to be a responsible traveler. I want to engage myself in social tourism... I want to meet people and engage myself in their culture. I want to find and buy local crafts... no tourist shops for me. I will also make sure to leave a light footprint... practice green travel. I encourage you to all do the same. This world is shrinking which gives us the opportunity to meet each other and interact in new ways. It is also our responsibility to protect it. Let's do it together.

It is nice to be home for a bit. To not be living out of a suitcase. Its also nice to dream about the world outside, the year ahead and the many days of exploring to plan. So, I'll relax now... drink my coffee and maybe take advantage of that free shipping at Nordstroms and get a new suitcase.

Enjoy your families and get out and travel in '08.

*L*

Traveling to New York with a Toddler

This weekend was our annual Holiday weekend in New York City. I grew up on Long Island and the tradition in my family was to go into the city on black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) to start our Christmas shopping. Most of our shopping took place in Chinatown where we stocked up on knock-off bags, cheap trinkets, cool toys and Chinese slippers. So, I wanted to bring that tradition to my family... not the black Friday part... mainly to introduce my daughter to the magic of New York City especially in December.

New York is expensive for families any time of the year, but in December everything skyrockets! Especially rack rates at hotels. Ugg... I think the Holiday Inn's rates sit at around $400 per night ... and I think its about 30 minutes out of the city! So, what is a young family to do? I say rent an apartment! Sounds that it would be even more money... but its not! This is one of my favorite travel secrets! Especially for parents with young children! Now that I have your attention... here's how you do it! Search online for NY apartment rentals on Google or check on Craigslist.com under rentals in the New York area. Then, pick the apartment based on your needs. There are studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms... all the way up to fabulous penthouses (but these are more expensive than staying at the Ritz ...) This year we chose a two bedroom apartment in the Theater District. It has a small kitchen, a small bathroom with a tub and two very cozy bedrooms off. Are you ready for the price? $300 per night! BAM!

We arrived in NY on Friday night and settled into the apartment. As I put our two year old down for the night (in her own room), my husband ran across the street to the Food Emporium and picked up some groceries and wine. We then ordered dinner from Carmines (ummm... Italian) and watched a movie. We wanted to keep our Friday night low key because we had a big day planned for Saturday. The next morning, we woke up and had some cereal and coffee (which would have cost well over $30 for room service at a hotel!) and got ready for our day. There is a subway station on the corner of 8th and 50th and we jumped on the C train and headed uptown to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. This is a great choice for parents with little ones. The museum is 4 floors packed with fun things for them to do. Eva loved crawling under play sheep, driving a play school bus, fire truck and taxi... and we all enjoyed storytime where an author came in and read his new book! Here's something that could only happen in NY... while we were in the museum, Eva decided to play with a beautiful blonde girl. She was cute and her mom looked really familiar. I then realized that it was Jennifer Gardner and the pretty little girl was her daughter, Violet. Ok, so... this is New York and I am used to seeing famous people here... but this was different. You see, Jennifer and I gave birth to our daughters the same day! OK... well, not so amazing to you... but, I always check on Violet in the rags just to compare her to Eva... how tall she is... did she get her teeth... etc. So, to see the two little girls in front of me playing was one word... SURREAL. I actually introduced myself to Jennifer and she was very nice and totally "normal" which is always really nice to know. Only in NY...

After the museum, we took Eva out for a little culture. PIZZA.. and like a good Italian, she loved it. Good girl. We then jumped back on the subway and headed back downtown to Lincoln Center and walked over to 5th Avenue. We loved walking through the chaos of FAO Schwartz and peeping into the Holiday windows at Saks. We then wandered over to see the tree at Rockefeller... with about 5 million of our closest friends! It was insane. So, be prepared!

After we snapped some pictures, we went to the safety and warmth of a nearby Pret a Manger for a hot chocolate before making our way back to the apartment to get ready for dinner. We met Samantha and Kevin out at a Mexican restaurant called Zarela's on the east side. Again, another great experience on the subway! Don't be afraid of using the subway with your kids!! The subway is really cheap and still the best way to get around NYC! AND... they will love it!

Today we are visiting a friend in Edgewater, New Jersey for a playdate before we make our way back to Maryland. Don't worry... I had a bagel with a shmear and three black and whites delivered to the apartment this morning. I was NOT going home without having all of the best flavors of New York.

Until next time...
*L*

Hitting the Road Again

Hey there... and sorry for being MIA. That Disney trip was EXHAUSTING!! Eva had a blast! We all did. The first morning we were there... she woke up at 5am saying "Mickey Moush"... soooo cute! We hit all of the parks and just had a great time! I highly reccomend booking one of the new Disney Villas! We stayed in one at the Boardwalk Resort and it was FAB! We loved having a fully equipped kitchen, the ability to have an adjoining room for the nanny and every room comes with a pack-n-play!! No schlepping your own!! Minnie certianly knows what it is like to travel with kids! Samantha and the crew were already there shooting the Disney Holiday special that is scheduled to air on Dec 11th at 8pm! Be sure to look for Eva's debut! She is sitting on my hubby's shoulders watching the lighting of the tree at Epcot!

Anyway, enough plugging! Tomorrow we are hitting the road again! Peter and I are taking Eva up to New York for the weekend to have some holiday fun in Manhattan. It is magical in Manhattan this time of year... but, the hotel rates are out of control! Here's a tip if you want to do Manhattan in style without spending a fortune on a hotel room! Rent an apartment! Thats right!! You can rent a fully furnished apartment in Manhattan for less than half of what you would pay for a hotel room! This year we are renting one in Midtown... last year we were down on Union Square! The apartment last year was $500 for the weekend... and this year we are paying $600! Quite the bargain!Being that the apartment has a full kitchen, we are bringing groceries so that we do not have to spend a lot on food! Of course, we will have pizza... a black and white cookie... some bagels... some good Italian and maybe Chinese... but, hey... we'll have cereal for breakfast and use the extra $10 on another pair of shoes on 5th Ave!

*L*

Stuffed Bird

Oy, that was a lot of food! I love Thanksgiving because it really is all about food. In our family, my mother always made the matzoh ball soup in the morning. She used the turkey parts that everyone else throws away to make a turkey stock. She then adds veggies and as she says.. a whole lot of dill and lets it simmer all day long. When the bird is just about done, she adds the canadles and some noodles and when that is ready... we are ready to eat. Today's Thanksgiving feast was the somewhat the same... it started with the matzoh ball soup and then my husband took over. He was like a machine today. He made a Paula Deen stuffing, some mashed potatoes and some great creamed spinach.... and now, I am as stuffed as the bird was this morning

This morning we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade as we drank coffee and my mom made the soup. Eva loved watching the dancers and she called Kermit a turtle.

I hope you are all enjoying your families. Eat lots and remember to say thanks.
Lori

In Orlando for Thanksgiving

Every traveler in the world knows that the week of Thanksgiving is the absolute hardest time to travel in the US. Well, I will be the one to tell you that it is not that bad if you plan ahead. We had a very uneventful trip from Washington to Orlando yesterday.... and here's why.. we booked well in advance and we gave ourselves plenty of time. Sometimes its just that simple.

You all know that I travel all the time and there is nothing worse than arriving early to sit and wait for a delayed flight. I get it... I do it to. I get to the airport one hour before boarding... I coast through security as fast as I can.. ( laptop out of the case, no liquids, slip-on shoes...) I am super efficient. I then grab a rag mag and I am ready to board. Simple stuff. Well, forget that. This is not your normal flight to Boston... or to Oakland. This is travel during Thanksgiving and you need to be at the gate one hour before they board. That's right, people. Give yourself time! Pace yourself and you will see that everything will feel a whole lot better.

Another big tip... book in advance and make sure that you do not fly in the thick of it. Meaning... try to go out the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving and come back on the Monday or Tuesday after. I also suggest flights in the afternoon... this helps avoids the long security lines and also almost guarantees you a parking space at the airport.

Let me take the advice columnist hat off for a moment and tell you about our trip...

We left the house 3 hours before our flight. The airport is an hour away and I wanted to give us a full hour to get us parked, on the bus to the terminal and through security. Once we got through security (Eva told the FSA guy that she was flying on a big airplane today!) we then sat and had a nice lunch before we headed down to the gate. We then boarded the plane (remember: I printed our boarding passes 24 hours before to ensure that we were among the first to board) and prepared for the flight. Eva had her lollipop and was looking out the window as we took off. She then settled back and watched Finding NEMO on my video Ipod. About an hour into the flight she was sound asleep and 40 minutes later we were in Orlando. It was that easy.

Here's where things got a bit annoying... that damned AVIS! I HATE AVIS! Ok, so... I called them two days ago to confirm that they had a car seat for me and that they had my wizard number in the record. I wanted to just go to the preferred desk, pick up my keys and drive away. Simple... right? We walked to the garage to the preferred booth to pick up my keys. They should have my name on the board... nope. Nothing. So, I spoke to the agent who asked for my name and said that he could not find my reservation. I then handed him my preferred card and suddenly... he found my name. I asked him if we had a car seat...and he said that it was not in my record. I snickered and told him that I called only two days ago to confirm all of this. All he had to do was apologize... but, instead.. he said, "I don't know... I just work here." What? Then, we get into the car (he told me it was supposed to be a Nissan Altima... and it was a Toyota Camary... I can see how you would make that mistake.) Whatever... I'll stop bitching now.

My parents live about 30 minutes away from the airport. There was zero traffic and we made it to their house in no time. Travel to Orlando... done.

Today was a relaxing day. This afternoon we went out to the Premium Outlets in Lake Buena Vista. That's right folks... across the street from Disney! You could smell Mickey.... we were that close. After a good credit card workout, we all came back and started our Thanksgiving baking.

My Nana is 96 years old... she is deaf and partially blind and still makes the best Apple Pie. Tonight, I sat at the kitchen table and watched her make a crust by hand. Her recipe is easy... we call it "A half, A half, A whole and One." Its a half a cup of Crisco, half a cup of sugar, a whole cup of flour and one egg. You mix that together to form a wet dough. You then grease the bottom of a baking pan (Crisco again) and using floured hands... press half of the dough to form the bottom of the pie. You then fill the pie with 7 peeled, cored and sliced apples. She sprinkled some sugar and some cinnamon throughout and then spread the rest of the dough across the top of the pie. It then went into a 350 degree oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. I just took it out... and I have to tell you... even with all the craziness of travel.. the smell of that apple pie makes all of the travel well worth it.

Enjoy your families tomorrow. Remember to pray for all of our troops who are away from their grandma's apple pie this Thanksgiving.

Travel safe.

Lori

Off to Orlando for Thanksgiving

We are heading to Orlando tomorrow afternoon to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my parents. We are flying out of BWI on Southwest. I am not a huge fan of Southwest Airlines. Mainly because they tend to kid around too much on the flights. For instance, my entire family was on a Southwest flight from New York to Florida to attend my grandmother's funeral. We were all grieving and the only thing we wanted to do was sleep on the flight. When we boarded the plane, the flight attendants started their little safety announcement and one of the guys said.. and I quote... "In the unfortunate event that this flight happens to become a cruise... your seat cushion doubles as a floatation device." I nearly lost my mind. I had my entire family on board... and this was pre-zoloft... and I was having none of it. I literally tore him a.... but, I digress. So, we are heading to Orlando tomorrow...Southwest. We are packed... and we have all of the necessary stuff for travel with a toddler. Birth Certificate - check. Ipod packed with cartoons - check. Music - check. Lollypops - check. This is our first time traveling with our girl over Thanksgiving and we are a bit nervous for tomorrow. Here's what I did to prepare... first, I made sure that we we rented a car seat from the rental car company. This saves us from schlepping our own! I then confirmed that they had my preferred number in their computer... I do not want to have to wait on line with a tired toddler! The next thing I did... I called Southwest to confirm the documentation we needed for her. She is 23 months...so, just under the two year momma has to buy her a seat mark... all we need is a birth certificate. Cool. Then, I jumped online and printed our boarding passes 24 hours before the flight. For Southwest this guarantees that we will be in the "A" group and one of the first to board the flight. AHHH... but you say... Lori, you told us NEVER to pre-board with a child. Yes, I did... I get the "A" boarding to get my husband to get on board and get us seats. Then I come on last with the baby. This way she can run around the gate a bit longer and I can put her on the flight at the last second. Last tip for the night... lollypops. Kids do not know how to "pop" their ears... so, the lollys help them to swallow during takeoff and landing! So, fingers crossed.. her little ears will be fine. I;ll write more from Orlando to let you know what else I discovered. If you are heading out tomorrow... travel safe and remember to pack your patience. This is THE hardest travel period of the year! Plan well, take your time and enjoy. xoxoLori