Fun and Educational Family Travel Tips

One of the great hidden joys of blogging about travel is the friends that you can uncover.

Today, I received an email from a fellow travel blogger who said he happened to “stumble” across my blog.  To hear from my readers and to learn that they are getting something valuable from my blog is certainly satisfying.

My new friend also offers helpful information for travelin parents.  His latest entry attempts to dismiss some of the most common myths that parents harbor regarding travel, such as safety fears and concerns about taking a child out of school.  Check his blog out at Go Budget Travel.

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When on vacation, you are at an even greater risk than usual of having your credit card information lifted from a thief.  This is particular true when on a family vacation since you will be so distracted by the kids.  With all of their excitement and your concern about keeping an eye on them, it is easy to accidentally misplace your card, to have it stolen, or to simply drop it.   So, in this installment, I am going to focus more on educating YOU while on vacation rather than educating your kids.

First of all, never leave your credit card in your hotel room.  It is unfortunate, but cleaning service personnel have been known to steal credit cards or just credit card information when left in the room.  If you do need to leave your card behind, be sure it is kept in the safe if your room has one.

Next, make sure to copy down your credit information before you head out on vacation and keep it seperate from your actual credit card.  This includes the account number and the toll free customer service number.  This way, if your card is misplaced or if you lose it, you can call the credit card company right away and close the account. 

Since there is the possiblity that your card will be lost or stolen, you should also bring along an extra credit card just in case.  I am embarrassed to admit that I have lost cards on two different vacations, one when I went to Shenandoah National Park and one time when I went to Wisconsin Dells.  The fact that I had a back up card was a lifesaver when it came to enjoying the rest of the vacation.

Finally, if you are going out of the country, be sure to contact your credit card company ahead of time.  With all of their anit-fraud software, your unusual spending in a foreign land may set off some alarms.  So, to prevent hassles while on vacation (which is even more of a problem when you have antsy children waiting to move on to the next activity), call the 800 number ahead of time and have a great vacation!

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I was doing a bit of research for this blog by watching some shows on the travel channel.  These shows were discussing the top 10 natural destinations to visit in the Western United States and the top 10 destinations in the world.  I noticed that, throughout the entire show, the narrator repeatedly warned the viewer to be aware of safety concerns.

 These repeated warnings made me think that I should address this issue on this blog as well.  I have taken my family to a number of spots where safety was a concern.  When we visited Shenandoah National Park, for example, we actually woke up one morning to find a black bear swimming in the pond right in front of the cabin we had rented.  Later in that vacation, we saw a cub and the mama bear run across the street right in front of us.  At the Smokies, we have ran across bears on the side of the road as well.  These are truly amazing experiences, but potentially deadly as well. 

Before you head out on a family vacation to a national park, be certain to do your research regarding the wildlife the park has to offer and to understand what you can do to prevent getting hurt.  With bears, for example, this is actually a time when you want to encourage your children to make a lot of noise.  If you walk through the trails quietly and happen to sneak up on a bear, it may attack simply because it was frightened.

Although this should go without saying, you should never approach a bear either - particularly a mama bear.  Mama bears are very protective and will kill someone that they see as a threat to the cub.  I know it is crazy, but I have actually witnessed people trying to get closer to these creatures.  Needless to say, that got reprimanded quite severely by the rangers.

Bears also have an amazing sense of smell and are attracted to the scent of just about everything, even toothpaste.  So, if you are doing some backcountry hiking, be sure to use caution when carrying and storing food.

The climate and topography of the vacation site should also be considered.  Some national parks are located in desert areas and have temperatures that exceed 100 degrees.  It is possible to pass out or to even die from these temperatures, so use caution when visiting sites such as Death Valley, Arches National Park in Utah, or other similar locations.  In addition, locations like Yellowstone National Park can have hidden boiling waters that are covered by thin crusts of land or, a park may have waterfalls located just beneath an area that looks ideal for taking a quick dip.

It is important to always be aware of your surroundings when at a national park - particularly when you have brought children along.  So, be careful while enjoying your fun and educational experience!

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