 |
| Carol Minker |
Sanders Travel agent, Carol Minker, was recently featured in the Savvy Grandmother Newsletter. Carol has a passion for travel. She is a grandmother of four and has a knack for putting together family vacations. In her article, for the Savvy Grandmother, she shared her advice on family vacations.
My love of travel got me into my career for I relish sharing my knowledge of personal travel experiences. I also take great delight in meeting travel partners throughout the world. Wth a quick E mail, I can link up my clients in a very personal way in their travels. It's been said to 'do what you love, then a job is 'not work.' "I do love the travel industry! I work at Sanders Travel Centre, a Virtuoso agency and enjoy the camaraderie of those that I work with....Travel is a must in order to see our GRANDS and enjoy life!
Favorite Personal trips: Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a Canyon Ranch (CR)'groupie.' From my first visit in the early 90s, I've realized the importance of LEARNING healthy living in a beautiful environment. This past June, I escorted my 18th group trip to CR in Tucson. The group is composed of singles, couples, mothers/daughters, high school friends, sorority sisters, etc. When stepping off the plane following my first visit, I said: "I want to get everyone I care for, to come to CR to learn all that is offered." Most people go with the goal to learn to eat better and get on an exercise program, but the common theme is that they learn so much more as there's full medical services, mind, body and spirit classes each day (approximately 45 daily options to choose from), hiking, biking, tennis, golf, a full spa with every imaginable spa service offered, cooking classes, presentations on multiple topics from experts in their fields, and PLENTIFUL and healthy food options. "What is NOT to love?" ..
A few other personal travel favorites: Australia, East Africa, and a S.E. Asia cruise from Hong Kong to Viet Nam, Thailand and Singapore.
Parent/Grandparent Travel Tips: From experience, I've learned to 'gear one's travel based on the children's needs and interest, rather than your own!' Richie and I loved traveling to Vermont and W. Massachusetts in the fall, and driving from B&B to Inns and enjoying the beauty of the Fall foliage. Our kids 'said' they too wanted to do this with us..
I made the mistake of planning a summer vacation with this in mind, but it was a fiasco, as an 8 & 10 year old, arguing in the back seat of a car for 7 days driving inn to inn "looking at the beauty,' were not 'happy campers.' That next summer we spent our week at The Cloisters in Sea Island, Georgia, where we unpacked once, and they could play on the beach with kids of similar ages!
Another travel tip.. when the kids are young.. rather than pick an exotic location.. it's better to just make sure there's "water." Our first family trip was to Galveston.. with an easy drive, nice hotel on the beach, and good restaurants, the kids were HAPPY! The same goes for a city trip.. i.e. Washington DC and Boston for a historical trip. Be certain there is a hotel pool to return to!
Suggested grandparent trips:
A cruise is a marvelous opportunity for multigenerational travel. You unpack once, there's children's activities as well as 'adult time,' and cruise staff truly cater to young ones! We did Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska cruises with our kids and they were memorable experiences. Options can be as easy as driving to Galveston for a 7 night cruise, and now Disney has family cruises to such destinations as Alaska and the Mediterranean for an educational experience.
Go to the Colorado mountains.. especially when the Texas heat is so intolerable! There are affordable options in the smaller towns. We happen to love Estes Park... For years, this was where our kids went to Camp. There's affordable lodging and restaurant options, as well as multiple family oriented recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, miniature golf, etc. In fact we love the area so much, we now have a place on the river (where this picture was taken).. so our 'East and West coast kids/grands can come to meet for a very relaxed and fun family gathering.
If you opt for a Disney vacation (Disney World in FL or Disneyland in CA).. stay 'on property.' Whereas the hotels might cost more than the satellite hotel options, when traveling with little ones, you want to spend your time enjoying the parks, rather than spending your time DRIVING to the parks! (especially when naps are required!)
Future personal 'Bucket List" for travel: New Zealand and South Africa
Current Travel Trends : At 'our age,' small group trips (i.e. Tauck Tours) and cruising have become very popular.. due to the ease of travel. Once 'you get through the 'air hassle,'.. you unpack once, and leave the planning to the tour or cruise director. There are also family oriented cruises and tour options that are great for grandchildren!
I'm also seeing more seasoned travelers opting for small river cruising all over the world. This is an 'up close and personal' travel experience that has become quite appealing.
