Spring Break: Have you made plans?

My kids' spring break is just around the corner. We're planning a road trip through Florida, starting in Miami and tracing the Gulf Coast to Fort Walton. We hope to get in lots of beach time and see a manatee in the wild.

If you're still looking for something to do, USA Today put together a roundup of 10 places, from Paradise Island in the Bahamas to Arizona's Grand Canyon. My favorite pick in their list was San Ignacio, Belize where you can go horseback riding among Mayan ruins.

Where are you going for spring break?

The coolest maps for traveling ever

Unlike traditional paper maps that can be awkward to deal with, the Crumpled City Map can be easily crammed into your pocket, backpack, purse without having to worry about refolding it along the original creases. It takes 2 seconds to open and close this map.

What's more, the Italian-made maps are printed on special technological material that makes them the lightest and most resistant maps on market, as well as 100 percent waterproof.

The collection includes six cities: New York, London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Hamburg. Each map provides details about a large part of the city, including streets, monuments, museums, art galleries and much more.

$24, palomarweb.com

How to customize your hotel room

Are you allergic to smoke? Sensitive to noise? Traveling with a newborn? When you make your hotel reservation, don’t hesitate to speak up. Most hotels happily meet special requests—all you have to do is ask. You’re on vacation after all and a hotel’s job is to keep you happy and comfortable.

Put in a location request. Do you want a quiet room that’s away from the highway, the elevators, or the restaurant? A nonsmoking or pet-free room? Most hotels try to honor location requests. If you’re staying in a tall building, you might ask for a room on the top for better views and light, or something on the bottom for a quick and easy exit—and where you’re likely to get better water pressure in the shower. And you can always ask to see your room before you commit to it.

Call for a kid-friendly situation. Traveling with toddlers? Phone ahead and ask the hotel to remove glass tables and empty the minibar of candy. They might be able to set you up with a crib, kitchenette, or a local babysitter. If you’re on the road with teens, request connecting rooms. You can also ask the hotel to block long distance phone calls and adult TV channels.

Ask for amenities. Forget your toothbrush, razor, shaving cream? All Best Western properties can provide additional toiletries at no charge. They also might have Band-Aids, a sewing kit, a heating pad, a hand-held steamer, umbrellas.

Speak up about special occasions. Celebrating a special anniversary or a birthday? Many hotels will put a bottle of bubbly in the room or direct you to a florist who can deliver a bouquet of roses—especially if you’re a repeat customer or a member of the hotel’s rewards program.

After you’ve enjoyed your stay at the hotel, you might want to make one final request: late checkout.

Happy Valentine's Day

Matt Gross is the New York Time's intrepid Frugal Traveler who trots around the globe with his wife and 2-year-old daughter eating and sleeping on the cheap. He's one of my favorite writers, and he's now also blogging for a site called DadWagon. He posted a thoughtful piece today about Valentine's Day. Here's an excerpt:

A couple of weeks ago, an editor over at CafeMom.com asked me for a “male’s opinion” of Valentine’s Day: “a little insider info about what men really think.” She added, “Are you willing? It can be as short or long as you want and we’ll link to your site, your twitter page, and anything else you’ve got going on!”

That sold me, as it would any desperate blogger, so I wrote up this lengthy, schmaltzy, sentimental post and sent it over, and then the site only quoted a single graf of it. Oh well. That means you now get to read it here, and you get to laugh at its utter emotional nakedness. Ha! That Gross, what a wuss. Well, whatever! It’s fucking Valentine’s Day. Anyway, here it is:

Once upon a time, more than a decade ago, I cooked a Valentine’s Day dinner at home in my small studio apartment in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The menu consisted of seared duck breast, sauteed green beans with pink peppercorns, and potatoes cooked in the rendered duck fat with garlic and rosemary. Everything came off perfectly, the duck pink in the middle, the green beans still snappy, the potatoes crusty and rich. My date, Jean, was pleased—or, at least, I assume she was. In any case, she wound up marrying me several years later, and today we have a daughter, Sasha.

Read the full story

Best Western introduces descriptors

Best Western hotels are individually owned and each property has its own unique flavor. I know because as Best Western's leisure travel spokesperson, I've stayed in a range of properties all over the country, from the sleek President Hotel at Times Square in New York City to the rustic chic Kentwood Lodge in Ketchum, Idaho. The variety is the beauty of the world's biggest hotel family.

Now Best Western is introducing a new "descriptor" program to meet travelers expectations so they can find the right hotel in the Best Western family, at the right price, for any type of trip they are taking. Hotels will be identified as BEST WESTERN, BEST WESTERN PLUS, or BEST WESTERN PREMIER.

"We've built 65 years of goodwill with guests worldwide, and we are constantly evolving to better serve our customers. Descriptors enable better navigation of our large and diverse hotel portfolio, making it easier for business and leisure travelers to know which type of Best Western hotel to book," said David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western International. "This promises a more satisfying experience once they check in."

Here's a look at what you'll find at the three different types of properties:

1) BEST WESTERN

·Typically AAA 2- or 3-diamond rated hotels

·Great value for leisure and business travelers

·Breakfast available at all hotels

·Free local calls

·Free high-speed Internet

·A free-of-charge, publicly accessible computer with Internet access available




2) BEST WESTERN PLUS

·AAA 3-diamond

·Breakfast available at all hotels

·On-site laundry and/or same-day dry cleaning services available

·Predominantly 32-inch flat screen TVs

·Free high speed Internet

·Upgraded bath amenities package




3) BEST WESTERN PREMIER

·AAA 3-diamond or higher

·Personalized services (i.e. concierge, turn down service, etc.)

·In-room safe

·Sundry shop

·Oversize fitness room with upgraded equipment

·Predominantly 42 inch flat screen TVs with HD channels available

·On-site dining offering breakfast & dinner at a minimum (some also serve lunch)

·Free high speed Internet

·Premium linens & terry

·Deluxe bath amenities


From the sunny shores of Florida’s gulf coast to the snowy mountain tops of Colorado, remember that Best Western offers three choices that offer you amenities and services that best fit the travel needs of you and your family.

Packing light when you’re traveling with kids (Yes! It’s possible)

I remember the first time I traveled alone on a plane with both of my kids. My daughter was a toddler and my son a baby—and somehow I lugged a stroller, two car seats, a portable crib, a backpack carry-on and two rolling suitcases from the departures curb, where a taxi had dropped us off, to the ticket counter.

I attached one of the car seats onto my backpack while I carried my son in a front-carrier on my chest. I pushed the porta-crib and the other car seat in the stroller with one hand, and pulled the suitcase with the other hand. My 2-year-old daughter rolled the second suitcase.

That experience alone taught me to pack light when I’m traveling with my kids. Since then I have never brought a crib on a family vacation—or even more than one suitcase. I’ve learned to cut back on the kid clutter Here’s what you can do to make sure you never end up carrying a heap of stuff through the airport.

· Buy small items at the destination. Diapers, wipes, snacks, baby food—you can purchase these things at your destination, especially if you’re traveling within the United States. Bring what you need on the plane and then hit up a market when you arrive.

· Rent what you can. Baby's Away (babysaway.com) is a baby and child equipment rental service with over 70 U.S. locations from Anaheim, Calif., to Hawaii, to New York City. Just call ahead and they can provide clean, quality equipment (cribs, high chairs, strollers, portable cribs, car seats, and even toys) for a reasonable price.

· Make kids carry their own stuff. Even a 3-year-old can roll a small suitcase. If you make a rule that the children must carry everything they pack, then they’ll be less likely to insist that they need to bring three stuffed animals, 20 books, five packs of gum, six pairs of shoes, and their entire collection of plastic bugs.

· Plan to do some wash. Your children don’t need an outfit—even underwear—for every day. Pack dark-colored and patterned clothing that doesn’t show dirt and wash socks and underwear in the hotel sink. Also, many hotels offer washers and driers for guests to use.

· Make some phone calls before you leave. Many hotels offer portable cribs, but often you must reserve these ahead of time. Also, if you’re renting a car, find out if the agency can provide a complimentary safety seat.

· Opt for lighter items. Always try to bring the lighter version. Instead of the big, bulky stroller push your tot in the small, skinny umbrella one. Instead of bulky hardcover books, toss the paperback ones into your case. Rather than lug a brand-new bottle of baby shampoo, pour some into a small bottle.

Have you heard of the Isles of Scilly?

Until recently the Isles of Scilly were unknown to the average person. But now thanks to some royal wedding buzz this collection of British islands just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall are suddenly in the spotlight. Rumor has it that Prince William and Kate Middleton might be honeymooning here, and now the destination's tourism Web site is busier than ever, according to USA Today.

Here's what travelers might want to know about these islands:

• One-hundred forty islands make up this little archipelago, but only five are inhabited. The total population being 2,000.
• St. Mary's is the largest island and the most popular with tourists.
• The islands enjoy a balmy subtropical climate thanks to the Gulf Stream that passes by.
• You'll find the most glorious beaches in England here.
• Bird-watching, boating, beach-going, hiking, snorkeling, and golfing are all popular activities.
  
• Jude Law has described the Islands as "the best place on earth."

Want to go?

Best Western turns 65, offers spring promotion

Best Western is 65 years old, and the world's biggest hotel family is offering members of its rewards program several opportunities to stay, earn and win. Here are details:

Register at www.bestwestern.com/spring, stay three separate times during the promotional period, and earn a voucher for a free night toward a future stay.

Vouchers can be redeemed at any of the brand’s 2,200 hotels in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean before June 30, 2011. Pay for the three stays with your Best Western Rewards MasterCard® and earn an additional 1,000 bonus points.

Best Western is also offering guests a special incentive to try its three new brand descriptors during the promotion. Those who qualify for the spring promotion and complete their three stays at at least two separate descriptor hotels will receive an additional onetime bonus of 6,500 Best Western Rewards points.

Each of the first ten Best Western Rewards members who registers for the promotion and stays at a BEST WESTERN, a BEST WESTERN PLUS and a BEST WESTERN PREMIER hotel during the promotion will receive a grand prize of 650,000 Best Western Rewards points.

Every Best Western Rewards member registered for the promotion will be automatically entered into a daily prize drawing. One winner will be drawn each day for the following giveaways:

On days 1 through 32, win 6,500 Best Western Rewards points, which can be redeemed for a $25 gift card to Walmart, Shell, one of the program’s 60 other retail partners, or a Best Western
Travel Card®. On days 33-48, the prize doubles to 13,000 Best Western Rewards points – which can be redeemed for a $50 gift card. On days 49-60, one daily winner will receive 26,000 Best Western Rewards points – equal to a $100 gift card.

The daily winners on days 61 and 62 will be awarded Lifetime Diamond Elite status in Best Western Rewards. Once the status is activated, they will be eligible for a 30 percent points bonus on each stay, room upgrades, check-in /check-out privileges and other special offers. The winners on days 63, 64 and 65 will each receive 260,000 Best Western Rewards points, which can be redeemed for a $1,000 gift card to Macy’s, The Home Depot or another retail partner; or could potentially be worth a month of free hotel nights.