With our next big family vacation not scheduled until the fall, I have been looking for smaller trips to consider for the summer.  We are lucky to live in a region packed with state, local and national parks and I sometimes forget that there are fantastic things to do right around the corner.   Somehow a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park seems less exotic when it is 30 minutes away, despite the fact that we haven’t been recently.

The best part about park trips is that they are always affordable, educational and fun!

Here are some resources to get you started:

• National Park Service
• America’s State Parks
• State Parks

We are starting at Rocky Mountain National Park.  What is your first stop?

national parks

For many of us, the answer is no.  Thanks to United Healthcare for offering these valuable tips…

Each year millions of Americans visit family and friends for the holidays. What happens if there’s a medical emergency during the holidays?

Unless consumers are prepared, they might find the care they receive is not covered by health insurance, leaving them with costly medical bills. Understanding your health insurance coverage before you leave home can help ensure that you receive quality care while avoiding unexpected costs.

Below are a few tips from UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance Company (www.goldenrule.com) to help you prepare for traveling during the holiday season.

• Make sure you understand your health insurance coverage before you leave home. Determine what your out-of-pocket expenses would be if you need to visit a doctor or emergency room while you’re out of town.

• Find out which urgent care centers, hospitals and pharmacies located in your destination city participate in your health plan’s care provider network. Check your insurer’s website or bring a list of network care providers with you if you don’t have mobile access.

• Always carry your health insurance identification card in your wallet or purse. It will make it easier to contact your insurance company if you or health care providers and facilities have questions about coverage.

• Bring a list of your prescription drugs. If you take over-the-counter drugs regularly, include those as well.

•  If you plan to travel out of the country, find out if your health insurance plan covers treatment outside of the United States. Make note of what documentation you need and the process for filing claims for treatment received outside of the country if such treatment is covered. If medical expenses won’t be covered, consider buying an international health insurance policy before you travel.

Source: UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance Company

medical insurance while traveling

Are you flying with the kids for the holidays?  Check out our flight-tested, kid favorite travel games for kids:

1.  12 in 1 Magnetic Travel Games ($8.50):  From classic strategy games to fast-paced race games, the dozen games in the self contained unit are perfect for travel.  The pieces are self contained in the back of the unit but it helps to have a dry cup handy to contain the pieces as you are getting them in and out.

2.  50 Things to Spot in an Airport ($10):  You would be surprised at the breadth of things found in an airport!  This game is perfect for killing time while waiting for a flight or on long layovers.  Kids of all ages will have fun discovering things in the airport.  The backs of the cards contain interesting facts about airports and the items to find.

3.  Visual Brainstorms ($15):  Visual puzzles, brain games, mazes, encoded messages, math challenges and more will have kids engaged and amused for hours.  The range of difficulty gives you one game that can entertain kids of multiple ages.

4.  Mini Tangoes ($5):  It’s the ancient Chinese game of Tangrams in a size that’s ready for travel.  Keep one handy to use while waiting for the plane, in flight or anytime.  Makes a great stocking stuffer as well!

5.  Squiggle ($7):  Take plain doodling to a while new level with Squiggles and Squiggle Seek and Find.  Keep one hidden and use as a surprise mid-flight!

Happy Travels

Flying with Kids · travel games for kids

Holiday travel often involved extended stays with family.  How do you handle the stress of excited kids, rambunctious behavior, multiple generations and constant family togetherness?  Here are our tips:

• Get outside (even if you have to bundle up).  Go play football in the yard or hit a nearby park or hiking trail.  Nothing burns energy like a crisp cool day running and playing at a playground.  If the weather is bad, take a trip to a local mall, indoor putt-putt or movie theater.
• Bring along entertainment.  A mix of new and favorite movies for winding down, toys, crafts – anything that will keep kids busy.  Our road trip box contains an assortment of travel games, puzzles, play-dough, Habas bead kits, small crafting kits, beach balls, sidewalk chalk, stamps and more.  The key for my kids is lots of variety – my standard is low mess.  Your hosts will much appreciate the effort of bringing your own things.  Be sure to bring enough to share!
• Set the ground rules and enforce them (no matter what the cousins are allowed to do!).  No running in the house, no jumping on the furniture, no unauthorized hide and seek.  Discuss with your hosts if certain rooms should be off-limits (for example, kids think nothing of playing in a master bedroom but your hosts might prefer they not!).
• Bring treats!
• Everything does not have to be a group activity – no one should feel obligated to go to a museum or park if they don’t want to – sneaking in a little alone time is sometimes crucial for a successful visit.
• Send flowers and a thank you note after the trip.

What are your tips?

family travel · holiday travel

Toddlers are notoriously hard traveling companions – after all, who wants to be strapped in a seat when just learning to walk?  Check out a few of our favorites for making toddler travel just a tiny bit easier.

Dora Colorform Fun Pockets  Who better to take on an adventure than Dora the Explorer?  Fun Pockets are sized for travel and perfect for pretend play on the go.  The convenient handle makes it easy to bring Dora anywhere and everywhere.  $7 – Gruffalo, Pigeon and Yo Gabba Gabba fun pockets are also available.

Lacing Cards from Melissa & Doug  Lacing cards build finger dexterity, develop the pincher grasp and strengthen hand-eye coordination.  These two-sided cards are large enough for toddler hands and stand up to hours of use.  $10  Shop all our lacing activities here.

Big & Easy Coloring Book  Most coloring books contain complicated pictures that are difficult for toddler to color. This book features large, simply pictures that are appealing to toddlers. $3

My First Scribbles from Alex  50 pages ready for scribbles and stickers make this the perfect travel pad for budding artists.

What are your favorite toddler travel toys?

toddler travel