When deciding upon a family vacation destination, it is vital to be laser-focused. You know, choices can be overwhelming during the initial planning stages, but there’s nothing more relaxing than an exotic family vacation.

According to a 2018 survey conducted by AAA, 88 million Americans said they planned on family vacation within a year. And that’s because everyone believed in the idea of a family bonding trip.

Whether you’re looking out to explore a National Park in the States, visit a Theme Park, or spend some quiet time on the gorgeous beaches- a family vacation is your way out. Yes, as a complete family, you’ll have the ease of sharing discoveries and experiences, which you can share together for a lifetime. You’ve been scrolling the internet for planning your next family expedition destination, you stumble upon Ocean City. You might also want to consider a family resort or visit one of the beaches in Destin.

You shout “Voilà, found my ideal destination!”

Now that you’ve decided on Ocean City as your vacay destination, you’ve got to see the deets of knowing how to plan a family vacation.

• The Art of Intelligent Timing:

Last-minute deals never work well during the school holidays, and those that do are usually in undesirable places. If you have school-going kids, then you should be aware of their term dates well in advance. Use this information for booking months or years ahead, since the prices will be relatively low at that particular time- all thanks to the lack of demand.

Do you educate your kids at home? Well, grab the golden opportunity of arranging travel outside the peak months as the costs are low and crowds are fewer. Now that Ocean City- the year-round resort town, is on your list, know that the best time to visit this is in July, August, and even September. The average water temperatures of this exotic place are 68, 71, and 70 degrees, respectively, which indeed are pretty refreshing.

The fall and winter weather, on the other hand, is serene and quiet as fewer tourists are present to congest the roads and restaurants. Tourists pave paths during the spring season on the weekends until the Memorial weekend fun begins.

• Find the right kind of accommodations:

After you figure out your ideal travel destination, it’s time to decide where you wish to stay. Although the hotel rooms can feel luxurious, the best bet lies in staying together in the same space. The idea is to develop a family bond. And, if that’s on your mind, look no further than a home rental.

The experts say, “Why rent rooms when you can rent an entire home?”

Some of the best advantages of having a vacation home are that you get more space to relax and get comfortable, save money, and have a rental at the location of your desire. Know that the beach house in Ocean City is kid-friendly, families can bring their pets, and you can enjoy the privacy and solitude of your own space without having to worry about amenities. Yes, vacation rentals offer you services like a grill, parking, garage, shower, and internet connection.

People who stayed at a rental home exclaimed that they all could gather around the dining table for meals and laugh together, reminiscing the day’s events and activities for a dose of laughter. More than that, you could plan unique activities, which brought them to the next point.

• Initiate the Packing Process:

Packing for a vacation is often taken as a daunting task. The saying holds good, especially when you don’t plan well or don’t research aptly to gain insights into what lies ahead on the foreign shores.

While packing for a family vacation, you’ll have to keep many things in mind. Evaluate what the kids think, their vacay packing requirements, and the things you cannot afford to leave behind. No parent wants to pave a path to a foreign destination without their kid’s favorite toy (the one without which he can’t sleep), or worse; you won’t have enough clothing to get through the week.

You surely don’t want to get into these worst scenarios; thus, properly packing is the key. Make it a collaborative process with children who’re old enough to help. In addition to tickets, travel documents, chargers, local currency, passport, some other essentials that should be on your list include comfort and daily use items, an extra set of clothes, hats, sunscreen, water shoes, first aid kit, and wipes. The reservation information is not to forget!

In all, adequate packing is essential, but it is also important to never go overboard to avoid overweight charges, especially if you plan on indulging in Ocean City shopping. Planning is sure to make packing a stress-free experience, engaging in which can be enjoyable for everyone.

• Ensure there are ample planned activities for each family member:

An ideal family trip would be the one that has been adequately planned for fitting the interests of all the members. For instance, the youngest of the family enjoyed his time in the theme park, while the oldest celebrated his 65th birthday at the restaurant nearby on the same day. And, this means there should be a variety of activities to make everyone happy. After all, planning is one of the most crucial steps towards a well-orchestrated family getaway!

To plan the trip effectively, ask the hotel, vacation rental owner, and residences about the activities available on their property. If you’re unsatisfied with their list, ask the manager to arrange for activities, all the members of the group are interested. Odds are they have a catalog of popular vendors they have an association with.

• Getting Around There:

You have the ease of accessing Ocean City from Route 113 Delaware South or Maryland Routes East towards 50 or 90. Depending on where your family is residing, you can drop in on Route 50, which leaves visitors near the 1st street, or Route 90 that comes near 62nd Street.

Research is the key!

Know that Ocean City’s boardwalk begins at 30th Street and runs towards the inlets’ south encompassing the 40 blocks of shops, hotels, fun, and rides.

It can be challenging to get to the Broadwalk, especially on the weekends. The off-street parking, too, fills up pretty quickly. Thus, consider using the public transportation system as Ocean City’s public transportation is safe, clean, and great for getting around. For $2, you can avail unlimited ride on the Ocean City’s beach bus, which runs 24/7 and travels across the city. Public transport is much more convenient than driving on your own. Once you have all this information in mind, the planning process is known to get pretty easy and convenient.

• Indulge in at least one memorable thing together:

The entire essence of going on a family vacation rests with shared experiences. And, that means it’s about doing one epic thing that you all can look back in the coming years and laugh, cry, or awe together.

For instance, you can consider a High Mountain Skiing day trip if your family enjoys an adrenaline rush. Other activities can be renting a sailboat, deep diving, and visiting your kids’ favorite art gallery during the day. Just go for it since experiences far outweigh anything you can ever buy for your beloved family.

Are you looking for a perfect Ocean City Beach Getaway?

As you prepare for your next family getaway, remember that while vacations aid families in experiencing new things, they have some hidden pleasures also. People tend to feel better when they escape the humdrum, mundane life and spend some quality time with their loved ones.

A couple of days in a new and peaceful environment rejuvenate the body, mind, and soul. The healthier and relaxed your return, the more pleasant will it be for your kids once they get back to the grind.

Traveling is about fulfillment, whether life or soul.

Traveling is all about breaking the monotony for some. For many, it’s about rekindling the lost spark. Whatever may be the reason, the travel industry is transforming leaps and bounds. Moreover, the tech-enabled solutions have tremendously streamlined the entire travel journey. To put it simply, things that used to take hours to days to complete are now only taking a few minutes. It’s no more a time-consuming process.

Smartphones, social media, electronic booking and reservations, and so on have affected how billions of people used to travel. In short, technology has permeated every aspect of the travel experience, making it even more endearing.

Here are some of the ways that technology is transforming the entire travel experience. Keep reading and find out yourself.

Tech Tools to Plan Your Traveling Needs

The faces light up when you hear the word “vacation.” But it stays only until you actually start planning for your dream trip. Why? Because it is quite tedious or time-consuming. For instance, if you live near St. Louis, finding an ideal location could be a hassle. Like you might be thinking, “Will New York be a nice travel destination?” or “Will Oklahoma or Hawaii be a good destination now?”

It can take up days to finalize the destination. Well! There is no much help in this area. The only way technology can help you is to provide you with the data of suitable destinations that will be good during the time you wish to travel. The final destination will always be your choice.

But when you finally decide, you can go for apps like TripIt or Google Trips to keep the itinerary of your entire trip at one place. You can also take the help of the spreadsheets to create a pre-trip checklist, a summary, or a list of lodging options.

Virtual Guide to Amplify Your Experiences

Not everyone is familiar with the places they wish to visit. But you can’t leave everything at the last minute. You can customize your trip using the people’s favorite “Google Maps” by customizing your locations based on your personal preferences.

For instance, you can put together a list of your favorite places and eating points. You can also set reminders for the same. And with this preeminent mapping tool, getting around the new area or city is pretty much seamless.

Other than this, apps like Yonder will help you find the best locations to visit based on the experiences shared by the travelers. You can further enhance the experiences by including noise-canceling headphones when traveling. And if you are a social media influencer or wish to remain connected with the world, you can choose Project Fi if you do not want to worry about adding up roaming charges or data packages.

Online Means to Simplify Travel Arrangements

This is one of the most vital parts of any travel journey. And with every business adopting mobile-first technology, it is no longer necessary to visit a travel agency to craft your travel plans.

All you need is an uninterrupted internet connection and a credit card to get things done. You can book your flights and hotel stays right from the comfort of your home. The benefits are endless, but mainly, this option helps travelers browse through a plethora of options to choose from. You can even select early check-in, where you can receive the boarding pass barcodes directly to your smartphone.

But what about the vehicles that you use to reach the airport? Ever thought about the hassles that you often face finding the right spot for your car? Not anymore!

You can use the same technology to reserve a spot for yourself for short or long-term periods online within a few minutes. For instance, if you are traveling from St. Louis, you can book your place of Parking near St Louis (STL) airport and get on with your journey stress-free. Isn’t that what you always hope for? Stress and hassle-free travel experience throughout the entire travel time.

Tech-enabled Money Management

Money is the most crucial factor that completely changes the entire travel itinerary. You can take a toll on your budget to enjoy a few days. So, money management is the most vital part that one can’t ignore.

The cardinal rule is that your travel cost might be roughly around what you get in one paycheck. This way, you won’t ever get out of the budget. But if you plan a family vacation, options like BeFrugal can help you estimate all aspects of your travel. It will weigh in different factors to help you plan a better trip way ahead of time.

Other than this, apps like Trevi and Turo help you to find cheaper options to reach your destination or places to visit.

Is that it? Well, there are more.

Make Your Trip More Memorable With These Tech Solutions

If you can converse with the locals, you might miss out on some fantastic or exotic spots that are only known to the locals. So, using language tools will help you read menus, find the signs to your destination, and understand the local people better.

You can also look for tools to help you never derail from your track if you happen to go off the grid. Safety is of utmost importance, right? So, use these solutions to upgrade your security to the next level.

Other than that, you can use tools like mini travel steam iron, pocket-size washing machine, portable wifi hotspot, power bank, and others to smoothen your journey at various levels further.

Points to Remember

Since the coronavirus is still growing, safety is of utmost importance. This is what you must-do if you are planning for a vacation.

• Since vaccinations have already begun, if you are eligible, make sure to get fully vaccinated.
• And if that’s not the case, get tested at least 1-3 days before your trip date.
• Wear your mask at all times and maintain social distancing.
• Get tested when you come back from your trip.
• Follow the guidelines shared by the local or state authorities.

Conclusion

People who think traveling is luxury are often mistaken. It’s more about balancing the aura around you. Absolutely right, since it helps travelers keep up with their physical and mental health. Even scientists confirm that traveling helps lower down the cortisol levels and epinephrine that is often associated with stress. It enables you to lead a happy life.

Having said that, it can be pretty full of unprecedented pitfalls. It is like a double-edged sword. You can waste time, fall prey to unexpected data charges, or even waste money on not-so-good hotel rooms or restaurants.

Technology-mediated solutions help travelers navigate all the roadblocks by assisting them right from planning to execution. You don’t only save on time. The same enables you to save money as well. In other words, technological innovations are changing how we travel and experience during a trip.

So, what are you waiting for? Try using these resources to streamline your travel journey and experiences. After all, creating memorable experiences is part of leading a healthy lifestyle. So you must never shy away from that.

It’s time to heighten your travel experiences with technology!

History loving, holiday planning Brits looking ahead to a Florida getaway later this year are in for a special treat in Key West – a tour by Presidential limousine!

Visitors to Key West’s Harry S. Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential museum, can now travel around the island city in the limo formerly used by President Truman during his term in office (1945-53). Over the course of 11 trips, Truman spent nearly six months of his Presidency in Key West.

Acquired by the non-profit Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation, the vintage Lincoln Cosmopolitan stretch limo has 32,000 original miles on its odometer. Features include an intercom system, hydraulic privacy shield, security elements and an airflow controller for the president’s comfort.

“This limo is one of nine that were situated at different cities throughout the United States for use by the president when he would travel to different locations, because back in that period, of course, the presidential limousine did not travel on the presidential plane,” said Clinton Curry, director of operations for the Little White House.

Meticulously restored to its Truman-era appearance, the Little White House showcases authentic artifacts including the former president’s handmade poker table, a tropical shirt he wore in Key West and the desk where he carried out his official duties.

“President Truman made 11 presidential visits to Key West totalling 175 days of his presidency, essentially running the United States right here from the Key West Little White House,” said Curry.

In addition to regular tours of the white-painted structure, the museum recently debuted a small-group VIP White Glove Tour whose participants can view galleries of priceless Truman objects not on public display, and don white gloves to hold presidential belongings including his prized whiskey jigger. The experience culminates with a ride in the limo that carried America’s 33rd president.

The tour includes the limo ride to the Truman Waterfront and runs for 2.5 hours and is priced from $537.50 based on up to six people sharing the experience.

For more information, visit: www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com.

For more information on the Florida Keys & Key West and current COVID-19 safety protocols, visit: www.fla-keys.co.uk