Travel Tip
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has relaxed airport security screening procedures for children and the elderly. The new policies allow children, age 12 or younger, to go through airport security without taking off their shoes. To minimize the need for pat-downs, children are now allowed to go through metal detectors and body scanners several times to clear any alarms. Screening changes for passengers who are 75 years or older are similar to the screening process for children. Elderly people will also be able to go through airport security without removing their shoes. They can also go through a security checkpoint without removing a light jacket. To minimize pat-downs, the elderly will be able to go through the metal detector and body scanners several times to clear any alarms. The TSA has also debuted a new program to help frequent travelers move through security checkpoints faster. The program is called “TSA Pre” and is available in more than 30 US airports to frequent passengers of a limited number of airlines, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, USAirways and United Airlines. Travelers who enroll in the program do not need to take off their shoes and belts while going through security, can keep their computers inside their bags and can go through security without taking off a light jacket. To enroll in the “TSA Pre” program, visit GlobalEntry.gov.
Trip Review
Mindy’s family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teens ages 15 and 13) spent their winter break exploring the beautiful Central American country of Belize. 
They started their journey in the jungle near Belmopan about an hour from the airport. They enjoyed the small, intimate atmosphere of Caves Branch Jungle Lodge, an adventure resort which offers a variety of accommodation options. Mindy’s family stayed in a Canopy View Tree house which sit 200 ft. (and 400 steps to reach) over the river. Guests come to Caves Branch to experience the flora and fauna of the jungle, the incredibly diverse cave system and for adventure. There are no TVs, radios or phones. Just conversation with other families traveling from all over the world with meals at communal tables. The staff is amazing. The tour guides visit each family at dinner to see what activity you want to do the following day. The adventures range from fairly easy to hard in terms of physical activity, but they all require that you lose your vanity and be comfortable being muddy, soaking wet and up to a challenge. At the end of the day, the outdoor shower and jacuzzi in Mindy’s tree house had a wonderful appeal. Mindy’s family really enjoyed river tubing and learning about the geology and history of the caves and their importance to the Mayan people. They also went ziplining and visited the Belize Zoo (the best small zoo they have been to anywere) where they got up close and personal with the jungle creatures. The guides were incredible and had a wealth of knowledge about the birds, animals and their habitat. On their way from the jungle to their beach accommodations, their driver gave them a nice history lesson on Belize, the only English speaking country in Central America. Along the way they saw lots of rural countryside filled with orange and grapefruit groves and pineapple farms. They stopped to pick some fruit from the trees which is actually allowed (just don’t take too much). At the beach they stayed in a two bedroom at Chabil Mar in Placencia, a sleepy village of thatched huts, several good dining options and white sand beaches. The resort staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating. For every meal you could order what you wanted from the menu and then let the staff know where to have it served- in the villa, on your patio, by the pool, on a beach lounger or on the pier. On their first night, they enjoyed a private family dinner on the pier. It was wonderfully intimate and delicious and the atmosphere could not have been more delightful. Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world right off it’s coast; so diving, snorkeling, fishing and snuba are all superb. During a fishing trip, pods of dolphins joined them alongside the boat. The fish were jumping out of the water and by the end of the day, they caught several varieties of snapper, jack and mackerel; enough to feed the entire resort. The catch was prepared for dinner that night. The next day the family went to a private island for a snorkel trip. The snorkeling here was by far the best they had ever experienced. They also went on a tour of the Monkey River where howler monkeys live and breed. Along the way, they also learned of the medicinal values found in the jungle. They were offered a chance to try nuts, berries and drink water from vines along the way and even offered live termites! On the return boat ride they were able to get up close to the manatees who live near the mangroves.
Trip Review
Lauren and Evan recently returned from sailing the Star Flyer in Costa Rica, a tall sailing ship that is part of the 3 ship Star Clipper line. 
Traveling round-trip from Puerto Caldera on the Pacific Coast, the ship sailed north to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua before making its way back down the Guanacaste coast of Northwest Costa Rica. The highlight of the trip was the beauty of the ship’s 16 majestic sails and four masts. The captain is rewarded for saving fuel; so the ship sails as much as possible. The other highlight was the comeraderie on board with the other passengers which makes this trip ideal for families, family groups and single parents traveling with or without children. Holiday sailings see a number of children on board and with port dockings most days, there is plenty to keep everyone engaged. Some of our shore excursions included a visit to Hacienda Guachelipin in Rincon de la Vieja National Park for a day of outdoor adventures (their unique zip line includes rappelling, rock climbing and a Tarzan swing), a visit to a local village that makes pottery developed by the country’s indigenous peoples and a trip to an active volcano and colonial town in Nicaragua with an amazing history lesson provided by our knowledgeable guide. Shipboard activities included climbing the ship mast, water sports, exercise classes, presentations on the ports and countries visited, library with games, ship tours, some evening entertainment and DVD rentals. We also spent two days in San Jose prior to the cruise with a stay at the beautiful Marriott San Jose. We visited the Britt Coffee Plantation and Inbioparque, a local nature park that describes Costa Rica’s biodiverse regions. Overall the vacation was relaxing, educational and very social.
Travel Tip
If you and your family vacation several times a year, you may consider an annual travel insurance policy. You can save money if you are planning three or more separate trips in a year. Policies are also available if you travel frequently for business. Contact us for more details.
Travel Tip
Lonely Planet recently released their new Not For Parents travel book series – for budding travel lovers age 8 and up. These guides open up the world to a whole new generation of adventurers – with intriguing stories and fascinating facts about people, places, history and culture from around the world. From hideous histories to funky food, they cover all the cool stuff to know and are jam-packed with photos, illustrations and cartoons. These books cover actually cool stuff everyone should know like where you can see Platform 9 ¾ in real life, why New York taxis are painted yellow, and – that burning question that every youngster is dying to ask – did the ancient Romans wear underpants? The series includes The Travel Book – a visual journey through every country in the world – plus four city books that give the inside scoop on Paris, Rome, New York City, and London.
Trip Review
Part of the Baker family (two adults and two children ages 14 and 16) enjoyed a wonderful and quick 3-night getaway to London in early October. 
This Boston family stayed at St. Ermin’s Hotel in Westminster in a family room (two connecting rooms each with two queen beds, one extra daybed and two bathrooms). The family thought it was a great location for seeing the sights in London and ease in using public transportation. Over the course of the week-end, the family visited the Globe Theater, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and took the bus to the new Harry Potter Studios from Warner Brothers (allowing them to catch a nap in the process their first day there!). To help the family even more with their sleep during this short getaway, they never got more than three hours off Boston time. They easily used public transportation to get around except for one symbolic black taxi ride.
Travel Tip
Check out a great website for keeping tabs on several frequent flyer accounts. One click can get you to all of your accounts where you can view current balances: http://awardwallet.com/
Trip Review
The Averbook family of 4 of Highland Heights, OH (2 adults and 2 children ages 20 and 17) explored The Netherlands, Bruges and Paris in August. 
The trip began in Amsterdam to visit friends living in and around the capital of The Netherlands. The Averbook boyshad a great time in this unique city hanging with their local friends and enjoying the local evening entertainment. They also rode bikes through the countryside near Harlem and they all rendezvoused at a yummy and authentic pancake house. Dad really like the Van Gogh museum and visiting Anne Frank’s house (although not a joyful visit, the impact was intense). Bruges was charming too and the family was impressed with the Chapel of the Precious Blood amongst other sites. They loved their hotel, the Heritage Hotel. It is the only Relais & Châteaux property in the city of Bruges. The decor was great and so was the service. The Church of our Lady was interesting too with the Michelangelo sculpture as well as the tombs of Mary and Charles the Bold of Burgundy. While in Bruges, there was a music festival; so every night there was live music in the city’s plazas. The kids experienced a “headphone” dance where everyone got headphones to listen to music of their choice; so everyone was dancing to their own music. If you took off the headphones, you would be watching hundreds of people dancing silently. In Paris, highlights included the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre (where they had a privately guided tour) and the Rodin Museum. Dad’s interest in magic led him to an enjoyable visit to George Proust’s Magic Museum and the family had a privately guided tour of Versailles as well. The show How to Become Parisian in One Hour was really good and funny. Overall the trip provided a variety of unique cultural experiences, easy travel by train from city to city and wonderful family time together.
Travel Tip
Cruising Safety From USA Today: Cruising continues to be one of the most popular vacation pastimes, with an average of more than 10 million Americans enjoying a cruise every year. One of the concerns that many people voice when considering a cruise is safety. Cruises are generally quite safe, but since they are effectively a small town at sea, there are always things that beginners and cruise veterans can do to keep themselves safe.
Step 1 Pay close attention to your safety briefing. Most cruise lines give a mandatory safety orientation on the first day, often before the ship leaves. Do not view this as an inconvenience, but rather as an important introduction to the ship. You will be instructed what to do in case of an emergency. Become familiar with the path you must take from your cabin to your emergency grouping area so that you can follow it when necessary.
Step 2 Take care of your health. Use your own restroom facilities instead of public ones as much as possible to avoid exposure to contagious illnesses. Carry antibacterial wipes or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Begin a multivitamin regimen before you begin your cruise.
Step 3 Wear appropriate shoes. Cruise ships are generally quite stable, but it is important to wear shoes with rubber grip soles, particularly when walking on the deck. Women should wear low heels if they wear heels at all. Do not go about barefoot, even when going to and from the pool.
Step 4 Leave valuables at home. Every cruise has at least one dress-up night when guests are encouraged to come to dinner in formal attire. It is tempting to bring jewelry from home to celebrate this event. However, it is wiser simply to dress up and leave jewelry and other expensive items at home. Wearing and displaying valuables on a cruise can make you an obvious target for theft or assault. Your cabin will have a small safe, but many crew members will have the codes to override it for passengers who forget their own safe codes. If you must bring valuables with you, visit the boat’s administration desk for information on using the boat safe.
Step 5 Keep your money out of sight. Unless you do a lot of gambling on board, this is easy on the ship, where most transactions are done with your room key as a debit card. However, when you leave the ship, be sure to keep your money in a traveler’s money belt, under your clothes. Keep a small amount of cash in a pocket for convenience, but if you decide to make a purchase, go somewhere out of sight to access your money or credit cards.
Step 6 Do not travel alone. This applies to both the cruise experience itself, and traveling anywhere while on the cruise. Single travelers are most likely to be the victims of violent crime, sexual assault and theft. The buddy system is your first and best line of defense.
Step 7 Drink in moderation. Alcohol is freely available on a cruise ship, at meals, at bars and at the casino. However, the most common crime on a cruise ship is sexual assault, and it most commonly happens when the victim is intoxicated. Drinking in your cabin is allowed, so if you plan to have more than a few drinks, it is best to do so in the safety of your room.
Trip Review
The Kaplan Family from Philadelphia were wowed by their Alaska adventure this summer. 
Their trip started with a few nights in Vancouver before they embarked on a seven night Inside Passage sailing on the newly renovated Celebrity Millennium. After the cruise, they overnighted in Anchorage before training to Denali on the Alaska Railroad. The trip ended in Fairbanks. The family, with two children ages 12 and 11, were thrilled with every element of their trip and were enchanted by the vastness of Alaska and all that it has to offer. Remarkable and amazing were used most often to describe the trip. Highlights varied by family member, but included a trolley tour of Vancouver, dog sledding on a glacier out of Juneau, the Deadliest Catch boat in Ketchikan (where the bathrooms are really clean and they saw lots of eagles!), whale watching in Icy Straight and a wildlife tour of Denali where they spotted caribou, grizzlies and dall sheep. They even enjoyed the hokey Cabin Dinner Theater at their hotel, the McKinley Chalet, where they knew one of the actors in the show! The family also really enjoyed their first cruising experience. They thought the naturalist was terrific, thought the food and kids/teen clubs were quite good and housekeeping even made sure they got up early to see the Hubbard Glacier. Overall the trip was relaxing, enjoyable and educational. They hope someday to return to the Land of the Midnight Sun and look forward to cruising again in the near future.
