Travel Tip: Enroll in STEP

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  By signing up, you will:

• Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
• Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
• Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

Go to https://step.state.gov/ to sign up and for more details.

Travel Tip: Car Rental Documentation

We always recommend taking a good look at any vehicle you rent for dents, scratches, and other damage.  Inside and out of the car.  Taking a video of the car at the time of the rental and at the return is a great way to prove to the rental company who may later try to claim any damage.  When documenting your car, you’re going to want to cover all angles inside and out. Start by walking in a complete circle around the outside of the car, ensuring that the entire vehicle is always within the frame. Then you’ll want to cover the top of the car and the undercarriage if possible. Finally, it’s time to head inside the car.  Make sure you film the front seats, back seats, and the trunk. We recommend keeping this documentation, along with receipts from the rental company, for at least six months.  It might sound like a lot of work, but if it can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars, it’s well worth the time.

Curiosity Rooms by Marriott

Travel and curiosity are a perfect pair! Marriott Hotels and TED are taking advantage of the concept by launching a first-ever immersive guest room experience called Curiosity Rooms that is ideal for families. The first one became available on July 15 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis with two others opening at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park starting on August 15 and the London Marriott Hotel County Hall on September 15. Each hotel will offer this opportunity for only three months from the opening dates.  Your family can enjoy an interactive room that works almost like a puzzle box, with riddles and puzzles to solve throughout the room that are specific to each destination. Each room also comes with a Curiosity Journal, a handy guide that helps you along with the experience.  A certificate of completion and a free dessert at the hotel restaurant are available for those who complete all the tasks.  Learning is fun at Marriott!

Trip Review: Montauk Renewed

Lauren and her husband traveled this month to Montauk, New York for special birthday celebrations!  Located at the tip of Long Island, this upscale, but laid-back town began welcoming tourists in the 1920s.  It’s known for beautiful beaches, state parks, restaurants, a lighthouse, and great surfing. Many of its oceanfront hotels have been going through recent transformations including where we stayed at Marram. The family-friendly hotel, which sits above the beach with expansive ocean views, opened in 2019 with a new youthful, and zen vibe. Soothing rooms are decorated in only cream, brown, and beige with a king bed plus a day bed that sleeps up to three people or two queen beds for up to four. Suites are also available and have a separate living area with a day bed, breakfast nook, and a wet bar and sleep up to four. There are no TVs (or phones) in the rooms, but streaming movies at night on the laptop was just as nice. The hotel offers a free and unlimited minibar with water, drinks, and snacks that we also stocked with other food and leftovers. There are also daily activities such as yoga, wellness, and meditation classes; daily evening s’mores at their multiple firepits; free bike rentals; beach chair staff; pool, and surfing lessons as well as a top-quality restaurant and bar. Plenty of areas to lounge around the property both indoors and out including areas stocked with family games and books. The resort is walkable to the main part of town with tons of shops, restaurants, and more. One hotel parking spot is included. We really loved our stay (especially for Lauren’s husband who used to stay at the resort’s previous version for many surf getaways).  Overall a welcoming and relaxing spot to enjoy with the entire family or as a couples getaway.

Carbon Offsets from Intrepid

In January, Intrepid Travel launched a partnership with Offset Earth, a subscription service that not only offsets carbon emissions by funding CO2 reduction projects, but also plants trees with nonprofit organization Eden Reforestation Projects. Intrepid will match subscribers tree for tree, thus doubling their offset contribution, and the trees will be planted in Kenya’s Kijabe Forest.  This initiative is another example of Intrepid’s “climate positive” business model. It not only offsets its carbon output, but also removes additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Australia-based company offers small group and responsible travel tours (including Family Adventures) to destinations around the world.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau

The Margaritaville Beach Resort is coming to Nassau this summer (hopefully). The 284-room property will be spread across two towers. The Hotel Tower will offer 155 ocean view rooms and suites, and the One Particular Harbour Tower will have 129 residential condos ranging from studios to a four-bedroom penthouse, each equipped with a full kitchen. Resort facilities will include the Fins Up water park with slides, lazy river, climbing wall, dive pool, grotto, surf machine, beach with loungers and private cabanas and a 45-slip marina. Families will also enjoy the entertainment complex with virtual reality sports, karaoke, bowling, billiards and a movie theater! Eleven food and beverage venues include a two-story waterfront restaurant and lounge, a rooftop cigar lounge, a French bakery, pool bars and a steak and seafood eatery.  Just another day in paradise in The Bahamas!

Global CommUnity Stateside

Global CommUnity just introduced their first domestic itineraries.  The new, purposeful and self-drive itineraries of 5-7 nights are chock full of culture, adventures and age-appropriate activities.  Choose from Grand Canyon & Sedona Family Adventure; Grand Canyon, Bryce & Zion National Parksas well as San Francisco & Yosemite.  Outdoor adventures abound including float trips, kayaking, hiking, biking and star gazing.  The goal of Global CommUnity is to provide a global perspective of the world and what is being done to renew social, ecological, cultural and economic resources in each destination. Each itinerary has unique offerings allowing for cultural engagement and community give-back. 

Trip Review

Four of the Gastwirth’s from Rockville, MD (2 adults and 2 teens ages 14 and 16) traveled to Paris, London and Iceland this summer for a unique blend of culture, visiting friends and nature.  The trip was deemed a blast!  Starting in Paris, the family enjoyed staying in the Marais neighborhood at the Bourg Tibourg boutique hotel.  The family thought the hotel was charming and staff lovely despite a typically tiny Parisian elevator and climbing spiral stairs to reach their rooms.  The Gastwirth’s loved hanging out in the Marais, an artsy and trendy neighborhood that is also home to Paris’ Jewish history.  Afterward they took the train to London to spend time with friends from home who were living in the city for the summer.  The Gastwirth’s stayed at the Chancery Court, a hotel we use often for our families with great success.  They appreciated that it was close, but not too close to Convent Garden.  The recently remodeled hotel actually closed just after the Gastwirth’s checked out to reopen as a Rosewood property this month.  In Iceland, the family thought that the natural beauty and friendly people made for a great visit.  They stayed just outside of Reykjavik at the Hilton which had the bedding and pricing that suited their needs.  One day they hired a private guide to do a Golden Circle tour of Iceland, a popular touring route that loops from Reykjavik  into central Iceland and back stopping at national parks, waterfalls, geyers, a geothermal active valley, volcano crater, villages and a geothermal power plant!  The photos you see were taking by Andrew Gastwirth.  His photos are amazing!

Travel Tip

Arranging constituent visits to the White House and to the sessions of Congress is one of the duties of your representative and senators. Contact the offices of the House of Representatives (http://www.house.gov) or the Senate (http://www.senate.gov) in advance to arrange your visit when visiting Washington, DC.