When is the last time you had dinner with your spouse that the conversation wasn’t centered around your kids, or grandkids? How often have you and your spouse talked about “someday” getting away together? Everyone’s schedule is tight, top that with caring for children, grandchildren or even parents, it’s hard to schedule time for each other. A romantic getaway is a great way to reconnect with your spouse. As my travel colleague, Shannon says, “Don’t just fall in love, stay in love” A romantic getaway is a great way to do just that!

Imagine a vacation where you and your spouse can spend hours lingering over lunch in a Parisian cafe. Perhaps you are strolling through a park in London, hand in hand, not concerned about who’s going to take off early next week to take the kids to the Dentist. Maybe you’re spending a week being pampered and waited on hand and foot by your own butler.

Think for a moment about the dinner conversations you’ll have after spending even a few days together without the interruptions of every day life getting in the way.

When you’re ready to clear your calendar and plan a romantic getaway with the one you love click here and we can get started planning. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Maybe there’s a spot that you’ve always dreamed about but weren’t quite sure when was the best time to go, or where to stay. That’s where I come in! Did you celebrate a big anniversary big anniversary at home instead of on vacation in 2020, 2021 or even 2022? Maybe 2023 is the time to make up for that!

October certainly came in with a bang! Our thoughts are with those in Florida who suffered devastating losses from Hurricane Ian. Judging by the number of winter getaways that I’ve planned for clients this week, some of you are being hit hard by the desire to get your next vacation on the calendar. Perhaps you’ve looked at your schedule and realized just how few weekends you don’t already have something planned between now and the Holidays. Don’t let the final quarter of 2022 slip away. For those of you who typically head somewhere to escape the temperatures here in January or February now is the time to start making those plans.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a few words that may help describe what you’re feeling.

Wanderlust (n) – German – a strong desire to travel

Fernweh (n) – German – this goes a bit beyond wanderlust and is most often described as the opposite of being homesick – it’s the longing for far off places that you have never seen.

Trouvaille (n) – French – Something lovely found by chance – Perhaps it’s that cafe you stumbled across when you took a wrong turn in Lyon? It could be deserted beach you found while driving along the Amalfi Coast.

Vagary (v) – Latin – A wandering or roaming journey – hiking through the Swiss countryside or sailing down the Danube – which would you choose?

Coddiwomple (v) – Old English – to travel purposefully towards a vague destination – this sounds like the perfect way to spend a day in Ireland searching for castle ruins.

Derive (n) – French – much like Vagary or Coddiwomple – this is to drift unplanned, led only by the landscape and architecture around you. We spent much of our time in Provence doing this very thing.

Resfeber (n) – Swedish – the mix of anxiety and excitement before a journey begins. It’s long been said that just having a trip planned creates nearly as much excitement as the actual trip.

Sehnsucht (n) – German – A wistful longing for travels that have been and travels to come – This is what get’s most of us through those times between vacations.

We’ve all seen the spoofs of the “ugly American” tourist sticking out like sore thumb while traveling abroad. This week I’ll share a few tips to help you blend in while you visit a foreign country. Just a hint – stop and read this before you run out and buy new shiny white sneakers!

How to look like a local when you travel.

I’ve said for years while traveling through Europe that you can most easily identify the Americans by their shoes. Leave those new white sneakers and flip flops at home and opt for a more European style of shoe.

Unless you are actually at the Gym, you shouldn’t be in workout clothes, that’s a sure sign that you’re an American.

When in doubt, overdress. It’s better to show up for an event or even to the local pub a bit overdressed rather than under dressed. Also if you’re trying to decide on the neon yellow sweater or the black one, stick to the muted or more neutral color scheme for your wardrobe. Leave those logo hoodies at home!

Use public transportation! Travel from place to place like the locals do, it’s a great way to get a feel for a destination you have not visited before.

Respect the local culture and customs, know that when visiting certain sites that you will need to have your knees and shoulders covered. If you don’t, prepare to be turned away.

Brush up on the language, sports teams and politics before you visit. You will get a much better reception if you ask “Parli Inglese” rather than “Do you speak English”

Please remember this tip if you are struggling with the local language “Volume has nothing to do with comprehension” Ann Forehand. Yep, the sage advice of my Mother, if someone doesn’t understand what you’re trying to communicate repeating it louder isn’t going to help.

Hopefully these tips will ease some of your anxiety about whether or not you’ll fit in while traveling. Should you have specific questions about the area you are visiting please reach out.

While I would love for the temperatures to start dropping, this is my favorite time of year to take a walk on the beach or generally be out on the water anywhere. Things seem to move along at the pace of the wind or the waves, the crowds are gone and you’ve got time to reconnect with your family, or even reconnect with yourself! It’s a slower pace of life, if only for a short while.

It’s that idea of slowing down that brings me to one of the latest and hottest trends in travel right now, the concept of slow travel.

Lingering over a bottle of wine with the one you love as you finish a leisurely lunch in a cafe tucked away along the coast of Italy.

Chatting with the locals in their “local” over an extra pint before you step back outside to explore the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh.

Wandering through the local market to pick up vegetables that were picked just this morning to go along with the cheese the village is famous for and the baguette, still warm against your shoulder.

You know that the afternoon will be spent making memories that will last a lifetime because of the experiences, not necessarily the iconic sites you’ll visit. All of these are aspects of slow travel.

What is slow travel?

Slow travel is the antithesis of those “if it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium” type vacations. You know, the ones that you come home from more tired than when you left on vacation!

Gone is the trend of packing every possible site into your vacation itinerary. The slow travel movement evolved out of the slow food movement, introduced a few decades ago in Italy as an alternative to fast food.

The idea is to immerse yourself in the destination, to literally slow down and take it all in, rather than snap a selfie at every landmark you pass as you drive by.

Instead of queueing for hours to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, imagine strolling to the market with a chef and selecting the freshest local ingredients before you assist in the kitchen to make a grand feast.

Rather than the high speed train through the French country side, what about a luxury barge for you and a few of your closest friends that ambles along the canals?

The possibilities are bountiful and not limited to the destinations mentioned above.

Perhaps a yoga retreat in Costa Rica is more your speed.

Would you like to learn to make authentic Thai food in Thailand?

Sail through the Greek Isles or even closer to home, in the British Virgin Islands as you captain your chartered catamaran?

Maybe you’re ready to go a bit further afield and finally spend the time exploring the Australian coast?

Are ready to slow down and really take it all in on your next vacation?

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The World is open! Travelers are exploring in record numbers. Many destinations are reporting pre-pandemic numbers of visitors. Those clients who felt grounded or didn’t wander too far from home are ready to pack their bags and see new sites. This week I wanted to dive into the different reasons we all have for wanting to travel.

What motivates you to get off your sofa and see the World?

Here are some of the most common answers I get to that question, some might surprise you!

#1 – I’ve always wanted to see (insert any destination) in person – This is by far the most common response. Whether you read about a destination in your favorite book, studied it in school or can trace your family tree back most travelers want to experience the destination themselves and bring that to life with their own memories.

#2 – I want to see the destination before it changes more. Alaska, Venice, Glacier National Park, these are all prime examples of destinations that are being changed either through natural or manmade causes before our eyes. Unless you’ve been to Alaska within the past 3 years, chances are the landscape has changed dramatically.

#3 – My neighbor/friend/cousin loved it and said I should go – This isn’t always the best reason to go. Just because they loved a particular resort or destination doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you. That’s where sharing your travel style, expectations, and other motivations with a travel professional will help make sure that you are a good match for the vacation you are describing.

#4 – To celebrate a milestone – We see this one quite often as well. Couples will plan to visit iconic destinations for milestone celebrations such as 25th Anniversaries or 40th Birthdays. While those are great motivations when saving for your vacation fund, too often we see clients not reach those milestones because life gets in the way. That certainly has been the case since March of 2020. We don’t have a crystal ball to know what could happen, go ahead, take that trip for your 22nd anniversary or your 39th birthday, you won’t have regrets of what may have been.

#5 – I want to learn more about the people, the culture or the food. This is a great motivator for getting off the sofa. What better way to immerse yourself in a destination like Italy than living like a local for a week or two while you become an expert in Italian cooking? That’s an experience that will provide stories to last a lifetime.

When you’re ready to get out of your zip code and experience more of what the world is waiting to share with you, I would love to help. Click here to schedule an appointment,

The common theme for my Summer updates has been “don’t check bags!”, so why did I break my own rule?

Last week I vacationed with my family in Jamaica. The first thing I do after booking any vacation is to look at the Pack for a Purpose website to see if there are needs for the area we will be visiting. Through the site I was able to see that Beaches Ocho Rios supports 5 different projects, 4 are local schools and the final is a local Women’s Center. I sat down with my daughter and we went through the needs of each. We decided that we would take supplies requested by the Women’s Center as well as one of the schools serving over 425 children ages 6 – 11. Once we were settled at the resort, we simply delivered the supplies, along with a note, to the sales manager. She will distribute them as needed to the projects we supported.

I met Pack for a Purpose founder, Rebecca at a conference over 10 years ago. We have been encouraging our clients to participate ever since. It is one of the core values of our Vacation for Good program at Slaydon’s Travel. She explained the vision for the program as a “hostess gift” saying that you wouldn’t visit a friend on vacation without taking a gift and by packing just 5 pounds of much needed supplies when you vacation can be viewed the same way.

The Pack for a Purpose philosophy, as listed on their website:

“There is need everywhere in the world; however, it is sometimes difficult to identify specific needs in places far from home. We believe many people fortunate enough to travel wish they could make meaningful contributions to help meet the needs of the places they visit. Such contributions are one way of expressing appreciation for the experiences and hospitality they enjoyed.

Our goal is to assist travelers who want to say thank you in this manner or who simply want to expand their generosity beyond their own communities. The supply lists for destinations on our website are provided directly by the local community-based projects that receive and use the supplies, enabling travelers to make informed decisions and to take items that meet the needs of those who will be using them.”

If this is the type of travel you are interested in, or would like to find out more ways to Vacation For Good, sign up here:

The Every Kid Outdoors (formerly Every Kid in a Park) program has been near and dear to my heart since the inception in 2015. Through this program 4th graders throughout the US can obtain a National Parks pass for free that will cover entry fees for themselves and up to three accompanying adults for National Parks and Monuments that charge per person, or for their entire car when fees are charged per car. The program runs each year from September 1 – August 31 to fall in line with a typical school year. Passes can be printed online by students, parents and educators. Students can even exchange the paper pass at certain parks for a plastic card that may be easier to keep track of when kept in Mom or Dad’s wallet.

There’s no better time to enhance their education beyond the classroom. 4th grader or not, take advantage of the educational programs offered by the National Parks and turn them into what the park service has referred to for years as “America’s Greatest Classroom.”  Did you know that most of the National Parks and Monuments offer lesson plans and curriculum based on grade level (not just for 4th grade) that you can download from their website?

There are also field trip itineraries available, onsite ranger led programs, self guided field trips and virtual field trip itineraries.

Imagine bringing their classroom (or zoom) lessons to life by taking a day trip from Coastal Virginia down to the Wright Brothers Memorial for a lesson plan on the Pythagorean Theorem?

A road trip out to Skyline drive offers curriculum for Kindergarten all the way through 12th grade and covers Science, Literacy, Language Arts, Math and Social Studies.

Will this be the school year you decide, as a family, to explore beyond their classroom? I’d love to help you plan!

Thank you for the feedback and questions from last week’s article on travel photography. Based on the conversations I’ve had this past week, many of you are looking for more tips to improve your vacation photos.

Jennifer’s Travel Photography Tips, Part II

#6 – Many of us take hundreds of photos during the course of a day while we travel. By the end of the day, looking back on them it can be hard to determine exactly which overlook a particular photo was captured. As you change locations throughout the day take photos of signs or landmarks that can help you identify the photos that follow.

#7 – Don’t geo-tag the locations when you post photos to social media. While the information can be recorded for personal reference, many times sites are becoming overwhelmed by travelers looking to create the same shot.

#8 – Including people in your photos can help to provide scale, especially vast landscapes or intricate architecture. A photo of a beautiful European door can be a work of art, however, without a person standing in the doorway, you may not be able to fully appreciate the workmanship that went into carving a 20′ masterpiece.

#9 – Get the entire family in the photo! Sure, selfies are great and sometimes you can easily find a fellow tourist to snap a shot of the whole family together, but why leave things to chance? Hiring a professional to join your family in destination for a quick photo shoot will leave you with stunning photos that you’ll be proud to show off.

#10 – Don’t leave those photos trapped in a device once the vacation is over. Display them! I’ve written many articles on keeping your vacation memories alive, let me know if you are still struggling and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.

Every day is a celebration or commemoration of some sort, tomorrow is no exception, it is World Photography Day. According to the website “Every year on August 19th, World Photography Day (also known as World Photo Day) celebrates the art, craft, science and history of photography. The day also encourages photographers from around the globe to share a single photo that encapsulates their world.”

I’ve shared mine above. It’s a photo I took of my daughter in the Vatican Museums nearly 5 years ago as she used “Mom’s big camera” and I was using my phone as a camera. I’ve found through our travels that letting our children use a camera to capture images along the way is not only a great way for them to stay engaged, but it also gives us a different perspective as well. They notice things from their vantage points that adults tend to overlook.

I also wanted to share with you this week some of my photography tips to help you take better vacation photos.

Jennifer’s Top 5 Travel Photography Tips

#1 – Rule of Thirds – the easiest way to make sure you’re following the rule of thirds when using the camera on your smartphone is to turn on the grid lines on the display. This will show you two vertical and two horizontal lines on your display. When framing the photo keep the subject centered on one of the intersections.

#2 – Keep the horizon straight – see the tip above on using grid lines, use them to line up the horizon to make sure it’s straight on your landscape shots.

#3 – Carry a lightweight tripod or stand for your camera. Even a pop socket on a smart phone can do the trick to help you keep the camera steady in low light or fast action situations.

#4 – Stay out late, or get out early – Even if you are not capturing the sunrise or sunset getting out early or staying out late will generally lead to more favorable lighting and fewer people.

#5 – Back up! Each night when you return to your hotel or resort make sure you back up your photos. If you are using a memory card take several on your trip and switch them out daily. Should your camera be lost or stolen you have only lost that day’s worth of photos that have not yet been backed up.

Bonus tip! You don’t need to carry around expensive photo gear to capture great photos. The technology with phone cameras has come a long way in the past few years. Often I find myself leaving my camera equipment at home and relying on my phone, or the services of a professional through Flytographer to capture our memories.

I’ve been spending nearly every day on the golf course the past few weeks. Sadly, not with a club in my hand, but as the taxi service for my high schooler who has made the varsity golf team. My apologies if your email replies have been a little slower than usual. I had no idea that the schedule would be this fast paced. Tryouts were last week, this week there were three tournaments. The time on the course has given me plenty of time to reflect back on the article below about how to incorporate golf into your next family vacation.

Have you considered bringing golf, or a sport that your family can enjoy together into your next vacation? 

Top 9 destinations to play a round of golf as a family

#1 – Arizona – You don’t have to leave the States to play some fantastic rounds of golf with the family while you vacation. Within the Greater Phoenix area there are hundreds of courses to choose from and great temperatures from fall through spring.

#2 – Jamaica – Most couples are familiar with the Sandals brand when it comes to the excellent value they provide for golf vacations at their Sandals Emerald Bay property in Exuma, Bahamas. However, did you realize that their Beaches family brand offers golf for the entire family in Ocho Rios? Complete with both adult and child clinics held throughout the week! The savings on greens fees alone are phenomenal.

#3 – Scotland – Wouldn’t you love to hang a photo of your family, standing on the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews to your wall? Just think of the years of memories this golf destination would provide the entire family! 

#4 – Bermuda – a short flight from the East Coast and more golf courses per square mile than any other nation, with gorgeous views? What more could you want in a destination? Factor in the fantastic beaches, world class water sports and friendly locals and you’ve got a dream vacation on your hands.

#5 – Pebble Beach – while not as economical as some other destinations, what could be more memorable than walking up to the iconic 18th green with your family as you finish off the round of a lifetime?

#6 – Spain – Spain is an up and coming golf destination for many travelers. We have a fantastic custom itinerary for families, but also groups of golfers that want to travel together. Take advantage of the beautiful Spanish weather, the culture as well as the opportunity to play a round at the only European course outside of the UK to host the Ryder Cup. There is also the opportunity to learn from 4 time Ryder Cup team member, Jose Maria Canizares.

#7 – Hawaii – much like the fabulous winter temperatures in Arizona and Florida, Hawaii is also a mecca for golfers and always a top destination for families.

#8 – Florida – Did you know that there are 4 golf courses just on Disney property alone? What a great way to take a break from the madness of the theme parks and make some great memories with your family!

#9 – Ireland – Long known as a golfers dream, Ireland provides a huge number of courses to live out your families dreams of links style golf.