THAT IS ALL COMING UP TOMORROW.
MARK.
>> Mark: IT IS THAT TIME OF
YEAR, IT IS THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
THE KIDS HAVE ANYWHERE FROM TWO
TO THREE WEEKS OFF AND YOU ARE
PROBABLY PLANNING A ROAD TRIP
RIGHT NOW.
IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE
INTIMIDATING AND SOMEWHAT
OVERWHELMING, BUT WE HAVE HELP.
WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME BACK EMILY,
THE TRAVEL MOM, TO GIVE US
POINTERS AND TIPS ON HOW TO
TRAVEL WITH THE KIDS AND THE
FAMILY AND KEEP YOURSELF SAFE
-- YOURSELF SANE.
>> HOPEFULLY KEEP YOURSELF
SANE.
I KNOW YOU ARE A DADDY AND YOU
TRAVEL WITH YOUR BOYS.
IT CAN BE STRESSFUL.
I HAVE TIPS TO HELP MAKE IT LESS
STRESSFUL AND MORE ENJOYABLE.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT WITH EVERYBODY IS WHEN YOU
ARE TRAVELLING THIS WINTER, HERE
IN JACKSONVILLE WE DON'T THINK
ABOUT WINTER WEATHER THAT MUCH.
THERE IS NOT SNOW OR ICE STORMS.
YOU ARE FROM CHICAGO SO I KNOW
YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT.
YOU WANT TO BOOK THE FIRST
FLIGHT OUT OF THE DAY IF YOU ARE
TRAVELING BY AIR BECAUSE DURING
THE NIGHT, THAT IS WHEN
EVERYTHING GETS RIG IF THERE
IS A SNAFU WITH AIR DELAYS.
AVOID CONNECTING FLIGHTS DURING
THE WINTER BECAUSE YOU DON'T
WANT TO GET STUCK IN ANOTHER
CITY WITH THE WINTER WEATH
HASSLE.
TRY TO BOOK THE DAY BEFORE
SNARL.
>> Mark: KIDS HAVE A SHELF-LIFE
WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING.
YOU ONLY HAVE TWO,
TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS AND IF YOU
HAVE TO DEICE A PLANE THAT IS
NOT FUN FOR ANYBODY.
THAT IS A GREAT TIP.
>> THE OTHER THING IS, WHE YOU
WANT TO TALK ABOUT SIMPLIFYING
AND USING YOUR TIMEWISELY,
TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP YOU CHECK IN
ONLINE AHEAD OF TIME, USE THE
FREE APPS FOR THE AIRLINE TO G
-- AND PUT THE AIRLINE PHONE
NUMBER INTO YOUR CELL PHONE AND
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR RESERVATION.
IF THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT WAY
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND IN LINE
BEHIND ALL OTHER PEOPLE TRYING
TO RESOLVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
CALL THE AIRLINE, SEE IF YOU CAN
GET A JUMP ON IT AND GET YOUR
PROBLEM FIXED.
>> Mark: THAT IS SO SMART.
A HACK I HAVE, WHEN YOU ARE
TRAVELING WITH THE KIDS YOU LOSE
YOUR MIND.
WHEN YOU PARK THE CAR AND WHEN
YOU ARE GONE FOR A WEEK, I TAKE
A PICTURE OF WHERE I PARKED AT
AND A PICTURE OF THE TICKET THEY
GIVE YOU.
>> I DO THAT EVERY TIME I'M
TRAVELING.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TELL
PEOPLE ABOUT IS FREE RESOURCES
OUT THERE.
WHETHER YOU ARE GOING HOME OR ON
A VACATION, LOOK TO VISITOR OR
CONVENTION CENTER WEBSITE.
THEY HAVE FREE INFORMATION THAT
SHOWS YOU SPECIAL EVENTS AND
MANY WILL LET YOU PRINT OUT AREA
ATTRACTION TICKETS.
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE WITH THE
FAMILY 24/7 YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
WANT TO GET OUT AND DO THINGS.
I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TRY ONE
NEW THING, EVEN IF YOU ARE GOING
TO ONE NEW PLACE.
ONE NEW THING, ONE NEW
RESTAURANT, ONE IN ACTIVITY.
AND IT IS LIFE CHANGING.
YOU SEE HOW AMAZING THE WHOLE
WORLD IS.
>> Mark: I'M TOTALLY GUILTY OF
THAT.
WHENEVER WE GO ON A VACATION AND
IT IS THE SAME PLACE IT IS THE
SAME PATTERN, BUT BREAK OUT OF
THAT.
YOU ARE ON A VACATION.
THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
>> THE FINAL THING I WANT TO DO
IS JUICE UP THE TONE FOR YOUR
KIDS.
I ALWAYS SAY I WISH I COULD BE
AS AT PEACE AS I AM WHEN I
TRAFFIC.
I GO WITH THE FLOW.
TURBULENC
TURBULENCE, WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT
IT.
YOU ARE GOING TO SET THE TONE
FOR HOW YOUR KIDS RESPOND TO
THAT.
IT IS BUSY TRAVEL SEASON.
PACK YOUR PATIENCE.
AND GO WITH THE FLOW.
>> Mark: THAT SOUND GREAT.
GO WITH THE FLOW.
IF YOU HAD TO GIVE ONE TIP, WHAT
IS THE TIP YOU SEE PARENTS
MAKING A MISTAKE.
>> OVERPLANNING,
OVERSCHEDULING.
OUR KIDS, GO, GO, GO.
WE WORK IN SUCH A FAST PACED
WORLD.
VACATION IS THE TIME TO
SURRENDER A LITTLE BIT.
LET SOME OF THE RULES GO A BIT
AND ENJOY.
>> Mark: I FEEL SO MOTIVATED
AND READY JUST TO PLAN A
VACATION RIGHT NOW AFTER TALKING
WITH YOU.
>> FANTASTIC.
I WOULD SAY THERE IS A PAGE OF
TRAVEL MOM FILLED WITH VACATION
IDEAS.
I GIVE TRIPS AWAY.
IT IS A GREAT, POSITIVE
COMMUNITY WHERE WE TALK ABOUT
TRAVEL AND INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO