An Eastern Family's Guide to a Western Ski Weekend

     For most couples with children living in the eastern parts of the nation, if you want to take your family skiing in the Rockies for a "real" ski experience, it means week long trips around Christmas and New Years; or for many, fortunate enough, the week long Winter Break around Presidents Day in February.  And for years this was how my family enjoyed our ski vacations.  Over the last few years, because of career and school commitments, we haven't been able to always take a week off to go skiing out West.  But that doesn't mean we had to give up these fantastic trips.    With a slight modification to the guidelines my family uses to plan these vacations, we have been able to enjoy great 3 to 4 night ski trips at the best Western resorts;  even as we flew across the country, and my boys did not miss any school.   By following these guidelines, even if your family has limited free time, they can still experience the greatest skiing and boarding in the world; but just in a more limited time frame.

Time = Snow
 It may seem like a given but the goal is finding ways to minimize the amount of time getting to the slopes so you can maximize your time on them.  You should focus your planning efforts on finding the most time saving, yet cost effective way, of getting from your house to the ski lift.

You Want to be Direct
Even though not everyone can, if like the majority of the US population, and you live in the eastern part of the country, then you live within 2 hours of a large airport. During the high demand ski season, all the airlines increase their flights to the western ski states from the larger metropolitan, and regional airports in the east.
The key to enjoying a great ski weekend is to take advantage of these direct flights, and minimize your travel time.  Another thing to remember, while more snow is what we want for the ski slopes; it is not what the airlines want.  There is a reason their are more flight delays and cancellations during the winter, and the odds of it happening to you increase if you need flight connections.  Fortunately the airlines are offering more direct flights than ever to airports near great western ski areas.  From small airports serving popular ski resorts, like Eagle County Airport near Vail in Colorado; to the large the large regional airports line Denver and Salt Lake City, there has never been more direct flight options available.

The Right Resort
For many eastern skiers, skiing out west means more than how steep the slopes are or how deep the powder is.  For many people who go out west for a week of skiing, many other factors go into their decision on what resort they should go to.  Factors such as how family friendly a resort is, difficulty of the terrain, the food and accommodations available, nightlife and vibe of the area are all important in making a great ski vacation.  But with a shorter time frame, some of these factors may not be as important as they would on a longer trip.  Since we know that to have a great ski weekend out west we need to follow the formula of  Time = Snow, an important factor in choosing which ski resort to go to has to be Accessibility.  Just as we want to take direct flights to save time, we want our ski destination to be within an hour drive time of the airport.  There are some fantastic world class ski resorts, such as Steamboat Springs in Colorado which is a 4 hour drive from Denver; or Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia which has fewer direct flights into Vancouver from the eastern US, make them harder access when time is a factor.

The great news is the number of great ski resorts and areas near the major regional airports are excellent and numerous.  Within a short driving distance of Salt Lake City International Airport you will have multiple ski options.  Only 35 minutes from the airport, Snowbird Resort offers excellent snow on a real value for your money.  Less than an hour drive will lead you to the 3 world class resorts in the Park City area: Park City Resort, The Canyons, and Deer Valley Resort, where you can find everything you would want for a ski vacation.  Within a 100 mile drive of Denver, we have great skiing at a great price at at the Loveland and Arapahoe Basin ski areas, and and the service and accommodations of a full service resorts of Keystone  or Winter Park.  Small airports with large numbers of direct flights, like Eagle Airport in Colorado, which directly serves the world class Vail/Beaver Creek resorts is also a great option.

Insure Your Fun
Any family ski vacation is an investment in time and money for any family.  We all want to get the most value for our investment, and this is more critical when you are on such a tight schedule.  Unfortunately, no matter how well we plan, being winter, Mother Nature can throw a wild card, from severe weather cancelling flights to no snow on the slopes. If you are forced to cancel your trip, recovering your investment from the airlines or the resort may be difficult and limited.  You should explore purchasing a low cost travel insurance policy, which will cover some or most of your costs, when those unforeseen events could pop-up and ruin you vacation. Travel insurance can offer you some peace of mind and give you more time to think about the fun you are going to have with your family on the slopes.


     

Fall In Love With Cruising Again

     If you have been on a cruise ship over the last few years, like me you may have gotten somewhat overwhelmed by the crowds, 4000 passengers fighting for a deck chair or crowding into a port with 4 other ships the same size is not my idea of fun. Don't get me wrong, I have been cruising since 1980 and I still love sailing the seven seas. Plus having someone else to entertain a couple of teenage boys makes my vacation less stressful. Being in the travel industry, I know the ships have become the destination and that is the selling point for a lot of my clients. But I know there are others like myself, that cruising is an easy stress-free way to see somewhat logistically challenged itineraries.

   Well let me introduce you to Azamara Club Cruises. I was delighted to be on the Azamara Quest in August sailing the Eastern Mediterranean. It was a 10 day sailing from Civitavecchia(Rome), Italy to Istanbul,  Turkey.

The best way I can describe the ship is to call it a "boutique hotel on the seas." First of all, each Azamara ship carries only 684 passengers. I was able to enjoy a more relaxed and personalized experience on board the Quest compared to the typical cruise ship. Open sitting dining and dress code every night is country club casual. The value that Azamara offers is also very appealing, many items are included in your cruise rate, like gratuities, bottled water, soft drinks, specialty coffees and wait for it....select standard spirits, international beers & wines!!!!

Mosaic Café

Main Staircase

Drawing Room

Pool Deck

But what really sets Azamara apart from other cruise lines, in addition to sailing on a smaller ship which allows them to go to off the beaten path ports, is Azamara's philosophy of Destination Immersion. Unlike other cruise lines, Azamara gives you longer stays in port and more overnight stays. On our itinerary, we only sailed once before 10 pm, so you were not constantly watching the time so you didn't "miss the boat" and you had a chance to have dinner and drinks on shore. Especially good in the Eastern Mediterranean in August because the cities do take on a totally different vibe after the sun goes down.

Docked right in the heart of Skala, Patmos Greece

Another value included in your cruise fare will be an AzAmazing Evening, an exclusive bespoke event. Ours occurred in the port of Kusadasi Turkey, where after dinner we were taken to the Odeon, the old Roman theater in ancient Ephesus to hear a private concert performed by a 12 piece string orchestra.

So if unique itineraries, more time in port and smaller ships are what you yearn for, Azamara will be an Aza-mazing trip for you




   pictures: Courtesy of Azamara Club Cruises

The Best Kept Airport Secret That Everyone Should Know

       It is a secret that my wife fully utilized during a recent trip to Europe.  While driving to Detroit Metro Airport for a flight to Rome, because of a major traffic accident, a normal 45 minute drive to the the airport grew to 1 hour and 45 minute.  Instead of worrying she would miss her flight, as she stood for 20 to 30 minutes in a security line ready to take her shoes off and unpack her laptop: she was able to breeze through security- shoes staying on and laptop staying packed, and relaxed she would not miss her flight. On the return home from Istanbul, a tight 1 hour 50 minute  connection  at JFK in New York City, did not give her a moment of worry.  She knew the secret, that while most of the passengers had to stand in long queues for US Immigration, she could quickly walk to an automated kiosk, that scanned her fingerprints and passport, and confirmed her ID.  After getting her luggage, she quickly walked through a dedicated lane for users of the kiosks to Customs, were she was able to just show her passport and ID confirmation before she was on her way to to the other terminal.  Another walk through a expedited security lane resulted in her having time to buy a latte and call home before boarding, while other people on the flight from Istanbul barely made the flight.

       The secret that my wife knew and utilized, and that routinely saves us 15 to 30 minutes or more as we check into an airport; is a secret that the US government wishes that millions of more Americans know about and use when they travel by air.  The Department of Homeland Security, under a mandate to minimize the amount of time it takes to allow people to enter our legally enter the US at the borders and the airports while still keeping up the security, developed a number of programs under the "Trusted Traveler" banner where low risk US travelers, after a background check would be allowed expedited security checks when entering the country at the border or entering an airport.  The two biggest programs, PreCheck and Global Entry could benefit millions of US citizens who fly each year.

       The most direct program that the government wants American fliers to take advantage of is the PreCheck program, administered by the TSA.  The program allows approved passengers a dedicated security line of at most major US airports where they will almost always be allowed to quickly go through airport security without the need to wait in a queue, take off various pieces of clothing and your shoes, and take your computer or liquids out of your bag.  It also reduces the chance of extra security procedures like pat-downs being administered to you.    The program is in use with the 10 largest US airlines at most of the largest airports in all 50 states.  Over 400 of the nearly 2000 total security lines at these airports are designated for PreCheck passengers only.

       The US Customs and Border Patrol administers the Global Entry program.  Global Entry includes the ability to use the PreCheck system at major airports, but expands on it for certified US citizens return on an international flight.  The system will allow you to skip the long lines at Immigration an instead go to an automated kiosk which will scan your passport and fingerprints, for verification.  After you retrieve you checked bags, a dedicated line at the Customs area will finish quickly getting through the process.

       PreCheck has an $85 application fee, while the Global Entry has a $100 fee, (which includes the PreCheck service) .  Both programs require a background check, you will need to attend an verification interview.  Both programs are good for 5 years with no additional costs, as long as all your personnel information remains the same.  The US government has over 1.5 million certified users in these two programs over the last 3 years, and is looking to add million of more Americans who are looking to have a more convenient airport experience.

       On a personnel basis, I can't say enough about the benefits about the Global Entry/PreCheck programs.  I registered my entire family for  the program 2 years ago, and have benefited every time we have flown.  For us, it is not just the time savings that were important, but also the peace of mind of having a little dignity returned to my flying experience by not have to go through the entire dehumanizing airport security process every time.  When I take my family on a vacation, the ability to take a little stress out of the entire travel process just makes our vacation that much better.

For More Information:
PreCheck

Global Entry

Yes, Your Teens will Really Love that Disney Cruise!

       So, you have a family with older children and you are planning on taking a cruise with them.  As you research different cruise lines or ask your travel agent for suggestions your find out that one of the highest recommended cruise lines for families are the ships of Disney.  You know the name Disney and families are synonymous with the word fun; but only for families with younger kids.  Your kids are past the Mickey or Princess stage, and you envision a cruise with bored teens surrounded by screaming 4 year old kids and Disney characters.  That was my thought, as I was planning a cruise last winter to get away from the brutal weather we had in the Midwest.  My family, including my 17 and 13 year old sons, have taken plenty of cruises, and I will admit to being somewhat of a Disney geek.  Even after taking my kids to Disney World 13 times over the last 8 years, and the idea of a Disney cruise with my teens was never even considered.

       But after my wife convinced me to try a 3 night cruise on the Disney Magic to their private island Castaway Cay with the boys, all I can say is all my preconceived notions were wrong and WOW!  Everything we love about staying at Disney World; including the service, the professionalism, the magic, and and the variety of age appropriate activities for everyone was also surprisingly found on the Disney Magic.  The layout of the ship never made it feel crowded, and allowed for both the adults and the teens to have their own areas and activities.  Disney has great kids clubs that are organized by age. Both my 17 and 13 year old sons where in different clubs with other kids their age.  From the activities and age appropriate parties organized by the counselors, to just hanging out and  getting free ice cream, they both admitted they had a blast.

       What my wife and I loved was the great adult only areas and activities; including a great pool, coffee bar and and great adult only restaurant, Palo, we never felt that we where surrounded by hundreds of children.  Then add the great shows, and the great food, and the water slides, and the movies, and the activities on Castaway Cay, and... well all I can say is everyone admitted to having a great time and wished the cruise had lasted longer, and my kids keep asking when we are doing our next Disney cruise.  So take it from a man who was hesitant, and find out what thousands of other families already know: Disney Cruises are a great time for the entire family, no matter what their ages.  And to answer my boys question; ASAP!!