Destinations

Washington DC Great Spring Break Destination For Families

“Mom, where is the Declaration of Independence”?

“In Washington D.C.”

“Well why didn’t I see it when we were there”?

This was an actual conversation I had with my 11-year-old daughter a few months ago. It was prompted by her watching National Treasure a million times. I had to remind her that she did indeed have the opportunity to view the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives. But she had declined to go, deciding instead to sit outside the building and try to eat from every food truck she saw.

Spring Break season is upon us. Spring Break can be a great time to plan a short family vacation. You too can answer amusing questions about the Declaration of Independence!

A great Spring Break location which might not be on your radar but should be is Washington DC.

Washington DC might be a little chilly depending on how your children’s Spring Break calendar runs but it is ideal due to all of the free Smithsonian museums. You might also be able to catch the cherry blossom festival activities. http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/. The kite flying activities surrounding the cherry blossom festival are fun for family members of all ages.

The Smithsonian boasts 19 museums, a garden, and a zoo. Your child might not be interested in all of the museums, but I am sure there is at least one museum that will spark his/her interest. The Museum of Natural History, The Air and Space Museum, The African American Museum, The Native American Museum, and the Smithsonian Zoo are probably your best bets. https://www.si.edu/museums

Another great reason to go to DC is to see all the national monuments. Visiting national monuments can take up a considerable amount of time and by the time you get back to your lodgings, your children will be out like a light! (You probably won’t be far behind either.)

There are so many things to do in Washington. All of the activities are not free but there are enough free activities to last a week on Spring Break. I also encourage you to visit the Holocaust Museum and the White House. To get a White House Tour can be challenging but not impossible. Submit your request 3 months ahead of the date of arrival as tours are first-come-first-serve. Requests have to be made by a member of Congress. You can find your representative contact information here https://www.house.gov/representatives. Tickets to the Holocaust museum are required to see the permanent exhibition during certain parts of the year. You can get more information here https://www.ushmm.org/information/visit-the-museum/admission-tickets

If the above wasn’t enough incentive for you to put Washington D.C. on your radar for Spring Break, then the abundance of food trucks around the National Mall should have you packing your suitcases right now. I promise you D.C. is a Spring Break destination that will never disappoint.

Travel Tools

5 Travel Essentials You Shouldn’t Be Without

Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash

The first step to becoming a renowned world traveler is having the right tools. I have compiled a list of 5 Travel Essentials You Shouldn't Be Without. (thank me later)

1. Tripcase-

Tripcase is a travel app that serves as a sort of virtual suitcase for all your reservations. I love this app because it is practical. Have you ever been waiting to check in somewhere and can’t find your confirmation number? You sit there digging through 50 million emails trying to find it? Yes I know you can sort and highlight emails but somehow mine always get lost or deleted etc etc….You get the picture. Well, Tripcase holds all your reservations for you. When you get your confirmation email you forward it to tripcase who keeps track of it. When you forward flight confirmations it even alerts you of flight delays etc. (the alert part needs some work. I get flight delay alerts but always after I already found out via other means.)

2. Award Wallet-

I have a subscription to Award Wallet because I need someone to keep up with all my frequent flyer and loyalty points info. Awardwallet is very useful. It helps keep track of all those member numbers as well as activity and expiration dates. When points are about to expire it will send you an alert.

3. Newsletters-

Access to the following newsletters has made me the traveler I am today.
THRIFTY TRAVELER, TRAVELZOO, SECRET FLYING, THE FLIGHT DEAL, and SHERMANS TRAVEL. Why would someone need access to all these newsletters? So you will know how to spot a deal. I scan these newsletters every day. I pick my travel locations because of these newsletters. When I see a flight to Tokyo for $500 I know that is a deal. Why do I know the flight is $500 because I read these newsletters! You can sign up for all these newsletters for free albeit I subscribe to the premium edition of Secret Travel.

4. Space Bags for Travel-

After trying a couple of different brands I prefer ZipLoc Space Bags. (no all space bags are not created EQUAL)These things are a must! I honestly did not know how much I needed these bags until I had to fit 14 days worth of clothing into one suitcase!

5. Guidebooks-

I have tried a couple of different guidebooks and I prefer Rick Steves guidebooks. His books are usually only good for locations in Europe. I have perused Lonely Planet and Frommer’s Guidebooks and I am not impressed. What I really want to see is a guidebook geared towards black and brown People. Maybe I will write one.

Reflections

Why Travel Should Be a Priority

Photo by Brandi Ibrao on Unsplash

I choose to make travel a priority in my life because I feel that it is imperative for global understanding. When I travel it helps shine a light on my life and the world in general. The concept that stands out in my mind is that we (humankind) are more alike than we are different. Once you grasp this concept it becomes very easy to empathize with another person's plight. It is for this reason that I was glad to hear that my daughter's college required all freshman to possess a passport. (My daughter already had a passport) The school's administration encouraged the students to be global citizens. I think that the reason the administration wanted the students to prioritize travel was two-fold. One, they wanted their students to think beyond their community. Two, I think they wanted their students of color to have more visibility on the global stage.

I consider myself to be a global citizen. I am concerned with events that happen not only in my own community but on a global scale as well. I think that my current world view has been cultivated by the amount of time I spend traveling. Whenever I return from a trip abroad I always feel more refreshed and more grateful than I felt before I left. I always return in awe of the beauty of God's handiwork. The spectacular landscapes humble me and the wonderful and friendly people I meet on my journeys leave me feeling hopeful about the future of humankind. For me, travel is a priority and not a luxury.

Hotels

9 Ways To Save Substantially On Lodging When You Travel

1. Couch Surf– The couch surfing community offers a platform where locals and travelers network. Hosts offer accommodations to travelers and are not allowed to charge for lodging.

2. Go Hosteling– Hostels have come a long way. When you hear the word hostel the image of a bed-bug infested dorm room full of strangers might form in your mind. While that might have been true of hostels of old modern hostels now offer private rooms with bathrooms (for an additional cost) which makes them feel more like a hotel. Hostels are a great way to meet other travelers if that is one of your goals. Hostels are even listed on some online travel websites such as hotels.com and booking.com or you can check out hostelworld.com and hiusa.org for more hostel info.

3. Barter for Lodging-Leverage the skills you have instead of cash in order to get lodgings without paying for them. Many times bartering for lodging will get you accommodations in exchange for helping the property owner with some sort of work that needs to be done.

4. Housesit-Housesitting is defined as watching other people’s property while they are away on business or pleasure. Utilize platforms such as trustedhousesitters.com, mindmyhouse.com, or nomador.com to find one of these coveted gigs. Be sure that you do your research on the owner of the house you plan to sit for.

5. Camp-If you love the outdoors camping can be an inexpensive way to cut the costs of accommodations. See cciworldwide.org, or campingcardinternational.com for additional information.

6. Find a Travel Companion– When you travel with a friend you can split the cost of lodging. This is a great benefit of having a travel buddy.

7.Seek Lodgings offered on a smaller scale than a hotel– Book lodging on sites such as Airbnb.com, Innclusive.com, or Cross-pollinate.com in order to rent a room or an entire apartment or house. The platforms allow you to obtain accommodations at a fraction of the cost of a hotel.
8. Use Groupon or Living Social– Living Social and Groupon have been known to have offers for Lodging at a reduced price. Just make sure you read the fine print. Pay particular attention to any language on “Double Occupancy” , “Single Supplement”, or “Resort Fee” requirements.

9. Utilize loyalty programs-If you are a part of a loyalty program such as Hilton Honors or Hotels.com Rewards you could use previously acquired points to offset the cost of lodging.

Reflections

One of the reasons why I travel: I spent my vacation money on a funeral

my-son-in-Jamaica A picture of my son on our last family vacation ever. 1997-2014

For over 20 years I longed to go to Europe. I spent three years in French class in high school and was determined to one day see the Arc de Triomphe in something other than a movie. I decided to finally stop letting other things take priority over my funds and my time. I made up my mind that in 2014 I was going to see Europe come hell or high water!

Hell and high water did come in the form of a phone call late one night in March. Answering the phone I was greeted by a long pause that struck terror in my heart. The voice on the line was from a police officer. My ex-husband was unable to speak subsequently the officer informed me that my son had been killed that night in an accident.

I was immediately consumed with sorrow. Moreover, I felt like someone had sucked all of the air out of the room. Hot unending tears streaming down my face reminded me that life is most assuredly not fair. My heart ached with the realization of life's arbitrary ways. In the wake of this tragedy, I had to drive cross country with my other children so that we could say goodbye to my first born son.

2,164 miles to mourn all the plans I had for me and my children. ALL my children, that would now never come to pass. I had run out of time. 2014 beat my butt mercilessly and showed me that it was the boss! The vacation money I saved went to pay half the cost of my son's funeral expenses. The money didn't buy me a trip down the Champs Élysées but it did buy an Urn to hold the ashes of my beloved son. The realization that " life is short" and "tomorrow is not promised" is now burned into my mind. Consequently, it is this realization that fuels everything I do. I no longer put things off for the theoretical "one day".

Reflections

A Visit To Negril Shockingly Cured My Insomnia

Picture-Blue-Cave-Castle

My first memories of Negril came from watching Spring Break footage on MTV when I was growing up. As a teenager I longed to experience the beautiful white sands of Negril. So I was astonished to learn that Negril had other attributes besides beautiful white sand beaches.

I am a chronic sufferer of insomnia and have been for a very long time. It was by accident that I stumbled upon what I call my cure for insomnia.

The cure was unearthed in the most unexpected place. My respite was found in a little hotel on the cliff side of Negril Jamaica called Blue Cave Castle. That’s right! I found the cure in a place that looks like it was the forgotten love child of some hippies from the 60's.

To look at the Castle carved from stone with is turquoise blue trim and its distinctive white
mortar you would not expect to find anything spectacular or enchanting. In fact some would probably consider its appearance to be borderline tacky.

But enchantment is exactly what I found in room number eleven. 50 feet above an old pirate cave I heard the sirens song while the crystal waters of the Caribbean lulled me to sleep. The warm breeze off the sea caressed my face, like the tender kiss of a mother on her baby’s cheek. This tickling of my senses was all that was needed to cure me of my insomnia. The peace that I felt as I listened to the sea roar renewed my spirit. That experience in lack luster room elevan, is the reason why I consider Negril to be my favorite place in Jamaica.

I often return to Negril when I am feeling worn down from the stress and demands of my daily life. When I need a pick me up I return to Lighthouse Road. To Blue Cave Castle. To listen to the waves as they softly lap in the moonlight and whisper my name as I appreciatively fall asleep.

Money For Travel

10 Ways To Earn Money For Travel You Probably Never Considered

woman-holding-coins Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

People often ask me how I can afford to travel as often as I do. One of the ways I can indulge my passion for travel is by having a side hustle. The sole purpose of my side hustle is to generate cash for my travel adventures. I composed a list of 10 potential ways to earn money for travel that you probably never really considered. With a little creativity, I am sure you can find some coins to feed your wanderlust.

1. Teach English Online– If you have at least a bachelors degree in any subject and are a native English speaker you can find a job teaching English. Companies like DaDa ABC, 51 Talk, and VIP Kids pay $16 an hour or more to teach English. (New Chinese Government rules which may be instituted soon will require a TEFOL, TEFL, CELTA certificate. A TEFOL or TEFL can be obtained easily enough by purchasing a course on Groupon. Shop around because the course can be obtained for as little as $25.)

2. Freelance work. VA’s or Virtual Assistants are in high demand. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork are platforms used by those seeking freelance work. If you have administrative, coding, graphic design, or social media management experience this might be the gig for you. If you don’t have any of the above skills but still want to try your hand at freelance work try an app called Field Agent. By entering your zip code you will be matched with a job in your area if available. The jobs on field agent simply require you to take pictures of story inventory or ask store personnel minor questions Pay is determined by Job accepted.

3. Sell unwanted items– Utilize sites such as on eBay, and Facebook marketplace or apps such as let go, offer up, or Poshmark to sell unwanted and unneeded possessions.

4. Rent out extra space– Leverage your extra space by Renting out your spare bedroom on Air B&B. If you live in an area which doesn’t have strict zoning codes you could even rent out your driveway, or backyard to RV’rs using sites such as RV with me.

5. Complete surveys for cash. Research companies such as Focus Pointe, Schlesinger Group, and PVR research which pay qualified participants to complete in office surveys and participate in focus groups.

6. Pet sit- Indulge in your love of animals and make extra cash at the same time by offering pet sitting services.

7. Sell Photostock – If you have a decent camera with the capability to take high-resolution photos you might try your hand at selling stock photography on sites such as Shutterstock, and Getty Images or via an app called FOAP. FOAP even accepts photos taken on a camera phone.

8. Drive for Cash– If you have an automobile, decent driving record, and insurance you might consider driving for Uber, Lyft, Postmates, or Instacart.

9. Sell unwanted gift cards– Did you get a gift card from Secret Santa from a store you loathe?
Sell all unwanted or unneeded gift cards at a cardpool kiosk or ACE Cash Express location for cash.

10. Monetize the skills you have.– Design a course to teach someone a skill that you possess and sell that course on sites such as Udemy or Ofcourse.

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