Take a stay vacation or plan a party to cure cabin fever
You’re not alone if you have a mega fever – cabin fever that is. Just as all that snow melted from the last blizzard and the weather seem to be turning the seasonal corner, either another blast of icy cold or the white stuff has us hurrying back indoors.
Take a stay vacation or plan now to visit somewhere interesting, like Chicago, this summer
Here are four doable prescriptions to ease cabin fever.
Green isn’t just the color of lawns and leaves when the weather finally cooperates. It also comes with an Irish accent and a lively, musical lilt. Plan now to host a fun St. Patrick’s Day party or talk with friends about getting together at an Irish pub that will have a dance group or live music. Begin planning now to have something to look forward to a few weeks away.
Take a stay-vacation where you only have to travel to a nearby B&B, resort or downtown hotel. Many places are offering good deals before the Spring Break and Easter rush. Choose a place with a spa or one that is near a fine restaurant or live theater to make the getaway even more special. Need an excuse? Isn’t it a half birthday or anniversary of something?
Start planning your summer vacation. Look on line for a range of accommodations, things to do and transportation options. By starting now you should have more lodging and price choices. And you start to feel more connected to the places you hope to go instead of house bound by snow and cold.
Remember the 2011 blizzards will be conversation items for years to come. So, gather your photos and memories, put them in a scrapbook and close the book on this winter.
If you are a skier then arguably you already know how to dress for cold weather activities. But if still seeking the secret to staying warm during a Chicago winter or are visiting friends and relatives in Minnesota or northern Michigan, you probably could use some tips.
Watching winter outdoor activities such as dogsledding at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois is fun if dressed for the occasion
You may just think you know the warmest winter jacket and best gloves to buy or how to layer. But before buying such items, talk to the experts at a sporting goods store such as Erehwon, Dick’s, Sports Authority or REI. They can talk to you about how an ultra-thin, long-sleeved shirt under a thin sweater will keep you warm without the bulk. Same goes for thin tights under jeans or slacks.
Take advantage of sales. Even though January has come and gone, don’t put off buying cold weather clothes until next winter. The good stuff that costs hundreds of dollars in December typically is marked half price in late January and in February.
Plan outdoor activities near or around a place to get an indoor snack or take a meal break. It doesn’t take a lot of exposure to below freezing temperatures to get frost bite or breathe in too much icy air. Your ears and insides will thank you for that hot chocolate break. In addition, try to do healthy calorie loading and not over-eat before heading out.
You already know a well-dressed traveler has a handy cell phone. Now, go one better and charge it before leaving and remember to pack two chargers, one for a regular outlet and one for a vehicle.
The flying portion of your holiday trip can be enjoyed instead of merely endured.
Yes, security lines will probably be long this holiday season and you will have to adjust your packing to what can be brought on board. But that doesn’t mean the flying portion of your holiday trip is something to be endured instead of enjoyed.
DFW Ambassador Volunteer Nancy Baltimore watches for people who need help or look lost
Airports have changed over the past decade as they have become more aware of travelers’ needs.
Taking advantage of the changes is easier today than even a few years ago thanks to electronic devices that tell you where the good stuff is.
With a click of an internet link you can find out about an airport’s amenities before you leave home or from touch screens and information specialists when you arrive.
Here are five suggestions that can up the level of your airport experience:
1. It’s child’s play. If traveling with children, go to the airport’s website to see if and where there is a play area.
The Children's Museum area of O'Hare's Terminal 2 has models of familiar airport items
In Chicago, O’Hare International Airport has an airplane and other airport related build-outs for let’s pretend and role-playing. They are in the Children’s Museum area of Terminal 2 across from the Travelers Aid Office. The area is accessible to Terminals 3 and 1 after going through security.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Airport has a McDonald’s Play Area in Terminal D near gate D33 and another children’s play area at D10. DFW also has a Pepsi Junior Flyer’s Club in Terminals B and C.
A touch screen directory at each end of The Mall at Minneapolis-St.Paul Airport helps travelers locate food, shops and services
2. Sometimes it’s about the food.
Although this traveler does not miss the often strange and limited plane food service that once was part of the ticket price, now that airlines charge extra a good option is to plan to eat or buy food to go at the airport.
The problem is if you don’t know what food kiosks or restaurants are in your terminal or near your gate you might merely snag something at hand and find out later there was a better choice.
Many airport websites list food kiosks and restaurants so you can think about options and know the locations ahead of time.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airportis so traveler friendly it has everything from food and shopping to parking options on its website and at vertical touch screens at the airport. It also has goHow, a free, downloadable application.
In addition, food coupons can be downloaded and printed for some choices. The touch screens are at either end of the shopping and food mall in Lindbergh, the airport’s main terminal.
Airport stores are loaded with good gift items for the traveler who has run out of shopping time or who wants to have fun shopping while waiting to board a plane
3. Speaking of shopping
It’s OK to leave some shopping to the last minute. After taking care of work deadlines you had to squeeze family and packing time into the few minutes left.
Fortunately, major airports and even mid-sized ones stock jewelry, clothes, books and sports items that make good gifts for others and yourself.
This veteran flier and shopper recently found Native American items at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, electronic devices at DFW, CDs and Elvis memorabilia at the Sun Studio booth at the Memphis International Airport, jewelry and books at O’Hare and an extra travel bag at the tiny John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA.
4. Relax
Go to your airport’s website to see if it has a shoe-shine or massage chair station.
Sometimes merely treating yourself to a service you don’t have time for at home is all it takes to make a trip’s airport portion feel like the first leg of the holiday getaway.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has massage chairs near seven gates. It has shoe shine stations at The Mall and Concourses C and D.
A free down-loadable app by goHow makes finding restaurants and services easier at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. It also keeps track of flight arrivals and departures there and at several other airports
5. Bring your electronic devices and their chargers and down load a free application. Several airports now have apps that have all the information travels need.
Airports also now have WiFi. At many of them the WiFi connection is free. Wait time before boarding or between connections is also a chance to go online to learn more about where to visit and eat when you arrive.
It is also an easy opportunity to recharge your Blackberry or other devices so they will be ready to use at your destination. End tables in some of DFW’s seating areas have outlets.
Instead of living with headaches or muscle aches caused by travel stress, slot in some spa time
Whether it is for fun such as ski slopes or sunny sands or to visit family, your holiday trip will likely include stress hazards.
They may be airport hassles, crying toddlers a seat away, late trains, weather delays or road construction.
No matter what the cause, the result can be tight neck and forehead muscles, headaches or back pains.
Instead of living with it or taking two aspirins and not calling the doctor in the morning, slot in some spa time.
Family and friends may sympathize with the pain but you and they will have better togetherness time if you feel well. And that is the point of spa treatments today.
Time in a relaxation room at Peninsula Chicago's Spa by ESPA is part of the stress relieving experience
No longer considered an indulgence, spa experiences are typically categorized as wellness treatments.
Many resorts and vacation destinations feature spas. However here are a few I have personally experienced and recommend.
You don’t have to stay at a Peninsula Hotel to book a spa treatment there. ESPA combines Oriental, European and Ayurvedic approaches. Because I live near Chicago, I book treatments at the Peninsula Chicago. But the hotel and its Spa by ESPA are also in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beverly Hills, New York, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Manila.
If traveling to San Francisco, San Jose or to Los Angeles or Orange Counties, lucky you because there is probably a Burke Williams Spa near your destination.
Enter the Joya Spa on the grounds of the Intercontinental Hotel in Scottsdale and leave cares and stress behind
A spa experience at the Joya Spa at Intercontinental Montelucia Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, AZ is a vacation. You don’t have to stay at the resort to use the spa. However, you may have to book a session before leaving home because local spa enthusiasts have found Joya.
Maybe the idea that a popular woman’s apparel store also has a spa may dissuade some people from trying it. But I have repeatedly gone to the one in Southlake, Texas for a pedicure that is pure bliss. The problem is there are just not enough Coldwater Creek Spas. There are two in Texas and on each in California, Oregon, Illinois, Colorado and Florida.
Whether in or out of town, the next family Thanksgiving or winter holiday get together is also a chance to record old traditions and start some new ones.
Best, is to ink in some of the suggestions on the calendar so the holiday does not jump up before you are ready. Early November is not too early to start your planning.
Wreathing the Lions at the Art Institute of Chicago is a day after Thanksgiving tradition that includes several family activities
1. Cell phone cameras are OK but if you want a high quality photo to save don’t forget to pack or have on hand a decent point and shoot camera. Some of them, such as Casio and Canon have movie capability. Digging into the turkey or ham, curling up on sofa or floor to play a board game or gazing at a tree or menorah lighting are memorable moments when someone says oops, who has a camera?
2. Add a new place to check out or a new activity to try. Sure it is tough to squeeze in research time before everyone comes or before you leave for the visit, but just adding a new adventure each year adds an element of excited anticipation. Chances are there are new exhibits at a museum you haven’t visited for ages, a nearby town that celebrates the holidays Dickens style, a forest preserve to hike or a family show, musical or ballet to see.
Trains, lights and miniature landmarks are an annual holiday tradition at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe
3. Seek an agency that is collecting gifts or food and where to bring the items. Family members can add the items to their shopping lists and increase the season’s joy by sharing.
4. Start a new tradition of trading reading material or recommendations during the visit. It will give people something new to read on the way home or even during down time while visiting. Donate finished reading material to libraries and senior centers.
5. No question holiday time is also eating time which makes it a good excuse to try a new restaurant. The place may even become a new family tradition. Consider ethnic eateries, breakfast places and some that are outside the neighborhood or town. Definitely make a reservation.
Asking questions before booking accommodations does not make you a prima donna. It makes you a smart traveler.
You are tech savvy so you already know to check if a place is WiFi or if there is a fee to hook up your lap top. But there are a lot more things that can make the difference between an OK and really good trip whether for work or play.
Odd as this may sound, think about what you like or wish you could change at home.
Bathroom – Think about the times you checked in to find a bathroom that was just redone and a dream compared to what you had at home. Or maybe, the opposite happened.
Do you have a shower but wish you had a soaking tub or a Jacuzzi?
Do you have a tub but wish you had a really good rain shower with space to sit?
Are you used to enough space to spread out shaving or makeup stuff at home so hate when you can’t do that when traveling?
Imagine checking in and finding your room has a shower but you want a tub or it has a pedestal sink with no place to put anything except on top of the toilet seat which you usually leave up.
By not taking settling for just anything, you are not a prima donna, you are a smart traveler.
Our room at the InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa had an amazing bathroom, fine view and comfortable seating
Do: Send an email or call to find out exactly what the bathrooms have before booking a room.
Bedroom – What kind of bedding do you have, does the view matter and do you want a comfortable chair and a king size bed? For example: B&B’s are charming but some have a comfortable reading chair and others have just a place to sit to put on shoes. Many B&B’s only have space for queen or regular size beds.
It’s OK to ask for two beds if traveling with a partner who cocoons so you end up with no blanket or who kicks and turns throughout the night.
If you need a hard mattress then ask if any of the rooms have that.
If you hate the little pillows so many hotels think are a cute décor statement, ask if the hotel has regular or large size pillows. Some hotels even have a pillow concierge.
Unless you have a suite the bedroom is your base of operations so ask about the view. A room listed as partial view probably means you can see the water between the trees in winter when the leaves are gone or you have to step out onto a balcony and almost fall off to see it.
Rooms usually say if they have a chair but check if it is for the desk or a comfortable, upholstered chair.
Do: Look at the rooms on line. Most places show rooms in different price categories.
Be sure you know what comes with the accommodations
If a deal sounds too good to be true –
Check for add-ons such as a resort fee which you would have to pay just to use the pool or workout room
Check if the deal is per person or per room
Ask how old the place is and when it was last renovated or updated. Historic is charming but mildew and mold aren’t.
Checking before booking may sound like a lot of work but it is worth avoiding the hassles later.
