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Many parents cannot imagine a scarier thought than going on a long road trip with their 2 or 3-year-olds. Even a short trip seems overly daunting for many of the parents we have met. At a recent meeting of the Albuquerque Twins Club, we spoke with a father who was frightened to take his twins on a mere four-hour drive to see their grandparents!

Since when did parents become scared of their own children? This is America after all, the country founded by settlers who bore their children in wagons across wild lands that had never been graced by a McDonald’s Play Place.

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Dogs are wonderful companions to humans so it should not be a cause of wonder when humans bring their dogs even when they travel to other countries using any mode of transportation. Most likely, these pet owners have already established a relationship with their dogs and so they are not comfortable traveling to other places and leaving their dogs behind.

So why not go on a vacation with your dog? Whether it is a business or pleasure trip, no one can stop pet owners from bringing their dogs, even if they are traveling by air, land or sea.

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In the April of 2003, I rented an apartment for a month in Chennai (Madras.) Though I had been to the northern parts of India several times, this was my first visit to the southeast coast. Walking in the early mornings, I?d find intricate knot work patterns drawn out free hand with flour on the streets in front of homes. Initially, my question was, how did these designs, so common in Celtic knot work, end up in India?

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Life! Ah, there’s nothing we’d rather have! If only the condo salesman would have known that extended life was included in the selling price of the condo back in 1984. Twenty three years ago, while visiting Mismaloya, just south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, we were approached by a super condo salesman. His pitch was that after making the original deposit, the rental income would virtually pay for the condo. We fell for it and bought the full ownership condo and returned to Puerto Vallarta, known as PV or Vallarta by the locals, a couple times a year for many years while still working in Houston, Texas. We found that the week or ten days during each visit was so relaxing and stress free that one could totally recharge his batteries before returning to the hectic, high stress business life back in the States. After a week or ten days of sleeping like a baby, it was difficult returning to the routine grinding mill with the associated sleepless nights. The pace of life in PV, where everything can be done manana, was like being on another planet when compared to Houston. We always looked forward to the next trip to Vallarta and hated to see it come to an end.

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If you were born between the end of World War II and the beginning of the Vietnam War, you are a Baby Boomer. Some Boomers have taken early retirement already, and others are on the verge of this new chapter in their lives. ‘Travel’ is at the top of the list for many.

Planning Your Trip

Your travel itinerary should be part of a careful process. Plan a holiday with plenty of ‘you’ time. You should finish every vacation feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

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Life! Ah, there’s nothing we’d rather have! If only the condo salesman would have known that extended life was included in the selling price of the condo back in 1984. Twenty three years ago, while visiting Mismaloya, just south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, we were approached by a super condo salesman. His pitch was that after making the original deposit, the rental income would virtually pay for the condo. We fell for it and bought the full ownership condo and returned to Puerto Vallarta, known as PV or Vallarta by the locals, a couple times a year for many years while still working in Houston, Texas. We found that the week or ten days during each visit was so relaxing and stress free that one could totally recharge his batteries before returning to the hectic, high stress business life back in the States. After a week or ten days of sleeping like a baby, it was difficult returning to the routine grinding mill with the associated sleepless nights. The pace of life in PV, where everything can be done manana, was like being on another planet when compared to Houston. We always looked forward to the next trip to Vallarta and hated to see it come to an end.

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If, like myself, you’ve got children, you’ll no doubt understand my apprehension at the prospect of traveling abroad as a family this summer. Traveling with kids is not for the faint-hearted or disorganized. Having made enough mistakes in the past for us all, I now know that it’s all in the preparation.

Firstly, you need to make sure that wherever you’re heading it’s going to be child-friendly. I know this sounds fairly obvious, but it’s amazing what we forget to consider when we get in the holiday mood. We start thinking about those wonderful beaches and blue seas, and imagine that of course we’ll be able to find something for our kids to do when we get there. Right.

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Someone recently asked me what I planned to do when I retired. “Retire?” I asked. “I’m not planning to retire!” I can’t think of anything much worse. What would I do if I weren’t pursuing my passion? Yes, my work is my passion and I hope to be pursuing it for many more years.

I like to travel, just not for long periods of time. I don’t play golf. I do mess around in my garden, but this only takes a few hours of my week. I love to read, but I couldn’t read all day, every day.

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Someone recently asked me what I planned to do when I retired. “Retire?” I asked. “I’m not planning to retire!” I can’t think of anything much worse. What would I do if I weren’t pursuing my passion? Yes, my work is my passion and I hope to be pursuing it for many more years.

I like to travel, just not for long periods of time. I don’t play golf. I do mess around in my garden, but this only takes a few hours of my week. I love to read, but I couldn’t read all day, every day.

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Though the Fourth of July has now come and gone, summer time for families across the United States is hardly over. Local festivals, fairs, outdoor parties, and trips to amusement parks still fill the calendar for many families. With a few of these outings over and done with many parents, especially those with little ones, are beginning to realize that some of their equipment has already seen one too many summers, while the rest just wasn’t designed for family outings. Fortunately, several manufacturers of baby products have created solutions for almost every problem ranging from “How to feed the baby without packing the highchair” to “Which stroller is best for someone with a 12-month-old and a 3-year-old that likes to walk, but needs a break every few minutes?”

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