Today we traveled to a nearby balloon festival. Bright and early at 5:30 am we loaded the car and blearily found our way to the festival. Surprisingly, we weren't the only ones! Several hundred people were there with donuts and coffee laying out on the hill to watch the more than 60 balloons fly over head. What an incredible experience!
I started to think about all the local festivals we probably overlook. In Ohio almost every county has a festival from honey bees to wooley bears. There is the county fair or state fair. So how do you modify the trip to accomodate your child. Same as a vacation - preparation. Ear plugs, strollers, baag of toys -- whatever you need to enjoy and cope at the same time.
I love the website Smarter Travel. www.smartertravel.com I subscribe to their email newsletter and alerts. I am delighted with the amount of detail they offer in their stories. Recently I received an email detailing five affordable vacations. I can attest to the affordability having visited all five recomendations. In fact, I think that four of the five are perfect for families with autistic children. Las Vegas is the only recommended destination that I hesitate to endorse if only for the sensory issues alone. Two of the destinations are driving destinations that allow families to pace themselves. Walt Disney World is a favorite for families with disabilities. WDW willingness to accomodate special needs is legendary. The Outer Banks is a perfect location to enjoy the beach in a slow and leisurly fashion. For the full article, please go to http://littlelink.webtrouble.com/?1fSm Enjoy your summer!
I just posted on the Resources page a link to a new nonprofit website www.hotelscombined.com I travel to New York City every four months and as you can imagine hotel rooms in NYC are outrageous. I discovered this website and love the incredible search engine.
Websites such as Travelocity and Orbitz are powerful yet a little known fact is that they don't canvas all the hotels in your selected destination. Many lovely independents or small quality chains are not listed because they do not pay the website for advertising or listing. That is where Hotels Combined comes in.
Hotels Combined is a nonprofit website that searchs thousands of websites to give you a comprehensive listing of options available. Using this site for NYC, I found some great three star indepedent hotels quite cheaper than the chains.
Here is a tip when looking for a hotel room: Search online and list a few possibilities. Call the hotel directory and ask for the lowest price available and ask about different room options. You will often find a larger room for the same or less price. You will also be able to put the room on hold with a better cancellation policy and no money down on your credit card!
