Solo Travel Hiccups

The most important consideration when travelling solo with kids is safety. I've had two experiences that have made me much more conscious of the problems that can arise when traveling alone especially with toddlers and the importance of having some room in the budget for when they do.

Emergency Room Visits

The very last thing I expected when I took Charlie, then only 8 months old, and Will, who was 2 at the time, to Florida was that one of them would stop breathing and need emergency care. One night as I settled into bed with Charlie, I could tell something was off. Within a few minutes she started having episodes where she stopped breathing. Will was asleep in a pack and play and luckily I was aware that there was a children's hospital less than a five minute drive away. I packed Charlie in the car seat and rushed both kids to the car and then left my car in the emergency driveway of the hospital and ran in for help. Two nurses quickly grabbed Charlie and she was immediately brought into a room and treated for severe croup. All I really remember at the moment was being in complete shock as she had not been coughing and crying in relief when I knew it was something treatable. As the initial shock subsided, Will, Charlie and myself were all put in a tented room and both children were treated for croup over a 15 hour period. Within the last hour or two, a very kind lady came into the room to discuss with me a sizeable bill.

     I am not usually one to purchase trip insurance and to be frank I still do not but I usually travel with a high-limit visa that has been fully paid off. In this case the hospital didn't ask for my visa on arrival due to the condition Charlie was in but once her breathing was regulated, I immediately had to hand it over. Although my husband's work insurance covered some of the cost, the hospital visit cost us approximately $2000 US for 15 hours of care and for the two years following we kept receiving bills for additionally fees that had taken longer to process. I have since spoken to parents whose children have broken bones or had somewhat serious accidents out of the country and have heard stories of parents needing their visas to be pre-approved before the doctor would see them or their children. If you are an Ontario resident OHIP does cover some of the expenses but I remember in our case it was a very limited amount.

Whenever I travel alone with the kids my first instinct now is to look around for hospitals and emergency numbers. The fear of something happening would not stop us from travelling but it does make me more cautious. On our latest trip to Jamaica, I chose not to scuba dive at all, even though the risk of something happening to me was quite limited, due to the lack of childcare at the hotel and the amount of time it would take my husband to travel to Jamaica if something serious had occurred.

No matter what country you go to, its good to have a financial back up plan to be able to cover any unforeseen medical emergencies or expenses. Also, you should check to see what your insurance covers and if you are required to pay expenses and then submit your bills for reimbursement or if the insurance company will directly pay the hospital without you having to pay any initial costs.

Winter Weather 

As most North Americans know travelling in winter can be absolute hell. I have learned that planning long driving trips across America to get to warmer places tends to always end in extra expenses particularly if you encounter a winter storm. On that same Florida trip, I had planned to drive the kids home from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto over a period of 3 days. In a rookie travel error, I enjoyed my last days in Florida without consulting the internet or weather channel travel predictions for the next week. As I was packing up, I began to hear rumbles from friends and family about an on-coming ice storm that was supposed to hit most of the US. By the time we arrived in Kentucky, I knew the weather networks were right. I waited out some bad weather in a local Wendy's and if things weren't bad enough, someone stole my Iphone off the table. I realized what had happened, packed the kids up and drove on until we hit Ohio. After hours of bad driving, it was clear that we needed to stop. In the end, we were stuck in Ohio for an extra two days in a Holiday Inn that I literally slid into off the highway. It took approximately 45 minutes to actually remove the ice from my car on the day of departure and we drove straight to Toronto while there was a good weather window. The extra cost of this storm was enormous. Not only did I have the bad luck of someone steeling my phone but I had at least 3 extra nights in hotels as well as food to pay for. Additionally, the car sustained some damage from the storm and needed new wipers before we could even leave Ohio.

The reality of travelling, especially with kids, is that sometimes you have to drive. The cost of the flights to Florida and a month-long car rental would have made this trip impossible for us financially. In retrospect, there is only so much that you can do to prepare for weather issues. Obviously, I should have watched the weather and been more flexible. Our trip dates were completely moveable and had I left three days earlier we would not have encountered the storm at all. The only advice I can offer once you are caught in it is to wait the storm out. The kids may go crazy in a tiny hotel room with limited food options but in reality you are all safe and that is what counts.

     For that trip I had stored blankets, pillows, snowsuits, hand and foot warmers and hats and mitts in our minivan. This took up a lot of space but it was important in the end as we might have gotten stuck somewhere that wasn't so close to a hotel. I also recommend keeping your gas tank as full as possible, storing an extra battery and buying additionally windshield wipers before you leave for your destinations.

     Of course weather problems can arise at anytime of the year and fingers crossed I won't have to write a hurricane post anytime soon.

The Nick Hotel, Disney World and Legoland-- You Can Do it Alone. I Swear.

I get a lot of questions from friends about travelling alone with kids but people rarely ask me about attempting Disney on their own. I promise by the end of this post you may actually be inspired enough to book tickets for you and the kids and hop on the next flight to the happiest place on earth (theirs not yours).

I decided to do Disney with the kids last minute after surviving the now infamous West Palm Beach disaster. When I called my husband to tell him our exciting plans his response was something along the lines of "Really? Are you sure?". Luckily I had my adventurous co-captain Will along for the ride and his two year old enthusiasm was enough to convince me.

Instead of staying at Disney we decided to stay at the Nick Hotel. There were a few reasons for this decision. The first being that my kids were far more excited about the prospect of Dora the Explorer being at the hotel than any Disney Princess (this has since changed). Also it was at least $100 US less a night than staying at Disney. Lastly, it has a huge water park and kids pools.

We arrived at the Nick Hotel late in the afternoon after stopping at the Manatee Observation and Education Center, a not to be missed chance to see manatees in the wild. I was exhausted and it was nearly dinner time. Luckily the check-in at the Nick Hotel was quick and we were on our way.

My review of the hotel is simple. It is awesome and not in a Four Seasons kind of way. The hotel in fact looks like a run-down holiday inn. Why? Because that is what is was when Nickelodeon teamed up with the hotel chain in 2004 to create the Nick Hotel.

The great part is that it doesn't matter because your kids will love the hotel so much that they will be exhausted by bed time. On our first night, we were lucky enough to have room service drop by with surprise Spongebob cupcakes and milk before bedtime thanks to the wonderful bellman who had helped me to our room (see its not so bad).

My one piece of advice in regards to the room is not to spend extra money on a character room. We were upgraded to a character suite and in reality the kids didn't even notice. Essentially it means you have a character painted on the wall. Ours was Jimmy Neutron I believe.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early and attended the character breakfast before hitting the pool. The character breakfast was amazing. It was my daughter's first encounter with Dora and they made fast friends while Will hid under the table. By day 2, he was comfortable enough to see them from a far but hugging was off-limits.  I am embarrassed to admit it but we went to the character breakfast 4 days in a row. By the last day, Will actually knew the dance routine. It was an hour each morning where I wasn't their sole source of entertainment and I loved it.

The pools at the hotel are incredible. There is a main pool with water slides and a giant bucket for "mass slimings". The lifeguards were quite attentive and one even swam with Will for a little while so I could change Charlie and feed her.

Our memories of the Nick Hotel are wonderful and we have since returned to the property with equally great results.

Because we were not staying at a Disney hotel we had to drive to the parks. This wasn't a big deal for me and I don't think it would really affect your trip if you chose to stay off Disney property. The one advantage to this was that we had a kitchen at Nickelodeon and were able to cook our own food. Disney has similar suites but from what I have seen most people buy the dining plan. I have since stayed on Disney property and was not very fond of the food or the dining plan.

As we pulled into Disney, I was a little apprehensive about my decision to go it alone. I became even more so when I pulled into the parking lot and saw the tram that we would need to ride to get to the monorail to get to the park. I very kindly told the parking attendant that I was travelling alone with a toddler and a baby and hoped he could help me. This is the exact moment where the magic of Disney began.

The parking attendant smiled at me and kindly said "follow the pink line". At least I think it was pink. I then was ushered past many parking attendants to a section behind the disabled parking lot that was for parents of small children. I thought this secret parking lot was strange as almost everyone would have small children but I left it at that and began to unload. Due to the fact that I was so close, I no longer needed to worry about my double stroller and the tram.

To make things even more magical, another parking attendant walked me to guest services where I was told that I could enter rides through the back for assistance with my stroller since I was alone. We were at the Animal  Kingdom and used this service on many rides including the main safari where a park worker actually accompanied me on the train to the other side of the safari and helped me unfold the stroller and get off the train.

To be fair, Charlie was quite young during this trip and Disney was made easier by the fact that she couldn't walk yet. I have since been to Disney again and think the following things are key to going by yourself with small children:

• Ask for help and tell the staff you are doing it alone. The Disney park staff is incredible. They will help you. They may not let you skip the line but they will tell you the best way to get through it;

• The fast pass attendants usually have extra fast passes that I have a return time for the time period that you arrive at the ride. I am not sure why but I can tell you that I have been handed more instantaneous fast passes than I can count. Once again all you have to do is ask and if possible they usually will give you one;

• Talk to people who are not your children. The park staff, older people, newlyweds, or anyone that looks like they might listen. It is a long day and human conversation will help;

• Head to the parades early with a snack if you plan on parking a double stroller anywhere that your children can actually see the parade. The parade is also a great break for you.  Buckle young children in your stroller for safety (they'll believe you) and to ensure they stay put; 

• If they fall asleep you should sit down. Find a bench and watch the world go by. Stop walking around. Sit. Stay;

• If your kids are a little older, pick priority rides and set up a turn system. Your son may not want to ride Snow White but he will if it means he gets to ride the Toy Story ride next;

• Set some ground rules. Even young kids should know they can get lost and to stay close. Reward good listening with ice cream and they'll stay close all day; 

• Take a break and head back to the hotel. This was key for us. I told the kids from the start that lunch would be at the hotel. I ended up taking them back each day for a nap and then to the parks in the afternoon when the parks were less busy and the temperature was cooler;

• Test your parenting and their listening at the smaller parks. Your first stop doesn't need to be Fantasyland at Walt Disney World. Get used to the Animal Kingdom or quieter parts of Epcot first;

• To save money buy them a Mickey toy or princess dress before you leave home and surprise them with it at the hotel before you leave for the park. If they want to buy something remind them of their new toy waiting back at the hotel; 

• If you lose your child, immediately alert the staff and don't panic. No one gets stolen at Disney. You will find your child. There are very few ways to get hurt. That being said strap them into a stroller or sit them on your lap during the parades and shows; and

• Don't over do it. You may not make it to the fireworks but that's okay. Know when you are too tired and when they are too tired and head home. By tomorrow, they will only remember the fun they had and not the fact that they didn't ride It's A Small World a 13th time. 

Disney is a wonderful place and you will feel safe there with your children. Use whatever tools you would use to get them around in a big city and be prepared for laughter and tears along the way. Oh and say hi to Mickey for me. 

Once you are, as my dad used to say, Disneyed-out or for a break in between, I highly recommend visiting Legoland. It is about a 45 minute drive from Orlando to Legoland but it is worth it. I honestly preferred it to Disney for a number of reasons. First, there are far less people there. It is still busy but not Disney busy. People are also far less pushy. The park has a ton of Duplo playgrounds that are shaded and air-conditioned so you can take a break without your kids knowing that you are. Also, the rides are tailored to younger children and most three year olds can ride a majority of the rides. That being said the rides are actually bigger and more fun than they are at Disney. I was with four adults and our two children when we visited Legoland and I kept looking around and thinking about how easy it would have been to visit alone with the two kids. A good tip is that once you have been to Legoland you can get your ticket stamped for $10 US to return again within a two-week period. We took advantage of the second-day deal and went back a few days later. 

No matter where you are in Orlando my best advice is to relax. There is no real rush to do anything. The rides will be open all day and the shows and parades happen numerous times a day. Lastly, take the time to witness how magical Disney is in the eyes of your children. It is something you will never forget. 

Hilton Head, SC--The First Solo Flight

Bundled up Baby in winter in Hilton Head, South Carolina

The very first trip I took solo was also the only long trip I took as a mother of one. Will was 6 months old at the time and we decided that winter in Toronto wasn't going to happen that year. Truth be told as a new stay-at-home-mom I was more than a little lonely and bored so the thought of spending four cold winter months indoors frightened me more than going somewhere unknown with an infant. After researching many U.S. locations, I settled on taking him to Hilton Head, South Carolina.

The two of us packed enough for a family of four and after finding a month long condo rental, we were off on our first adventure. We flew into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on a sunny Georgia morning and learned our first vital lesson, Georgia and South Carolina are not particularly warm in January and February. I also learned the following about flying solo with a 6-month old:

1. Even though the flight is free for your child, you might want to book a seat and bring a car seat. This depends on your baby. I have found that infants are familiar with their carseats and frankly its easier than holding them for four hours (especially if you have the bladder of a new mom);
2. The airline washrooms are a little daunting but rest assured there is a change-table on board and the flight attendants will help you if you need assistance. My rule of thumb- Bring at least one diaper per hour that you are in flight;
3. It may seem logical to pack all your stuff in one big bag so that you can drag the bag and carseat around the airport but you will likely be charged for your bag being too heavy. Try and pack two separate bags if possible and stack them on your way to check-in or pay an airport porter to help you; and
4. Most importantly don't forget to pack something for yourself in your carry-on. Your baby will inevitably fall asleep. Pack a book, a snack and a magazine for you. Remember you are on vacation too.

     Before boarding your flight, read my review of gear that can help get you and your child or children through the airport as easily as possible. Also check out my post on renting baby gear, to help figure out how much you really need to bring with you.

Hilton Head, South Carolina

When people ask me if I loved Hilton Head my answer is usually no. The reasons for this answer have very little to do with Hilton Head and a lot to do with bad timing. First, it was cold. Cold enough that we went to the beach in tracksuits. We rented a condo with an indoor pool knowing the weather wouldn't be as kind as Florida weather but in the end it was still to cold to swim even indoors. Secondly, as a Torontonian, I am used to walking almost everywhere. Hilton Head is beautiful but because its is split up into so many gated communities it is difficult to walk for any distance with a stroller. If you are going to visit, I recommend renting in one of the bigger communities with parks inside the gates.

Hilton Head also has several good points. My favourite gem was the Hilton Head Library which is run mostly by volunteers who love children. Will and I would often stop by to use the internet and attend story time. It is a great place to hang out with a child and I remember it fondly. Hilton Head also had great seafood, a cool lighthouse and beautiful ocean views.

Savannah, Georgia

One of our favourite things to do was to take day trips to Savannah, Georgia which was approximately a 45 minute drive from Hilton Head. The city is mainly walkable and most of its sites are recognizable from the city's starring role in the film Forrest Gump.  My don't miss recommendations are Bonaventure Cemetery, Tybee Island and the candy shops of River street. For the brave, Savannah also has a National Wildlife Refuge that is home to some very large alligators.

Bonadventure Cemetery

Alligator at the Wildlife Refuge

Hilton Head is also only a two hour drive to Charleston, South Carolina which is a beautiful city with an incredible aquarium.

As I write this, I think I may return to Hilton Head with both of my children and give it another shot. I remember thinking the whole time I was there that if it were summer, Hilton Head would be incredible. 

To Rent or to Pack...That is the Question

When travelling to almost any major city, you have the option to rent baby/child equipment over bringing your own. I first encountered this phenomenon when we were childless and visiting friends in Florida who were traveling to the United States from England.

An important thing to note is that if you are staying at a hotel, you likely do not need to rent anything. I have yet to travel to a hotel that does not have a pack-and-play, crib, stroller, highchair or (when pushed to admit it) a carseat you can borrow. My tip is to call ahead and very kindly start up a conversation with the front desk. Most will immediately tell you every piece of equipment stored in the hotel for guest use. 

When renting an apartment or house, you may need to supply your own equipment. That's where companies like Baby's Away  and Wee Travel can really come in handy. 

The key points in renting equipment tend to be whether the company has reviews stating the equipment was clean and in working order and also the cost of renting. I found on some of my trips it was cheaper to purchase new equipment at places like Target and Ikea, then to rent for a period of time longer than 2 weeks. Its important to also consider any extra fees you might incur for flying with all the equipment you may need when doing the math. 

The absolute joy of these companies is that for a usually small fee they will delivery and set up the equipment as well as retrieve it when you have left. Now doesn't that sound better than packing it all up!

Tools for Travel- Carseats on Planes

When preparing for my first solo flight, I did quite a bit of research on what would make the trip easier. My biggest concern was the size of the carseat (Britax Marathon) and whether or not I could get the carseat and stroller through the airport solo. There are a few products on the market that can help with this problem. 

The first is the Go-Go Babys Travelmate.

Go-go Babys Travelmate

I must admit that I was shocked to see how far this product has come since I bought it in 2009. Basically its a plastic board with wheels that attaches to your carseat so you can drag it like a rolling suitcase. The original version of this was an epic fail for me. It was extremely difficult to get the carseat attached and once attached it often tipped off the board. Also, it came with four screws and no replacements so once you lost the pieces the product was effectively useless. I admit some of the problems were likely caused by user error but the point is that it should be easier to use. In 2011, I rented a second Go-Go Babyz from a baby travel site that was a newer version that was a easier to attach but still not as solid as you would think. 

    A good tip if using this product is not to allow the airplane staff to put the board in stowage under the plane once you have removed your carseat. After a flight home from Ireland, the staff of Air Canada looked at me like I was crazy when I tried to retrieve mine and in the end I didn't love the product enough to fight for it. Also, be prepared to have security demand you detach the carseat to x-ray both pieces and then watch you deal with a wandering shoeless toddler or two while trying to re-assemble the only thing you can strap them into it without your child running off. I advise practicing the assembly of this product more than once before you leave.  COST: $89.99

     The second product is the Cares Safety Harness which comes in a lightweight pouch and is essentially an extra harness that attaches to the airplane seatbelt.

Cares Safety Harness

This product can easily be used when you do not need a carseat at your destination or if you would prefer to check your carseat. I found this product very unsatisfactory. Mainly, Charlie who was two at the time of use and 26 pounds kept slipping out from under it. She also could easily detach the actual airplane seatbelt rendering the restraints useless. There were a few concerning times when she looked like the harness was actually strangling her so in the end I stopped using it mid-flight and have never used it again. Also, because the main strap wraps around the airplane seat, the person behind you is stuck with a strap across their television screen or across their tray. Not an easy way to make new friends on your flight. COST: $74.95

    After the Go-Go Babyz went missing, I was at a loss on what to do with my carseat knowing that Charlie would only be in it for another 6 pounds. In the end I bought a cheap luggage cart, that accomplished the same goal. As my kids are able to walk longer distances now, I don't let them ride in the carseat but find that its quite easy to loop the bungee cords that are attached to the cart through the carseat and its tend to be much more stable for walking through airports. I do not in anyway recommend using this when your child is in it but it is helpful to get your carseat from point A to point B. COST: $24.99

Folding Luggage Cart