Utah Vacation plan with Kids #TravelTips

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Most of you might have heard about the 'Grand Circle' trip covering 6 national parks in Utah. We have customized that trip to 3 days and planned it in such a way that my 4-year-old as well can enjoy without being tired. This post is all about planning a Utah vacation with kids and about our mini grand circle tour.

Choosing the places and Travel Dates :

The best time to plan a vacation to Utah is the spring/ Fall. Summer is very harsh in Utah with temperatures reaching till 100 Fahrenheit. So, choose the time which is good for family travel without facing harsh weather. 

Next step is to choose the places. We started our journey from colorado springs and stopped at Grand Junction, CO, Bluff, UT and Pagosa Springs, Co for the night halts.

Arches National park is a must visit and so, this is the first one in our list. Independence monument is located on the way from Grand Junction to Arches, which you can cover before Arches. 

Canyonlands national park is 1 hr away from Arches so it can be covered on the same day. We stayed at Bluff, UT on that day night. 

We chose to visit Monument Valley National park after Canyonlands, but if you have time, you should consider visiting Bryce Canyon national park and Zion national park. 'Four corners monument' is on the way to 'Mesa Verde national park'. So, it is easy to cover this place and stand at a place where four states meet.  

The next day we planned to cover Treasure falls in Creede as it is on the way to Colorado Springs. Crestone Mahalakshmi temple at the foothills of beautiful mountains is a temple, Universal ashram and a spiritual community. 

After you are done with deciding the places to visit, decide on the number of days you need to cover those places. I have read multiple blogs with itineraries and watched many videos to see which places and hikes are kid friendly. We decided to cover these places in 3 nights and 4 days.

Accommodations :

We usually book the accommodations through Expedia.com. A few things that I take care of when I book accommodation are : 

• Complimentary breakfast
• Clean rooms
• less distance from tourist places
• Ratings and reviews
• Cost

Accommodations near Moab:

Travel Tips :

Traveling with kids on long road trips is not very easy. We have to keep so many things in our mind while planning a trip. 

• There is a lot of driving on this trip, so kids might easily get bored. So, we carried some UNO cards, a lot of snacks to munch on, drawing sheets with crayons, a journal book for kids to write about travel etc., 

• I have also downloaded the Junior ranger guides of the national parks that we are visiting and took printouts so that kids can read them during travel. 

• We visited all the visitor centers before entering the national park. A few parks have explorer packs for children with binoculars, useful information and, activity sheets. There is a junior ranger checklist that the visitor centers provide to kids. By completing all those tasks, they can receive a Junior Ranger badge, How fun it is to them?
• We took a lot of breaks while traveling and stopped by all scenic spots. Sitting for a long time in a car is too tough for kids. 
• We carried a lot of snacks and fruits, especially oranges and bananas to keep us hydrated in the dry, hot weather. we bought fruit and snack trays.

• We carried a lot of mini water bottles so that it's easy for children to drink and also juices to avoid dehydration.
• My kids carried their favorite soft toys and blankets to make them comfortable in the car :-)
• I have prepared a checklist so that it's easy to follow every time we travel. The list includes moisturizer, toothbrushes, important medicines, first aid kit, sunscreen, hats, light jackets, comb etc.,
• We chose the hotels which have an indoor pool and hot tub. After a lot of hiking, it will be great to rest in the hot tub in the evenings.
• Make sure to take proper hiking shoes which don't strain the feet.

A detailed travelogue of each day is shared in my next posts.

So, please stay tuned.

Day 1 - Arches and Canyonlands National Park
Day 2 - Monument Valley Park and Four Corners Monument

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Until next time,

Linking this post to #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne at EverydayGyaan.

11 Ways to make Long Term Travel Affordable - A Guest Post from Shipra

I am glad to welcome Shipra Aggarwal to my blog to share some tips on making the long-term travel more affordable.



People usually put their traveling desires on hold because they believe that traveling could be expensive. They think that it will take away all their savings and spending savings on desires instead of necessities is not preferred in our Indian society. Nowadays plane tickets, hotel reservations, and restaurants are becoming costly, so there is no wonder why people think travel is not obtainable.

But there is another side of the coin also. This thing is that travel can be very cheap & affordable if the people are ready to open their minds and change the way of their thinking. If you are ready to change your way of thinking and are willing to think of those travel options that you haven’t think before. 

Here are some of the options that you should consider that will change your way of thinking and make your travel affordable.

Planning is must

Before going to any place for travel, it is necessary to do proper planning. From air tickets to your accommodation, & places to explore, everything should be planned. If you will not do any planning, then definitely you will spend a lot and there are chances you will also use the cash that you kept for the emergency purpose. So, instead of spending unnecessarily on anything, make a plan and spend wisely.

Don’t spend without Budget

After planning for the travel, the next step comes your budget. Your budget should contain all your expenses but within the limit. It should cover all the expense for your necessities. Don’t use all your savings instead try to save money by taking wise steps. Always keep some cash for an emergency such as any kind of medical expense. 

Credit Card

If you are planning to travel for long-term, obviously you will need money and you will carry a credit card. While choosing for the credit card, always choose that card gives you maximum benefits on international transactions such as SBI Elite. This card has a very nominal international transaction fee of 1.99%. So, using a card can be beneficial instead of that card which has a huge transaction fee. Also, look out for the other benefits of the card in terms of reward points and discounts whether on booking tickets or on shopping.

Choose your travel destination wisely

You would like to travel all around the world. But there are many places in the world where traveling can burn a hole in your pocket despite all planning. So, choose a destination which is cheap in all aspects such as accommodation, daily needs items, travel expenses and many more. Choose that country where you can reach easily, comfortably, and with less money. Always go to any place in the offseason. If you will plan to go in the tourist season, you will be spending more than your budget.

Booking air tickets

If you want to go on a long-term travel, it would be better to book your air tickets well in advance. By doing this you will air tickets cheaper and it is possible that you might get some discounts. Try to book tickets months before your travel. Don’t make the foolishness of booking tickets near your travel date as it might cost you many times costly than usual rates. If there are any other means of transport for going at your chosen travel destination which is cheaper than air tickets, then go for that option. You can use the credit card that can give you benefit in booking air tickets like discounts or reward points such as Yatra SBI Card. It gives you the discount of Rs 4000 on all your air tickets booking on minimum spending of Rs 40000. It also gives you 6x reward points on every Rs 100 spend on international spending. You will have to explore all the options before deciding which one to use.

Rent out your place

When you are going for 3 to 6 months, then it is obvious that you must be staying in the place where you are going. So, if you will rent out your own house for that period of time, you can earn money from the rent of that house. This money can be used in your travel.

Go for cheap accommodation

If you are staying at a place for long-term, then costly hotels will not be the right choice for you. So, it would be better if you will stay at a cheaper place such homestays or take the house on minimum rent of someone who has also gone for long travel like you. Avoid taking accommodation near any tourist destination since it will be costly. Choose your place of stay where public transport & all necessities are available. Your accommodation shouldn’t be in the middle of the city as it will costly again and not too far away from the city as that will not be safe.

Cook yourself

Instead of spending lavishly on fine dining, make arrangements for self-cooking. As you have to stay for a long time, it will cheap and beneficial for you. Consider yourself as a local person of that place and live like them. 

Cheap Transportation

Always use cheap transportation such as local bus, auto or local train instead of going through cabs everywhere. There all will be cheaper for you and you will able to know that place more closely.

Earn & spend

Although you can’t do a job, you can do some freelancing so that there must be a regular income source. It will not only keep you in touch with your work but also help in meeting your expenses.

Minimum Stuff

While going on for a long-term travel avoid taking more stuff that would become difficult for you to carry. Avoid heavy baggage and big bags. Instead, go for cabin bags as you can carry them easily. Don’t stuff your bag too much. You buy things from that place also where you are going if it is cheaper there.

So, by considering the above-mentioned points and changing your thinking way a little bit, you can save a lot of money and enjoy your travel in the best possible manner. What do you say?

About the Author :

Shipra Aggarwal


Shipra is a personal finance writer, working with a prominent News Daily in Chandigarh. She has the experience of over 3 years in the BFSI industry and she loves to share her experience with the users by giving them in-depth knowledge of personal finance.


Until next time,

My Top 11 travel tips

I love traveling. After I saw this prompt in #FridayReflections hosted by Sanch and Corinne, how could I not write a post?

Prompt - Write a list of your top 11 travel tips

1. Have some snacks and water handy, always
Even though I love to travel and explore places for hours, I cannot even walk one step if I am hungry. I am not at all foody, but maintain proper time to eat my food and cannot stay hungry for a long time. I always keep some biscuits and water bottle handy, which save me from hunger. 

2. Keep a few things in hand bag to refresh anytime
I think, all women have these things in their hand bag - A face wash, A moisturizing lotion, sunscreen, lip balm and face tissues. I forget at least one of these most of the time and I suffer a lot due to bad weather. 

3. Leave extra space in baggage
I keep some space free in the baggage whenever I travel. We definitely end up buying something in tourist spots and purchasing another bag for these items is difficult, right? I also carry one or two empty shopping covers to keep the unwashed clothes, in case we don't have time to do laundry.

4. Carry something to engage kids if it's a long flight
A tab/ coloring book and pencils/ puzzles/ books etc., help me to engage the kids. If they get bored, they become cranky and it's very difficult to handle their tantrums. 

5. Carry a few important medicines
It's better to carry some basic medicines for fever, cold, sore throat etc., If I am traveling with kids, I carry important syrups and also a prescription if traveling overseas. 

6. Plan accommodation ahead
If it is a known place/ if I am going to stay at someone's place, it is fine. Else, I always research and book my accommodation ahead. It saves money and it is comfortable to head to the hotel straight after travel to take rest/ to refresh. I prefer to stay in a hotel with breakfast included. It makes easy to start tours with good breakfast instead of searching for food in the morning itself.

7. Carry forex
Purchasing forex in airports is very expensive, so, it's better to get forex from banks/ providers before the travel itself. Carry extra cash while touring, to accommodate entrance tickets and bus and train fares. 

8. Plan the tour ahead or Buy local brochures
Many foreign countries provide free brochures in train and bus stations about the local tourist attractions. This is a good start, if you have not planned earlier. A few places will have hop-on-hop-off buses to tourists, these guided tours are easy to start with. Now a days, we have app for everything - be it a subway route map or an app to plan itinerary by covering maximum tourist spots in less time(like tripomatic app).  So, having a smart phone always helps. 
If it's in India, it's better to research about safe tourist places and plan a trip before hand. 

9. Learn about local language and taste local cuisine
Even if you are like me, who is afraid of trying all new tastes, It's better to try the famous cuisine as it is difficult to get that taste anywhere else. Learning a few words in the local language make the travel experience better. You will have good memories too.

10. Take lots of Photos
I don't think, anyone ever forgets to carry a camera or a smart phone to tourist places. Even though photography is charged at most of the places, do your best judgment to decide on carrying a camera inside the tourist attractions. These photos will someday bring a smile on our faces and help us cherish those moments. 

11. Carry clothes as per the local weather
I made this mistake once. I went to a hill station freezing cold in a skirt and with normal sandals and paid price for it. It's better to carry sweaters, scarfs, gloves, proper walking shoes for walking/ trekking, an Umbrella etc.,

I covered the basic checklist that I use for travel. Is there something important that I missed? Please do let me know in comments :-)

Until next time,

Linking this to #FridayReflections. Thanks for the wonderful prompt Corinne and Sanch. Loved writing this post :-)

Image courtesy: From google, labeled with non commercial reuse

To Be a Child by Debra Schoenberger - A Guest Post

A different book with pictures of smiling and playing kids. Interesting right? 

Read more about the book and the guest post by author Debra on travel tips.

Book Description:

Give a child a cardboard box and his imagination will turn it into anything but!

Today, it is less common to see children playing in the streets, especially in urban areas. The plethora of ready-made toys should make any child happy. What usually happens is that the box the toy came in becomes the toy!

This book documents children at play (and at times at work) from 10 different countries. A child's ingenuity never ceases to amaze me and I hope you will share these images with your children as well. 

Buy the book: Website Amazon

Author's Bio:

Debra Schoenberger aka #girl with camera

"My dad always carried a camera under the seat of his car and was constantly taking pictures. I think that his example, together with pouring over National Geographic magazines as a child fuelled my curiosity for the world around me.

I am a documentary photographer and street photography is my passion. Some of my images have been chosen by National Geographic as editor's favourites and are on display in the National Geographic museum in Washington, DC. I also have an off-kilter sense of humour so I'm always looking for the unusual. Plus I usually have a lot of scars on my knees. ​(le sigh...)

I live with my creative director, Miss Pickles (my budgie) in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Connect with the author: Website Twitter Facebook

Connect with the photographer's website: Website 

Guest Post by Debra Schoenberger

Advice for Someone Who Wants to Travel to Other Countries 

Plan at least a year ahead and do your research. Be prepared for last minute problems and don’t panic. Have a good travel / medical insurance. I once had two important flights on a 14 flight itinerary cancel at the last minute but because I had good travel insurance I was able to re-book with another airline (which happened to be way better) and the insurance company paid for the difference. 

Enjoy the culture you are getting to know. Things won’t be the same back home and that’s OK. Be patient and smile! Try to get to know a few words in your host country - people really appreciate it when you try to speak to them in their own language. 

Bring energy bars and snacks with you, instant coffee if you’re a coffee lover and plenty of baby wipes. Sometimes my backpack gets covered in dirt and grime so I use the baby wipes to clean it off. Pack light. Do a trial pack with your backback, put it on and walk around your home or outside for 15 minutes. If it’s too heavy, pack lighter. If you’re miserable because you’re tired, you won’t feel like taking pictures plus you could pull a muscle!

I find it much easier to fly around the world in one direction than back and forth across the Pacific ocean as I don’t feel as jet-lagged. Do your research - sometimes booking a flight in the country of origin will give you a better rate. If you are comfortable with booking your own flights over the internet, try different days of the week and different times of day to look for deals. I usually begin with 3 different airlines and hotels and work my way down from there. You will get all sorts of quotes but be patient, eventually a quote will come up that you will be happy with. Read the travel section of your local newspaper or sign up to receive specials from your favourite airlines. Frequent flyer points aren’t as good as they used to be but always try to use them. Air China, for example, partners with Air Canada so I was able to accumulate the Air China points on my Air Canada card. 

Until next time,