Planning your summer vacation? Ever consider The Grand Cayman Islands?

Photo taken 100 feet below sea level….or so the submarine captain said!

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Let’s Talk.

I was recently asked a very good question about my website.

Why do I cover so many topics?

From Weddings (Mother of the Groom) – my ongoing Dyslexia Series & Success Stories  – Gratitude & Vision Boards  – Retirement Planning resources – Stories about Young Athletes who are great role models for your child – Second & Third Act Careers for empty-nesters….just to list a small sampling of past content.

Well, my answer is simple….

When I began My Written Thoughts, I wanted to share anything and everything of importance…the lessons I learned during my lifetime.

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Every morning – when I finally select one of the thousands of topics swimming around in my brain… I write to you….as if you are a friend over for a cup of coffee and a CreamCheese Danish each morning.

That’s it.

If on one day, the message isn’t appropriate for your current situation, I promise – if you come back to read….there will be a post written with you in mind.

Now, let’s have a wonderful week of words.  Shall we?

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This Cayman “Weather Doppler Radar” was located right by our table at lunch.

Okay.  You remember my Mother of the Groom post back in April?

Well, my husband decided we should go on one last vacation as a family foursome.

When my sons were small, we made a point to provide unique summer trips.

In really good years, we went to exotic destinations and in leaner times, we hopped around locally.

My boys loved them all.

In fact, one vacation spot in our home state – was their childhood favorite.

But nonetheless, we felt like the best present we could give our boys – was the Gift of Experiences.

So, why tell you all of this?

I wanted to share good information… about my planning and preparing for our recent vacation over Spring Break 2015.

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This is miniature art.  I priced a similar tiny canvas – oil painting at a tourist gift shop.  $60+

I’m glad I waited…since I paid 1/3 the retail price at the Open Market in the downtown area….and met the artist!

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You already know the popular websites for travel:

Travelocity.  Expedia.  Kayak. TripAdvisor.  Airfare Watchdog. Priceline. VRBO.com     Hotels.com

But I want share a different suggested site for you this am. Stay Tuned.

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Because our family had no set destination, we just knew we wanted to go snorkeling, walk in the sand, and relax.

So I did something I’ve never done before.

For the first time in my life, I was willing to hand over planning control to a Travel Agent.

Big deal for me with OCD tendencies.

It was during a busy time in my life, and I didn’t have the time to read my requisite books from Frommer’s, Fodor’s, & DK Eyewitness – my favorite travel guides.

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Conversation with the first travel consultant …

 “My family of four would like to go to the Caribbean.  Could you recommend a very safe island?”

Travel Agent: They are all safe.  Don’t worry about it.

“Well, I have heard there are islands ranked a little safer and more secure (when it comes to crime on tourists) than others.  Safety is a primary concern since my train was bombed years ago when I was traveling abroad.”

Travel Agent:  That’s the news media. Safety isn’t really an issue when traveling nowadays.

“Alright then, I ‘ve heard good things about The Caymans.  Here’s our budget.  (I told her a hard dollar amount.)  What hotel would you recommend?”

Travel Agent:  You can’t afford Caymans on that budget.

I fully realize there are outstanding travel agents in the world!

But at that moment, I decided to do it myself…once again.

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Choosing the Destination

So I began to do the research (that I didn’t have time to do in the first place.)

I found an excellent website which I studied extensively.

So you may want to add this site to your desktop on your laptop… or home screen on your iPad.

www.travel.state.gov

U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs

This is the most comprehensive source for pre-planning your vacation.

I did my homework on 5 or so islands.  And indeed, ended up choosing The Grand Caymans for my family.

Please don’t think for one minute, this is an endorsement on Cayman safety or desirability…because just like movies and shoes….everybody likes a different one for different reasons.

But now you have the site to plan your own family’s trip.

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Choosing the Hotel

Although it is clear that I am not a travel pro, I want to share my very amateur findings with you.

After searching for weeks…on the many travel and airline vacation websites… for pricing on bundled air/hotel packages…to get the best bang for my family’s budget….

I took the best ranked hotels from TripAdvisor and made a master list of the most luxurious hotels down to the least expensive ones.

I picked the national chain with a great reputation right in the middle of the pack… and read the reviews for that particular location.

Calling the hotel directly, I could personally discuss with an onsite staffer, the following essential information:

Is the AAA rate the best bargain?  Will you match the web rate?

Can you offer a discount on in-house spa treatments?

Is there a ‘stay a few nights to get 1 free’ program?

Does the concierge have a coupon book for local attractions?

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And, yes….this particular hotel matched the price online.

In addition, I received incredible insight on which tourist attractions needed advanced registration weeks before departure…and which ones were safe to sign up for in the hotel lobby the evening before the excursion.

I had a special room view and a few other personal provisions requested….all were well-documented by my hotel contact and sent to my personal email.

And more importantly, I had the hospitality manager’s name and a good working relationship with her prior to my departure.

Yes, indeed, it was a lovely vacation by all accounts.

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And I’m not going to lie to you.  As I watched my 20-something sons swimming in the ocean off Grand Cayman Island….I allowed myself to drift back and remember them as small boys playing on the beach during past vacations.

I loved going on vacations with them then….and I love being with them now.