Though we don’t have dogs big enough to make any noticeable messes in our car, I can still see the appeal of a removable, washable, pet-proof car seat cover!

The CoPilot Seat Cover from Kurgo is a multi-tasker. Not only does it cover the entire seat in a washable rugged polyester, it also has two large pockets in the front for storing things like an MP3 player, cell phone, and even CDs or a GPS unit.
The material withstands not only dirt and pet hair, but it repels odors as well. I can appreciate the lure of something that repels pet hair. …read more

First Choice, UK-based family travel experts, have incorporated FREE children’s “clubs” into two Premier Hotels.  The Clubs will launch later this fall, and are, in essence, childcare.  It’s hoped that this service will provide a quality experience for the small fry, giving parents a little personal break when they need it.
The first two properties to offer the service are the brand new African-themed Lopesan Baobab Resort (Melonaras, Gran Canaria) and the Blue Lagoon Resort (Kos, Greece).  First Choice expects to roll out the program at a number of their other resorts as well.
Here’s how the program will work:
The Clubs …read more

When our daughter was young, we followed our trips on a United States map as we traveled.  (There were no GPS maps at that time!)  At home, we pinned the places we visited.  It was fun to see all the states and areas we visited, hiked, camped, explored, and climbed mountains.
Perhaps that helped to reinforce our memories, so that 40 years later, we still talk about those ventures across and up and down our country, traveling from our New Hampshire home as far west as Idaho.  These trips were for pleasure and business, and incorporated research for my travel writing …read more

Enter to win one of Rand McNally’s New Pin Your Journeys Maps!
Relive your past trips or plan for the next one with the Pin Your Journeys family of wall maps from Rand McNally. These pinable foamcore maps are professionally finished in an elegant wood frame and are ready to hang anywhere in your home or office. Each map includes a personalizable title bar as well as 50 push pins to help mark destinations, or to attach your trip photos and memorabilia. The Pin Your Journeys Wall Maps are great for scrapbookers and make the perfect “memory map” for your wall!
WHAT …read more

 This week our theme is Travel, and that can take on many aspects.  You might travel locally, as we discussed in Week 1 of the Summer Theme Weeks.  Or you may be undertaking a longer venture.
If your summer involves traveling, do you need activities to keep youngsters busy on long rides, in airports and on planes.  Whatever did my parents do with four of us in a car in the days before electronics?  
We took fairly long trips from our home in NYS to New Hampshire, Virginia, Washington, DC, Montreal Canada and even New Brunswick.  My parents stayed sane, we …read more

Relationtrips are those important trips that you take with your significant other that really make an impact on your relationship.  Suddenly you are spending all of your time together away from the pattern of everyday life.  There are two different types of trips:
1.  Trips where you have a guide book with highlighted pages and detailed descriptions about every landmark that you want to see.  You plan each day to fit in as much as possible to squeeze every valuable moment out of the time spent travelling.
2.  Trips where you just relax.  You bring a book and a journal and you …read more

Summer vacation usually means travel plans, and when you’ve got pets you either need to make special arrangements for their care while you’re gone, or special plans to bring them with you.

The Weekender bag at PlanetDog.com can help you with the latter! Holding up to the 30 cups of dry dog or cat food, the portable bags allow you to take care of pet feeding without lugging around a giant bag of food.
Available in several different colors, the bag is made of poly-canvas and is water resistant and machine washable. You can find it at PlanetDog for $16.95.
[image: planetdog.com]

I wrote last month about Pet Airways, an airline for getting pets and only pets to your travel destination.
They’ve recently launched their first commercial, and their website is now taking bookings for flights starting in July. I like being able to visualize how they’ve got things set up now, since people aren’t allowed on the flights! They also provide tips on preparing your cat or dog for travel, tips for cat owners, and a company blog.
Pet Airways is a pet-only airline where pets actually fly in the main cabin, not in cargo. A pet attendant takes care of the …read more

Anyone who’s ever traveled via airline with a pet knows what a pain it can be. There are health guidelines, crate guidelines, and some carriers even require larger pets to be sedated.
The biggest drawback is that if your pet isn’t small enough to ride in the cabin with you (under the seat, of course) then they have to fly in the cargo area with the luggage. Some carriers have a limit on how many pets are allowed in the cabin on one flight, so even if your pet is small enough they might end up in cargo anyway.

One company didn’t …read more

I have a friend going through some hard times in her own relationship. A variety of factors are making things difficult and causing a lot of tension and unspoken resentment/anger that makes me wonder how long they will keep things going…before it all finally implodes.
Over coffee last weekend we talked about how much he was traveling. And at this point her reaction isn’t sadness that he’s away. Or even happiness that she has “alone time”.
She feels indifference.
He could be here, not be here, whatever – she’s to the point of not even caring anymore. That’s probably the scariest place to …read more