Special Guest
Kathy Keogh – Colleen & Catie’s Mom
Colleen & Catie’s Picks for Mother’s Day
Colleen
Destination:
The Ridge at Lake Geneva, WI – An hour and a half drive from Chicago, this hotel has a heated indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room, with beautiful view of Lake Como. Be sure to book a massage or treatment at Mia Faccia Spa in downtown Lake Geneva and enjoy a Mother’s Day brunch at Crafted Americana Restaurant. The Chocolate Creme Brulee is amazing!
Destination:
Eaglewood Resort, Itasca, IL – 4 Star hotel about 25 miles from downtown Chicago. This resort offers Kegler’s 6 lane Bowling Alley and a unique golf simulator in addition to their 18 hole championship golf course. They also have a complete Health Spa, indoor pool, fitness center and restaurants like Burnham’s on site. Be sure to check out their Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch!
Any other tips?
Keep in mind your mom’s travel style and wants. Don’t force her to do a spa day if she’d rather spend her special day hiking.
Catie
Destination: Oxnard, California – Small town, coastal feel. Good for different ages, including seniors and families.
Accommodations: Embassy Suites by Hilton – Mandalay Beach Resort – Located by the beautiful Channel Islands Harbor with beach access, pool, tennis courts, golf, spa.
Restaurant: Waterside Restaurant and Wine Bar – Offers local New American fare & cocktails, live music & a patio on the harbor.
Activities:
Heritage Square – 1920s Era dress-up and experience a historic Heritage Square Tour & Tea Party Event
RiverRidge Family Foot Golf – Fun for athletic moms and kids, also offers a Wine and Cheese Pairing at RiverRidge tasting room
Whale Watching – Island Packers “Island Wildlife Whale Watching Excursion” Channel Island Harbor
What airport to fly into?
Santa Barbara Airport – A little under an hour from Oxnard, flights starting around $430
Bob Hope Airport (Burbank) – About an hour drive from Oxnard, flights starting around $350
LAX – About an hour and a half from Oxnard, busier, but more (and sometimes cheaper) flight options.
Any other tips?
Stay at a place that’s right on the beach. Oxnard has beautiful beaches and it’s great when you can enjoy them from the comfort of your hotel or resort.
Oxnard hosts the California’s Strawberry Festival – Usually held in May, the festival offers visitors over 200 arts and crafts vendors, rides, entertainment, and delicious fresh strawberries. Check castrawberryfestival.org for more details. This year it’s May 18-19.
“What’s” with the “Trip Sisters”
What’s in Your Suitcase?
Kobo Forma eReader
Available for $279.99 USA at Walmart and at www.kobo.com
Kobo Forma is the thinnest, most durable, most comfortable eReader with a storage capacity of 8GB, so readers can store up to 6,000 eBooks. Easy to hold and travel with, fully waterproof and lightweight. You can purchase books to download or download them right from your library using “OneDrive”. Consider the Kobo Forma SleepCover – $49.99, which can be adjusted to stand so you don’t have to hold it.
What’s on your phone?
Postagram – Free on Android or iOS (with in-app purchases)
Choose photos from your iPhone, Facebook, Instagram or Dropbox. Or just take a photo inside the app, then include a personal message with emojis, and place your order and have thick glossy 4×6-inch postcards printed at 300dpi resolution and delivered anywhere in the U.S. for $2 – or $3 for foreign addresses. (Price includes postage.) Great way to send your love to mom!
What’s the tip?
What to do if you need to cancel or change your flight
Best option – Cancel your flight within 24 hours of booking for a full refund
Opt for travel insurance (like Allianz, for example). Costs more upfront but could save you $$
You can preserve some of the value of your ticket by paying a hefty change fee to move your flight to a different day.
Note: American Airlines charges up to $200 to change a domestic ticket and up to $750 to change an international ticket, and you must pay the difference in fare if your new ticket is more expensive than the older one.
This means that it may be cheaper to simply “eat” the cost of the ticket and buy a new ticket.
If you are flying Southwest Airlines, it’s the only major U.S. carrier that doesn’t charge a change fee.
Keep in mind that most airlines sell highly restrictive “basic economy” fares. If you purchased one of these, you will not be able to change or cancel your plane ticket even if you pay the change fee.
Plead Your Case – Call your airline’s service desk. If you have a compelling case – a sudden illness, for example – you might find a sympathetic ear.
Hope for Disaster – Check in for your flight even if you have no intention of using it. If your flight is significantly delayed or cancelled due to weather or aircraft maintenance issues, airlines will offer the option for a refund instead of rebooking you.
Your flight also might be overbooked, in which case the airline might offer a voucher when you check in if you are willing to switch to a later flight.
These vouchers can be worth a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, so it will more than make up the cost of your flight.
These options, however, are available only if you check in.
Monitor your flight’s status for delays, and call the airline service desk to find out all your options.
