New Feature- Trip Reports!

I'm adding a new feature to our site- trip reports!  First up, Sydney Australia.

You can always find trip reports on the upper right, under "Trip Reports" drop down menu, but we will also post on the blog when a new one is available.

The iconic scene in Sydney; the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

We will be working on posting some past trips, while also adding trip reports for new trips as we take them.  Sydney was one of our first trips with digital photos, in 2002.  Our disclaimer is that user generated web content was brand new in 2002, and we didn't have any inkling then that we'd ever share these photos on the internet! So, of course, you'll see lots of ourselves in the photos!  Our newer trips, we try to capture more photos of general interest, with fewer personal photos.  Also, Jeff would be the first to admit that he has learned a lot since he picked up his first digital camera!  While there is nothing to apologize for in his photography, he knows he's learned a lot over the last 13 years that have hopefully improved his pictures!!

Successfully Hunting Down Flights Part 1

Airline travel in the 21st century- Successfully Hunting Down Flights: finding the right flight at the right price (part 1) and What in the Air Is going on Here?!: surviving the flight  (part 2). 

Recently, I posted about all the steps I take after I've booked a flight, but before I get on a plane, You Have to Take Steps To Fly  That should be called part 1 and 1/2, because its's actually the middle piece of three.  Today I plan to share Part 1- the process I use to find flights for trips I plan to take, and later Part 2- how to make flying as comfortable, or more comfortable, or just tolerable??

There are lots of ads for "cheap flights" and plenty of travel websites that will sell you airfare, but it's also important for pleasure or vacation travel to make sure that the flights fit in with the rest of your itinerary.  It's no fun to arrive in the morning, sleepless after a red eye if you are only spending a short weekend someplace like Vegas, where you want to enjoy the great nightlife!  It's also of no use to arrive on a cheap flight, if it arrives 2 hours after your cruise has left!

Having all the official paperwork in front of you (or windows open on the computer) when booking ensures you are booking flights on the right dates!

Here is the process I use to find affordable flights that meet my needs. 

1. I assemble my itinerary of land arrangements or onward travel and decide which airports are closest to those components and when I need to be where.  I like to have the official documents of my arrangements out while I am booking airfare; having the "official" cruise invoice or a copy of the hotel confirmations insures I am actually using the correct dates.  Based on this data, I determine a "window" of travel for my itinerary.  Do I need to arrive in the morning to catch an afternoon train?  Am I flying into one place and out of another?  Rome2Rio is an app I downloaded and have used to see a variety of travel options to get from 2 places.  It will show you not only flights, but also other transportation options. 
2. I like to use a flight consolidator website to look at all the options at one time (although there are still some airlines that don't use the aggregators- like Southwest, which I have to check on their own website.)  I use the sites to set parameters to match my needs, such as flying out early, or only searching only for direct flights.  I like to use Kayak, because they don't sell the flights, but it aggregates all the options and then directs me to either the airline or one of the many other travel sites that sell airfare.  I can enter the potential combinations of flight days and airports I might like to use, and get daily email alerts of the itineraries I am watching. Then I can see if the price drops on the flights I am interested in.
3. The next thing I do is use the search engine (Kayak) to explore which airlines are offering what itineraries and the relative costs.  There are filters that allow me to eliminate connections if I want a direct flight.  I can also eliminate certain connecting airports I won't consider.  For instance, selecting flights to the south during the winter, I avoid connecting through other northern airports. This prevents weather from stranding me in a a connecting city.  Lastly, I can filter the times I need to make my flights work.  If I am taking a cruise, I often need to be in the port city early enough to embark the ship.  Once I've set those filters, I am sorry to report that the lowest prices usually disappear!  It just makes sense that the cheapest flights will be those with multiple connections, to places that no one else wants to go, at times that are inconvenient!
4. When actually searching,  If my party is more than one person, I search for the whole party first and note the per person price and ensure there are enough seats for my whole party. Then I refresh the search for just one or two people.  Airlines often only offer a few seats at the lowest price points.  If I am flying with 4 people and enter 4 during my first search, if there are only 2 "cheap" seats are available, I will be charged the higher price for all 4.  Once when booking flights 4 of us into RSW in Ft Myers, I was able to book two of us at the lowest price, and the other 2 at a higher price.  I saved about $140 dollars by booking separately, versus booking 4 flights together as the same reservation.  There are 2  downsides to this plan; one is that I had 2 different reservations, so there is no guarantee they would keep all 4 of us together if the itinerary changed later. (although when airlines make a change you can call and try to request being put back on the same itinerary) Secondly, sometimes you have to book 2 at a time because you don't want the airlines changing the flight of the adults and stranding a child or frail elder on a flight by themselves.  I do make sure that my minor children are each booked with an adult, (unless she is being particularly onerous that week, and then I might consider it!)    
5. When to buy?  That's the million dollar question! There are dozens of websites and airline gurus with advice about how to score the cheapest tickets.  But sometimes "cheapest" doesn't meet my needs.  What I usually find is that if I am particular about my itinerary with lots of tricky connections and timing, I prefer to shop early when flights become available and  plenty of choices exist, especially if I am booking during popular vacation periods or in high season.  Booking later can  turn up some deals, but only if the airlines aren't selling that route well.  Unless you are planning a trip during a shoulder season or off season (think Caribbean in summer, or Europe in Winter) chances are good you are looking when everyone else is, and so the airlines can charge higher prices and popular times and routes may go fast.  If you have flexibility in your itinerary, then booking last minute can be a way to save some money.  My own opinion is that I like to look for an airfare and route that meets my needs first and then I buy it when I can find it at a price I can live with!  By watching the prices on Kayak for a while before buying I can be satisfied that I got a  price I can live with.  Unfortunately, it's a lot like the trying to predict the stock market...people have lots of opinions and yet, no one has actually done it! 
6. Lastly, sometimes it's worth paying an expert to book particularly complicated itineraries.  My own Travel Agent, Travel Beyond  works with an airline specialist which can help me book my itinerary for a fee, most full service travel agencies will have a similar specialist.  It's best to make sure that all that person does is airline reservations, so you get an expert.  Usually that fee is a tiny fraction of the total cost of the trip and worth the expense because they can use professional software that allows them to more easily filter and scan flight segments than the consumer can.  Another place that requires a specialist is when trying to use miles to book complicated trips.  Most travel agents won't assist booking air with miles because its so complicated, but a whole group of other experts have cropped up to do this work now.  There are so many rules, fees and restrictions, and partner airlines. Oftentimes, trips booked on miles are treated differently in the case of cancelled flights, which can strand you at an airport being told by a tense ticket agent "you can't get there from here" without significant additional investment! it's probably not a bad idea to pay an expert to be your advocate, they will know the rules for all the various programs and be able to advise and advocate if something goes wrong.  I use Google and user generated reviews (Such as Trip Advisor, Wendy Perrin's excellent blog) to find the best experts.  It's getting harder to hide if you aren't delivering what you've promised in the wired world! 

Next: What in the Air is Going On Here! Some ideas about how to survive a flight.

"Real" Florida

I recently visited the very popular Fort Myers/Sanibel tourist area on the west coast of Florida. My parents spend their winters there and over the years they and other relatives have lived there, I've seen that part of Florida change drastically.  My first visit more than 20 years ago took me past miles of gladioli farms, now as I ride down San Carlos Blvd each year, I pass miles of condos, Walgreen's and Walmart's.  I've also spent a fair amount of time on the east coast and central Florida. I've enjoyed Walt Disney World, visiting nearly every few years for most of my life.  I appreciate the incredible imagination that created a magical world where there was once "nothing".  But I always wonder what was there when there was "nothing"?  What happened to the "real" Florida, the natural place that existed before developers and Imagineers found it?  

Mickey is always on hand in Florida to welcome guests, but what did Florida look like hundreds or thousands of years ago?

Florida is not only a top travel destination in the US, it's one of the top destinations in the world! According to the Jacksonville Business Journal 94.7 million people visited Florida in 2013. Whenever I give advice to international visitors in online forums,  I always encourage them to spend at least part of their holiday seeing "real" Florida.  Of course Sea World and Walgreens are "real" and are in Florida, but what I mean by this is experiencing what Florida was (and in some places still IS) when "nothing" was there.  I feel that it's important to experience natural Florida.  It's the inverse of my belief that when I am visiting an area known for it's natural beauty (like an African safari or Galapagos islands) I like to sample the culture of the local people.  I've found ways to enjoy natural Florida (even as part of a trip doing some "unreal" things like resort beach vacations and Disney trips) and I've really enjoyed experiencing what Florida must have been like before all the development. 

How To Find a Natural Area in Florida

I've since learned that The Florida State University has made an interactive map of Florida Natural Areas Inventory you can use to find natural areas anywhere in Florida.  I like it because it lists everything in any given area, National Parks, County Parks, Local parks, parks owned and operated by non governmental agencies or even for profit.  Once you know where you will be in Florida, I'd encourage every visitor to locate at least one of these areas and visit the next time you visit Florida.  

link to Florida Natural Areas Inventory

I usually try to find a time where I can fit in some natural outdoor activities, but sometimes, my trips to natural areas happen by accident like my visit to the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood FL. After a cruise from Fort Lauderdale, we had a lot of time to kill before a late flight and we took a cruise line provided bus to Hollywood Beach. The weather was a bit overcast for hanging on the beach, so we rented bikes on the Broadwalk (that's not a typo- that's what they call it, I don't know why, but my theory is someone sent the wrong spelling to the printer and no one had the budget to change it!!) On the local map we were handed, we noticed the Anne Kolb Nature Center, and decided to ride over there.  Amazingly, this natural gem was tucked away about a mile from the beach and shops of Hollywood Beach. 

 Anne Kolb Nature Center 

link to Anne Kolb Nature Center

The AKNC is located along the inter coastal waterways; although we rented bikes to get there, we had to either walk them or lock them up to enjoy the boardwalks and trails in the park.

Winters in Florida are a wonderful time to see birds.  This flock of Ibis was foraging right along the roadway to AKNC.

Even the tiniest fauna can be interesting to watch at the AKNC.

 

Everglades National Park

link to Everglades National Park

I am often asked by foreign visitors on user content forums about what to do in addition to a cruise out of South Florida or a trip to the imaginative attractions in Orlando.  I always recommend a trip to the Florida Everglades.  This National Park is very accessible to the major cities and attractions of both the east and west coasts. One of the major attractions is a huge population of alligators.  They are easily and safely viewed at the Everglades National Park and although they don't move often or much, they are fascinating to see! For foreign visitors it may be their first visit to our National Park System and might excite them to return to visit  more of our amazing National Parks.

Wildlife is everywhere you look at Everglades National Park; here we saw a heron, roseate spoonbill and several big gators!

Big alligators are popular attractions at Everglades National Park (ENP)

Another big alligator at ENP

An alligator ready for his close up (Jeff used a long lens, I don't recommend getting this close!) at ENP

A rare wood stork at the Everglades National Park; conservation efforts have increased their population and I seem to see one on almost every visit to South Florida now.

Most of our west coast natural area visits have come about because my parents live there and have taken us to their favorite places.  Some are county parks, others Audubon parks and even some privately owned parks. In every part of Florida, right around the corner from the pizza joints and beach stores on the beach or the condo developments built on pro designed golf courses, there are quiet, natural places to enjoy what Florida might have been like thousands of years ago!

Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

link to: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Audubon maintains a 2.25 mile curving boardwalk (the corkscrew!) through acres of cypress trees.  The "knees" of these trees provide habitat for many animals and they are easily and safely viewed from the boardwalk.  Also, many of the natural areas we've visited are staffed with volunteers or guides who are helpful in pointing out wildlife, answering questions and setting up spotting scopes to help guests see more distant animals. 

My own young children found a winter walk at the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (CSS) rewarding because the foliage is light making animal viewing easy and the boardwalk is more "fun" than a regular hiking trail.

Small lizards and crabs also use the boardwalk at CSS.

I've noticed that the raccoon are more active during the day in the natural areas in Florida than in other parts of the country.

We enjoyed playing "eye spy" with some of the smaller critters, we were assured this one was not dangerous, but it was fascinating!

Great Calusa Blueway

link to Great Calusa Blueway

Not every nature trail is on land in Florida...in a state with so much water and so close to sea level, many "trails" are actually boardwalks over swamps or mangroves making them easier to manage for people with limited mobility.  Some trails are actually on the water!  The Great Calusa Blueway I paddled on the west coast, is just one of many water trails designed for small craft. It's also an accessible way to see "real Florida". During my paddle I met a US vet who lost a leg in combat, who hopped into his kayak and headed out on the water trail!  Most natural areas feature vendors who rent kayaks, bikes, and paddle boards for use in the parks. I rented a kayak for $35 for a 1/2 day and explored the mangroves of the Carlos Bay Bunche Beach Preserve and a short paddle along the Great Calusa Blueway.

Markers designate the Great Calusa Blueway and provide a nice perch!

Kayaking on San Carlos Bay, near a huge flock of skimmers! (Apologies for the quality of the kayaking photos- this is an example of a "bad" Kathy photos. Taken with an iphone through a OverBoard waterproof case, all the other photos are Jeff's)

San Carlos Bay Preserve

link to San Carlos Bay Perserve

Paddling through the mangrove had me thinking about how this was probably how the native people of Florida might have traveled around Florida thousands of years ago!

I've added a video below of a small crab I encountered during my paddle. These little crabs live in the mud and climb the mangrove trees.  The outfitter who provided the kayak warned me that I'd see them in the "mangrove tunnel". They could be unsettling if you weren't aware of them because they scuttle out of the way when you get near them, but they aren't dangerous.  They are very shy, as you can see I had to encourage this one to scoot in front of the camera by waving my paddle behind the branch (no crabs were injured in the making of this video!) It's not a great quality video; I was trying to paddle a kayak in a mangrove channel only inches wider than the boat, while operating an iphone video one handed, through the OverBoard waterproof case (which was a bit fogged) and without my glasses to see anything on the screen!

Skimmers at Bunche Beach at San Carlos Preserve, a very popular beach with birders, most mornings you'll see a small group of spotters with binoculars and huge lenses to capture migratory birds that gather here. (Jeff's photo...and much better!)

Hey, is that bird drunk? My favorite bird on the Bunche Beach, a Reddish Egret, a type of heron that uses a stumbling gait to confuse small schools of fish in order eat them!  Viewed from land he appears to be stumbling around drunk! 

None of these photos were taken in a zoo!

Certainly, we've seen a lot of beautiful natural areas over years of visits to Florida. And yet, I have only visited a tiny fraction of the natural areas on the FNAI map  As I look over these photos, none were taken in a zoo, nor were we stationed at a park for hours at dawn like National Geographic wildlife photographers; all of these places and animals are easily viewed during a simple hour long walk, bike ride or paddle! They were all found within an hour or so (sometimes just a 5 minute walk around the corner) from the most developed parts of Florida.  "Real" Florida is everywhere and easy (and rewarding) to find! I hope you'll find your real, natural Florida on your next trip, and please share your favorite places with us!