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FamilyTravel.com Editor and travel expert Lynn O'Rourke Hayes has appeared on numerous television and radio programs discussing family travel destinations and vacation options. Media inquiries should be directed to: Lynn O'Rourke Hayes -- 480.556.6266
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The Travel experts suggest great family getaways By PAULA CROUCH THRASHER The Published on: 02/04/06 For busy families, planning a vacation can be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together — especially when the parents work. Mom has to make a sales pitch in Recognize this scenario? If you do, you know that it's definitely not too early to start figuring out where the family wants to go this summer — and how to pull it off. To come up with some great travel ideas for a really special vacation, we went to the family travel experts. Lynn O'Rourke Hayes, the editor of FamilyTravel.com and the mother of three, knows advance planning is key for people "who are making it a priority to organize time with family. Special time, focused time." Her favorite vacations are those where access to technology is limited: no cellphones, no Internet, no TV. "We all live these crazy, insane lives," she says, "so to go out and do a wilderness experience, it's shocking how relationships change. It's a whole different way to relate to your family members." This is just what happened when she went bonefishing at an eco-camp in the "We had them all to ourselves," she says. "They weren't able to use their technology to be distracted from us." But you don't have to travel to the ends of the earth to seek adventures. "Many parents enjoy the thrill of rafting, hiking, heli-hiking [reaching site by helicopter], mountain biking and exploring, and are eager to introduce their families to the sports they grew up knowing and loving," says Hayes. "Many companies are doing a great job creating family-friendly soft adventure opportunities." Hayes also recommends cruising, particularly in Sweaty limbs, back-seat battles, sandwiches smooshed in wax paper - ahh the family car trip! It's this and so much more.
Photo illustration/Ruth Sykes Or less, if you play it right. For most families, a road trip is a fact of life when the weather warms. And this year's trip is still on, despite high gasoline prices, according to Pam Moen of AAA Wisconsin. "Their travel is important and a lot of families maybe plan one big trip a year," she says. "Everybody looks forward to that, and it's a big deal, and they're going to continue with those plans despite the higher gas prices." In fact, a survey in January by the Travel Industry Association of America showed that 81% of Americans who were planning a summer trip had already started thinking about it in January. And despite the price of gas, a car trip remains a very economical way to travel, according to Jamie Jensen, author of the "Road Trip" series of off-the-beaten-path car travel guides. The latest, "Road Trip Gas prices have been going up for a while, he notes. "People got used to spending money," he said. "Now, it doesn't seem to be much of a factor. It's still a pretty efficient way to get around." If the budget gets tight, families change the destination to someplace closer to home, packing more lunches and scoping out better deals in hotels. "It's about families being together and creating memories," Moen said. "And people find a way to do that." With help from Jensen, Lynn O'Rourke Hayes, editor of FamilyTravel.com, and mapmakers Rand McNally (www.randmcnally.com), here are practical tips that will make life on the road better for everyone: Read more --
Lynn Hayes FamilyTravel.com Launches Family Adventure Travel Collection Families Now Have Great Resource for Adventure Planning May 4, 2005 – ( “We are very excited about this new venture,” said Lynn O’Rourke Hayes, the site Editor and Partner. “We believe that families have a difficult time sorting through the many adventure opportunities. At the same time, some of the best companies are small, entrepreneurial ventures where principals are too busy scouting new outposts or leading trips to spend much time marketing. We hope to bring those kinds of opportunities to our readers.” The adventure pages will include information about Collection members, photography, links to additional detail and reviews of their various trips. Family travel and reunions account for an increasing share of travel. The Travel Industry Association (TIA ) reports that 34 percent of Americans have traveled to a family reunion in the past three years. Increasingly, families are not just getting together, they're traveling together and adventure opportunities fit perfectly within this trend. The founding members of the Family Adventure Travel Collection include Austin-Lehman Adventures, Canadian Mountain Holidays, Four Corners School of Outdoor Education, Sea Kayak Adventures, Lake Mancos Ranch, Papoose Creek Lodge, Rivers and Oceans, ROW – Rivers Odysseys West, Stump Lake Guest Ranch, Sunds Lodge, Thomson Family Vacations, Intrepid Travel and Wildland Family Adventures. For more information about the Family Adventure Travel Collection visit www.FamilyTravel.com or contact Lynn O’Rourke Hayes at lohayes@FamilyTravel.com.
For additional information: www.HayesMediaGroup.com
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