Deal Alert for Meaningful Travel! 4th graders and their families get FREE access to National Parks!

If you have a 4th grader, get ready to explore some National Parks! 

Families, Friends or Teachers of 4th graders can sign them up too!

The US Department of the Interior’s Every Kid in a Park program offers a fantastic deal to 4th graders and their families or fellow travelers. 

By signing up here, you can have access to every National Park this year! Plan a road trip to explore multiple parks this summer, or find a park close to home. Whichever you choose will be an excellent experience for you and your child, and offer significant savings as well. As LTD has presented in our Five Part Series, outdoor exploration is a healthy, fun activity and a great bonding experience, so take advantage of this deal if you can!  Take advantage of this if you are a parent of a fourth-grader or a teacher of fourth graders!

Official rules

• The pass is for U.S. fourth-grade (or home-school equivalent) students.
• The pass is for the 2018 to 2019 school year. It expires August 31, 2019.
• Students can't transfer the pass to anyone else.
• We can’t accept electronic versions of this paper for access or to exchange for a pass.
• No refunds are given for previously purchased passes, or if you forget your pass when you visit.
• If you lose your pass, get a new one by visiting the website and signing up again.
• Educators can get one paper pass for each of their fourth-grade students.
• This program only provides passes for fourth graders.

How it works

• Show your pass to a ranger when you enter. If there is no ranger, leave it on the dashboard of your car.
• If you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free.
• If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees - The pass admits all children under 16 and all adults in up to one passenger vehicle. Commercial vehicles can't use a pass to get in.
• If you arrive at a site on bicycle— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults on bicycles.
• The pass doesn't cover things like parking fees, camping, boats, and special tours. Also, some sites are managed by private operators. They may not honor the pass. Check with the site ahead of time to find out.
• The pass doesn’t cover fees for local, city, or state parks and recreation areas unless they say that they accept this pass.
• Paper passes can be exchanged for plastic passes at certain sites.

You can sign up at everykidinapark.gov!

Get your favorite child a great pair of water shoes to explore this summer!  These are highly rated and you can get a matching pair for yourself to make your vacation even more special to them!  Click the photo to learn more!

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Enter to Spend A Night With The Woman with The Most Famous Smile in the World!

Who do you think of when you hear "Woman with the Most Famous Smile in the World?"  You may say Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway or another celebrity, but in reality it is the Mona Lisa.

“You’ve probably heard of me. People say I’m mysterious, but the truth is I’m very friendly,” Mona Lisa "introduces" herself at anAirbnb for a contest named "Win a night at the Louvre".

A night in the Museum

For one night only, on April 30, Airbnb and the Louvre are giving a lucky winner and their guest a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see what happens inside the world’s most magical museum when the lights go out. As the sun sets on Paris, the winning duo will make their way to the museum where they will be greeted by an art-historian, who will take them on a bespoke tour, like those previously given to the Obamas, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.  The key to this?  NO CROWDS!

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Make the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum a Destination When You Visit Saguaro National Park and Tucson, Arizona

Whether you are fascinated by the desert or not, don't miss visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum when you are near Tucson, Arizona.

Tucson is a unique city and the surrounding desert is famous for its dramatic beauty.  The dry sunny climate is perfect for people who prefer to see the world on two wheels or just want to experience a true Southwest flair!

As part of a week enjoying a Vermont Bicycle Tour of the Saguaro National Park and the Arizona Sonoran Desert, LTD had the pleasure of visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  This museum exceeded our expectations. A beautifully laid out complex, which does a wonderful job educating and honoring the Arizona Sonoran desert and surrounding areas. 

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Review of Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort in Tucson, Arizona: Luxury, History and Beauty

LTD had the opportunity to stay at the Hacienda Del Sol at the end of our Vermont Bicycle Tour through the Sonoran Desert and Saguaro National Park.  There is a reason that Hacienda Del Sol is ranked among the top hotels in Tucson.  

Hacienda Del Sol’s story began 90 years ago in 1929 when John and Helen Murphey created this beautiful desert retreat. 

Hacienda Del Sol is included in the National Registry of Historic Places in Arizona and is a member of Historic Hotels of America.  It is one of the Forbes Travel Guide 2019 Star Award Winners and is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Before the property was one of Arizona’s top guest ranches, it was a prestigious ranch school for the daughters of some of society’s most elite families. Walking through the inner courtyard today, you can still see some of the names of these families forever memorialized above the doors of the historic guestrooms. Some of these well-known names include Pillsbury, Maxwell, Westinghouse and Vanderbilt, to name a few.

To Check other reviews of the Hacienda Del Sol Hotel, rates and book at TripAdvisor Click Here!!

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Review of the Centurion Lounge at La Guardia Airport in New York City. It Needs an Expansion and Relocation!

There is a strong rumor that AMEX will relocate their lounge to the La Guardia arrivals and departures hall once renovations at La Guardia (LGA)are complete. This makes a lot of sense, as the lounge could be easily accessed by passengers that are departing or arriving from either concourse, east and west and because this lounge is in serious need of an expansion and facelift. 

1.  Location

You’ll find the LGA Centurion Lounge pre-security on the 3rd floor between Concourse B and C — if you’re flying from any other terminal, a Route A or B airport shuttle is available on the arrivals level that can take you to this section of the airport. Don’t forget that you’ll still have to clear security after visiting this lounge, so keep an eye on the TV in the dining room to see how long the security line is. The agent will give you advice on how long to give yourself to get to your gate even without asking. 

It is difficult to find this lounge but there are signs telling you where to go and we found anyone working at the airport can tell you directions.  

When you arrive to the entrance you will think you are in the wrong place since it looks like an employee area back hall.  

2.  Checkin

This is no difference from other Centurion Lounges.  Be sure to ask the agent how long it will take you to get through security to your gate, but as we said before, they will most likely tell you without asking.  We have been to this lounge when it is extremely crowded due to weather cancellations, and if you notice it is crowded, ask the agent to help find you a seat.  There are no special services, like manicures or massages at DFW, so there is no need to ask. 

3.  Seating

There are only 110 seats in this small lounge, and as we said, on a busy day of cancellations, between families and luggage, the seats can fill pretty quickly.  On this day, there was plenty of seats though the lunch time hour on a weekday.  There is an area with a few couches, many tables and chairs and a bar.  There are many outlets here, including in the floor if you need them.  A children's play area is near the entrance and a long line of couches with a few televisions along the connecting hall.  

4.  Bar

The usual premium alcohol selections are available at the bar: "Enjoy a cocktail developed by one of the nation's top mixologists, Jim Meehan, or explore wines handpicked by renowned wine authority Anthony Giglio."  We enjoyed champagne and a Bloody Mary.

5.  Food

Although the food was delicious, we found the number of food offerings at this location to not be as plentiful as at other Centurion Lounges.  Food at this lounge is planned by one of Zagat’s top 30 under 30 chefs, Cédric Vongerichten.  The buffet was squeaky clean and service to collect your dishware.  

6. Restrooms

There is no difference here, except the restrooms are small and have the typical L'Occitane products.

7.  Amenities

Not as plentiful as other locations, computers, a printer, newspapers and magazines are available for you should you need them.  These are located near the entrance.  The video screens of security lines near the restrooms are a nice touch.  

Sometimes you are traveling and you cannot watch your things closely.  Of course we think of the Centurion Lounge as a safe zone, that may not always be the case.  We always recommend traveling with a system that you can secure your valuables to a fixed object.  The Triple Security Lock from Lewis & Clark is a great and lightweight way to do that.  Click The Image Below and support our blog with More information at Amazon:

Bottom Line:

Although not the best Centurion Lounge, we still believe the lounges by American Express allow for the best meal experience of all with the exception of the Priority Pass Restaurant offerings of which there are 29 nationwide.  If you want a meal, first check if Priority Pass has a restaurant at your departure or arrival airport, and if not, head to any available Centurion Lounge.  If you just want to relax and have cocktails, the Centurion Lounge is probably your best option.  We certainly hope the rumors that this lounge will be moved and enlarged are true!

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Spend Meaningful Time Together in Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit the Mint Museum or Other Centers for the Arts and Make Lasting Memories.

Sometimes things like travel and vacations are entirely out of reach for many families financially.  LTD recommends that you make an effort to find things to do with your family.  What do we always wish we had more of? TIME! This is the GREATEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE!

If you want to do something good for yourself and the people you love, a museum is a great experience! Here are 8 reasons why:

1. Museums are a great source of pleasure
2. Museums make you smarter
3. Museums provide an effective way of learning
4. Museums inspire
5. Museums help bring change and development to communities
6. Museums are a great way to spend time with friends and family
7. Museums need your support in order to keep educating and inspiring people
8. There is a museum close to you

Recently LTD decided to take a day in Charlotte, North Carolina to enjoy something local:  St. Patrick's day celebrations. a visit to the Mint Museum and visits with some of our most cherished friends.  The thing that we discovered at the end of our day?  Sometimes you don't need to go far away to experience meaningful travel!

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Nominate your Favorite Teacher! Norwegian Cruise Line is Giving Away 15 Free Cruises to Teachers and More!

Last week Norwegian Cruise Line, announced the Norwegian Cruise Line Giving Joy campaign, developed to recognize and reward educators in the USA and Canada.

Ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10, 2019) and the debut of the Norwegian Joy, NCL has started an AWESOME campaign that acknowledges and celebrates the intersection of travel and education by honoring deserving teachers that are doing the most to bring joy to their students.

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Earn a FREE Hotel Room at Over 1000 Choice Hotels or Best Western!

Earn a free hotel stay with current promotions from two leading brands: Best Western and Choice Hotels.

Stay two separate times at a Choice hotel through April 26 to earn enough points to redeem for a future free night at more than 1,000 hotels worldwide.

Choice Hotel brands include:

• Comfort Inn & Comfort Suites
• Quality
• Sleep Inn
• Clarion
• Cambria Hotels
• MainStay Suites
• Suburban
• Econo Lodge
• Rodeway Inn

Register for the Choice Hotel promotion here. If you’re not a Choice Privileges member yet, it’s easy to join and create a free account.

Allow 72 hours from check-out for the qualifying points to post to an account. Points acquired on stays at international locations and at some boutique hotels can take up to 20 days to post.

This works for Best Western too but the dates of the promotion are different.

Best Western Rewards members who register and complete 2 eligible stays now through April 14 at a Best Western branded hotel in the U.S., Canada or Caribbean will get a free future night stay.  There is a limit of one free night voucher per member and that voucher will expire 60 days after fulfillment (the expiration date will appear on the free night voucher).  Register for the Best Western promotion by clicking here.

The Free Night Voucher will be sent to the member’s email address about 2-3 weeks after the qualifying stays.

Not a Best Western Rewards member? Enroll free here.

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Know Your Rights When Your Flight is Cancelled, Changed or even Delayed! Knowledge and Persistence Helps!

In the United States, airlines are not required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled.  Compensation is required by U.S. law only when certain passengers are “bumped” from a flight that is oversold.  

You suddenly receive an email that your flight for this summer is cancelled.  The airline has automatically re booked you for the flight of their choosing.  Do you have to accept the new flight?  No - you have some, but not many rights according to the US Department of Transportation.

You might be surprised to find that, in the US no federal law or regulation specifies what, if any, rights you have when an airline cancels your flight.

With cancellations, your rights derive only from the airlines' contracts of carriage, and relevant principles of general contract law. Since no federal regulations apply, your rights are not uniform and will vary from airline to airline.

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Your Guide to Finding Low Cost Air and Hotel When Your Plans are Set!

LTD published our way of finding low cost airfare when your plans are flexible - especially your destination.  But what if your plans are set and you want to find the best airfare?

Maybe you've heard that Tuesday was the best day of the week to book a cheap flight!  Wrong!

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