This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

For the last few years I’ve been hearing more and more about Branson, Missouri as the place to take your family for vacation. Granted, I’d never really thought of Missouri as a vacation spot until I learned about all the great family things to do in Branson.

The biggest attraction in Branson for me is one I haven’t been to yet, but can’t wait to visit with my husband and our 4 kids. This center of family fun is a theme park like no other: Silver Dollar City!

I first found out about this spectacular theme park when the Duggar family on the Discovery channel took a televised family vacation to Silver Dollar City. The Duggars went to the culinary school inside the park and got to witness old-style baking and their kids got to sample the fresh baked goodies.

The Duggars’ trip to Branson and Silver Dollar City (which I was living vicariously through them during their experience) was such good, wholesome fun for their whole family and the weather was wonderful!

Silver Dollar City is a pioneer town, basically. It’s set in the 1880s and everything is set up just as if you had traveled back in time to the pioneer days. My favorite parts of the experience were the demos; they do regular craft demonstrations for how to make things as they were made in the 1880s. They show how to make nails, bake bread, etc. using pioneer skills and tools.

Plus, Silver Dollar City also has the regular theme park bits and pieces, like roller coasters, shows, and restaurants. I can’t wait to take my kids to this gorgeous park in the Ozarks or Branson and experience the “olden days”!

Since I travel a lot for conferences, there’s always a chance I’ll get to go to Branson that way (that is if the conference planners get smart and choose the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel as the location!).

Branson may well be the hottest fall vacation spot, just because of the abundance of things to do and the family-focused activities all around the area. It would be a fun Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday trip for the family and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing even has special Santa Claus package for Christmas priced for a family of 4. Plus, they have a shopping package so you can fit in your holiday shopping while you get a little R&R.

The hotel’s famous Level 2 Steakhouse has local 28 day aged beef from Kansas City, prepared to perfection in their 1600 degree radiant heat oven. I’d sure like to have that in my kitchen to roast my turkey! Speaking of turkey, Level 2 has a special Thanksgiving brunch with fantastic local food from Newman Farms.

They also offer the “Turkey to Go” deal, where you can stay in and have Level 2 prepare your turkey meal to feed a family of four for $79.95. What a luxurious way to treat your family to a relaxing holiday meal without having the stress, mess, and bustle of preparing all the food yourself!

If I could manage a fall getaway to Branson this year, I’d definitely fit in a trip to the Titanic Museum and catch the water fountain show with choreographed music, lights, and pyrotechnics (fire). Branson may just be the hottest fall vacation spot to get your fall holiday family fun started!

Welcome to our summer series on Family Vacation Road Trip Planning with the best travel tips from a mom of four!  If you missed the last two family vacation articles, you can check them out here:

• Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Departure Time
• Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Kids’ Entertainment

Road Trip Breaks & Stops

Road trip bathroom break detours are inevitable, but you can decrease the number of times you need to pull over for food by packing a cooler before you leave. In addition to filling it with juice boxes, water, some sandwiches and the kids favorite snacks, you may want to add in a few specialty snacks that are normally off limits.

My children always follow a healthy diet and have come to appreciate the ‘vacation food’ they are allowed to eat whenever we travel. With that said, be careful not to overdo it. A car full of kids in sugar overload will definitely back fire.

Plan on stopping for one full meal during the road trip. If possible, opt for a nice rest area that offers outdoor space for the kids to run around and stretch their legs.  Making a detour from the highway is also a good idea if you are not pressed for time. Once off the main interstate you should be able to find a full service family restaurant where you can all unwind and enjoy a decent meal.

Hotels

If you will be making an overnight stop during the road trip, try to plan for it in advance. If you know you will be traveling for 30 hours and stopping halfway through, you can go online, map out your route and locate kid-friendly hotels along the way. Check availability the day before you leave and if there are ample rooms left then you can just wing it without a reservation. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to reserve a room in advance.

If possible, stay in a hotel that offers a pool for some midway relaxation and family fun time. If you can coordinate your arrival to be around dinner time, you may all be able to enjoy a nice swim after dinner, a good night’s sleep and a nice breakfast before you hit the road.

Try to take advantage of specialty perks offered by hotels to attract families, such as kids stay free, kids eat free and free continental breakfast. This is a great money saver and if planned correctly, can even serve as a little mini-vacation before the vacation!

What are your best tips for breaks and stops during family vacation road trips? Let us know in the comments below!

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomeEverAfter.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

Welcome to our new series, Family Vacation Road Trip Planning!  If you missed last week’s installment, Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Departure Time, go read it first.  Over the next few weeks, you’ll get tried and true tips for planning the best family vacation road trip from a mom of 4.

Road Trip Kid Entertainment

I can not begin to stress the importance of investing in a portable DVD player if your vehicle is not equipped with one. These can be a lifesaver during road trips.

If you are one of those parents that does not believe in overexposure to movies, a road trip may be the time to bend the rules and make an exception. Bring a few favorite movies from home and if possible, rent some new ones that your kids haven’t seen, so they’ll keep their attention.

After rest stop play breaks, sleeping and DVD movies, there will still be idle time during a long distance road trip. It’s a good idea to fill an individual backpack for each child. Stuff it full of their favorite activities: handheld games, coloring books and crayons, stickers, toys, activity sets, etc.

If your budget allows, invest in a few new items to present to them just as they begin to reach meltdown status. With a quick trip to the dollar store you can stock up on a bunch of items to keep them entertained for under $20. Using your discretion, dispense items at different times throughout the trip. I-spy, name games and just about any activity that involves the entire family is great for keeping kids engaged and happy.

What are your favorite ways to keep kids entertained in the car during family vacation road trips? Let us know in the comments below!

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday here.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomeEverAfter.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

Welcome to our new series, Family Vacation Road Trip Planning!  Over the next few weeks, you’ll get tried and true tips for planning the best family vacation road trip from a mom of 4.

Road trips are the preferred way to travel for most families. The average family takes one or more road trips every year. Some parents welcome a road trip as quality family time, while others view it as a necessary evil to travel from one place to another!

If you take the latter position, there is a good chance that you may find your road trip more enjoyable if you follow some of the travel tips  in our family vacation road trip planning series.

Departure Time

Regardless of how far away the destination is, the goal in planning a successful road trip is to limit the amount of ‘restless’ time in the car. Children have short attention spans and get fidgety rather quickly. Activities and movies are great, but kids anxiously awaiting the arrival of their vacation will grow weary of novelties rather quickly.

For long distance road trips, it is best to leave at a time that allows for maximum sleep time for the children. Some parents like to get up before dawn and be on the highway when the sun comes up.

My personal preference on long distance road trips is to go to bed early the night before and set the alarm for 2 a.m. Packing the car full of comatose children is easier than it sounds. My children can be carried directly from bed to car without a hitch.

In the event that they do start to come to, they will be groggy and once you hit the road, the car ride should send them back to their zombie-like state. While you may be tired for the first day of your tip, it may be worth the trade off to be to make it halfway to your destination before having to stop for breakfast. Don’t forget to pack their own pillows and blankets too. 

What are your best road trip tips? Let us know in the comments below.

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday here.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomeEverAfter.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

Some important guidelines:  You’ll need to make sure you have enough clothing, medications, and personal items (toiletries) to last you one day, or until you can get them replaced.  Pack all breakables and valuable items (either monetary value or sentimental value) in your carry on so that they are never out of your possession.  This includes travel information and identification. 

If you’re traveling with children, you’ll need to anticipate any needs they might have in advance.  Do not count on a drink or snack service on a plane being timed with coincide with your child’s appetite. 

Preparing for travel can get hectic, and the stress of having to remember so many things can cause you to forget the items you really need.  It’s nice to use a checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten any important items that you’ll need in your carry on.  Use this printable carry on packing checklist as a reference, and add additional items to the list to customize for your family.

Checklist for Packing a Carry On Suitcase

Clothing

• 1 change of clothes
• 1 set of pajamas
• 1 pair of comfortable walking shoes
• 1 sweatshirt or sweater (in case you need to layer)

Electronics

• Digital camera and batteries
• Video camera and charger
• iPod or mp3 player with ear buds
• Laptop and power cord
• Portable DVD player
• Cell phones and chargers

Travel Info

• Airplane tickets, confirmation number, reservation info
• Travel itinerary
• Frequent flyer number
• Hotel address, confirmation number and reservation info
• Conference receipts, tickets, and reservation info
• Loyalty card for hotel
• Rental car reservation info
• Passport and/or visa
• Identification

Personal Items

• Extra pair of contact lenses (in case one gets lost or torn)
• Contact solution and rewetting drops
• Glasses
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hair brush, hair styling products
• Makeup for ladies
• Deodorant

Financial

• Money
• Credit cards
• Traveler’s checks

Medical

• Daily prescription meditations you take
• Allergy medicine (if any family members have food or other types of allergies)
• Vitamin/mineral supplements
• Packaged wet antibacterial wipes (you never know what you’re going to be touching)
• A copy of medical records for anyone traveling in your party with a serious health condition

Entertainment

• Magazines
• Books
• Crossword puzzle books
• Notebook or journal for writing
• Thank you cards or holiday cards to be written out, envelopes to be addressed
• Portable game systems (like Nintendo DS or Gameboys) and extra games

Valuables

• Jewelry
• Watches
• Leather coats
• Purses and wallets

For traveling with kids

• Extra diapers and wipes
• Small toys
• Books
• Coloring books and crayons or markers
• Small individually wrapped snacks, like granola bars or crackers
• Juice boxes (Because of the new liquid rules, check with TSA to see if you can take them through security. Some TSAs will allow you (at their discretion) to take liquids through if you have babies or toddlers.  If not, you may have to purchase juice boxes after going through the security checkpoint.)

The data from a new air travel survey was released yesterday from the Travel Industry Association, revealing some interesting facts. The 6 page air travel report is an eye-opening read.  I was intrigued by the information compiled in what is being called a “first of its kind”* study and it’s strong emphasis on the state of our current economy. Then the shocker hit: US Air will stop serving snacks on their flights June 1st! They stole our peanuts! What’s next? Homemaker Barbi’s resident predictor (aka my husband) forecasts that in-flight drinks will be the next to go, eliminating all drinks except water. I have to agree with his prognostication, and this is why:

The TIA’s survey showed that:“With rising fuel prices already weighing heavily on American pocketbooks, we need to find ways to encourage Americans to continue their business and leisure travel. Unfortunately, just the opposite appears to be happening.” – Roger Dow, President and CEO of TIA

• In the last year, people took 41 million fewer air trips
• As a result, the airlines lost $9.4 billion
• The vacations that didn’t happen also cost hotels $5.6 billion and restaurants $3.1 billion

The price of fuel is hurting everyone: missed vacations and business trips for people who now can’t afford to fly, the airlines losing revenue and having to cut flights, the hotels and restaurants who don’t have vacationers to patronize their establishments, and most of all – the poor souls who can actually afford to get on an airplane that now get NO PEANUTS!

Okay, just a little humor to break up the statistics. Seriously though, the small decisions we make every day have large and lasting effects. When we travel less because we can’t afford it, the travel industry makes less money. The loss in revenue for all these businesses means that they will be cutting jobs and laying off employees. Those employees who may be losing their jobs are people just like you and me, who may be barely getting by right now. Would you be prepared financially if you or your spouse suddenly became unemployed tomorrow?

It all comes back to realizing that we are all in this together. You and I do a great frugal job of spending less: we use coupons, walk to work, we stretch our dollars. These tactics are a great way to help our immediate family situation in this moment, but there are long-lasting effects on a much larger scale. Now we just need the government to figure out how to work together and solve the economic crisis of this recession as well as all of us help each other in the blogosphere to live frugally!

*quoted, TIA.com. Study only covered travel in the US. Thanks to MorgueFile for the photo.

This idea was born from our brainstorm of ways to cut down the fuel expense in our monthly budget. My husband comes home for lunch every day, and we thought packing a lunch a few days a week would eliminate the extra driving. Well, that evolved into the idea of just walking to and from work a few days a week.

So Monday morning, we got up an hour earlier. I packed Michael a lunch and a water bottle filled with HOT water to drink along the way. Michael loaded up the MP3 player with some Tony Robbins (our long-time mentor) and did his Hour of Power while he walked to work. (Not familiar with Tony Robbins? His audio program “Get the Edge” is GREAT – we’ve completed it numerous times!)

When Michael got home Monday night, he was energized, he was focused, and he was HOOKED! He has walked to and from work every day this week, and wants to continue! My husband is getting great exercise, getting alone time to focus on himself and his goals, and we’re saving! Plus he’s been early to work every day and has been more productive at work and more energetic at home!

Over 5 days this week we saved:
· the electricity from not having to plug in the car (another Alaska thing),
· the fuel from not driving (52 miles = $8.84)
· the fuel burned by idling in the morning
· the wear, tear and maintenance on the car associated with the extra miles

I forgot to mention the oil change that won’t be happening at 3 months because the car will not have been driven enough miles yet!
And… the big benefit, Michael lost 3 POUNDS this week!

Apparently, we’re not the only ones that have switched from driving to walking in the wake of the fuel price climbs. This article appeared in the Stamford, Connecticut newspaper, The Advocate, today: Officers Start Walking to Save on Gas Costs. In short, the Stamford Police Department spent $381,000 for fuel in one year and decided things had to change. Now, they are requiring police officers to “park and walk” for at least 1 hour of their shift and banning them from idling their cars.

Frugal Challenge: Think of places you and your family can walk instead of driving!

1. Clean out your car! We know keeping it clean is a good habit, but it also saves you money. Unneeded items add weight to your car, and extra weight takes extra fuel to move. Get everything out that doesn’t need to go with you (trash, clutter, hockey gear from last year). It’s 2 for 1: you get a clean, clutter-free car that is more fuel efficient!

2. Roll up your windows. Open windows at higher speeds create more drag, making your car use more fuel to drive the same speed. Use AC when driving faster, and keep the windows up. Turn off the AC and roll down the windows when driving at slow speeds around town or idling at intersections.

3. Don’t idle your car. Unless you live in Alaska like me, you can probably get away with not idling your car except at stoplights! Remember, idling = 0 (Zero) mpg!

4. Check your tire inflation once a month. Inflate to the number found in your car (on the inside of the driver’s door or in your owner’s manual), NOT to the numbers printed on your tires – those are the maximums the tires can handle, not the optimal for your car! Underinflated tires not only lower gas mileage and shorten the tires’ lifespan, but are dangerous as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, underinflated tires can cause tread separation and blowouts.

5. Remove extras on the outside of your car. Anything not being used needs to come off: luggage rack, ski rack, bike rack (and bike!).

6. Drive consistently. Driving smoothly without slamming on the brakes and quick acceleration will give you the best mileage.

7. Use cruise control. On flat roads, use the cruise. In the hills, skip it and let the natural momentum down the hill help propel you back up.

8. Drive a more fuel efficient vehicle. When it’s time to purchase your next vehicle, make sure fuel economy helps make your decision.

9. Plan your driving route ahead of time so you don’t retrace your route.

10. Switch from flags to magnets. Don’t put flags on your car- they create more drag. Opt for a magnetic ribbon instead to show your patriotism!

11. Only fill your tank half full. Gasoline weighs approximately 6 pounds per gallon. So filling a 20 gallon tank only halfway = 60 extra pounds you’re not paying to drive around!

12. Remove the snow and ice, since they add extra weight to your vehicle. Snow can weigh up to 62 pounds per cubic foot!

13. Check for the lowest fuel prices. Put GasBuddy.com on your desktop and check it before you leave the house to get fuel.

In the great fuel-cost-reduction brainstorm that happened in my house last week, a real number emerged. From the usual amount of miles we’ve been able to drive on one tank of gas, and the current prices of fuel in our town, we calculated that each mile we drive costs us 17¢. That’s right! Driving our cars = 17 Cents per Mile!

Both of our cars are compacts and relatively fuel-efficient, so while our miles cost us 17¢, many people are paying a much higher price to drive. When you look at driving in this new way, it makes you consider your destinations much more carefully. Using Google Maps to determine how far it is to drive to the places we normally go, we came up with this chart:

Armed with this knowledge, every time I want to leave the house now, I automatically think of how much it will cost to drive to where I am going. For example, I know that dropping and picking up my daughter from school each day is 18.4 miles, and costs our family $15.60 a week. Wow!

While we can’t skip driving to and from school, we can make better choices with how we group our errands together and where we choose to go. We’re even considering switching to banks and other businesses that are closer to our home.

Frugal Challenge: Calculate how much it costs YOU to drive with your primary vehicle. Can you find businesses to use that are closer to home?

11 Ways to Save Money on Hotel Costs

1. Don’t travel during peak times (Spring Break, holidays, during convention times in certain cities).

2. Ask for Discounts: Check online booking companies such as Hotels.com, Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz and Priceline for prices. Then call the hotel directly and ask them for a discounted rate. Find out if they offer discounts for membership with AAA, AARP, corporate, military, or Sam’s Club.

3. Amenities: When choosing your hotels, look for hotel amenities that will serve as free entertainment (swimming pools, fitness rooms, basketball courts, tennis courts). If your kids like to do those things anyway, it will keep them occupied when the thought of heading to one more mall or museum for the day makes you cringe!

4. Kids Stay Free: Some hotels charge extra for extra people in the room. Look for a hotel with a “kids stay free” deal, or ask your hotel for a comparable deal.

5. Cash Discount: Some smaller hotels will offer you discounted rates if you pay up front in cash.

6. Check-in Day: Research the price difference for your hotel between checking in on Friday and Monday. You may get a better price by checking in Monday to avoid the busy weekend vacationers (when prices are higher).

7. Free Parking: Look for hotels that offer free parking if you plan on having a rental car.

8. Coupon Codes: Search online for coupon codes for your selected hotels. It could take 10- 20% off your online purchase price!

9. Consider Hotel Package Deals: They may have packages which bundle discounted attractions at the hotel or coupons for their restaurants.

10. Kitchenettes/Refrigerators: Especially if you are traveling with children, having a kitchenette where you can keep snacks and prepare quick meals (such as PB&Js) will save you from having to go out every time someone is hungry. Bring along snacks or get some quick food items from a local store to keep in the room’s refrigerator. Don’t forget the drinks (juice boxes, soda, bottled water): The in-room provisions can be expensive and vending machines are no better. Having a refrigerator in-room definitely saves on money!

11. Beware Phone Charges: Most hotels charge to use the phone in your room. Ask what the phone charges are when you check in. For a quick discount, use the payphone instead! If you’re going to be calling long distance, bring along a prepaid phone calling card.

So what has this got to do with hotels? Everything! According to the Wall Street Journal today, the hotel industry is also facing a slump. In its article Hotels Face a Reality Checkout, the WSJ talks about two reports which project hotel revenue will drop throughout 2008 and 2009.

MOST importantly: Ask them for a guarantee of the discounted price in writing. This means that they won’t change the price on you after making this verbal deal (just in case business starts looking up!). Some hotels will require you to pay for your room in advance to secure the discount, or at least hold it with your credit card (pretty standard). Ask and you shall receive!

What does this mean to frugal travelers like us? It means now is a GREAT time to book your vacation! The uncertainty around the recession has a lot of businesses fearful that their low revenues will continue to drop, making it the best time to ask for discounts.

When booking travel, check the online booking services first so that you have prices for comparison. However, call the hotel directly to negotiate and book your stay. Ask for a lower rate, and talk to a manager if the reservations person doesn’t have authority to change prices (although they usually do). Explain that you would like to stay at their hotel for whatever reason (closest to your vacation spot, good experience there in the past, etc.) but that the current prices put it just out of your budget. Ask for a discounted rate or name your price and see if they accept.

Not traveling for a while? That’s okay. As long as you have the guarantee on the rate, you should take advantage of the hotel industry’s slump right now to book your vacations for a little later.  What if the hotel won’t lower the price? Be pleasant, tell them good day, and call the next hotel on your list!

We live in Alaska and only have one garage available. My car usually goes in the garage and hubby’s goes outside. He has to start his and let it idle for about 10 minutes before leaving for work so the engine warms up enough to drive. (The joys of living in subzero temperatures!) Using the garage allows us to only have to idle one car, so that is a good start.

Our brainstorm produced these revelations specific to our lifestyle. Maybe some of these tips can help you find new ways to cut down on fuel consumption too:

#1 Take Advantage of the Garage
On days when I am not leaving the house, I can put my car outside and hubby will take the garage, saving hubby’s car idling time before work.

#2 Limit Your Driving on a Need-Only Basis
We can’t cut down on driving places like to and from school (every-other week custody equals no access to the school bus! *cry*), but I can be more diligent about how many places we’re going. Do I really need to check the post office every day?

#3 Plan Your Route and Group Together Errands
If possible, group the errands you have by days and where you have to be. I had 2 errands to do yesterday which were very close to the library, so I returned the rentals to the library during that outing. I also needed to check the post office, which was on the other side of town. I had prescriptions that wouldn’t be ready until Tuesday, so I held off on the drive to the post office until Tuesday, when I could group the pharmacy and post office errands together.

If possible, try to make your route a giant circle which will take you to the places you need to go in order, ending you up back home without re-tracing your path. My husband got really good at that last summer during garage sale season! By planning trips around location and making sure you drive in the most direct manner, you can keep from driving a lot of unnecessary miles.

#4 Find Places Closer to Home
We have done a great frugal job as a family of ditching movie rentals and using our local library for media! However, the library is 3.1 driving miles away from our house, one-way. Media rentals are only for 7 days, which means we have to drive 6.2 miles round trip at least once a week to take out and return DVDs. That seemed like a lot of extra miles, but we didn’t want to cut out our great source of free entertainment.

The solution? There is no library closer to our house, but there is one at the college right next to my husband’s work building! We had never thought of it before, but having my husband do the pickup and return of DVDs at that library since he’s already there every day was a revelation! It started us thinking about what other things we could change so that our normal destinations are closer to home. Some places to possibly switch: grocery stores, banks, post offices, video stores, you get the idea.

All in all, we were able to find ways to cut our relatively low fuel consumption even further. Get creative and change your driving habits to help cut down on unnecessary driving and fuel expenses!

While we can understand the airline industry’s desire to cut costs, we can still make an effort to keep our costs of travel from rising. Thankfully, our organizing skills come into play to keep us packed in as few bags as possible with these great packing tips!

Quick Tips for Packing More Efficiently:

Tip #1: Pack Your Samples!
Don’t take full-size products if you don’t have to! If you’re a freebie collector like me, you have tons of trial sizes for your shampoos and conditioners, baby care, pain relievers, etc. They don’t take up much space and they fit into TSA’s rules for flying with liquids. But best of all, after you use them, you can throw away the empty packages and have less items to pack for the trip back home!

Tip #2: Roll Your Clothes
We’ve all heard that rolling the clothing in your suitcase takes less space, and it seems to be true. An added bonus: rolled clothing unpacks at your destination with much less wrinkling and creasing!

Tip #3: Take Clothes that Mix and Match
Instead of taking complete outfits, take tops and bottoms that can coordinate to form several days’ worth of outfits. Solid colored t-shirts, basic jeans, or khaki pants are great outfit builders. Plus, you’ll end up with fewer clothing items in your bags.

Tip #4: Diapers Provide Extra Space
If you’re traveling with a disposable diaper or pull-up wearer, don’t worry about leaving extra space in your luggage to bring back purchases. As the diapers are used up, they provide the space you need! Make sure you calculate your per-day diaper use pretty closely so you don’t end up bring home a lot of extras.

Next, you’ll want to print out our checklist for how to pack a carry on suitcase.