Who Else Wants To Know the Mystery behind the Summer Vacation?

One of the best parts of the summer is packing up and taking the kids on a much-needed family vacation. However, planning for a big trip can sometimes pose a challenge. With unpredictable weather patterns, fluctuating gas prices and increasing costs, Americans nationwide are concerned about getting away.

Want to know the mystery behind taking a summer vacation without the stress, anxiety and making sure the whole family is happy?

Can that summer vacation really be stress-free? “It really can,” said travel expert and lifestyle guru Amy Goodman. “I’m in the midst of planning my own. I believe if you plan in advance, get the family involved in planning different aspects of the trip so they can take ownership and feel like they are involved it can really build excitement and make everybody really excited about the vacation. So yes it can be stress-free.”

Want to take that much needed vacation but worried about finding a deal on great accommodations that fit your needs? “The deals are rolling out during the summer time so that you can take advantage of those and Booking.com did some research to find out how most Americans are relaxed when on vacation and discovered that over half of Americans really appreciate interior design and that helps them feel relaxed when their booking their accommodations,” said Goodman. When searching for your accommodation – whether through the website or mobile app – you have access to real and up-to-date reviews from over 4.3 million guests who’ve stayed at the properties to ensure that you end up in an accommodation with key design elements like natural light and modern furniture. With more than one million unique places to stay across every budget - from five-star hotels to villas, apartments, farmhouses, chateaux, houses and more, you’ll always find the accommodation to perfectly suite your décor tastes.

“There are a lot of unexpected surprises during summer vacation travel hopefully more good than bad. But with Allianz Travel Insurance you can rest assured that can really help and make your vacation a more carefree one”, notes Goodman. “We have entered hurricane season now through November and you want to make sure you have the right travel insurance policy to make your travels a good safe one and this may reimburse your prepaid non-refundable travel expenses if you have to cancel or it can also reimburse additional expenses to help that you do incur so you return safely home.”

“When you’re hitting that open road you want to take advantage of some fabulous eats and shopping experiences and you can do so at Cracker Barrel,” said Goodman. “They have an iconic one stop shop which has great shopping and unique finds and really delicious southern eats which are impeccable when you’re hitting the open road.” Southern flavors available now, including new items like the Smoky Beef Brisket Breakfast, BBQ Pork, Roasted Sweet Glazed Chicken, and even a S’mores Latte – it’s their awesome twist on the classic camping dessert, along with fan-favorites from years past, such as Campfire Beef and its S’more dessert. Stop by for a great meal going through July 15th! So make those travel plans now!

“Before you hit that open road you want to make sure you check out your tires, the tire pressure, the tread and make sure you have a great set of tires to get you safely on your journey including the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT,” adds Goodman. “This set of tires is a grand touring tire which is great summer travel.” The tires are great choice because it provides remarkable tread life, super-smooth handling and a hush-quiet ride. Plus, this tire has exceptional performance in wet and wintry conditions that will give you year-round confidence on all road conditions. It comes in 54 sizes, is designed for luxury sports sedans and coupes, as well as mainstream passenger cars in sizes ranging from 15 inches to 20 inches. And all sizes are offered with a 65,000-mile tread life warranty. And remember, before you start your trip, take five minutes to check your tire pressure and tread depth. A tire that’s underinflated will affect your drive and the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. And for gauging tread depth, place a penny upside down into a tread groove. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, your tire’s tread has worn down to the legal limit and you need to buy new tires.

Some of Amy’s tips include:

• Get organized: Planning a fun and successful trip means, setting a budget, researching, and booking early! Shop around to find transportation and accommodations that suit your needs and your budget.

• Travel Bingo: DIY your own travel bingo cards personalized for road travel, air travel or for the destination/sites you are seeing. Laminate so they can be used multiple times with washable markers.
• Be Prepared: Pack an entire outfit of ultra-light clothing for each child: undergarments, shirt, pants in a sealable plastic bag. Make sure this is easily reachable in your carry-on bag in the event of a spill.

For more information visit betterstuffforlife.com

MORE ABOUT AMY GOODMAN:

Amy E. Goodman is a nationally recognized media maven and frequent lifestyle contributor on the airwaves including the Today show, Rachael Ray, Wendy Williams, The Talk, The View, ET! to name but a few. She’s deftly tackled travel reportage, whether celebrity hot spots for In Style magazine and destination weddings and honeymoon reporting for In Style Weddings, to the best of regional and coastal destinations for Southern Living and Coastal Living respectively. She was the host for Washington Flyer TV, where she created monthly installments about regional and worldly travel for a metropolitan D.C. audience and its global visitors. On air, she continues to share everything from the best deals on cruises, to the most desired hotel escapes and even the hottest trends in resort wear, with tips for business and budget travelers and family vacationers alike. This über-busy working mom cherishes her two kiddos and has a strict policy of keeping it real: e.g., chucking any notion of “balance” out the window and taking conference calls in carpool. Amy practices yoga and is a classically trained Japanese dancer and tea ceremony student. She cultivates an herb garden, makes a wicked guacamole, adores travel and treasures home-cooked meals with friends. Amy is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Phi Beta Kappa, a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In 2013, she received the Savor the Success TV Personality of the Year Award and The Women’s Center Leadership Award in that same year. She is a proud member of the Asian-American Journalists Association and Distinguished Young Women’s Alumnae Council, and a past board member for bothHealthyWomen.org and her local Mom’s Club. A native of Santa Rosa, CA, she currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area, with her husband and two children.

Courtesy of: Booking.com, Allianz, Yokohama, and Cracker Barrel

Photo Courtesy: M.Cheng CCO-By-SA-1.0 from Good Free Photos