Newsletter--Aug. `03

In this issue:

I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE
II. RESULTS OF THE SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL SURVEY
III. BOOK SIGNINGS
IV. INTERNET TRAVEL DEALS by Peter Koza
V. YELLOWSTONE & GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARKS
VI. MEETING SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES
VII. UNCOVERED - SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL SPECIALS
VIII. LEGAL ISSUES
IX. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE

Dear Readers,

We are very excited about the Beaches/Jamaica trip at the end of this month. Approximately 20 people will be in our SingleParentTours.com group. Beaches has done a fine job of arranging special activities for single parent families. Highlights include: A singles' party (Margaritaville) on Monday night, a single parent and child cocktail party on Tuesday night, and on Thursday the kids will go to their own movie night, while the parents mingle together. Friday, I will be signing books by the pool from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30p.m., and at 3:30pm will conduct a seminar on family and single parent travel. That night, we will have a dinner together as a group. I can't wait to see you there!

For those who are on the fence about going to Jamaica, now is your last chance!! Read all about the trip at http://www.SingleParentTours.com or call 877-GOGO-SPT. Remember, in addition to the special single parent family activities, the single supplement has been waived!!!

We hope to see you there.

I am currently finalizing my fall book-signing schedule. (See Section III Book signings) If any of you have single parents groups in the NJ/Philadelphia/New York City area and would like to host a book signing, please let me know ASAP!

In Section V is a write-up on my July vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. As odd as it may sound, now is the time to start your research if you plan to visit a major national park next summer. In-park lodging reservations often sell out as early as six months in advance for peak summer dates. While air travel in general was down this summer, visits to national parks were up 8%.

Happy Trails!

GlobalBrenda

II. RESULTS OF THE SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL SURVEY

This past spring, we held our second single parent travel survey. A big thanks to those who responded! Here are the results. WHO YOU ARE This year we had 788 respondents, the majority of whom are single parents (97%) and female (90%.) Eighty-one percent of respondents were the custodial parent to their children while 17% are sharing custody. Thirty- and forty-somethings abound, over 80% responded that they were in this age group.

Continue this at:

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Survey/Results03_2.htm

III. BOOK SIGNINGS

GlobalBrenda will be speaking on single parent travel and signing her book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook" in quite a few places in the upcoming months. Attendees will be entered to win a trip to Beaches Boscobel in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. To see the latest list, click here:

Friday, August 29...

1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Beaches Boscobel Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Poolside
Contact 877-GOGO-SPT to make a reservation
http://www.SingleParentTours.com

Saturday, September 13...

11:00 a.m.
The Town Book Store
255 East Broad St.
Westfield, NJ
908-233-3535

2:00 p.m. The Town Book Store
97A Baker Street
Maplewood, NJ
973-763-4225

Wednesday, October 15...

7:00 p.m.
Secaucus Public Library
1379 Paterson Plank Road
Secaucus, NJ 07094
(The Mayor of Secaucus will be attending.)
201-330-2084
http://www.bccls.org/secaucus/

Sunday, October 19...

3:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Marlton
200 West Route 70
Marlton, NJ 08053
856-596-7058

IV. INTERNET TRAVEL DEALS

Peter Koza, one of the story contributors to "The Single Parent Travel Handbook", sent us information about a great way for single parents to save money while traveling!

"Some deals sound just too good to be true, especially when it comes to the Internet. But recently, I have discovered that you can get real deals for restaurant gift certificates on eBay for sale by a company called Restaurant.com. They are promotions from the restaurant and generally go for deep discount. Most are $25 certificates that sell at auction for anywhere between the initial bid of $1.00 and about half their face value. The more popular restaurants, particularly in the larger cities, can go for more than half the face value. They can be had for almost every state in the country. Some have restrictions for the day of the week, time of day, and / or party size, but most are unrestricted. Any restrictions tend to reduce the selling price. For example, I regularly travel to Kentucky to see my twins. The coupons for the restaurants that have a minimum party size of 4 people are no use to us, but they seem to go for just a few dollars."

You can continue this story at: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/Rest.htm

V. YELLOWSTONE and GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARKS

Yellowstone - America's first national park! If you are interested in viewing wildlife up close and personal, with a backdrop of woodlands, scenic vistas or spouting geysers, you have come to the right place. Yellowstone National Park is so vast (the drive is about three hours from the northern to the southern border) that you need several days in the park just to cover the highlights. The road system loops around the park like a figure 8 so it is easy and convenient to visit the four major areas of the park.

GEYSER AREA

In the southwest corner of the park is the geyser area, that contains the beautiful and famous Old Faithful Inn, overlooking the world's most famous geyser. The Old Faithful complex offers accommodations at the Inn, the Snow Lodge, and cabins at the Old Faithful Lodge. No matter where you stay in the park you should visit the magnificent lobby of the Old Faithful Inn and have a cold drink out on the upper deck while you play cards and wait for Old Faithful geyser to explode in all its glory. If you plan to have dinner at the Inn, you should reserve this weeks or months ahead

You can continue this story at: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/Yellowstone.htm

VI. MEETING OTHER SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES

BelleChris and wrldtrvl are two single parents discussing going to Disney over Thanksgiving. You can see their thread at: http://pub15.ezboard.com/fsingleparenttravelfrm1.showMessage? topicID=22.topic

rekha, a single mum from West London recently posted on the boards. http://pub15.ezboard.com/fsingleparenttravelfrm13.showMessage? topicID=1.topic

To view the boards, click below http://www.singleparenttravel.net/BBoards/index.htm

VII. UNCOVERED - SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL SPECIALS

Single Parent Special #1 - Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Lake Buena Vista

For those who love to go to Disney World, FL, you will be happy to know that at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort kids 18 and under stay free when accompanied by only ONE adult. Plus, the resort has super groovy kids' suites, which are themed rooms inside the hotel room. (They are partitioned off for the kids). They have a wonderful Web site where you can see illustrations and photos of these rooms. Click here http://www.kidsuites.com . Rates start at $59.99 for their low season (Aug., Sep., Oct. and Nov.). Call 800-366-6299 to book, or do it off their Web site.

Single Parent Travel Special #2 - Palace Resorts, Cancun & Riviera Maya

From June 1 to August 31 Kids aged 4-12 stay free at Palace's resorts with only ONE paying adult. Also, Palace resorts INCLUDES the tour packages in with their all-inclusive rates with no additional supplement for the kiddies! Visit http://www.PalaceResorts.com or call 800-635-1836. Rates start at $253/night. (GlobalBrenda recommends the Mayan Riviera as a great single parent destination. A write-up on the area is included in her book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook.")

Single Parent Travel Special #3 - Our Hearts Inn, Old Colorado City, CO

Our Hearts Inn offers a special discount to single parents traveling children during the off-season (November through April). Many of the local attractions are still open. The Inn offers a rental vacation home with a full kitchen to single parents for $350 weekly. The Inn is 5 minutes from Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs and its proprietors, Andy and Pat, met at a Single Parents function and have been together for over 15 years. Call them at 1.800.533.7095 or go to their Web site at www.inn-colorado-springs.com .

We list all single parent family-friendly specials that come across our desk at http://www.SingleParentTravel.net/Specials/. Please check the listing for additional programs.

VIII. LEGAL ISSUES

In the past month we have received a number of inquiries posing legal questions that should be answered by an attorney. We list those concerns below in the hope that other single parents on this list have been in the situations described below and can perhaps offer some advice. Also, if any of you know of an attorney that would like to partner with us to answer these questions as they arise, we would love to speak to him or her. Just e-mail me at Brenda@SingleParentTravel.net. (Please note that custody laws different from state to state.)

Our research has come across two articles available on The Carson Law Firm's Web site and are related to these concerns. The Carson Law Firm is a Family Law Practice in St. Louis, MO.

Mom Couldn't Withhold Consent To Passport
http://www.thecarsonlawfirm.com/mom_couldn% 27t_withhold_consent_to_passport.htm

Common Sense Tips for Families Facing Potential Parental Abduction
http://www.thecarsonlawfirm.com/tips_for_families_at_risk_for_parental _abduction.htm

Q: I have sole legal custody of my 2 children. Recent battle w/ex- spouse over child support led to his self-imposed 13-month estrangement from the kids. He recently got back in touch w/them. He frequently travels outside the US and his spouse is native Brazilian & her entire family still in Brazil. He has the children's passports & refuses to return them to me. How can I get their passports or flag that I don't want him to take them out of the U.S. without telling me? He has done this before. - B.T.

Q: I am a single mom of 4-yr-old boy, divorced since last year. My ex still gives me a hard time. He was paying child support, with arrears then filed for modification to reduce child support. Then he was fired from working with his own father (convenience store). He filed for unemployment and was penalized for 9 weeks, I don't know the reason. So, I have not received any child support. I am asking him to sign the application for a Passport for my son, so I can take him to visit my parents in Thailand who have never met my son. (I forgot to mention that I came from Thailand in 1996). He refused.

Every time he has problems, he runs to me and asks to compromise. He asked me if we could agree about visitation, since he has my son 2 days a week and he plans to get a job as a merchant marine, which he has to be away for at least 9 months in the beginning of its course. I said ok. I asked him just to give me 2-week notice before he is in town and would take our son for a day or two. Then I have consulted with my attorney and made up a few different agreements, expecting that he would sign but he has refused to sign them all. I have wasted so much money that I feel like I am being used. And for some reasons, I am not sure if my attorney has been giving me the best help. What do you suggest me to start doing? I cannot afford much for attorney fees. I don't know who else I can turn to and ask questions. I cannot understand why Law is separated from living in real life.

Q: Hi Brenda, My young daughter (age 6) has a passport that will expire next spring (I obtained it when she was 2). Her father is not a cooperative parent, and will probably not sign the passport renewal papers for her (I've already asked, and gotten no response, which is typical). Is there ANY WAY I can get my daughter's passport renewed without his consent? Unfortunately, even though, in reality, I have full custody, on paper I do not. Am I just stuck?- D.C.

Q: My wife walked out of our marital residence on October 5, 2002 with my minor daughter aged 13 at that time. She went to live with her sister who is married to my brother. In fact my wife took this action upon total interference from my sister-in-law and her family including her parents.

In Dec 2002 - Jan 2003 my daughter traveled to Texas with her mother, uncle & aunt without any consent from me. Now she is traveling to Florida with her uncle and aunt and my wife is not traveling with them. In neither case did they obtain my consent.

Can you please advise me if I have a legal recourse? What are the penalties involved for persons traveling with other person's minor child without any consent? Shall appreciate your quick response. - PS

VIII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

Q: I am diversifying my business to include work in Europe and need to brush up on my French. I am interested in going to France and partake in an "ulpan" type of situation. I would be so appreciative of any ideas you may have or avenues to look for it. Small town France, home placement, Alliance Francaise type organization with consideration for me having a 3 year old. - N.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: First of all, start off with the French Tourism Board. Call or visit them and ask them your questions. Here is the contact information: http://www.franceguide.com/contact.asp?z1=c7o36UmYshnDDdxxlJ62NVwJ

Second, visit their Web site. Here is the address: http://www.franceguide.com/home.asp?m1=9

Now for some other suggestions: The Alliance Francaise is a very good school. My ex (the father of my children) took their 6-week course in Paris which jet boosted his French. I was home working and pregnant with our first child, Monique, and he was between jobs so that was my Christmas present to him. I later joined him in Chamonix for a one-week ski vacation.

Another organization to contact is World Learning, formerly known as The Experiment in International Living. I spent a summer living with a French speaking family in Switzerland during my college days with the Experiment. They offer many programs and probably can steer you to other sources as well. Here is the site: http://www.worldlearning.org/

Q: I am planning a trip to Virginia beach-my children are ages 12,11 and 5--my sister just moved there but is 2 hrs away from VA beach--we would drive from NJ. We would also like to go to Kings Dominion (amusement park) and discounts for me and kids?--would like to travel end of August possibly first week of Sept.- G.P.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: Your vacation sounds great! Virginia is a wonderful state. Virginia Beach and Kings Dominion are popular favorites. May I also suggest Williamsburg, which is in the general area. Another popular and interesting stop would be Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson or, just outside of DC is Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington.

For discount coupons and further information, I suggest you contact the Virginia Board of Tourism. Here is the contact info: http://www.towd.com/search.cgi?USA%2FVirginia

If you are looking for ideas to save money and have fun on your trip, may I suggest purchasing a copy of my book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook." It also includes the ONLY listing worldwide of US travel agents who specialize in single parent travel. Here's the order page:

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/book/index.htm

K.M. writes, "Brenda--I recently returned from the Riviera Maya in Mexico with my two children, ages 18 and 20. The information you provided in the book and via email was extremely helpful. It was a perfect place for all and I would highly recommend this area. Thanks so much."

Q: I am looking into a Club Med/or an all-inclusive beach resort vacation in the DR, Caribbean or preferably, Punta Cana for myself and my two boys 8 & 11. I would appreciate any info on club reviews or recommendations where to go. Kids clubs and organized activities are a must. Also, how can I post for a travel buddy with children to meet with? - B.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: You can post a notice for a travel buddy on my Web site, www.singleparenttravel.net. Two other Web sites are www.frommers.com and the thorntree section of www.lonelyplanet.com. The latter two are not single parent family oriented but they may get you some interesting responses. It is worth a try.

Club Med is always a good choice for single parent families, as are many all-inclusive resorts such as those in Punta Cana. Apple Vacations has a huge selection of destinations and departures - check out their Web site - www.applevacations.com - but you must book through a travel agent.

Also, we are offering a Single Parent special to Beaches Boscobel, an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. The single supplement has been waived, there are special activities for single parent families and during the last week of August, we are hosting a tour group of about 10 single parent families at Beaches' Boscobel property. Call 877- GOGO-SPT or go to: http://www.singleparenttours.com/

In a follow up to a reader's question about Spain, one of our readers gave us some wonderful suggestions: "I love Spain and have yet to discover Portugal. Remember that Spain is VERY LARGE, so choosing two places at opposite ends of it is not a terribly good idea. If your subscriber really wants to go to Alicante, they could have their big-city experience nearby, somewhere like Sevilla (surely the most beautiful great city in all the world), Cordoba or Granada -- there is no limit to my enthusiasm for each of these three places. Alternatively, if they are determined to see Barcelona (I've never been but have heard great things about it) they could consider one of the many beach resorts that are nearby, instead of Alicante.

Remember that Spain has just about the most dangerous roads to be found in Europe, while public transport is excellent and highly affordable. Unless they are really sure that they want to stay somewhere that is not served by public transport, I suggest that they forget the car for this trip -- both for safety reasons and for the more intimate contact with local people that public transport offers. Incidentally, Alicante is not too far from the Cazorla National Park, which is incredible. It is the kind of place where you really want a car, since the bus connections to get up there are kind of strange. However, most of the park is closed to private vehicles so once you are there you have no option but to take a guided tour.

Q: I am a single mom of one 5 (soon to be 6 yr old) daughter. I am very interested in taking her to Disneyland however am unsure if she will enjoy herself. She loves cartoons, knows all the names of the Princesses and is very interested in Cinderella's Castle but for some reason I have always thought of Disneyland as being a trip for when the kids are older and will be better able to enjoy themselves. As it's a big park I have always assumed it would be too much stimulation, too many things to look at, to see and to do and therefore I would end up with a whiny, tired child who really didn't have all that much fun at the end of the day. I have also been concerned with the horrendous wait times I have heard are the norm for the rides in the park. Being on a tight budget has constricted my hopes for the trip as well. T

Thankfully I have a relative that lives close by the park that has offered us a place to stay and can actually get us into the park for free so I really only need to worry about how to come up with the funds to get us to Los Angeles and any spending money for the trip. I know you can't help with that aspect of the trip but wondered if you had any ideas regarding the rest of the trip and whether or not you have some suggestions of fun and exciting to both a 25 and a 5 yr old as places we could go to for little to no $$$? We live in Northern California, Chico to be exact. I would appreciate any input you may have! - T.M.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: Thank you for writing. I have three recommendations for you:

1) Take your child and do not think twice about having anything less than a great time. If you plan well and scale activities down to child sized bites both of you will have a wonderful time. I took my daughter to Disneyland when she was 3. However it was off-season so there were no long lines. To combat the long lines, read suggestions 2 and 3.

2) Buy a copy of "Steven Birnbaum's Official Guide to Disneyland." I am not familiar with this book but I have used his guide to Disneyworld and it is indispensable. It tells you what rides to take at what time to avoid the crowds. After reading the book, type up or handwrite an itinerary. My book tells you how to do this.

3) Buy a copy of my new book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook." which explains how to plan a fun-filled trip, stay within budget, and prepare a trip appropriate for adult and child. You can order it online or at any bookstore. Have a blast and say hi to Donald Duck for me. He was always my favorite.

Q: I am a single mom of an almost 4 year old and I haven't had a vacation in almost 5 years. I work very full time and it's time for us to go on vacation before I totally burn out on everything. I have been looking and researching online, by word of mouth and friends for various ideas but, I'm stuck. I have some great options in Hawaii for the end of August, but it's a pretty remote place. My funds are limited. What do you think about going to Kauai, North shore, staying in a tiny cottage near the beach in paradise? I'm going alone with my son, maybe with my elderly mother. Do you have suggestions? Thank you in advance for any advice etc.- L.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: You have come to the right place. I have oodles of suggestions and they literally fill a book. I strongly, I repeat, STRONGLY recommend you order a copy of my new book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook." It was written exactly for people like you. You may order it off my Web site and you will have it in your hands in a few days' time. The book is informative and entertaining with suggestions on how to plan a fabulous trip on shoestring budget and also includes many destination suggestions. It also tells you how to plan a trip that reduces the stress on you as a single parent. I know. I traveled all over the world with my kids for 18 years and had a very responsible, stressful job. Here is the order page: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/book/index.htm

In the meantime there is a short write up on Hawaii on my Web site. Hawaii, along with many other single-parent-family friendly destinations, is written up in my book in a much more comprehensive fashion. Here is the Web page on Hawaii: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/Hawaii.htm

I think it is great you are bringing along your mom. The three of you will have a wonderful time. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know. I think you will find the book an enormous help. It talks about things you might not have thought of, as a first time single parent family traveler.

Q: Are you aware of anything else comparable to Club Getaway for the week of August 18, 2003 (could be for less than a week)? They are currently booked and I am on their waiting list keeping my fingers crossed. This will be my first week with my 3 girls and I am in need of reasonably priced options. Their ages are 11, 6 and 2. We are from the Philadelphia area. Any help would be appreciated. - S.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: Thanks for letting me know your area and your kid's ages. That helps. I presume you want a driving trip rather than fly/drive. I have 3 suggestions:

1) The Jersey Shore. Ocean City is an ideal family resort and is our family's favorite. However this has been a banner year for shore resorts because people have not been traveling outside the country due to the war.

2) The Catskills. There may be some bargains here. You will have to do a Web search.

3) Upstate New York. My new book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook," has an extensive write up on this delightful area including Cooperstown, Erie Canal Village and as far west as Niagara Falls.

You could also consider Lancaster and Hershey Park but that can be a tiring trip for a 2 yr old.

In response to a previous newsletter, K. adds, "Just wanted to supplement your comment regarding San Diego. My friends recently when to Lego Land there and absolutely loved it. Everything made from Legos and a kids heaven." Check out Legoland California's Web site at www.legolandca.com/