Welcome to the August 2005 edition of SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL e-zines - a continuing series of monthly newsletters created for the community of single adults who travel alone with kids.

To sign up for our newsletter go to http://www.SingleParentTravel.net. Forward this newsletter to a friend!

In this issue:

I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE
II. SINGLE PARENT TOURS
III. WHY TAKE AN ALASKA CRUISE? By John Metcalfe
IV. SINGLE PARENT FAMILY FRIENDLY SPECIALS
V. MEETING OTHER SINGLE PARENTS
VI. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

I. GLOBALBRENDA'S MESSAGE

Dear Readers,

If you have visited our Web site lately, you will note that we have revamped the style and form of the site. We also have folded in the Single Parent Tours Web site into Single Parent Travel so it is now all in one. In the process of changing platforms, we ran into a snag with new sign-ups for the newsletter. If you signed up directly on the home page of the site, no problem. If you signed up from a pop- up, we are running behind in loading on those sign-ups due to a computer glitch that we expect to resolve shortly..

We are happy to announce that, in response to your requests, we have partnered with a web site to offer a dating site through SingleParentTravel.net! This partnership is not perfect. We would love to have found a wonderful dating site to partner with, that had only single parents registered on it across the U.S. and Canada. No such site exists, so we did the next best thing: a web site with plenty of people (single parents and others) across the nation AND an ability to search only those who have signed up through http://www.SingleParentTravel.net.

Further, this site does not require a monthly fee for subscription. Instead you buy credits and you can use them whenever you like. To register (you can sign up for FREE!!) Go to: http://personals.singleparenttravel.net/. We have already had numerous responses to our new dating site.

Single Parent Tours has had a lot of publicity this summer. I have been a guest on numerous national and local radio shows, there have been articles in local newspapers and this Sunday's NY Times featured a large article on non-traditional travel and Single Parent Tours. A color photo of Linda Peduto and her son riding a horse during our Jamaica trip last year, was prominently featured at the beginning of the article. Linda and her son have attended both our Beaches Boscobel program as well as one of our Rocking Horse Ranch weekends. Linda, please email me your updated address and I will send you a copy of the article. We have 40 people (17 families) heading for Jamaica this week. For the third year in a row, the trip has sold out! For more details on up and coming trips by Single Parent Tours, please read section II below.

Our feature article this month is by John Metcalfe, the Webmaster for A to Z Cruises, which is the No 1 resource for Alaska Cruise related Information on the Internet. His Web page is listed at the end of the article in Section III. "Why Book an Alaska Cruise?" is a very timely article. Aha, I bet you are saying to yourself what is Brenda talking about? We are barely through the summer! Precisely. This is the best time to book an Alaska cruise for next summer, or, at the very least, to start your research. The Alaska cruise ships will start filling up nine months before departure so this is the perfect time. Alaska has become a very popular destination for many travelers, young and old alike. With global warming proceeding at a rapid pace in our northernmost state, travelers are eager to see Alaska before it "melts away" Of course I am joking, but the Alaskan park rangers will agree that Alaska is now a living example of planetary changes at high speed.

As you all know from my previous announcement, I now work as Director of Latin America Operations for Maxim Tours, a boutique tour operator specializing in Latin America and Africa. As part of my job, I spent the last 10 days of July in Patagonia, inspecting hotels and squeezing in as many excursions as possible. I spent every other day on an airplane and was exhausted when I returned, but the trip was a most successful inspection tour. Due to reverse seasons, I was able to get in some dog sledding, which was great fun! The dogs are swift but they bump into each other and clown around and pass wind while running so it was quite an experience. For those of you who are geographically challenged, Patagonia is the southern third of Chile and Argentina. The terrain ranges from volcanoes and mountains in the north to barren land and incredible sea life in the center to glaciers and penguins in the south. I will write about Patagonia in the September edition of my newsletter. Yes, Patagonia is an expensive trip for single parent families, but its history, culture and scenery is fascinating and the next newsletter should provide educational and interesting reading, even if you cannot afford the journey.

Happy Trails!
GlobalBrenda

II. SINGLE PARENT TOURS

BEACHES HOTELS We have 40 people (17 families) traveling this week to Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica. For the third year in a row, we have a sold out week! We had several families book our July trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos.

ROCKING HORSE RANCH RESORT We have 2 weekends posted on our site - one in late November of 2005 and one in April 2006. This is our third year with Rocking Horse and all the weekends sell out in advance. So please make your reservations early. These weekends are a lot of fun for everyone.

2006 PROGRAM: We have a summer cruise scheduled and will run at least one summer Caribbean trip. We also are finalizing negotiations for an April weekend with a resort hotel just south of Washington DC. We are also looking at a one week summer 2006 trip to Guatemala and/or Costa Rica, as well as a possible African safari. More details will follow in our next newsletter. For further information on our tours, check our Web site www.singleparenttravel.net or call 877 GOGO SPT and ask for Lynda or Janet.

III. WHY TAKE AN ALASKA CRUISE? By John Metcalfe

The Alaska cruise is a breathtaking adventure that you'll never forget. Giant snow-capped mountains, sparkling glaciers, thick pine forests rising up from the Shoreline and abundant wildlife vie for your attention in this dramatic landscape. Towns and villages brimming with history tell a story of the Great Land that will endear Alaska to you forever.

An Alaska cruise typically departs from Seattle in Washington State or from Vancouver in British Columbia. Winters are very harsh in Alaska, so the main cruising season is confined to the summer months, typically between May and September.

The most popular Alaska cruise route takes passengers on a one week round-trip up the Alaskan coastline and through the Inside Passage. This route takes in the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka in the extreme southeast of Alaska. Other cruise routes run to Prince William Sound near the city of Anchorage, and also along the Alaska Peninsula and into the Bering Sea. These longer cruises are often one- way, requiring passengers to make their return journey by train or plane.

Ketchikan is well worth a visit alone for the Tongass National Forest - the most northerly rainforest on the North American continent. It is more than eight times the size of the Yellowstone National Park, and offers the ultimate in adventure tours where you'll find rich salmon runs and grizzly bears. Ketchikan is also home to the world's largest collection of totem poles.

These can be found at the Totem Heritage Center Museum. Juneau, often known as 'little San Francisco', is Alaska's capital. Here you can experience life in a true northern city. The Mendenhall Glacier is sure worth a visit, as is the Sawyer Glacier a little further to the South.

Skagway is Alaska's gold-rush town. It is well preserved and offers access to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Disembark at this port and view the way of the world famous White Pass railroad, before panning for gold in this northern outpost. And when you're done with the gold, why not take time out to watch the whales near Sitka - a haven for these beautiful creatures all year round.

For the more adventurous, an Alaska cruise can take in Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Known as Alaska's 'Emerald Isle' Kodiak Island takes visitors back to the time when the first inhabitants settled on the island more than 7,500 years ago. You can even locate Alaska's oldest parish here on Kodiak Island.

John Metcalfe is the Webmaster for A to Z Cruises which is the No1 resource for Alaska Cruise related Information on the Internet. Be sure to visit his site here: http://www.azcruises.com/alaskacruise/

IV. SINGLE PARENT FAMILY FRIENDLY SPECIALS

SPT Special #1 - The Great Schooner Race Cruise in Rockland, ME

Capt. Brenda G. Walker is inviting single parent families to join her the evening of August 29th through August 31st for the Great Schooner race cruise. The cruise gives you a great opportunity to see all the schooners in the Maine windjammer fleet. Enjoy a trip filled with exciting sailing, new friends, informal fun, quiet evenings, hearty meals and a relaxing view of the Maine coastal islands!

The trip boards on the evening of August 28th between 5 and 7 pm and returns to the dock on the morning of August 31st around 10 am. The regular fare is $490 per person but for children traveling with a single parent the fare is only $290 (so the total for one adult and one child is $780 instead of $980). This fare includes taxes and all meals from breakfast the first day (the 29th) to brunch the last day (the 31st). One meal during our trip is their famous lobster bake on an uninhabited island. They all go ashore and have a smorgasbord of lobster, mussels, clams, corn on the cob, vegetables and chips and dip, hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, and s'mores. Linen, blankets and towels are provided.

Please feel free to visit them online at http://www.isaacevans.com or call them toll free at 877-238-1325 for more information.

SPT Special #2 -Cabot Shores, Cape Breton Island, NS

The Cabot Shores, Adventure and Retreat Center on the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island, NS, does not charge a single supplement. Rooms for one adult and one child being at $225 per night. On a yearlong basis, they offer wilderness, sports, arts and native program especially developed for families. They also offer wellness and self- development retreats with feature adapted to kids demands. To learn more, please visit their website: http://www.cabotshores.com or call 215 732 0744.

Special #3 - Omaha Symphony

The Omaha Symphony showcases a full children's orchestral program featuring music from cartoons and classics like "Peter and the Wolf." Activities include an Instrument petting zoo, which allows children to try out various instruments as well as Major Scales our fun loving mascot.

Prices are below

Adults $9.00 Child $6.00

Our website is http://www.omahasymphony.org

The phone number to take advantage of this offer is 402.342.3836 ext. 121

Check out all our single parent travel specials at http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Specials/

* Don't have a travel agent? Then find one in "The Single Parent Travel Handbook" which has a listing of over 75 travel agents who specialize in single parent travel. Buy the book from any place books are sold or get an autographed copy from GlobalBrenda, the author, at http://www.SingleParentTravel.net/Book/

IV. MEETING OTHER SINGLE PARENTS

We have some people on the site looking for ski buddies this winter. Click below to see who is going: http://tinyurl.com/7nzcm

KevinBTI is looking for the name of a resort in New England that has single weekends or week. Please reply to him here: http://tinyurl.com/akosw

Please note that Single Parent Travel has been pumping back its earnings into upgrading our Web site. Some of these funds will be used to upgrade our bulletin boards. We hope to have new bulletin boards up and running in about three or four months.

Please note that this bulletin board service is provided free of charge to our readers. The Single Parent Travel Network does not monitor postings or have any knowledge of the exact nature of the individuals doing the posting. BEFORE communicating with anyone on the bulletin board, please take precautions to protect you and your family. Also, please note that if you post your email address on the bulletin board, there is a likelihood that it will be harvested by spammers. Thank you.

VI. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

Nancy writes: I read your newsletter regularly and thought you might be able to post this for me: I own a one-week (week 52 Xmas - New Years) timeshare at The Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia. The Villa has one- bedroom with a king bed, a living room with a pull out couch, and a plunge pool. The Villa the located on top of the hill with a magnificent view and can sleep up to 5 people. These rooms are not available through the hotel and since I am unable to use it this year I thought you might be able to advertise it. It's a great place for single parents to take their kids. There is a kids and teens club with an extremely safe environment. The usual cost of a similar room for week 52, which is Christmas through New Years, is $485 a night. I am asking $3300. Check out http://www.windjammer-landing.com. For more info I can be contacted at hotonsb@cox.net

G.A. writes: I'm a teacher who has helped arrange international field trips, and a Vermont notary public. I noticed that your sample travel consent letter on the your Web site ends as follows: Signature of Notary:__________________________________________________
Notary's Printed Name: ____________________________________
Notary Seal:

If a parent were present this to me, I would not perform any notarial act on it, because there are two different notarial acts that might apply: administer an oath, or take an acknowledgement. Since the text does not specify which act I am to perform, I can't do anything with the form. I suggest you obtain competent legal advice about the consent letter.

GlobalBrenda responds: I spoke with my daughter who set up the letter with our attorney and her response was: "We have contacted an attorney about this form. In fact, several people have. We have no plans to change it."

Linda writes: I am so glad to finally find a group of similarly situated people. Please send me any newsletter or info regarding traveling with my 14 yr. Old girl. It has always been a challenge to try to find places to go where we're not the "odd couple". Most travel packages and places to go are made for families of 3 or more or they're romantic getaways for couples. It's unbelievable that the existing market for parents traveling with kids has remained untapped by so many tour groups, hotels, airlines, etc. If anything, we should be given special discounts because single parenting is the hardest job in the world!

Hope writes: I thought this would be of interest for those single parents who travel with small children. Very important when one has a cell phone. Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's identity. You can make their job much easier with a simple idea that they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the name and phone no. of the person that the emergency services should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. It only takes a few moments of your time to do. Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately. ICE your cell phone NOW!

Kasia writes: I have enjoyed all the newsletters but nothing is ever in my area. I almost always look into the events but after I add the flights and time it really is not worth going. How would I go about starting a group going in Texas? Getting the single supplement waived is secondary to getting together. Perhaps you could publish my note with my address in the next newsletter and any Texas/Houston parents can then contact me.

GB responds: We would be glad to help you organize a trip! We did set up two trips in Texas, but only had two or three people sign up so we had to cancel it. If you can get a group of 10 people together, I am sure we can work something out. If you would just like to set up a group trip, we can mention it in our Single Parent Family Friendly Specials section since it is for single parents and you are welcome to mention it in our community section. (Readers can reach Kasia at kasiar@ureach.com

Marsha writes: Have you ever tried organizing a "single parent's day" at one of the theme parks? Maybe include an arrival breakfast so families with same age children could meet and do the park together. I'm in Annapolis, Maryland and there are many parks in reasonable distances including Kings Dominion, Hershey Park, 6 Flags, and Dutch Wonderland. If you think my idea possible, I'd love to suggest some dates as my daughter is with me every other weekend and I keep missing your trips due to calendar conflicts.

GB responds: It sounds like a great idea and I think you should check out http://www.parentswithoutpartner.org to see if they arrange such things. If not, you may wish to start your own group. It is not cost efficient for Single Parent Tours to do day trips. I have to market it, cover credit card costs, pay my booking agent, etc. I would take a financial loss to run day trips and that is not counting my time. This is the type of thing that is best served by a volunteer organization. Try PWP!!

Alisa writes: Dear Brenda, Thank you so much for the referral in your book, to a NYC travel agency. Richard Pampinella at First in Service Travel, planned a 10-day trip for me and my son in August. We are going to San Diego, LA and then to Vegas to fly to Grand Canyon. He mapped out the whole trip for us and when I said I would like to use my mileage if possible, he offered to do all the legwork to arrange that for a small fee. He even found us a night in Grand Canyon at a main lodge in August. What a timesaver! Know anyone that would like to meet us in San Diego or Vegas? I have an 11-year-old son. Thank you, A. Fastenberg -Alisafast@aol.com

Recca writes: I'm a new subscriber and you helped me find the perfect long weekend for our family. We took advantage of the info on Carolina Family Adventures and are heading to the Blue Ridge Mountains at the end of the month.

Amber writes: I would like to inquire about an all-inclusive package for my son, age 5, and myself (adult) traveling from Toronto. As I am a single adult traveling with my son, I was wondering if you state any places that you know that can waive their single supplement fee. We would like to travel in August for 7-14 nights. I do not want alcohol included in my package; however would love a kids' club. Please advise.

GB responds: I have been working with the travel industry for 3 years to waive the single supplement and have had success. All my tours waive the single supplement. Go to http://www.singleparenttravel.net and then click on the various tours to the left.

If you do not find anything there that fits your plans then go to Single Parent Specials on the left. If you still do not find what you want, then you need to buy my book. The book will tell you how to handle that situation and what you need to do to save money. I recommend you purchase a copy of "The Single Parent Travel Handbook." It is informative, entertaining, and will save you money. It was written for people just like you. Here's how to order: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/book/

Mimi writes: Hi Brenda, Just reading the e-mail question from Shelley A. who is going to NYC with her son to celebrate his birthday. I have a friend who lives in Battery Park City and I take my son there frequently. Some fun things to do with kids: Take a Circle Tour of New York harbor. The boat travels all the way around the island of Manhattan and is narrated with nifty historical facts. Times Square - The ESPN Zone restaurant and Arcade is particularly fun for boys. All sports related stuff, etc. Also the Toys R Us store in Times Square has a Ferris Wheel inside the store! Also, just a walk through Chinatown at the outdoor fish and vegetable market is a neat experience. I hear there's an excellent Children's Museum in Chinatown, too. There is a museum of Broadcast in mid-town Manhattan, which is great for a rainy day. It houses all the old TV shows. You can make selections and view on private video monitors. I took my son and we watched the Beatles first appearance on Ed Sullivan, old Saturday Night Live shows and Leave it to Beaver, Mr. Ed, I Love Lucy, etc.... Fun stuff that he had never seen. A visit to the Today Show and Rockefeller Plaza is always exciting. The subways are great for getting around. There's a terrific laminated map that can be purchased that is very useful. You can buy a transit card in the subway and rather than buying tokens, keep adding to it to travel around. The subway system can be a bit overwhelming. But, people are very helpful with directions ... just ask! Well, that's my two cents.

Cathy from Australia writes: With regard to the legal questions you are being asked, there is an Australian web site http://www.austlii.edu.au which gives a link to US sites. The Australian site gives access to all laws and cases over x years and can be used by people to look up laws for themselves without paying a ton of money to a lawyer - it's good to use before a lawyer is involved too, as people will then have a clue about what's happening. You can search on cases by entering key words - eg Geneva Convention on Civil Kidnapping (I think) covers taking children from one country to another. Or just type in child kidnapping. I was involved in a case a while back with a friend. It is a very strict law and applies in most cases, although I'm not sure if the US is a signatory. (Australian readers can contact Cathy directly at cathyd100@hotmail.com

GlobalBrenda gets on her soapbox... I frequently get questions from readers asking why we do not run more trips in mid summer, why don't we have more trips leaving from California or Texas or Florida, etc. I sent a response to one of the readers that applies to many of these questions. I hope, by reading it, that you, my readers, will understand what we are doing, what we have done, and what we will continue to do:

"Much as we try, we can't please all of the people all of the time. The Beaches Jamaica August program has been very successful and families come from all over the USA and Canada and the UK. The Single Parent Week sells out every year. Despite that, I have families complaining, especially those in the South and Southwest, that the dates are too late and would I please run a trip in early summer so that they can participate, hence the Oregon trip in June.

What many single parent families forget, or are not aware of, is how hard we work to change the travel industry for the benefit of the single parent family. We have negotiated with hotels and resorts to eliminate the single supplement, to have the kids prices be applicable when there is one adult in the room, instead of two, to arrange for special activities for single parent families so they can enjoy each other as families as well as adults and as kids.

In short, we ask a lot of our suppliers. We ask them to not only change their way of thinking, but also to reduce and change their rates to our benefit, not theirs. Like any business, there is give and take. The travel suppliers we work with may agree to our conditions, but in return we agree to set up our trips on dates that are "soft" weeks for them, dates that usually do not sell out in full. By bringing in single parent family groups, we help them sell out their hotel during a time when they usually would have some rooms left empty.

If we go to suppliers and ask them for group rates and special concessions during their high season weeks, weeks in which they will fill each and every room at top dollar prices, the suppliers would not be interested in negotiating with us. But we keep trying.

Last year we ran a rafting trip in early August to Utah. This was the perfect date for everyone. We secured a very good group rate. Everyone was out of school and the rapids were at the perfect level for families to enjoy. That trip was not a big seller, even though many single parents had requested it, especially single parent dads. There seemed to be little interest this year, so we dropped it. "

If any readers know of an all-inclusive moderately priced resort that caters to families in your area, an area that we are currently not reaching, let us know. We contacted several dozen ranches and family resorts in California several months ago, inquiring about weekends, but they were all frightfully expensive and unwilling to give us single parent family group rates. But we will keep searching. Change does not happen overnight.