Welcome to the thirteenth edition of SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL e-zines - a continuing series of monthly newsletters created for the community of single parents and single adults who like to travel with their kids. A big warm welcome to the 80 new subscribers this month!

In this issue:

I. KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ETC CONFERENCE
II. SINGLE PARENT SURVEY RESULTS, PART II
III. RECOMMENDED READING
IV. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

I. KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ETC CONFERENCE
The weekend of Feb. 22-25, I was invited to be a keynote speaker for family travel at the 2002 (ETC) Educational Travel Conference in Los Angeles. My presentation on developing family travel programs was part of the conference's Seminar on Wheels. Throughout the day the seminar moved around the city via bus. I presented to travel suppliers at various venues including Gene Audrey's Wild West Museum and Chinatown. Naturally a large part of my presentation involved marketing to and meeting the travel needs of non-traditional families. I also participated in a walking tour of downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood area. Not having been to those areas in almost ten years, I was extremely impressed with how vibrant and exciting and safe those areas have become. As this newsletter is crammed full of Single Parent Survey information, I will write in more detail about those areas of Los Angeles in my April newsletter.

II. SINGLE PARENT SURVEY RESULTS, PART II
Last August, we started a survey for Single Parents and invited you all to participate. Our hope was to obtain enough 'fodder' to take to the travel suppliers and convince them of the needs and wants of the traveling Single Parent. We are happy to report that over 340 people responded and provided us with a wealth of information! Thank you all so much. Your feedback will aid our mission of making the world a better place for the non-traditional traveling family. Last month's newsletter was quantitative in nature; this newsletter is qualitative, with real comments from the survey respondents. We thank you all once again.

The dreaded single supplement was cited as the number one scourge of the single parent family. We hope to answer your needs by searching out Single Parent Specials from airlines, hotels, cruise companies, tourism bureaus and tour operators. We have just started to make inroads in convincing these travel suppliers to create single parent specials! We announce those specials in our newsletter and post them on www.SingleParentTravel.net.

Two other comments that came up frequently were your desire to meet and get to know other single parent families and a request for a better balance of activities on trips.

COMPANIONSHIP
"It would be nice to join another single parent/adult with children on an outing or even by the pool at the end of the day."

"[We] would love to go to a resort or destination that [has] other single parents with their kids "

ACTIVITY BALANCE
"Sometimes it's hard to get a good mixture of activities aimed at two different age groups in one package."

"I have found that many resorts and cruises especially have various programs for single parents/children but they tend to focus more on children's activities and not on the activities for the single parent."

"Cruises (some) offer child care in the off chance I'd like to enjoy evening entertainment, etc. But ultimately, I like to relax and [my daughter] likes to do typical kids' stuff like swim and play and different kid oriented stuff. However, on past vacations, I have not felt like it was a vacation for me as much as a constant field trip for her. We've done Disneyland and I was dying of lack of adult interaction. I am the kind of person who has no trouble meeting and talking to new people, so that's not the issue. But in order to keep my daughter happy and for her to get the most of the trip, I feel like the entertainment committee. That's not my idea of enjoying a vacation."

"I prefer to stay at fairly luxurious properties, but still vacation WITH my son, rather than sending him to the "'kids club' Very few places seem to have activities that you can do WITH your child ... let alone have a truly good restaurant where children are welcome!"

TIPS & ADVICE
Many of you had excellent advice and tips, which we have included here. Please note that SingleParentTravel.net has not researched these tips ourselves. Further, what has worked for one family, may not work for another. Anyway, on to the tips. "The most important thing that I have found out is how important research is. When we are planning a vacation, I am on the web and making phone calls until I have planned out all but 1 or 2 of our days. That way, we aren't trying to figure out things to do and making mistakes because we don't have access to the right info, but still have left enough time open to have some flexibility."

"Club med vacations are great for single parents." We also received, "Club Med does some for single parents but could do a lot more - especially as baby boomers are getting older but still want to vacation with older kids."

"Cruises are the best for us. We went to Bermuda several years ago and had the time of our lives. With assigned seating we met people and enjoyed that very much. The kids were 15,12, and 8. The Norwegian cruise line charged me for two adults (myself and the oldest child) and the other two went for half price. We had one small cabin but the two older girls loved the fact that they could go to the movies, or a show. The food was great. Because I am a divorced mom, I cannot handle things like getting the luggage to the room, but the cruise ship had the bags at our door. There was a cruise bus that picked us up and dropped us off not far from home so I did not have the hassle of getting to airport parking or getting a limo home. The service was excellent and I was glad to tip because I had such good service (something not always available to a woman traveling with three children)."

"I've gotten good lodging deals for the added time cost of sitting through time-share sales pitches. This is not a bad way to go."

"Traveling with teenagers is especially challenging considering the boredom factor. I try to incorporate some fun teenage activities besides the ones I think might enlighten them, such as making sure the hotel has a pool, video games (for occasional use), and other teens for them to meet."

"I have just purchased a used motor home so we can travel as cheaply as others. I am tired of paying a premium for rooms as a single adult."

"Our trips have usually been to visit the children's grandparents in New Orleans for 5-6 days at a time. The area has many museums, historical sites, and fine shopping that we don't have in rural Missouri. This summer we spent 4 days at Pensacola beach enroute to our visit in New Orleans." "I usually take a tour to Europe and let the agency handle everything. I go with Trafalgar because they allow kids to go who are 5 years old. However, there has never been any other kids on the tours that we have taken."

"I always have [my daughter] sit in her car seat next to me. Regulations require her to get the window seat, so that keeps her entertained. I bring her no-spill cup filled with her favorite juice to pacify her on long trips. It also helps her deal with the pressure build up in her ears as we fly on airplanes." "The most fun and rejuvenating vacations have been those that I have shared with others with kids around the same age. One or two other small families seems to work best, otherwise the 'kid energy' can climb to dangerously high levels. What I get is:
* adult conversation with people I feel I can understand and feel understood by
* alone time - they let me creep off for 1-2 hours here and there! * shared tasks - meals, laundry, etc.
* companionship for both me and my son (as much as he loves me, he gets tired of the same old Mom-face all the time!). I'm not the prime source of entertainment that way."

"As a retired Naval Officer, who came up the ranks, I have access to many places that offer low cost accommodations. We use these as a 'base of operation'. I am sure there are other members who qualify for this perk. Take advantage."

"We travel to the Caribbean every summer, usually we go to Mexico and the Iberostar Resort Chain is our favorite"

"I found one resort (all-inclusive) in Jamaica that offers a kids stay, play and eat free program with one adult (most require double occupancy) and that is Starfish Trelawny Beach Resort in Falmouth. It is between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios."

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Sometimes we just need to know that others have been there.

"If we vacation it is around tax time so that we can use my tax refund to get away."

"Biggest challenge: one income, two weeks vacation, one-week sick leave a year. This means any field trips, any time one or both kids get sick has to fit into this available time. This means one week per year. Under $1,000. How can single parents make their European dreams come true?"

"Being on vacation (i.e. away from home) as a single parent can actually be more stressful and/or exhausting at times than staying at home, since all the little daily processes that you've automated at home (naps, laundry, snacks, car travel, etc.) all have to be consciously and explicitly thought out. On top of the travel-related activities the result is an enormous outpouring of mental and physical energy. Usually it's worth the effort - otherwise why go anywhere - but I have found that I have to be extra careful to build in support and down time for Mom."

"I think it can be great fun to travel with a kid but as a single parent, you have to be very organized and very serious about security, especially when travelling abroad. Some people were very helpful, but most people won't do much to help. In most areas, I didn't declare myself as a single parent, for security reasons. Because that makes you twice as vulnerable."

COMFORTING THOUGHTS
Little reminders of why we continue to travel after all those runny noses, cranky kids and unruly teens.

"My son realizes that a great family vacation does not have to consist of having both parents present and that we don't have to stay at top resorts to have a good time. We have had some memorable times staying in modest accommodations and enjoying the adventures that ensued. I hope he never gets too old for a little getaway with him Mom, because it has been through these trips that I have come to appreciate the specialness of my single parent status." "The children's fondest memories are our vacations."

"I have traveled to almost every state in the U.S. Now we are on our way to Europe. I believe my kids are doing so well because we travel. With as busy as we are, vacations are very important. It is like our nightly dinner table, with no TV. No one is going anywhere, so we talk and have fun as a family. I would not want to share with a 4th person."

III. RECOMMENDED READING
I recently received a copy of Harry Pariser's "Explore the Virgin Islands." Harry heard of my Web site and my attempts to get the word out on Single Parent Travel. I sent him some Single Parent Travel Tips and information on my Web site, which he graciously included on page 46 of his new book. Harry Pariser is an award winning travel writer who has written ten different travel guides on the Caribbean and Central America, areas that make great single parent travel destinations. Harry's books are published by Manatee Press and are available for purchase online at www.amazon.com and www.bn.com, as well as at Borders, Barnes and Noble and bookstores in the U.S., Canada and Europe. More information is available online at www.exploreavirgin.com and www.savethemanatee.com. Enjoy! The books are informative, easy to read, and have my stamp of approval.

IV. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS
Last month we asked you if you preferred to continue to receive one email from us a month with all our subscribers' comments included or if you preferred us to forward the comments as we get them. Your responses told us to continue with our current format-including your comments in with our newsletter each month. Should we get too many comments or receive ones that are timely in nature, then we may send a second, bi-monthly e-mail out, but only if necessary. On to the comments.

"I am trying to figure out how to save $$$ to be able to take Parker to Alaska this summer. So wish there was a single parent group of people who want to do the celebrity or princess land/cruise package." If you are interested in going on a cruise to Alaska this summer, please contact Lzzpnp@aol.com.

"We live in the UK but want to travel around the states during school and need to find cheap places to stay as we go. Any advice your members can offer will be gratefully received." Please respond to Barbara directly at barbara.mclaughlin@ntlworld.com

graeme@xisp.net asks, "I'm considering signing up with a 'home exchange' group and looking for an exchange in England for my pre-teen daughter and me this summer. Any thoughts on whether 'home exchanges' are a good idea? Any tips on making the exchange a successful experience? With money tight and the economy still sagging, this seems like a good way to have a trip we've been dreaming of at a price we can afford." If anyone of our subscribers has a recommendation or some information, please contact Graeme directly. I know we said this last month, but for the newbies.

BULLETIN BOARDS: My daughter spent two months struggling with the technology for bulletin boards and couldn't find the time to get the bulletin boards running. So, we decided to hire someone to install them. We need to save a little money first, as soon as we do, it is our intent to get bulletin boards up on the site. Please bear with us!

POSTING MESSAGES
Feel free to send me your comments, queries or feedback to me directly at: globalbrenda@yahoo.com or to the list directly at: SingleParentTravel@yahoogroups.com. Please note that comments sent to the list must pertain to single parent travel.