Welcome to the May 2003 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.

In this issue:
I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE
II. TAKING A ABITE OF THE BIG APPLE
III SAFETY WHILE TRAVELING
IV. AUTHOR SEEKS TRAVEL/INSPIRATIONAL STORIES
V. MEETING SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES
VI. UNCOVERED - SINGLE PARENT SPECIALS
VII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE

Recently I have received numerous email inquiries about traveling to New York City. Always responsive to our readers, we have created a new destination page on our Web site aptly called "Taking a Bite of the Big Apple." However this is no ordinary bite. My daughter, a former Manhattan resident, has given us a comprehensive insider's view of where to eat, where to walk, and what to do on a budget in one of the world's most exciting cities. I also added in my two cents at the end. (See Part II below).

Numerous readers have also inquired about our Single Parent Tour to Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, August 24-31. Many have asked why we chose those dates. For some single parents, this is an inconvenient time period as school commences that week. Beaches Resorts chose those dates, not us. It is a "soft" booking period for them and since this is our first single parent tour, and Beaches has given us a tremendous rate reduction by waiving the single supplement, they wanted to offer it at a time that was beneficial to them. It was important to us that we broke ground by having a major resort hotel not only offer a schedule of single parent family activities, but also waive the single supplement. It sets a precedent for other resort hotels.

Next year we will offer other dates earlier in the summer, however the rates may be higher. In the meantime, the August 2003 Single Parent Tour at Beaches Boscobel is a terrific package. If the dates do not conflict with your child's fall school session, consider heading to Jamaica for your family vacation. Click here for the details.

Happy Trails!

GlobalBrenda

II. TAKING A BITE OF THE BIG APPLE

The following insider's guide to New York was written by my daughter Monique who lived in Manhattan for 6 years. Here are a few of her pointers:

Driving in NYC is akin to insanity. I recommend taking a bus, train or plane into the city or at least parking your car for the whole time you are there.

Park your car at Port Authority (right off the Lincoln Tunnel) and keep it there the whole time you are in the city. The public transportation (buses and subways) are phenomenal and taxis are cheap. Get a good subway/bus map and walking map.

Ride in a cab at least once for the true crazy New York experience. (I knew I finally passed the "New York" test when I could take a taxicab ride without fearing for my life. Once you get in one, you will realize why you shouldn't be driving in the city.)

Wear excellent walking shoes or sneakers and walk EVERYWHERE!!! This is how you will get a great feel of the city.

In terms of safety, New York is INCREDIBLY safe now. It will actually be safer than many places just outside the city. Having said that, take typical city precautions, always know where your wallet is, at night stay where people gather (tons of people in NYC, so this usually isn't an issue.)

Here are some of the 'cool' places that teens will enjoy. Luckily for you, this is where the cheaper restaurants are.

EAST VILLAGE: This is a must. This has to be the best people watching in the world. Everything from the Asian woman who paints her hair, nails and makeup florescent to the fully pierced tattooed types. If it is subculture you are seeking, you will find it here.

Walk along St. Marks Place between Ave. A to 3rd Ave. Tons of cool shops (a wee bit overpriced, walk off the main drag to find stuff cheaper) to buy neat-o things, like blue shades or funky jewelry.

My favorite people-watching place is The Crooked Tree. On the south side of St. Marks between Ave. A and 1st Ave. (Big tree in front.) I take ALL my friends here. It is a phenomenal French creperie. Meals are reasonable, healthy and very casual. It is a very typical East Village place, so check out the people around you. The service is slow, but use that time to watch the crowds pass.

A great dinner place is Yakuniku West. Located on 9th St. between 3rd Ave and 2nd Ave. Often a long wait after 9pm, but worth the wait. This is a traditional Japanese restaurant where you take of your shoes and grill the meat yourself at your table. It is also very reasonably priced. For your family, I recommend getting two or three platters: beef, chicken or fish and some sushi.

There are also other inexpensive restaurants along the strip: DoJo is rather cheap and there is an Afganistani restaurant that is pretty good, too.

You can walk all around this neighborhood, but also consider heading West along St. Marks, which turns into 8th St. When it dead ends at Broadway, take a left, then a right onto 4th Ave. or a right onto Bleeker. Continue heading West. This is the West village, a little more touristy and a little more expensive, but just as fun. If you walk along 4th Ave., you will come upon NYU's campus pretty quickly. Perhaps college aged kids will want a tour. (check out http://www.nyu.edu to see if they offer this.) The West Village continues all the way to the river. If you are wandering here, I recommend a map because it can rather tricky. On 4th St. and 6th Ave. is the hotdog and Papaya juice place. Cheap and famous. My family ate here 15 years ago when we were tourists.

Also consider picking up a Village Voice (free paper from any newsstand). You can find walking tours of Manhattan advertised. I highly recommend these as they will go over the history that you might have missed. Other places to find these tours are Where Magazine, available in many hotels, or from the tourist bureau. Some neat topics might be NYC during the Prohibition (see the Speakeasies) or during the Plague, etc. (GlobaBrenda adds: There is now a Five Points Walking Tour, prompted by the movie, "Gangs of New York").

Many tourists wind up on Times Square. I wouldn't eat at any of the restaurants here if you paid me. They are expensive and have BAD food. Instead walk to restaurant row. (I can't remember the exact street, 8th or 10th Aves.), but the tourist bureau, any guidebook or any cop will probably know. You'll get to walk through some of the seedier places in Manhattan, but it is not anywhere as bad as it looks anymore. Just watch your purse.

If you are interested in watching a Broadway show, this is the place. Consider stopping at TKTS first. (I think their Web site is http://www.tkts.org.) for cheap tickets. These are mostly near Times Square.

If it is a beautiful day, walk along the watch from about 28th St. all the way down to Battery Park. Very pretty with tree lined parks and such. This is also near ground zero and Wall Street. You should find out ahead of time from the tourist bureau if they are now giving tours of Ground Zero. There might be a waiting list. There is also a lovely park, great for little kids, just north of the world financial centers (WFC) along the West side.

Another downtown area worth a walk is SoHo. A hipper, more loft like, neighborhood to the villages, but still just as cool. Restaurants are expensive here. This is where many famous models live, like Frederique who was made famous by Victoria's secret catalog.

Consider a picnic lunch in Central Park. There are also lots of museums near Central Park worth a visit. The Upper East Side is rather posh (and where many museums are located). It is worth a little walk around to get the feel of what it might be like to own the multi-million dollar apartments here.

The Upper West side is a little more professional and younger. There are a number of reasonably priced restaurants here and it is also where the Natural History museum is located. Mostly, it is residential.

WHEW!

I hope that helps. Monique

GlobalBrenda: Now that you have had the Insider's View of New York, I will cover the more standard family attractions:

Empire State Building -A must-see

Circle Island Tour -This a great way to get a water view of Manhattan and I think this view is far better than the one atop those double decker buses that cruise thru the streets of NYC. Besides, it is more fun to walk those streets to get a feel of the neighborhood. If you don't want to pay the cost of a Circle Island Tour, simply buy a round trip ticket for the Staten Island Ferry and do it on the cheap. You will miss the history lecture but you will pay about 1/4 the cost.

The Statue of Liberty - Be prepared to spend 3 hours in line in the summer for this attraction. This is the norm. It is memorable to climb all the way to the top but you should seriously consider whether you want to spend the 3 hours waiting or doing some other attraction, such as Ellis Island. The Ellis Island ferry takes you right by the Statue of Liberty so you will get some great camera shots.

Ellis Island - This is a 3 to 4 hour excursion including the beautiful ferry ride. I recommend it heartily if you are interested in the history of America's immigration. This is NOT a dry history museum, rather it is full of warm and humorous anecdotes and stories.

Museums, Museums, Museums

NYC is one of the great museum cities of the world. Try to see at least one of the most famous - the Natural History, MOMA, or check the Web sites for some of the small unique museums or special visiting displays in the big ones. Just this past weekend we visited the Ukrainian Museum in Manhattan. Admission was about $1 per person, it took about half an hour to view and we saw a beautiful and extensive display of Ukrainian Easter eggs. Many of the large museums offer free admission on Sunday mornings, another way to save money.

Transportation

If you are using the subways, I recommend you buy a Metro card for $10 or $20. A family of 2 or 3 can use the same card. (Just swipe the machine as each child goes through). It is a big convenience and you get a free ride thrown in for every $10 you spend. Get a subway map and learn to use it. Locals may not be able to help you, as they only know their own routes.

And to repeat what my daughter suggested, walk through at least one of the local parks to see how the Manhattanites enjoy their leisure time. They pursue it as vigorously as they do work. Watch out for the roller bladers!.

III. SAFETY

Given recent events, we thought it best to review some safety tips for travelers. It is no longer merely a concern about petty theft. Readers have written me asking advice about what to do or not do when they travel overseas and whether or not it is "safe" to go. Some Americans have cancelled vacation plans. Others, in spite of their apprehensions, feel compelled to travel, to attend a wedding or enjoy a much anticipated family vacation, be it within the U.S. or overseas. The decision to travel is a personal one and America is a nation of travelers. So if you are planning to go overseas, here are a few suggestions:

* To get the facts, not the media hype, and develop an informed opinion, go to the government Web sites. Start with the U.S., then try a few other English speaking government Web sites. You will find the U.S. tends to be the most cautious in its assessments.

Some Web sites are:

U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs: travel.state.gov
Britain: www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Canada: http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Australia: www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice/

* Try to avoid dressing like an American. Avoid bright colors, English slogans on shirts, American Sports jerseys and college sweatshirts. Wear walking shoes instead of sneakers, which usually proclaim your status as an American. In many parts of the world the locals tend to dress more conservatively and more formally, especially in the cities. Rather than jeans you will see slacks or skirts; rather than tank tops you will see short-sleeved shirts or blouses.

* Speak quietly when out in public. Americans are often marked by their loud and boisterous behavior.

* If people ask your nationality, tell them you are Canadian. My daughter was studying in France at the time of the Gulf War. The day it broke out, the "American" population suddenly became a "Canadian" one.

· If you hear firecrackers or a car backfiring, fall to the ground immediately and lay there until you know it is safe to get up. Practice this a few times with your children before leaving for your trip.

IV. AUTHOR SEEKS TRAVEL/INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

If you are a woman who has taken a significant journey in her life, read this paragraph. Aliza Sherman is working on her sixth book and is seeking women who used travel as a way to transform their lives, such as taking a sabbatical and entirely shifting careers or taking a solo journey and being inspired to start a business. Travel must have been the catalyst or part of the process for change. Women must be willing to be interviewed by e-mail over the course of the next few months and able to discuss how their travels changed their lives or the way they see themselves. Please contact Ms Sherman directly. Include a BRIEF bio and explanation of the travel and the effect. No attachments please. Email: book@mediaegg.com. More details at: http://www.mediaegg.com/travel.html

V. MEETING SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES

Hannah Peaceful writes, "Hi, I'm a single mum with one child I live in the UK and would like to meet a single dad's or moms with young kids who would like to exchange mail to start and then maybe we could have an exchange. I mean you stay with me/ then I come and stay with you. That sort of thing. I enjoy travel and camping and because I have limited means I do enjoy the cheaper end of the holiday spectrum!! I'd love to hear from a nice single dad prince charming type - but hey I'm not holding my breath!! Hope to hear from you soon."

To reply click below: http://pub15.ezboard.com/fsingleparenttravelfrm1.showMessageRange?topi cID=1.topic&start=21&stop=40

Djwalpa writes: "Hi, My name is Dana and I saw your post about single parent vacations. CARNIVAL offers great trips to the islands and I would love to meet another single mom like myself who is interested in travelling. I live in Philly. Dana "

To reply click below: http://pub15.ezboard.com/fsingleparenttravelfrm13.showMessageRange?top icID=3.topic&start=21&stop=36

The boards can be found at http://www.singleparenttravel.net/BBoards/index.htm

VI. UNCOVERED - SINGLE PARENT SPECIALS

This month we came up dry for new single parent travel specials. If you know of any that fit the following criteria, then please let us know and we will post them to the list!

1) Single supplement that is eliminated or reduced.

2) Kids discounts based on ONE ADULT traveling, not two.

3) Situations where single parent families can meet other single parent families, like a single parents' weekend.

For those who have just signed up to our newsletter, you can see all the past specials, including the ones that are still valid at http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Specials/index.htm

We also have listed a new calendar to make your travel planning easier.

VII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

Q: "I am going to Costa Rica with my toddler and first grader and was just thinking it might be nice to organize something with other single parents who would like to come along. I have a lot of resources there since my family lives there. Any ideas?" - L.G.

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: "You should contact Parents Without Partners, at least start with your local chapters. Their Web site is www.partnerswithoutpartners.org." If anyone would like to join L.G. her email is sollagumo@comcast.net

K.K. writes: "Just as an added suggestion for the parent going to San Francisco - I lived there for 15 years and it is a great town for lots of things - don't miss Golden Gate Park - take a look at the buffalos and if you can go on a Sunday they close the main roads and you can rent a bike or roller blades and take off on a great run around the park and see a lot. It's a great way to take a "break" from the sightseeing but still see a great part of SF. When finished at the park take a walk along Haight Street - have a bite to eat and take a pic at the famous Haight/Ashbury corner. A blast from the past."

M.C. writes: "I was reading on CNN.com the other day that they will be closing Cypress Gardens soon (a great fall-off in attendance). I noticed that in this month's newsletter that Cypress Gardens was mentioned as an alternative to Disney."

Q:"As a single parent, I have traveled 4 times to Europe in the last five years. Two of those years, I used Idyll Untours http://www.untours.com, a great company for single parents, particularly in Switzerland. This year, we would like to go to Spain and/or France. Do you have articles or ideas that you could direct me to? I have two sons - 16 and 13."

GLOBALBRENDA'S ANSWER: "If you plan to travel independently with your boys, then I suggest the following for France:" Continue this at http://www.SingleParentTravel.net/Writing/FranceSpainemail.htm You can also read http://www.SingleParentTravel.net/Writing/Parisemail.htm

G.L. was kind enough to share her experiences in obtaining proper documentation needed to enter Mexico as a single parent with her child. "I am the single mom of a 16 year old daughter. She has her father's last name (on the birth certificate) but her father and I were never married. I left him when she was 1 year old because of abuse. I have a restraining order from 1989 suspending his visiting rights which he never contested. We have had absolutely no contact with him since that time. Do you think the restraining order, even as old as it is, will be sufficient for proving it unsafe to try to contact him? I don't even know where he is (nor do I want to). I'm planning on visiting the Mexican Consulate as well, with this documentation to see what they say."

She later gave us an update: "The consulate first told me to go to the courthouse to get a special order from the Judge stating it would be unsafe to contact the father. This was useless. Since no custody orders have been established, there is no case, and the restraining order is expired, which makes it a moot point in the eyes of the court. I went back to the consulate with the results and they are now calling Mexico for me. The restraining order helps but it is not exactly what the airlines wants. Keep your fingers crossed for us, and maybe my experience can help someone else."

Thank you G.L. If you have a similar experience that you would like to share, please email me so we can post it on our newsletter. To read about what documentation is needed to enter another country with your child, click on http://www.SingleParentTravel.net/Writing/Documentation/