For my birthday this year, I received a Garmin eTrex Legend personal navigator, better known as a GPS device. I asked this for this little wonder, so our family could engage in something called GeoCaching. After a few test runs around our neighborhood, we were ready to take it on vacation, and what better place than the beautiful island of Maui!

Our family loves to travel, but with two kids age 5 and 7, spending long days looking at tourist spots is not going to cut it. And in Maui, too much time on the beach turns us all into lobsters. A mid-day treasure hunt would allow us to learn more about a locale, at the same time providing my kids an outlet for their boundless energy.

Consulting Geocaching.com, an online repository for hidden caches, I downloaded a plan to find a cache in downtown Lahaina. This was not far from where we were staying in Kaanapali, and a quick ride on the West Maui Shopping shuttle put us right behind the movie theater on Front Street, a good starting point for our search.

I already knew from reading the other reports about the cache, that it was hidden close to the Banyan Tree on Front Street. That tree alone is worth a trip to Lahaina – the tree was planted in 1873 and is currently 60 feet high and takes up about 2/3 of a acre at Banyan Tree Park. After snapping the required photo of kids next to one of the huge trunks, we moved away from under the tree (the signal was not able to make it through the canopy) and got a line on our treasure.

We were after a virtual cache, which meant there was no hidden treasure to find, but there was a plaque for us to locate with some significant historical information. We were to find the plaque and email the answer to the question to the cache owner. From Front Street, we headed towards the water, around the side of Banyan Park. On the way, we went past local musicians playing ukuleles, and many island crafters with their wares set up on blankets in the park. As we got closer to the water, we could see the cruise ships out at sea. Our GPS device was telling us we were very close, so we started to look for a plaque. The only one we could find nearby was in front of the lighthouse. And reading the plaque indicated we had found the right place! Our job was to find out how much the Hawaiian caretaker was paid – $20 a year! In addition, we learned that the Lahaina Lighthouse was constructed in 1840 to help navigate the tricky waters through the narrow coral reef. At this point, my kids lost interest and spent the rest of the time climbing on the posts around the lighthouse. However, we decided that all in all, the adventure was pretty successful. The husband and I learned more about our destination and our family had a fun puzzle to solve. As soon as we found it, the kids were asking what our next cache was going to be!

Do you stress when faced with a long flight ahead with your kids?

You might recall hearing about the mother and toddler who got kicked off a plane back in early July. This became a national story and a hot topic at preschool PTA meetings around the country. According to the mother, the flight attendant advised the mother to give the child baby Benadryl after he wouldn’t stop repeating “Bye, bye plane,” understandably upsetting fellow passengers. The mother took offense to the suggested ‘drugging’ of her 18-month old and refused. We’re not here to debate who’s at fault… but we’d love to offer you seven tips to calm and entertain your child/children during air travel. The Perrin Post also provides a quality list of tips.

#1：Books and Games

Babies and toddlers love pop-up books and stuffed animals they can interact with and talk to. New toys and books the kids have never seen before should be brought as a special treat. (Just be sure that whichever toy you choose is quiet so as not to disturb your neighbors). Older kids enjoy hand-held video games, books, card games, coloring books and even crossword puzzles. Make use of your surroundings as well – the phones, window coverings, and even plastic silverware can all be used to entertain the youngest of kids. See if you can find any games in our previous post: Kango’s Picks: Top 5 blog posts and sites about car games for kids.

#2：Movies and Music

Do you have a portable DVD player at home? Definitely bring it with you on the plane! (They also rent them for a small fee at most major airports. about.com has tips about renting DVD players.) Portable music players (iPods) are great as well for kids of all ages. The Berkeley Parents Network suggests picking an airline with TVs on the back of the seats, especially when traveling internationally (i.e. Japan Air or Singapore Air).

#3： Pack Your Kids a “Picnic”

Chances are that, unless you are flying internationally, the food selections on your flight will be limited to peanuts and drinks. Help keep your kids happy and entertained by packing each of them a “picnic” made up of their favorite foods. Check out Babycenter.com for other great recommendations about flying with kids.

#4：Take Evening Flights If You Can

Kids are likely to be more tired on evening flights, and are more likely to sleep. The lights will be low, and the atmosphere is likely to be more calm and peaceful. If you can afford it, book an extra seat for your baby or toddler so they can lie down in the seat and take a nap more comfortably

#5：Take Frequent Trips Up and Down the Aisles

It’s important to get up and stretch your own legs on longer flights to prevent circulation blockages, and it’s just as important for your kids. Frequent walks up and down the aisle are great for short breaks, and smaller kids will love the attention they will get.

#6：Get a Map of Your Destination

Slightly older children will enjoy figuring out where they are on a map, as well as looking at pictures of the places they are going to visit and even the hotel they will be staying at. Let the kids make a list of the things they want to do and see first.

#7： Book Ahead and Get the Bulkhead (First Row) Seat

This great suggestion comes from a forum on Flytalk.com. Have you ever been on a plane and envied the extra space for the people sitting in the very first row? It’s called the bulkhead row, and it’s a great idea for traveling with kids! When the seatbelt sign is off, your children can get out of their seats and quietly play on the floor with puzzles, books and toys. You’ll enjoy the extra legroom as well.

So there you have it, seven awesome tips intended to allow you to do what you’re supposed to do on your vacation – RELAX.

Back in 2000, in the midst of the crazy dot-com bubble, I worked at a company that I had founded in 1996 and had successfully gone IPO in 1999. One of the people that was on my team was Alicia Titus. She was still early in her career, and had moved into a mid-level account management and marketing role on my team. I always remembered her as being competent, kind, collaborative, interested in learning.

Alicia left the company shortly before I did in 2000, and did a variety of things before signing on to be a flight attendant with United Airlines. On 9/11, she was one of the victims on United flight 175 from Boston to LA.

Every year around this time I visit the Alicia Titus website that her parents set up and sign the guestbook. They have also established the Alicia Titus Foundation through Urbana University focused on support efforts to bring about peace in the world. My thoughts and prayers are with John and Bev Titus. They have been an incredible example to me of turning hatred into fervent efforts to bring peace to this world. Their tribute website reminds me to cherish the time I have with friends and family, coworkers and others that I come into contact with, because “tomorrow is not promised.” This is something that I pray I can remember throughout the year, not just on 9/11. Blessings to you, your family, your friends, and your community on this day.

Planning a beach vacation with the kids? Finding a resort or hotel with good childcare, either in the form of day camps or individual programs, is a good first step toward ensuring the whole family has a great time.

Contact the director of the kids’ programs at your hotel or resort before you go on the trip and ask them any questions you may have. The best tip is to ask the same sort of questions you would ask of a childcare provider at home. The following are a few issues that you may want to discuss.

Day Camps vs. Specialized Programs

Some hotels offer day camps for younger guests, but many all-inclusive resorts offer deeper programs involving day hikes and visits to area attractions. Decide which of these options you and your children are most comfortable with, and select your hotel or resort accordingly. For example, the Club Med Sandpiper in Florida has separate programs and activities for children of different ages. If you’re traveling in Southern California, we’d suggest taking at look at SanDiego.org’s site, which has some great ideas for family-friendly beach hotels, including the La Costa Resort and Spa.

Hours and Flexibility

Find out if your child be allowed to leave and rejoin the kids’ programs as he or she wishes. Some children will want to spend part of their day with you and return to the program later on in the day. Also, find out what the evening childcare options are, in case you want to get away for an romantic evening out.

Program Size and Age Groups

How many kids will be participating in the day camp or program? If only a few children show up, will the program still take place? What are the ages of the kids participating and will the children be divided into groups accordingly?

Variety of Activities

Ask if your kids be interacting with other kids their age inside a designated playroom or will they be out exploring, swimming, and having adventures. The best kid-friendly beach resorts provide a variety of interesting programs for youngsters which go far beyond simply babysitting your children. Your kids should have their own special vacation memories to take home with them.

Ratio of Kids to Caregivers

Are you concerned about the safety of leaving your child alone with other adult supervision? Ensuring that your child receives ample adult supervision is very important. As Babycenter.com reports, an adult-to-child ratio of 1-to-4 is necessary for infants, while the ratio is 1-to-6 for two- to six-year-olds. Be sure to ask hard questions of the resort or hotel that you choose.

Other Helpful Resources:

• About.com: Top 10 Hotels and Resorts for Family Vacations
• TinyTravelers.net