Hurricane Evacuations 101 -- and on a dime

The H word is a four-letter word here in Florida. Ever since battling back-to-back storms in 2004, when it seemed as if I evacuated almost every week in August and September. I hold my breath in trepidation every time hurricane season rolls around.

Lately, it seems as if we are hearing more and more about developing storms. They have spared us so far. But some day the storms will make landfall in the Sunshine State. And, if you have children, you need to be ready. Believe me, evacuations can become expensive very quickly.

Here are some tips:
*Hurricane toys are essential if you have children. On a whim, I grabbed a new noise-making educational toy for my 3-year-old back in 2004 as I grabbed soup cans and water from the shelves. It was the best $10 I ever spent. During the storm, which can sometimes last for days, your child is going to need something to do. A good way to distract him is with a new toy. I used to confiscate a few unopened toys from the child's birthday to put away with the other hurricane supplies. If I didn't use them, they materialized at Christmas. Even if you just grab something at the store on the day before the storm, make sure you have a new toy or book on hand. Preferably with lights in case the electricity goes out.
* Forecasters usually have an idea of where the storm is heading. If more than one track shows the storm going toward your town, start making reservations. Especially if the storm looks like it will be greater than a Category 3. If you wait until evacuations are ordered, you will not find a room and end up in an emergency shelter. Granted, emergency shelters are free and sometimes you can get a snack or something. But those shelters are considered a last resort for a reason. Usually, you can find a reasonable hotel inland for $50 or so. Hotels are not allowed to suddenly raise the room rate during a hurricane. It's called price-gouging and it's against the law. Make your reservation for a week, based on when the storm is expected to make landfall. Make sure there is a last-minute window so you can cancel if the storm turns away from your area. And keep following the storm so you can adjust your reservation if necessary without having to pay for extra nights. Hurricane Frances kept stalling in the ocean. So, I would call every night and change my arrival date, but adjusting the departure date. By the time the storm actually hit, I was still covered. Others weren't as lucky. Some at the hotel were actually made to leave the night of the storm (after being at the hotel for 1-2 nights already) because they hadn't changed their reservation and others had reserved a room.
* If you are visiting Florida anytime between June and November, check the weather reports before you come down. If a hurricane is heading toward your designation, DON'T GO. It will be better for your wallet if you cancel rather than have to worry about evacuations or people evacuating to your hotel. Evacuations are not fun. People who evacuate are not fun to be around. They will be tense and worried about the storm and the homes they have left behind. The hotel people will be grateful to you for freeing up a room for the evacuating residents.
* If you have pets, find a hotel that takes pets. Do not wait until the last minute to do this. There aren't that many hotels that accept pets, and those will be filled quickly. Know who to call before the storm hits. And don't just show up at a hotel with an animal and expect the hotel to let you bring the animal inside. (Although, some hotels do relax the "no pets" rule during a storm.)
* Bring your canned goods, water, can opener and food with you to the hotel. This will save you from spending more money at restaurants. Some hotels offer free breakfasts and will continue this practice during a hurricane as long as they have food. I stayed at one hotel during a hurricane that served fresh-baked cookies every night. If your hotel does this, get there early. The cookies were gone within 10 minutes. Believe me, evacuees will load up on cookies, especially if they don't have their own food with them. And they won't hesitate to take cookies from small children, no matter how cute they are.

Those are the main tips I have. Anyone have any others? Let me know by posting a comment in this section.

Happy Daytripping (With No Hurricanes!)

Finding daytrips during the school year

Now that summer vacation is over and the children are back in school, I'm limited to planning my travel time. I've found some places that offer free admission are only open during the week, which means I can't visit them unless the kids are out of school for the day.

I'm doing research now to find more places offering free admission on the weekends. Also, I'm starting to plan ahead for Thanksgiving and winter breaks. If anyone has ideas, let me know. I'll also pass along any ideas and deals I find.

Happy daytripping!