Travel Insurance // Why Do We Need It?

When booking a trip, a travel agent will always ask you if you are interested in purchasing travel insurance. It is almost like a "Do you want fries with that" of the travel world. Most people see that as an extra cost and decide to opt out. Whether it is your trip, your possessions, your luggage, or your health, travel insurance has become an essential for smart travelers. At Travel Planners, we urge you to consider it.  Why you ask? Let me explain. 

You may need it. If you are taking a long and expensive trip, travel insurance could be a very smart choice. If a natural disaster, sudden illness or family issues arise, will you be losing a great deal of money? Are your plane tickets nonrefundable? Have you been saving for this for years? If you answered yes to any of these, you may need to devise an insurance plan. 

How much is travel insurance? If can range anywhere from five to fifteen percent of the trip, depending on age of traveler and trip details. If this fits your budget, I would strongly suggest purchasing. Would give you a great peace of mind. Call your local travel agent for the details!

Trip-cancellation insurance is a great coverage option when you have paid a substantial amount of money for this getaway. If things end up not working you, you at least get your nonrefundable, prepaid travel costs back. However, trip-cancellation insurance only covers very specific reasons for why your trip was canceled. These include sickness, natural disasters and theft. Make sure to read the fine print when deciding to purchase this insurance. But if traveling to a place where natural disasters are very common, this is a IDEAL coverage option. 

Generally, travel insurance is sold in packages, combining various categories of coverage. Go through them and determine what you need and what you don't. 

Top reasons to purchase travel insurance:

Reasons to buy travel insurance 

                                                       1.) Your flight has been cancelled. 

2.) Your bags are lost and your medication is in it. You need to have an emergency prescription filled.

 3.) Your passport and wallet are stolen, and you need emergency cash and a replacement passport. 

4.)You're involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. You need medical evacuation. 

5.) You need to cancel your trip due to illness. 

6.) Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. You need your non-refundable expenses covered and to get to your destination. 

7.) You have a medical emergency in a foreign country. 

8.) A terrorist incident occurs in the city where you’re planning to visit and you want to cancel your trip. 

9.) A hurricane forces you to evacuate your resort, hotel or cruise.

Blooming Portland // On the Rise

It seems like everyone I know is talking about Portland, Oregon. They either want to move there or they already have. Portland is the capital of "cool" with amazing art and music along with fantastic food! Portland is home base for alternative rock bands, edgy chefs and urban-planning junkies. People who visit Portland will be greeted by friendly, easygoing and happy locals. 

When visiting Portland there are dozens of things to try and even more places to visit. 

As far ad food goes, do not miss the fabulous food carts–serving Lebanese, Italian, Japanese and Thai treats, among others. There are even Fijian and Transylvanian food trucks. To find out which food trucks you would like to try, visit the Food Carts Portland site. Eating in Portland is an experience within itself. The burgers are made from locally sourced beef and served with kale. The beer is crafted in a microbrewery. And did I mention the coffee? Portland is a coffee lovers paradise. Support the local shops!

The famous "Porklandia"

Looking for a great place to grab brunch? Try Tasty n Alder. They have mouth-watering cast-iron frittatas with butternut squash and Gruyère cheese. Grab a Bloody Mary topped with bacon or jalapenos.

In a city as green as Portland, it is fitting that some of the top attractions are outdoor spots. There are more than 200 parks within the city limits–from marshlands to forests and trails to skateboard parks. In the downtown district, do not miss Director Park. It is Portland's newest park. It features a cafe, outdoor seating and a gorgeous fountain. The park also hosts numerous events during the year. Lan Su Chinese Garden is located in the Old Town/Chinatown district. It has covered walkways, bridges, open colonnades and gorgeous landscapes. Public tours are available. 

Lan Su Chinese Garden

Director Park

Portland has a reputation for being home of "tree huggers" and understandably so. There are trees everywhere and the parks are so inviting. Forest Park is one of the most popular places to bike, run and dog walking. It flanks the hills on the west side of the city and just 10 minutes from downtown. It is one of the largest wooden urban parks in the United States and filled with more than 70 miles of walking and hiking trails. 

Forest Park

For more information on parks and outdoor activities in Portland, visit their Parks & Recreation site. 

Portland is very bike friendly, in fact, more than 6% of the city residents commute by bike daily. The city has designated bike trails throughout. While visiting, rent a bike and ride over the bridges. They are all beautiful. There are eight bridges in the city, so enjoy the riveting views and take a bike tour!

Everyone knows that Portland is know for microbreweries. Over 30 to be exact. The beer scene is undeniably awesome. Take a tour of the breweries or attend a beer festival. The city has a passion for excellence and it is apparent in their beer!

Another thing that goes great with beer? Movies! Portland is also home to Movie Brewpubs. For only $3 you can see a movie, sit on comfy couches and grab your favorite draft beer. Why is this not EVERYWHERE?

One of Portland's nicknames is the "City of Roses" and it certainly makes sense. It is home to the International Rose Test Garden. Open from April-October to the public. The tour is free to walk among the luscious beautiful garden of over 7,000 roses. The garden is a must see when visiting Portland. 

Now when can I move to Portland??

Backyard // Outdoor Wedding

This is the best time to start planning backyard and outdoor weddings. The weather feels amazing, the flowers are blooming and everything is a lush green. My parents live on top of the highest mountain in Birmingham and have a gorgeous backyard. I have always dreamed that some day I will get married at their house. In fact, my brother and sister-in-law had a backyard wedding there in 2007 and it was beautiful!

They had a custom light pink and green dance floor built for their wedding and placed in the drive way under lights strung from the trees tops. Paper lanterns adorned the branches and the night was perfect for lit luminaries. 

This to me is the ideal wedding and reception. No extra costs for a location, very laid back and of course a GREAT view!

We all know that wedding planning can be stressful. And we all know that every bride wants her big day to be perfect and go off without a hitch. There is a LOT that comes into making a wedding happen and it certainly cannot be done overnight. 

Many brides see these lavish weddings on TV and dream to have a wedding that mirrors Jennifer Aniston's nuptials. And brides will drive themselves crazy on Pinterest trying to plan the ideal wedding straight from Southern Living or The Knot. 

At the end of the day, the wedding is about you. Yes, fancy things and big weddings are nice, but they are not "must haves". A backyard wedding is a great alternative to a wedding venue and it is incredibly budget friendly. 

There are dozens of ways to make a backyard wedding perfect. First, use the natural scenery. For my brother's wedding, we used the trees to hang lights and paper lanterns. It was wonderful and was used as lighting when the sun went down! Floral arrangements can be very expensive so if there are flowers already present, that is a huge bonus! Use what you have and be resourceful! Lighting can be as easy as putting tea candles in mason jars or lighting luminaries along the path. 

Try not to over think anything. Making a backyard wedding have a romantic feeling is very easy. Centerpieces can be flowers/plants from the garden. Decorations can be lights strung through the trees. Make signs. Create your own unique touch to the wedding. Maybe you want streamers in the trees or even a clothes pin photo display. Make it YOU!

For a backyard wedding, buffet style catering is simple and easy to manage! It is very casual and people love it. Simple is the way to go. Try BBQ or a slider bar. Minimum stress with maximum deliciousness.

 

A few extra ideas:

*Loose flower petals along the walkways

*Drinks in tin coolers/drink table

*Hang ribbons

*DIY Photobooth or hire a Photobooth 

St. Lucia // Five Coolest Things To Do

St. Lucia is known to be one of the most romantic destinations in the world. The crystal clear water, the sunny beaches and the chance to just have FUN!

When vacationing in St. Lucia you will discover that there are so many different things to do. 

Here is a list of five very cool activities that you can check off your bucket list!

 The Way of the Pitons

The Gros Piton (2,530 ft) and Petit Piton (2,438 ft) rise dramatically from the sea on the island's west coast. The peaks have become synonymous with Saint Lucia's very identity.  Both peaks can be climbed on hikes that range from strenuous (Gros Piton) to challenging (Petit Piton).  Both offer sweeping panoramic views of the island, the Atlantic, and the Caribbean. If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a humpback whale in the waters below.

 Escape to Paradise Ridge

Ladera Resort, perched on a volcanic ridge 1,000 feet above the sea, offers the most remarkable views in the Caribbean from the property's new ultra-luxe suites at Paradise Ridge. The suites, built from local hardwood and designed to make guests feel at home in the rainforest, feature 24-hour butler service, four-poster beds, tables and chairs crafted in the on-site workshop, extensive Saint Lucian tile work, and infinity pools that overlook the Piton peaks. Couples can take massages in blissful solitude, and unwind while hummingbirds and parrots flit through the gardens.

Sulfur Springs

Saint Lucia's Sulfur Springs, located in the famed drive-in volcano near the town of Soufrière, offer visitors a glimpse at the bubbling, boiling heart of the island, and a chance to unleash their inner 8-year-old by experiencing a full-body mud bath. Treatments begin with an alabaster silica application and culminate with a volcanic mud rubdown and a soak in a steaming sulfur pool. The mud is said to contain restorative and rejuvenating properties.

Cook Like a Local

Dasheene Restaurant is the playground of Chef Nigel Mitchel, the only locally-trained, Saint Lucian-born five-star chef on the island. On Saturday mornings Chef Nigel invites guests from Ladera Resort to explore the Morning Market, where his culinary team sources fruits, veggies, and fresh fish before joining him in Dasheene's kitchen to craft local favorites like green fig and saltfish, jerk fish rotis, and bouyon stew. Chef Nigel has helped Dasheene flip Caribbean cuisine on its ear by putting regional twists on Western classics; the menu features lobster burgers, mahi mahi fish and chips, and more. 

Explore the Reef

Saint Lucia's west coast is hugged by the warm, calm waters of the Caribbean, and fringed by pristine coral reefs that cling to the island's volcanic mantle. Zip through the rainforest to secluded Sugar Beach – a picturesque stretch of sand between the Pitons – and take a deep breath though a Snuba tube as you explore the sea floor at 5, 10, or 20 feet below the surface. Sea turtles, octopus, sharks, rays and hundreds of species of fish ply these waters.