by Marcia Simon, APR, CTA
 
We all feel, at times, the need to get away and shake up a monotonous routine.
 
Planning that perfect escape can be daunting as the potential price tag adds up in your head, but recharging your inner batteries doesn’t have to take you geographically far away. It doesn’t need to take more than a day or two, and doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. Just one night away at a B&B gives you enough of a break to clear the garbles from your brain. Historic old homes lovingly turned into guest houses are scattered throughout New England, as an example, and getaways are surely within an easy three- or four-hour drive from your home, wherever you live.
 
I recently visited The Fan House in Barnard, Vermont. It’s a little off the beaten path, far enough from the Interstate, and close enough for lots of day trip destinations, like Quechee, Vermont, known for its annual hot air balloon festival and Simon Pearce glass blowers, and Hanover, New Hampshire with a great college vibe and plenty of neat restaurants because of Dartmouth. Suicide Six ski area is only six miles away, while larger Killington and Okemo ski areas are about 45 minutes away and offer trail biking, hiking, golf and summer activities as well as some of the best winter skiing in the Northeast.
 
On the way to the Fan House, I stopped at the Barnard General Store and indulged on a maple-cream-filled whoopie pie. After this I knew I was on a micro-vacation in Vermont. When I pulled into the Fan House driveway, Sara, the innkeeper, came out to greet me with her big friendly, shaggy dog Chappy, who neither jumped nor slobbered on me, but nuzzled up to my leg, wagged his tail and let me know I was welcome in his home. We walked around the yard and Sara showed me her country garden, filled with huge colorful poppies, foxglove, lupines, forget-me-nots and numerous other perennials that had not yet blossomed. The unmistakable fragrance of lilacs filled the air. I looked up to see a banner season for lilacs blooming along the property line by the main road.
 
It was still a little shy of cocktail hour, but Sara joined me for a glass of wine in the living room area anyway. It was comfortable, relaxing and a pleasure talking candidly with someone who obviously had the gift for gab, was well traveled and has met her fair share of interesting characters along life’s enchanting journey.
 
Just a couple of miles down the road, at the Barnard Inn restaurant, Max’s Tavern, a casual bistro, served up a cold crisp glass of pinot grigio to accompany a simple green salad tossed with maple Dijon vinaigrette and lightly topped with gorgonzola and candied walnuts. I must have needed my blue cheese fix, because my chosen entrée was house-made gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, which was delicious with mild roasted cloves of garlic, caramelized onions and baby spinach.
 
The first thought when I got ready for bed at the Fan House and realized there was no TV in my room was disappointment, but after about 10 seconds, I changed my mind. Being a news junkie and creature of habit who turns on the news before bedtime and upon wake-up, taking a break from the craziness was a blessing. In fact, it was a much-needed disconnect.
 
The bed had eight pillows – two as bolsters, four for indulgent sleep and two more for decoration, which made a perfect spot to prop my laptop as I checked email before going to bed. The Wi-Fi worked well. I drifted into a deep sleep, woke up without an alarm, and went for a short walk to Barnard’s Silver Lake, sat on a bench and felt the early morning sun on my face, then continued walking – past lots of kayaks on racks and watched people come and go from the general store carrying cups of coffee to jumpstart their rural morning commutes. I read the bulletin board and learned about upcoming concerts, theater productions and youth summer programs at Barnard’s BarnArts.org.
 
Having worked up an appetite for breakfast, which was included at my stay at the Fan House, I poured myself a cup of coffee and chatted it up with two guests visiting from Tennessee while Sara whipped up some blueberry pancakes and served them with warm maple syrup, along with fresh strawberries, granola and juice. At that moment, the pressures of the previous day’s workload were far from my mind. On the mid-morning car ride home I mentally prepared my “to do” list and the priorities seemed clear. I reminded myself to stay focused on those priorities and to let the other “urgencies” slide by if they weren’t aligned with my primary goals. I felt eager to tackle the workload, and not overwhelmed.
 
One night away. To get unstuck. It’s well worth it.
 
Marcia Simon, APR, CTA, is accredited as a travel advisor and public relations professional, and is principal/owner of friendlygrouptravel.com and MSE Public Relations. Visit www.friendlygrouptravel.com, www.facebook.com/friendlygrouptravel, friendgrouptravel on Instagram and FriendsGoTravel on Twitter, or email welcome@friendlygrouptravel.com.
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​by Marcia Simon, APR, CTA
 
Heading overseas for your next vacation or business trip?

If you plan to use your phone – at all – for any reason – these tips and helpful apps will assure that your phone remains a valued and reliable companion when traveling internationally:

1. Clean out the trash and load up on useful apps (listed below.) Check your phone’s memory; de-clutter. There’s nothing more annoying than a popup message alerting you you’re out of memory as you’re about to take that next great video. Delete bad photos as well as images you’ve already downloaded or transferred. Clear videos and old voicemails you no longer want, and delete the cache (accumulated garbage) from your apps. Your carrier’s tech support can walk you through this. To make room, transfer files from your phone to an external memory card (if your phone supports this.)Ask your wireless carrier about international plans that meet your travel needs. A temporary monthly fee can save you hundreds of dollars if you need to use your phone for data (navigation) or voice calls. Review, and change if necessary, your network and roaming settings because it’s not always possible to make these changes from outside your “home network area.” Your carrier’s tech support can guide you through this.
2. Save battery and data during your trip by using your phone in a Wi-Fi area as much as possible. Choose hotels that offer free Wi-Fi access. Download directions for daily navigation before you leave your hotel. Turn Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Location settings off when not using them. (Phones use battery power by automatically searching for Wi-Fi networks.)
3. Bring a charger that has a USB connector as well as an international adapter. Airports, planes and hotels increasing use USB connectivity, which is more universal.
4. Don’t forget your headset. With low-cost airlines charging for just about everything, including headsets, it’s a lot easier to bring your own. Depending on how much you’re willing to invest, the quality will likely be better, too.
5. Load useful apps.

  Try these Travel Apps to save time and sanity:

1. WhatsApp, Facetime, Skype or Zoom – for phone calls and video chats over Wi-Fi. Make sure your family, or whomever you’ll be communicating with back home, has also downloaded the app and established an account. Then your calls will be free from any Wi-Fi zone.
2. Your airline’s app – Whether it be Delta, United, Norwegian, EasyJet or any other airline, you’ll get real-time updates, including gate information, delays and other changes. You’ll have easy access to your boarding pass and rewards program. Some airlines offer entertainment and Wi-Fi on your device accessible only through the airline’s app.
3. Your bank’s app – so you can check your balance, or transfer money to get cash from the ATM. (Rule of thumb – use debit card at ATM to get local currency; use credit card for purchases. Why? Cash withdrawal using a credit card is usually considered a cash advance with high interest rates; and while most merchants overseas accept American credit cards, many will not accept a debit card.)
4. Currency converter – to quickly check the price equivalent before you buy something
5. Google Translate or other language app – to help you find the words, or to scan something in a local language (e.g. a menu, brochure or sign) for translation into English. It’s also a good idea to download the dictionary of the language spoken at your destination before your trip, so you can still access translation when you’re offline.
6. Duolingo – to help you learn the language, or at least understand pronunciation. It’s a nice gesture.
7. Your hotel’s app – This is helpful if you stay at the same hotel or chain for more than a couple of nights. You can request early check-in, late check-out, and expedite the process.
8. Uber – usually lower priced than a taxi; many airports do not allow Uber drivers to pick up at arrival terminals near the Taxi Line, but some do, so you’ll need to check. Once out of the airport, Uber is a good choice if you need a ride from your hotel or downtown area. Lyft is talking about building out their international service, but for now, Uber is the established option.
9. Mobile Passport – makes getting through Customs upon your return a faster process. Remember to load your flight and passport information before you reach Customs. This app works at 26 airports in the U.S. for US citizens and Canadian visitors only.

 
Marcia Simon, APR, CTA is a travel advisor and principal at friendlygrouptravel.com and MSE Public Relations. She writes about health, wellness and travel.
​Connect: welcome@friendlygrouptravel.com,  facebook.com/friendlygrouptravel, 
@friendsgotravel on Twitter and friendgrouptravel on Instagram.