Pack Your Suitcase: Planning Tips for Your Spring Break Trips

PLANNING TIPS FOR YOUR SPRING BREAK TRIPS

Writer / Lindsey Thompson Photography Provided

The weeks after Winter Break can drag on and on, especially during an exceptionally cold and dreary winter. A little Spring Break planning can be just the thing to get you out of the winter doldrums and looking forward to some time away. Whether you stay close or travel far, here are some tips for planning your Spring Break trip.

1. BOOK EARLY Lots of people travel during Spring Break so booking early assures you can get better flights, hotel rooms and attraction tickets. Schools typically release their yearly calendars at the beginning of the school year, giving you plenty of heads up to book Spring Break early.

When you book early, you have a better chance of getting a better deal and making sure you book just the right flight or hotel for your family. The longer you wait to book flights, for example, the less likely you are to get seats together or even be on the same flight.

2. SET A BUDGET Lay out a travel budget for your Spring Break trip and stick to it. Making family memories on a vacation may be priceless, but taking a trip you can’t afford isn’t worth going into debt. Just like it’s beneficial to book early, it also helps to save early for your Spring Break trip.

Spring Break doesn’t fall too far after Christmas, another expensive time for your family budget, so planning ahead allows you to spend money on both. Use a budget management tool like Mint to help you plan and save.

3. DIAL INTO DEAL Travel deals abound, you just have to do a little digging to find them. Not just for massages and Thai food deals, Groupon and LivingSocial both have travel sections full of deals. Groupon has a special Spring Break page that offers lots of great ideas and travel deals including Smoky Mountain cabins, indoor water parks and beach getaways.

Online travel agencies like Expedia, Travelocity and Kayak allow you to search for travel deals all around the world. Many even have special Spring Break pages, providing trip suggestions for flights, hotels and activities.

If you’ll be traveling by air, some travel experts suggest the best time to purchase airline tickets is on a Tuesday, as prices tend to drop that day each week. Sign up for airline and hotel emails to unlock other deals.

4. UTILIZE APPS Tons of apps exist to help take the stress out of Spring Break travel planning. Hopper is an excellent tool for finding the best flights, as the app lets you set up alerts for different itineraries and even allows you to book right from your phone. TripIt helps you keep all your reservations and itineraries organized, putting everything (flights, hotel reservations, car rentals, etc.) right at your fingertips. Just like out-of-town visitors, locals can take advantage of special deals and discounts through organizations like the visitor’s bureau. They often have coupons on their websites and at their offices for attractions, restaurants and hotels. Regardless of where you go or how you get there, with a little planning you can have the Spring Break trip your family will remember for years. Happy planning!

If you’ll be traveling by car, Roadtrippers takes the hassle out of mapping your route, giving you suggestions for stops along the way and up-to-date road conditions.

5. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX Florida, Mexico, Disney. These might be great Spring Break destinations, but they’re also some of the most popular and most crowded and most expensive. Avoid the crowds and consider an alternative Spring Break destination.

Washington D.C. is affordable and offers something for the whole family, from museums to monuments. Sedona, Arizona offers an escape from the cold and amazing outdoor activities like hiking and mountain biking.

If your passport is up-to-date, consider running for the Northern border and visiting one of Canada’s great cities. Montreal is an eclectic mix of French colonial architecture, Bohemian attitude and modern-day sites. Calgary’s natural beauty and small-town feel makes it a great choice for the outdoorsy type and Niagara Falls has fun for the whole family.

6. LOOK LOCAL Don’t overlook a Spring Break trip to a local destination or a staycation in your own city. Staying local helps cut down on travel costs and gives you an opportunity to see your town through different eyes. Visit that local museum you’ve never been to, try a new restaurant or cheer on the hometown sports team. Book a local hotel or bed and breakfast, or even find an Airbnb in a different part of town.

Wine Dinner at Cortona’s!

Mark your calendar for our next specialty wine dinner at Cortona’s this March.

KEEP AN EYE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND EVENTBRITE FOR MORE DETAILS!

Cortona’s Italian Cuisine & Wine Bar offers DOP products that are locally grown and packaged in Italy, giving customers a truly authentic experience. Cortona’s also supports local businesses in the area such as Sunrise Bakery, 2Morrow’s Farms, Becker Farms and Piazza Produce. Owner Simone Lucarini grew up in the small town of Cortona, Italy. He alongside his partner and wife, Elizabeth Lucarini, bring a deep understanding of Italian culinary traditions and delicious family recipes. Cooking Italian means knowing the Italian culinary traditions and the most tasty and fresh ingredients. It is not just a quick trip to Italy or a hasty search on google. Traditions are only passable – and these traditions are what we love to share.

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Lawrence Township Schools The Power of Choice

Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Belinda Russell

Libby Wyatt loves Fortville. After moving there two years ago in order to be close to her retail business, she immersed herself in the community spirit. When she saw that the town had a need for an ice cream shop, she jumped into action to fill the void. The result is Libby’s Ice Cream and Gifts, located at 11 South Main Street.

Wyatt explains how her ice cream and gift shop came to be.

“After being a professional organizer and working from home, I opened Storehouse in 2016,” she says. “It was filled with a mix of furniture, gifts and décor. I choose Fortville as the site for the business because I just loved its small-town feel.

“Indulge Ice Cream shop was right across the street and when it closed in September 2018, I watched families getting out of cars and trying to open the door,” Wyatt says. “I could see their disappointment. As they left, I thought, ‘They won’t come back to Fortville.’ I told my husband, ‘We have to add ice cream.’”

After closing down for a month last May, Storehouse reopened in June as Libby’s Ice Cream and Gifts. Modifications included making the inside brighter by installing recessed lighting and removing Storehouse’s trademark dividing wall of windows and doors. And while it’s still a great place to pick up a gift or décor item, there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy ice cream such as the bar spanning the front window and several tables.

Also new is a colorful mural painted by Sheri Jones of Studio 309. It’s perfect for selfie-taking.

“When it came time to choose an ice cream brand, I wanted to go local, not outside the state,” Wyatt says. “I needed someone close by who could hold my hand. One cold, rainy day last spring, we went to Sundae’s Homemade Ice Cream in Indianapolis and people were packed in there. They do wholesale and we reached out to them to supply our ice cream.”

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Dr. Vogt and family The ice cream selections are constantly rotated but the typical standards of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate are always available among the other innovative flavors. The best seller is Graham Central Station but seasonal favorites like pumpkin, chewy chocolate and banana brownie are popular. A dairy-free option is always offered. This winter, Wyatt is planning to serve hot chocolate and apple cider which can also be made into floats when a scoop of ice cream and warm syrup is added. Sundaes and ice cream sandwiches are yearround choices.

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“We try to have something for everybody,” Wyatt says. “We have gift items for sale in the store that hit all ages such as Melissa & Doug toys and local products like soaps, jewelry and candles. We are trying to do monthly activities and for December we are having Selfies with Santa.

“When we opened, we got a great welcome from the community. On Father’s Day the line was out the door for five hours,” she adds. “I’m so grateful for all the people in Fortville who stepped up to help us just because they wanted the business to be successful.”

Visit Libby’s Ice Cream and Gifts on Facebook for current flavors and upcoming activities. The shop is closed on Mondays, Open Tuesday through Thursday 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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