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For me, how much I enjoy traveling depends a lot on how well I pack. Here are some tips for packing that might make traveling easier and more enjoyable for you.

First off, if you are traveling by airplane, it helps to know the airline’s baggage policy before you buy the ticket. I almost always fly with my family, so we know we are going to need a decent amount of luggage that we don’t want to have to pay an arm and a leg for.

It is helpful to be aware of the size and weight restrictions before you select your suitcase(s). I have had both hard and soft suitcases before. I realized that I prefer the soft cases, because they weigh less and they can stretch and expand if needed. A lighter suitcase means I can bring more things inside of the suitcase without going over 50 pounds.

It is also helpful to have a quality suitcase that handles the wear and tear of travel, and that is easy to move and handle!

Okay, back to packing. Here is a bit of my packing resume. I grew up in Sanford, North Carolina, but I went to college at BYU in Provo, UT. I flew to college. I had to pack everything I might need for a year of school into two suitcases, a carry-on, and a personal item.

After my first year of college, I went on a two year mission for my church, so I had to pack approved and specific types of things for a two-year period. During that time I moved every 4-5 months.

Now I travel for holidays, weddings, and funerals with my family, so we tend to carry a lot of things for to help us get by for a few weeks.

We can’t travel too often, so we usually try to maximize the time in different places. For each of these situations I had to pack differently. However, I believe most of my top ten tips for packing should be helpful in most situations.

Here are my ten tips for packing!

1. First, make a list.

Consider your activities and what you will need to accomplish them. What can you afford to buy at your destination, what will be available for free, and what can you do without?

Plan and prioritize and then make a list. I don’t trust myself in the chaos of the moment of packing to remember everything but maybe you are different.

In my opinion, the main goals of packing are to have what you need, have it easily accessible, and to have it in as close to the condition that you need it as possible.

Those goals are meet within time and money constraints that depend on the person packing and the goals of the travel.

2. Roll up you clothes instead of folding them

Or just chucking them in the suitcase. Rolled up shirts and pants will be less likely to wrinkle, and they will take up less space. If you don’t care about wrinkles, and you just want to fit as many clothes in a suitcase as possible then I think folding would be better.

Also, you could try packing aides that use vacuum suction to, basically, shrink wrap your clothes. If you are just going on a short trip and you don’t want to waste time with ironing clothes, then roll up your less wrinkle prone clothes and lay them on top of your more sensitive clothes.

Plus, to keep your dress shirts and such from shifting and getting wrinkled you can use something like a dry cleaning bag tucked over and into the sides of the suitcase. Use socks, underwear, and other properly sealed toiletries to fill in the empty spaces.

Think about how everything might shift and plan accordingly. Place books and other heavy items near the bottom of your suitcase.

3. If you are flying, make sure your valuables and important documents are with you on the plane.

Checked bags are at a greater risk of being lost or stolen. Additionally, if you want to avoid someone else confusing their bag with yours at baggage claim, try a brighter color or design for the bag itself or for something on or tied to the bag.

4. Make sure that liquids, gases, or gels meet the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule.

Basically, they have to be small travel sizes and in a clear plastic bag. For liquids and other items in checked bags that might explode due changes in air pressure during flights at least use a sealed plastic bag.

You can also put some plastic wrap over the opening of the bottle or tube and then screw the lid on top of the plastic. This should help prevent most problems. Katie and I were not always careful about this, and we paid the price.

5. Use your personal item wisely.

I don’t know what the official policy of most airlines, but I think the size of your personal item is mostly dependent on how well if fits under the seat in front of you.

I’ve packed a backpack full of heavy books, which has saved me from putting a lot of weight in my checked bags.

I’ve even brought my tennis racquet on board with me because it wouldn’t fit in my checked luggage, and I didn’t have a problem. I think I just stowed it up top.

6. Be aware that your bag might be searched.

If your bag is stuffed so full that you think it is a minor miracle that you got it to close, remember that the TSA official who might have to search it might not be so fortunate or careful.

Bags might rip, seams might split, or you might have to pick your bag up from somewhere other than the usual baggage claim area. Plus, the locks on suitcases have to be TSA compliant, or the might be cut off or broken.

If you don’t want some stranger touching certain things then put them in a clear plastic bag, so that the items can be clearly seen.

7. Consider what you can buy at your destination.

If you can avoid the time, hassle, and luggage fees by avoiding packing items you can buy at you destination (if you will have the time) then do it.

This includes considering laundry options. If you can do your laundry at your destination, then you can bring fewer clothes.

You could even try washing your clothes in a hotel sink, and then hanging them up in the shower to dry. If you have a child in diapers, just buy the diapers and wipes when you get to your destination.

8. Pack versatile items

I think smart phones are great for this. Smart phones can make it so you don’t need books, maps, music players, etc. They do need to be charged, so it might be good to have an extra battery pack if you depend on your phone a lot.

Using layers when dressing for different weather conditions is one way to make your clothes more versatile. Instead of a big jacket, maybe a couple of shirts and a thick sweater or light jacket.9. Pack some high calorie snacks

I hate paying the ridiculous prices of airports and certain tourist destinations. I can save myself some money with granola bars, trail mixes, and jerky. They won’t go bad sitting for a while in different kinds of environment, and you won’t freak out if you’re behind schedule and don’t have time to buy food.

Similarly, bring an empty clear bottle to fill up with water fountain or restaurant water, so you don’t have to buy overpriced water or drinks if you get thirsty.

10. Pack something for the trip

Sometimes people pack just for the destination, and they don’t prepare for the time and effort of the trip itself. Just makes sure you are taking care of yourself, so you aren’t too tired or upset to do what you need to do when you get to your destination.

By the way, make sure you actually bring your luggage. I only partly mention this in jest. When Katie and I were enjoying our simple honeymoon we were leaving the house we were able to enjoy for a few nights to drive a few hours towards the beach. However, once we got to the hotel we were going to be staying in, we realized that one of Katie’s bags wasn’t there. I had taken it down the stairs at the house we had stayed in, but I hadn’t actually put it in the car. So, once you pack to perfection make sure you actually take the bag with you!

The post 10 Smart Packing Tips for Families appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Vail is a city that we have driven through countless times. Growing up, we got stranded there during a snow storm. The past few times we have driven to Utah, we have stopped there for lunch.

That’s about where my experience ends. Well, up until a few weeks ago.

You may have seen my post about the Lion Square Lodge, which is where we stayed a few weeks ago. Although we could have easily just hung out in our condo, we ventured out a bit. There are so many fun, family-friendly activities there, especially during the winter.

So, if you find yourself wanting a family vacation in Vail with small children, here is a guide of yummy places to eat and things to do in Vail!

Where to Eat in Vail

I wish I could spend a week in Vail just eating. There are so many unique and delicious restaurants. I looked forward to meal time every day just so we could try something yummy again!

One thing we loved was thT no matter how busy a place was, we were always seated quickly and our food always came out fast  I think that tet definitely know that hungry skiers don’t want to wait forever!

El Sabor

The first place we went was El Sabor. This is the restaurant that is part of the Lion Square Lodge, and we are there twice.

We first went there for dinner after we arrived in Vail. I love Mexican food, so I was really looking forward to it. There was no wait, and we had our choice of seats!

There was a large menu with lots of yummy meals. We started our meal out with complimentary chips and salsa. I loved the chips, and the salsa was good – thought a bit spicy. Our friendly server offered us some cheese sauce to mix in with it to make it a little more mild. I was skeptical at first, but it actually tasted really good.

Forrest and I shared a carne asade plate. It was so good. I loved the guacamole especially. 

We let Jack choose what he wanted from the kids menu, and he opted for nachos. They worked well for him! We felt like the prices were reasonable, especially for the large portion size.

We went there for breakfast as well. There weren’t quite as many choices, but enough for us to have a wide variety of things to decide on. We ended up getting an omlette. We also got a chorizo hash, which I really enjoyed.

Jack loved his pancakes!

El Sabor also has a great view of the mountains. I loved watching the snow softly fall as we ate breakfast.

Blue Moose Pizza

One night we were really craving pizza, so we decided to check out this place. It seemed to have good reviews online. We were seated immediately, and we had the most friendly waiter! He went above and beyond to make sure we had a good experience.

He recommended that we order 2-3 pieces of pizza per person…and for me? That was way too much! One slice was more than enough. Both of the pieces I got were pretty good though. Jack got a kid’s pepperoni pizza slice, and we all shared a salad. Forrest had eaten earlier, so he just got a side of brocolli and ate off of my plate.

It was quite the eclectic place, and it seemed to have a lot of families – so I definitely think it’s a good place to stop by. It wasn’t my favorite pizza ever, but it was pretty good. I liked that there were a ton of toppings, but it was just a little bit thin of crust. Still, it was good. The salad was really large though with lots of great toppings!

Vail Chophouse

This was a restaurant that seemed to be recommended a lot, and it is right outside of the Lion Square Lodge. It is a bit more expensive and nicer, so it would be a good place to go when you are wanting a little bit higher class food.

We started out with the garlic french fries with a variety of dipping sauces. This was probably my favorite part of the meal. I loved the parmesan on top, and the dipping sauces were fantastic. It was a large portion, and we still had about 1/2 leftover after we were finished eating.

I wasn’t super hungry, so I got chili. It had good flavor, and just the right amount of beans 

Forrest got the shrimp and grits. I really enojoyed the grits. They were a bit thinner than most grits I’ve had, but they tasted good. The shrimp had a very nice flavor as well. 

Family Friendly Activities in Vail

There is so much to do in Vail! We didn’t get to do all these activities, but here are a few ideas:

Skiing

Obviously, a big draw to the resort is the skiing! Forrest and Jack went skiing,a nd they both really enjoyed it.

Forrest just took Jack on a smaller hill and let him try out the ropes of skiing, but they have a lot of ski school options for kids (and adults, even!) We might do that next time. Kids under 5 ride the slopes for free, which I think is a great reason to ski at Vail.

They both rented equipment at a little shop near the Lion Square Lodge. It wasn’t very expensive, especially because we rented the equipment online and got a discount. Forrest loved that after getting off the slopes, he didn’t have a very long walk to our condo!

Ice skating

There are a couple different ice skating rinks that you can go to. First, there is one right in the middle of Vail Square – the Alderhorf Ice Rink.

I thought it seemed like it would be so fun to go ice skating on it – kind of magical. If you don’t have your own skates, you can rent some – $20 for adults and $15 for kids (I believe.) I think it might be more advantageous to skate outside if you had your own skates.

There is also an indoor rink called the John A Dobson Ice Arena. The prices were cheaper, and it looks like it has good reviews. Make sure you go during open skating time, though!

Adventure Ridge

Adventure Ridge wasn’t open yet when we got there, which I was a little bummed about. It seems like a lot of fun, especially for kids. It features snow tubing, ski biking, kid’s snowmobiles, snowshoeing, and more.

Carriage rides

The Concergie at the Lion Square mentioned to us that there were carriage rides nearby. They were a bit pricey – I think almost $100 for adults. However, it sounded really fun. I’ve seen Groupons for them as well, so be on the lookout for a coupon!

Playground

There was a playground in Vail Square that we thought was pretty cool. Jack loved playing on it. The weather was pretty reasonable on the day we walked around, and it was a neat place to play. It’s free, too!

We really enjoyed just walking around town. Vail is such abeautiful place, and there’s so much architecture and neat statues. It’s worth just going on a stroll, looking at the stores, and maybe stopping for some ice cream at Haagan Daaz or a caramel apple hot cider at Starbucks!

Festivals

Vail has different festivals throughout the year that are worth checking into. The weekend we were there, they had the Snow Daze festival going on.

During the Snow Daze festival, there are a bunch of different concerts, musicians, and events that go on. All the concerts are free, and I know one of the big draws is inexpensive drinks (but we don’t drink, so that wasn’t a big draw for us.) Forrest attended some of the live music at the Tavern in Vail Square,a nd he really enjoyed it. He said that people would just yell out a song, and the person singing would just sing it. I heard him from our condo, and it was really fun. If you love music, definitely come up next year for this event. It’s pretty cool.

If you want to attend other festivals, just check out the Vail events calendar for updates on when these will be occuring.

The post The Vail Winter Family Guide appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.