Welcome to the May 2006 edition of SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL e-zines - a continuing series of monthly newsletters created for the community of single adults who travel alone with kids.

To sign up for our newsletter go to http://www.SingleParentTravel.net. Forward this newsletter to a friend!

In this issue:

I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE
II. EAST OVER RESORT (paid advertisement)
III. BOOK SALE
IV. SINGLE PARENT TOURS
V. SPRINGTIME IN EXOTIC BRAZIL
VI. SINGLE PARENT FAMILY FRIENDLY SPECIALS
VII. MEETING OTHER SINGLE PARENTS
VIII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

I. GLOBALBRENDA'S MESSAGE

Dear Readers,

Our April weekend at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort was, without exaggeration, the best ever! All the participants had a terrific time. I published a couple of their comments in our Single Parent Tours Section IV below. The family magician show was excellent, as usual, and I enjoyed watching one of our parents and one of the kids from our group be selected to come up on the stage. Even the weather cooperated fully by being sunny and bright the whole weekend. For those of you unable to join us in April, we hope to see you in November!

A few days after the Rocking Horse Weekend, I unpacked and repacked my luggage and flew south for Brazil for a 9 day inspection trip to four delightful places - Salvador de Bahia, Iguazu Falls, Buzios and the fabulous city of Rio de Janeiro. Read all about this exotic country and the unique "Carioca" culture in Section V below.

Don't' forget our $5.00 book sale. We are changing storage facilities and rather than pay expensive moving costs, we are, while supplies last, selling off copies of "The Single Parent Travel Handbook" See Section III below for details.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy Trails! GlobalBrenda

II. EAST OVER RESORT (paid advertisement)
Why Do Single Parents Love Family Vacations at Eastover Resort? No Single Supplement. Affordable, Inclusive Rates, Enjoying Time With Your Kids Rather Than Trying To Keep Them Occupied. 600 Wooded Acres, Indoor & Outdoor Pools, 5 Clay Tennis Courts, Kids Camp 3 Times Daily, Nightly Dancing And More. Single Parent Families Are Welcome at Any Time, but August 25th - 27th 2006 Has Social Activities and Mixers Scheduled Specifically For Single Parents. Call 1-800-VACA-FUN or Check Us Out On The Web at http://www.eastover.com/ Eastover Resort, 430 East Street, Lenox, MA 01240

III. BOOK SALE- "THE SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL HANDBOOK"

You read that right, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook is on sale now for $5.00 per book, plus shipping and handling. We're moving storage facilities and we would rather sell the books at a deep discount than pay moving costs.

Hailed by such noted organizations as Parents Without Partners, The Single Parent Travel Handbook is the first and only book dedicated to traveling single parent families. Both entertaining and informative, the book will show you how to save money on your travels and, at the same time, add immensely to the pleasure and fun of your trip. It also has:

o An appendix of travel agents that specialize in single parent families-the only listing of its kind; o Critical advice on the travel documentation needed for minors traveling abroad; o A chapter on adventurous heartwarming stories from single parent dads; and o Information on over a dozen single parent worthy destinations hand-picked by Ms. Elwell.

U.S. Residents: Click here to order.

International Residents, I have found out the costs for postage to some countries. Please send $5.00 for the book, plus the following shipping costs to Monique@SingleParentTravel.net directly via PayPal http://www.PayPal.com. Please be sure to include your name, address AND phone number. (The last part is particular to international shipments from the U.S. postal service. Thanks!)

Global Priority Shipping for one book to: Canada is $7.50 United Kingdom is $9.50 Australia is $9.50 Ireland is $9.50

IV SINGLE PARENT TOURS

AUGUST 19-26, 2006 - JAMAICA and TURKS & CAICOS Our bookings for Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica and Beaches Turks and Caicos are coming along nicely. They are running on concurrent dates. Join us for your summer family vacation!

Click here for Turks & Caicos: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/tours/BeachesTC.htm

Click here for Boscobel: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/tours/beaches.htm

For reservations call 877 GOGO SPT and ask for Janet or Lynda.

NOVEMBER WEEKEND - ROCKING HORSE RANCH RESORT - NY
Next month we will announce the November weekend dates for Rocking Horse. Below are just two of the emails I received from participants on our fun-filled April weekend:

Christine wrote: "I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic weekend at RHR. I am still gushing about what a wonderful time my daughter and I had. I met some great people and will definitely be back in the fall or spring. (or both). This is a wonderful service you provide and I genuinely thank you!

Rosemarie wrote: "I wanted to thank you for organizing such a fun weekend for Tristan and myself. We simply loved visiting The Rocking Horse Ranch. I have to tell you on the way home Tristan said "Mommy, I loved this trip so much, it was better than Disney World!" We'll probably go back again later this year. I'm also writing to ask about that mining place you had mentioned. Tristan is very interested in that as well. Thank you and Happy Trails."

SUMMER 2007 - GUATEMALA AND AN AFRICAN SAFARI We will be posting details on these trips in our June or July newsletter. Stay tuned.

V. SPRINGTIME IN EXOTIC BRAZIL

SALVADOR DE BAHIA After a ten hour non-stop "red-eye" flight from Newark NJ to Sao Paulo (a city of 20 million people) and then another flight connection to Salvador de Bahia, I was ready for a couple of caipirinhas. This is a Brazilian cocktail made with sugar, fresh limes and cachaça, a local sugar cane liqueur, Brazil's answer to vodka and tequila. (Although it sounds sicky sweet, the drink is actually tangy and quite delicious!). Upon arrival, my wish was granted as our group was immediately escorted to the beachfront Pestana Bahia Resort Hotel for lunch and an inspection tour. And yes, we relaxed over a couple of caipirinhas while enjoying a delicious buffet of salads, meats, fish and those wonderful tropical Brazilian fruits.

Read the rest here: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/brazil.htm

VI. SINGLE PARENT FAMILY FRIENDLY SPECIALS

Special #1 - The Schooner Gam on Penobscot Bay (Rockland, ME) Capt. Brenda G. Walker is inviting single parent families to join her on the evening of June 18th through June 21st for a Schooner Gam. The cruise gives you a great opportunity to see all the schooners in the Maine windjammer fleet. Enjoy a trip filled with exciting sailing, new friends, informal fun, quiet evenings, hearty meals and a relaxing view of Maine coastal islands! The regular fare is $500 per person but for children traveling with a single parent the fare is only $300 (so the total for one adult and one child is $800 instead of $1,000). This fare includes taxes and all meals from breakfast on the 19th to brunch the last day (the 21st). One meal during the trip is their famous lobster bake on an uninhabited island. Please feel free to visit them online at http://www.isaacevans.com or call them toll free at 877-238-1325 for more information.

Check out all our single parent travel specials at http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Specials/

* Don't have a travel agent? Then find one in "The Single Parent Travel Handbook" which has a listing of over 75 travel agents who specialize in single parent travel. Buy the book from any place books are sold or get an autographed copy from GlobalBrenda, the author, at http://www.singleparenttravel.net/book/

VI. MEETING OTHER SINGLE PARENTS

There are a number of African-American single parents who are discussing vacations here: http://singleparenttravel.net/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=59521fc771fb6e987f44ad6be58b85a4&topic=16.0

Or pop into the mid-west single parent discussion here: http://singleparenttravel.net/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=59521fc771fb6e987f44ad6be58b85a4&topic=50.0

A number of SPs are looking to organize a Hawaii trip, click here to join in: http://singleparenttravel.net/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=59521fc771fb6e987f44ad6be58b85a4&topic=51.0

Please note that this bulletin board service is provided free of charge to our readers. The Single Parent Travel Network does not monitor postings or have any knowledge of the exact nature of the individuals doing the posting. BEFORE communicating with anyone on the bulletin board, please take precautions to protect you and your family. Also, please note that if you post your email address on the bulletin board, there is a likelihood that it will be harvested by spammers. Thank you.

VII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

D. Dackerman writes: "Wow, is all I have to say. I have a burning desire to take my daughter traveling. Just by chance I happened to go into google and hit single parent travel and was so surprised to find your articles in your web site. The Middle East is my main destination as is India. You have given me the courage to reach for my dream. Thank you."

Jo Anne from California writes; "I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your news letter; it has such good info for single parents. I have a question. Have your ever considered doing trip to California, more precisely tours including the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, San Francisco, etc. for single families? Thanks" GlobalBrenda responds: Many of my readers are from California, and yes, we have sponsored several weekend trips in California and all of them have flopped - insufficient participation. We may try again in the future.

Alana from Pasenda California writes: "I was really looking forward to the African Safari trip in 2007, but my parents think my son will be too young to go. He'll be four in August 2007, but he already knows a lot about animals and we travel by plane frequently in the US. Do you think he'll be too young for the trip? By the way, I see a lot about single parents trying to get passports. The discussion helped me immensely in my divorce proceedings. I required that a clause be written into the divorce decree that allows me to obtain a passport and to take my son out of the country without any further authorizations from the uninvolved father. I had no problems obtaining my son's passport. I'd be happy to pass on the clause for anyone still going through this process. I think the clause can also be written as a stand-alone agreement - just be sure to run it by an attorney first. Also, like other west coast parents, I'm always looking for trips on this side of the Rockies.

Note from GlobalBrenda: Readers can write directly to Alana Steele at alanasteele@charter.net

Debbie from Calgary Canada writes: "I love getting your newsletters, but I'm wondering if you have a Canadian chapter? It's difficult for Canucks such as myself to plan trips that are solely in the US (even though I love going there!), and with the exchange rate etc, I'm just wondering if it wouldn't be easier for me if there was a similar site in Canada to browse." GB responds: We do not have a Canadian chapter. To my knowledge there is no other Web site like this in the world. The UK has some active single parent chapters but this is about it.

Here's what you can do: - Go to the bulletin boards on my Web site and post your message. About 10-15% of my readership is Canadian and my newsletter reaches over 8,000 single parent travelers so that means you will be reaching about a 1000 people from my regular readers. - Also check with PWP - they may have a Canadian chapter. Click on http;//www.parentswithoutpartners.org -

Dave in the UK writes: "Dear Brenda, I have looked at your website again. Given that you are US based, and I live in UK do you think there is any logic in sending me your newsletter? Please let me know." GB responds: About 5% of my readership is UK based and several have participated in my Single Parent Tours trips to Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica. The articles in the newsletters pertain to world travel, as well as the U.S., and travel in general.

Donald writes: "Glen Ellyn father of two children (ages 12 & 14) looking for traveling companion for local and long distance trips and other family related activities/events. My e-mail address is donald.pellico@sba.gov (w) and phone # is 630-854-5067. "

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