In this issue:
I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE

II. SINGLE PARENT TOURS ­ Our National Weekend Program Unfolds

III. BOOK SIGNINGS

IV. RECOMMENDED READING

V. MEETING SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES

VI. UNCOVERED ­ SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL SPECIALS

VII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

I. GLOBAL BRENDA'S MESSAGE

Dear Readers,

The Single Parent Family week at Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica was a rousing success! There were 42 single parent families in attendance, including the nine families that booked with Single Parent Tours. Families came from all over the USA and many new friendships were formed. From our Single Parent Tours group, four families came from the Los Angeles area, met and became friends, and asked me to book a Single Parent getaway weekend for the Los Angeleños. I am happy to oblige. (See Section II ­ Single Parent Tours). Two other families, both Jamaica-born, and both New York City residents, also formed new friendships.

My daughter Monique and I were happy to meet many of the families and the general consensus was that everyone, adults and kids alike, had a great time. Beaches Boscobel Resort did an excellent job of arranging the special activities and making all the single parent families feel welcome. All management staff members sported "Single Parent Fun" buttons on their lapels. It was a very celebratory atmosphere.

In response to our 2003 survey results and the focus group interviews we have conducted the past year, we are pleased to announce, by popular request, a series of weekend getaway packages to exciting cities and resort hotels across the USA. (See details in Section II ­ Single Parent Tours). The first weekend will be November 14-16 at the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in Highland, NY, in the scenic Hudson Valley. If anyone who lives in that area would like to host a single parent travel seminar/book signing that weekend, in his or her hometown, please let me know.

On September 13 I conducted two book signings at the Town Book Store in Westfield and Maplewood, NJ. In addition to meeting new single parents and acquainting them with the book, the newsletter, and our Single Parent Tour program, I was delighted to meet one of our newsletter subscribers who came to the signing prompted by our email announcement. For both of us, it was nice to put a face to a name.

Happy Trails!

GlobalBrenda

II. SINGLE PARENT TOURS ­ Our National Weekend Program Unfolds.

Looking for a fun-filled weekend with your kid(s) where you can meet other single parent families? Do you wish that the weekend would offer special single parent pricing, special single parent family activities, and be within easy driving distance of your home? By popular demand, Single Parent Tours is offering a series of weekend getaways for single parent families to exciting destinations across the USA. Read on..

ROCKING HORSE RANCH RESORT ­ NOVEMBER 14-16, 2003

Hudson Valley

Highland, New York

Rocking Horse Ranch Resort is conveniently located off Exit 18 of the NY Thruway (Interstate 87) and is just 90 minutes north of New York City. The year-round, all-inclusive resort offers dozens of activities for families. To name just a few: horseback riding, indoor heated pool, hay rides, miniature golf, nature trails for hiking, For the adults: sauna, hot tub, and cocktail parties. For the kids: Day Camp, Video Arcade and pizza parties.

The price includes everything ­ meals, drinks, activities, tax, and service charge. The single supplement has been eliminated and we are offering the weekend at a cost that is 20-25% below the usual November weekend price!

I will be hosting the weekend single parent activities, starting with the welcome cocktail party Friday evening. For details and trip cost, go to:

http://www.SingleParentTours.com or call Janet or Renee at 877-GO-GO-SPT

Reserve now and join us for our inaugural single parent getaway weekend!

FUTURE TRIPS:

We are currently researching and negotiating prices for the following weekend getaways:

- A weekend to San Antonio TX, December 12 to 14. Details to follow.

- Weekends in Northern and in Southern California during the winter of 2004.

- Weekends in Washington D.C, Philadelphia and Boston during spring of 2004.

Dates for these weekends will be announced in our October newsletter or as they are finalized.

III. BOOK SIGNINGS

GlobalBrenda will be speaking on single parent travel and signing her book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook" in quite a few places in the upcoming months. Attendees will be entered to win a trip to Beaches Boscobel in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. To see the latest list, click here:

If any of you have single parents groups in the NJ/Philadelphia/New York City area and would like to host a book signing, please let me know ASAP!

Wednesday, October 15.7:00 p.m.

Secaucus Public Library

1379 Paterson Plank Road

Secaucus, NJ 07094

(The Mayor of Secaucus will be attending.)

201-330-2084

http://www.bccls.org/secaucus/

Saturday, October 18, 3:00 p.m.

Rosenbluth Travel Agency

2495 Echelon Mall

Voorhees NJ 08043

856-772-1555

Sunday, October 19, 3:00 p.m.

Barnes & Noble Marlton

200 West Route 70

Marlton, NJ 08053

856-596-7058

For an updated list of Brenda's appearances, click here

IV. RECOMMENDED READING

This section is new to our newsletter and will appear only when we have books to recommend that are appropriate for single parent travelers. These are personal recommendations, not paid advertisements. I hope you find these recommendations enjoyable and useful for your family travels.

HIPPY HOTEL

This delightful, easy to read, young adult book by Rosemary Graham, tells the story of a teen-aged girl, whose parents are recently divorced and who, with great trepidation, is carted off to Cape Cod for a vacation with her dad and other single parent families. It is a wonderful book for teen-agers as it addresses many of the problems adolescents face, that are especially poignant when parents are in the midst of divorce. For more information check out the Web site: http://www.hippiehotel.com/about2.html

TOURS FOR FREE - COLORADO

Jodi Jill a local Coloradan decided one summer to find all the tours across the state of Colorado that one could do for free. Her ideas are perfect for single parents (either local to Colorado or visiting) who are looking for something to do with their kids for the day. From decadent, Stephany's Chocolate in Arvada, to educational, the Boulder County Recycling Center, to something for just mom or dad, Estes Park Brewery, there is something of interest for everyone in this book. And best of all, ALL the tours are free!!

http://www.ToursForFree.com

EXPLORE THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Harry Pariser is an award winning travel writer who has written ten different travel guides on the Caribbean and Central America. His guidebook, "Explore the Virgin Islands," is a thorough, well organized travel guide to all the Virgin Islands, American as well as British. There are many suggestions for campgrounds, picnic areas and other cost-saving measures, so beloved by economy-minded single parents. More information is available online at www.exploreavirgin.com and www.savethemanatee.com.

V. MEETING OTHER SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES

AwesomeParent writes, "I am a single mom of a 16 year old boy living in Boston, MA area. Looking for a travel companions during the time of school vacation. Would like to travel in the USA or anywhere abroad." To reply,

http://pub15.ezboard.com/fsingleparenttravelfrm1.showMessage?topicID=28.topic

Ryanmd writes, "Hi, My 27-month-old daughter and I will be in NYC for 5 days in late September. I would love suggestions from anyone who lives there/has traveled there with a toddler, about kid-oriented, age appropriate things to do. So far, I'm thinking of the Natural Science Museum, Central Park, the Staten Island Ferry and the Staten Island Botanic Garden and Children's Museum, the New York Children's Museum, and the Empire State Bldg. I'm interested in finding theater, music and art activities that we would both enjoy. Is she too young for the Lion King on Broadway? What's a clean, scenic beach where we could play in the sand and watch the ocean and boats (accessible by public transportation)? Email me privately if you prefer. All suggestions appreciated! We live in Boulder, Colorado, and would be happy to play host if anyone comes out this way. I am also intrigued by the idea of foreign travel with a group of single parent families. I'm 35 and am a women's health physician."

Reply to her here:

http://pub15.ezboard.com/fsingleparenttravelfrm13.showMessageRange?topicID=3.topic&start=41&stop=44

To view the boards, click below

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/BBoards/index.htm

VI. UNCOVERED ­ SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL SPECIALS

Single Parent Special #1 ­ Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, Colorado

Consider Park Hyatt for ski trips this winter. They have renewed their single parents package once again. The package starts at $356 per night for one adult and one child. In addition to the room, families get adult massage per night, three hours of Camp Hyatt time for the child, milk, cookies and room service, and breakfast for one adult and one child. Additional children in the same room are $55 per night. This special may be booked through travel agents or by calling 800-55-HYATT.

Single Parent Travel Special #2 ­ A Cup of Joy, Columbus, OH

In Columbus, Ohio on Saturday September 27, 2003, A Cup of Joy is hosting "Single parents are everyday heroes" This is a one of a kind event, celebrating single parent families and will be held at Marion Franklin Community Center, 2801 Lockbourne Road from 11am-3pm. Join them for fun, food, encouragement, information and fellowship in honor of single parent families. Door prizes, vendors Admission is Free Sheryl Fenderson at 614-847-0276 http://www.acupofjoy.org

Single Parent Travel Special #3 ­ Quality Time Travel

Quality Time Travel has posted three new tours on their site: http://www.QualityTimeTravel.com . They have two cruises on to the Eastern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale for Feb. 14 to 21 and one to Bahamas and Florida leaving from New York for April 4 to 11. The cruises start at $1,990 for one adult and one child. For the weekend of Jan. 16 ­ 19, Quality will be hosting a trip to the Hudson Valley Resort. Please call Quality at (631) 543-4009.

VII. SUBSCRIBERS SPEAK UP-REQUESTS, INQUIRIES, COMMENTS

Ann in Omaha offers an additional suggestion for the person who needs to brush up on French. "You may consider French-speaking Canada. It's quite a bit cheaper, closer, and, especially this year, cooler. My sister, who married a native French-speaker, could not afford 6 weeks in France, but 6 weeks in Quebec City was definitely in her budget. The whole province of Quebec is like a separate country from the rest of Canada, and it is easy to immerse yourself in the French language. The only drawback is that you are hearing Canadian French every day, with a markedly different accent. To me, Canadian French sounds like Americans speaking French, but if you have a background in French pronunciation/phonetics and only need to add to your grammar and vocabulary, you'll be fine.

"Added benefits to Canada are close proximity to US in case of emergency, no REQUIREMENT to have a passport, though if you do, it sure speeds things up, and, I'll be honest, friendlier locals. As long as you don't call them "Canadians." They're "Quebecois," n'est-ce pas?"

Q: M.F. asks, "My soon to ex husband has informed me by an e mail that he intends to take our 5 year old twins to his home country, Israel, next month. We are in a contentious situation and I fear that he and his family will abduct the kids in spite of court orders, evidenced by this e mail."

"I have called the US state dept and the Israeli Consul and have sent them letters stating that I do not want travel documents issued to these children. We live in Miami, FL and fraud is rampant here. Although 2 parents are needed to issue travel documents, he could have someone parade as me to obtain them. As far as I know, no such documents have been issued to the children."

"My question is... can children leave the US without a passport? I called the border patrol, and they told me that as long as the parent is a resident or citizen of the US, they can do nothing to stop them from traveling, and that it is up to the airline that they are traveling on to check the documents."

"Another thing.... maybe this is what he is banking on... children born to an Israeli, automatically, by Israeli law, become dual nationals... even though Israel is a member of the Hague convention and has returned some children, many more are missing and have not been found!! My other concern, is that my husband has relatives in Turkey, not a member of the Hague Convention..."

"Can you share with me what you know about this? I really would appreciate your insight and info."

GLOBALBRENA ANSWER: I am not an attorney and can not answer your questions, but would like to open your question up to any single parents who have had a similar experience. We will post their responses on the next newsletter.

J.F. offers this suggestion: "My 6-year old daughter and I love to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and they do have many excellent family friendly events (although none are geared toward single parent families in particular.) Their number is (831) 648-4800."

In our last newsletter we mentioned some great places to take little kids in South Jersey. N., who was born and raised in South Jersey, has some even better ones. "I frequently took [my two kids] to Clementon Lake Park. We always had a good time. I am glad to hear they are still in business. Have fun in South Jersey. If you go to Atlantic City, don't forget to hit some of our famous eateries. Baltimore Grill and White House Sub Shop. Boy do I miss home."

N. also responded to a legal question brought up in our last newsletter, regarding the "person whose child is being taken out of state without permission. If they have joint custody in most states this is considered kidnapping although most judges won't go that far, not in NJ anyway, but they will intervene and order the offending party back in state on risk of contempt and a warrant."

Q: "We haven't traveled much due to finances, but lately I have been wanting to take my son somewhere, but I don't know where. He goes back to school in Sept. I was thinking about a weeklong trip. He is 16 and I would really like to meet other single parents with teenagers. Anything in Colorado, San Diego, etc.? We're both active, like outdoors, cultural events." ­ C.

GLOBALBRENDA ANSWER: Your interests sound like those of my kids and me. There is a lot to see and do in San Diego, which I think is one of America's best kept secret vacation spots - Sea World, the world famous San Diego Zoo, the animal park, plus the Mexican section for great food and festivities. And you can always drive over the border to Tijuana for shopping. (If you plan to visit Tijuana, please read my Web site section on documentation for single parent families). Here is the contact information for the San Diego tourist board. Click on this link and scroll down.

http://www.towd.com/search.cgi?USA%2FCalifornia

For Colorado, you have the sights of Denver, the culture and scenic drama of Aspen, Rocky Mt. National Park, Mesa Verde National Park. The list goes on and on. There is all kinds of wild west history throughout the state. Here is the tourist board contact info:

http://www.towd.com/search.cgi?USA%2FColorado

If you are looking for places to meet other single parent families then I have two suggestions:

1) Join our first Single Parent Tours trip, which goes to Boscobel Beaches

Resort in Jamaica. It departs the last week of August and there is still some space at the hotel. Beaches consulted with me to create special pricing and activities for single parent families. I will be flying down there to give a seminar and book signing. Here is the link for more information. Hope you can join us!

2) Buy my recently published book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook,"that

was written for people just like you. It is informative, entertaining and will tell you how to plan an exciting fun-filled trip that stays within your budget. I have a chapter on a dozen different destinations that are single-parent-family friendly. Here is the order page:

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/book/index.htm

One other note, our Web site always posts the latest single parent familyspecials. Be sure to check it out and sign up for our free monthly newsletter.

Here is the Web page for specials:

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Specials/index.htm

V. suggests that single parents, "contact the Great Bear Lodge at 888-779-BEAR or online at greatbearlodge.com. This is a favorite of my sister (a single mom) and her three daughters. It is a great indoor water park resort just minutes from the museum and other attractions, including Cedar Point Amusement Park. We also have a great CVB that can assist in setting up an itinerary. You may reach them at 1-800-255-ERIE." The Great Bear Lodge is located in Sandusky, Ohio.

Q: "I would like to take my kids swimming with dolphins and rays but not in Florida. I would like a more exotic destination. My kids are 9 and 10yrs. old. Thanks for any suggestions." ­ M.A.

GLOBALBRENDA ANSWER:

Yes, I have numerous suggestions for you but before we move away from Florida, let me mention something to you. There is a place called Dolphins Plus in Key Largo, which is a research center (there is another place but that is a "staged" dolphin swim for the tourists). Twice, over a period of several years, while my kids were young, about the age of yours, we did a natural dolphin swim. This "swim" is prefaced by a one-hour briefing and there is no guarantee that the dolphins will interact with you. These are not trained dolphins. However they love kids and always seem to have a great time with them. I presume they run the same type program. Here is the Web site. You need to reserve in advance. http://www.pennekamp.com/dolphins-plus/

There are many places to swim with dolphins, however it is usually a "trained" situation. Wherever you see people grabbing their dorsal fins you know it is a trained dolphin, as that is not a natural thing for them to do. They prefer to offer their dorsal fin to a human only when they get to know them and completely trust them. My little son was offered a fin but only after he was in the water for almost an hour with the dolphins and we were told that was special treatment. . . And, he was not a threat, given his little size. Frankly I know of no other research center like Dolphins Plus but I am sure they exist. Wild dolphins tend to shy away from humans for safety reasons. Trained dolphins are found frequently in large pricey resort hotels.

Sting Rays - go to the Cayman Islands and visit Sting Ray City. For more info, contact the Caymans tourist board. Here is the link: http://www.towd.com/search.cgi?Cayman+Islands

The Maya Riviera offers some great underwater adventures with all kinds of fish, including rays. Here is the blurb from my site which describes this destination: Read about Xel-Ha: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/mayariviera.htm

For some of the most exciting animal (above or below the water line) interaction in the world, consider saving up for special trip and go to the Galapagos! You can swim with playful sea lions, penquins, and the list goes on.

To read about some of these destinations in details and which are the most single-parent family friendly, I suggest you purchase a copy of my book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook. " It is informative and entertaining and is written for people just like you. You can order off my Web site: http://www.singleparenttravel.net/book/index.htm