With New York City's skyrocketing temperatures, I've definitely been thinking about heading out of town for cooler environs!  Fortunately, my friends at Momtrends recently hosted an event showcasing the latest and greatest in summer travel resources and products.  Held at the gorgeous Citibabes facility in Soho, the event was a whirlwind of information and activity, beginning with my door-to-door ride to Soho in a plush GM Terrain courtesy of General Motors. 

Kim-Marie Evans, aka the Luxury Travel Mom, who also happens to be my new idol, kicked off the event with some helpful tips on making the most of a family vacation.  As Kim-Marie noted, family travel isn't necessarily glamorous, but the memories created on trips with your kids are invaluable.  Kim-Marie offered the following tips for enhancing your family's vacation experience:

1. Remember that it's not a vacation, it's a relocation. 
2. Plan, plan and then plan some more.  Don't leave anything to chance.  For example, arrange for an airport car service that won't just drop you at the curb, but will instead have the driver walk you all the way to the ticket counter so that you're not struggling with your luggage.
3. Spend the money for the extra airplane seat (for an infant who could otherwise sit on your lap) and extra hotel room.  Better to stay at a less expensive hotel and have 2 adjoining rooms than to try to squeeze into 1 room.
4. Have the hotel place snacks in your room upon arrival.  Some hotels will even do this for free!
5. Quit while you're ahead.  Don't worry about seeing everything or cramming it all in.

With a name like the Luxury Travel Mom, Kim-Marie of course had plenty to say about how to get VIP treatment when traveling. Here are some of her tips:

1. Dress nicely and act nicely.
2. Join every loyalty club there is.
3. Book through a Virtuoso agent, the Platinum program from American Express, Preferred Family or directly through your hotel. Hotel managers will often match or beat rates from Expedia and other travel sites to avoid paying fees to those sites.  You'll also get a better room when you book through the hotel or a travel agent.
4. Ask and you shall receive.  Know how to use (and tip) the concierge.
5. Never take the first room you're offered (I am a firm believer in this myself!).  Say something along the lines of, "This room isn't really what I was hoping for." 
6. Tip the housekeeping staff on a daily basis because the staff changes from day to day.  You may just notice some special "perks" in your room as a result of your generosity.

So where does a Luxury Travel Mom vacation?  Kim-Marie's top three family vacation destinations are Turks & Caicos, Disney World (she recommends staying at the Ritz-Carlton or Disney Yacht Club), and Kiawah Island (stay at the Sanctuary Hotel or the Kiawah Island Resort).  Most importantly, Kim-Marie related, no one remembers when everything is perfect, so go make some memories and let go of perfect!

We next heard from Kate McBride of General Motors, who shared with us some of her top picks for "One Tank Trips" out of New York City; i.e., day trips that can be taken in a General Motors vehicle using only one tank of gas.  Such a great idea!  Here are Kim's suggestions:

1. Finger Lakes Region via Chevy Traverse:  Only 263 miles from Manhattan, the Finger Lakes area boasts over 100 vineyards, as well as a number of museums, art galleries and stunning waterfalls.  Check out the Corning Museum, and the Adventure Center at Greek Peak.
2. Cold Spring via Chevy Volt:  59 miles from Manhattan, this quaint town features a conservancy, beautiful gardens and plenty of hiking.  The Volt is an extended range electric vehicle that can drive without gas (although it has a backup gasoline engine just in case!). 
3. St. Regis Canoe Wilderness via Chevy Equinox:  Located 258 miles from Manhattan, this area features camping in the summertime and cross-country skiing during the winter months.  For this trip, Kate recommends the Equinox, which gets 32mpg on the highway and features remote start, a lane departure warning system, plenty of power outlets and a very large trunk for all your ski and camping equipment.
4. Montauk via the Malibu Eco - Just 118 miles from NYC, Montauk is chock-full of beaches and ranches, including Deep Hollow Ranch.  To get there, jump into the Malibu Eco, the quietest Chevy in history, which gets 37mpg on the highway and features Bluetooth capability, speech recognition, OnStar and MyLink, a stop/start engine and plenty of other cool attributes courtesy of the team of moms who designed and tested it.

The evening continued with great travel wardrobe tips from Katrina of A-Dress the Issue, fashion suggestions from Coolibar, and sunscreen information from Sunology.  We also got to see some of the fabulous travel gear on offer from Baby Bjorn, including the Travel Crib Light and the Miracle Carrier.  To cap off this fantastic evening, I was lucky enough to receive a ride home in a super-fancy Cadillac Escalade, again courtesy of General Motors.

Thanks Momtrends for yet another spectacular event!