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Over the river and through the woods (with an empty house at home).

A home in my neighborhood was recently burglarized.

    In broad daylight!

       In the middle of the day!

              And police officers live right next door and across the street!

So home safety is on my mind more than usual, especially with the holidays coming up and many of my clients heading out of town. Set your mind at ease when you leave with these tips for a secure holiday:

Lock Up. Before you leave the house for vacation, make sure that all your doors and windows are locked, including the door from your garage into your house. Make sure that valuables and important papers are locked up and that all firearms also have a trigger lock with the serial numbers recorded somewhere safe. Store your spare key with a neighbor or friend rather than in the flower pot.

Light Up. Set a few lights on a timer to turn on and off and leave a radio on so your house looks and sounds occupied.

Unplug. Unhook your washing machine and unplug all of your electronics and the toaster and coffee maker. Unplug or lock automatic garage door openers (The burglars in my neighborhood gained access through the garage door.). You can turn down the heat, but keep it above 55 degrees to keep your pipes from freezing. Turn off the ringer to your home phone.

Shut Up. Don’t tip would-be thieves off that you’re not home. As hard as it might be, refrain from posting your vacation pictures until after you return from your trip. Be careful what you say on your outgoing voicemail and email auto reply. “I’m out of the office” is much better than ”I’m in Hawaii for two weeks!”  

Leave No Clues. Place a vacation hold on your mail and newspaper and ask a neighbor to keep an eye out for any unexpected deliveries.  Don’t leave your trashcan sitting at the curb for a week, either! Arrange for someone to shovel your driveway if it snows or park their vehicle in your driveway.

Just in Case. When I worked in personal lines property and casualty insurance I always recommended my clients do an annual walk through of their own home with a video recorder, taking particular note of items of value. It is also a good idea to scan copies of important paperwork, like passports, birth certificates, insurance policies. Email all of this to yourself or store on a cloud server. In the event of fire or a break in, you can access easily the information to help with your claims.

Drive Safely. If you’re taking a road trip, make sure that your car is prepared by checking brakes, spark plugs, battery and tires and making sure that all of your essential fluids are topped off. Also have a winter “survival kit” in the vehicle with kitty litter, chains, ice scraper, shovel, reflective triangles or flares, and a flashlight, matched, and some non-perishable, high energy foods. Tell someone where you’re going and what your route will be – plan to check in when you’ve arrived safely at your destination and call to confirm your hotel accommodations 48 hours in advance.  

Be Smart. As always, be aware when you travel – don’t carry every credit card and tons of cash in your wallet and leave that social security card in the lockbox or safety deposit box.  Be wise about using WiFi on public networks and don't check anything important when flying in your luggage, always carry the good stuff with you. Also pack your patience and allow plenty of time.

Phone a friend. For free help planning your next vacation, please contact me!

More travel tips available on my blog.

"I've been there!" - some thoughts on significant travels

The first part goes, "Fore score and seven years ago..."

Gettysburg battlefield

Mostly when my family travels it is for recreation- we want to go somewhere fun and see and do new things.

But almost all of our adventures include something significant too, usually a visit to a historical site or museum, as well as other "fun" recreational activities. We've been to old army forts and WWII airship hangers as well as quirky private facilities housing interesting collections and awesome science and natural history centers, even a pirate museum in Nassau and Mayan ruins in Belize.

Today on the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address I was talking to my oldest son Justin about it and he referenced our visit to the museum and battlefields about six months ago.

I think having been there and seen the battlefields, graveyards, and the museum really gave him an appreciation for that period in our American history. And today in school when the conversation turns to this significant event, Justin gets to say, "I've been there!"

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery

He also knows quite a lot about the Civil War, largely as a result of visiting Gettysburg.

Beyond just going somewhere, it is important to be there, to soak it in and let the experience change you a little bit.

The World Trade Center

Similarly, both my kids (as well as my husband and I) have an even greater understanding of the sacrifices made by our fellow Americans from visiting Arlington National Cemetery and the 9-11 Memorial. There's something about the immensity of the sites that you can only appreciate having seen it in person. Huge city block sized holes where the Twin Towers once stood and rows upon rows upon rows of solemn marble headstones impress a magnitude of significance and provide an opportunity for reflection.

Inside the Capitol rotunda

So too does standing in the United States Capital Building, or Ford's Theater, or Little Bighorn. The Alamo, Federal Hall, or one of many other sites around the country. The National Parks provide plentiful opportunity for great family adventures, and they are usually not particularly expensive to visit. We're planning on taking the kids to see the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore in the near future.

Our recent visit to Orlando also included a day trip to the Kennedy Space Center and the Police Hall of Fame and we were able to check one more space shuttle off the list of the ones that we have seen in person (only one more to go!) I think that even on a theme-park centered vacation, it is good to take advantage of opportunities to have a greater appreciation for science, history, or the arts as well as the chance for the kiddos to say, "hey, I've been there!" in history class at school.