Introducing a new segment on Luxury Travel Mom, Ask KM.

I field dozens of questions every week on FB message, e-mail, even through Instagram from readers looking for advice on travel and more. If I don’t have answers, I certainly have the resources and contacts to get them for you.

I hope as this segment grows, it will allow all the Luxury Travel Moms who read my site to help each other. You are a resource for me as often as I’m a resource for you.

This first segment is comprised of questions and answers from the last week. If you have any suggestions to add to my answers, please feel free to comment. If you’re looking for help planning your next trip, outfit, or both – fire away. Oh, I give crappy marital advice, just ask my husband. Our 17 years of marriage are a testament to his enduring patience.

Question about Paws Up in Montana

Hi there!
I saw your article on Paws Up Resort and I wanted to ask if you think it’s better to have a full day vs half day at the Lake House? We have four boys ages 16, 13, 5 and 17 months. Do you think that the two little ones should stay back?
Thanks so much for your time, your opinion matters.
Tricia Y

Tricia,

The house isn’t well set up for the littlest guy-but the 5 year old should be fine. Depends on how much free time you want to jet ski without him. If you rent the boat you can take the entire family out, there’s lots of fun tubing that the 5 year old will enjoy, also just riding in the boat is a blast. The lake isn’t huge so we felt like we were done after half a day.

The new kids camp is going to rock your 5 year old’s world, the new director has made a lot of changes that I haven’t written up into a post yet. They now do an excursion to a small nearby lake that includes kid-sized kayaks, rope swings and lots of fun. Also, once you hit the Blackfoot River you won’t care about lakes anymore.

This is Keaton enjoying an afternoon on the lake with the kids’ camp in their tiny kayak, the kids’ camp director’s dog Stryker is along for the ride. I tried the rope swing, I was too jealous of the kids having all the fun.

Question about Traveling Alone with a 10 Year Old Girl

Heather reached out to me on Instagram. She has some free time with her 10 year old daughter while her boys are at camp, she wanted to know what suggestions I had.

Now that your daughter is a teenager is there anything you wish you’d done that you didn’t get a chance to do? Travel wise of course. the rest is not my business lol

Thank you for taking the time to help us.

Heather

My response – I always loved how Abby would write “Dear Gentle Reader”,

That is such a good question. The only thing I wish I had done more is to put my phone down and focus on her. I took her to Paris at 10 and it is the trip we both remember the best. I have video of us going on the slide at the Tuileries garden and she is calling me mommy-that changed literally a year later. If you can head to Paris that would be my number one recommendation – on our first day there she said “mommy-the food is so much better here” – I was so proud. Then we went shoe shopping.

If you want to stay in the south you know I love Charleston and Kiawah Island.
No matter where you go, it’s the totally focused alone time that is a forever memory. I would also hire Flytographer to do a vacation photo shoot so you have magical pics to go with your magical memories.

And this is the response from Heather that made me realize we need a community to share ideas:

Those are wonderful ideas!! thank you so much. I hadn’t heard of Flytographer. I loved your review of the Disney cruise. I love how unapologetic you are about your life. I tend to try to tone my posts down, even just with my Instagram and FB “friends”, I have gotten some jealousy backlash (living in a small town,. most people are not able to explore as much) I get comments like “must be nice” and thanks Heather, the rest of us are trudging away lol”,…and I think I may overplay my re-assertions of how grateful I am that we have the opportunities,. I try too hard to convince people we are still “down the earth” which we truly are. I think that’s why you’re so refreshing to me. you just do it, not watered down or filtered.

And here is my answer on why I don’t have an F to give:

Heather,

I hope you don’t mind. I was inspired by you to finally get an advice column off the ground. Am going to use this Q&A with just your first name. Will be published today. I have been thinking for a long time about making the site more community based and your e-mail really struck a chord. You need other Luxury Travel Moms in your world!!
I think I am so unapologetic because I grew up poor and I get that life is short. I have 18 summers with these kids and I’m going to enjoy every damn one. Haters can hate away.

If you haven’t read my story about traveling alone with your child, it consistently gets some of the highest traffic on the site, and lots of teary eyed e-mails. My last child is turning 10 this summer and he is trying to figure out where he wants to go. The kid who has been all over the globe is leaning towards Disney. Can you stand it?

The Mommy and Me Trip

Question about a Lake House Rental in Maine

The last question was from my Ob/Gyn – a dude – on text. How awesome is that?

KM – Good morning, my son is in Portland, Maine for the summer. Can you suggest any places for us to go? Maybe a house on a lake? Thanks.

Dr. C

I did some research since I have never been to Maine. My WASPy friends tell me that Sebago Lake is the place to be. I did some research on HomeAway and found some great rentals for him. And then thought, the hell, why have I never been to a lake in Maine?

Please feel free to comment if you have other suggestions for my gentle readers.

If you have a question you want answered, send to kim-marie@luxurytravelmom.com

Typewriter was a gift from Four Seasons  New York – photo shot by the amazing Jeff Shaw.