Tonya Denmark

🤪 Is anyone else feeling the Maycember chaos?

Hey Reader, Can we talk about May for a second? Because somehow this month feels like December with better weather. School events. Sports. Graduations... including my son's college graduation this year! Trying to figure out summer plans before everything doubles in price. And meanwhile, every time I look up flights or gas prices lately, I feel personally attacked. I was pricing out a summer trip the other night and had one of those moments where you stare at the screen thinking… “Okay, but...

4 days ago • 2 min read

the airport bag rule that confuses everyone

Hi Reader Have you ever been standing at the airport gate when the agent says: “Only one carry-on and one personal item per passenger.” …and suddenly everyone starts second-guessing their bags? Your teen has a backpack.You’ve got a tote and a suitcase.And now you're wondering if something is about to get checked at the gate. It happens all the time. The rule is actually simple once you know it. A carry-on goes in the overhead bin.A personal item goes under the seat in front of you. That’s it....

29 days ago • 2 min read

I packed for a flight… and drove home instead ✈️

Hey , Look, I get it. Travel in the U.S. is chaos right now. Flights are getting canceled. TSA lines seem out of control. And with the partial government shutdown, you might not even be considering a flight anytime soon. Honestly? I wouldn’t blame you. But I still wanted to tell you about something I tested recently, especially since it’s on sale right now. I recently reviewed the Level8 Carry-On, and my recent trip ended up being the perfect real-life test. I originally flew to New Orleans...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Flight prices stressing you out? Here’s what I actually do

Hey Reader, Last week I asked what stresses you out the most when planning a trip… And almost every single answer said the same thing: Flights. Honestly? I’m not surprised. Flights feel like this moving target where prices change constantly, nothing makes sense, and you’re just hoping you didn’t book at the wrong time. Look, I get it. I’ve been planning family travel for years, and flights are still the one piece that can make you second guess everything. So I wanted to walk you through...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Is renting an RV actually worth it?

Hey Reader, After years of camping and RV travel, I’ve noticed something. Most families don’t avoid RV trips because they don’t like the idea. They avoid them because they assume it’s complicated. So let’s make this simple. Here’s when renting an RV actually makes practical sense. If you’re visiting multiple national parks on one trip.Hotel hopping every night gets old fast. An RV lets you stay inside the park or close to it without constantly packing and unpacking. If you’re traveling with...

3 months ago • 2 min read

The biggest U.S. travel year is coming

Hi Reader, I recently published something over on my other site that I think you’ll really appreciate. With America’s 250th birthday coming up in 2026 (and Route 66 turning 100!), I put together a guide to planning a once-in-a-generation road trip across the U.S. Even if you don’t normally follow that site, this one felt too good not to share here. There’s something special about seeing the country by road. Historic cities. Small towns. National parks. The kind of places that make you slow...

3 months ago • 2 min read

If You Took One Step, Here’s What to Do Next

Hey Reader, Last week was Plan for Vacation Day. Maybe you locked in dates. Maybe you picked a destination. Maybe you bookmarked a place and thought, “I’ll come back to this.” All of that counts. Now let’s talk about what actually helps trips move from idea to booked without taking over your life. Here are a few of my best planning tips after years of doing this with school calendars, work schedules, and teenagers who change their minds: 1. Anchor your trip with one non-negotiable Dates, a...

3 months ago • 2 min read

Plan for Vacation Day Is Here — One Small Step

Hey Reader, Today is Plan for Vacation Day. Not “plan the entire vacation” day.Just plan one piece day. Remember the one thing you decided on last week?Today’s the day to do it. That one thing might be: Locking in travel dates on the calendar Choosing a destination and committing to it Booking a hotel, rental, or campsite before availability disappears Stop after that. Seriously. Vacations don’t come together because someone had a free weekend and endless motivation. They come together...

4 months ago • 1 min read

Plan for Vacation Day Is Next Week — Let’s Get Ready

Hey Reader, Quick heads-up: Plan for Vacation Day is next week on Tuesday, January 27. This isn’t about planning a whole trip yet.This is about getting yourself ready to plan. Because I know how this usually goes. You mean to plan a trip, but life gets busy, and suddenly the year is half over and nothing is booked. So this week, your only job is to do one simple thing: decide what your “one action” will be next Tuesday. That’s it. Maybe it’s: Sitting down with your calendar to find possible...

4 months ago • 2 min read

Yes, the world is heavy. And I still believe in travel.

Hi Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot about how strange it can feel to talk about trips and travel plans when the world feels… like it’s on fire. There’s no pretending it’s not heavy out there. The news is heartbreaking. The weight is real. And yet ... I’m still over here writing about travel.Still helping busy parents plan their next trip.Still sharing flight tips and hotel ideas and dreamy destinations. Because for so many of us, travel isn’t about running away.It’s about remembering who we...

4 months ago • 2 min read