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My company is sending our department on a retreat for a week. My older married male co-worker who has a baby and I are are planning to extend our trip to another place alone. We are very friendly with each other, we are always IMing each other during and after work hours. Sometimes we flirt. I do have a boyfriend. So nothing is really going on. But can a male and female just be friends and go off on a trip alone? Thanks.

no, even if you just think it’s innocent flirting, let me tell you something.. it’s not (on his part, at least).

guys think they’re gonna get sex from girls even when the girl doesn’t flirt with him.. imagine now with you two texting back and forth and flirting?

if you go, you will both be tempted. it’s easy to get swept up in the moment, especially on vacation. do you really want to be the ‘homewrecker’ for some guy you’re not in love with? or have an awkward work relationship afterward?

i’m not saying you have bad intentions, but he is married and he should have the decency to respect his wife and child. and if he won’t.. then you should try putting yourself in his wife’s position. home everyday taking care of the baby while her husband is off with some pretty young thing.. it’s not fair. you wouldn’t want your dad doing that to your family or your husband doing that to you.

Well I am 16 and a sophomore. Me and a couple of friends planned to make a road trip after high school. Once we are 18 and we said we will go but the thing is when should i start really planning for this trip. I already figured out the places we all want to go but when should i start looking at the stop areas and money and hotels and all those things.

I do road trips with a good friend of mine two or three times a year. I like to start 3 to 6 months ahead of time, with a lot of the finer details filled in during the last month before we hit the road. Bigger stuff like if we need reservations for anything special is done the earliest. That could be tickets to something special we’d like to see, or reserving a spot at a super-popular campground we want to be at during the height of the busy season.

In the last month before we hit the road is when I check all the road and weather conditions. I also come up with back-up plans in case we are going to travel in bad weather (like knowing where cheap hotels are when you don’t feel like putting up a tent in mud).

The link below has good ideas for making sure everyone has a good time on the trip.

How should I go about planning a trip to California when I live in Pennsylvania? I want to spend the summer there after my graduation but i Have no idea where to stay or how to even plan this because of the distance thing.. ANY help would be greatly appreciated.
I’ll also be there for about a month and need somewhere to stay also

I drove cross country from NY to Oregon a couple of years ago. We pretty much went without a plan, stopping whenever we were too tired to drive anymore and finding a Super8. Our method worked, but there are other, cheaper ways to do it. Bring a tent and look up campgrounds in various states before you go, or try couch surfing… free places to stay!

My boyfriend and our daughter (10) are planning a trip to florida next year and don’t know how long we should go for. We want to do everything: All Disney Parks, All Universal Studios, and Sea world. We want to try to get everything in. Maybe have a little downtime to rest or hit up a park that we really liked again. Is two weeks enough time or should we plan more/less? Any suggestion/advice/things we should make sure to do/anything is much appreciated.

Thank you, Jenny

I would definitely plan on one whole day for EACH amusement park, but, then add on several other days for repeat visits to your favorites because you just won’t be able to cover the whole park in that one day. Add to that the number of days the downtime you think you’ll need and then go from there.

Cost is a HUGE factor in how many days of vacation you should plan…if you can afford that much time from work, and all those admission ticket costs, the cost of the expensive food [note: Disney food = delicious which justifies the incredible cost; Anheiser Busch food = boring and not worth the money], not to mention the hotel and all the souvenirs, then have fun and party on!

I’m planning to take a trip to Bermuda in May, where can I find the cheapest packages which include hotel stay and a round trip ticket?

expedia.com

I am planning a 8 day trip driving from Dallas to Yellowstone. what should I do to plan this trip route, not to waste too much gas on the way, Anyone know of attractions near that route where we can cover btw 1-3 days? how do I find the good and economical hotels to stay on the way? Thanks in advance for the answers!

Utah canyon country great. Try going through southern Utah to see Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks. Bryce is one of the most fantastic sights in the southwestern U.S.

http://www.nps.gov/brca/

http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

Utah Route 12 is one of the most scenic roads in the country. Red Canyon and Big Thunder Road in Dixie National Forest is the inspiration for Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain (see the picture I took in link below)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RedRockUtah.jpg

http://scenicbyway12.com/

We are from Tamil Nadu, South india. We have not experienced a colder climate below 18 degrees. We are planning a trip to New jersey, USA around January. What should be the winter garments we should be buying to protect ourselves from the weather conditions prevailing then?

With the climatic weather changes on a daily basis, January has been known to have a temperature of 65 degree’s one day and 18 the next, so I would say you are going to need a diverse set of clothes. So bring a heavy coat thats rated to 0 degree’s and a sort sleeves shirt, sort of fall winter and spring combined. I have lived in the tri-state area for 46 yrs.

I am planning this trip in june. Will one day be ok to visit GRC or is it better to stay at nearby place for one night?

You will want to stay over. People consider Vegas and the Grand Canyon close – they really aren’t. 5-hours so i you were to do it in one day you would barely see the grand canyon and turn around back again.

My boyfriend and I would like to go to Hawaii next year. I’m trying to save money now and would like to know if anyone has tips, web links or other ideas for planning a trip that’s low budget yet romantic and memorable. Any advice?

Hawaii is a great place to go for a romantic trip. You can totally do it on the cheap. Here are some suggestions:

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS

Avoid the most expensive times of year:
February (Valentine’s Day and Pro Bowl)
Summertime
Thanksgiving
Christmas and New Years

Late September and October are generally the least expensive times to go.

AIRFARE
To get a good deal on airfare, sign up for Hawaiian Airlines email alerts. If you live on the west coast, sign up for Alaska Airlines too.

Another website I like is Kayak.com. It’s an aggregator meaning it will check multiple websites at once (Orbitz, Expedia, etc). On the search results page you can click on a chart that will show you whether airfare prices are on the rise or on the decline – kind of like a stock chart.

LOOK FOR PACKAGE DEALS
If you’re a AAA member, check out their site. A few weeks ago there was an Oahu 3 day package for $500 per person (including airfare and hotel). Alaska Airlines often has Hawaii travel packages.

RENTAL CAR
You’ll probably need a rental car, but if you want to avoid this expense, stick to Honolulu. On Maui there’s a company that rents used cars and will pick you up from the airport.

HOTEL
I like vacation rentals by owner (see link below). These are folks who have condos and rent them out (usually by the week). They sometimes come with cars and often come with kitchens – which means you can save $$$ by not eating out. On Maui there’s a costco right by the airport.

EATING
Avoid the tourist traps. Don’t hit the restaurants and bars on Waikiki, they’ll be over priced and full of tourists. Try to eat like a local and you’ll save a ton of money. Try some malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) and some Kona Coffee. Get a bento (rice bowl) with kalua pork. On Oahu: the food court at the Ala Moana mall has some regular food court options and also some more "island" choices.

If you want to have a romantic night out, get some Mai Tais at the Shorebird then do a picnic on the beach. Don’t get sucked into some b.s. $12 nachos at Senor Froggs, that’s dumb and you can get overpriced nachos at home.

STUFF TO DO
Rent a car and drive around, there’s a lot to see no matter what island you’re on. You’ll be amazed how much the scenery changes from one side of the island to the other. Pick up one of the "Revealed" Guides (like Maui Revealed). They’re generally regarded as the best and always have great suggestions for things that don’t cost much but are totally amazing.

Last but not least: for cheap souveniers and a huge selection, check out the Aloha Stadium swap meet on Oahu. It’s not open every day, so check the website.

My husband and I are planning a trip San Diego and Los Angeles in December. Can you recommend a book that would give us some good information about places to go, places to see, how to get tickets to shows, tours to take etc.
Thanks for your help.

See if you can find a book on the area(s) by a company called Frommer’s. They usually release guides for all the BIG cities and popular tourist destinations at least on an annual basis.