It’s almost summertime, so Orlando is bracing itself for its annual hordes of school-free children and their parents. Orlando is the most popular family vacation destination in the United States, and when summer travel season hits, well, fasten your seat belts. Theme parks, after all, are why Orlando is so popular for family travel (you’ll need to fasten literal seat belts to go on many rides). And it’s not just Walt Disney World. Ever since Universal Studios Orlando opened its amazingly immersive Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a new level of intensity has been brought to the theme park capital of the world. Harry Potter is a global phenomenon, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter adds to Universal Studio Orlando’s appeal to older kids and teenagers. And adults! On a recent trip to Orlando, one of the adults in my group was invited to receive a special wand at Ollivander’s Wand Shop, and she was glowing for the rest of the evening.

Ollivander’s Wand Shop is in the general Hogsmeade/Hogwarts area of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and purists know that in the books, Ollivander’s Wand Shop is in Diagon Alley. Imagine that, the immersive and imaginative Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not thoroughly canon! That must explain all the throngs of tourists posing and taking photos in front of a Hogwarts. Those muggles would never find their way there in the Harry Potter books. But those book-and-movie purists won’t have to worry, soon. A recent announcement by Universal Studios Orlando elucidates that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expanding: a new area will include Diagon Alley and “London,” opening in 2014.

Three Broomsticks; my group was treated to the Harry Potter experience when the theme park was closed, it was a treat to have no crowds.

This makes a great place even better. Ollivander’s Wand Shop was astronomically more popular than expected, and only small groups of around 10 people at a time can enter the small shop at a time. An actor, thoroughly committed to the role of a cantankerous Ollivander, pulls one “muggle” out of the group to try out a wand. Based on the Celtic calendar, the wand supposedly chooses the guest. It’s pretty fun to see this (and even more fun to be chosen, as I’m guessing from the reaction of the young woman in my group). No wonder that this small side attraction of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter became disproportionately popular. It’s almost as good as getting an invitation by owl to join Hogwarts.

Hogwarts Express looks like an old, abandoned train when the Harry Potter area is closed to most visitors, doesn’t it?

The new area of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando — Diagon Alley and a miniature London — will connect to the main part via the Hogwarts Express train. Work on this expansion is already underway, and once again the designers are working closely with the production design team from the Harry Potter movies at Warner Brothers. There will be a Gringotts Bank, and other shops mentioned in the books or seen in the movies. Currently, Gringott’s is actually a fancied ATM. The magic is sure to continue, and the theme park’s popularity can only grow, with this carefully detailed expansion of Universal Studio Orlando’s most immersive and amazing theme park experience.

This video is taken from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter website; normally, it’s too dim in Ollivander’s to take a good video. The actor portraying Ollivander in this video is somewhat more jocular than ours was, too. Either way, this is a really fun and immersive theme park activity at Universal Studios Orlando.

Now, I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan, and even I get swept up in the faux-reality of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter each time I go to Universal Studios Orlando. I’m pretty happy that its counterpart, Universal Studios Hollywood, is also opening up a Harry Potter experience next year. It will be nice for us Southern Californians to not have to fly 3,000 miles just to get our Hogwarts fix! Not all of us, after all, can travel by the floo network.

It’s hard to tell, but that’s a hologram of Dumbledore in his office; part of the entertainment on the queue

In any case, 2014 is shaping up to be a banner year for Universal Studios, with Hollywood’s theme park getting its own Harry Potter and Orlando expanding the Wizarding World with new areas to explore the immersive experience of Diagon Alley, “London,” and connecting to Hogsmeads aboard the Hogwarts Express. Exciting news!

Thank you to Universal Studios Orlando for hosting the TMS Family Travel Conference’s experience at the theme park and the Portofino Hotel. And thank you to the young people in my life for telling me about the Floo Network.

Affordable, versatile, light and roomy… four characteristics I always like to see in a piece of luggage. The eBags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible — a backpack that converts to a handheld bag or shoulder bag — has all of these dreamy traits and more.

The spacious bag weighs 4 lbs and measures 22 x 14 x 9 inches, which means that it meets domestic airplane carry-on requirements. It’s called a “Weekender Convertible,” yet this backpack has enough bells and whistles — and packing space — to fit several days’ worth of clothing for savvy travelers. Online reviews on eBags.com report that users brought along this bag as their “main suitcase” for multi-week trips through Europe! I used it as one of my carry-on bags for a three-day trip to the Florida Keys, plus a six-night Caribbean cruise.

Note: In theory, this should be your “main” carry-on bag, not your additional “briefcase,” “purse” or “personal item” that most domestic airlines allow these days. I tried to mask it as my “smaller bag” in addition to my rollerboard, got busted trying to carry both on the plane, and was made to gate-check my rollerboard.

Still, for road trips, cruises, multi-week tours, or any trip where you’d find hands-free luggage helpful, I’d highly recommend the Weekender Convertible. You can pull out the shoulder and waist straps to comfortably carry a fully packed bag as a backpack, or attach the wide shoulder straps if you want to carry it as a shoulder bag. There’s a wide handle for carrying it in one hand, too.

I’m a big fan of Weekender Convertible’s multiple pockets. On the main outside section alone, there’s a small zippered pocket at the top for easy access to boarding passes, ID or a small wallet; a larger zippered section that folds down to reveal a travel organizer for pens, phone and such – plus three more interior zippered pockets; a recessed zipper pocket that I almost missed because the zipper sits in a seam — I used this section to store my Kindle; and, finally, a stash-away water bottle holder — unzip to reveal the pouch only when you need it.

Inside it keeps getting better: the bag unzips butterfly style like a typical “suitcase,” so it’s super easy to access your gear and clothing (i.e. you don’t have to reach down to get your stuff from the top of the backpack). The main compartment has a fold-down shelf so you can keep items separate, say, if you’re sharing with someone else, or you want to keep “dressy” clothes sectioned away from “casual” clothes. The top part of the suitcase has a mesh zippered cover, to further organize your clothing and gear; I like to store dirty clothing in that section.

Still more to love: a laptop sling that cradles your laptop between the back-foam panel and the contents of the bag; a 1.5-inch expansion zipper that adds 10 percent to the total capacity when it’s fully unzipped; and compression straps that help a partially filled bag’s contents from moving around so much.

The eBags.com website page for the Weekender Convertible does a great job of showing all of the features via photos and video. This versatile bag retails for $99.99 (though it’s sometimes discounted online at eBags.com). The range of colors of this bag is vast — I’m partial to the Tropical Turquoise pictured above!

Also along for the ride on my recent Florida/cruise trip were three eBags Packing Cubes. These lightweight cubes come in various sizes with mostly mesh covers so you can spot at a glance what’s inside. Inside the small cube I stored my chargers, plugs and point-and-shoot camera; the medium one held my bathing suits, sun hats, visors and other beach attire; the large packing cube was great for all of my rolled T-shirts, jersey skirts and summery dresses.

For anyone like me who likes to stay organized on a trip, I highly recommend these affordable cubes for a practical packing system. A three-piece set retails for only $29.99 on eBags.com. These, too, come in a multitude of bright colors, including Grasshopper, pictured above.

eBags provided me with a Weekender Convertible and Packing Cubes for purposes of editorial review.

This winter I saw an advertisement for the Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) announcing some exciting news…there was a new driving method. The days of RPDE drivers following a lead car that limits the race car speed will be long-gone. Instead a professional driving instructor will be in the passenger seat coaching the driver along the track via a two-way radio in the helmets. This new system means more personalized instruction and faster speeds for the driver.

Years ago my husband Jeff revealed that since childhood he’s dreamt of driving a race car on a real race track. ”I’ve always loved to go fast,” he said. That conversation came back to me and I knew I had found the perfect gift for him. Shouldn’t we all be so lucky to fulfill a childhood dream?

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The Richard Petty Driving Experience was going to be at Chicagoland Speedway (our closest racetrack) on a weekend we were planning to visit Chicago.

When we arrived in Illinois the sun was shining. However, the city was abuzz about possible rain the next day. Uh-oh. That was very bad news. Why? Jeff’s Richard Petty Driving Experience was at noon the following day. If it rains and the crew can’t dry the track the drive has to be postponed. At that point it was a wait and see. We woke to a gloomy day but hoped for the best during our 45 minutes drive from downtown Chicago to the town of Joliet. Sure enough, when we arrived at the  Chicagoland Speedway the air was wet with drizzle and the ground was soaking wet.

We were greeted by Richard Petty Driving Experience employees with the sad news that the scheduled RPDE drives were to be postponed for the following day, but we could still go for a ride around the track in the van and check out the cars. Jeff, the kids and I hopped in the van and off we went around the track about about 80 mph. It was so cool and fast! I couldn’t imagine going double that speed.

After the thrilling ride around the track we went into the garage to see the cars and chat with the crew. We even met driver David Levine and peeked in his car. What a treat! He signed a photo for each of the kids, posed for photos and talked about his passion for racing.

The kids even sat in a couple of the RPDE stock cars.

The next day we returned to find the sun shining and the track dry. As soon as we pulled into the speedway we could hear race cars zooming along the track. The best news…Jeff was going to get to enjoy his Rookie experience (8 laps around the track) after all.

Jeff geared up in the traditional one-piece race suit and put his RPDE badge around his neck then the handful of men and their families settled into a large classroom for training.

As the training started, the nervous excitement was thick. And I mean thick. Most of the men had never partaken in the experience so everyone was listening intensely to the trainer. RPDE takes safety very seriously so the training was no-nonsense. Basic safety information was covered, explanations of how the track was set up (gates and cones as acceleration and deceleration points) and how to handle worst-case-scenario events (fire, crash). The trainer made it very clear that drivers had to earn the trust of their instructor as the more trust they gained, the faster they will be allowed to go.

After class the group took a few posed photos with a race car on Victory Lane, the drivers and their fans walked over to pit row to put on their helmet and wait their turn to get behind the wheel.

Jeff was ushered to the yellow car 39. Here he is waiting to take off…

The kids and I stood in a viewing area where I could take video and photos. I caught this of Jeff driving 140mph:

And here was what Jeff was experiencing in the car with his instructor Jimmy Kite (video is about 8 minutes):

Every driver get their experience captured on film and can pay for the video or purchase photos at the end. I highly recommend it. You don’t want to partake in this amazing experience and not have the proof.

Here’s Jeff beaming after the race. I’ve never seen him so thrilled. He wasn’t the only one.  Every driver that exited through their car’s window whooped and hollered with adrenalin. As the employees of RPDE said, it’s great having a job where everyone is happy everyday.

Thank you Richard Petty Driving Experience for hosting my family and helping to make my husband’s childhood dream come true. 

Join me and some other beach-loving travel enthusiasts for a fun Twitter chat Tuesday, May 21, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Central Time. Just use the hashtag #CheapCaribbean to talk all things beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean, including the best beaches for family vacations, most romantic stretches of sand and bucket-list beaches!

The best part: if you Tweet at least once using the #CheapCaribbean hashtag, and you’re following @CheapCaribbean, you’re entered to win one of three prize-filled beach bags worth more than $300! The cute totes are filled with fun items like underwater cameras, sunglasses, sunscreen and more — everything you need to enjoy a day at the beach.

In the meantime, get inspired by checking out the Mexico and Caribbean packages that CheapCaribbean.com offers!

I am being compensated to participate in the CheapCaribbean.com Best Beaches Twitter chat.

Once in a while my family falls in love with a hotel that we know we will return to again and again. Most recently, that hotel is Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel, located right on Michigan Avenue and a coin’s toss from Grant Park and Millennium Park. Comfortable, cozy beds, good service, updated, safe area and convenient location are a few things we look for as a traveling family. The Blackstone meets all of these requirement, plus it has a few extra details that push it to the top of our list…

History. President John F. Kennedy and 11 other presidents have called the Blackstone Hotel home for the night. That’s why it’s earned the moniker Hotel of Presidents. The most fascinating feature though is the hotel’s Smoke-Filled Room. The room was the setting of Warren G. Harding’s nomination to run for president during the 1920 Republican Convention. An Associated Press reporter described the decision being made in a “smoke-filled room.” The phrase stuck and remains a political expression today.

Fab food. This makes an ideal two-in-one: an awesome Chicago hotel and restaurant. Located just off the Blackstone’s lobby is Mercat a la Planxa, a restaurant Inspired by Chef Jose Garces and specializing in modern Catalan cuisine. Our first night in town we dined on tapas dishes and sipped various sangrias. The Escalivada D’Alberginia (eggplant fritters with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and cipollinis, goat cheese and lavender) and Cordero (rack of Colorado lamb) were my favorite dishes. The kids were hooked up with pasta. The entire trip they kept asking to eat there again. Don’t miss this one.

Culture. When you visit, look around. There are over 1,600 original artworks throughout the hotel in both public spaces and guest rooms, many of which are created by emerging Chicago artists. This striking photo is of the Blackstone’s Art Hall. The hung art rotates and many wedding photos have been taken in this room — I can see why.

Presidential Stamp Art. Every room in the  Blackstone has stamp art by Michael Hernandez De Luna. These works comprises of a photo or photos of the president surrounded by U.S. postal stamps featuring the president.  The photo below was taken in the Presidential Suite, Sky. I’m not sure if you can tell, but President John F. Kennedy is the subject.

Fantastic lobby. When my clan first stumbled into the lobby after a long day on road the first thing I noticed was a family enjoying the pool table located a few steps for the free standing check-in desks (Cool feature, too! Makes for personalized service). 

And check out the gold couch right next to the pool table.

Awesome hotel gym. I didn’t get nearly enough time in this gym but I highly recommend the Blackstone Hotel to those looking for a high quality fitness room because it has everything: free weights, medicine balls, an assortment of cardio machines, weight machines, plus chilled towels, fresh fruit, earbuds, and even infused citrus water. A+ for this hotel gym. Yes…it’s Instagram worthy.

Starbucks. This is a personal preference but we are huge Starbucks fans, especially when on the road. By our second visit the barista already had my husband’s venti-quad-bone-dry-cappuccino down. He was beyond ecstatic.

When the kids say, “When can we come back?” I know the hotel was a hit!

Thank you to Sage Hospitality for teaming with The Vacation Gals and showing us several hotels across the United States. To read more follow our tweets by searching for hashtag: #SageWanderer  

Traditional Chaco toe-loop sandal style.

Chaco sandals are a staple for many men and women who live and play in the Colorado mountains. I’ve never been a fan of the toe-loop, strappy, sporty shoes (see left). First, I’m weird about having my big toe in its own little compartment; it needs to be free. Second, the traditional Chaco sandal style is just too hippie-like for me. I know there are ardent fans of this style — with or without toe loop — who love that the waterproof sandals that can be worn on the river, along the hiking trail and even “dressed up” a bit when paired with casual skirts. (These diehards are called Chaconians!) Still, they’re not me.

However, Chaco does make a whole bunch of other summer shoes that are much more my style — including the Derby “flips.” These flip flops may not be built for adventuring outdoors as much as the strappy Chacos, but they still have some important features that make them not only comfortable, but rugged.

The proprietary LUVSEAT footbed — developed in partnership with a podiatrist — is contoured to support the foot. It helps prevent feet from overpronating (rolling inward), while heel risers help keep the foot stable. All this adds up to a secure fit. Plus, the nubuck footbed is soft on the soles; truly, these are comfortable shoes.

Chaco Derby sandal.

Adding to the comfort is the full-grain leather upper with pigskin lining. And the outer sole has EcoTread rubber, which offers good traction.

I suppose if I had one change for these sandals it would be to the strip of leather between my big and second toe — remember, I’m picky when it comes to the toes! It’s a bit thick for my liking; I really need a thin and flexible strap there. (That said, if it were thinner or more flimsy, the sandals likely wouldn’t fit so securely.)

In all, I appreciate the slim look of these flip flops. They are casual and solid enough for long walks in shorts and a tank top, but I’ve also paired them with summery dresses, too — so they’re certainly versatile for warm-weather travel.

The Chaco Derby comes in three neutral colors (light brown, chocolate brown and black) and retails for $80.

Chaco provided me with a pair of Derby sandals for purposes of editorial review.

Let’s face it: there are an overwhelming number of lodging options in Orlando, Florida. No surprise here, as the theme park capital of the world is also the most popular travel destination in the United States. Universal Studios Orlando has its own hotels, Walt Disney World does as well, and outside of theme park properties hotels from grubby to top-of-the-line abound. In short, it takes a LOT for a hotel to stand out in this crowd. The new-ish Hilton Hotel Orlando (opened 2009) does just that. And how.

I know what you’re thinking, a Hilton’s a Hilton, right? Wrong. Admittedly, I thought this too en route from the Orlando Airport. I was staying at the Hilton Orlando Hotel for work, and assumed it would be yet another in the long line of business travel-ready hotels I’ve stayed at over the years. But this Hilton goes above and beyond expectations. It’s not just me who thinks so: it was named the Hilton Hotels & Resorts 2012 Hotel of the Year.   This means that Hilton WorldWide named the Hilton Orlando Hotel the best Hilton in the WORLD, for 2012. And, every year since the Hilton Orlando was up and running, it won Hilton Hotels & Resorts’ “Connie Award” for the Hilton Hotel in the Americas and the Best Guest Satisfaction Award each year as well (for Hilton properties with over 500 rooms).

Just the facts, ma’am:

• The Hilton Orlando has 1,417 rooms and suites, all non-smoking
• The hotel has the usual amenities like in-room coffee maker, Internet, mini fridge, etc
• Dining options include Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops, David’s Club Bar & Grill, The Bistro, Tropics Pool Bar & Grill, The Marketplace, Lobby Bar, and room service
• The Spa accommodates couples and groups swell as solo spa lovers. It uses Neroli based products (that’s the essential oil from orange blossoms) to help promote relaxation and wellness
• The fitness center is enormous; 4,000 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side that face the outdoor grounds. There’s a lot of equipment that fits into that fitness center, including treadmills, recumbent cycles, elliptical cross trainers and more
• The pool has “zero entry” on both sides; this lack of any sudden drop-off makes the pool child-friendly. There are six cabanas and a 10,000 square foot pool deck, and a separate “Quiet Pool” for adults. There is also an 892 foot long lazy river with water fountains and water canons
• Tennis court
• Basketball court
• Volleyball court
• Jogging track
• 9-hole putting course
• Schedules weekend and sessional activities
• Downtown Disney — 7 miles away
• Universal Studios Orlando — 5 miles away
• Seaworld — 2 miles away

Now, that’s all very boring stuff, the details you may want to know before reserving a room at a hotel. But here’s what makes the Hilton Orlando the award-winningest Hilton hotel: the unbelievable level of service. Those of us who review hotels know it’s an occupational hazard to become immune to certain details of customer service; the chocolates on the pillows after turn-down service, the towels twisted into animal shapes, the kids’ menus, yawn. When you get down to it, hotels and resorts that offer sometimes unexpected pleasures like those can do so while “phoning it in.” That is, the THINGS are there, but the actual, genuinely friendly staff eager and excited to go that extra mile are not. The Hilton Orlando Hotel is exceptional. Here, every staff member I encountered — and I encountered a lot – was so truly happy to showoff the hotel and to make my stay as easy as possible. There were no phony smiles in sight.

There is something so astounding about seeing all levels of staff be so enthusiastic about their jobs that it must be rare. I certainly was blown away. It’s an extrapolation, but I’d wager that the staff – from  housekeepers to concierge desk, from groundskeepers to head chef – must be treated with respect and admiration by the upper management. Even a painter, touching up the sides of the hotel, pausing, looking up, and giving me a truly friendly morning greeting, was a pleasure. It puts a bounce in the step of guests to see happy people all around them, this makes the staff happier, and the cycle repeats itself. Happy guests, happy employees, happy management…you’d think that the Hilton Orlando Hotel is trying to provide some competition in Orlando with the other so-called Happiest Place on Earth.

The Hilton Orlando Hotel has other notable, positive aspects as well, including it being a LEED-certified green hotel with committed plans in action to reduce, reuse and recycle otherwise disposable item, and a majorly locally-sourced list of ingredients for all its restaurants. This is difficult to achieve for a hotel of this size, yet it’s working — and in such a seamless way that it doesn’t affect or detract from the guest experience at all.

There are lots of hotels in Orlando, and lots of Hilton hotels in the world. Only one, though, has this remarkable green philosophy for a hotel of its size, with locally sourced restaurant menu items, service worthy of 5-star resorts, and in the most highly desired family travel destination of Orlando, Florida. The Hilton Orlando will make you happy, and help you enjoy your stay as much as possible.

The Hilton Orlando Hotel comped my stay as part of the first TMS Family Travel Conference.