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CNN Saturday Morning News

Deb Geigis Berry

Aired May 10, 2003 - 07:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the time of year, of course, millions of families pile into the back of the minivan and head out for their summer vacation. But what makes a successful family trip?
Well, Deb Geigis Berry is the author of "The Family Fun Vacation Guide," and she joins us now with tips on how to get the whole family involved in planning the perfect summer trip.

And, Deb, good morning.

First of all, I know you're on your own vacation.

DEB GEIGIS BERRY, AUTHOR, "FAMILY FUN VACATION GUIDE": That's right. My two children, husband and I are traveling across country in an R.V.

NEVILLE: Well, you know, that's great. But, you know, I've got to tell you, there are people out there -- so you just are kind of hopping around. What if folks are just kind of going to go to one place. How do you pick a destination?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, one of the things you want to do before you decide where to go is how to go. And we really love the freedom and flexibility of the R.V. because it makes getting there half the fun. The kids can sit and watch the DVD player or they can come up here and do their craft activities. So I think the car ride itself can be part of the process.

NEVILLE: OK, but let's say you don't have a nice swanky SUV -- R.V. like you do and you're in an SUV. You might have a DVD player in there, but there's not all the lounging areas that they. So, you know...

GEIGIS BERRY: That's right.

NEVILLE: You know, how long is too long for a road trip? I mean like if, you know, should you limit it to an eight hour drive or four hours?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, we like to use the three to five hour rule of thumb, particularly with young children. And you need to stop at playgrounds probably on the hour. And it's a great way to see the country. Just stop at a local gas station, ask for the nearest school and just let them get some of their energy out at a local playground.

NEVILLE: OK, but what about the adults who need to get their energy out? What do they do? What do you do for them?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, the neat thing about stopping, too, to ask for directions is you can get some local food. You can have a picnic. We have a beach ball with us. You don't have to get really fancy, but you want to have a bucket of some activities so at the ready any time you want a break, you can take one.

NEVILLE: You know, you mentioned getting food and everything, let's talk about budget here, because this can get pretty pricey.

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, it can and at the outset of planning any vacation, it's important to have a family meeting and use a good guidebook like "The Family Fun Vacation Guide," and really consider what kind of budget that you're operating with and do a loose itinerary so you're not surprised at the end when you get some of your bills.

NEVILLE: And, again, you mentioned the R.V., the traveling by car. But what if folks are actually going to take a trip on a plane or a train or what have you and they say we're going to one place? How do you pick a destination that is going to make everybody happy?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, it's important to have something that's family tested. And you can get recommendations from friends and family or use a guide book like "The Vacation Guide" where every restaurant, attraction and hotel has already been pre-tested by families and rated. So it's more of a foolproof situation.

NEVILLE: So then when you're checking out for hotel accommodations, etc., what sort of features should you look for?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, it's really key that you talk to the agent and get an idea of where the hotel is. Is it part of a strip mall or is it in a more scenic location? Are there sites that you can walk to from the hotel? Is breakfast included? Of course, you want to try to get a place where children under 18 can stay free. So you really have to do a walk through, even if it is by telephone, to make sure your dollars are spent wisely.

NEVILLE: So, quickly before you go, Deb, generally speaking, how much money would I need if I have, say, a wife, husband and two kids?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, that can vary so widely. I mean if you're camping, you will be very, very cost effective. If you want to stay in an all inclusive resort, that can be hundreds of dollars a day. So that can all be determined at your initial family meeting.

NEVILLE: OK, Deb, so how long is your stretch here?

GEIGIS BERRY: How long is our stretch? We're on the road for two and a half weeks and we're seeing most of all the major cities on the East Coast.

NEVILLE: OK, Deb. Well, you seem like you're quite sane still with the kids and everything on board and the hubby there. So if people want to find more information, go to www.familyfun.com, of course.

Deb, thank you so much, and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

GEIGIS BERRY: Thank you. The pleasure is all mine.

NEVILLE: No more TV interviews. Relax.

GEIGIS BERRY: Thanks.

NEVILLE: OK.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 10, 2003 - 07:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the time of year, of course, millions of families pile into the back of the minivan and head out for their summer vacation. But what makes a successful family trip?
Well, Deb Geigis Berry is the author of "The Family Fun Vacation Guide," and she joins us now with tips on how to get the whole family involved in planning the perfect summer trip.

And, Deb, good morning.

First of all, I know you're on your own vacation.

DEB GEIGIS BERRY, AUTHOR, "FAMILY FUN VACATION GUIDE": That's right. My two children, husband and I are traveling across country in an R.V.

NEVILLE: Well, you know, that's great. But, you know, I've got to tell you, there are people out there -- so you just are kind of hopping around. What if folks are just kind of going to go to one place. How do you pick a destination?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, one of the things you want to do before you decide where to go is how to go. And we really love the freedom and flexibility of the R.V. because it makes getting there half the fun. The kids can sit and watch the DVD player or they can come up here and do their craft activities. So I think the car ride itself can be part of the process.

NEVILLE: OK, but let's say you don't have a nice swanky SUV -- R.V. like you do and you're in an SUV. You might have a DVD player in there, but there's not all the lounging areas that they. So, you know...

GEIGIS BERRY: That's right.

NEVILLE: You know, how long is too long for a road trip? I mean like if, you know, should you limit it to an eight hour drive or four hours?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, we like to use the three to five hour rule of thumb, particularly with young children. And you need to stop at playgrounds probably on the hour. And it's a great way to see the country. Just stop at a local gas station, ask for the nearest school and just let them get some of their energy out at a local playground.

NEVILLE: OK, but what about the adults who need to get their energy out? What do they do? What do you do for them?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, the neat thing about stopping, too, to ask for directions is you can get some local food. You can have a picnic. We have a beach ball with us. You don't have to get really fancy, but you want to have a bucket of some activities so at the ready any time you want a break, you can take one.

NEVILLE: You know, you mentioned getting food and everything, let's talk about budget here, because this can get pretty pricey.

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, it can and at the outset of planning any vacation, it's important to have a family meeting and use a good guidebook like "The Family Fun Vacation Guide," and really consider what kind of budget that you're operating with and do a loose itinerary so you're not surprised at the end when you get some of your bills.

NEVILLE: And, again, you mentioned the R.V., the traveling by car. But what if folks are actually going to take a trip on a plane or a train or what have you and they say we're going to one place? How do you pick a destination that is going to make everybody happy?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, it's important to have something that's family tested. And you can get recommendations from friends and family or use a guide book like "The Vacation Guide" where every restaurant, attraction and hotel has already been pre-tested by families and rated. So it's more of a foolproof situation.

NEVILLE: So then when you're checking out for hotel accommodations, etc., what sort of features should you look for?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, it's really key that you talk to the agent and get an idea of where the hotel is. Is it part of a strip mall or is it in a more scenic location? Are there sites that you can walk to from the hotel? Is breakfast included? Of course, you want to try to get a place where children under 18 can stay free. So you really have to do a walk through, even if it is by telephone, to make sure your dollars are spent wisely.

NEVILLE: So, quickly before you go, Deb, generally speaking, how much money would I need if I have, say, a wife, husband and two kids?

GEIGIS BERRY: Well, that can vary so widely. I mean if you're camping, you will be very, very cost effective. If you want to stay in an all inclusive resort, that can be hundreds of dollars a day. So that can all be determined at your initial family meeting.

NEVILLE: OK, Deb, so how long is your stretch here?

GEIGIS BERRY: How long is our stretch? We're on the road for two and a half weeks and we're seeing most of all the major cities on the East Coast.

NEVILLE: OK, Deb. Well, you seem like you're quite sane still with the kids and everything on board and the hubby there. So if people want to find more information, go to www.familyfun.com, of course.

Deb, thank you so much, and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

GEIGIS BERRY: Thank you. The pleasure is all mine.

NEVILLE: No more TV interviews. Relax.

GEIGIS BERRY: Thanks.

NEVILLE: OK.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com