Military Friendly Vacation Destinations

Take Advantage Of Your Job Perks!!!

Whether you live by the sea or not, the quote above perfectly describes my family's view on life.  "Today is a holiday, as was yesterday and will be tomorrow..." - we should live everyday as if it were special and treat ourselves often because we work to hard to not enjoy life to the fullest. 

Being in the Military not only do you get to use awesome companies like United Military Travel for travel loans but there are a ton of fun destinations out there that cater to people in the service.  Trust me, it is definitely something we think about when we travel domestically.  The service that you provide to our country does not go without recognition and many companies want to show their appreciation one way or the other...you just have to know where to look to get the deals. 

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Here are a few "must see" domestic destinations...

Orlando, Florida

What family doesn't want to go to Disney World to let their kids meets all the Disney characters....it has become a staple of growing up.  Orlando is the mecca for amusement parks and for good reason; you have Disney World, Universal Studios, Seaworld, and Busch Gardens plus smaller attractions like NASA Space Center all within an hour of each other.  Talk about keeping the whole family entertained!  I would sign up for email updates or check the Orlando Chamber of Commerce's website while planning your vacation to take advantage of any promotions they may be selling for military families.  It is a good way to possibly get free one day passes to Busch Gardens etc.  Also, UMT has negotiated hundreds of contracts with major consolidators to bring you discounted hotel rates so make sure you call them before booking anything on your own at 866-582-9579.   If you are looking for a rental home, UMT offers private pool homes and condos to finance as well!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hawaii

Hawaii is a state that really knows how to say "thank you" to our armed forces and many of their websites have a military discount section to provide the most information as possible.  Getting there can be a little more pricey than staying on the "mainland" but once you are there you can take advantage of MWR's discounts and if you booked through United Military Travel you probably have already saved big accommodations and airfare.  Check out this trip advisor post highlighting vacation information for US Military here.   So before you decide that Hawaii is to far and to expensive do your homework on UMT and check out websites like Hawaii Active.      

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Southern California and beyond

Breathe in the Pacific Ocean....

San Diego welcomes service members and families and offers many websites to help you navigate through the discounts.  Whether you are looking for California theme parks or just an overview of what San Diego offers, you will be pleasantly surprise at how cheaply you can enjoy sunny SoCal.  I would definitely recommend renting a car because more than likely you will need to drive from destination to destination...it is not like Florida where you can stay on the resort and never have to leave.  You will want to get out and explore because southern California is one of the most beautiful places in the United States.  While booking trips I always research what I should book on my own and what I should have UMT book and from past experiences UMT always has gotten me the best car rental rate.  

Along with San Diego being military friendly the rest of the state should not be ignored.  

On our vacation there we took our rental car all the way from San Diego to Big Sur > Big Sur to San Francisco > San Francisco to Napa > Napa to Yosemite > Yosemite to Santa Cruz > Santa Cruz back to San Francisco where we returned our rental car and flew home.  

For more information on that trip in the future keep following me this week!

Our rental car in Yosemite National Park

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Washington, DC

Washington, DC has more great free attractions than any city its size in the country.  Between the Smithsonian complex, the many things to see in the government buildings, tours, memorials, and cemeteries, if you can stay and eat cheaply you can have a very full vacation on very little money.  You also have the option of either staying in the city or outside of it - my favorite is staying IN the city and just taking the Metro everywhere for transportation.  That saves you on having to rent a car, making this vacation even more affordable!! 

Such a fun, family vacation!!!