- Welcome Message and select excerpts of our first year blog
- Our New Blog
- Contact us
- Travel Advice
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Flying-all you need to know before you book your next plane ticket>
- Cruising-planning the perfect cruise>
- Car Travel
- Traveling by bus...in style
- Hotels-Creating the ideal autistic friendly hotel room>
- Packing -101>
- Ask away -Autistic Globetrotting Free advice service>
- Tid bits-travel advice from our readers in 100 words or less
- Autistic Travels' Golden Rules
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Autisticals-a personal view of autistic travel
- US 10 best in
- The 10 best of Boston
- The best 10 of Hilton Head,South Carolina
- The 10 best of New York
- The 10 best of Alaska
- The 10 best of Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- The 10 best of Santa Fe and the surroundings
- The 10 best of Arizone-Grand Canyon
- The 10 best of Colonial Williamsburg,Jamestown and surroundinds
- The 10 best of Washington D.C.
- The 10 best of Las Vegas
- The 10 best of Boston
- International 10 best
- Mini autisticals- the darnest travel stories you'll hear
- The Sleeps-our biased and un biased hotel reviews
- The Eats-Tasty challenges from around the globe
- The Shops-what you can buy next
- Collector's Corner-How did these travel trinkets become a collection
- Recommended products
- Giveaways
- Monthly news roundup
- Interviews
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Q&A with Tal managing director of ALUTEVA-autistic hotel in Israel
- Eva Bronstein-Greenwald-special needs travel agent and founder of We Belong
- Q&A with Trip it's
- Q&A with David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
- Keri Bowers- film producer of 'Normal people scare me'
- Jamie Grover-Autism on the seas
- Peter Shears
- Clive-guide dog extraordinaire
- John Brown of 'Devyn and Dad' -an inspirational adventure across the United States
- Rose Niehaus Olsen Morris inventor of the safety sleeper bed
- Annette White,counselor for Camp Autism
- Colin Brennan-Canada's new singing sensation
- Dennis Debbaudt-autism safety expert
- Gisela Sedlmayer- author of 'Talon'
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Inspirational travel stories by our guest writers
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- Brian R. King-Meltdown at the airport
- Joy's visit to the Aquarium
- Denise Klipsic-An incredible encounter with Princess Tiana
- Tanya Savko- Hope on a river
- Tiffany Robison-Great Wolf Lodge
- Fiona Westner Ramsay -Making-room-for-autism-in-your-canoe
- Laura Shumacher-Traveling with autism: a true story
- Phyllis Fanzo Lombardi-s -Vacation Time with Joey
- Kristina Chew-18 Miles On the Bikes At the Beach
- Jeff Katz-Chicago
- Margaret Ann Franklin's visit to the Great Northern Carousel in Helena Montana
- Claire Sarcone-Chessington the aspie way
- Elaine Hall-Tips for summer vacation
- Steve LHeureux -Autism "Outings" need to be planned and appropriate
- Kelly Green-The Gardens of Gilroy
- Wolfie Blue-Tips I learnt by traveling with my family
- Gluten free Disney cruise experience
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- North,Central and South America-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Alaska Cruise-USA and Canada
- Florida,Orlando-Universal Studios-looking for Harry Potter
- Florida,Orlando-Macy's mini parade in Universal Studios
- Florida-Everglades Park ,Miami,Key West
- Hawaii's big island with a glimpse of Pearl Harbor
- Louisiana,New Orleans-French Quarter,Christmas Parade,Nanchez Steamboat
- Louisiana,New Orleans-in the footsteps of Katrina,Garden district
- Massachussetts-Boston ,New England Coastal towns of NH and Maine
- New York-NYC
- New Mexico-Santa Fe and Bandoliers National Park
- Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
- Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- Canada-Niagara Falls,Montreal,Quebec,Toronto
- Caribbean-Bahamas- the Atlantis resort
- Caribbean-Castaway Cay-Disney's bahamian paradise
- Caribbean-Roatan,Honduras>
- Caribbean-Grand Caymans-Hell,Turtles,Wild Hens and Stingrays>
- Mexico-Cabo San Lucas(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Puerta Vallarta (Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Acapulco and Manzanillo
- Mexico-Mazatlan(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Playa del Carmen's Xcaret eco park>
- Mexico-Tulum and XelHa Eco Park
- Yucatan,Mexico- Chichen Itza,Cozumel's Paradise Beach
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Europe,Asia,Australia and New Zealand,Cruise ships-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Austria-Salzburg
- Belgium-Antwerp ,Brussels
- Canary Islands-Lazarote
- Croatia-the walled town of Dubrovnik
- Denmark-Copenhagen
- France-Normandy's D day beaches>
- France- Cannes,Nice,Eze
- France-Paris
- Finland,Helsinki
- Germany-Munich,Dachau
- Germany-Romantic Road
- Ireland-Dublin
- Ireland -Cork,Blarney,Kinsale>
- N. Ireland-Belfast>
- N. Ireland's Giant Causeway
- N.Ireland-Carrick -a -Rede-rope bridge>
- Italy-Venice,Pompeii,Rome
- Italy-Florence,Messina and Taoramina
- Israel-Jerusalem>
- Israel-Masada and the Dead Sea>
- Israel-Tel Aviv>
- Morocco-Casablanca
- New Zealand-Rotarua
- New Zealand-Fjord Park,Dunedin,Christchurch
- New Zealand - Auckland and sheep farm
- The Netherlands-Amsterdam,Delft,The Hague,Rotterdam,Madurodam
- Sweden-Stockholm and the Archipelago
- Russia-St Petersburg's Palaces
- Scotland-Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
- Scotland-Edinburgh>
- Scotland-Inverness>
- Scotland-Loch Lommond,Luss,Sottish sheep show>
- Spain-Barcelona
- Spain-Cadiz and Seville
- Spain-The Alhambra Palace,view of Malaga
- Tasmania-Hobart
- UK-Liverpool and the Beatles>
- UK-London>
- UK-Stonehenge,Bath,Warwick Castle,Stratford on Avon,Oxford
- UK-Guernsey>
- Carnival -Legend
- Aboard the Carnival Legend
- Carnival -Ecstasy
- Carnival- Fascination
- Carnival Spirit
- Celebrity-Century
- Crown Princess>
- Sapphire Princess
- Royal Caribbean-Brilliance of the Seas
- Royal Caribbean-Mariner of the Seas (parades)
- Royal Caribbean- Mariner of the Seas
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Monthly guest's -Travel videos and pictures
- Web sites and blogs we follow
- Face Book discussions
- Guest Book
Hooray-we're stranded at the airport!
![Picture](/uploads/4/4/4/8/4448415/7166422.jpg?1299472847)
When faced with a long scheduled layover or an unexpected flight delay ,autistic globetrotters ,more than any other category of travelers can become increasingly agitated and apprehensive , requiring a plethora of activities to keep them busy and entertained, unlike others who can patiently read, Internet surf the web or watch the news on the airport television screens .In order to avoid any stressful moments, it is important to conduct a short Internet research of the options available in and around each airport during the initial travel planning stage.
Airport Museums
The emergence of airport museums is on the rise, and presents a win -win situation for all involved. Museums can introduce their collections to a wider more diversified audience and even sell some of their licensed merchandise, airports supply their frustrated travelers with a unique way to kill an hour or two and bored globetrotters are presented with a great opportunity to engage in an activity they might have never thought of trying otherwise.
Outstanding domestic airport museums can be explored in Atlanta http://www.atlanta-airport.com/ ,Philadelphia http://www.phl.org/ , Denver http://www.flydenver.com/. and San Francisco http://www.sfoarts.org/ while internationally the Riijk Museum in Schipol Amsterdam www.rijksmuseum.nl/tentoonstellingen/schiphol should not be missed.
Hands -on kid museums and other entertainment in domestic airports
Many kids museums have satellite locations in airports ,providing a sensory hands on experience for younger autistic globetrotters and some much required respite minutes to their caregivers.
Wonderful places to check ,among others ,are :
•San Francisco International Airport – Kids’ Spot (in partnership with the Exploratorium of San Francisco)
•Boston Logan International Airport – Kidport (in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Boston)
•Chicago O’Hare International Airport – Kids on the Fly (in partnership with the Chicago Children’s Museum) .
International airports
•Singapore -Changi-features the world's longest slide that provides a wonderful sensory outlet,a swimming pool, a movie theater and as many arcades as you could possibly play at.http://www.changiairport.com/
•Hong Kong International Airport http://www.hongkongairport.com/– has its own an aviation discover center, i-sports complex and PlayStation Gateway Center by Sony.
•Auckland, New Zealand -If Singapore is the Mecca for indoor entertainment, Auckland is the ultimate destination in outdoor and back to nature pleasures.- www.butterflycreek.co.nz , just outside the airport, comes so well equipped with a butterfly house,aquarium,,insect house, crocodile exhibitand farmyard .
Take an airport tour
Another great idea that combines fun and education is a 'behind the scenes peek ' at how the airport is actually run. Many autistic globetrotters might find this informative tour fascinating, especially those dislike or even fear crowded airports, and experiencing the tour might give them a more positive perspective of future travel. .Some places in the U.S like Cleveland www.clevelandairport.com/ or Tampa www.tampaairport.com/ airports do require advance notice and an e mail confirmation process,. while some European airports like Frankfurt -www.Frankfurt-airport.com or Zurich www.Zurich-airport.com/ conduct them daily and are easier to attend at the last minute.
Observation decks
A once in a life time view of the airport grounds along with takeoff and landing runways, can be enjoyed ,by the aviation obsessed autistic globetrotters who do get to visit the few observation decks worldwide that remain open .despite the heightened security measures post 9/11.
•Lax, California - www.encounterlax.com - boasts the newly renovated and reopened observation deck inside restaurant .
•Bankok,Thailand-http://www.bangkok-bkk.airports-guides.com/ prides itself on being the second-biggest air terminal building in the world.
•Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina-http://www.rdu.com/ has a beautiful park located near the air traffic control tower ,where one can enjoy a 'mini picnic' while watching the take off and landing of the planes.
Children’s Play Areas
Many airports have area playgrounds, mostly inside to let that extra energy. It would be a wonderful idea to put in some swings to further calm special needs little ones.
•BWI -Baltimore
•Buffalo Niagara,
•Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
•Cleveland Hopkins,
•Dallas/Fort Worth
•Denver International ,
•Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
•Las Vegas McCarran
•Miami
•Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
•Nashville International Airport.
•Portland International Airport
•Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
•Salt Lake City
Noteworthy Domestic airport kids play areas
•Philadelphia International Airport – has a Please Touch Aviation Station-and International Airport .
•Seattle/Tacoma International Airport – large aviation-themed facility
•Pittsburgh International Airport – Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood play area
International Airports with children’s' play areas.
•Glasgow Airport – has Fingabox interactive screens
•Halifax Stanfield International Airport
•Kuala Lumpur International Airport
•London Gatwick Airport South
•London Heathrow Airport
•Sydney Airport – There’s a kid’s cinema too.
•Toronto Pearson International Airport
•Vancouver International Airport
Go see the city
Since many cities are relatively close to their airport, a short sampler tour might be a pleasant way to get introduced to a future vacation spot.
•Singapore airport leading the way by offering free Colonial, Cultural, or Lifestyle city tours - http://www.changiairport.com/at-changi/leisure-indulgences/free-Singapore-tour
•During that L.A stopover you can visit Hollywood http://www.starlinetours.com/
• Toronto-www.etours.to/Toronto city tour
•Amsterdam -amsterdamcitytours.rezgo.com/tour/457/Airport-Transit-City-tour
• Panama-panamaairportshuttle.com/2009/07/3-hour-airport-tour/
Go Geo caching
Geo caching is the twenty first century GPS based treasure hunt with a twist. Basically individuals or groups hide caches all over the world, advertise the hidden location on the Internet and wait for GPS enthusiastic players to find the hidden item. The person/s who discover the item or items are rewarded with a variety of rewards ,get to publish their 'discovery' on the web and are supposed to leave a treasure of their choice for the next Geo enthusiast. Although we have never gone geo-caching ourselves, some of my readers who have autistic globetrotters swear their kids had fun looking for those caches, and found the activity highly entertaining.
http://airportgeocaches.blogspot.com/
http://www.airportgeocaches.com/apgeolist.htm
Try the local cuisine
Being stuck in an airport might become a golden opportunity to sample new foods your Autistic Globetrotter might not have dreamed otherwise of trying. Here are some of our ultimate favorites.
•Miami - Kafe Kalik that is famous for its conch fritters and Bahamian foods
-La Carreta , serving their famous Cubano sandwich, with roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles.
•Albuquerque International Sunport-Garduno's Chile Packing Company and Cantina has mouthwatering green chiles, machaca enchiladas and honey-drenched sopapillas.
•Boston's Logan Airport has three Legal options -Legal's Test Kitchen for people on the go , Legal C Bar full menu plus beer bar and the traditional restaurant. Personal recommendations and all time favorites are the clam chowder and lobster sandwich.
•Charlotte-Douglas International Airport- Brookwood Farms BBQ that many claim is the best they've ever had.
• San Francisco features Boudin's Bakery known for its sourdough bread since 1849.
However, if food does become a point of contention and a reason for a meltdown, head on over to the nearest Macdonald's .
Casinos
Adult autistic globetrotters might be tempted to visit a casino, but this is not recommended since it might become a nasty addiction to extinguish later. If they insist on going in ,have them play the one cent or five cents slot machines for a while.
www.casinocity.com/nl/amsterdam/
Spas
This might be that golden opportunity to brush up on the basics of personal hygiene and appearance by giving your autistic globetrotter, a much needed hair cut or a mani-pedi combo, or get them to relax before the next flight with a body massage.
www.spafinder.com/spas/airport-spas
Get a room for the day
Saving the best for last, my ultimate favorite is getting a room for the day. This way everyone in the travel party can get what they want and need like showers, beds, TV , swimming pools and business centers with WiFi..For many autistic globetrotters a quiet place away from the airport bustle is a great way to regroup and relax. Many properties are either part of the airport complex, or adjacent but connected with walkways and tunnels, like the Hilton in Chicago O’Hare or Sheraton in Frankfurt. Search the links below for properties but contact the hotel directly and ask for day rates
http://www.airporthotelguide.com/
http://www.airporthotelsbest.com/
Airport Museums
The emergence of airport museums is on the rise, and presents a win -win situation for all involved. Museums can introduce their collections to a wider more diversified audience and even sell some of their licensed merchandise, airports supply their frustrated travelers with a unique way to kill an hour or two and bored globetrotters are presented with a great opportunity to engage in an activity they might have never thought of trying otherwise.
Outstanding domestic airport museums can be explored in Atlanta http://www.atlanta-airport.com/ ,Philadelphia http://www.phl.org/ , Denver http://www.flydenver.com/. and San Francisco http://www.sfoarts.org/ while internationally the Riijk Museum in Schipol Amsterdam www.rijksmuseum.nl/tentoonstellingen/schiphol should not be missed.
Hands -on kid museums and other entertainment in domestic airports
Many kids museums have satellite locations in airports ,providing a sensory hands on experience for younger autistic globetrotters and some much required respite minutes to their caregivers.
Wonderful places to check ,among others ,are :
•San Francisco International Airport – Kids’ Spot (in partnership with the Exploratorium of San Francisco)
•Boston Logan International Airport – Kidport (in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Boston)
•Chicago O’Hare International Airport – Kids on the Fly (in partnership with the Chicago Children’s Museum) .
International airports
•Singapore -Changi-features the world's longest slide that provides a wonderful sensory outlet,a swimming pool, a movie theater and as many arcades as you could possibly play at.http://www.changiairport.com/
•Hong Kong International Airport http://www.hongkongairport.com/– has its own an aviation discover center, i-sports complex and PlayStation Gateway Center by Sony.
•Auckland, New Zealand -If Singapore is the Mecca for indoor entertainment, Auckland is the ultimate destination in outdoor and back to nature pleasures.- www.butterflycreek.co.nz , just outside the airport, comes so well equipped with a butterfly house,aquarium,,insect house, crocodile exhibitand farmyard .
Take an airport tour
Another great idea that combines fun and education is a 'behind the scenes peek ' at how the airport is actually run. Many autistic globetrotters might find this informative tour fascinating, especially those dislike or even fear crowded airports, and experiencing the tour might give them a more positive perspective of future travel. .Some places in the U.S like Cleveland www.clevelandairport.com/ or Tampa www.tampaairport.com/ airports do require advance notice and an e mail confirmation process,. while some European airports like Frankfurt -www.Frankfurt-airport.com or Zurich www.Zurich-airport.com/ conduct them daily and are easier to attend at the last minute.
Observation decks
A once in a life time view of the airport grounds along with takeoff and landing runways, can be enjoyed ,by the aviation obsessed autistic globetrotters who do get to visit the few observation decks worldwide that remain open .despite the heightened security measures post 9/11.
•Lax, California - www.encounterlax.com - boasts the newly renovated and reopened observation deck inside restaurant .
•Bankok,Thailand-http://www.bangkok-bkk.airports-guides.com/ prides itself on being the second-biggest air terminal building in the world.
•Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina-http://www.rdu.com/ has a beautiful park located near the air traffic control tower ,where one can enjoy a 'mini picnic' while watching the take off and landing of the planes.
Children’s Play Areas
Many airports have area playgrounds, mostly inside to let that extra energy. It would be a wonderful idea to put in some swings to further calm special needs little ones.
•BWI -Baltimore
•Buffalo Niagara,
•Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
•Cleveland Hopkins,
•Dallas/Fort Worth
•Denver International ,
•Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
•Las Vegas McCarran
•Miami
•Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
•Nashville International Airport.
•Portland International Airport
•Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
•Salt Lake City
Noteworthy Domestic airport kids play areas
•Philadelphia International Airport – has a Please Touch Aviation Station-and International Airport .
•Seattle/Tacoma International Airport – large aviation-themed facility
•Pittsburgh International Airport – Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood play area
International Airports with children’s' play areas.
•Glasgow Airport – has Fingabox interactive screens
•Halifax Stanfield International Airport
•Kuala Lumpur International Airport
•London Gatwick Airport South
•London Heathrow Airport
•Sydney Airport – There’s a kid’s cinema too.
•Toronto Pearson International Airport
•Vancouver International Airport
Go see the city
Since many cities are relatively close to their airport, a short sampler tour might be a pleasant way to get introduced to a future vacation spot.
•Singapore airport leading the way by offering free Colonial, Cultural, or Lifestyle city tours - http://www.changiairport.com/at-changi/leisure-indulgences/free-Singapore-tour
•During that L.A stopover you can visit Hollywood http://www.starlinetours.com/
• Toronto-www.etours.to/Toronto city tour
•Amsterdam -amsterdamcitytours.rezgo.com/tour/457/Airport-Transit-City-tour
• Panama-panamaairportshuttle.com/2009/07/3-hour-airport-tour/
Go Geo caching
Geo caching is the twenty first century GPS based treasure hunt with a twist. Basically individuals or groups hide caches all over the world, advertise the hidden location on the Internet and wait for GPS enthusiastic players to find the hidden item. The person/s who discover the item or items are rewarded with a variety of rewards ,get to publish their 'discovery' on the web and are supposed to leave a treasure of their choice for the next Geo enthusiast. Although we have never gone geo-caching ourselves, some of my readers who have autistic globetrotters swear their kids had fun looking for those caches, and found the activity highly entertaining.
http://airportgeocaches.blogspot.com/
http://www.airportgeocaches.com/apgeolist.htm
Try the local cuisine
Being stuck in an airport might become a golden opportunity to sample new foods your Autistic Globetrotter might not have dreamed otherwise of trying. Here are some of our ultimate favorites.
•Miami - Kafe Kalik that is famous for its conch fritters and Bahamian foods
-La Carreta , serving their famous Cubano sandwich, with roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles.
•Albuquerque International Sunport-Garduno's Chile Packing Company and Cantina has mouthwatering green chiles, machaca enchiladas and honey-drenched sopapillas.
•Boston's Logan Airport has three Legal options -Legal's Test Kitchen for people on the go , Legal C Bar full menu plus beer bar and the traditional restaurant. Personal recommendations and all time favorites are the clam chowder and lobster sandwich.
•Charlotte-Douglas International Airport- Brookwood Farms BBQ that many claim is the best they've ever had.
• San Francisco features Boudin's Bakery known for its sourdough bread since 1849.
However, if food does become a point of contention and a reason for a meltdown, head on over to the nearest Macdonald's .
Casinos
Adult autistic globetrotters might be tempted to visit a casino, but this is not recommended since it might become a nasty addiction to extinguish later. If they insist on going in ,have them play the one cent or five cents slot machines for a while.
www.casinocity.com/nl/amsterdam/
Spas
This might be that golden opportunity to brush up on the basics of personal hygiene and appearance by giving your autistic globetrotter, a much needed hair cut or a mani-pedi combo, or get them to relax before the next flight with a body massage.
www.spafinder.com/spas/airport-spas
Get a room for the day
Saving the best for last, my ultimate favorite is getting a room for the day. This way everyone in the travel party can get what they want and need like showers, beds, TV , swimming pools and business centers with WiFi..For many autistic globetrotters a quiet place away from the airport bustle is a great way to regroup and relax. Many properties are either part of the airport complex, or adjacent but connected with walkways and tunnels, like the Hilton in Chicago O’Hare or Sheraton in Frankfurt. Search the links below for properties but contact the hotel directly and ask for day rates
http://www.airporthotelguide.com/
http://www.airporthotelsbest.com/