Ellis and his wife, Hope

When is the best time to book flights?

I have often found that the best time to book a flight is as soon as I know I’m definitely going. Get in before the planes get full, because as the planes fill up, they tend to raise the prices. I will also check the price several times during the course of a day because prices tend to fluctuate. I’ve found that the best time to look is normally in the middle of the night. Somewhere between 1am and 7am seems to be the lowest prices most often. So, it might be worth checking because normally planes will let reservations go around midnight, which opens some seats up and may save you a few bucks.

Any tips for travelers trying to make the most of their budget during spring break?

Sadly, spring break is one of the most expensive times to travel because they all know that your kids only have a limited time to travel and spring break is one of those times. Prices tend to get jacked up. So, if you’re going to try to do spring break, try to go places that most people don’t think of going, things that are less popular. Everyone is thinking about going to Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Maybe you could go some place else, like Crystal River or anywhere that you don’t think about at first. Those places will normally be less busy and you’ll have a shot at saving some money.

How can you pack light for your trip?

With as much as they are charging these days to check a bag, I don’t check one anymore. I only take what I carry on the plane. So, I examine every single item I bring, and the question I ask myself is not, “Will I use this at my destination?” But “Will I use it enough to justify bringing it?”

If I’m going away on a seven day trip, I’ll bring enough clothing for about four days. And I will just wash it halfway through the trip. Even if I have to just wash it in the sink in the hotel room, I’ll do that just so I can pack as light as I possibly can. And also remember, you don’t have to bring everything. Unless you’re going on a trip in the backwoods somewhere, there’s going to be a store where you can buy anything you end up needing.

What are some of your favorite staycation ideas for Central Florida?

One of the great things about living here is that there’s always a beach nearby. So, when I plan a vacation, I’ll do one of two things. First, I’ll do a beach getaway…maybe Daytona or Melbourne, or sometimes driving over to the west coast and going to Indian Rocks Beach or Clearwater. The other thing I love to do for a staycation is go camping. One of my favorite places is a place on the southern tip of St. Petersburg. It’s called Fort De Soto Park. There’s lots of campgrounds, and if you can get one, they even have campsites right next to the water! It’s just so chill. If you want to fish, you can do that right from your campsite.

How can you support local businesses when traveling?

Oh, I love this question! I often go out of my way to try to find local businesses in order to help them but also because you just get a more authentic travel experience with the mom and pops than you do with the big corporate restaurants and businesses.

Let’s say you’re on a cruise, many times, you’ll find the big corporate places all around the port. So, I will try to walk away from the port, maybe see if I can go three to five blocks away and just find little restaurants and little mom and pop shops and try to eat or shop at those places. This will give you a much more local experience. Just walk a little bit, because all the big corporate places will be the first thing you see.

What is your go-to vacation activity?

I think I’ve changed over the years. For so long, my go-to vacation idea was going some place to see how people live and see the differences between their lives and mine. It gives you a better perspective of the world. But here of late, I think my go-to vacation activity has been cruising. There’s something really cool about jumping on a cruise ship and letting someone else cook for you, clean your room, and take care of you. And here in Florida, we’ve got so choices of ships and so many ports we can leave from, so these days, that’s my go-to.

Do you have any tips for making the most of your trip with a time limit?

I would say, do your homework! One thing that’s great about the internet is that you can easily learn about an area from people who live there and people who have been there. There’s lots of websites you can go to and even Facebook Groups that will help you learn about an area. Also, take the time to watch videos on YouTube about your destination. You’ll get tips from those who know and those who have been. By knowing what you want to do when you get there, you’ll take yourself out of the position of getting there and wasting time trying to decide what to do.

How can families save money on meals and dining out while on vacation?

I love this! This is really one of my favorite tips. Go to the supermarket. First of all, if you can buy some food that you can make in your hotel room or wherever you’re staying, you can save a lot of money. But, something else you can do at many supermarkets is buy prepared foods. So sometimes I’ll just buy some prepared foods, find a nearby park, and then just have a nice picnic. It’s a great experience, and it’s a chance to try to some local food while not breaking the bank.

Do you have any advice for avoiding the crowds during spring break?

Yes, I do! Go where people aren’t going. Everybody picks the same great vacation spots. So, what you may want to do is find a place that’s in offseason and isn’t as popular. Find a small town that looks like it’s got some small town charm or maybe just a quiet beach town where there’s not a lot going on. Try going there! While everyone else is going to south Florida, maybe you can go up to South Carolina, find a special place, and avoid the crowds!

Do you think travel insurance is ever worth the cost?

Yes! If you’re traveling with someone who is maybe a little bit older who could end up being sick or have some reason they might not make the trip, it might be a good idea to have travel insurance to cover that person or even the whole trip to make sure nothing goes wrong. Or, if you’re traveling at a time when things could go wrong, like we have here in Florida with Hurricane Season, it might be a good idea just to have that insurance to be safe. But if you’re younger and healthy and you’re going to a place where you’re sure there won’t be a problem, then you may not need it. It really depends on your situation.

What would you suggest for families just looking to do a day trip during spring break?

This goes back to what I said before, try to go some place where people aren’t going. The theme parks are going to be packed. The beaches will be busy. So, try to find some place that people aren’t really talking about…maybe a nearby town you haven’t explored or a beach that isn’t as popular. Try to go to places people aren’t going so you can avoid the crowds. That said, it can be really difficult to avoid the crowds during spring break.

Where was your favorite spring break destination?

You wanna know the truth? I don’t have one. That’s because I go out of my way not to travel during spring break. Now, this is easy for me because my kids are around 40 years old so I can pull this off. I try to go before spring break or after so I can avoid the crowds and get better pricing because that’s when people aren’t traveling.

Are there any hidden gems or lesser-known attractions around town that would suggest?

Finding lesser-known attractions is a great way to try to avoid some of the spring break crowds. Here are a few of my favorites in central Florida.

• Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales
• Safari Wilderness in Lakeland
• Silver Springs State Park in Silver Springs
• Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka
• Exotic Animal Experience in Orlando
• Renninger’s Flea Market & Antique Center in Mount Dora