It’s Travel Tip Tuesday! Travel is awesome, don’t you think? There’s almost nothing I’d rather be doing than traveling the great big world. But as with all wonderful things, sometimes it doesn’t turn out exactly as you think. On a recent trip to San Francisco, my husband and I couldn’t seem to catch a break. Here’s the rundown:

• San Francisco’s predictable climate went from 50s and 60s to the 80s that weekend
• It was Fleet Week AND a holiday weekend
• There was an air show both days we were there
• Many of my pictures from the weekend are streaked with jet smoke
• There were so many people that the lines for many of the popular attractions were hours long (including Ghirardelli Square–no big sundae for us!)
• They ran out of bottled water at Starbucks, and the wait for a mobile order was 20 minutes (which was way better than an hour and a half wait or more!)
• The Cable Cars weren’t running either day we were there from 1:00pm to 8:00pm

Here are some helpful tips for anyone else who might need to make the most of a trip that doesn’t quite start out the way you hope.

Golden Gate in the distance, jet streaks in the foreground

Crowds! Delays! Lines!

Preventative Measures:

 1. Do a quick Internet search for events at your destination for the dates you’ll be there. If we had searched for “San Francisco events 2016 October 8-10” we could have planned a little better. Maybe we would have rented a car and driven to the Redwood Forest, or perhaps we could have just mentally prepared ourselves for long lines and big crowds. It’s always better to know!

2. Bring plenty of water. Even if you don’t often get thirsty, bring a full bottle of water with you. My husband never gets thirsty, but 85 degrees walking around on huge hills does make one thirsty, and if it makes you thirsty, it’s probably making the masses thirsty, too! Better to be hydrated than to wait in line for a beverage!

3. Practice flexibility! No, I don’t mean do some yoga on the plane. Just have a great attitude no matter what. Be ready to laugh at whatever situations may come, and be willing and prepared to change your plans! How to be a flexible traveler? Adopt these 5 habits.

4. Check the forecast, but bring a backup. California has some of the most constant and predictable climates in the nation, but fall and spring in particular can be finicky no matter where you go. Should have packed a dress for that 85 degree day!

The Heat of the Moment

1. Laugh about it first. Seriously! Instead of getting frustrated right off the bat, release some endorphins and laugh first thing. You can handle things more easily if you can laugh about them sooner rather than later!

2. Be flexible. If you took the preventative measures above, you practiced your flexibility already. Now it’s time to be flexible! Too much noise and too many people down by the water? Find your way inland a bit to find something else to do. Switch your plans around a little bit and get excited to be where you are!

 3.  If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! We didn’t plan for an air show, but it sure was impressive to watch–and we could see it from practically anywhere! Whatever is drawing the crowds is probably worthwhile. Find out what’s so great and find a way to enjoy it, even if it’s not exactly your thing. Make an effort to enjoy yourself and you might just be surprised when you DO enjoy yourself!

What do you do when things don’t quite go your way? Stomp and scream like a two year old? Make the most of it? Pout and then go on with your trip? Would you add anything to this list? Comment below!