Sometimes beating the winter blues requires an exit strategy from your everyday life. Whether you’re going over the river and through the woods to visit grandma, or boarding a plane to escape to somewhere new, I’ve got 5 tips to keep winter travel easy, affordable and enjoyable for everyone.

Seek Off Season Savings. Many airlines, hotels, and resorts offer reduced fares and rates during the winter season. And unless you enjoy crowded spaces, off season travel can be much more enjoyable and relaxing. Do a little bit of research on the Internet to find out where the best deals are at any given time, and go for it. You can also sign up for airfare deal alerts, and use discount travel sites to score great prices on hotels and rental cars.

Stock the Car. Keep blankets, water bottles, and cell phone chargers stocked in the car all winter long, but especially before taking a road trip. Being stranded in the car for a few hours in traffic or because of a flat tire is no fun, but you can avoid danger by having these staples on hand. Keep warm, keep hydrated, and keep connected to help at all times with a little preparation.

Wear and Wear Again. Bulkier winter clothing doesn’t have to equate to more baggage. Sweaters and sweatshirts can be worn twice or three times before washing and pants can easily be worn three or four times. This means that you can pack 2/3 less clothing for a week-long trip, which makes for a very light bag! Pack neutral-colored sweaters and pants, then use accessories like scarves and jewelry to keep your look updated and fresh each day.

Explore the Great Indoors. Take advantage of great indoor options like museums, theatrical performances, expos, and factory tours in the city you’re visiting. Off season travel might force you to dig deeper for some entertainment, but I’ve found that it pays off. You get non-touristy experiences, with no crowds, and usually for a great price. (Our Mrs. Fields factory tours are free, so keep us in mind if you’re ever in Salt Lake City.)

Gotta Get the Apps. Modern technology is making travel easier and easier. Check the status of your flights, avoid unnecessary traffic, and find the best spots to eat with great ( free!) apps for your phone or tablet.

Those are my best tips. What are yours? Share your winter travel ideas in the comments section!

(Image via Pinterest.)

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Watch the video of Matthew’s pitch here! (Was that a strike?)

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If you are going to be in the Salt Lake City area this summer and looking for ways to keep the kids entertained and educated, schedule a FREE tour of our amazing factory and find out exactly how our world-famous cookies and brownies are baked to perfection and delivered fresh to as many as 35,000 doorsteps in a single day! (Wow! That number still impresses me!)

Our guided tour will take you through the entire production of our gourmet gifts—from dough to hand-tied bows, to boxed up and ready to go! The sights will amaze you. The smells will make you deliriously happy. The freshly baked cookies and outlet merchandise will have you coming back for more. Our tours are ideal for Girl or Boy Scout troops, youth groups, adult groups, moms and kids, girlfriends groups, and anybody who loves delicious cookies and brownies. (So, basically everybody, right?)

Here are the details:

• Mrs. Fields Factory is located at 17i7 South 4800 West in Salt Lake City, Utah. (See map.)
• Guided tours last 30 minutes, but allow extra time for shopping in the outlet store.
• Tours are available Monday – Thursday, from 9:00 – 11:00 AM, and from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. (Major holidays excluded)
• Schedule a tour online, or call 801-412-8727.
• For groups of 15 or more, please call 801-412-8727.
• Open-toed shoes, flip-flops, and “wheeled” shoes are prohibited on the tour.
• More information and guidelines to review.

Trust me, it’s the sweetest tour in town.

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You know what they say, the rest is history.

If you’re in Oakland, you can revisit the past with us this weekend at Saturday’s A’s game. We’re turning back the clock with the Oakland A’s on June 26th, serving up our famous cookies at the umpires meeting at home plate for old time’s sake. We’re also surprising a lucky section of fans with free cookies. That’s what we call a guaranteed win.

If you’re in the Oakland area, we hope to see you there!

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(photo courtesy of No Biggie)

We enjoyed a delicious lunch and then took them on a tour of our 158,000 square foot bakery and gifting facility. Most people only think of Mrs. Fields as a store in the mall, but we have so much more to offer to those who love our decadent cookies and brownies.

We bake, package, and ship thousands of gourmet cookie and brownie gifts each day from this facility. Everything is done in-house to ensure freshness. Cassie led an incredible, 30-minute tour, showing off our behind-the-scenes baking braun! Take a look (no hairnet required).

A big thank you to the bloggers in attendance:

Vanessa from I Never Grew Up
Amy from 52 Fun Saturdays
Allison from Petit Elefant
Jen from Tatertots & Jello
Susan from Freshly Picked
Kami from No Biggie
Rachel from Today’s Mama
Hannah from Sherbet Blossom
Marie from Make and Takes
Melissa from I Still Love You
Tiffany from The Would-Be Writers Guild

If you’re ever visiting Salt Lake City, it’s worth your time to come and tour our amazing factory and gifting facility. It’s perfect for young and old alike, and we can accommodate groups of any size.  Schedule a tour here.

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Everywhere you turn, you feel as if you’ve wandered into a beautiful painting. The gardeners and landscape designers (a good portion of which are volunteer) do an amazing job. The landscape is at times perfectly tailored, and other times it celebrates the beauty of the natural landscape.

Once the country home and personal gardens of Pierre du Pont, the 1050 acres, 20 indoor gardens and 20 outdoor gardens are now beautifully preserved and open to the public. There isn’t a time of year that it isn’t worth visiting (the holiday displays are amazing), but those tulips put on quite a show!

Find more information, including hours and ticket prices here.

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