You hear it calling you – Florida. It’s one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the United States, but did you know that even in this travelers’ mecca there are some bizarre laws on the books?

A few of the more notable headshakers are listed below, courtesy of the researchers at GuestQuest. Enjoy!

• When you’re at your Florida vacation condo or other Florida lodging, you may be tempted to get a hair trim and color. But watch out if you’re put under the hair dryer! Women who fall asleep while their tresses are being heated can be fined. (The salon owner can be fined, too!)

• Please don’t bring your elephant along to your Florida family vacation destination. Really, he’ll just cause trouble. See, if you leave Dumbo tied to a parking meter, you’ll be required to pay the parking fee. [...]

So you’re looking for the best family vacation spot for you and your hubby and kids. And you’ve heard over and over again that Delaware is the place to visit.

Guess what? You’ve been well-informed! Delaware may be small, but it’s been a huge vacation family destination for many generations. In fact, there are plenty of people who wouldn’t feel right if they didn’t head to the state at least once every year.

Still, like our previous post on Alabama, if you’re dead-set on Delaware, it behooves you to know about some of the more bizarre laws on the books. After all, you wouldn’t want your stay at any of the fine Delaware condominiums or Delaware resorts to be marred by a faux pas!

• Does your Uncle Lester continuously dare people to get married? If so, perhaps it’s best to leave him [...]

So, you’re planning your 2008 family vacation destination and you’re perusing the travel guides for Alabama condos, Alabama resorts, and Alabama hotels. Smart idea! Alabama is a state rich in history with incredible topography!

However, like all states, Alabama has some wacky laws you might want to know about before you hop on that plane or jump in the minivan:

• Like to bear wrestle? Well, sorry… but Alabama law prohibits it. So if you wrestle Smokey to the ground, you’ll be in violation of unlawful bear exploitation, subject to penalties. (Fortunately, most Alabama family vacation destinations are bear-free, so the temptation to “rassle” will be minimized!)

• Planning to spend a day leisurely playing dominoes at one of Alabama’s fine resorts? Better make sure it’s on a weekday or Saturday, because dominoes is one of the many acts [...]

Shhh… there’s a huge secret that entrepreneurs have known for quite some time: Business trips and family holidays can mix!

However, it’s important to know where to draw the line during your trip so you can experience the best family vacation possible without jeopardizing yourself from a career standpoint.

First, understand that if you’re commingling business and pleasure, it’s critical to delineate which is which.

This means if you’re heading to a nice beach to have drinks with a potential client, your loved ones should probably be sightseeing or hanging out at your Florida vacation condo, not tagging along. Likewise, if your Michigan family vacation has business overtones, make sure you aren’t crossing any boundaries. (In other words, keep the kids far from the customers unless and until they invite them to join you!)

Next, make sure that your travel companions understand that you won’t be [...]

You spend tons of time racking up those frequent flyer miles, but are they really doing you any good just sitting there, figuratively collecting dust?

If you have plenty of such miles, and you doubt you’ll be able to use them before their expiration dates, why not give them to a loved one so he or she can have the best family vacation imaginable?

Transferring frequent flyer miles isn’t unheard of; in fact, people do it all the time. However, it’s always best to contact the miles provider to figure out the easiest way for you to give some (or all) of yours away.

Often, you’ll have to purchase the tickets yourself, which will require you to talk with your gift recipient (rather than simply surprising him or her) to make sure you know where he or she wants to go.

Grease the wheels by casually handing [...]

Homework… ugggh, right?

Most people recoil at the thought of researching anything, but when it comes to planning your best family vacations, it’s an essential element.

And, best of all, it can honestly be enjoyable!

You see, what most people forget is that half (at least) of the excitement of a family vacation is in working through all the details. Sure, it can be time-consuming, but as long as you’re doing it together, it can also be a wonderful time spent as a family.

Here are some great ways to get you started to making your family vacation homework a blast!

1. Give Everyone Something to Do!

Even little ones can help plan the next family vacation getaway by looking through vacation guides and travel magazines. If they can’t read yet, they can at least point to pictures of beaches, forests, snow-capped mountains, anything that catches [...]

Do you have a pile of vacation guides or travel magazines just sitting around your house?

Don’t pitch ’em! Instead, let us tell you how you can reuse them in clever and practical ways!

1. Turn Them into Wrapping Paper

Chances are, you’re going to need some wrapping paper this holiday season… and travel magazine inserts (maps, pull-outs, et cetera) make awesome wraps for gifts! In fact, the vacation guide glossy pages are loads stronger than some of the wrapping paper found in stores!

2. Shred ‘Em

Have a shredder at home? Then remove the staples (if applicable) from your travel magazines and shred away! Use the shredded pages for packing or to line the bottom of your furry friend’s litter box.

3. Let Kids Create Collages

The photography in travel mags is typically outstanding… so why pitch it when your kids can use their safety [...]