Judy Connors

Judy Connors is entering her 10th year as owner of Pack 'n Play Travel, a home-based agency specializing in customized European trip planning and spa and wellness travel. She has traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the United States and uses these experiences to "make every trip the perfect trip" for her clients. A seasoned publishing professional with experience writing and editing articles for magazines, newspapers and books, Judy combines her love of writing and travel in her everyday work.

Articles by Judy Connors

• Hidden treasures along the Jersey shore

  Tuesday, May 30, 2017

  ​Born and raised in Philadelphia, our "go-to" vacation place was always one of the New Jersey beach towns. Easily accessible from the city, the trek "down the shore" was always an adventure and something we planned for and looked forward to for months.

• Phoenix to Flagstaff: Sedona, red rocks and more

  Monday, February 27, 2017

  Known as the Valley of the Sun, Arizona feeds your soul with breathtaking and diverse scenery, sustains your body with an array of Mexican and Southwest cuisine, and soothes your weary muscles at an upscale spa after a day hiking. A road trip through Arizona is an eclectic drive that combines the ruggedness, luxury, serenity and activity of the old and new West.

• Pennsylvania’s national parks: Historic and natural treasures

  Monday, February 06, 2017

  The Christmas tree is down, the kids are back at school and the deep winter is upon us. It's still a couple months until warming temperatures bring us the growth signaling the beginning of spring. Between now and then, however, there are long holiday weekends that present the perfect opportunity to do some traveling. An economical, convenient, and interesting trip would be to visit one of Pennsylvania’s national, and natural, treasures.

• Celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary this year

  Friday, March 25, 2016

  The National Park Service is turning 100 this year and hosting a yearlong celebration where citizens are recipients of the gift of nature. On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the NPS. Today, there are more than 400 national parks in the U.S., and each tells an important part of the American story.

• Another first for Philadelphia: Only UNESCO World Heritage City in US

  Monday, November 23, 2015

  ​Long gone are the days when Philadelphia had to endure the criticism and denigration of pundits around the country. With a restaurant and cultural renaissance in the Quaker City over the past decade, the building of the Jewish History Museum and the nearly-finished American History Museum, as well as the historic visit of Pope Francis this past September, Philadelphia is making its mark on the global map.

• Tick tock goes the holiday planning clock

  Friday, November 20, 2015

  The clock is ticking — it's time to finalize holiday travel plans. We are already seeing crowded roads, long airport lines and sky-high flight and hotel rates, both with limited availability. Add in winter weather advisories and tightened security, and the average holiday travelers' anxiety and frustration level will soar.

• Flexibility is the key to late holiday travel planning

  Thursday, November 12, 2015

  ​Procrastinators beware: Booking holiday travel now will be more difficult than if you had locked in your holiday travel plans when rates were at their lowest and availability at its highest earlier this fall. However, the good news is that if you can be flexible in destination as well as travel dates and times, you can put the Ho-Ho-Ho back in what could have been a Ho-Hum holiday.

• Road trip: Beaching it in Southern California

  Monday, October 05, 2015

  If you have driven the Pacific Coast Highway 1 (PCH) from San Francisco to Los Angeles, you have seen some of the most jarring and magnificent scenery this county has to offer. Continual twists and turns on the narrow, cliff-side drive overlooking steep drops to the ocean are a visual reminder of the power of nature.

• California Missions Trail traces Golden State’s history and growth

  Monday, September 14, 2015

  ​When we imagine California, we think sunshine, celebrity and surf. Major metropolises like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego are top visitors spots when traveling to the Golden State, and the excitement and energy of these cities is palpable with the glitz and glamour associated with our 31st state.

• ‘Bel paese’ welcomes you

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

  Italy — just the name evokes images of romance, priceless monuments and artwork, ancient Roman ruins, beautiful beaches and exotic canals. Often referred to as "Bel paese," or beautiful country in Italian, Italy features lengthy Mediterranean coastline as well as Alpine mountains and lakes. But the scenery, while uniquely breathtaking, is not the only reason almost 50 million tourists visit Italy annually, bringing in revenues of more than $152 billion just in the past year.

• Paris awaits — and the timing is perfect

  Thursday, May 28, 2015

  With more than 2,000 years of history, Paris is renowned for its romantic charm. Located along the Seine in the center of the Ile-de-France region, it is a beautiful location for visitors worldwide. For Americans, it is among the top travel destinations in Europe — especially this year, with the dollar-euro exchange the best in 12 years.

• Dollar’s value makes Germany a great travel bargain this summer

  Thursday, April 23, 2015

  With the U.S. dollar being almost at parity with the euro for the first time in 12 years, traveling overseas for Americans is the best vacation bargain this summer. The top three European destinations based on the devaluation of the euro against the dollar are Italy, France and Germany, followed by the traditionally popular England and Ireland. Germany, however, appears to be the best value for Americans this summer, allowing U.S. citizens to travel for almost 30 percent less than this time last year.

• Take a hike on the spiritual side in Sedona

  Thursday, April 16, 2015

  ​I have recently learned the calming effects of meditation and yoga, and this discovery has awakened in me a need for more — more ways to facilitate inner peacefulness and outward physical energy. That is why, during recent travel to Arizona, I made a visit to Sedona the cornerstone of my trip.

• What makes Sedona such a popular tourist attraction?

  Wednesday, April 01, 2015

  Recently voted as one of the "10 most sacred spots on Earth," and dubbed by Good Morning America as "the most beautiful place in America," Sedona, Arizona, attracts more than 4.5 million visitors per year. To longtime inhabitants who know well the history of Native American tribes who journeyed to Sedona for spiritual healing and to host sacred ceremonies, neither of these accolades come as a surprise.

• Score a first-class airline seat for less

  Friday, March 27, 2015

  On a recent flight from Phoenix to Denver, I was surprised when the US Airways desk announced that upgrades to a first-class seat were available for only $200 on my flight. Were I going a longer distance, you can bet I would have jumped over the counter to get one of those premium seats.

• Planning a spa getaway: Making the most of your visit

  Thursday, March 12, 2015

  ​Once you've made the decision to invest in a spa experience, it is important to know the ins and outs of spas. So, what should you expect from a spa experience? Your comfort, your goals and your ability to relax are core to an enjoyable and positive spa visit.

• Planning a spa getaway: Choosing the right place

  Friday, March 06, 2015

  My first spa group trip was more than 10 years ago. Billed as a "girlfriend's getaway" weekend, we went to a high-end hotel that offered a luxurious spa services. Within a week of advertising, my group quickly grew to more than 20 anxious women, ready to get away in the dead of winter with their confidants for a weekend of massage, manis/pedis, conversation and cocktails over a gourmet dinner. The final day was dedicated to local outlet shopping. Success!

• How does Expedia’s shopping spree affect the travel industry?

  Wednesday, February 18, 2015

  Expedia, the online travel booking company that purchased Travelocity earlier this month, announced last week it will now acquire Orbitz in its quest to dominate the online travel business. Orbitz has undergone several changes since being founded in 2001 by several major airlines. Acquisitions by conglomerate Cendant and then Travelport preceded the company going public in 2007, and analysts had predicted that Orbitz was ripe for a sale given its small scale compared with competitors such as Expedia and Priceline.

• Expedia, Travelocity, Sabre and consumers all win in acquisition

  Monday, January 26, 2015

  On Jan. 23, nearly two years after the companies forged a marketing and technology partnership, Expedia announced that it had acquired Travelocity for a purchase price of $280 million in cash. Travelocity, a travel-booking site owned by Sabre Corporation, was created in 1996 and was the first site to enable consumers to book airline flights online.

• New Cuba travel guidelines raise questions and concerns

  Wednesday, January 21, 2015

  On Jan. 16, new rules went into effect to ease travel and trade restrictions against Cuba, making it less cumbersome for Americans to travel there. Amid much political posturing, President Barack Obama used executive authority to implement this policy change without the Congress' involvement.

• 2015 travel: Convenient and affordable

  Friday, January 09, 2015

  2014 was a good year for travel agents with an average of 18 percent more travelers using the services of traditional travel agents than in the previous two years. And that trend looks like it will continue.

• Tips for traveling with pets during the holiday season

  Monday, December 01, 2014

  We have all seen the adorable pictures. Energetic Fido is sleeping beneath the Christmas tree amid a flurry of beautiful unwrapped gifts he has just destroyed. Or sweet Tabby is wrapped in Christmas tree lights, still blinking, from her adventure up that same Christmas tree.

• Despite travel restrictions, Americans can still visit Cuba

  Friday, November 14, 2014

  When Beyonce and Jay-Z visited Cuba in April 2013 around the time of their fifth wedding anniversary, a national conversation about the U.S. government's travel embargo to Cuba was reignited.

• Keep an open mind — Adventure awaits

  Friday, October 24, 2014

  In April of 2006, my husband and I took a cruise to Bermuda that docked at St. George. We had been to Bermuda many times before and were looking for something different to do while on the island, only to discover onshore that it was a national holiday celebrating the day in 1816 when Bermuda's capital moved to Hamilton from St. George.

• The ABCs of ‘EZ’ group travel

  Thursday, October 02, 2014

  When I first entered the travel-planning business, I was fortunate enough to quickly secure a group of senior citizens interested in taking a cruise. It seemed like an easy trip to plan. They wanted to leave from a local port and to have the same category staterooms and the same dining time. Lather, rinse, repeat — right? I could not have been more wrong.

• Sweet dreams: Traveling with a CPAP machine

  Friday, September 12, 2014

  Sleeping well on vacation is key to a great trip. If that doesn't happen, the restorative vacation you have planned and saved for could be in jeopardy. For the 18 million-plus Americans suffering from sleep apnea and treated with a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP), traveling with this critical sleeping device need not turn your dream trip into a nightmare. With proper planning, a good night's sleep is only a flight away.