Get thee to the Games!

Don't be intimidated by the hype and the stories. If you want to go to the Olympic Games in London, England, next summer, YOU CAN DO IT. And I am here to tell you how. As I have said in this blog many times, my family has been an Olympic fan forever. It stems from my dad, Mr. USA, seriously…Before his house burned down, half his wardrobe was red, white and blue.

Our first Games were LA and everyone told my dad, "The traffic will be horrendous. You will never find tickets. Don't bring the kids, it will be so unsafe." So. Not. True. We found tickets. Many of them right outside the venue. And we drove to all the venues without worry…even parking right outside the LA Coliseum for Opening Ceremonies.

We hear the same thing before every Olympic Games. "Tickets are impossible to get. Hotels are ridiculously expensive. Who wants to deal with that?" If your kids are 8-15 years old, this is your opportunity. A trip to the Olympic Games will be the most unforgettable and amazing family adventure EVER. So here is how you do it…

1. Go online right now. Airline tickets have just opened up to get over to London. Investigate going earlier than the start of the Games. Maybe even flying into a neighboring country and taking a cheap Ryan Air flight in or the train. Get creative. 
2. Buy a few tickets for the sport you REALLY want to see. My dad did this for swimming. Other than that, pick up tickets to a few random events (not finals) that are cheap. You don't need to see an athlete win a medal to get catch the Olympic fever. Some of my favorite events were wrestling and boxing and water polo. Here’s a link from Team USA for U.S. ticket information. 
3. Get creative with housing. Do you know someone who know's someone who lives in London? Investigate a house swap. Check the train so you know some convenient locations to stay outside the city. (Last minute, there are always rooms so if you can be spontaneous…it can be advantageous.) 
4. Be prepared because once you have a ticket, you are IN. And you will likely be away from your hotel/flat all day. After you are in the circle of venues, you will want to soak up the action, from morning till night. Be ready to get caught up in the excitement! Here's more info from Visit London 
5. Be patriotic! I don't care what the world thinks of Americans, I love this country and it makes a difference to U.S. athletes to see red, white and blue and hear "GO USA!" So be proud and Wave your flag!