Tips For Planning A Family Vacation

It’ summertime! My favorite time of year. Why? Because the weather is wonderful. The kids are out of school. And we take our family vacation. I know this year is tough due to the insane gas prices, but if at all possible you should try and get away! It is good for the mind and soul. And if you have kids, you will create long lasting memories. So let the good times roll!

PICK A PLACE

For years I have been choosing the vacation spots. I usually decide on where we are going based on the following:

• What we can afford this year.
• Where the kids have talked about going.
• Places I have heard about or seen in magazines, TV, etc.

PLANNING

I put alot into the planning stage. It makes things go so much smoother and avoids a lot of stress. Here are some of the things I do to prepare for the trip:

Use the Internet:

• I use search engines to find things to do, places to go and local restaurants.
• I use google maps to plan how long it takes to get from point A to point B.
• I always book my own travel plans on Travelocity.com
• I visit AAA: Here you will find free road maps, Travel Guides and advice. I usually do this several months in advance. The Travel Guides are an excellent source of information on hotels,restaurants and attractions.
• I visit a bookstore: I usually buy a book on wherever we have chosen to go. I read up on it.
• I try to catch specials on the Travel Channel and the like.

MAKING IT FUN

Our family has a long standing tradition of making a game of guessing where we are going. I know, I sound like a goofball, but we always had a blast. The kids would both ask a question about where we are going each night at dinner. I would answer yes or no. Are we driving? Are we flying? Is it hot? Is it cold? We would do this each night until they narrowed down where we are going. If no one got it after several days, they would barrage me with questions until someone guessed it.

FIND SOME GREAT LOCAL RESTAURANTS

We always try to find some hidden hot spots when traveling. We try to avoid chains. I figure I can eat at Applebees anytime. I do this three ways:

• I find some highly rated restaurants in the AAA guides
• I use Where the Locals Eat: A Guide to the Best Restaurants in America
• I ask locals something like “I’m from out of town, where would you recommend eating dinner tonight”, “Where would you eat and I don’t mean Don Pueblos.” Seriously, I have found some of the best restaurants in America that way! One time we were in Sault Sainte Marie, MI and I asked a woman on a open topped tour bus where she was going to eat tonight. She told me “Antlers” and it was one of the most unique and awesome places we have ever been. And guess what, four years later, we ate there again.

WHAT TO DO

I always plan a mixed bag of places to visit. Here are some examples:

• Zoo’s
• National Parks – Zion, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon
• Natural Wonders – Grand Canyon, Natural Bridge, Niagara Falls
• Amusement Parks – Disney, Busch Gardens, Sea World
• Historical Sites – Including forts, historic homes, re-enactment sites
• Other parks
• Beaches

IDEAS ON WHERE TO GO

Well this depends on many factors including your kids ages, finances and geography. Here are some of our favorite trips we have enjoyed with kids 7 to 18:

• Anywhere in Arizona, including Tuscon, South Rim Grand Canyon, Hoover Damn
• Anywhere in Utah, including Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Badlands
• Las Vegas: We have done day trips including Death Valley, West Rim Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire & Red Rock Canyon
• Massachusetts: Boston, Plymouth, Salem & Cape Code
• Pennsylvania: Lancaster (Amish Country), Hersey World, Philadelphia
• New York: Niagara Falls, NY City
• Michigan: Mackinac Island, Frankenmuth, Upper Peninsula
• Virginia: Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Blue Ridge Mountains
• Tennessee: Great Smokey Mountains
• South Carolina: Charleston
• Georgia: Atlanta, Coca Cola World, Aquarium, Zoo
• Florida: Orlando, Disney World
• A great trip, Washington DC – If it is feasible for you to take a trip to DC, I would highly recommend it. Most of the attractions are free. The National Zoo, which is up there with the San Diego Zoo is FREE. All of the monuments, Washington, Jefferson & Lincoln, all free. And so are all of the museums. You will easily be busy for an entire week. Fun, educational and free, can’t beat that!

I know there are many other wonderful places to visit, I just wanted to get things going with a short list of places I could recommend. I hope this has given you some ideas. I plan on elaborating in future posts about some of these destinations. Family vacations are a great way to spend some quality time together and you will be sure to create some fond memories.

Pictured above: The West Rim of the Grand Canyon

SOME VACATION PHOTOS:

The River House, Nuese River, North Carolina

Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan

Death Valley, California

Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Tagged as: AAA • grand canyon • summertime • vacation • vacation planning