Day tripping it
I have been procrastinating writing this blog post. It is not the subject, Travel. I love to travel! In the past two years, traveling has changed. We are weary of taking a plane, staying in a big hotel, or even eating indoors at a restaurant. We are driving places, booking Air BNBs and homes on VRBO, and cooking our own meals. Day trips are pandemic-friendly in that you return to your own bed, can pack a picnic lunch, and explore a nearby town/city. “Planning family day trips can be a great way to create family memories and reconnect. These tips for planning a day trip will help you shake up your routine and feel like you are on vacation, even for a day.” — Leah, Five for the Road
So how does one plan a family-friendly day trip? First, get ideas from your entire family on the kind of trip they would like. One family member may be into history, another into art and another a gamer. Once you have these ideas, start to research places. Then present a few places to your family and let them vote (which ever location gets the most votes, wins). Then select a date. If it requires an early morning rise, warn them so they are prepared. My teenager isn’t a morning person, so a 7AM wake-up on a Saturday would be viewed as cruel (even with warning).
Here are some other tips to keep in mind…
1. Before you begin to plan think about budget, the needs of family members (naps for little ones, rest for older ones, and down time for the rest)
2. Research your restaurant options ahead of time or parks if you plan to picnic
3. Note if you need to buy tickets and/or tickets are timed
4. Account for how long it will take to get there and how long back (also, is there anything to see on the way there or back?)
5. Make it fun, but not over scheduled
6. Check the weather and reschedule if needed
7. Set guidelines about device use (especially with teenagers)
My last blog post was on trying something new. What if your day trip was to go hiking with a guide? Or a cooking class at a farm? Or an art class at a museum? You can use the day trip to get out of your comfort zone. Over twenty years ago on a weekend in Maine, I convinced my mother to go rock climbing with a guide in Acadia National Park. At the bottom of the rock, she asked, “What made you think I would do this?” I told her nothing, I wanted to do it (as I had done it a few times before) and thought she might like it. We still talk about this experience and how much fun we had.
And at the end of the day, have each family member talk about what they liked from the trip. You can even take all those cell phone photos and create a collage to remind the family of all the fun they had.