It’s summer. Whether you’re staying home or traveling a long distance for vacation, there’s no better time for an adventure. And, although my children will be embarrassed by my show-and-tell, I’m here to encourage you to do it.
Sorry, kids.
I’m as averse to unsolicited parenting advice as the next dad. But when the advice comes from the road — which is to say, the lessons learned from more than two years of nonstop travel — it feels a little different.
The road, an inanimate thing, won’t get its feelings hurt if I reject its lessons. Instead, I’ll just have to learn them for myself each time I travel.
If you can answer “yes” to the eternal question, “Are we there yet?” then you probably need a survival manual for the first day of vacation. The 24 hours after you arrive are among the busiest and most stressful — the unpacking and settling in, the arguing, and the inevitable chaos.
Kids do the darndest things on vacation. Their antics include dangling off cliffs in Utah, immersing themselves to the icy waves of the Gulf of Alaska, and braving some of the world’s most hazardous roads in Africa. I know because that’s what my children have done — and it scared the living daylights out of me.
Staying home may not be your idea of a vacation, but more people are reportedly considering a “staycation” this year than any time since the Great Recession.To which I say: Go for it! Staying home can teach you so much about having a better vacation.
Our return to Paris was all but a sure thing. We had our passports. We’d spent weeks brushing up our French in Duolingo. We were even arguing about the best apartments on HomeAway.And then life happened.It wasn’t one thing that sunk our summer plans in Paris. Instead, it was a lot of little things, including some paperwork issues, school schedules and, of course, the funds. In the end, it’s always about money, isn’t it?
Hey, can you keep a secret? It’s free museum day. That’s how you save a few bucks while you’re on vacation, and maybe even see another side of your destination.
You’ve probably read one or two travel stories that advise you to become a vacation contrarian. By zigging when everyone else zags, you can save money and avoid crowds, they claim. But that could be a serious vacation mistake.I know because I’ve taken that advice.
If you’ve ever lost someone on vacation, you probably know it’s disruptive, if not disappointing. And by “lost” I don’t mean you can’t find junior at the beach. I’m talking about losing a member of your party for days — or longer — to sickness or injury.
My kids are pet magnets when we’re on the road. They’re constantly adopting dogs and cats and other animals we encounter in our vacation rentals.
