Lexington, KY - We have piled in the car more than a few times, ready for a family trip together, to get no farther than New Circle Road before the bickering, chaos and frustration begins. At that point it seems easier to just turn the car around and call it a day. Fortunately, with a little planning, patience and a good outlook, family outings can easily move from disastrous to memorable.
Meet everyone's needs
Family outings too often revolve around activities that will keep the kids entertained and happy. Amusement parks and children's museums are obviously going to excite the young ones, but leave parents dreading the crowds, cost and meltdowns that ensue with an overly stimulating environment.
So how do you bridge the gap between a day of golf for dad and a trip to the children's museum for the kids? Hiking trails, art museums, ballgames and festivals are just a few activities that are kid-friendly and equally as enjoyable for parents. Be sure to include everyone in on decision making and explain to your kids the importance of time together as a family, and that no matter what activity or trip is planned, everyone is bound to have a great time with the right outlook.
The next time you are at a gas station or rest area off the interstate, pick up a few free travel brochures (usually on a wall near the restrooms). We keep a folder in our office filled with everything from dinosaur park brochures to hall of fame museum guides -
all within a short drive of our house. When we are looking for a fun weekend activity, we always have plenty of unique places to choose from.
Have plans, not an agenda
Wandering aimlessly through the Bluegrass countryside has the air of adventure, but more often than not, it is likely to turn into a scene from a "National Lampoon's Vacation" movie. Whether you are taking a day trip to the Kentucky Horse Park or loading up for a week-long vacation to Florida, remember these two rules: 1. Have a plan. 2. Be willing to break it.
Making a plan will definitely help avoid the "I don't know, what do you want to do?" arguments. With that said, be sure to steer clear of minute by minute itineraries and be flexible enough to allow adjustment and spontaneity that may lead to a different itinerary all together. Neither child nor adult wants to be herded around a city listening to history lessons on every landmark you have researched on Wikipedia. Nor do they want to have an impromptu game of skipping rocks at the lakefront cut short so you can stay on schedule for the next dictated activity. The balance between having a plan and keeping a set agenda is the key to a great family trip.
Sanity
Road trips can take a downhill turn fast when stomachs are empty, throats are dry and nature calls. Most kids seem to have their radar set to locate those famous golden arches and I don't know about you, but my husband keeps his sights fixed for the nearest Starbucks at all times. These pit stops can quickly put an unnecessary dent in your travel budget and extend the length of the trip exponentially. Instead of stopping every hour, take time to pack plenty of healthy snacks. Avoid candy, soda and chips that will only increase the antsy nature of kids and opt instead for fruit, low sugar granola bars, sandwiches and bottled water.
This next tip may seem to contradict the very essence of sanity, but I strongly suggest leaving the iPods, portable DVD players and handheld games at home (or at least tucked away in the trunk). Many kids are so used to watching movies in the car that they are unaware of what is beyond the glass beside them. Surely you can remember riding in the family car as a child, reading the numbers and letters of each license plate that came along or trying mightily to get the truck driver to honk his horn as you passed by. Giving your children a chance to watch the landscape sweep along as you drive down the highway is a small gift. It is an opportunity for them to get lost in thought and allow their creative minds to fully engage in their surroundings.
Needless to say, they will get fidgety and bored eventually, so before you leave home, encourage each child to bring a backpack filled with activities to keep themselves entertained on the trip. Many great travel games and activities are available online as well as in bookstores. Also utilize the local library's extensive collection of audio books. Listening to a reading of "The Hobbit" or "Tom Sawyer" as a family will keep everyone entertained and spark new and interesting conversations.
Adults undoubtedly have the ability to sit longer than kids. Remember to stop occasionally and give them a break even if you don't need one. Finding a little roadside farm stand to buy some strawberries at or stopping at a weekend flea market is an out-of-the-ordinary approach to typical pit stops and will make the trip that much more enjoyable. And don't forget to pull out the camera and catch some great memories along the way.
Traditions
It is said that keeping the same traditions year after year has a greater lasting impact on children than continually introducing them to new things. We have taken this principle to heart with our own children and have created yearly family outings. An early morning drive to Reed Valley Orchard in Paris, Ky., for their annual Country Festival and Back Forty Walk is always marked on our calendar, and each spring we eagerly anticipate the International Kite Festival at the Cardome Center in Georgetown. Summer just wouldn't be the same without a three hour drive north to Columbus, Ohio, to eat funnel cakes, buttery ears of corn and see all the farm animals at the Ohio State Fair. Our boys eagerly anticipate each of these outings throughout the year. They count down the days on the calendar to go fly a kite with dad and gather apples to make a pie with mom. Rest assured, you won't regret taking time for these moments. However, there is a far greater chance you will regret not having them.
Megan Smith is the author of a local travel blog, Backseat Traveler(www.backseattraveler.com). The blog is a resource for any family looking to plan their next vacation or weekend getaway, with free, cheap and splurge ideas highlighted, and readers are encouraged to share their own family outings on the "share your experience" link. She also blogs daily at The Art of Homemaking (www.ittysmitty.com).