Having Fun in Yellowstone

February 27, 2008

As many of you know, I am planning a trip to Yellowstone for this summer.  It is going to be a really long road trip for my family, but we plan on breaking it up and stopping at some other sites along the way.  We are traveling from Indiana, so we decided to stop along the way at the Dakotas so we can see Mt. Rushmore and Badlands National Park.  We are also going to be stopping at Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, and Devil’s Tower.  From there, we will head to Yellowstone and we are planning a visit to the Grand Tetons and to Glacier National Park.

 Well, life is interesting sometimes, as I was just contacted today by a man named Allan Wright.  Allan told me about his company, which is named Zephyr Adventures and, interestingly enough, will be providing adventure-based family trips to Yellowstone and to Glacier this year.  I can’t personally say much about the service, but Allan tells me that they have been in business for 11 years and I think it is worth checking out what they have to offer.  If I see Allan while in the area, I will be sure to tell you all about him and his tours! 

By admin | Posted in National Parks to Visit with Kids, a, and, breaking, family, long, my, plan, planning, road, sites, stopping, summer  , the, trip, way  , yellowstone | Comments (0)

Involve Your Kids When Planning a Family Vacation

September 3, 2007

In my opinion, it is essential to involve your kids when planning a family vacation.  Whether you are planning a Disney vacation, at trip to the Smoky Mountains, a visit to Wisconsin Dells, or anywhere else, involving your kids will help create a better experience for everyone.

 I know, the control freak in you probably wants to plan the entire event.  Well, that is how I am anyway.  But, you will find that involving your children in your family vacation plans will actually help reduce your stress while also increasing their level of involvment with the trip.

When kids are involved in the family vacation planning, they feel as if they are an important member of the family and that their opinion counts.  This in of itself should be good enough reason to involve them in the planning.  But, one of the great benefits is that it will actually help reduce the whining during the family vacation.  After all, if your kids played a role in the planning, it becomes a bit more diffcult for them to complain about the plans.

 Of course, you can still narrow down the choices that you give to your kids.  That way, you can make sure that any activity they select will fit within your budget and will be something that you can tolerate visiting. 

I always involve the entire family in my planning process.  Sometimes, I find that the things they want to do are different from what I thought they would be interested in.  So, it always pays to ask and it will definitely lead to a far more pleasant family vacation experience.

By admin | Posted in General Family Travel Tips, a, children, control, disney, entire, essential, event  , family, freak, involve, involving, kids, plan, planning, plans, reduce, stress, the, vacation, vacation   | Comments (4)

Last Minute Summer Fun

August 9, 2007

For many of you, the school year is quickly approaching.  I know that, for me, I have to return to work on Monday and my students return on Wednesday.  EEK!  Where has the summer gone?!

With so little time left before your kids are back in school, it is time to consider some last minute family vacation ideas.

Obviously, you aren’t going to plan some great getaway over the next couple of days and whisk your family off on a week long vacation.  Nonetheless, you can still have some fun before those last few days of summer vacation pass you by.

One great place to go is to a nearby zoo.  Zoos offer fun for kids of all ages.  From my experience, even teenagers can have fun at a zoo.  And, it gets the whole family out for the day while the weather is still great.

More than likely, there are some great museums within an hour or two drive from where you live.  Children’s museums are a great choice as they generally offer displays that are appropriate for infants all the way up to adults.  In addition, the displays are often changing, so it can be a new experience every year.

Having a great family vacation doesn’t even have to involve going somewhere.  You can plan a great day of fun in your own backyard and, if you want to give it more of a “vacation” feel, you might want to pitch a tent and let the kids stay outside.  Roast marshmallows, sing songs, play games and just enjoy each other’s company.  After all, isn’t family togetherness the best part of having a family vacation?

If you don’t have a swimming pool or know anyone that does, you might even want to consider renting a hotel room in a nearby city for the night.  Enjoy an evening of swimming and fun as you spend the day somewhere away from the same ‘ole, same ‘ole of home!

By admin | Posted in General Family Travel Tips, a, and, approaching  , days, eek  , family, getaway, great, ideas obviously, long, minute, monday, my, plan, quickly, return, students, vacation, vacation  , wednesday  , week, whisk, work | Comments (0)