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Why do vacations have to end? I’m sure I am not the first to say it but my wife and I are struggling to get back in the groove of work after a wonderful 2 week vacation. On our vacation we went to Silverwood Amusement Park in Idaho, putted around the town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, spent a few days at the ocean, rode horses on the beach and stayed at a cabin with the family near Leavenworth, Washington. It was all fun and very relaxing. It was good family bonding time which is very important.
But with that being said some things were learned on this trip and some beliefs were reinforced. Below are a few tips for parents.
1.) Vacationing isn’t Cheap
No duh, right? My goal this year was to keep the vacation around 1 thousand and if I told you my vacation plans you would have likely agreed that it was possible. After the summer prices reality hit the pocket book I can assure you I was way over my projected costs. Hotels are more expensive than ever (yes I know there are bargains out there but you get what you pay for), gas is outrageous and dinner for four is like dinner for eight.
2.) Lazy Days on Vacation are OK
Don’t feel like you have to spend a ton of money or that you need to be doing something every moment of the day.
This year the family and I didn’t have to be doing something expensive every day of our vacation. There were many days that just consisted of some light store shopping and window shopping. We had a pool at the hotel which we took advantage of and we played plenty of Monopoly. I am burnt out on Monopoly now thanks to my daughter beating my wife and I more times than I can admit.
Kids love hotels. Just the fact that they are not at home makes it a vacation to them.
3.) Occupied Kids in a Car are Good Kids in a Car
Keeping kids busy means quiet, entertained kids. Many years ago my wife and I purchased portable DVD players for the car and they have been a miracle for entertaining my kids on 12 hour road trips.
We also bring things for the kids to color which can pass the time as well.
4.) Slug Bug no Take Backs
The big thing this year was the Slug Bug game which began on the first day of vacation. We had rules and kept track each family member’s slug bug total. My daughter won overwhelmingly but I think I was a close second.
The wife and I haven’t really figured out what the “no take backs” means but it was the required phrase for the slug bug to count according to my daughter.
(My wife thinks that most people are unfamiliar with the slug bug game. If you don’t know what this game is, please comment on this post)
5.) Hotels can Trick you
After driving about 6 hours we arrived in Idaho to a Comfort Inn hotel. I have had great experiences with this hotel chain in the past. The hotel was well over $100 so I assumed we would be getting some nice accommodations.
False
We entered our room and found red stains, white stains over both bed covers. I immediately checked out, got a refund and made my way over to a Holiday Inn which was a way better experience but at a cost that was significantly more.
I should have reviewed more of the reviews from Trip Advisore before booking at that hotel. Lesson Learned.
6.) Dog Boarding is Worth it
Having a dog on vacation can limit some of your experiences. This can especially be true on hot days when you can’t leave your dog in the car. After vacationing for a few days with our dog we decided that boarding our dog for a few days was necessary for the family to not have limitations.
For roughly $28 dollars a night we were able to board our dog near our vacationing spot and not be limited. Totally worth the money in my opinion. Lesson learned.
7.) Planning for the Next One (very important).
The wife and I figured out that the best way to get over the, ”return to work blues” was to start planning for the next vacation. Talks have begun as to what the next vacation will entail and we are already counting down the days to our next vacation.
