Planning a trip is exciting, but what to do when you go traveling? To have a good trip, you need to plan ahead, and at least know where you are going first. Who’s all coming on this trip and what will be needed when to our destination.
Some Basic ideas to think about:
- Where are we going and is it a long trip/drive?
- When are we going?
- Who is all coming on this trip?
- Do we know what the weather will be like?
Planning a trip sounds exciting, but anyone who travels with family knows it takes more than just picking a destination. A good trip starts with a solid plan — how you’ll get there, who’s coming, what you’ll need, and what you’ll do once you arrive.
Making sure you have these details worked out before. Less stress and it all goes smoother when it is planned out.
Traveling with family: What it’s really like
We are always doing some kind of traveling-especially in the summer when kids are out of school. But still we struggle-with work schedules and the weekends. Are we-the parents able to get away from work for a time. This is one thing I think about is what to do when traveling, can we go?
For many years, family trips meant laoding up the truck and going camping. Back then there were 5 of us and the truck holds 6. Now things have changed- we now have a granddaughter and grandson, that does change it all now. Cause now we have no room, unless we get someone else to bring them there. Two vehicles will be needed.
Traveling with the whole family now has changed. So we didn’t really do any camping when we had this struggle. Cause the grandchildren are small and then at that time they were under 4 years old. That alone is a struggle, especially at bedtime.
Traveling now needs more planning and asking if it is worth going at all? Or should we just go camping closer to home? What to do when you go traveling is a big question. Think of all that is on the trip and what others would enjoy also.
Getting to Where we are Going
Getting there is half the adventure. Why planning out the trip before hand is a good thing. We need to remember the truck only fits 6 people. And we don’t want a long trip, cause we are all squished in the truck too.
What to do when you go traveling
How will others feel if the trip planned is a long drive? We didn’t think about that before when we did a long 5 hour drive to Revelstoke, B.C.
Long drive and how it went:
- all were squished in the truck, all 6 of us
- was hot weather when we left-stuffy even with the AC
- lots of bathroom breaks
- Younger kids-needing diaper changes. No crying which was good.
- Lots of asking “are we there yet”
- thinking maybe this wasn’t a good idea to travel this far?
Getting the Truck ready for travel:
- Check the tires
- Check the oil
- Truck is all cleaned out and fresh inside
- Spare tire is good
- Wash the windshield and headlights (seem to forget this)
Wether it is a long travel trip or a short one, the truck is always checked over.
We have done so much camping trips-we knew what was needed and what we had to pack. We knew how the bags were getting packed and what needed to be ready day before. Also, a to-go bag in the truck under the seat. Especially if someone got sick, we had a bag for that too. Gravel pills too, kids and adults. Right jackets for the weather also.
Over the years kids got good at packing. I knew, cause their bags would show up without even being told to put them out. They learned what to do when you go traveling, from doing this many times.
TIP:
- You have a notebook in your packsac for writing what you forgot. Or could have done better for the next trip.
- Remember to always pack gravel and tums, and Tylenol.
Traveling just Got More Complicated
I knew as our family grew it would be more complicated. I want eveyone to come and we all don’t fit in the truck. What to do when you go traveling, is to think of the size of the vehicle you have for traveling. Will the family all fit in the truck your bringing? Or do we need to get another one?
So I ended up asking:
- Will we need 2 vehicles?
- How far are we going? Cause if its short, we can just do two trips.
- Does everyone want to go?
- Will we all survive the long drive?
We had one big challenge was when we went to the beach. The parking, packing and when-timing. Was alot and then we needed a different blanket for the sand. Also, separate bag for all our cells and lunch. We had fun, besides the stress.
How Things Have Now Changed
- Now my kids that went camping got older and no longer wants to go.
- My adult child with my grandkids- planning revolves around when she has the kids. And she don’t want to go alone with us.
- One child is left and she doesn’t want to go if no one else is going.
Then all our planning went out the window, because now we just have the me and my spouse. So we were planning all this for the kids and now no one wants to go.
So then we end up not going. That is what happened last year, we never went camping at all.
We may go somewhere close this year, in town. Get the other grandparents involved possibly. We will even be close to the lake and can go swimming when we like.
My Final Thoughts
Traveling can be lots of fun, and remember you do not need to go far away from home. Most of our best memories are when our destination was not far away. Shorter travel places was better, we were all happier to get where we needed to be.
As families change, you change and adjust with that.
Maybe a vacation with just you and your spouse is the plan.
Or even just travel out of town and stay in a hotel instead of camping. We do that alot, and the kids love doing that instead.
Even with all the Struggles
- I miss all our camping trips
- So many destinations we did go to
- Traveling when my kids were little-all the memories I have. Thank goodness for pictures.
- Listening to the kids and their ideas on where to go.
So my What to do when you go Traveling has changed. I now think about my own trips out of town by myself and what I will do there. I didn’t travel much by myself before, and I do more now.
We are gonna plan to go camping with summer, and all of this above is in the works. Right now it is just a thought and that’s it. What to do when you go traveling is to consider how much of your family is going. Start there and see if it can become possible.
Family memories are great, and I look forward to being able to spend sometime with my grandkids too. Out there making new memories.