Hello friends! My family and I love to take road trips in the summer, and this year is shaping up to be the best one yet. Not only is it the four of us, it's also my cousin and her parents - when all of us are together, it's like being in a bad comedy, and it makes for hilarious stories. I'll write up a post at the end of the summer sharing our experiences, but for now, here's everything we're planning for our epic road trip, complete with tips, fun ideas, and more.
1. Pick a New Destination When we started talking about where we are going to go, we all
decided that a new place is always more fun. The powers that be (the parents) gave us
a set radius to travel in, and they pretty much let my cousin, my brother, and me pick
the destination. We settled on a mountain town in the Rocky Mountains. None of us
have ever been there, and there are a surprising number of things to do there, making
sure there's something for everyone.
2. Have a Trip Theme This is probably the lamest thing anyone could ever do, but having a
theme for your trip makes it so much more fun. We have a theme song (John Denver's
amazingly ironic "Rocky Mountain High," also the official name of the trip), code names
(all bean-based, i.e. Jelly Bean, Frijole, Bean Sprout, etc., and particularly fun if the
theme for the names has absolutely nothing to do with the trip), trip hats (custom with
a logo and our code names), and playlists to fit the theme.
3. Rent a House, Not a Hotel Room With seven adult-size people, renting a few hotel
rooms costs as much, if not more, than renting a whole house, especially if it's split
between a few families. Our house has plenty of room for everyone, multiple
bathrooms, and a full kitchen, which means we can do some grocery shopping when we
arrive and save a whole lot on food expenses because we'll be eating at the house more
than eating out.
4. Plan Activities for Everyone Where we are staying, obviously the main attraction is
the mountains, with lots of trails and activities, but there are also hot springs, gondola
tours, golf courses, an amusement park, little shops, and nearby ski resorts to scope
out during the off-season. With a little of everything, you ensure everyone leaves
happy.
5. Don't Spend All Your Energy During the Day Some of my favorite vacation memories
aren't even of the actual trip and the things I saw, but of the time my family spent
together at the end of the day. We absolutely love board games and card games, and
the seven of us always manage to make it so by the end, nobody is playing and
everyone is in tears laughing. It's especially fun if you bring new games, because
nobody reads directions and it just adds another level of hilarity. These nights are
also the perfect occasions to sit around a fire with a whole bunch of s'mores and
hot dogs, which just scream summer and make for great memories.
6. Leave Wiggle Room The great thing about going somewhere that doesn't need tickets
like an amusement park is that you can go without a detailed itinerary and decide what
you want to do as the days come.
I wish you all the best and safe, fun travels,
Erin
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