I spent one of my college summers working at a family resort in my hometown. This resort had some unique offerings that attracted visitors from around the U.S. & Canada despite its remote location. It provided a wide variety of kids’ programs so that parents could go off and do their own thing while their kids were entertained for most of the day. The kids’ programs even covered mealtimes if the parents so desired. I was 20 years old and single at the time, but I clearly remember looking around and thinking to myself “this is not what my (future) family’s vacations will be like”.
My childhood summer vacation destination. Not exactly luxurious, but we loved it!
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting this resort was packed with dysfunctional families. But I doubt many of these parents were raised going on the kind of summer vacations that I was accustomed to. For years my family rented a tiny 2-bedroom cabin in the Adirondack mountain town of Long Lake, NY. The cabin had running water & electricity, but there was no TV and no telephone. During the day we hiked, biked, fished, played wiffle ball, and swam. At night we went out for ice cream, observed the black bears rummaging for food at the town dump (you would not believe how big a crowd this attracted!), had roaring bonfires, played cards until the wee hours of the morning, and tuned into any baseball games we could find on the radio. The general theme was this: we were doing things together as a family, and we were talking! The distractions of home, school, sports, and work were all gone, and we took full advantage. It wasn’t always a Norman Rockwell painting. We certainly had our disagreements and needed some space now and then, but somehow being in that setting made me open up to my parents in a way I rarely did during the rest of the year. That cabin at Long Lake was the site of some of my most vivid and cherished childhood memories.
Hopefully now you have an idea of where my idea of a family vacation originated. Fortunately my wife Katie’s family vacations were similar, so it’s only natural that we look forward to these times as a way to focus on the kids and each other without the normal distractions. Recently we took our daughters to Florida for a school vacation getaway, and I’ve been reflecting on some of the things that made our time there special. To me, vacation is…
- Going to bed without setting an alarm
- Waking up when the kids come in asking for breakfast
- Morning trips to Starbucks for four venti coffees- 2 hot Pikes for waking up, and 2 iced for the morning at the pool or beach
- Surprising the kids with random breakfast treats
- Spending an hour in the swimming pool discussing what Bowser and the gang feed their prisoner, Princess Peach (the consensus was oatmeal mixed with yarn & crushed toad heads)
- Eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches that taste as good as filet mignon
- Setting aside the time and a pack of Hubba Bubba to teach your soon-to-be-6-year-old how to blow gigantic bubbles
- Never having to say “Maybe later, but Daddy is busy right now.”
- Realizing how much the kids have grown since the previous vacation
- Making random and frequent trips for ice cream
- Taking at least 100 photos a day
- Seeking out new restaurants with that rare combination of great beer menus and great kids’ menus
- Savoring every second of the kids’ bedtime routine you take for granted at home
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I look forward to seeing this list expand in the future as the kids get older and their interests change. There’s no doubt in my mind that Katie & I will continue to spend as much time with them as possible during these magical days of freedom. It might not work for every family, but to us this is what vacation is all about!
Good post Chad. Again, shows how these little experiences as a parent basically create tony bookmarks in our lives…ones we can go back and look on as our kids get older and more independent.
Agreed. Our vacations are always about doing stuff as a family. Both of my kids are teenagers, and they don't show much desire to get away from us when we are on vacation together. Either that, or they do a really good job of hiding the secret hate for their parents that all teenagers allegedly have.
Great post! I agree wholeheartedly.
I grew up going to a small 2BR camp in the NEK of VT. My grandparents lived there all summer and we spent weeks and weekends there with them in the summer. Kids never had a bed to sleep in, instead we wrestled for the most coveted spot under the pull out couch in the living room.
We walked in the woods, fished, swam, played cards and did whatever we wanted to during the day. We also did a lot of talking and listening to the Red Sox on a small transistor radio.
I just got back from a family vacation in FL and while the accommodations were very different, the spirit was the same. TV takes a back seat to getting outdoors. Sleeping in is raised to an art form. Making sure the kids realize that Dad's not attached to his computer is the goal.
Thanks for bringing forth the memories and reminders.
Jim | @jimstorer
Don- thanks, you're so right. It'll be interesting to look back on this list in a year and see what's changed!
Chris- that's very encouraging to hear that your teenagers still want to hang out with you! I hope my wife & I can be so fortunate.
Jim- I can't wait to hear all your VT tales when we finally meet since that's my homeland. Your vacation memories sound very familiar, and I'm sure the NEK was a terrific setting to be doing all those things. You make a very important point that quality family time can occur no matter where you are, whether it's a beach resort or a lakeside cabin. Thanks for sharing!