Our family absolutely loves to vacation! My favorite thing to do is hop in a car and just drive. There's nothing better then to hop in the car or jump in a plane and take off to an exciting destination. Sometimes, though it can be difficult to sort though all the options, and you also want to make sure you don't overlook anything that you really "should" see. Here are some of my "family friendly" travel tips -
- If you are driving, pack each person a "busy bag" Yes, I said person, not child, that means adults too! I strongly suggest using an x-large ziploc baggie that can be thrown away. I use to use small back packs or fanny packs - but found that just took up too much room, caused us to have even more "luggage" and this way you have nothing to worry about if something spills or makes a mess. From personal experience I would avoid packing things like crayons, markers, chocolate....stuff that you don't want to find yourself scrubbing off the car seats, doors & windows. :)
- If your going to take a road trip, plan enough time to actually be able to stop and sight see along the way. I remember the first time we drove up to San Francisco, we drove straight there without stopping and drove back down the coast, but was in such a hurry we didn't have time to stop and see anything. That's kinda suppose to be the point, right? Why drive all that way when your not going to stop along the way and see the sights, right?
- I don't want to make this too long - so this will be my last tip - and my favorite! Locals, Locals, Locals - I can't emphasize this enough. The local people always know the best places to eat and all the hideaways and fun things to do that maybe you wouldn't even think of or that's not in some tourist book. For example - on our last trip, we had stopped in Monterey Bay for the night. When we got there we were starving! While getting gas I asked a couple locals what was the best place to grab a bite to eat - where do all the locals go?? They suggested a small little place, and I have to admit - it didn't look like a place I would just pull into - but let me tell you - I ended up committing an entire blog post to them because their food was so amazing, seriously it was that good! It was so good we ended up going back the next day :) lol! But, really - the local spots are the best and their prices usually will be more realistic also because they are not catering to the tourist. Don't eat fastfood while on a trip - you can have that at home, anytime - engage into the city you are in & become a "local".
Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Global Influence and I have been compensated for my participation.