Family Vacation Travel

Especially now!  There are great family vacation travel deals to be had right now.  Unprecedented.  If you have the time off and the extra money to spend now is the best time to be grabbing great family vacation travel deals! 

The television is screaming doom and gloom, on the flip side, have you ever needed a vacation more?  It is imperative to get away as a family and reconnect.  Especially during these trying times of uncertainty.  Your kids feel it too.  Having a getaway now could give you the neccessary time as a family to blow off some steam and remember that it is the moments in our lives not the minutes.

Here’s how to grab yourselves a deal:

1.  Look for last minute getaways that appeal to you.  Instead of having one choice be open and book with your budget instead of your dreams necessarily.  Let’s face it, you could go to your local bed and breakfast and it would sure do your nerves some good.  But I am suggesting just be open and book with somewhere that appeals and fits the budget. 

2.  Take the time to call a few different hotels or resorts in the area you have found a great deal to get to.  Do not speak with reservations on the toll free line.  Call the manager on site.  Explain you are coming to the area and were considering your options.  What can he offer you.  Not only will you probably get a better rate but will probably get a few extras thrown in.  Even one or the other saved you some money!  In Vegas, we had a room upgrade and a buffet thrown in, the buffet alone saved us $54.00!

3.  Decide in order to make the trip work, you will cut back on excursions and just be together as a family.  Forget the souveniers and t-shirts, spend some time walking the beach.  You don’t ever remember the souveniers you brought back but you do remember the memories of your trip so focus on that.

4.  Go with extended family and split the price of a house.  It will save you a ton on meals if you eat breakfast, lunch and snack at home.  BBQ at the house/villa at night and have your meal out at lunch, it is a cheaper meal.  (Ask around, locals know the bargain places to eat and it won’t be at the resort.)

5.  If you can’t afford to hop a plane, road trip, even one city away.  You will still de-stress and be glad you did.

There is no better time for your family vacation travel adventure

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Here are some deals for families looking to get away.

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Mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico, in May of 2008 to spread the joy of God and Jesus’ love by building a home for a family. Mission trip organized by Mission Bound Planners and missionaries from Central Christian Church, Las Vegas (centralchristian.com)

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As the trend with grandparents traveling with their grandchildren increases, so does the desire of passing on some of their values.  By and large as we mature our ideas of what really matters evolves.  So does our sense that the next generation may not have grasped that yet.  Here are some ideas for traveling with a purpose as a way for instilling  or sharing the values you want your family to hold dear:

Missions Trips :  Reaching out to help those less fortunate through working in orphanages, schools, providing basic needs or health care foster an opportunity to spread you faith.   Anyone I have ever talked to who went to be a blessing returned blessed more by the experience.

Race If a value you want to pass on is health, possibly go to a vacation spot where as a family you could do a 10K.  These races are planned all over including Disney, exotic islands, everywhere.  If your family is in extremely good shape, there are marathons as well.  Also you can do bike races, tri athalons too. Crossing the finished line as a family, what an accomplishment!

Fight Disease If a disease has touched your family  maybe a race or walk to benefit that cause raising money for prevention or cure.

Habitat for Humanity build a home for someone in need either in your own country or in their Global Village Program.

Outward Bound Family Course “encourages participants to support one another and connect through dialogue, personal reflection, working together and creating life-long memories” according to their site.  A 9 day adventure in Australia  may be the kind of trip to strengthen the bond in your family.

Volunteer Whether it is a visit to a third world country or maybe even driving to New Orleans volunteer opportunities are plentiful where ever you are going.

Campaigning With the U.S. 2008 Election over it is fresh in my mind.  If you are committed to a particular party or candidate is something you would like to share as a family, travel to where you can help them with the campaign.

Cause and effect Find a cause you can wrap your heart around and notice the effect working together can have on your family!

Family vacation travel always brings us together, but if you do it with a purpose the results can have a lasting effect.

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