Travel Fun

It’s summertime, which for many families also means some travel fun too!  We are a big traveling family — for as long as I can remember, we’ve taken a summer vacation.  When I was younger, my parents would toss all three kids (along with a heaping pile of pillows and blankets) into the back of the station wagon.  Yep, no seat belt laws back then.  Sometimes we’d visit family and other times we would head to someplace new. 

Now we do the same thing with our kids (still a heaping pile of pillows and blankets but now seat belted in the back).  And one other thing hasn’t changed — gathering souvenirs from our travels.

Welcome to the Ultimate Road Trip Guide for Families – Part 2! 

We know that many families head out on the open road during the summer for some much deserved rest and relaxation.  And we’d like to help make ‘getting there’ a fun and enjoyable experience for you!  During the first part of our series, we discussed tips for packing for a road trip and why getting there can be half the fun. 

Today, I’ll share some great items that we love to have on our trips, car activities that keep the kids happy &  entertained and a few more tips to help you have a great trip!

I’m not going to lie to you — I don’t do tents!  Sorry, there’s just something about a thin piece of material and the possibility of bears or snakes in the area that kinda freaks me out! But family camping doesn’t always mean tents.  We’ve had some great vacations while ‘roughing it’ in a cabin. …

We are a big hiking family – love to explore the forest on foot. 

And we’ve been treated to some great encounters during out hikes — moose in Colorado, wildlife in South Dakota and even some out-of-the-ordinary highlights close to home (such as the wild turkey that crossed our path a few weeks ago!).

So we’re excited that our weekly linky will Discover & Explore Forest Fun today!

I’m a huge fan of the National Parks!  They are one of our country’s most beautiful assets and I really feel that every family should take the opportunity to visit at least one of the parks with the kids. 

There are more than 400 national parks and sites located across the country so I’m sure there’s one close to you.  And April 20^th – 28^th, 2013 is National Parks Week which is a wonderful time to schedule a visit!

We’re having some fun with maps this summer!  I love using maps as a learning tool with the kids.  Maps help teach geography, directions, reading skills and so much more. Previously, I shared Why Every Home Needs a Map – 7 Fun Ways to Introduce Kids to Geography.  Today I want to expand on one …

  Are you one of the millions of families who head “Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house” for the holidays? Once you have kids, holiday travel takes on a whole new meaning 🙂  Not to worry, we have a great group of FREE printables and AWESOME travel tips that will help …

  My husband will be the first to tell you that I’m the brains & braun behind our family vacations. My family grew up taking trips every summer and I knew I wanted the same for my kids — getting out to explore the world and seeing some amazing things together! But I’m also not …

Summer is coming to an end and soon we’ll be dealing with schedules, homework and early bedtimes.  Are you trying to squeeze in a few more fun activities before the kids go back to school?  Here are a few ideas for some quick get-out-and-do-something places:

  Travel is such a great educational opportunity for kids!  A chance to explore new places, try something new and reconnect with the family. Honestly, my kids learn more on our vacations than they do any other time of the year.  Part of it is because they are immersed in the moment — when you …