We have the pleasure of visiting my family's weekend retreat nearly any weekend we are available. It is an excursion, quiet time, hobby time, game time, and we always always, eat our meals together. It has sheltered special bonding moments between my children and their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We have cultivated years of memories and rituals. We also live by a different routine and rhythm far different than our at-home schedules. See today's article in the Star Tribune for more insight.

Posted by Susan at 7/29/2002 10:10:04 AM | Link

 
We just returned from a 16 day, 3500 mile road trip to Theodore Roosevelt, Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks. We called it a Family Vacation. Not many people I know go on an intentional Family Vacation anymore, just for the sake of being together, growing, learning, and relaxing together. Most of our friends take trips to visit relatives, attend a wedding, or combine traveling sports and tournaments with a vacation, while some always vacation with another family. In our overscheduled lives, any vacation is a good one and there are good things to come out of all types of vacations.

How often can you say that you survived eating 3 meals together, everyday for 16 days? We shared one bathroom and most nights, shared beds. We were in the car together for approximately 8 hours each, for 3 days going out, and 3 days coming back! Sure we had our share of arguments and nitpicking. We were fortunate however, to resolve the issues and ended up respecting each other even more than before. But it was all that time together in the car, at the dinner table, in a shared bed, on the hiking trail, in the snow, at a viewpoint or wayside rest stop, that we had the best conversations to last a life time. If you haven't taken an "old-fashioned" Family Vacation in awhile, I encourage you to give it a try!

Take our Summer Family Vacation Poll.

Posted by Susan at 7/15/2002 09:46:53 AM | Link