Definition: va·ca·tion

[5ft Diva]

A comment made in another part of this forum led me to start this thread. I'm wondering what you guys define as family vacations. Are they just mini camping trips or are they the big 1-2 week get away that everybody has looked forward to all year?

We need to be better about this w/ our family and so I'm just looking for a little bit of a definition. I'm not sure what I think a family vacation is and I think w/ all of your input I'll be able to pull bits and pieces from all of your answers and come up w/ my own. Can't wait to hear from you!

[Big_Sissy]

To me a vacation is a week in length. It could just be camping or whatever, but it's got to last a week (5-7 days).

[Stargazer]

We seem to have at least one big (that can also be interpreted as expensive) family reunion a year with some line of our family. They are generally eagerly anticipated and a great deal of fun. We've been to Washington, the Oregon Coast, Missouri, Colorado, Idaho and St. George. This year we are going to San Diego. We generally stay in cabins or condos and have a bunch of activities. They are most often planned by other people and we show up for the fun. If it is just our family, which is maybe more what you're looking for it tends to be more like "Aunt Alyson is getting married, let's drive to Washington for the weekend and stay at Grandpa & Grandma's" Wahoo! I used to love camping, but it seems to me now that it's a lot of work for a lot of dirt. That has been my experience the last 3 times. I think it has to do a lot with location. I remember really enjoying camping when I was growing up. I think my problem is that I've been spoiled with some really great expenses paid travel the Hyatt is so much more comfortable than the tent So, maybe what I really like in a family vacation is a new adventure.

[crazyK]

Family vacations. Well, we have day ones and weekend ones and long ones. I really don't think the legth of the vacation matters just as long as you have fun. Day vacations: we went fossil hunting, packed a lunch and got home late so we ordered pizza. Even the little boys found fossils and that year Jenna did her science fair project on fossils. The only one who had a hard time finding the fossils was my husband. They were everywhere!!!!! We even go dowtown SLC go to the church museum and Temple Square. And of course Lagoon. We love Lagoon but we are also given season passes for Christmas or Easter or Birthdays. We love it. Putting the tent up in the backyard. Weekend vacations: St. George, Wyoming, places we can go to and not pay for hotel, where we can stay with friends. Long Vacations: My Gradpa has a ranch in Idaho. We have to pay because he has turned it into a resort but really it isn't that much. There is so much to do. Swimming, (pool, lake, river, hot springs) hiking, playing games with family, biking, fishing, paddle boating, watching movies (maybe), volleyball, kick the can, horses, motorcycles, target shooting, horseshoes, anyway lots of fun just let your imagination go. Last year we went to South Dakota! Way fun we wet with friends. The national monument was awesome. I would go back in a heartbeat!!! We are planning on a friend trip every year. But we will stay in Utah every other year and go someplace educational the other year. I just think we(as parents) need to make vacations memorable and fun no matter how much money we do and don't have. That is why I like the day vactions. They happen a lot more than the long ones. And just because we want to do a friend one every year it doesn't mean that it will happen. Also, I think it is very important to go on couple trips also. And anyone who knows me know that Husband and I don't date. But we are changing that. I have been on 2 dates in 6 days!!!!!! Anyway have fun and really what do I have to offer. Not much. Free advice is just free and can easily be thrown away.

[5ft Diva]

These have all been great ideas, thanks CK for your specific ideas! They were great. I'm just wondering what everyone does to decide where they're going. Do you actually tell your kids you're going on vacation or do you just assume they'll figure that out when they get a little bit older? Just wondering.

Also, I've wanted to explore Utah a little more since I'm not familiar with it. Any great ideas? And would you mind giving $ estimates?

[Dia Minha]

I believe a vacation is anything you do that is different from your every day activities and is meant to be fun or restful.

My family and I are very much homebodies and would prefer to come home after a long DAY of vacationing and sleep in our own beds. Thus, we do a lot of day vacations. My children's favorite is Antelope Island. We go out in the morning with a picnic lunch, spend the day and are usually home by dinner. I think as the children get older and they are easier to take care of away from home this will change. We have never really been campers, but the kids would really like to go so we are trying to fit a lot of one nighters in this summer.

There was one summer I was doing a lot of babysitting and had some extra money. However, my DH used all his time off work for scout camp and didn't have any left for a long family vacation. I took it upon myself to make sure the kids and I did something fun at least one day every week. It was the summer of many vacations.

Last summer our vacation was having a baby, and the kids took turns hanging out at grandma's for a couple days at a time.

Dia

[Mamallama]

I like 3 or 4 day vacations best. I get tired, being away too long---we go on a lot of looooong vacations because we've always lived far away from relatives, so we have to make the Looooong drive across the country just to come visit. And after the looooooooong drive, you don't want to turn around and go home after two days, so by the time you make the trek out, visit a while and make the trek back, a couple of weeks have past by and I'm exhausted.

My favorite vacations have been when we've gone and camped at Yogi Bear's Campground, just a couple of hours from our house, and we've stayed 2 or 3 or 4 days. Very relaxing and FUN!!

[5ft Diva]

Where is Yogi Bear's campground? Is that back East?

[Mamallama]

Yogi Bear Jellystone Park Campgrounds are all over the U.S. and Canada---just checked the website-----none in Utah closest one to here is in California.... too bad, they are so much fun... oh well!

[5ft Diva]

Bummer, oh well.

One day I really would like to take my kids down to the Southern Utah canyons since I've never been. I think they'd have a blast. I think our little ones need to be a little older, though. I'm interested in hiking and stuff.