Planning for My Next Family Vacation

Research

Deciding upon the region of the country to visit is the first step to a successful family vacation. In the past we’ve gone whale watching and museum hopping on the Oregon and Washington Coasts. Keeping our destination close enough to drive to ( a one to two day drive) has helped to save on gas plus we get to explore our own region of the country while keeping costs down.

We have a list of places we’d like to see and rotate through these. In many cases we’ll return to a favorite destination either en-route to another destination or as we return home. It’s always fun to relive our memories and to find something that we may have missed on our previous trip.

Rent Yurts/Cabins

We learned some valuable tips on camping that we have applied diligently. We once spent two nights in a small 3 person tent with two adults and one child. It’s not pleasant when said child rolls over in the middle of the night and throws up on one of the adults. Since we had several yurts and a cabin booked for future nights we decided that the cost difference, less than $30 per night, was well worth it and will in the future rent yurts or cabins when camping.

Yurts and cabins come complete with a double to queen sized bed, and at least one bunk and a futon or more bunks depending upon the size rented. All that a camper needs to bring is their own bedding and a portable potty (if not near a bathroom this is a great investment).

Timing/Savings

Time vacations off season and prices are lower. Many campgrounds give steep discounts for off season campers. There is still plenty to do in most areas off season. The bonus: there are less crowds and we are more likely to get the cabin or yurt we want. Many museums will also let you in for reduced price an hour or so prior to closing.

Additionally, yard sale proceeds (making money with our clutter) and saving our bonus’s from work as well as any other “windfall” money we accumulate will help to fund our vacation. Pack your own food and have picnics along the way. Knowing in advance what our costs will be (yurts/cabins, gas, food, entertainment such as museum fees etc) will help us to be prepared for our trip.


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