roadtrip

Practical Tips for Memorable Family Travel with Kids

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A family having fun at the beach

Creating happy memories is one of the most important parenting tasks. These souvenirs from the past help shape children’s identities and serve as valuable learning opportunities. While not many children would say they enjoy learning, most of them would say they like to play, explore, try new things, and have fun. This curious and open approach to life is a powerful teaching tool every parent should encourage in their children. And one of the most effective ways to do that is travel. Since traveling with kids can be challenging and, in a lot of cases, overwhelming, some extra preparation is necessary to ensure you don’t end up feeling even more exhausted after your vacation than before. These practical tips for memorable family travel with kids should give you the courage to take your tribe on any adventure.

Plan your trip together

At a certain age, kids begin to enjoy making their own decisions. Plan your trip together (when possible) and make them feel appreciated and heard. If they are old enough to have opinions about your travel plans, make sure to listen to them. Since kids’ wishes can sometimes be a bit unrealistic, explaining what’s possible and what’s not should help avoid disappointment.

You shouldn’t underestimate your little ones as they might have interesting suggestions regarding the destination or the itinerary. If they’re too young for that, give them a few options from which they can choose. They’ll take the task very seriously and feel proud if you go with their choice. Ask for their opinion about the accommodation, food, and other details. After all, your kids are going on that trip as much as you are, so it’s only fair to let them participate in planning.

Help your kids understand the destination

A crucial step in making memorable family travel with kids happen is teaching the youngsters about the places you will be visiting. Help your kids understand the destination’s history, culture, food, and language. Show them where the country is and tell them exciting stories appropriate for their age. As a family, try to learn a few common words and phrases that will help you communicate if the locals don’t speak English.

Two children reading
The more your kids know about the place you’re visiting, the more they will be able to enjoy it.

Knowing something about the destination will help your children feel more confident and excited to travel. It will help avoid any confusion and fear as well. Even if you plan to stay in the US and spend summer visiting amazing places in America, remember many places are vastly different from anything they are used to seeing. From Boston to Hawaii, both the scenery and culture change drastically, and it’s essential to prepare your kids for such changes.

Rely more on your intuition and less on your itinerary

Most children live in the moment and don’t care much for tight schedules. Rely more on your intuition and less on your itinerary. And avoid squeezing too many activities and sightseeing into your trip. Your children won’t enjoy traveling as much if they feel like they’re running errands. You’ll probably miss a few things due to rest, snacks, and bathroom brakes but by being attentive to your kids’ needs and feelings, you’ll avoid unnecessary stress and frustration. If you notice they are enjoying certain activities more than others, don’t force them to participate in everything. However, do encourage them to try new things if they are skeptical.

Remember that traveling is all about spending quality time with your loved ones and not so much about following an itinerary. Embrace your kid’s spontaneity as it might lead you to unexpected and extraordinary places.

Don’t let your memories fade away

A sure-fire way to ensure your kiddos remember your exciting expeditions as a family is to take lots of pictures. Some places are more photogenic than others, but your travel pictures will undoubtedly be among the most cherished souvenirs you’ll bring home. Don’t let your memories fade away. You shouldn’t feel pressured to take perfectly staged touristy photos, as most children find it boring to pose in front of famous sights and landmarks. Instead, try to capture spontaneous and heart-warming moments you want to remember. And a few of the not-so-happy moments as well, just to give your kids something to laugh about when they grow up. Don’t forget to let them take the camera and snap some pictures themselves. Seeing their point of view will surely be entertaining.

A girl taking pictures
Letting your kids take pictures will help them remember their perspective.

Seek authentic experiences with the locals

Memorable experiences almost exclusively happen outside of your comfort zone. Forget about the popular tourist spots and the convenience of your hotel or resort. When looking for unique encounters, it’s always best to follow the locals. Seek authentic experiences with locals on less busy streets, at local restaurants, talking to people, and encourage your kids to do the same. Sure, hanging out at the hotel’s pool is great but interacting with the locals is much more meaningful. Children might be a bit reserved at first, but if they see their parents are relaxed and confident, they will follow the same path.

A busy street in Morocco
Experiencing the local way of life is something your kids will never forget.

There are not many things as memorable as interacting with people whose mentality, culture, and language are different from your own. And if you’re worried your kid won’t be able to communicate – don’t be. Children are remarkably adaptable, so they’ll certainly find a way to get their point across.

Embrace the imperfection

When trying to make memorable family travel with kids happen, it’s best to embrace the imperfection. No matter how careful and thorough you are, someone will inevitably scrape their knee, lose their toy, or their temper. Remember that memorable doesn’t necessarily mean perfect and that mistakes and accidents are a part of the experience. Teach your kids not to let the mishaps ruin the entire trip. As long as everyone stays safe and healthy, a few troubles along the way will help your children learn how to deal with the real world. In the end, it’s all about the time your family spends together. And once you accept that, traveling with kids will become much less intimidating.

Of course, there are many more practical tips for memorable family travel with kids. But don’t overthink it. Go with the flow and enjoy your family time!

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Plan a Driving Tour to See These Majestic Covered Bridges

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There are lots of different ways to theme a road trip in order to see an eclectic collection of sites. For example, some people like to see how much of the historic Lincoln Highway they can drive. Others make a list of roadside diners that offer a slice of Americana to guide them on car adventures. Still others turn to historic items in order to create a cohesive vacation. One that might be interesting to try? Covered bridges.

These old-time slices of previous American modes of transportation are a window into how we used to live life. The reason for covered bridges is that covering the bridge helped it last longer and also enabled engineers to be able to build longer bridges. Luckily for us, engineers started discovering this in the early 1800s and people devoted themselves to saving them. Want to dive into these on your own? This graphic offers some good steps.

How self-storage helps devoted travelers

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looking at a map
Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com

In the world of ever-developing technology, many industries are abandoning the idea of a nine-to-five working day in an office. People have started to appreciate the benefits of traveling and seeing the beauty of the world like never before. It has never been easier to maintain a healthy work-travel balance than today. People have been given opportunities to lead the lives of digital nomads, but at the same time, some new problems for devoted travelers have appeared. One of these issues is storing their belongings while they are away. All the clothes you will not be wearing, the books, dishes and all the memories hidden in photos and diaries – all of that has to go somewhere while you are away. And sometimes, your mum’s basement is not available. And neither is your short term apartment. The self-storage industry has brought about answers and solutions to many peoples’ problems, and today we are bringing you a couple of ways how self-storage helps devoted travelers.

No need to worry about safety and security

Along with the stress of arranging travel, from booking a room and flight to packing for an upcoming trip, traveling is, more often than not, filled with all kinds of safety and security issues. Rather than risking losing your stuff by leaving it unsupervised, choose a self-storage unit and be in charge of your belongings anytime, wherever you are. Storage units are clean, and most of them include features such as climate control, a lock and key, 24-hour access, video monitoring, and additional security measures. So, while you are away, your mind can rest.

Self-storage units include many features for securing your stuff
Photo by Life Of Pix from Pexels

No deadlines or time pressure

By using self-storage, you do not need to worry about getting your belongings out of your sister’s/friend’s/someone’s basement. If you are a traveling professional, or any sort of traveler really, remember to make sure to find a company that offers flexible leasing options. You should be able to extend your rental period anytime you want, so getting home later than expected will not give you any headaches. This works both ways, so if you come home unexpectedly early, you can go to your storage unit right away. Also, since most of them are open 24/7, it won’t matter if you have arrived even in the middle of the night.

You can store almost anything

Depending on the unit size and type, you can store almost anything in your self-storage facility. Clothes, documents, furniture, musical instruments, and decorations are some of the items you can keep safe. However, some things do not belong there, and you should make sure you follow the instructions carefully. Also, to make use of the space and protect your items as much as possible, pay attention to getting the right storage containers, which come in various sizes and are made of different types of material. Moreover, randomly putting things in your self-storage facility can damage your property, so please remember your belongings well before placing them in the unit.

Choosing the right storage container can make all the difference when storing your belongings.
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Climate-controlled storage

Alongside size and location, climate-controlled storage is one of the most critical features a self-storage unit can have. These units keep the temperature within a range of about 55 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity is kept low. All the things in your storage will surely benefit from a climate-controlled environment. But some items – such as anything made of or containing wood, metal, wicker, leather, or upholstery – need it. Because of the risk of your belongings getting damaged, choosing a climate-controlled storage unit is definitely worth it.

Moist and exposed leather can become discolored and can get mold and mildew.
Photo by Martin Pu00e9chy on Pexels.com

You can practice self-storage anywhere

To keep on renting your apartment just so you have a safe place for your belongings while you are away can seem like a viable option. However, it looks like an unnecessarily expensive one when you can find much cheaper storage units in large cities and smaller towns. If you live in a bigger city and have a car, you can even drive out to a smaller town, rent a self-storage unit there and save some money for your future travels!

Insurance for your belongings

If your mum’s basement or your friend’s spare room gets flooded, there is nothing you nor your friends can do about saving your things. On the other hand, with self-storage units, you will most likely have the option of adding a storage unit insurance that will cover your possessions if something happens to them. The need for this, in reality, is rare, but it for sure can help you keep your peace of mind while you are away from home.

Keep adding items into the unit even when you’re gone

While you are away, you can give the code to enter your self-storage facility and a key to your unit to a friend or a family member you trust. That way, if you think of something else to put away, you can! Also, make sure to check with the facility renting company if they offer (and for how much!) services of accepting and storing deliveries for you!

Traveling can be a hassle as it is, so getting a few things you would typically worry about off of your mind wouldn’t hurt. Self-storage allows you to stop worrying about deliveries, whether or not your items will be moldy when you come back, and if your belongings are secure or not. In essence, self-storage helps devoted travelers have a fun trip! But please, make sure to follow all the relevant guidelines for traveling and take care of yourself and the people around you!