How do you make vacations more relaxing for yourself?

[mommyoffive]

How do you make vacations more relaxing for yourself?

 

 

 

Just thinking and trying to make them a bit more relaxing for myself.  

 

 

 

 

The only thing I have started doing is staying at hotels that offer free breakfast and evening receptions.  I don't have to plan, cook, shop, prepare, or clean up food. 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I avoid taking them.

 

:laugh:

[mommyoffive]

I avoid taking them.

 

:laugh:

 

smart!

[scrapbookbuzz]

I avoid taking them.

 

:laugh:

 

 

I was just thinking, after reading the thread title, "Must be why we don't take vacations any more - cooking and cleaning are NOT relaxing for me!" 

[regentrude]

I do the stuff I want to do. That's why I go on vacation in the first place. We hike, backpack, climb. That's relaxing.

If we camp, there are no chores. Everything is very basic.

If we were staying in one place, we rented a vacation home - that way, we could prepare food the picky eater likes and didn't have the stress of eating out and finding something he could eat. And I find it much more relaxing if we don't all have to sleep in the same room - because I don't sleep well with three other people in a room where I can't open the window. I hate hotels.

 

Edited January 26, 2017 by regentrude

[Alice]

What kind of vacations? 

 

If it's travel, I don't always find it relaxing but I do enjoy it. I think just not thinking of it as relaxing helps. As the kids have gotten older it's more relaxing. We do a beach week once a year with my parents. It used to be more stressful. Now it's pretty relaxing. I don't really have to cook unless I want. The kids can keep each other company and the things they want to do are things I want to do. We hike, swim, play games, read, etc. All those are things I like and find relaxing. 

 

I try and take some vacation time that isn't travel that gives me more of a time to relax and rejuvenate. I do a weekend once a year in a hotel alone for my birthday. I basically read, take a bath and go to a few museums alone. I also typically go on our church women's retreat...for some churches that might not be relaxing but ours is fairly low-key with a lot of free time built in that I can hike alone or with friends and spend reading. Also, when we take school breaks I try and take a true break. I don't schedule a lot of other stuff or projects. I believe in working hard when it's time to work and resting hard when it's time to rest. :)

Edited January 26, 2017 by Alice

[DawnM]

How do you make vacations more relaxing for yourself?

 

 

 

Just thinking and trying to make them a bit more relaxing for myself.  

 

 

 

 

The only thing I have started doing is staying at hotels that offer free breakfast and evening receptions.  I don't have to plan, cook, shop, prepare, or clean up food. 

 

Where else besides Residence Inn?  Oh, and it needs to offer at least a 1 bedroom, preferably two.

 

This past summer we stayed at a RI and it said one bedroom, I thought it would be like places we have stayed before.  NOPE!  It was TINY.  Not a full kitchen, The LR had a place for a table for 2 (almost) and a sofa.  The bedroom had a queen that you could barely walk around.

 

There were 5 of us, 3 teen boys and DH and me.  It was very uncomfortable.  

 

Dawn

[SparklyUnicorn]

I was just thinking, after reading the thread title, "Must be why we don't take vacations any more - cooking and cleaning are NOT relaxing for me!" 

 

This is one reason I hate camping.  It's just tons of work for me. 

 

I'm thinking of going camping in the summer, but mmmm yeah I don't know.  On the one hand I'd like my kids to enjoy the memory of the experience, but on the other hand it just represent 2x as much work for me.  So not only is it not a vacation for me, it's just a big fat pile of work for me.

 

I find this to be very fracking frustrating.  Like why is it that way?

[mlktwins]

Go by myself LOL!!!!!

 

We just got back from 10 days at Disney in November, and I am on a vacation strike!!! I told DH I will be going on a cruise the next trip where I don't have to do anything but pack.

[DawnM]

I will be honest, I don't really take relaxing vacations, but they are fun!

 

Theme parks

Mountains for skiing or hiking

Lakes for boating or hiking or swimming

Trips to see relatives or sightsee

[Spryte]

Minimum of two bedrooms, full kitchen so we have the option of cooking but we have food allergies so eating out is stressful. We take easy food and snacks.

[regentrude]

This is one reason I hate camping.  It's just tons of work for me. 

 

Why is it tons of work?

 

It takes ten minutes to pitch two tents, the kids help. Throw in sleeping pads and bags - done.

Cooking on a camping stove is so basic, it is almost no work. One pot for meal, one pot for hot water for drinks. Cleanup= rinse meal pot and spoons.

There are no other chores because there is nothing to clean, tidy, care for - because there is no stuff.

Edited January 26, 2017 by regentrude

[Liz CA]

Camping seems like a lot of work for me - someone once called it "planned inconvenience."

I prefer vacation homes I can rent.

I still do the food but it's not a huge chore for me. If I don't feel like cooking, we either go out or order Chinese. ;)

 

Think of it in terms of what you like least. If you don't like cooking, then I'd budget something where food is taken care of one way or another, if you don't like cleaning (like me) find something with cleaning service at the end of your stay.

Also planning a lot of fun stuff (fun for you) may offset some necessary chores.

[Spryte]

Why is it tons of work?

 

It takes ten minutes to pitch two tents, the kids help. Throw in sleeping pads and bags - done.

Cooking on a camping stove is so basic, it is almost no work. One pot for meal, one pot for hot water for drinks. Cleanup= rinse meal pot and spoons.

There are no other chores because there is nothing to clean, tidy, care for - because there is no stuff.

I find camping easy and relaxing, too.

 

We don't go as often now after long bouts with tick diseases, I find the tick anxiety to be too much now, sadly.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Spryte

[SparklyUnicorn]

Why is it tons of work?

 

It takes ten minutes to pitch two tents, the kids help. Throw in sleeping pads and bags - done.

Cooking on a camping stove is so basic, it is almost no work. One pot for meal, one pot for hot water for drinks. Cleanup= rinse meal pot and spoons.

There are no other chores because there is nothing to clean, tidy, care for - because there is no stuff.

 

I don't do that kind of camping (nor do I want to for various reasons). 

 

Picky eaters...so no one pot food. 

 

Issues with lymes and 2 people who get crazy reactions to mosquito bites so the constant dousing of bug spray and being vigilant to check for bugs.  That's always all on me. 

[Lanny]

My wife doesn't go on family vacations to cook for us, but when we stayed in a Timeshare for 7 nights, 9 months ago, with a fully equipped kitchen, she cooked our Breakfast 6 of the 7 mornings we were there.  That not only saved us time and money, not needing to go to the nearby Denny's to eat Breakfast, before we went to Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World or Kennedy Space Center, but allowed us to arrive at the entrance to the parks much earlier, which was critical.  We did go to the nearby Denny's one morning and it was not as good as the other Denny's she'd been in (in FL and TX and NV and CA) and if we'd had the ingredients for Breakfast that morning, she would have cooked Breakfast that day too. On that trip, I think she was fine with cooking a quick Breakfast each morning.

[TravelingChris]

For me, I have plenty of relaxing time at home now that it is just dh and me here on a regular basis.  I don't have littles so I don;t need to take care of anyone when I go on vacation.   In the last few months, I have gone on a short camping trip which was really fun.  It was just dh and me and it didn't take us hardly anytime to put up the tent and take out the few things we brought.  I don't remember what we ate but it was simple food that was mostly prepared by dh.  

Then in Dec, I went on a trip to Arizona with my entire family.  It wasn't a relaxing trip-  jam packed with activity.  But I loved it.  We had most breakfasts at the RI we mostly stayed at and lunches and dinners out.  I did a lot of walking and that was great.  I really enjoyed it.  I am looking forward to a local trip in April and then two trips out west this summer.  Only one of those three trips may be sort of relaxing but I fully expect to enjoy all the other ones too.

[regentrude]

I don't do that kind of camping (nor do I want to for various reasons). 

 

Picky eaters...so no one pot food. 

 

Issues with lymes and 2 people who get crazy reactions to mosquito bites so the constant dousing of bug spray and being vigilant to check for bugs.  That's always all on me. 

 

 

OK, if you mean packing half the household into a camper - yeah, I have never understood the point of that. 

 

I don't like bugs - but we mostly camp where there are no ticks or bugs. Desert is great. High mountains too.

[mommyoffive]

Go by myself LOL!!!!!

 

We just got back from 10 days at Disney in November, and I am on a vacation strike!!! I told DH I will be going on a cruise the next trip where I don't have to do anything but pack.

 

10 days at Disney.  Holy smokes.  You must have walked miles.

 

 

I really am thinking about going on a cruise, but I am so scared that I would get sick.   I am very motion sensitive. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

On that trip, I think she was fine with cooking a quick Breakfast each morning.

 

She may have been.  I don't complain about this stuff, but I'm not fine with it.  I sacrifice my happiness and enjoyment so other people can enjoy themselves.  And then later I privately vent about it on-line.

 

Just being very honest here. 

 

If things were more fair, you would have cooked breakfast sometimes.  And the kids would have if that is possible.  But somehow this ends up on mom. 

[mommyoffive]

My wife doesn't go on family vacations to cook for us, but when we stayed in a Timeshare for 7 nights, 9 months ago, with a fully equipped kitchen, she cooked our Breakfast 6 of the 7 mornings we were there.  That not only saved us time and money, not needing to go to the nearby Denny's to eat Breakfast, before we went to Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World or Kennedy Space Center, but allowed us to arrive at the entrance to the parks much earlier, which was critical.  We did go to the nearby Denny's one morning and it was not as good as the other Denny's she'd been in (in FL and TX and NV and CA) and if we'd had the ingredients for Breakfast that morning, she would have cooked Breakfast that day too. On that trip, I think she was fine with cooking a quick Breakfast each morning.

 

Yeah we have done the timeshare thing a lot.  I am tired of it.  

 

I have to plan the food, shop, prepare, cook, clean.  No thanks.  I will do it in a pinch if the hotels are tons more expensive.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

OK, if you mean packing half the household into a camper - yeah, I have never understood the point of that. 

 

I don't like bugs - but we mostly camp where there are no ticks or bugs. Desert is great. High mountains too.

 

We usually get a cabin, but same idea. 

 

No place around isn't bug ridden. I didn't even realize there were placed without bugs.  Maybe I need to look into that.  I don't want to sleep in a tent because that is harder to deal with in terms of the bugs. 

[regentrude]

She may have been.  I don't complain about this stuff, but I'm not fine with it.  I sacrifice my happiness and enjoyment so other people can enjoy themselves.  And then later I privately vent about it on-line.

 

Just being very honest here. 

 

If things were more fair, you would have cooked breakfast sometimes.  And the kids would have if that is possible.  But somehow this ends up on mom. 

 

But how is fixing breakfast a big deal and sacrifice?

Edited January 26, 2017 by regentrude

[Guest]

My dh asked me why I didn't want to go to our beach house more often.  I said, "Dishes here, dishes there--what's the difference?"  He (and the rest) started doing a lot more of the chores. 

 

We stay in condos where we can; I cook one meal a day.  The rest, we graze. 

 

As for travel where we stay in hotels, I always book at a hotel that has free breakfast and a refrigerator in the room.  Usually Hampton Inn or Garden Inn because they are pretty reliable in having something I can eat and in having a fridge.  When we go out to eat, we bag half the dinner right off the bat and that is dinner the next night or lunch on the road.  

 

And truly, for me, the thing that makes a road trip more relaxing is packing light.  Hauling stuff in and out of hotels and checking in and out is a PITB as it is.  With one trip in and out it is a lot easier.  

 

But I do get it, especially with the littles.  One thing we did when our kid was little was to *always* stay at a hotel with an indoor pool.  All the difference.

 

[Storygirl]

I love vacations, but they are a lot of work for me. The most relaxing ones for me are cruises. We have taken our children twice. They enjoy the activities in the children's and teen's clubs, and I use that time alone to sit and read a book while looking over the beautiful water. I don't have to cook; we enjoy the combination of onboard and shore activities.

 

It is, however, still a lot of work to pack beforehand, clean the house before leaving, and unpack after we get home.

[TravelingChris]

I found our cruises to be wonderful vacations.  

 

I don't know- I like vacations-  camping, renting a place, hotels, cruises.  City vacations, national and state parks, mountains, deserts, seashores, forests, everything I think.  I just like travelling.

[mommyoffive]

Where else besides Residence Inn?  Oh, and it needs to offer at least a 1 bedroom, preferably two.

 

This past summer we stayed at a RI and it said one bedroom, I thought it would be like places we have stayed before.  NOPE!  It was TINY.  Not a full kitchen, The LR had a place for a table for 2 (almost) and a sofa.  The bedroom had a queen that you could barely walk around.

 

There were 5 of us, 3 teen boys and DH and me.  It was very uncomfortable.  

 

Dawn

 

Are you asking what other hotels do this?

 

 

We have stayed at Homewood Suites a lot.  

They have 2 bedroom suites with a full kitchen and living room.  Well they don't have ovens.

 

They can either have 1 king and 2 queens

2 kings

or

4 queens

 

Plus a pull out couch in the living room.

 

We keep meaning to do Residence Inns

 

 

Or we just did a Staybridge suites

2 bedrooms with a king and 2 queens and a pull out.

full kitchen and living room

 

 

 

Staybridge and Homewood had an amazing breakfast and a meal at night.  M-Thursday

 

 

We also did a Hyatt house 

It had 2 queens a bunk bed and a pull out

 

We have done a spring hill suites that had the same as that. 

[regentrude]

And truly, for me, the thing that makes a road trip more relaxing is packing light.  Hauling stuff in and out of hotels and checking in and out is a PITB as it is.  With one trip in and out it is a lot easier.  

 

Yes, this.

We road trip every year and take a lot of stuff - camping gear, rock climbing gear, hiking gear. But having the trunk organized and only having to pull out a small overnight bag to the hotel makes things so much easier!

And for air travel carry-on only, if at all possible.

 

I second the hotel-with-pool recommendation with kids. We live geographically inconvenient and always have one hotel night before we arrive at our actual destination because we cannot drive it in one day. Kids tiring themselves by swimming after a day in the car is good.

Edited January 26, 2017 by regentrude

[Liz CA]

Why is it tons of work?

 

It takes ten minutes to pitch two tents, the kids help. Throw in sleeping pads and bags - done.

Cooking on a camping stove is so basic, it is almost no work. One pot for meal, one pot for hot water for drinks. Cleanup= rinse meal pot and spoons.

There are no other chores because there is nothing to clean, tidy, care for - because there is no stuff.

 

Well, see for me it's the planning. What food we take, what can easily be prepared? Then there is all the packing of camping stove, cast iron pan(s), plates & utensils, sleeping bags, extra clothes when it gets cold at night, ice chest, blue ice, bottled water (lots of campgrounds around here don't have potable water), lots of trash bags, camping lantern, flashlights, books, games, dustpan and brush, soaps and cleaning supplies for dishes and whatever else may need cleaning.

Then there is the possibility that we have to hike to bathrooms and shower facilities or - gulp - the possibilities that there are NO such facilities at all.

Dh would like camping and thinks when / if we ever buy a pop-up trailer, I will get on board. It's possible.

 

I rent a fully furnished vacation home. I arrive with my bag of clothes, then go shopping locally and stick food in fridge. There are often books and games at the homes. I have a real bed and a shower where soaps / shampoos are usually provided and quite often a nicer kitchen than at home.

[SparklyUnicorn]

But how is fixing breakfast a big deal and sacrifice?

 

Because it's all on the one person.  Why should it be on the one person?  That's not my idea of a vacation. 

 

Guess I just don't have that kind of energy.

 

When my dad is here I feel resentful that he expects me to wait on him.  It's like having another child.

 

Of course I feel like crud lately so that is probably coloring my feelings. 

[mommyoffive]

People who take cruises, do you get motion sick?

[G5052]

We go to a remote Caribbean Island every few years that is part of DH's heritage. It's fun when we're there, but that vacation is stressful before because of the amount of packing we have to do. We typically have around 15 checked bags with snorkeling equipment, fishing equipment, and medical supplies because there's not much of that there. Then it's quite a struggle with all of that and TSA, Customs, having to catch a taxi to the ferry, and then finally getting to the island. Each day we have to haul stuff to the boat and then back to wash off the salt. Then afterwards we pack it all up and do it again to go home.

 

In contrast, last summer I took the DC to where I grew up and where my dad and uncle grew up. We did only carry-on bags only. We shipped back one box of things we bought that were fragile and wouldn't fit. We stayed in a relative's guest house on our first stop, and then at a Residence Inn. That was MUCH less stressful, and more my style. 

 

We'll see about this summer. I doubt that we'll go to the ocean this year, but I wouldn't mind something overseas.

[regentrude]

Well, see for me it's the planning. What food we take, what can easily be prepared? Then there is all the packing of camping stove, cast iron pan(s), plates & utensils, sleeping bags, extra clothes when it gets cold at night, ice chest, blue ice, bottled water (lots of campgrounds around here don't have potable water), lots of trash bags, camping lantern, flashlights, books, games, dustpan and brush, soaps and cleaning supplies for dishes and whatever else may need cleaning.

Then there is the possibility that we have to hike to bathrooms and shower facilities or - gulp - the possibilities that there are NO such facilities at all.

 

Yeah, that's because you are taking way too much stuff :)

We have one cook set, two tiny stoves, a few gas cartridges. There often are not bathrooms at all. I fill a few gallon jugs with water and stick them in the car. Or bring a filter if we don't have a car.

 

We don't schlep dustpans and brushes, soaps or cleaning supplies, board games, ice chests, cast iron pans, plates. 

 

Each person has a spoon and a cup, and we eat out of the pot. There is sand and water for cleaning. Easy. 

 

ETA: And the fewer things one takes, the less likely it is that anything will be forgotten. Everything is stored close together, and it takes 30 minutes to gather and pack everything and be ready.

Edited January 26, 2017 by regentrude

[Raifta]

I don't take DH. :laugh:

 

In all seriousness though, I do find that cooking/cleaning are two things I prefer to avoid when we are on holiday.  If DH doesn't come this means we can eat out (he can't due to serious allergies) and the kids and I are fine with sandwiches or cold food or snacky food or food containing nuts for meals when we are not eating out.  This makes food so much simpler.

 

And we always pack very lightly so that there is not a lot of stuff and hence not a lot of cleaning to do.  I love that part of it.  

 

I think part of it also involves some practice and some kids getting older.  Mine have been travelling with me and only me since they were babies.  They have gotten used to contributing when things do need to get done because they realize that most of the time, that is a very small portion of their time and we are getting to visit people and places that are pretty neat.  They also realize that sometimes we go places (beach, art gallery, museum, hike, water park, history themed park, amusement park etc) that are ones that they have picked and sometimes we go places that I have picked and we both have to respect and enjoy the others' choices.

 

And they have also realized that even on vacation, everyone needs down time.  So we always have a lot of books and reading time so we can all relax.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Well, see for me it's the planning. What food we take, what can easily be prepared? Then there is all the packing of camping stove, cast iron pan(s), plates & utensils, sleeping bags, extra clothes when it gets cold at night, ice chest, blue ice, bottled water (lots of campgrounds around here don't have potable water), lots of trash bags, camping lantern, flashlights, books, games, dustpan and brush, soaps and cleaning supplies for dishes and whatever else may need cleaning.

Then there is the possibility that we have to hike to bathrooms and shower facilities or - gulp - the possibilities that there are NO such facilities at all.

Dh would like camping and thinks when / if we ever buy a pop-up trailer, I will get on board. It's possible.

 

I rent a fully furnished vacation home. I arrive with my bag of clothes, then go shopping locally and stick food in fridge. There are often books and games at the homes. I have a real bed and a shower where soaps / shampoos are usually provided and quite often a nicer kitchen than at home.

 

yes exactly...I need to think about stuff like what will everyone eat, how will I manage to store it, remember the matches, remember the forks, etc....

 

Whatever is needed I will need to remember it because nobody else will. 

 

If I forget the Benadryl and my kid has a reaction, I'll be the one to drive him to the walk in clinic or sit with him all night while he cries. If my other kid has nothing he is willing to eat, I will be the one to deal with it.  Nobody else cares nor pays attention nor moves any bone in their body to help.  Somehow this all falls on me. 

[Artichoke]

My dh asked me why I didn't want to go to our beach house more often.  I said, "Dishes here, dishes there--what's the difference?"  He (and the rest) started doing a lot more of the chores. 

 

We stay in condos where we can; I cook one meal a day.  The rest, we graze. 

 

As for travel where we stay in hotels, I always book at a hotel that has free breakfast and a refrigerator in the room.  Usually Hampton Inn or Garden Inn because they are pretty reliable in having something I can eat and in having a fridge.  When we go out to eat, we bag half the dinner right off the bat and that is dinner the next night or lunch on the road.  

 

And truly, for me, the thing that makes a road trip more relaxing is packing light.  Hauling stuff in and out of hotels and checking in and out is a PITB as it is.  With one trip in and out it is a lot easier.  

 

But I do get it, especially with the littles.  One thing we did when our kid was little was to *always* stay at a hotel with an indoor pool.  All the difference.

 

We do a lot of the same.  Packing light makes things go so much easier.  Each person is also responsible for carrying his/her own stuff, except for dh and I.  We usually pack together and one of us takes our bag so the other could help the littles, if needed.  We used to travel a lot for competitions so we came up with a set menu of snacks and meals.  that little bit of extra planning made everything go so much smoother.  I also always took our crockpot to use for the evening meal.   When we built our beach house last summer, I included a large crockpot so whoever is renting it can have the same convenience. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah, that's because you are taking way too much stuff :)

We have one cook set, two tiny stoves, a few gas cartridges. There often are not bathrooms at all. I fill a few gallon jugs with water and stick them in the car. Or bring a filter if we don't have a car.

 

We don't schlep dustpans and brushes, soaps or cleaning supplies, board games, ice chests, cast iron pans, plates. 

 

Each person has a spoon and a cup, and we eat out of the pot. There is sand and water for cleaning. Easy. 

 

ETA: And the fewer things one takes, the less likely it is that anything will be forgotten. Everything is stored close together, and it takes 30 minutes to gather and pack everything and be ready.

 

Yeah I can't even go to a place that doesn't have bathrooms.  That would not work. 

[Liz CA]

Yeah, that's because you are taking way too much stuff :)

We have one cook set, two tiny stoves, a few gas cartridges. There often are not bathrooms at all. I fill a few gallon jugs with water and stick them in the car. Or bring a filter if we don't have a car.

 

We don't schlep dustpans and brushes, soaps or cleaning supplies, board games, ice chests, cast iron pans, plates. 

 

Each person has a spoon and a cup, and we eat out of the pot. There is sand and water for cleaning. Easy. 

 

ETA: And the fewer things one takes, the less likely it is that anything will be forgotten. Everything is stored close together, and it takes 30 minutes to gather and pack everything and be ready.

 

I know you are right in that camping is to be approached a little like a sport. One has to have the right gear or know how to improvise. If I ever get into it, I would probably invest in some compact camping-specific items and it would be much easier than hauling my 10lb Lodge pan along. ;)

 

[Arcadia]

People who take cruises, do you get motion sick?

We get car sick but not sea sick. We take the rooms at the highest affordable level to our family and spend most of the time on the upper decks.

 

For vacations we don't cook, unless you count instant noodles as a junk food supper treat. We just eat whenever our kids are hungry. We ended up eating lots of Tim Hortons at our last vacation and lots of In-N-Out burgers at our last road trip.

 

Since we don't cook, we don't need a kitchenette in our hotel rooms which does cut the price of a hotel room down for us. We do prefer hotel suites when it is off season prices.

 

We go free and easy. I have one or two attractions that are must see per day. The rest is whatever we want to do spur of the moment. For example my kids wanted to build snowmen at Crater Lake during our previous Oregon trip. So we drove up to Crater Lake from a nearby hotel in the late morning, have hot cocoa at the visitor center there with my mom while kids made snowmen with my husband. We had afternoon tea at the visitor center's cafe before driving down at sunset to our hotel.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I never went on a cruise, but I did spend a week on a sailboat.  I used a sea sickness patch behind my ear and that worked very well.

[scholastica]

Take them without the kids.

 

I haven't read the other replies. I read somewhere years ago that mom's don't take vacations, they take trips. When we go on vacations with our families all the work goes with us. I think the same applies to dads.

[alisoncooks]

I do a lot of planning in advance, so I can actually enjoy the vacation when it arrives. (For the most part, I know what we want to do and when so there aren't any preventable conflicts.)

 

I don't cook on vacation.  Either the hotel has breakfast or we pack easy stuff (cheese and nuts and bars and fruit).  Lunch and dinner out are considered into the vacation costs.

 

ETA: most of my travel stress/anxiety is related to being prepared (or not). So I tend to overpack, plan for circumstances, etc...but I don't have issues when we are actually traveling. :)

Edited January 26, 2017 by alisoncooks

[Pawz4me]

We don't do relaxing vacations in the sense of sitting around watching the grass grow and the sunset. We're pretty active, we want to be doing things--exploring new places, seeing new things. So I've never expected a vacation to be relaxing. But I also don't know any way to make them not exhausting for moms. There's just too much to do getting ready to go, seeing to everyone while you're there and then catching up on laundry and other stuff around the house when you get back. Ugh. Although it does get a little easier when the kids are old enough to pretty much tend to themselves while you're traveling. I'm not a big fan of vacations/traveling any time, but I am kinda looking forward to it just being me and DH again. It's much less work for two people to vacation than it is for four. :lol:

[QueenCat]

For vacations, we stay in 2 bedroom condos with a kitchen. However, we really only use the kitchen for simple breakfasts unless we're at the beach. If the beach, then we bring sandwich food to pack up & take the cooler at to the beach with us (or go in for a break). We do not cook dinner, ever, on vacation, but might order pizza one or two nights, during a week's vacation...

 

If we're visiting family, rather than being on vacation, we stay in a regular hotel room/suite that has breakfast so that we will have already eaten by the time we get to said family's home. Usually, when visiting family, we all go out to eat for lunch/dinner, unless there is a family gathering or something like that.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Last trip to Germany I was definitely not overworked. But I did have to deal with my controlling MIL.  That in and of itself requires a vacation.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I know you are right in that camping is to be approached a little like a sport. One has to have the right gear or know how to improvise. If I ever get into it, I would probably invest in some compact camping-specific items and it would be much easier than hauling my 10lb Lodge pan along. ;)

 

 

True.  I have no special equipment.  Don't have the right shoes.  I have no idea how to put up a tent.  I can't tolerate sleeping on the ground or a thin mat. 

 

I'd give it a try, but not with my kids.  NOPE....

[Moonhawk]

Re camping food, or really any time we go anywhere now, even hotel says:

 

 I figure out where the closest Whole Foods is, then for breakfast we usually buy a box of cereal, milk, and eat it there at their tables.  Add berries, etc, whatever the kids want.  If the weather is good and we have a cooler with us, we pick up lunch at the same time.  We may even go there for dinner :)  Just depends on the plan for the day, but once we figured out we don't have to cook at the campsite or go to a full blown restaurant, I have had a lot less food-related stress on vacations.  And, people can choose their own food, especially at the newer Whole Foods with a pizza thing and a taco thing and a salad bar, plus the regular grocery aisles, so there isn't the arguing and trying to conform to food allergies that we usually run into at other places.  I guess any grocery store can work in this scenario, but WF has been the easiest default for my purposes. 

 

[alisoncooks]

True.  I have no special equipment.  Don't have the right shoes.  I have no idea how to put up a tent.  I can't tolerate sleeping on the ground or a thin mat. 

 

I'd give it a try, but not with my kids.  NOPE....

 

We go camping 2-3x a year.

 

 

With my parents...

in their 30' RV...

with satellite t.v. and beds and air conditioning...

usually at a campground with pools and such...

:D :D

(LOL, you couldn't pay me enough to actually tent-camp and cook on fires. HA! Give me a hotel with a pool any day!)

[HomeAgain]

We streamlined this a long time ago. :)

Each kid has a master packing list.  I check piles, but they are responsible for each item on the master list.  It's very simple: there's a blank for the number of days at the top, along with a list for each day: socks, pants, shirt, underwear.

Below that is singular: swim suit, towel, sweatshirt/jacket, sunglasses.  And then a list for their toiletry kits.  My packing list includes folding cubby boxes, one for each person.  They don't take up much room but it keeps various things contained in a hotel room.

 

I keep a backpack filled with travel toys in my closet.  It keeps me from having to search the house for things when we pack.

 

Every person strips a bed when we leave and we each have a duty: take out the trash, get lights, check appliances/faucets, lock all doors. 

 

 

Actually on the trip:
We keep a loose itinerary.  Usually a 1-2 "must-do" and then the ability to relax.

We stay in a suite or cabin.  The ability to close doors is awesome!

I don't cook.  If I do it's because I want to.

We put the 6yo in bright tee shirts (even his jacket is bright orange).  I need to be able to see him at all times.  I also tag him with glowsticks at night.

 

And we don't do "kid friendly".  Usually that ends up in "kid chaos",  Family friendly, yes, definitely those.  But anything that is only geared toward kids we stay away from.

 

Our last vacation was camping along with a theme park.  It went really well.  The kids were all organized, we had a lot of fun, and even packing to come home wasn't as stressful as it could have been.

ETA: Our best camping tip has been to invest in a sterilite drawer system.  I take the entire 3-drawer container and put it in the back of my car.  Each drawer has items in it: bottom - camp stove, pot, pan, cook utensils, marshmallow sticks.  Middle: plastic silverware (large divided tub), plates, squishy foodstuffs (bananas, marshmallows, crackers, chocolate), cups, napkins, baby wipes.  Top - games, lantern, umbrella, other camp stuff that doesn't fit below (like hammer).  Whole thing is organized and ready to go.  After that,  packing the food, tent, sleeping bags and packs is easy, even in my little hatchback.

Edited January 26, 2017 by HomeAgain

[SparklyUnicorn]

We go camping 2-3x a year.

 

 

With my parents...

in their 30' RV...

with satellite t.v. and beds and air conditioning...

usually at a campground with pools and such...

:D :D

(LOL, you couldn't pay me enough to actually tent-camp and cook on fires. HA! Give me a hotel with a pool any day!)

 

now you are talking

 

Last time we went we rented a no frills cabin.  It was ok.  I think the hardest part was constantly having to buy ice to keep food cold.  Everyone wanted good food and we were very far from grocery stores. 

So I'm thinking next time to rent a nicer cabin with more amenities.