Successful Summer Vacations Require Planning
- Captain Billy Howell
- Feb 21, 2019
- 5 min read
Every year, millions of visitors flock to Coastal Alabama to relax in the sunshine on one of our sandy beaches, do some hardcore fishing or play a little golf while enjoying luxurious accommodations and a wealth of delicious coastal cuisine. Between the boat show, seafood festival, fishing, the beach and concert series at the Wharf, Coastal Alabama has endless opportunities to stay busy.
Some vacationer's plan their trips spontaneously coming for a weekend, but the best made plan is set months to a year in advance. One thing is for sure, if you are traveling with kids and want to have that peaceful and perfect as possible vacation, you have to plan for success.
In this blog edition, we were fortunate to host guest writer, Daniel Sherwin, single dad of a 9 year old daughter and 6 year old son. Daniel hosts a website that provides helpful information to single dads. When you get a minute, check out www.dadsolo.com and let Daniel know what you think of his blog.
Tips For Traveling With Kids Of All Ages
Let’s be honest — when was the last time you really enjoyed preparing for a family vacation? When your kids are several years apart in age, the planning and packing are more complex. On top of that, you have to choose a destination that appeals to everyone and plot a course to get there that is low stress for all ages. At times, it feels like you need to move mountains.
As a parent, it’s understandable how traveling with kids can be the furthest thing from easy; however, it also doesn’t have to be that hard. When your children are at different levels of maturity, traveling can be tough but not impossible. Here are a few tips to put the joy back in road trips and plane travel for the whole family.
Pick Someplace Fun
If you don’t select a place that everyone can enjoy during their vacation, then you’ve essentially created a recipe for disaster. So, before you begin planning your trip, you need to select a destination. If you’ve never taken a trip to the Gulf of Mexico, now’s your chance to do so! Gulf Shores, Alabama, offers plenty of great activities for your entire family, including white sand beaches, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, and a number of incredible golf courses for those who want to stay active during their stay. There’s definitely no shortage of things to keep you busy!
And if you want to live like the locals, consider exploring a vacation rental property instead of a hotel. While it may seem daunting to choose from the hundreds available, consider using comprehensive search filters on a site like Turnkey (price, number of bathrooms and bedrooms, pet-friendliness, etc.) to more quickly and easily narrow your choice and find the best fitting property for your family. After all, the more comfortable your loved ones feel in their lodgings, the happier everyone will be during their vacation.
Packing For Portability
Your packing will reflect the various ages of your kids, as well as their individual needs and interests. For example, if you are traveling with school-ages kids, packing their favorite pillow or blanket might be enough to make a hotel bed more comfortable. An infant, however, requires more specialized sleeping arrangements. Save yourself some time and trouble by packing a travel crib. These portable cribs have many benefits (lightweight, can be broken down and placed into a carrying bag with handles, ensure your child always has a clean place to sleep, and can be brought anywhere) and make travel much more comfortable — especially when space is hard to come by.
Entertainment At A Moments Notice
What entertains a toddler will hardly do for your 6-year-old, and nothing makes that more apparent than a long road trip. You’ll want plenty of games in your arsenal in order to keep everyone’s minds and hands occupied. Group activities that everyone can participate in are harder to come by, but they do exist. Think of games that don’t require reading, such as “I Spy,” “20 Questions,” or a scavenger hunt that uses pictures. Don’t rule out individual activities, as well.
While one child watches their favorite show on a portable DVD player, the other can play an educational game on a tablet or smartphone. Be sure to cycle through these activities every 30 to 45 minutes to set healthy parameters for screen time.
Rewards For Delaying Gratification
One of the most inspirational qualities of children is how they are able to stay so present to the current moment. However, it’s also one of the most challenging, especially if the present moment is uneventful or uncomfortable. You can help your children develop the skills to delay gratification — a truly essential life skill that many adults don’t have. However, it’s not enough to tell them that if they’re good on the plane, they will get rewarded with an ice cream after. You must offer encouragement and positive distractions when their willpower seems to falter. Avoid negative encouragement such as saying “But you want that ice cream, don’t you?” and instead ask what kind of ice cream flavor they want to celebrate being so strong.
Take Your Time
The days of hopping on a plane or a train with minimal planning are over — or at least on pause. If you want low-stress, easy-going travel with kids, you’ll have to take it slow. Break a six-hour road trip into two three-hour days by making a few exciting stops along the way. You can even enlist your children to help you plot a course. If flying, add an extra day on each end of your trip as a buffer for canceled or late flights. If you view travel as painful, you’ll try to rush through it, which can drain the whole family.
Whether your kids are seven months or 17, or anything in between, creating a fun travel experience for all of them can be a challenge. One of the easiest ways to ensure a good time is to get their input — ask them what they want and need. Believe it or not, this can make traveling together the best part of a family vacation.
Article submitted by Daniel Sherwin of www.dadsolo.com
Outlook
The last few weeks have seen consistent temperatures in the 70's moving fish into a early spring time pattern. While the dredging in Orange Beach has affected the sheepshead fishing this year, you can find a few around the rigs off the Alabama coast.
Planning for Spring fishing requires preparation. Just this week I rigged my inshore gear with Fairhope Rattle popping and slip corks to get ready for the onslaught that will soon occur. If you don't have yours, get them today at the newly designed Fairhope Rattle website.
Red Snapper season is slated to open June 1 and should be open for around 60 consecutive days. Our calendar will fill up quick, so book your trip today at www.bentoutfittersfishing.com
LOCAL LEARNING
Click the image below to sign up for the Surf Fishing Seminar that will take place next month at the Orange Beach Community Center.
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