By Lincoln McElwee
We’ve probably all been there before…that moment when boredom or cabin fever sets in and we want desperately to be anywhere other than where we are! And though we might love to be canyoneering or rock climbing in one of Utah’s national parks, hiking up to Macchu Picchu in Peru or taking in an opera in an old Italian town, we know that we really only have the money and, more importantly, the time, for local travel. But don’t be dismayed; there’s no need to give up! The answer to the sudden travel bug bite is literally all around us! That’s right: one-tank trips to local points-of-interest make exciting and memorable family adventures. So grab the kids and get going! Listed below are some of the reasons that these one-tank trips are so advantageous!
1. Spontaneity – For many people, there is nothing more thrilling than an unplanned trip! Even for those families or personality types that require a bit of structure or planned entertainment, a trip to a local beach town, a neighboring city’s downtown or old town for a peaceful family stroll or window shopping, or even to a neighboring city’s weekend entertainment can provide well-needed respite and quality-time for the entire family.
The great thing about spontaneous trips are that they not only help you to maintain the spontaneity of your youth, but they are great ways to surprise or reward your children for doing well at school or around the house, as well as ways to add educational and cultural interests to your travel itineraries! These trips are also amenable because they can be done on one tank of gas or less, depending on how far the nearest city is to you. Also, trips to neighboring towns where a stroll around the downtown might be all that is planned for a wonderful getaway can ensure that even your pets can get in on the fun of unplanned/spontaneous travel. And the spontaneity can always keep your kids guessing as to when the next fun trip might be. These trips, therefore, are rewards in themselves as they allow every member of the family to find something rewarding in the experience. One-tank trips are overwhelmingly simple and will always be a great method of bonding with your family!
2. Local Events – many cities have wonderful local events that are often advertised in mailings or local papers in advance! This can include anything from small to large-scale Farmer’s Markets where your family can taste local produce like juicy, freshly picked fruit and vegetables, taste organic honey or locally brewed organic teas and coffees or even purchase hand-crafted jewelry from local artisans!
Another wonderful facet of local events is that they often focus on the arts, with many places staging their own renditions and/or productions of classics that are both kid and family-friendly! Whenever I drive through my nearest downtown area, for instance, there are banners and advertisements for theater productions that the local high school and junior college will be performing in the near future. Sometimes these events are even free and other times the producers may ask for a small donation. It is an amazing sight to see groups of families all walking together toward the theater on the weekend to take in the family-themed festivities; and these groups include families from neighboring cities that either love theater or are supporting their children and the arts or families simply bitten by the travel bug and simply looking for something fun and family-friendly to do with the kids for the weekend!
3. Kid-Friendly Focus – A large portion of local events seem to function around activities for children of all ages. These activities are often advertised in advance, especially in places like your local coffee shop (as a side note, Starbucks does a wonderful job of advertising local and independent productions around town in their coffee shops) so can be noted and remembered by those families that need some semblance of a plan even when traveling “last-minute” to some local entertainment. Just recently, for instance, I passed by my neighborhood local park which connects three separate cities and is aptly named Tri-City Park. As it turned out, the park was hosting an event for children with what looked like rows upon rows of bouncing castles in all shapes and sizes. The park had youth volleyball games, fishing and scout activities and of course the amazing smell of barbeque in the air! Neighboring cities even advertise such events as parades and sporting events for children. These fun activities gladly welcome and accommodate kids, and these events are something that families who like to plan can actually mark their travel calendars for!
4. Family-Friendly Focus – Most importantly, local trips to neighboring towns or even towns farther out but still accessible with one tank of gas – roundtrip included – are the perfect time to bond with your family. Car games that center on fun facts about your destination or what the city might have been like twenty or thirty years ago; games that involve guessing what each member of the family might want to find while rummaging through stores in your destination city, such as stickers, ice cream, toy trains, books or comic books – all of this helps to create an air of excitement while your family makes its way to your destination! Additionally, the cities themselves are focused on maintaining everyone’s safety and on ensuring that the fun being held remains suitable for children of all ages; therefore, entertainment, the music and the general vibe of the places that your family visits already have a great history of being very conducive to family-oriented fun!
5. Savings – Last but not least, the amount of money saved on one-tank trips to local destinations is definitely something your family will appreciate! The cost of airplane tickets, hotels and other fees, such as pet boarding or house-sitting, instantly fly out of the window when your trip involves settling the kids into the car, buckling up and driving to some local point-of-interest! This means that money can be spent trying delicious food at Farmer’s Markets or local festivals, buying unique gifts for friends or loved ones or even enjoying a great family dinner at a kid-friendly local restaurant. Almost every weekend I make it a point to get together with my family and head to one of our local cities to enjoy the downtown ambience. There are many families from out of town taking pictures and pushing strollers around! There is a wonderful old-time soda shop with hundreds upon hundreds of amazingly flavored sodas to try. My family always chooses a different flavor as we order the Olde-Towne Fries and just sit and relax for a few hours. It is an extremely cost-effective adventure that we always look forward to when we need some time to relax and get out of town. It is such an easy and affordable trip and a wonderful way to spend quality-time with those that I love!
The big trips are those that we can plan for months in advance and save up for, the ones that might involve travel agents and touring companies. But when we get that travel bug bite and know that some immediate respite with the kids and family is needed, one-tank trips to local points of interest are definitely the way to go! Try it this weekend with your family and see what the fun is all about!
