It should come as no surprise that one of the top reasons why people embark on an annual family vacation is actually to spend time with their family.
During our daily routines, it can be hard to connect when kids are at school regularly, the parents are at work, and everyone has full and hectic schedules that are jam-packed with tasks and things to do.
But when you’re on vacation, how do you ensure that you enjoy the quality time that you may miss out on in your day-to-day life?
Here are a five ways to ensure that your next family getaway actually revolves around the family.
1. Find Common Ground and Common Living Quarters
When you stay at a motel or hotel, it can be easy for everyone to retreat to their rooms at the end of the day, leaving the family behind.
But if you opt for accommodations where there are common living, dining, and kitchen areas, like a Bridge Bay houseboat, you are always connected through easy-going and everyday activities, like cooking meals or just relaxing on a waterfront deck at the end of a busy and action-packed day.
2. Stay Natural
Theme parks and tourist-oriented cities like Las Vegas or Los Angeles may have plenty of distractions, but considering how hectic life already is, a destination filled with distractions may not exactly be what your family needs in their downtime.
So instead, set your sights on locales and destinations where the local landscape and inherent nature steal the scene.
Breathtaking vacation spots like Shasta Lake offer miles of room to roam, (as well as ample activities like swimming, hiking, or even exploring caves and waterfalls), but none of the glitz and glitter that may make it hard actually to unwind and breathe easy.
3. Learn Something New
A vacation is an ideal opportunity for everyone in the family to further their education through fun day trips or destinations.
At Shasta Lake, you’ll love trips to Shasta Dam, Shasta Caverns, or even the historic mining town of French Gulch, which effortlessly combine exploring education, and tons of entertainment.
4. Have an Arsenal of Activities at Your Fingertips
The kids may want to spend their vacation days swimming and playing in the water, while the adults may want to relax with a drink and a good book.
So the trick for vacationing families is to accommodate everyone in the crew without separate adventures, and without leaving anyone behind.
This is where a houseboat is an ideal vehicle for family fun. With unique features such as built-in watersides for the kids and ample deck space for the tired adults, everyone can have a ball while still staying connected and together.
5. Take it Easy!
You don’t have to have a huge game plan in place to ensure that everyone in the family has a ball. Find a destination where it’s easy to slide into vacation mode and relax, through included amenities like paper products and kitchenware, or with friendly check-in personnel who are happy to guide the way.
By picking a smart destination where you can relax as soon as you arrive, connections with family members will simply come naturally.