The Value of Family Vacations

Family vacations often make up a big portion of people’s happy childhood memories. This is true for me. Come take a trip down my memory lane, where family vacations have a soft spot in my heart.

Each summer, our family woke early and piled into our station wagon to take a two-week long trek from New York’s Long Island to the majestic Adirondack Mountains. We drove with windows wide open (no a/c) and the kids excitedly bounced around from seat to seat. Our dog Mitzi somehow found a tight space to settle into, which wasn’t easy with five kids, two parents, and a tightly packed vehicle. It would be a straight ride up to a family-friendly campground in the woods, with only occasional stops for a quick bite and to stretch our legs.

I can close my eyes and clearly picture us driving over the Throgs Neck Bridge, moving alongside booming traffic to eventually discover quiet windy roads, deep-green pine forests, and fresh mountain air. Our luggage was piled high on top of the car, strapped in with ropes and covered by our camp tarp as a precaution for inclement weather. My Dad must have used his engineering skills to fit everything up there and safely strap it down.  Through his ingenuity and God’s grace, nothing ever fell off!

The antenna radio reception was crackly and poor, sometimes nonexistent, so we played games along the way to pass time. (No cellphones back then!)  Our family would compete to see who would be the first to spot a deer, see a lake, or pass a car with out-of-state license plate. We sometimes played the comedy word game Mad Libs. The silly stories made my father belly laugh while driving. I can also hear us playing, “A my name is…” where we took turns saying names and singing answers to the letter of the alphabet.

On the annual trip, we would briefly stop at a rest area to stretch our legs and share peanut butter & jelly sandwiches my mother made, wrapped in foil, and lovingly packed (or smooshed) into the cooler. Fancy restaurant and hotel stays were unaffordable for our big family, but we remained chock full of spirit, adventure, and fun. The kids were by no means perfect. On one trip, my dad grew tired of hearing us bicker over car space. He was forced to pull the car over and create boundary lines for each kid – and anyone crossing the lines would be punished. The rest of that car ride we were well behaved!

At the campsite, big and small hands would pitch in to help, whether it be carrying fishing rods from the car, holding poles to help pitch the tent, unrolling sleeping bags, or gathering bits of kindling for evening campfires. We worked as a team in whatever capacity we could. What a charming scene – our blue tent nestled under the trees, a screened-in picnic table with a portable camp stove and percolator, and lawn chairs facing a campfire of crisscrossed logs – ready for lighting, storytelling, and making s’mores!

Family trips, particularly those offering time in nature, allow people respite from responsibilities related to work, school, the household, and more. Disengaging from high-pressure routines helps people relax and experience new and exciting adventures. It also helps family members bond. Per Psychology Today, “Vacations promote what is called the ‘crescive bond’ (in sociological parlance, a ‘shared experience’) by fostering growing and enduring connections.” These shared experiences draw people together. The memories of walks in the woods, catching fish and frogs, canoe paddles on the lake, sounds of the loons and barred owls, and nights sleeping under the stars with my family bring forth feelings of childhood joy, warmth, and nostalgia. These precious memories point to time well spent together on our family vacations.

We’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment below with your favorite car trip or family vacation memories!

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