Planning Vacations Generations Can Enjoy Together
By Cheryl Harbour

Multi-generation travel is the hot new thing – and many people who’ve tried it, liked it. Others are intrigued by the idea and are just waiting for the right time and looking for the right place. There are many options that make a good fit for different ages, such as renting an RV and traveling the country. If you're interested go to this article for camping memberships. Read on for some more ideas!

Courtney and David Lubenow, for example, have always been travelers. As a young couple, they traveled around Europe with backpacks, a low budget, and Eurail passes and without any particular destination or schedule.  While raising their sons and needing to navigate around school breaks, they mostly headed for active vacation spots in the U.S. -- camping in Michigan, skiing in Colorado, swimming and boogie boarding in Florida.

They only have one little grandchild so far, but they have big plans.

"When he was an infant and my husband and I were driving across the country, we fantasized about piling the whole family into a motor home and introducing the little guy to the Rockies and the Arches National Park near Moab," said Suzanne. “Are we crazy?”

No, Suzanne, not crazy. If it happens for the Lubenows, they will be part of the growing trend toward families with members from multiple generations traveling together.

There are several factors behind this trend. First, families who are geographically separated find this a good way to reconnect. Or, if families do live in proximity to each other, they are often already blended and bonded, because grandparents have taken on some of the childcare responsibilities to help two-career couples. Sometimes it's a convenient economic arrangement, with one or the other generation footing the bill because they have more disposable income. Grandparents are often motivated by the desire to share with the youngest members of the family some of the experiences they may have discovered and enjoyed in the past or possibly to visit places their ancestors lived.

Experts recommend taking advantage of that window of opportunity when family members at both ends of the age range are fairly “portable,” and don’t need a lot of special equipment.

They also recommend choosing activities carefully so there are options that appeal to all ages in the family and to give the younger members - especially teenagers - some say in the planning. Cruises can work well and so can all-inclusive resorts where entertainment and activities are all conveniently on site.

Other families like to make their own plans. In the recent issue of GRAND Magazine, Alice Burdick Schweiger shares details of a “wild West” trip to the scenic Southwest with eight family members, including her 6 and 9-year-old grandsons. She names hotels, sights, and even transportation resources.

To increase your chances of a successful trip, here are more ideas and tips from smartertravel.com.

If you've been on a multi-generation trip of your own that went well, please feel free to tell us about it so we can share it with our readers. Comment below or send us an email at info@babyboomers.com!




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