So Long, Summer
Even though it still feels like summer, with temperatures near 100, I can sense a change in season. A school bus picked up children in my neighborhood as I walked my dog. I’m not hearing the squeal of children or the bounce of basketballs. I don’t see as many bicycles or scooters zooming by my house. Fall is definitely in the air; a perfect time to reflect on the summer that went by way too fast.
My husband and I spent most of the summer in the mountains of North Carolina. (We are heading back for September and October). The cooler temperatures and the slower pace are the biggest draw, but we also enjoy listening to mountain music, eating BBQ and country cooking, and reconnecting with other seasonal friends. A recent visit from long-time friends gave us a chance to show off our little corner of mountain paradise.
One of my favorite things this summer was time spent with our kids and grandkids.
A Legacy of Family Vacations
I grew up going on family vacations. My grandfather sent the whole family—parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a brother—on a fun-filled vacation each summer. We went on road trips in an RV, flew across the country to California, and even went on a Caribbean cruise.
My mom and dad continued the tradition when our two children were small. We would alternate a snow-skiing trip with a golf or beach trip. Our first family trip was when my daughter was 18 months old, and our last big vacation was just after her high school graduation.
I love family vacations. It gives me a chance to “live” with my children again, to get to know their spouses a little better, to get a break from the day-to-day routines of life, and to enjoy new places and experiences with my grandsons.
1. Back To The Past
My husband, my two children, and I haven’t lived together as a family since the summer of 2008. It was the summer after my son’s freshman year of college and before my daughter’s senior year of high school. My son was taking a course at a local college and interning at a business in his major, and my daughter was interning at a local non-profit. It was fun rushing around each morning getting ready for our day.
A family vacation is similar. You get to hang out with your adult kids like you used to. Enjoying a relaxed morning cup of coffee, planning the day’s activities, and eating dinner together harkens back to an earlier time. Family members invariably share stories and memories. It’s such a good feeling, especially if your children get along better as adults than they did as children.
2. More To Love With Married Kids
When your adult children marry, you gain more adult children, and the fun multiplies. I know it is not always the case, but I enjoy being with my son-in-law and my daughter-in-law, and I really enjoy watching the four of them interact. I am blessed that they all get along so well together.
Although my time with them was not nearly long enough, I loved my in-laws. They were already grandparents when my husband and I married, so I called my mother-in-law by her “grandmother” name, Mimi. It was a little more awkward with my father-in-law. I didn’t want to call him Grandaddy, but Dad was too familiar and Mr. Wilbanks too formal. Because of that, I wanted my daughter-in-law and son-in-law to feel comfortable around us so they address us by our first names. It helps create ease in our relationship, especially when we’re spending an extended amount of time together.
3. What Routine?
Any type of vacation takes you away from the day-to-day routines of life. Things are more relaxed. You may sleep later, eat when you’re hungry instead of when the clock says it’s time, and maybe forgo that afternoon nap if you’re in the middle of something fun. We have had family vacations where each of our adult kids had to put in a few hours of work online. (One of the positive things of the computer age—the ability to work from just about anywhere). Just being somewhere together, doing something different, is so enjoyable.
4. Exploring The New While Treasuring The Traditional
Family vacations are great for exploring new places together. Last year, about this time, we went on a family trip to Scotland. Except for the little boys, we had all spent some time in Scotland, but it ended up being a unique trip because we had to choose more child-friendly activities and accommodations. It was so fun to see one of our favorite places through their little eyes.
We stayed a few days on the Isle of Skye and a few days in the Scottish Highlands. My daughter is an excellent travel planner, and she found plenty of things for us all to enjoy. We had a few rainy days and experienced a massive swarm of midges, but overall, it was a memorable trip.
My husband and I traveled with our son, daughter-in-law, and infant grandson to Iceland in 2023, which was also an amazing trip. I look forward to more trips like this with my family.
Sometimes families vacation at the same place year after year. My daughter-in-law’s family has vacationed at the same coastal island for decades. There’s something special about having “a place”.
Our place has been in the mountains of North Carolina since the 1980s. We went from a two-bedroom condo my parents bought when my brother was a student at Appalachian State University, to the log cabin they built in 1995, to the condo we purchased in 2022. The familiarity of the area is appealing, anchored by the beautiful Grandfather Mountain. We have our favorite restaurants, coffee shops, and activities.
We try to get together the week after the Fourth of July. One of our favorite things to do is attend the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Last year’s event ended with a scary thunderstorm, but this year the boys enjoyed watching the competition, listening to the bagpipes, and watching the sheep herding demonstrations.
5. Trying New Experiences
While we repeat many of the same activities year to year, as the boys get older, we add fresh adventures. This year we took them gem mining, something their dad and aunt used to love as children. I felt pleasantly surprised at their persistence. They quickly learned how to sift the dirt in the water, and they found some cool gemstones. Who knows, next year we may try trout fishing or check out the Tweetsie Railroad.
Family Time Is A Blessing
I have always considered family to be one of the biggest blessings in my life. Traveling with family brings an extra heaping of joy. I get to “live” with my kids again and enjoy their spouses, my new kids. For a few days, I pause routines and explore new places and different activities with my growing family.
How about you? Does your family have a tradition of vacationing together? Do you go to the same place or explore? What is your favorite thing about traveling with your family? I’d love to hear.
Kim Wilbanks 