Travel Traditions That Bond Your Family for Life

The role travel plays in keeping my family close, and how to start your own traditions

I just got back from Grand Lake, Colorado, where my husband, our two adult daughters and I spent three glorious days among the yellow, gold and red aspens. We do this every fall. We hike or kayak during the day, then reward ourselves with crazy-delicious ice cream from a little shop in town. At night we pile onto the couch of our rental and watch scary movies. We’re not really a Hallmark movie kind of family.

For years we kept kicking ourselves for missing the aspens. Colorado’s fall color only lasts a few weeks, and every year it slipped by because we hadn’t made time or planned for it. So we put it on the calendar, and it stayed there. Now it’s one of three travel traditions that have quietly become the backbone of our family.

Thanksgiving, Before the Chaos

When our daughters were in college, they’d come home for Thanksgiving week. By the end of it, I’d feel a little resentful. Between the cooking, getting ready for guests and their own plans with friends, I’d barely seen them.

So we tried something new. The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we’d pack up for a quick two-night getaway before the chaos began. We’ve gone to nearby mountain towns, theme parks and hiking spots in neighboring states.

Last year we took a road trip to Buena Vista, Colorado. We hiked in the season’s first snow under sunshine and blue skies, soaked in the Mount Princeton Hot Springs, stayed at the fabulous Surf Hotel and ate pie at Jan’s (in my humble but extensive pie experience, THE best pie).

Our youngest finished college ten years ago, and we’ve kept the tradition going ever since. This year we’re headed to Taos, where we’ll stay at El Monte Sagrado, enjoy its spa and indoor saltwater pool, explore the galleries in town and get in a little hiking.

Meet in the Middle, Then Go Your Own Way

Our newest tradition is international. Every other year we plan a trip abroad with our daughters, who are now 32 and 34. So far we’ve been to Mexico, Spain and Italy, plus Japan twice. We loved it that much.

Here’s how it works. Together we choose a country, then one city where we’ll spend four nights together. We meet there and explore as a family. After that we split up. The girls head off on their own adventures, and so do we.

But every evening we text each other photos from our day: a market, a meal, a view, something that made us laugh. Earlier this year in Japan, the girls texted us a photo of themselves in kimonos, sipping beautiful drinks at a bar with a footbath under the counter. We sent back a picture of the pony that had greeted us at our hotel that evening.

We’re in different corners of the same country, sharing it as it happens.

This gives our daughters the freedom to travel as the adults they are, while keeping us connected. And it has given us years of shared stories. Long after we’re home, we’re still saying, “Remember when…”

Starting Your Own Travel Tradition

You don’t need a big budget or a perfect plan to start a travel tradition. You just need to go once, then go again. Here’s what we’ve learned along the way.

• Dream big, but start small. Your family’s tradition might one day take you around the world, but it can begin with a weekend a short drive from home. When you’re ready to go abroad, countries where English is widely spoken, like Ireland, Scotland or Australia, make a gentler first step.
• Start planning early. Getting everyone to agree on where and when takes time, and consensus doesn’t always come easily. (Ask me how I know.) Starting the conversation early gives everyone a voice and leaves room for compromise.
• Talk about money upfront. We’re fortunate to be able to buy our daughters’ plane tickets as a kind of head start. Because we plan so far ahead, they can save a little each month for the better part of a year. They’ve become experts at booking one piece at a time, a hotel one month and a train pass or tour the next, so the whole trip feels doable.
• Pick a fixed date when possible. “The Sunday before Thanksgiving” never needs a group text to decide. When the date is set, the tradition practically takes care of itself.
• Let it grow up with your family. Our trips abroad began once our daughters were adults. Meeting in the middle, then splitting up, gives everyone freedom while keeping us connected. Your traditions can change as your family does.
• Repeat the small rituals. The ice cream shop, the scary movies, the pie at Jan’s, the evening photo swap. Those small moments, repeated, are what everyone remembers.
  

Our daughters are grown, with full lives of their own. But a few times a year, we all drop everything and go, and every trip adds another “Remember when…” to the list.

Whatever your family keeps missing, whether it’s a season, a place or simply time together, put it on the calendar. Then go again next year.

P.S. I love helping my clients plan family trips. If you’d like some help planning yours, please reach out