BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Living Simply Do you have travel plans this summer?

With the tough economy, are you altering travel plans? Perhaps keeping it local? What will you do this summer?

Aimee, We are going to do local stuff, and it won't be such a bad thing and my kids are already excited because one of the first things we are going to do is go on a family picnic (and invite extended family if they would like to go) we will spend the day, we are planning a fishing trip, a hike,going to a corn boil,strawberry picking,nature center and antiquing. My teens,tween, and little one are the ones coming up with the ideas! We will be gone every weekend and it will be great, I can't wait.

Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

I don't really have travel plans for the summer - at least nothing definite. All my trips this year, except for Disney in about a week - are to visit friends. I'm going to Canada to visit a high school friend who moved there, to Atlanta in the fall to visit a friend who moved there and maybe Salem, OR to visit a friend who moved there! It'll be very inexpensive since basically I'll just have to pay for airfare and some sightseeing type of stuff.

I have travel plans for late spring. I have been waiting for years, though I loved my parents it was difficult to have some exotic pets. I could have no skunks in California. They have passed away, I miss them. but, now I am in a skunk legal state and I will be going to New Sharron, Iowa for my new baby pet skunk.

Hi all, new to the board, but not to living simply. Several years ago, when we decided to drop out of the rat race, we bought a pop-up camper (there are only 3 of us in our immediate family). It has been great for family, or romantic vacations. A weeks stay at the local lake costs about $125 for the space rental. The food we cook costs no more than we would pay at home (except a little more beer for the hubby who doesn't have to drive for this type of vacation.) At the lake - my daughter floats about all day, perfectly content - or pushes her kayak out for time away from the adults. So nice!

That sounds fantastic, janie from South Carolina! So relaxing. One of our best vacations was truly simple. We had NO plans. One afternoon, my husband had a hankering from some San Francisco sourdough bread and on a whim, he whisked us off. We went home first to toss in a few days worth of clothes but had no reservations, no plans. What an adventure! We did not have a lot of money, but we made it. We shared a bowl of clam chowder on the wharf, noshed on some dim sum in China Town, drove down Lombardi Street, the red light district (!) and over the Golden Gate bridge. Toured the Ghiradelli Square. It is one of our best memories of travel. And so so so simple. No planning, no stress. ahhhh.

Another idea that simplies travel is to set up an annual getaway. It might sound as though it would get boring or routine, but it takes your vacation to a new level. I wouldn't recommend it if you only can take one vacation a year but if you can do more, think about a regular destination where you can get to know the staff or locals and explore sites you normally wouldn't if you had to stay for only a short time. Our family, for example, has an annual reunion in Vegas. We've gone for years. The girls shop, the kids (supervised) go to the theatres and swim, and everyone dines and gambles a bit. Someone gets a large suite for us to gather for non-gambing games. We get cheap or free rates because the hotel staff know us. The older kids and their mates rent a limo and visit the Strip or see a show. Again, there are no formal plans. They make it up as they go along. The ony requisite is one or two family dinners at a buffet.