How do you vacation?

[Amy]

Do you vacation alone with your family or do you vacation with friends or family?

My college friend, who is showing up at the same resort at the same time as me, ALWAYS vacations with friends or family or both. We, on the other hand, always vacation by ourselves. I love it being just the four of us and we can do and plan things whenever/however we feel like it. I like the spontaneity.

For those who vacation with friends/family regularly-do you stick like glue and do the exact things at the exact times the entire trip-such as: eat dinner at the same place and agreed upon time and go to the same touristy places together? I get claustrophobic thinking about it! LOL

[JAK]

Well, considering up to this point we've never had the $ to go on a "real" vacation, we have always gone with family (and they pay). Not that we have gone very often. We usually stick together to some extent but always have had our own hotel room to get away to.

We go camping with friends or by ourselves, but I don't consider that a "vacation". I call it a weekend get away. We've talked about going on a vacation by ourselves, but I don't know if/when that will happen. We went home (to San Diego) in April and we are going again in July. We are paying for the trip oursleves, but both times are for camping trips with the family.

[Melody]

I could not imagine going with friends or family on a big vacation. I really think they would drive me nuts. Unless it was my parents. lol I like to do what we want when we want and if I missed something that I wanted the boys to see/experience or myself and the group didn't want to, I would be ticked. I think I would find it too chaotic having that many people. Not that we have gone on a major vacation, it's only a few days here or there and a few years we had bil's cottage to ourselves for a week. I like the downtime with just us.

[AnnW]

For those who vacation with friends/family regularly-do you stick like glue and do the exact things at the exact times the entire trip-such as: eat dinner at the same place and agreed upon time and go to the same touristy places together? I get claustrophobic thinking about it! LOL

All of the above. We really enjoy traveling with other families. The kids enjoy having other kids to play with. We enjoy having another couple(s) to relax with. We are usually in condos or cabins so we are usually cooking dinner together. As far as activities, it's not like a group tour with schedules, it just depends on where we are and who is interested in doing what......but then, we are more social than you, and don't look at friends as an intrustion.
We have also taken some really great trips just us four.

[AnnW]

I I like to do what we want when we want and if I missed something that I wanted the boys to see/experience or myself and the group didn't want to, I would be ticked.

why would you have to miss doing something your family wanted to do because you are traveling with someone else?

[MaryL]

We do it both ways.

Each summer we take a trip with my sister and her family. I love that we are creating "cousin" memories for our kids. We also take vacations by ourselves (which we did last weekend). We are driving to Kansas City later next week. Part of the time (beg. and end) we will be by ourselves...and for the mid part of the trip we will be with family.

I know there are some friends that I could travel with...and some that would drive me crazy. LOL I agree with Ann that it is nice for the kids to have someone to play/swim/etc. with. In family that hasn't been a problem since our boys are close in age, and have similar interests.

I am NOT a spontaneous traveller...I need to have everything planned out. I could never just get into my car and drive until I got tired, find a hotel...etc. Some people are more spontaneous than we are...and those are the people I don't think I'd vacation well with. KWIM??

[Amy]

[QUOTE=AnnW]......but then, we are more social than you, and don't look at friends as an intrustion.
QUOTE]'

um....that wasn't offensive


I don't think this is about friendships. It's about spontaneity and freedom. When I am on vacation, the last thing I want to hear is someone else's agenda and thoughts about places and times.

[Amy]

We do it both ways.
.

I am NOT a spontaneous traveller...I need to have everything planned out. I could never just get into my car and drive until I got tired, find a hotel...etc. Some people are more spontaneous than we are...and those are the people I don't think I'd vacation well with. KWIM??

Good lord-I am not that kind of traveler either! I will pre-plan a vacation destination far in advance. But once we get there, we play everything by ear. We enjoy the flexibility.

[MaryL]

Good lord-I am not that kind of traveler either! I will pre-plan a vacation destination far in advance. But once we get there, we play everything by ear. We enjoy the flexibility.

I agree...I don't need to have every second of the trip planned out. Flexibility is what makes it a VACATION! However...driving (heading out) without a plan is what makes me uneasy. Luckily...dh and I have similar travel styles.

[Beth/TX]

We do both too. When we go with family/friends we generally stick together when we do things; however, if there is something we want to do that the others don't, we go ahead and do it anyway.

[AnnW]

[QUOTE=Amy/CO]

......but then, we are more social than you, and don't look at friends as an intrustion.
QUOTE]'

um....that wasn't offensive


I don't think this is about friendships. It's about spontaneity and freedom. When I am on vacation, the last thing I want to hear is someone else's agenda and thoughts about places and times.

didn't mean it offensive. just never had the same experience when we travel with people...someone saying 'what time are you hitting the slopes/beach would bother you?????

[BevJ]

We mostly just vacation the three of us. DS and I have vacationed without dh and with another mom/friend and kids. DH and I have vacationed by ourselves. Last year the three of us and one of my girlfriend's went to Cuba together. We have never vacationed as a big/large group with family/friends but I'm not adverse to trying it. I always think the more the merrier

[Melody]

why would you have to miss doing something your family wanted to do because you are traveling with someone else?

I mean if I was outvoted or tried to be talked out of doing something. With dh, we think pretty much the same. I find if kids in one family want to do something, the others don't or the kids are in agreement and the adults are not.
I've been camping with sil and her kids and her son was a grump the entire time, they almost left because of it. They went somewhere major with her brother and the same thing. He ruined it for himself, the sister he kept picking on and I'm sure that the mom didn't have much fun. Not my idea of a vacation. I'm sure not everyone is like that, but at least going with just dh and my kids we are guaranteed a great time. A few days I could handle but not a week or more with someone else. Went to a cottage a couple years ago with a friend and her two kids and they were no picnic either. Maybe I've just had bad luck. LOL

[Amy]

didn't mean it offensive. just never had the same experience when we travel with people...someone saying 'what time are you hitting the slopes/beach would bother you?????

Isn't that what vacation is all about-not having to answer to anyone but yourself? I just don't think its fun when you have to take another family's expectations into consideration. You see things very differently than I do. You see vacationing with friends as an extension of your social life. I see it as a way to get out of the norm and concentrate, reconnect and bond with the people most important to me.

[Cathy]

I never realized how different families are until................well, you know! LOL
I loved going places with just my dds before. We have similar ideas and communicaton styles. We enjoy the same things, and if one of them doesn't want to do something, they speak up. I know I'd be stressed trying to make sure someone else had a good time. I think I know what Amy and Mel mean. But, to be honest, I don't have friends like Ann does. I don't have a 'social' circle. That might make a difference. Dd1 and most of the rest of the kids want to take a family vacation this summer. I'm a bit apprehensive. Dh isn't signed on yet either. He isn't kindly disposed to bonding. LOL