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Today’s post on using a vacation bucket list comes from my friend Heather, also known as Sweet Momma over at “Adventures with Four.”
I’m writing this post from the balcony of our vacation villa where I am determined to soak up the last drops of summer (even if it’s in liquid form). I can’t believe summer is almost
over! But, there is still plenty of fun left to be enjoyed before the busyness of fall is upon us.
over! But, there is still plenty of fun left to be enjoyed before the busyness of fall is upon us.
After a week stay-cation back home filled with more running around than any of us wanted (stupid broken windshield!) or planned for that matter, we were more than ready for our weeklong family vacation to the beautiful Rocky Mountains. This was our first vacation in almost two years with all six of us together. I know this vacation will be close to my heart for many years to come.
To prepare for the trip, we made a “bucket list” of activities to do. Trust me on this, when you spend a few minutes planning the activities you want to do with your family before you leave, your trip will go more smoothly. You won’t find yourself saying, “I don’t
know what to do. Do you know what you want to do?” You won’t end vacation wondering how you managed to watch four episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, glued to the couch in your hotel.
know what to do. Do you know what you want to do?” You won’t end vacation wondering how you managed to watch four episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, glued to the couch in your hotel.
Listen to me, please. Make a plan to get out and do something fun! It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be memorable!
We considered all the activities offered by the resort and the surrounding community. Having been to the area previously, we knew the area offered. Before we left home we purchased some coupons (Fairmont discounts are available through their website and through discounters such as Costco) to help trim costs on golfing and day camps for the kids, activities we planned to do in advance. Here’s our list.
Vacation 2012-bucket list: Fairmont
- Enjoy a self-guided hike to check out the hoodoos
- Splish splash in the resorts outdoor salt-water pool
- Ride the horses
- Take a dip in the hot spring
- Pack a mountainside picnic lunch
- Watch the wildlife (It turns out we saw a bear, mountain sheep, deer, squirrels and a bat.)
- Swing the golf clubs at the resort course
At check-in, the resort provided a free activity guide that offered a ton of great ideas that we didn’t even know were available to us!
We added a couple of them to our list.
- Experience the art of chocolate tasting *yummy!* (Sample over 14 different chocolates from various producers and regions of the world. Learn all about the nuances of the cacao bean and chocolate production)
- Create some free time using the little chef’s day camp (1/2 day camp)
- Find the “stolen church.” I can’t even remember where I heard about the “stolen church” but apparently it’s just down the road in Windermere (this is for real!)
- Take in a yin yoga class
- Visit the Local farmers market. (We saw the mad hatter and some belly dancers.)
Once we completed our “must do” list, we tacked on a list of activities to add as time allows.
- Swim in a mountain lake (Brrrr…. It looked cold!)
- Build bottle rockets and launch them
- Go rock climbing
- Make beeswax candles
- Investigate the fun of geocaching
- Watch the sun set over the mountains
Planning activities in advance provided structure to our trip and kept us from falling into lazy habits. I’m proud to say we didn’t watch a single episode of Say Yes to the Dress. If you’d like to see what we thought of our adventures, please stop by Adventures with Four to read all about it.
Heather, also known as Sweet Momma over at “Adventures with Four” is a Christian Mommy blogger sharing her life of faith while walking in grace. She’s raising four sweet (sometimes sassy, messy, and crazy) children with an incredibly patient and loving husband, sharing all the ups, downs and in-betweens.
Nice site. Your blogs are very interesting and
I’ll tell my friends.
I should start making vacation bucket lists from now on. Makes things easier for everyone 🙂
Debi,
Glad this post spoke to you!
Karen
I am a list-a-holic, so I'm loving this idea. I think it's essential that everyone on the trip has a say in the things you do. It gives everyone a stake in your experience & makes everyone feel included. Plus, it's always exciting to be dreaming of what you'll do on vacation before you actually vacation! 🙂
Loved it, thanks I am here from Bonbon Break!!
A vacation Bucket List is such a greg idea! We usually go with the flow, but I think for our next vacation, we'll make a list!
You are so right! It's much better to plan ahead! Thanks for sharing your wonderful vacation!
You are so right! We did the same thing for our vacation this year to new orleans….it was so much better than waiting until we got there to plan. One thing that I did was contacted the visitors bureau and they sent me a free book of all the different things there. It even had coupons in it!
What a great list! Maybe I'd add, Keep a travel journal for each kid to write their highs and lows at the end of each day.
It is a great idea to help keep what you are wanting out of the trip in order , without making an itinerary. Love it!
Thanks again Karen for allowing me to share our story!
I hope that your have had a chance to stop by http://www.adventureswithfour.com
so you can see for yourself how our vacation turned out!
I used to always research the area we were visiting thoroughly to plan our “bucket list”. Since I've begun blogging, I no longer have the time. But, I agree that it is totally worth it to take the time. There are usually so many fun things to do at any given place. Glad you were able to enjoy all 6 of you together on vacation!
i bet you enjoyed your summer 2012 🙂 we live nearby beach and we often go to the beach especially when its hot out there. these buckets reminds me of my children, they always take this when we go to the beach
Karen… what an awesome idea!!! Why wait until you get to your destination only to be overwhelmed by everything and then not do anything… I love this… get everyone to discuss what you'd like to do before leaving without any distractions! Smashing!! Grace, peace, and blessings, Carla.
Ive always said take time for yourself and your family and do it often. Making a list of things to complete during your year or next season on a long weekend or day excursion is a fabulous way to shine through lifes other stuff. Just live!
I love how you're spending this week living with intentionality. There's something about writing things down that make them real, concrete and harder to ignore. Hope the last week of summer is a great one!
What a great list of things to do! I'm glad it was fun for everyone.
Michelle G.,
As my kids have grown older, they make more of the vacation list. Also, as I get busier (helping others with their vacation planning, you know), I find myself asking my husband to help make decisions. Our last big trip, to Paris, truly involved the whole family. The city offers so much, we all gave input. Less pressure on me led to more invested enjoyment for all.
Karen
Heather,
Thank you for sharing your amazing vacation planning idea with us here. I've always made a list of things we should consider, but never organized it as a bucket list of must do, might do, hope we have time for.
Simply brilliant! Much better than TV watching! 🙂
Thanks,
Karen
what a super list
That's a really cool idea to have a bucket list for a holiday. HAven't thought about doing that yet for our holidays.