Like most families, some of our favorite memories of our children growing up involve family vacations. Whether going to the beach, the mountains, or to visit family, the time together to bond with your kids away from the daily distractions of life is priceless. Of all of the trips we took the ski trips to Park City, Utah and Breckenridge, Colorado were the best.
Even though it has been almost 10 years since our last ski trip I can close my eyes and be transported back in time. Sitting around a fireplace sipping hot chocolate, exhausted from a day of physical activity, listening to our son tell us how he must have been ten feet off the ground going over that mogul. In reality he was 4 inches off the ground. Another memory is of our 5-year-old daughter flying down the hill. She would point her skis straight down the mountain and say “see you at the bottom.” No swooshing back and forth from one side to the other, just pure speed and no fear.
We were blessed on several trips to be joined by other families with children of similar ages. This just added to the fun and memories. But the best trips were the ones that involved our parents joining us. Being able to have three generations together as we walked through a ski village, enjoyed a meal, or played board games together of an evening. No television or video games, just family spending quality time together.
We have now transitioned from parents to grandparents and as we plan our calendar for 2021 a top priority is planning a family trip. One of the greatest gifts we can give our grandchildren is that of traditions and family. Hopefully this will be the year we can kick off an annual trip that everyone will look forward to for years to come and our grandchildren will someday tell their kids about. Even if an extended trip is not in the cards for some this year, or if Covid gets in the way of a lengthy vacation, a day trip is always a great option. Heading out of town and finding a trail to hike or a creek to sit by is a good way to spend that quality time with grandkids playing and making precious memories together!