For some, glamping (a mash-up word for “glamorous camping”) conjuresimagesofmagicallytrans- porting the family to a pristine
meadow knoll overlooking a sparkling lake
surrounded by blazing fall colors. Upon
arrival, you park your pink camper, and
open the doors to find fluffy white pillows,
crocheted linens, fresh flowers and chintz
dishes on the table, and a fridge full of fresh
fruit, pastries and homemade lemonade.
Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
Whether you’re able to accomplish
this delightful scenario or not, the bigger
challenge may be in getting there, know-
ing that it will involve confining all your
kids to a minivan for several hours. The
thought of it is likely to set off a siren in
your head, along with a loudspeaker that
warns, “Danger! Intense whining, crying,
and sibling rivalry ahead!”
When our sons were young, our fam-
ily took summer road trips to Canada and
Florida to visit Grandma and Grandpa. I
developed a system for these long trips that
gave us a shot of excitement at each two-
or three-hour stop. Before our trips, I cre-
ated take-along to-do bags that had one
new item, one found item (usually from the
bottom of the toy box), one snack, and one
media item. Each child received a new bag
at each major stop.
Here’s what we did to make the “getting
there” just as enjoyable as the “being there.”
Begin your journey by announcing your
new system and providing each of your
children with their first bag. If you have
several children, you may want to give out
bags by age group and label items individu-
ally. Engage teens in the fun of gathering
items and creating a playlist of music and
audiobooks for the car.
Summer Travel
Glamping
with Your
Homeschool Posse
and Travel Bags!
By Joleen Steel
Take along to-do bags had one new item, one found
item, one snack, and one media item. Each child
received a new bag at each major stop.
