The author, shown with her husband, said she often forgets how many cool attractions are within a short driving distance of her house.
Courtesy of Rachel Garlinghouse
Three years ago was the last time my family of six went on a traditional family vacation.It was a trip to Miramar Beach, Florida, and we made some really lovely memories together. I still remember eating seafood and ice cream, playing putt-putt, and spending our days playing in the ocean. Our accommodation was perfect for our family: close to the beach and easy to swing in for bathroom and snack breaks. We took loads of photos, and we returned home tan from the Florida sun. Then, it was back to the grind, but with what felt like next-to-nothing in my bank account. This is when we realized we could either go into significant debt to take a yearly or even every-other-year family vacation, or we could choose to stop vacationing far from home. Now, we prioritize day trips.Vacationing has become too expensiveThe cost of that trip to Florida, even with free flights after years of saving up airline points, was astronomical to us.For starters, my family wants comfortable accommodations, especially while we're vacationing. For us, that means enough bedrooms and bathrooms. Nobody wants to spend their vacation almost on top of each other. For us, a rental home works best.
