So I start making travel plans.
I'm going to sharing my travel planning tips at the GCS Moms League January meeting - 9:30 a.m. Friday, January 4 at St Martin's of the Field Episcopal Church in Keller. How did I get to be an expert on family travel? It started in 2000 when I was approached by the folks at Family Fun magazine. The magazine, owned by Walt Disney, was putting together a series of regional travel guides spotlighting the best family attractions, hotels, restaurants and shops. They needed someone in the Southwest and a friend suggested me. At the time I was a reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and had just written a story "Surviving your Next Family Vacation."
At the time I had just had my third son, but I couldn't resist the challenge or the opportunity so I agreed to trek through six states - Texas, New Mexico, Colorado. Arizona, Nevada and Utah. I loaded up my minivan and we set out on a massive road trip that lasted the better part of a year.
That year we found outselves in strange and wonderful places like White Sands National Park and the International UFO Museum in New Mexico and facing down a bear by Lake Vallecito in Colorado. My family made many memories and I learned that travel is as much a state of mind as it is simply getting from one place to another.
I also learned traveling with kids is no picnic - well maybe it is if you remember to always pack snacks and a cooler. I leanred how to stop sweating the small stuff like the time I obsessed about packing my kids bags and accidentally left my own bag at home in the kitchen. I realized the snafu once we had reached out destination - a UT football game _ and after I had coffee spilled all over me. I managed to assemble a weekend wardrobe thanks to a 24-hour Target.
At this month's meeting I'll share tips for planning your spring break and summer vacation with a list of handy websites to peruse. I hope you'll join me.
- Kathryn Hopper
