6 Reasons To Take More Day Trips
Does your family take day trips? We do, but not regularly and not enough. We’re city people and really would rather be out and about on foot rather than driving off somewhere in the car. But, I think we’re missing the boat sometimes by not making more of an effort to head out for the day.
When we lived in San Francisco, we used to go up to wine country quite a bit. It was just so easy to hop in the car, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, visit a winery, have lunch, soak up a little sunshine and then cruise back on down to the city. Of course, we only had one kid back then…
Wine country makes for a good day trip, even with kids. With lots of space to run and play, kids can have as much fun as adults.
Then, we moved to Madrid, Spain, and when we should have been taking day trips every other weekend, we took a mere four in two years. Mind you, I was pregnant (read: cranky and unfun) the first nine months. And then, when our son was about three months old, he decided that he hates the car. Needless to say, day trips by car were not exactly on our radar any more.
Look closely and you can see what our son really thought about car travel. Day trips? Not so much!
But, last weekend, while staying with friends just north of New York City, we took a day trip to Storm King Art Center. It was great!
Now that I’m not pregnant (though with two kids, I can still rightfully be accused of being cranky at times) and our son seems to be getting into a better car groove (read: he’s trained us to drive during his nap times), we should be getting out for the day more often. Day trips have a lot to offer.
A blurry, flurry of fun. Day trips encourage siblings to play, laugh, reconnect.
Take a break
When we stay home, or close to home, we tend to feel compelled to get things done. There are always loads of laundry to wash, errands to run, toys to pick up. Getting out of the house forces us to take a break from our never-ending chores and everyday lives. It’s like a mini-mini vacation.
Day trips are the perfect opportunity to take a break, relax and enjoy being together as a family.
Reconnect as a family
A day trip, whether to some place new or an old favorite, offers a chance to reconnect as a family. When we are away from home and chores and planned activities, it’s easier to be in the moment, to talk, to listen, to giggle and have fun.
Reconnect with your kids and let them reconnect with each other by taking a day trip.
Get active
For us, at least, day trips usually result in activity. When we’ve taken day trips in the past, we’ve visited new towns and cities, gone to museums, hit local festivals and checked out some sculpture gardens. In doing so, we usually end up covering a lot of ground by walking, along with some running, skipping, jumping and climbing.
Climbing: one of our favorite day trip activities!
Eat out
When you’re out for the day, you either pack a picnic lunch, grab some take out or drop into a restaurant or cafe. There’s something special and fun about not eating at home, even if it’s food you brought from your own refrigerator. Plus, who doesn’t love a picnic — chaos and all?
Eating out is part of the day trip allure.
Sleep in your own, comfy bed
At the end of the day, the kids are usually so worn out that they go to sleep quickly and easily. You get to sleep in your own bed. And, you don’t have to unpack a suitcase full of dirty clothes.
Enjoy unique experiences
Lastly, you really do get to see and do some cool stuff! On our latest day trip to Storm King Art Center, we came across some really amazing sculptures.
“Camouflage fence” at Storm King Art Center.
* This post was also featured on Walking on Travels , where you can find more inspiring travel posts and tips.
