How To Plan an Adventurous Vacation
Our friends and family know we aren't the type of people who take a week long beach vacation. While the idea sounds lovely, after a few days we would be over just sitting around. Don't get us wrong, we like to relax, however the way we like to relax is just different. We like to explore new places, see new landscapes, and spend time outdoors. Perhaps this isn't your ideal vacation. Or perhaps you just never knew how to start planning your own adventurous vacation. This type of vacation can be a little overwhelming because it involves research and planning. We think that's why so many people like cruises. The ship takes you to a few places, tells you what to do and what to see, and then you come back to the ship for dinner. The question we ask is... how much do you really get to experience a destination via cruise ships? There is limited opportunity to explore, find your own path, take a wrong turn, try new foods, and just experience a new place. So what is the alternative? Hire a travel agent? Sure if you have the money. We think you can plan your own vacation with a little time and effort.
We know you are thinking... "Having a schedule on vacation, is that really a vacation?" But stay with us. Planning a trip doesn't have to be like those scenes in a movie. The A-type family member has a rigid schedule planned down to the hour. (And yes, people who know us are thinking, but isn't that Victoria? Yeah sure, sometimes, but not on a vacation.) The truth is, a vacation planned by the hour is destined for failure. The entire trip is spent checking your watch and running from one stop to the next. It leaves you no room to explore or take a different route.
While in Yellowstone we learned that sometimes things go much faster than expected. Whereas in Scotland, we found we were racing to our next destination as we drove 500 miles around the Highlands. The key isn't a schedule. The key is having an idea of what you aim to do in a day. It's about finding points of interest in a particular area or along a route from one hotel to the next. The goal is to optimize the time you have. To develop a loose itinerary. An itinerary with stopping points for the day, leaving room for spontaneity of course.
So how do you go about developing this itinerary? It takes a few steps, a little time, and some creative thinking:
Step 1:
Determine how much time you have for your trip and pick a destination. Remember to account for travel days too! We find a big factor for choosing a destination is the price of an airline ticket. Pick a place where there is a deal. Look at nearby airports or another consider flying on a different day day of the week. These little changes can result in better deals. We always use Google Flights. It allows us to compare prices across airlines, days of the week, and trip length.
Step 2:
Now that you know the when and where, its time to figure out the what. What do you want to see? Make a list. Start big by listing everything you want to see and do. Then start planning around your must have stops. Start to group together points of interest in a similar area, slowly filling things in. Be mindful of what is doable in a day. We always have a few items in a day that act as buffers. If we have the time to stop great. If not, we already had a great day so who cares. Step 2 is the hardest part because it takes some research and dash of patience. It helps to map things out. Use the Saved Places feature in Google Maps to get a sense of where things are located relative to each other. Search the web. No matter where you are going, odds are someone wrote a blog about it. We always look at a few different blogs to get a sense of what is achievable in a day. But trust us, before you know it, day by day, your trip starts to come together.
Step 3:
Fill in the details. Now that you know where you'll be each day think about hotels and restaurants. Determine the ideal location to stay based on your stopping points. It might even be multiple places. Again, blogs and google will be your best friend during the research phase.
Step 4:
Enjoy it! When the day comes, just start. Take it one day at a time. Don't forget your on vacation. Take the mornings slow and enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Re-evaluate the day based on how your feeling. Its your vacation. There is no right or wrong. There is no need to run yourself into the ground. Enjoy the time you have with your travel partner(s). Enjoy the experience and all your destination has to offer.
Remember the key to developing a good vacation itinerary is working with what you have and allowing yourself to just enjoy it all. Some people, might already find our itinerary idea too restrictive. We accept that. No matter how you do it start your journey and see how far you get. Maybe you'll miss something. Maybe you stop at a few extra places. It's up to you. There are no rules. Just jump in and go.
P.S. Since we'll be taking a vacation hiatus we'll do our best to go back over old vacations. We'll share our itinerary and I'm sure Michael will share plenty of photos. Feel free to use our itinerary or just check out the photos. Our goal is to share our experience and hopefully inspire a few people along the way.
