Because of all my recent (and forthcoming) surgeries, I didn't have enough days off at work for us to take a big spring break trip this year. Instead we had to think small. This worked out perfectly because Enterprise contacted me to do a sponsored blog post around a “small-caction”, or simply a small vacation that was close by and affordable. We were in!
I planned the bulk of our trip in one week and for a planner like me this was a huge accomplishment. It was actually nice to have a compressed timeline and not spend a lot of money.
If your family could use a weekend getaway, here are my five tips for planning a successful “small-cation.”
Keep it close
By planning a trip that is a short distance away, you will maximize your time enjoying the area that you travel to. When considering options for our trip, I looked at locations that were 2-4 hours away.
Know your needs
As a family of five, I know that single hotel rooms are not our cup of tea. We like space, so booking an airBNB was perfect for our family. Know what your family's needs are and plan around those.
Be flexible
Road trips with kids almost always means there are hiccups. In my case, Matthew came down with severe allergies and ended up staying home, so the trip ended up being just me and the kids. For most of the drive, it poured down rain, which meant slower driving conditions and lots of traffic. Then, 2/3 of the way in, Ezra started throwing up (I think he might have been car sick, though that has never happened before). It was NOT the drive I planned, but we just took things as it came and made the best of it.
Don't over research
In planning for our trip to Atlanta, I read a few articles online and asked my Facebook friends what we should do. The combination gave me plenty of suggestions for our weekend trip. (I'll be writing a separate post soon about what we did while in Atlanta. What a fun city for families!)
Rent a vehicle
For this trip, we rented a mini van from Enterprise, which was a treat because it was a brand new vehicle with all the bells and whistles. The new van also made the adventure more exciting for my kids, who love anything new and different. Our van is five years old and it's crazy how much has changed in just a few years. It can be nice to rent a vehicle for a weekend trip and save your car from the mileage.
Honestly, Enterprise is always the rental service we use because they pick their customers up. This convenience is necessary for us as a busy family. They have a location near my office, which makes drop off and pick up super easy.
Our weekend “small-cation” was just what our family needed. On Saturday, Elias looked at me and said, “Mommy, I love this vacation!” His delight was a good reminder to me that things don't have to be lavish, expensive or overplanned to be meaningful and memorable.
Thank you to Enterprise for sponsoring this post and our trip to Atlanta. For additional trip inspiration, visit Enterprise.com/Pursuits.
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