We’ve come to value family time together more than ever before. Living through a worldwide pandemic has reminded us that finding opportunities to bring extended family together is something not to be taken for granted. But how do you get started? For most, just thinking about the time, energy, and expertise needed to plan a multigenerational trip or vacation quickly puts the notion on their personal back burners. Yet doing so means an incredible opportunity lost for generations of family members to reconnect, share, have some fun, and simply get caught up on one another’s lives.
There are many factors to consider when planning a multigenerational trip including the number and ages of guests, transportation to the destination, varied interests, and ability levels for activities and excursions, dining and meal planning, locating properties that can accommodate extended family, and of course, budget considerations. It is a lot! But it can be done especially when you use the expertise of a travel advisor.
Of course, there’s no better experience than personal experience, right? So, I’ve put myself to the test this summer planning my own Carter family multigenerational trip to Fripp Island, SC. First, our trip involved some 20+ family members and it truly was wonderful getting everyone together. You know the old adage that extended families only see one another at weddings and funerals. Well, in my opinion, why wait for those events to occur? Our multigenerational vacation was a lot of hard work to plan, but so worth the reconnection, fun, and memories we’ll cherish forever.
Let a Travel Advisor Handle the Details
When planning trips with so many moving parts, it is best to use a travel advisor. They are often familiar with the destination and can be very helpful in booking your airfare or ground transportation. Why get lost in the sometimes frustrating world of travel arrangements when someone else can handle that for you?
My many years as a travel advisor definitely came into play when arranging our Fripp Island Getaway. After assisting with travel arrangements, it was my role to secure accommodations where everyone felt comfortable, could relax, and enjoy their time together. Some of our family members stayed at Sea Dragon Cottage, our three-bedroom beach house that sits just a short five-minute walk from the ocean. The beach cottage was a perfect fit for my son’s family and his three children providing plenty of room to enjoy family time together. Next, I secured another nearby property for siblings and spouses. They stayed in a 6-8 bedroom house just beyond ours, a gorgeous home that afforded everyone their own privacy yet was in close proximity to other family members. My young-adult sons were accommodated in a two-bedroom beach-front condo and relished their bit of independence and freedom.
As part of multigenerational trip planning, your travel advisor will think through provisioning for your “crew.” This means taking into consideration dietary needs and restrictions, making reservations for restaurant dining, and providing resources for nearby grocery and convenience stores. Planning and coordinating family cooking duties also is something to consider. Will you be enjoying most of your family meals together or separately? Is there someone who enjoys cooking for a large crowd or are there some who’d rather relegate that duty to someone else? Whatever is decided affects the provisioning decisions for your stay as you determine how many meals you’ll share together and whether your get-together may require a personal chef or catering service. Thankfully, for a travel advisor like me, having local business and restaurant connections helps facilitate things with ease.
Our stay included a mix of dining experiences which provided a lot of variety for family members. We enjoyed dining at Saltus, one of our favorite restaurants in nearby Beaufort, but also enjoyed a catered screened porch dinner by Fripp Island Resort Catering of BBQ, flounder, and a traditional Lowcountry Boil (shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes served on the tabletop). Another day, some of our family participated in a Cast Away Charters fishing tournament offered by Fishcamp restaurant in Port Royal, SC. Not only was the tournament a fun family activity, but the “hook-n-cook” event provided a delicious dinner treat. The chef at Fishcamp cleaned and prepared the catch providing fish bites for us to enjoy. On other evenings, dinner was kept simple with family-style meals or hamburgers and hotdogs off the grill.
Don’t Miss Out on Family Fun and Memory Making
One of the purposes of a multi-generational vacation is to spend quality time together, to have a chance to reconnect, form new family bonds or reignite old ones. Unlike a family reunion that focuses on a singular group event, vacationing together with extended family provides many opportunities to interact in different ways. A travel advisor who can carefully plan a flexible itinerary that considers
Our itinerary included lots of options from which to choose. Besides the “hook-n-cook” fishing tournament, the Carter family enjoyed the many amenities of Fripp Island Resort including pools, tennis, and golf. Bike rentals, horseback trail rides, and kayaking tours were also made available. Another highlight of our family time together was a sunset cruise on The Fripper. Indeed, there’s no sunset like a Lowcountry sunset! We enjoyed our two-hour cruise around Lowcountry tidewaters followed by dinner at the marina. Our planned movie night at home was just as much fun, too. It included snacks and refreshments and lots of laughs and catch-up time together.
Before You Head Home
Yes, planning a multigenerational vacation can take extra effort. But in the end, it’s so worth it. Before you head home, take time to reflect on your stay. Think about what you enjoyed most (and even those things that you didn’t). I guarantee that the positives will outweigh any negatives and you’ll be looking forward to your next multigenerational vacation even more!
Oh, and one last thing piece of advice. Be sure to capture your special time together with a keepsake photograph before you depart. Have your travel advisor hire a photographer, gather everyone together (coordinate clothing if you’d like), and take a “family reunion” photo and other inter-generational portraits at your destination. As a travel advisor, I’m always happy to make those arrangements for my clients. You’re sure to cherish the photographs just as much as your trip!
Karen L. Snyder
Karen Snyder has pursued her passion for writing for more than 30 years and is the owner of WORD Writing & Virtual Services. She has served as a corporate editor to Fortune 500 companies and contributing writer to many regional publications and magazines covering parenting, travel, health, education, and more. She relocated to Beaufort in 2018 and enjoys the Southern lifestyle and the coastal beauty of the Lowcountry.
