4 Tips for a Fun & Safe Spring Break
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There’s no question that this spring break season is going to be unusual. Precautions to stop COVID-19—self-quarantining, social distancing—have made more traditional vacation plans difficult to say the least. But that does not mean that you and your family can’t still have a fun and safe vacation. It just requires a little more creative thinking.
Pick Lesser-Known Locales
Yes, amusement parks and beaches are fun. But more and more of these facilities are being temporarily closed for several weeks. And they tend to be overcrowded and overpriced at the best of times, anyway. So, why not consider a less popular destination for your spring break trip?
Spring break tends to be a time to enjoy being outside in the newly warm weather. You can do that on a camping/hiking trip in the mountains. Or you could take a tour of a region known for a particular kind of food or drink your family likes (i.e. cheese, ice cream, coffee). You could even take this opportunity to visit one or more lesser known national parks.
Just keep in mind that, with commercial flights also in question, you’d do best to make your plans within driving distance.
Research Where You’re Staying
Wherever you decide to go, you want to make sure that the area where you’re staying is conducive to your family’s needs. Sure, the lodgings may look good on their own online, but are there restaurants nearby? (More importantly, are they open?) Access to transportation? Shopping? Before making any reservations, make sure that nearby amenities work for you.
While you’re at it, be sure to look more into the safety of the area. After all, you don’t necessarily want to stay somewhere that’s a crime hotspot. Check out local crime stats, and lookup addresses for places of interest in the area to see if they’re generally safe or dangerous.
Plan Activities, But Not Too Many
For each day, plan out one or two activities that everyone will enjoy. But be flexible with your plans; somewhere you may want to go may be open one day and closed the next. So, while you may be tempted to arrange for tickets and other things ahead of time, you should probably wait until the day of so you’re not out that money or have to negotiate for refunds.
And don’t over-schedule in your fear of missing out. Many people are inclined to try to squeeze in as many activities and sight-seeing as possible, to make the most of unexplored territory. But that could just wind up being exhausting. Unless you thrive on lots of activity, accept you may not be able to do everything and just choose things that you all really want to do.
Make Time at Home Part of the Vacation
Again, this is just a recommendation to encourage the relaxation aspect of a vacation. Give yourself a buffer zone at the beginning and end of spring break when you’re just at home.
Even just taking one day before a trip can help you start to decompress, pack and otherwise get organized without needing to rush. And a day after can give you and your family a quiet day to recoup after your fun vacation, without having to dive right back in to school or work.
Yes, the coronavirus is scary and inconvenient during what is supposed to be a fun time of year. But just consider it a challenge, part of the adventure that your family can have this spring break.
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