The Vacation

The Vacation

“This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm going to have fun and you're going to have fun. We're all going to have so much freaking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our damn smiles. You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of your behinds! I got to be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a theme park moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy crap!” (Harold Ramis, dir. Vacation) Sometimes going on vacation can seem just as crazy as it was with the Griswald family, or like our own stressful daily lives if not planned out properly. It is perhaps why our bad vacation experiences can sometimes make great film comedies. A vacation should be memorable, relaxing, and fun, not more work and drama than your own life already dishes out at you. Unfortunately, to make a vacation work well takes work. The process of a vacation can be rewarding if you follow the right steps in researching where you are going, how to plan it, how you will travel, how to deal with unexpected setbacks, and how to enjoy the trip home.

“We’re from out of town!” (Harold Ramis, dir. Vacation) Knowing the step of researching where you are going is important because you are going away from home to a place you perhaps have never been before. Researching your destinations helps give you an idea what you are getting yourself or family into. You will want to learn things such as climate, lodging, attractions, and local events. A good place to search if you are traveling within the United States is Citysearch.com; they offer detailed information in regards to anything about a city from finding a specific restaurant/bar or tourist attraction perfect for your plans. If you are traveling outside the United States, make sure you look up currency exchange rates and customs information because getting a surprise by customs can really ruin a vacation quickly. Speaking of exchange rates, make sure you have your expenses planned out in regards to how you are going to pay for things along your trip. Travelers Checks may be nice, but having a secret stash of cash hidden somewhere helps also as well when you run into a place that cannot accept them. A simple search on the net can provide vast amounts of information about your trip planning, destination, and events that will be going on.

“Ed, I'm not your average fool. Now I want my super sports wagon now, or I'm gonna take my business elsewhere!” (Harold Ramis, dir. Vacation) The next step to decide is how you are going to get this planned and set in stone - with the help of a travel agent or by yourself. Personally, I feel using AAA or travel agents are a thing of the past because of the usefulness of the internet. Travel agents can do all the work for you if price is not an issue. Just a downside to that is you do not get as much creative control with your travel and hotel planning. Most of us however, want to save money and time. If that is the case then planning your vacation online is definitely the way to shop around for in both travel and hotel accommodations. Good websites to shop with are Kayak.com, Hotwire.com, Priceline.com, Farecast.com, Travelocity.com, Orbitz.com, and Expedia.com. Price shopping these sites can assure the best discount and it helps to read personal experiences from other travelers as well for a peace of mind. Looking for the best discount on travel sites is almost like bargain hunting. If you put enough time into searching and price matching, you will find a good deal. You will also be surprised how much money you save by doubling up on rooms. Make sure that before you finalize any deal online that you understand their policies. Some online travel agencies have very strict non-refundable policies if you back out even for legitimate reasons like sickness or death in the family. In the process of planning online you really need to think like a shopper by price matching deals, researching your destinations, understanding the policies and most of all how you are going to get there.

“Why aren't we flying? Because getting there is half the fun. You know that!” (Harold Ramis, dir. Vacation). The next step is how you will travel - by land, sea, or air. Clark Griswald to an extent is right; half the fun can be getting there. If time is not an issue, instead of flying go by car, train, or bus. They are not primitive traveling experiences as you might think and may be more relaxing than a congested airport or flight. By traveling car, train, or bus you will get to see many sights along the way that you could not normally see from 20,000 ft on a plane. There is also the option of going by car if your vacation destination is not that far. For longer drives you should make sure the vehicle is in top shape with many unexpected stops along the way. A train or Greyhound bus ride can feel less nauseous than a plane, but like going by car you deal with more stops along the way. A plane on the other hand gets you directly where you need to get immediately if time is an issue. Which ever way you plan to transport yourself, make sure you understand the safety precautions for yourself and or family. Traveling can be just as exciting as your vacation destination itself because by nature human beings are explorers and we like to discover