I’ve blogged about the benefits of travel with young kids, and we were fortunate enough to travel from our home in New York to Los Angeles and the Philippines every year to visit our families since our kids were babies. I think it had a big impact on both kids, even though they were too young to remember most of those trips. I once read an article about how traveling to the same destinations over and over is better for kids than always going to new destinations, because kids form the strongest memories and bonds to the places they go repeatedly. As an adult my wanderlust gene can’t seem to be satiated. But my fondest childhood memories are of the trips and traditions we did year after year, so I want to balance going to both new and familiar destinations with my own children.
Beyond creating memories for your kids, this is a great post about why people travel to the same places over and over again — emotional attachment, connection to local culture and community, rich history, unique beauty, amazing food, familiarity, obscure exploration, family tradition, special treatment, easy access to different experiences. Korea is one of those places for me since I was born there, and I will never tire of visiting. Now I can share that love of the country with my kids since it’s only a couple hours flight away.
I went on a lot of road trips with my family growing up, and my brother and I sat in the back of our 1977 Chevy station wagon which had seats that faced out the back window. We always played games, ate snacks like oranges, cherries and peanuts that we’d buy on the freeway onramp entrances, and listened to my dad’s instrumental old school Korean jams. I can still hear that music in my mind today. These are some of my fondest childhood memories:
- camping (we went to Crystal Lake most often and camping was our #1 family pastime)
- going to beaches along the entire California coast and fishing whenever we could
- catching and eating striped rock crabs and at Zuma Beach
- driving up and down the coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco to visit my grandfather every year
- snow tubing at Big Bear
- picnics and barbecues at Griffith Park (and many other parks throughout the Los Angeles area)
I have so many memories from all those trips, especially our camping trips. From eating watermelon chilled in the ice cold creek, to baking potatoes in the campfire to helping acorn woodpeckers fill holes they made in trees with acorns.
What are some of your fondest childhood trips and memories?
apricot / 424 posts
As a kid we rented a camper at Point Sabago in Maine every year. I loved those trips. They had all sorts of activities for different age groups all day that came listed on a morning “paper”. I still remember highlighting what I wanted to do with my sister. As a teenager my friend went there for a couple of years and brought me with her. I have amazing memories from that time too.
I plan on going yearly with my kids too… probably starting next year when they are 3 and 4.
pomelo / 5866 posts
Camping in my Grandma’s Vanagon in Leavenworth, WA every Fourth of July. Smores. Also cross country trips, staying in tiny motels. It really just engrained a love for traveling. We have consistently been traveling to WA,Canada and Disney and camping consistently and I am shocked I keep going to the same place every year but I guess this explains it.
That river cold watermelon sounds divine. Those acorn woodpeckers are so cool.
persimmon / 1095 posts
Every year we went to New Smyrna Beach, FL to spend Easter with my grandparents who spent the winter down there. I loved it and have so many fond memories. I think you have a point about visiting the same place over and over, we went every year ’til I was about 13 so I have so many memories of that place. My parents actually moved there a few years ago and we plan to carry on the Easter visit tradition with our children! My daughter already loves it!