Everyone needs a bit of magic along a well-planned route
As I write this, I’m on my last night in a weeklong vacation with the family. My youngest and eldest are camping on the floor beside the bed in their makeshift arrangements: a sleeping bag butterflied beneath with a sheet and cozy blanket on top.
My middle is sprawled next to me as I type away on the edge of the king-size, no pullout couch accommodations … a slight snafu in our foray into spontaneity and Priceline frugality.
I let the three of them stay up past their bedtime and enjoy a primetime movie on the cable-equipped flat screen. A few minutes afterward and they were out.
We have kept them busy the last week and today was no exception: four missions, a side trip to Morro Bay State Beach and a quick dip in the hotel pool. We can’t oversleep, unfortunately, as tomorrow is our Campos most ambitious
day yet: four more missions and possibly the drive home. We’ll see if we make it. At the very least we will have made a dent in our path along the great El Camino Real trail. Our Mission: to see all 21. Well, eventually.
We’ve never made a trip like this before. Sure, we’ve been gone more than a week, but usually to a family member’s home … never so many hotels back-to-back. In one city and on to the next, it’s exciting and it has been wonderful. Our children are loving our vacation.
What started as an ambitious adventure, we’ve learned a few things along the way. We were inspired by our friends who actually made it to all 21 missions in one single road trip adventure.
How lucky we were to have someone from whom to glean wisdom. We took their advice and tweaked it to what worked for our family. Here’s a glimpse into our travels. May you take the road less traveled and find new adventures along the way. On a mission: Sightseeing 21 of anything could become repetitive and overwhelming, especially for the younger set. Our children — ages 6, 9 and 11 — are familiar with the subject. Two of the three have completed their Mission projects (Santa Clara de Asis) in the third grade (it is usually studied in the fourth grade but they were in third/ fourth combo classes and the rotation landed in that particular year) and the youngest enjoyed helping with the model enough to be familiar with the idea. With a few under our belt, we’ve learned that some are more time-consuming, the weather more favorable and nearby attractions more desirable. Grab a “Passport” (best advice) and ask for a stamp from each gift shop or parish office. What kid doesn’t love a collection? It’s also a great conversation-starter.
Several of the volunteers behind the counter have engaged the children in conversation.
One particularly sweet retired sister was filling in for whoever would normally work behind the counter.
She answered every question from our children (which included the details of the closed-circuit recording) and did so with patience and kindness.
We made sure to grab a map or guide for the older children to read and follow along; it helps keep them engaged and in charge of their exploration. Our daughter was a good sport and with her newest sidekick (Fluffy a la Despicable Me), she entertained herself when we wanted to point out artifacts or buildings of interest to the older two.
Make it an adventure
More than once we have let GPS send us through the roads less traveled. Maybe it’s from the years of living in the desert, but watching the roads twist and turn around redwoods towering side by side to vineyards sparkling along a hillside to the gray ominous clouds hovering above the great ocean currents are all spectacular.
We had never been to any of our rest stops for the night. It was part of the adventure. We rolled the dice and let the Priceline gamble fall where it would. Some nights were better than others.
We packed a sleeping bag (I would recommend 2) and a cooler (we hit up the .99 store for provisions), but the most important piece to overall family calm was attitude. Had I shared my disappointment in two of our overnight stays, it could’ve snowballed to disaster. Only one bed? No problem, it’s a campout! Bare minimum “breakfast?” Let’s try hot oatmeal in a cup! Electronics ran out of battery charge? Guess it’s time to read a book!
After unrelenting requests, today we veered off our path to find a beach to play in. What did we see in the distance, literally surrounding the few surfers atop their boards, unmistakable fins of dolphins! Magical and mesmerizing to find them among the currents, they were almost playing alongside the few straddling their boards waiting for the next big wave.
Everyone needs a bit of magic along a well-planned route. Listen to the children and make time for what they really want to do. Take a break and let them wiggle their toes in the sand and twirl around in the tide.