Families priced out of making vacation memories
DERRY, Pa. — Rachel Thayn, 35, applied generous amounts of sunscreen on her four tow-headed daughters and then spread out a large blanket on the sand and set up a folding chair. Each child carried her own bucket, shovel, towel, inner tube and that unique beachy smile of anticipation.
They were at Keystone State Park savoring the longest day and the shortest night of the year in the same way they plan to savor the entire summer: not far from home, at a beach that is safe and free. That way they can avoid most of the costs associated with vacation, which have escalated for families across the country.
All four Thayn girls, who range in age from two to nine, headed straight into the lake to splash around, either jumping on their floats, trying to catch minnows or pulling up mounds of sand to find the shiny quartz rocks they called “treasures.”
Mrs. Thayn said she’s pregnant with her fifth child: “It’s a boy, and we don’t even know what to do — all we’ve ever had is girls.”
The Harrison City native said that — apart from a trip for younger brother’s wedding in August — their summer vacationwill be “day-cations” at local state parks, either swimming, hiking or boating, all activities that are free.
“We were going to fly to Idaho for the wedding, but whoa, the cost for the flights was way too high,” said Mrs. Thayn. “We are going to drive, but honestly with the cost of gas, I’m not sure we are saving all that much. It is a real strain on families.”
For the past two years many Americans skipped their family vacations because of COVID restrictions or concerns, missing out on family memories and experiences — good and bad (there is always at least one mishap). This year, with inflation at 8.6%, prohibitive costs are preventing many from restarting the tradition.
Want to fly domestically? That will cost you 34% more than it did in 2019, the last summer of “normal.” Lodging costs are up over 13%. Airbnb prices are up over 11%. And rental cars? Well, good luck — they’re up more than 70% since the beginning of 2020.
Nerdwallet’s number crunching shows that if you do go on vacation everything costs more — a lot more. Eating out? That’s 7.2% more than last year. Filling up? We all know that’s through the roof: the average is $5 a gallon if you’re lucky. The Biden administration’s efforts to temporarily suspend the gas tax has families shrugging. It’s only 18 cents — $4.82 a gallon is still serious sticker shock.
Because of that, a CBS News survey shows nearly 43% of Americans say that economic concerns are prompting them to reduce travel or cut their vacation budget.
Tammy and Christian Rooney of Industry, Pa., said they still went on vacation this year: a three-day camping trip to Lake Milton in Mahoning County, Ohio, with their grandchildren. But Christian, a network engineer, said the cost of driving there kept them from ever leaving the site until it was time to go home: “You have to be very careful with your spending. It is not as if people’s pay checks have kept up with inflation — everything you used to do normally now puts you in a hole.”
Mr. Rooney said people want and need something to look forward to: “The puzzle is the financial pressures that everyone is facing; I am hard pressed to tell you anyone I know who isn’t feeling the pain in their wallet just going to the grocery store, let alone a family vacation.”
Keystone Park is located just off U.S. 22 in Westmoreland County; it is one of 121 state parks across the commonwealth’s 67 counties. Swimming is permitted at 35 of them. With the exception of Presque Isle State Park along Lake Erie, none of swimming areas has lifeguards. There is a buoy line at each designated beach.
Out past the buoy line, on the day Mrs. Thayn brought her girls to Keystone, kayakers paddled on the calm water. Fishermen cast their lines along the shoreline by the bridge. Dozens of picnic benches under the trees offered a respite to enjoy something from the concession stand.
The lazy, sunny scene demonstrated that people find a way to adapt.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t feel the loss.
Family vacations — whether they are three days or two weeks — are part of our social fabric. They build life-long memories, bond us to our families and introduce us to new experiences, cultures and food.
That’s not to say they’re perfect — from flat tires to food poisoning, missed flights, jellyfish stings and splinters from the dock, challenges are part of the experience. A cottage that didn’t live up to the photographs can create memories of its own, not all bad.
The family vacation is also about “firsts” — where we caught our first fish, ateour first calzone or had our first kiss.
Having to curtail such vacations again, after foregoing them altogether during COVID, is a serious letdown for families.
“I think families miss vacations; they lift your spirits — it gives you something to show the kids and look forward to on the calendar,” said Ronda Yother, 37, of Derry. She had spread her blanket out beside Mrs. Thayn’s; they know eachother from church.
The Yothers, a family of seven, are also opting for a series of day-cations to keep the family budget in line. It hasn’t been easy. She said the beaches at Keystone were the perfect remedy: “This is how you make up for it, and the kids love it.”
Veronica Kawolski, of Greensburg, was at Keystone with her daughter and her daughter’s best friend. She said her family plans to go on vacation — but it’s something they’ve spent over a year planning and saving for. “You saw this problem start last year,” she said. “This inflation has been with us for longer than people in government like to admit. Everything associated with travel is crazy; you really have to pinch every penny to make it work.”
“Honestly though, I am not going to complain about my life,” said Ms. Kawolski. “I’ll be okay, we will be okay… There are a lot of families that have it worse than we do, that can’t even get to a lake like this or go to a city swimming pool because it is closed. That is who we should really be worried about: the kids and families that have no opportunity,” she said, as she walked the snorkels over to her daughter as she and her friend went diving for minnows in the lake.