Travel

Many people give up traveling all-together once they have kids.

That is just unacceptable!

Okay, I must admit that I was in that group of people at one time – I found every excuse under the sun to avoid traveling with the family in tow.

It’s too expensive, it’s too cumbersome, it’s hard to travel with kids, there’s not enough vacation time, The kids don’t like to travel…sound familiar?

Granted, those are some powerful reasons for opting for another outing to the mall, the local movie theater or Chuckie Cheese instead of a 3-day weekend getaway, but they are excuses none-the-less.

If you don’t like to travel, then your excuses can stand, but if, like me, you yearn for the days when traveling was as essential to your well-being as, well…(insert important life thing here), then it’s time to start some proactive travel planning. With a little creativity (and a LOT of patience), you can get you and your kids out there having some non-budget breaking, day-trippin’, weekend getaway fun! It IS possible to find trips that don’t cost a lot and that your kids will like. You just have to be willing to think outside the box and cut corners on non-essentials, so you can spend your travel budget more efficiently. For tips on how to do that, check out this article.

Of course, it’s a lot easier to travel close to home – someplace you can drive to rather than buy expensive airline tickets that will eat up your travel budget before you’ve even stepped foot out the door.

We are lucky in Los Angeles to have close proximity to not only a variety of interesting landscapes surrounding us, but we can choose our climate preference, depending on our mood and the time of the year. Feeling the need to lay out on the beach? Head over to Malibu or one of the other beautiful beach cities along the PCH. How about some snow? Big Bear’s only a couple of hours away. Maybe you’re longing for the peacefulness of the desert? Palm Springs is just the ticket!

Whether you’re planning to stay out and play for the whole weekend or just get away for a day of fun, there’s lots of nearby trip options that the whole family can sink their teeth into: