Your next vacation could be as close as your own backyard!
Kerrie Vilhauer
Kerrie Vilhauer is the Director of Marketing at the Children's Museum of South Dakota.
It may come as no surprise that 63% of Americans say they desperately need a vacation. The good news is that the mere act of planning a vacation can give our psyches the lift we need.
As a matter of fact, 97% of Americans say that having a trip planned makes them happier.
How about a road trip or staycation?
As a children’s museum, we are on the front line of family travel. Whether we are the destination or a place to stop along the way, our organization was built to inspire play and imagination.
Some may think you have to go far away to call it a vacation, but we think a vacation is a state of mind. A vacation can be a short road trip, or even spending time in your own town!
When families travel together it creates memories that last a lifetime!
So, let’s stop dreaming of vacation and instead make it happen! We’ve got got a few ideas to help make travel planning easier. Here we go!
Six tips to help you plan your next vacation
Create an itinerary: Make a list of the highlights you don’t want to miss on your trip. Organize your plans on a wall of post-it notes and if for some reason things don’t go as planned, the post-it can be moved to a different day. Flexibility helps to reduce stress!
Get off the beaten path: If you are vacationing road-trip style, take the scenic route. There’s a lot of fun to be had exploring lesser-known routes. If you are traveling to visit us, here’s a road trip recommendation using Highway 14.
Build in time to stop for fun: The joy is in the journey. On a recent road trip with my family, we cranked the Weird Al Yankovich tunes. Imagine what happened after we played The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota and pulled up right next to it! Plans are well and good, but stopping for play along the way can spark all sorts of imagination. And it only required 30 extra minutes from our original plan! Here’s a list of places to stop close to us!
Where’s Kidoodle? At the Dignity sculpture by Dale Lamphere overlooking the Missouri River near Chamberlain, SD.
Be in the moment, and then share those experiences when you return: Bring a sense of play with you wherever you go. When you go into your experience with a sense of wonder, it creates a connection that not only can be remembered but also can be life-changing.Our mascot Kidoodle is a good reminder of this for us. When Kidoodle travels, we get to follow along. We use #whereskidoodle on our Instagram account and watch from across the globe and even in our own backyard. Traveling vicariously through others can be equally as fun.
Explore your own backyard: If a long, far-away vacation isn’t for you, see the world through new eyes with a staycation! Explore your own city or town like you are seeing it for the first time. Check out those trails, explore that museum, and take a different route from your usual. We LOVE exploring the Great 8 in Brookings!
Take advantage of museum and zoo memberships: Did you know that if you are a member of a science center, museum or zoo you can often get free or reduced admission at similar organizations in other cities? Take that into consideration when planning your travel and you could get more value out of your vacation budget. The Children’s Museum of South Dakota offers an Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) membership. Look for participating ACM children’s museums at findachildrensmuseum.org.
Consider South Dakota for your next vacation
Traveling is a great way to learn, grow, and see the world in a whole new way. If you are inspired to start planning your next vacation, we encourage you to check out the many great places to visit in Brookings and in South Dakota and make sure the Children’s Museum of South Dakota is on your list.
"As a children’s museum, we are at the front line of family travel. Whether we are a destination or a place to stop along the way, our organization was built on the power of play and imagination."
Back
