Dream Trips With Kids

A Gorgeous Savannah Morning

It’s funny how your dream trips change as you do.

My dream trip way back when was to backpack through Europe for six weeks, and I did that back in the days using a few guide books and some printed out train schedules. Now I laugh at a couple of things about that trip – first that I didn’t get lost once despite not having Google maps or GPS, and second – the bag I lived out of for six weeks would barely have held the diapers I packed for our first family vacation with our daughter.

In the early days of parenthood, my dream trips were ones where I didn’t have to cook or clean, and where we could just relax and hang out as a family. While I may have scoffed at them in my pre-kid days, I sure appreciate how relaxing an all-inclusive vacation can be. And we inject some local culture and flavour into our trips by, you know, actually leaving the resort from time to time.

As the kids got older, we guzzled a bit of the Disney Kool Aid, and now I have absolutely no qualms about recognizing and recommending a Disney vacation for the awesomeness that it is. You get to be a kid again when you visit Walt Disney World, and there’s a reason Disney parks and resorts are dream trips and top picks for families around the world – they’re great.

We’ve taken some fantastic trips since becoming parents. Quebec City was a real highlight for us – and not because it was Bub’s first trip (at 10 weeks) or the poutine. Well, maybe the poutine but also the history and culture and feeling like we were not still in Canada even though we were a mere 90min flight from home. Also, our staycations and trips to local resorts have really instilled in us an appreciation of our surroundings and how much we value the wonderful city and province and country that we live in.

And now as our kids are getting bigger, so is my dream trips wish list:

• I am not particularly outdoorsy, but I am compelled to hike the Inca Trail and explore Machu Picchu in Peru
• As soon as Bub is six, we are heading to Costa Rica for as long as I we can take off work and school for some major exploring and ziplining through the forest.
• My husband dreams of visiting the South Pacific, and his dreams are now mine. A hut on the beach sounds great right about now!
• It’s been years and years since I’ve seen my extended family in Scotland and England. One day soon I will get across the pond with my kids and share my memories with them. It’s geting really hard to hear a UK accent without getting all teary-eyed. I miss “home”.

Obviously I have lots of planning and saving to do, but in the meantime it’s easy to inadvertently save by using a travel rewards card like the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. A huge bonus of the card is that you spend as normal and the points add up without you even realizing it, making your travel dreams that much closer. And, being able to book with any travel provider with no blackout dates or similar restrictions means you can jump on seat sales or other travel deals as they become available.

**This post is supported by the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, but all opinions remain my own.**