Vacation Logistics

Planning a Family Vacation- Part 2

The plans for our parents' 50th anniversary/multi-family vacation last year had stalled. So, my siblings and I quickly put together a dinner party last November to honor their day. Now I had one New Year's resolution for 2014: celebrate lying on a white-sand beach in Destin, FL.



Six family schedules flew back and forth over cell phones, emails, three states, and coffee. Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO.com) temporarily replaced Pinterest as my favorite cyber-travel pastime. Rental options were scarce in the spring. Kids' sports and camps eliminated a summer trip. Then back to school. Vacation days were dwindling. Had to be a holiday weekend. Labor Day, it was!


We needed nine beds, a large kitchen and dining table, one handicap-accessible bathroom, parking for five cars, and a beach within sight. We wanted an elevator, a golf cart, a discounted rate, and sound-proof walls.

Finally, we found a perfect two-house rental on Crystal Beach for a week. We sacrificed the elevator and are still working on a golf cart. But no amount of insulation could muffle 10 kids and two snorers. The discounted rate? We could have saved $1000 by booking a year in advance. Sorry, Mom and Dad!

- Sanna Rogers, parent writer, Today's Family

Click here to read Part 1 of Planning a Family Vacation.