Food is Part of the Fun

Planning a Family Vacation- Part 3

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!

A great thing about vacations is EATING!! Everyone is eager to sample seafood and local fare at some of Destin's popular eateries: The Back Porch, A.J.'s, and Pompano Joe's. But what about the other dozen or so meals for 21 of us? I've set up a website on qlibb.com where every family can suggest favorite meals, cereals, and munchies.
We will make a 3-4-night meal plan, assign cooks and clean-up crew (the older kids can handle this), and make an enormous grocery list. Whomever plans to arrive first will grab a local paper, the list of kids' food allergies, and shop. Cost will be divided according to number of people- not appetite. Anyone opting out of dinner one night will simply "eat" the loss.

I polled Facebook and book club friends for restaurant recommendations then visited their websites. One morning I'll definitely skip the cornflakes and head to The Donut Hole. With the OpenTable app on my smart phone, I can make dinner reservations anytime, and with Groupon and LivingSocial, I can find local restaurant and event deals even before loading the van.

Now it's just a matter of packing my favorite coffee and trail mix for the road.

- Sanna Rogers, parent writer, Today's Family

Click to read Part 1 and Part 2 of Planning a Family Vacation.