How to Plan a Mini-vacation With Your Extended Family (Tips and techniques that have worked for over two decades of family adventures)

The Family Adventure Continues ... . A remarkable experience . Worthy of being noticed. Uncommon, extraordinary Direct participation in events - events that make up the conscious past of a community or family. Going beyond what is beyond usual, regular, or customary. . To maintain without interruption a condition, course, or action. A group of persons of common ancestry. Fellowship . A community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience. Friendliness, comradeship 20 th Anniversary

Each family adventure has a theme that is active, special, and unifying. Active - we should do something . Special - we should do something different . Unifying - we should do something different together .

Active - we should do something .

Special - we should do something different .

Unifying - we should do something different together .

How do you know you've been on a family adventure? You remember it (perhaps even fondly). Your friends are curious, amazed, or exhibit an emotion other than boredom when you tell them about it. You feel special because of it. You want to go on another one.

You remember it (perhaps even fondly).

Your friends are curious, amazed, or exhibit an emotion other than boredom when you tell them about it.

You feel special because of it.

You want to go on another one.

How do you know you’re at the family planning meeting? "I'm not going on vacation this year." "We need to go for a whole week." "We should do water sports, but I have no money." "We should take a break from vacation this year." "Ya know, this is the only vacation I get and I'm going to make the most of it." "I am not going to be in a cabin with John!" "Fetching lobsters in Maine!" (Classic sayings from certain family members.)

"I'm not going on vacation this year."

"We need to go for a whole week."

"We should do water sports, but I have no money."

"We should take a break from vacation this year."

"Ya know, this is the only vacation I get and I'm going to make the most of it."

"I am not going to be in a cabin with John!"

"Fetching lobsters in Maine!"

Critical Success Factors at the Family Planning Be flexible. Be willing to try / do / experience something new and different. Put the group well-being ahead of (your) individual preferences. Choose a theme where everyone is (physically) able to participate. .

Be flexible.

Be willing to try / do / experience something new and different.

Put the group well-being ahead of (your) individual preferences.

Choose a theme where everyone is (physically) able to participate.

Been There, Done That, Now What? '89 White Water Rafting Menominee, WI '90 Sand Dune ATVs Silver Lake Sand Dunes, MI '91 Paint Ball Fighting Cadillac, MI '92 Murder Mystery Detroit, MI '93 River Rafting Muskegon River, MI '94 Horseback Riding Caberfe, MI '95 Sand Castle Building Mio, MI '96 Photo Scavenger Hunt Oakland County, MI '97 Cave Exploring Mammoth Cave, KY '98 Bumper Cars Cedar Point, OH '99 Mountain Biking Grand Island, MI ‘ 00 Beach Volleyball Port Austin, MI ‘ 01 Sea Kayaking Pictured Rocks Nat’l Lakeshore, MI ‘ 02 Sand Dune Buggies Silver Lake Sand Dunes, MI ‘ 03 Archery Smokey Mtn Nat’l Park, TN ‘ 04 Marshmallow Pelting Ludington, MI ‘ 05 Lobster Fetching Sullivan, ME ‘ 06 Rocket Racer Triathlon Indian River, MI ‘ 07 Geocaching Addison Oaks, MI ‘ 08 Snowman Building Kalamazoo, MI ’ 09 Western Murder Mystery Streetsboro, OH

'89 White Water Rafting Menominee, WI

'90 Sand Dune ATVs Silver Lake Sand Dunes, MI

'91 Paint Ball Fighting Cadillac, MI

'92 Murder Mystery Detroit, MI

'93 River Rafting Muskegon River, MI

'94 Horseback Riding Caberfe, MI

'95 Sand Castle Building Mio, MI

'96 Photo Scavenger Hunt Oakland County, MI

'97 Cave Exploring Mammoth Cave, KY

'98 Bumper Cars Cedar Point, OH

'99 Mountain Biking Grand Island, MI

‘ 00 Beach Volleyball Port Austin, MI

‘ 01 Sea Kayaking Pictured Rocks Nat’l Lakeshore, MI

‘ 02 Sand Dune Buggies Silver Lake Sand Dunes, MI

‘ 03 Archery Smokey Mtn Nat’l Park, TN

‘ 04 Marshmallow Pelting Ludington, MI

‘ 05 Lobster Fetching Sullivan, ME

‘ 06 Rocket Racer Triathlon Indian River, MI

‘ 07 Geocaching Addison Oaks, MI

‘ 08 Snowman Building Kalamazoo, MI

’ 09 Western Murder Mystery Streetsboro, OH