The
Three P’s of L.D.S. Family Travels
by
Becky Cardon Smith
print version
I love to travel, especially
with my family! We have had some great experiences, many teaching
moments, and lots of family memories. Traveling as a family has
many rewards: learning to interact as a team, spending quality
time together, discovering each others’ likes and dislikes,
and appreciating our many blessings are just a few.
Those who have read
our guidebooks will recognize the importance of advanced preparation
to insure a successful travel experience. Just as building a home
without a set of plans is unwise, a trip without advance thought
and discussion could also be on shaky footings. Though I can’t
promise you a trip without some unplanned and now laughable near-catastrophes
(we count on a few of these), I can promise you a more productive,
informative, and less stressful travel experience if you follow
our “ 3 P’s ”.
PLANNING
PREPARATION
POSITIVE TRAVEL ATTITUDE (PTA)
PLANNING
Just as I would never
take a trip with
a tour guide who hadn’t made any advance decisions, I would
never leave on a family trip without some advance planning. While
I am not suggesting you make an itinerary that leaves little room
for spontaneity, I have found that the more thought and planning
we do before we leave, the more I can relax and enjoy the trip.
Time spent answering the following questions will allow you to
make better informed decisions now and leave you with fewer unpleasant
surprises later. (Each of these questions will be discussed in
more detail in next week’s article.)
How many days do we
need for this trip?
How are we going to get there?
Where should we stay?
What is our budget for this trip?
What should we see and do?
PREPARATION
This is the second step
to a successful trip. Once you have made the basic planning decisions,
you can focus on preparation. Understanding more about the sites
you will be seeing before leaving helps to enhance the learning
experience. There are several Church videos that will help you
to better understand the history behind the sites you will be
seeing. (All are available through Church Distribution.) They
include:
• Legacy –
Though many have seen this video before, it is well worth seeing
again. This video provides a very moving synopsis of the trials
of the Saints during the early years of the Church.
• A Voice From
The Dust – Included on this video are: How Rare a Possession:
The Book of Mormon, A Marvelous Work Begins, The Three Witnesses,
and For Us!
• Moments From
Church History – The video includes: The First Vision, Restoration
of the Priesthood, Last Day at Carthage, and Joseph Smith: The
Man.
• Doctrine and
Covenants and Church History – Included on this video: Organization
of the Church and Parley P. Pratt Finds the Book of Mormon.
• Fourth Witness,
The Mary Whitmer Story – This video was produced by the
BYU Department of Theater and Media Arts. I purchased it at the
BYU Bookstore.
The Gospel Art Picture Kit has many pictures of pioneer events
and early Church leaders (also available through Church Distribution).
The historical summaries on the back are brief and concise and
make for great discussions. Discussing ahead of time sections
from the Doctrine and Covenants, which were received at the various
sites you will be visiting, can also enhance your trip.
In addition to the reading
preparation, there are several things we suggest you include in
your packing. Though the secret is to travel light, the following
may come in handy:
• Scriptures –
You will find many moments when you will want to sit at the sites
and read from them.
• Additional resources
such as articles, stories, etc. – Several specific stories
and articles to include are suggested in our guidebooks.
• Free tourism
packets – Many of the local chambers of commerce offer free
packets that include maps, brochures on sites in their area, and
other helpful information. Call them at least a month ahead of
your trip to ensure the packets arrival before your departure.
(Most phone numbers can be found either by Internet or in our
books.)
• Family records
with names, birth dates, or burial sites – Check before
leaving to see if you had any relatives who once lived in the
areas you will be visiting. If so, you may want to stop in these
areas to copy genealogical information at the local town recorder’s
office, visit burial sites, or take pictures of specific churches,
buildings, etc. for your history records.
• Maps of your
driving route – We have found it very helpful to purchase
a map in advance and plan our driving route.
• A roll of quarters
& your National Parks Pass – The first item comes in
handy for toll roads back east and the second will get you in
free to several specific sites (example: Harry Truman Home in
Independence).
• Basic first
aid supplies including travel-size tissues (sometimes needed in
bathrooms).
• Good walking
shoes, fanny pack, umbrella, etc.
• Snacking items
such as granola bars, dried fruit, etc.
• Plenty of film,
sunscreen, sunglasses, and other heat and high-humidity related
needs. I also recommend you always have water on hand.
• Travel games,
crayons, etc. for entertaining younger children while on the road.
POSITIVE TRAVEL ATTITUDE (PTA)
This is the third requirement
for a successful family travel experience. Simply put, this means
– “Go with the flow”. Traveling is exciting
but it isn’t always just what you expected. You may get
hot, become tired, sleep in a bed not as comfortable as your own,
or walk a few miles more than you are accustomed to. My advice
is to put it into perspective and deal with it. You and your family
have a great opportunity that many others would love to have.
Putting up with a few inconveniences is worth it. Make the most
of your trip and ignore the minor things. If everyone travels
with this PTA attitude, you will laugh more, whine less, and return
home with a heart full of memories, a mind filled with facts,
and a suitcase crammed with well-used clothes. Have a great trip!
©
2003 LDS Family Travels. All Rights Reserved.
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