Hooray, we have arrived at our vacation destination. How can we make it a dream vacation. Whether visiting family, staying with friends, a family vacation, or your dream couple vacation, one of the most important things to remember is not to pack too much into each day. If you do, you will end up with cranky kids or spouse, not to mention yourself, and cranky hosts.
Choose a reasonable amount of activities each day and plan breaks between them. If you are visiting a theme park with a day pass, head out for the morning when everyone is fresh, return to your hotel for lunch and a nap in the heat of the day, and then head back out for the evening. If you are visiting sites close to your hotel, consider going back for a late afternoon nap before dinner. Everyone will feel refreshed. If staying with friends and they are not participating in all of your activities, be considerate of their schedules.
Do not expect your hosts to feed you every meal. Offer to take them out to dinner at least once during your visit. Pick up some items at the store to treat your host. Last year we had wonderful friends visit that walked to the store early one morning and came home with delightful breakfast foods that we enjoyed together. It was a treat for me as their host. If you need special foods, buy them yourself, do not expect your host to supply them.
Be a clean guest. Keep your room picked up and the bed made, do not leave the bathroom a mess, wipe down the shower, ask where wet towels should be placed if your host has not shown you already. Be considerate of personal space and time of your hosts. Often they have to work some of the days you are visiting, remember it is your vacation, not necessarily theirs. A thank you note and gift are a great gesture at the end of your stay.
Remember that hotel maids are there to clean the room only, not pick up your mess. If you want your room cleaned, they need access to the floor, bathroom, and bed. If they are having to work around all of your belongings they will not be able to clean efficiently.
If staying in a hotel or a guest room with closet or drawer space available, use the space. It will make your trip more enjoyable and easier to pack to go home. In a hotel give each child their own drawer or 2 children to a drawer with a rolled up towel between to divide their space. Do bring an empty bag/pillow case for dirty laundry. The ones provided in hotels are not large enough for more than one or 2 days clothing and if you have a large family they will not work at all. Store empty suitcases inside each other in the closet or a corner of the room. I don't not recommend unpacking if your stay is less than 3 nights in one location. When packing to return home check every drawer, closet, under furniture and cushions, behind the bathroom door, every conceivable space an item could have fallen. After you have checked the room, have your spouse or traveling companion check it again. An easy item to leave behind is a pillow or blanket because the beds have not been made. By placing brightly colored pillow cases on ones you bring with you will spot them easily in the bed. Check outlets for phone chargers or computer cords. Refer to your outgoing list of what you packed to bring with and make sure you have every item on the list to return home with.
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