I believe it was a milestone birthday I celebrated last year that was the impetus for what turned out to be one of the best gifts I have ever received. As we all had a wonderful brunch that December day I have to say I was stunned, deeply touched and felt truly loved when I opened the birthday card from my daughters. The note said in the new year we would go on a “girls trip”. We decided on May and I was to pick a place to travel by Christmas. All other decisions would be handled by my girls. OMG, right? I chose Montana and I want to share the trip with you. I hope you will be inspired to get some travel plans on the calendar with your grown children!
REMEMBER WHEN?
I’m sure you have many fond memories of summer vacations as your kids grew up. I do too. But, with those vacays came tons of planning and saving on your part, a few tantrums and meltdowns and sometimes the feeling you needed a vacation to recover from the one you had just returned from.
The beauty of traveling with grown children is that planning doesn’t have to fall only on your shoulders. They can make plane reservations, rent a car, research the destination for fun experiences and do their own packing.
And, adult kiddos can pay for their share of the trip. You may find you can stay in more upscale accommodations for longer periods of time because everyone is chipping in. More activities can be experienced because each person only has to buy one ticket or entrance fee. Equipment rentals and transportation needs can also be shared. Bottom line, everything isn’t up to Y-O-U!
I loved all the planning being taken out of my hands. Since this was a birthday gift, I didn’t pay for the majority of the trip. However, I did buy some meals, gas, an extra night of accommodations and a belated birthday gift for my daughter. She actually celebrated in late April but I suggested I buy her something while we were on vacay together and she loved the idea. Turns out she found a stylish jacket that I hope she enjoys for years and reminds her of our trip!
PRICELESS REASONS
Who knows your kids better than you, right? Well, as they leave home, find new friends and become interested in new things, you may not be at the top of the list anymore. Spending consecutive days with your offspring can help you learn some amazing things about them. And, they may find out a few new tidbits about you, too.
Sharing meals and car rides every day can be a real joy. After all, for many parents, as the kids were growing up these were the times they talked to you the most. After offspring fly the coop you may only see them on holidays and special occasions. And, these gatherings can have lots of other people around, taking time away from you having any meaningful conversations with your kids. Phone calls, face times and texts are all fine ways to keep in touch. But, nothing can compare to in-person hanging out time!
Exploring a new area together, doing and seeing new things, can create special memories and deepen your bond with each other. These experiences don’t have to be elaborate and expensive either. We went to Yellowstone National Park, Taylor hadn’t made it there during her other trips, and it cost $35 for a 7 day pass. Both of us loved our time there so much, we extended our trip by a day so we could return to Yellowstone and see more of this vast, fabulous place! Neither of us had ever been stopped by bison in the road and ended up having them walk right by our car windows, seen geysers bubbling and steaming nor viewed a vista like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
TRIP INSIGHTS
You may have picked up on the fact that both of my daughters weren’t on this trip. Unfortunately, my younger daughter, Olivia, didn’t come. While disappointing, Taylor and I had an absolutely fabulous trip. We stayed outside Bozeman in a yurt with a fully functioning kitchen and bathroom. While Taylor had already been to the area twice, the lodgings and time of year were new to both of us. And, my daughter hadn’t managed to visit Yellowstone in her past travels out West so we were both excited to see it.
I had never been to Montana and consider myself a beach girl at heart. While thinking that it would be beautiful I was blown away by the vistas. As you can see from the pictures I’ve shared, the scenery is postcard perfect.
I loved Montana through Taylor’s eyes. She wants to move there, is so enthusiastic and grateful for the nature that abounds, the peace and solitude that can be found. The yurt had a hot tub with 360 degree views of the mountains. Most late afternoons or evenings you could find us enjoying the hot tub with a glass of wine. I’m grateful for the quiet times we shared in that “Big Sky” setting.
Taylor took me to some of her favorite shopping and food haunts in Bozeman. But, we still managed to explore a new restaurant, clothing store and gallery together. My daughter has become a “foodie” and while we never had a bad meal it’s the conversations we shared I will remember most fondly. I learned what a positive influence she is in the lives of her fiance’s children. For someone who has consistently said she doesn’t want kids, she will be an awesome stepmom to his 3 boys. We made a plan to get together more often when the kids visit them on the weekends. And, we talked of taking more trips together, Glacier National Park and the Grand Tetons being 2 destinations bandied about. We agreed to include the men in our lives for the next vacay.
Our shared love of nature really came through in Yellowstone. We got so excited upon seeing a grizzly bear in the Lamar Valley and watching the baby bison frolic. We were amazed by all the hydrothermal features of the park. Neither of us had ever seen anything like all the geysers, mud pots, fumaroles and something called the sulfur caldron. A volcano and many earthquakes are part of the reason all of these magical phenomena exist in Yellowstone.
As I said earlier, we extended our trip by a day so we could return to Yellowstone! I think the plan began to hatch as we headed home from our first visit to the national park. I was looking at the map of the park and said if I ever came back I would go in the west entrance and see the lower half of Yellowstone. As we ate dinner that evening Taylor said she wanted to see if we could rent the yurt and car another day. It all worked out and I got my picture by the Continental Divide sign after trudging through some serious snow!
I don’t know about you, Wise Goddess, but it made my heart happy that my child was willing to spend another day with her mom and explore the world some more. Today I read that a grandmother/grandson duo recently completed their quest to visit all the national parks in the U.S. together. While I may not complete such an adventure as this, I’m going to make it a point to travel with my kiddos in the future. I can’t wait to make more heartfelt memories!
