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Keeping Peace at Home
Published on September 6, 2005 By swimnfly In Parenting
Okay, I'm going to do the list thing.

These are things to do instead of traveling far from home. Every year, I take my kids to the family timeshare at the beach, just after school starts. The gas prices are the icing on the cake. I just don't feel like driving 3 hours to get to the beach. So I asked the kids what they would most miss doing. So far, we've found comparable things to do within 20-30 minutes away. So I thought I would share with you my findings and some other ideas I had. Our schedule with school starting just had me a bit harried and back-to-school shopping seemed to deplete my monetary resources as well. Okay, on to the list!!!

1. I searched the internet and yellow pages for miniature golf. We found a beatiful one 20-25 minutes from our home, that we had
never been to!! We really did feel like we were on vacation.

2. Nearby lakes offer canoeing and other boating like paddle boats. If the kids research these too, they are getting practice for researching in high school and college. Get them to call about hours, prices, restrictions, age limits, etc. If this is the first time they have done this, check their findings when they aren't looking. Not trying to start a family misunderstanding here! And write it down.

3. If you don't go to the library much, go, sit and look at their magazines for an hour. It's relaxing. Some places let you check them out. Catch up on current events, get some ideas for nearby travel spots, or find out who's doing what in Hollywood.

4. Go shopping. Buy a Christmas present early or a memento of the summer, maybe a scrapbook souvenir. Send a post card of your area to someone who misses being there. Another thought, we found an old general store that sells all kinds of old fashioned or hard to find candies. Introduce your kids to the old stuff they may have never had. This place had chocolate neccos, zero bars,
and penny candies(now a dime). They've brought back stuff like Teaberry gum and the licorice one, Black Jack? Chew some of the kids' new bubble gum. Now THAT's an experience.

5. We have a town nearby that has rebuilt their boardwalk since Hurricane Isabel. I've never been there. Hmm. That's an idea.
And they have a Tastee Freez nearby. You can also hunt for sharks teeth on the bay beach there.

6. There are places that do fossil digs.....a neat idea would be to watch or join in on one. Or a geological dig, for minerals or gems.
I saw on the news how some place not too far away, has a jewel cave where you can pay one price and get a shovelful of semi precious stones.

7. Design a scavenger hunt for the family of historical, library information, nature or touristy locations to learn about and visit. Have them bring back an item from each place to show they were there. On bike, on foot, by car. It's all good. Maybe go in pairs or teams. Then meet somewhere for lunch.

8.Find out how to visit a factory or neat place where they make something. I haven't researched this too much, but I love t.v. programs that take you through factories. I've often thought about where my recyclables go.

9. Eat seafood or another vacation type food in a scenic place. We can eat hardshell blue crabs, overlooking a pretty river. We
almost never do that. This summer I let my kids get the virgin version of a pina colada. They just thought that was really living!

10. There are a hundred obvious things that are advertised on t.v. for the summer. Whatever the season, break out of your routine,
even if you are an avid partyer, with lots of pool parties, friends and barbecues. Hang out with your kids. Play 20 questions with them, broaden their horizons, put your feet up, change your scenery. It's easy and tough at the same time. It takes some thought to find the perfect spot to watch the sun set. But it's worth it. And if you DO make some memories, do a little journal or scrapbook. It doesn't have to be a work of art. Let everyone in the family say a few words and paste their ticket stub or post card on a page. It may not seem that great getting it started, but it will inspire creativity. A vacation for the mind. Looking at the unique finished product will be fun. And the best part is that in a few years, you will run across it and it may be an absolute treasure. Maybe sooner, on a bleak winter's day, perhaps.

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