Trip Planning

I recently made reservations for a trip to Niagara Falls this summer. It's not completely set in stone yet. I'm a little bit worried about it interfering with our Disney trip and you never know what's going to happen in a few months time, plus we all have to get passports... BUT, my mom and nanny are coming and we have a room at the Embassy Suites, with a view of the Falls and free breakfast, YAY.

While researching for this trip and trying to decide where to eat and what to do I decided to take a somewhat different approach. Usually, when we go on vacation, I find the nicest place to stay (that we can afford!) and find the nicest restaurants that have the best reviews. And I always eat whatever the local food is, like, if I go to Maine...we're getting Lobster. And I don't eat at Italian joints while in New Orleans. You get the idea ;) This time though, I decided to relax and let go a little. Only one "nice" dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse and then; a pizza place, Rainforest Cafe, and Hard Rock Cafe. We are going to embrace our American-ness while in Canada ;)

I also saw a few cute little hotels that have been around since the 70'a and 80's. They weren't old and musty, but quaint and well kept. Looking at the pictures, it made me feel a little nostalgic for my childhood vacations/road trips. We always stayed at places like that... small, quaint, a little dated, but never nasty. Motel 6, Super 8, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Family Inns and Motels etc. We ate at diners and mom and pop restaurants. Very different from the Marriotts, Hiltons and Embassy Suites (which are nice, but lack character b/c they all look the same) that we typically stay in. There's a special "vacation felling" that I get when I stay at the older, quaint places that makes me happy... and I would like for Tristan to have those feelings and memories about vacation.

The point is.... I would really like to get back to simple family vacations like that, at least while Tristan is young. I want to take him to the National Parks and stay in old lodges, or go camping. I want to take road trips and stop at places like the corn palace and other dated, corny stuff of the by-gone days.... not for EVERY vacation... but I want to do it mostly while Tristan is young, and save the European type/fancy/tropical beach/cruise vacations for when he is older.... and we're richer! That couldn't hurt ;)

I wonder if everyone has those feelings about their childhood vacations?? Mine were very, VERY, similar to the Griswold family in National Lampoons Vacation and that movie ALWAYS makes me feel nostalgic.... even if it isn't the best movie to watch! But all the motels and places they stopped, AND the dysfunction, just totally remind me of my old vacations :)

Of course, Disney trips are always nostalgic, so we'll just leave those alone, thank you very much ;) And, you know what they say.... "If it's not baroque, don't fix it!"