Along with summer comes that wonderful time of year when we pack our bags, escape from our daily rituals, and take a break from our busy lives. The family vacation brings with it a sense of relaxation and a guilt-free break from being in constant overdrive. Yet, there are few things as bittersweet as the last day of vacation.

I recently spent the week at the beach, and the final day was a tough one. I really didn’t want to leave. After just a single week, I was willing to chuck everything and become a beach bum!  Maybe it’s not so much the place where we vacation, but the attitude that we adopt when we are there.

When I go on vacation I become curious. I go on tours. I look at things with a sense of discovery – even if I’ve been there before. I also do something really important – I renew relationships with my family and create lasting memories.  And it is good to ease back into the demands of life rather than have all the renewed spirit quickly drained away by a long, tiring drive home with the children. That just didn’t sound like the way to end a perfect vacation!

To most adults, the thought of being in a car with “bored” children is not the least bit appealing.  Their boredom quickly becomes our frustration. So, the task is to create an environment of fun and enjoyment.  A time to reflect on the days spent together and to cement the memories.

Luckily for my children and me, I realized that this didn’t have to be our last day at all. 

Really we still had one more full day to go; only it was to be spent in the car.  Why waste one precious moment!  Rather than spend the day before the return “fretting or worrying, I decided to spend a few minutes preparing. 

Many of the same tactics used in getting to our destination in one piece would need to be used:  toys and games, books and tapes, art supplies and snack food.  Yet, I also knew that these had been used once already and my children were not likely to go for the same old things again!

So, armed with a couple of dollars, I headed off to the dollar store to find my treasure trove.  New goodies would help do the trick.  Different snacks, too.  But I didn’t stop there. 

I decided to package things differently this time.  Going on vacation was considered to be fun, so fancy packaging wasn’t really necessary for the kids to “buy into” the long ride on the front end of this trip.  This time, however, they were merely going home with nothing more to look forward to than stacks of laundry and an empty refrigerator.  It was time to get resourceful!

Equipped with new toys, stickers, bags, foil, and tags, I created a mystery pack. Each new toy, craft item, book or game was put into a brown paper bag.  Each bag was decorated with stickers and given an appropriate label letting the intended child know when the “present” was to be opened.  Knowing that we would start the trip in the wee hours of the morning, the first bag was to be opened immediately after breakfast.  My oldest son would be the timekeeper, using the stopwatch function on his dad’s watch to keep up with the time.  When sixty minutes was up my son passed out an item.  After the next sixty minutes, he would remind us to take a break.  After the break, another new item would be introduced and so the trip would go.

The snacks were not commonplace either.  They were placed in foil and no one, even me, could tell what each foiled package contained.  Mysterious snacks are always a thrill! To keep things fair, everyone had the same number and same kinds of snacks in a large sack with their name.  When they were hungry, they would reach into their sack and unwrap their snack.  This only works if they are getting snacks that they like!

Next, I took a look at the map and found two places that we could visit on the way home.  One was a wildlife preserve with an easy ½-mile walking trail along a swamp, and the other was a small candy factory.  Both were free, not far off our path and took very little time. No longer was it a trip home; it was another family outing!! 

Lastly, I took the rolls of film taken by the children using those inexpensive disposable cameras into the one-hour photo-processing store and bought each child a small scrapbook.  (To save time, drop off the film before you go shopping and pick up the photos on the way back!) Saving this surprise for the last leg of the trip set up a sharing time for the kids and relief from “Mom, when do we get home.”   The children could relive their recent experiences and create a scrapbook to show all their friends. Crayons, markers, glue sticks, stickers and baby wipes (to clean up sticky fingers) completed the materials needed for this project. 

This time the fussing, squirming and whining was kept to a minimum. We enjoyed our time and our reminiscing and managed to steal another day full of fun and memories into our vacation from the dreaded ride home. 

Here is a list of some additional things you can do to create great memories on the way home:

• The Geography Game:  Start with any place in the world--Michigan for example. The next person has to think of a place that begins with the last letter of "Michigan" such as "Nepal". Whoever goes after that needs to think of a place that starts with an "L". You may not use the same place twice and it has to be a real place.

• One Minute of Words: Everyone has a piece of paper and pencil except the one who is going to keep the time. The timekeeper picks a letter and tells everyone to "Go!" Players write as many words as possible that start with that letter in one minute. Now each person says the words that they came up with and if it is a valid word, give it a point. 

• Odd or Even:  Have each child guess if there are more license plates that end in an odd or even number.  Give each child a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. Set a time limit, usually 10-15 minutes. Have one child look for plates that end in an odd number, and the other look for an even number.  A dash should be marked for each car they find. At the end of the time limit, have the children add up their marks.

• Counting Cows: Play as individuals or teams. First, decide on a destination where you will stop counting. Then, count the cows on your side of the road. The goal is to have the highest number when the destination is reached. Pass a cemetery on your side and you have to start over again. If there aren't any cows on your route, try counting red cars, mailboxes or phone booths.

Next trip, I will be better prepared.  I will buy my items in advance and look up cool stopping places before we leave.  Most importantly, I will not dread “the last day” of vacation!  Some simple pre-planning will allow everyone to have a great time, even while in the car!

Teri Clark is a published author in the field of real estate, finance, and investing. Her interest in the new and different has also led to a successful online writing career. Of her five published books through Atlantic Publishing, 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home Now and For More Money Than You Thought was a 2007 Eric Hoffer Award winner as well as a Finalist in the 2007 USA Best Books Awards, How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorating & Home Staging Business was a Finalisit in the 2008 USA Best Books Awards, and Private Mortgage Investing won an Honorable Mention in Foreword Magazine’s 2006 Book of the Year Award. She can be reached via her website: www.teribclark.com .

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