Our Most Wired Vacation Ever

Canadian Rockies in June

Although I try to limit technology on vacations, our recent trip to Alberta, Canada ended up being our most "wired" ever.  I had one child taking an online course who had to submit assignments during our trip, my husband needed to check in with work occasionally, and I had another child who had a school registration date during our vacation as well.  This meant we had to have access to a computer while traveling, so as we loaded the van, in went the laptop.  And since we had the laptop, it meant everyone checked emails more than usual as well.  

Using the internet in our hotel.

We drove from Salt Lake to Alberta, and spread the drive out over two days.  Although my kids are veteran road-trippers, I had one child concerned about passing the time on the trip, so in went the DVD player.  To his credit, I think he only watched one movie in the back of the van the entire 9 day vacation, and that was during the first leg of the trip.  Still, it is interesting to note that having the option of using the DVD player was like a security blanket.

DVD player in the car

I like to put on music and drive, which is why I love road trips, I guess.  Although we took a CD case loaded with CDs (something for everyone), I also took my beat-up Sanza Fuze mp3 player as well.  It is terribly convenient to have so much of MY music available on these trips.  I noticed if my kids didn't like the music mix, they put their own earbuds in, so it all worked out.

Music for the road.

However, I also found everyone spent some time with the tried and true road trip survival methods we have encouraged over the past several years.  Looking out the window is the obvious activity of choice.  With our recent interest in bird watching, it gained an added appeal.  On the way to Alberta, I saw a prairie falcon, turkey vulture, and golden eagle along the side of the road.  Also, as we drove near Glacier in Montana, we spotted some other wildlife.

Young bear near Glacier National Park.

I was happy to see kids reading and playing in the car instead of just being wired all the time.  We enjoy chatting and laughing together as we travel.  I really love being in the car with just my family for days at a time.  It is another thing I enjoy about road trips.  Maybe it is because my kids are older now, but this particular trip went very smoothly.

Reading in the car...books are a must!

At each place we stayed, using the pool was the top priority for our group.  Two motels even had water slides, which made several family members very happy.  After a day of sightseeing or driving, the pool was the perfect place to unwind and loosen stiff muscles.  We also took an assortment of games (card games and board games), and enjoyed playing every one of them during our trip.

Nopy plays in the car.

Since we don't have international plans on our cell phones, we only paid to add international calling on one phone for this trip, and left the other phones at home.  I was happy to find I did not miss my cell phone at all.  In fact, it was incredibly freeing to NOT have it with me.  Our one cell phone saw limited use, and was mainly used to set up visits with friends once we were in Calgary.  It truly feels like a vacation when you can leave all those distractions behind.

Artist and Artwife at Bow Falls

So, even though technology played a more prominent role on this trip than we normally like, I felt like we managed to control the technology and its use, instead of letting it be dominant on this vacation.  How do you deal with technology during your family vacations?  Is it a life-saver, or a headache?

For more on technology and the family, check out my other blog posts.

Technology vs. the Family - Where Do You Draw the Line?  Part 1

Technology vs. the Family - Where Do You Draw the Line?  Part 2

For tips on planning a successful road trip, click here.

Technology vs. the Family - Where Do You Draw the Line? Part 1

Meadow on Mt. Nebo, Utah

One of my favorite things about camping is getting away from it all.  There are still some areas where cell phones don't get service, and I love leaving the phones and computers and emails and messages behind for a couple days.  Camping has always been the time when we could just interact as a family without tv and electronic distractions.  I am an avid road-tripper, and have limited our electronics use on these trips to the car CD player or radio, and a couple hand-held games, like Yahtzee.  No DVD players, no movies, no MP3 players, nothing.  Were my kids deprived?  I don't think so.  I grew up traveling without all of those modern "conveniences" and I figured my children would survive the experience as well.  Our family car when I was young didn't even have air conditioning!  I confess I am very fond of having it now.

Scenery out the window - driving to Grand Canyon

What I learned from road trips was that when there was nothing to do, I could entertain myself.  Watching landscapes roll by and change out a car window for hours at a time allows for some great imagination.  For example, tall towers holding powerful electricity cables became giants stalking our car.  My siblings and I concocted our own car games to pass the time.  We also played the traditional ones like 20 Questions, I Spy, locating the alphabet letters in order off of billboards, and tracking states on car license plates.  I wanted my children to have the same experience.  And, for the most part, I have held the line on limiting technology on our vacations.  My children usually read in the car, or stare out the window and drift into imaginary worlds in their own minds.  Sometimes they sing or play games, and sometimes they sleep.  They have mastered the art of the road trip.

Fishing during a camping trip

Enter youngest child and the newest addition to our family:  the portable DVD player.  My husband and I purchased the portable DVD player so we could watch movies on our "second honeymoon" trip back to a rustic cabin at the Grand Canyon.  We figured after 20 years of marriage, we deserved an upgrade in entertainment.  My son quickly became enamored with the player, and asked if we could take it camping last summer.  Wasn't the whole point of going camping to get away from electronics?  So the negotiations began.

Finally, we reached an agreement.  The DVD player came on the camping trip.  The restrictions were:  it was only to be used the first night, and only for a show or two.  Camping was, after all, about watching the stars and enjoying nature.  My son agreed, and our camping trip was a great success.  We cooked over a fire, made dutch oven dessert, hiked, and fished, and did all of the traditional camping things.  But on one night, we snuggled in our sleeping bags, propped the tiny DVD player on a box, and watched a show.  I confess, there was something fun and cozy about crowding around the tiny screen and enjoying some family togetherness in the tent.  Although I still want to escape electronics on vacation (no DVD player in the van!), and although I still want to limit the onslaught of technology in our car trips, I do value the memory of that night in a tent watching a movie with my husband and kids.  

So, my question to you is, where do you draw the line?  Stay tuned for more on the effects of technology on family relationships!