I Lost This Amazing Vacation

Family Vacation Idea

​Like many of you, I've had to cancel my plans for this year's summer family vacation due to COVID-19.  Now, I’m looking for ideas for our next family vacation and different locations to enjoy with my family that are close to home or even considering a staycation.  I wanted to plan something other than the traditional family vacation to the Jersey shore or traveling to Vegas for a desert retreat.

However, let me tell you about this wonderful summer family vacation I had planned for this month.  As a matter of fact, I was scheduled to leave June 17.  When I saw the information regarding this vacation, it was going to be the vacation to rival all vacations and I am heartbroken we won’t be able to travel this year.  It was unlike your traditional beach vacation.  Don't get me wrong, I love beach vacations (especially Destin and St. Thomas).  This trip was going to be a 9-day multiple European country vacation. 

Towards the end of last year (2019), a friend told me about a website called "Vacations-To-Go".  She mentioned she used this website every time her family traveled; especially overseas.  So, since she raved so much about this website, I decided to check it out.  One of the tools I like most is the “Find A Vacation”.  It asks various questions to help pinpoint the dream vacation you’re looking to have.  In addition to finding the right vacation, it includes an escort.  Thus ensuring you get to visit all the high points and amazing venues during your trip.

​Well, I found a dream vacation!  It was a nine-day vacation starting in London, England and ending in Rome, Italy.  There were going to be stops in Paris, France; Lucerne, Switzerland; and several cities in the country of Italy.  The vacation included an escorted tour through the cities, hotel accommodations, full breakfast daily, and a three-course dinner at several local restaurants in various cities along the trip.  Yeah, I know; it includes a lot!  The picture below is a copy of what was going to be our vacation itinerary.

(Itinerary of Summer Family Vacation)

Not only was this vacation going to be fun and memorable, ​I was looking forward to visiting family in London.  I was also ecstatic about riding the high-speed Eurostar train from London to Paris. 

Two years ago, we took a family vacation to Paris and it was amazing.  So, I was really thrilled about going back to Paris and enjoying all the great baked goods, enjoying the environment, and the scenes of the city.  The Eiffel Tower is a sight to behold.  Macaroons are sold everywhere in Paris, even in McDonald’s.  I looked forward to getting up and visiting the local corner bakery for a fresh croissant, baguette, and then walking to McDonald’s for my daily 6-pack of Macaroons.  My favorite flavor is raspberry.

Corner Store in Paris. France

This was going to be my first trip to London, Switzerland, and Italy.  Since it was going to be our first time in London, I planned on arriving a day earlier than the official start of our Globas Vacation to visit as many of the attractions as possible.  Like Big Ben, eating fish and chips, and seeing the London Eye.  Below is a map of the different cities our trip would have stopped to make a visit.

(Illustration of Summer Vacation Trip)

Have you heard of Davos, Switzerland?  It's where the World Economic Forum is held yearly.  For the last 15 years, I’ve been wanting to visit Davos.  Especially after seeing it on CNBC, it looks so magical.  Although I wasn’t going to visit Davos during this trip, we were going to make a stop in Lucerne, Switzerland.  While in Switzerland, we were going to see the Burgundy vineyards, the Swiss Alps and enjoy views of a Chateaux. This family vacation was also going to present an opportunity to yodel and blow an Alphorn.  I'm all for enjoying new experiences especially as a family.  I can just imagine getting a picture of myself yodeling.  Or seeing my son blowing an Alporn like the Ricola Commercial. 

Below are some of the highlights we would have experienced during this trip.

​There were so many things I was looking forward to seeing, experiencing, and restaurants we were going to visit.  Now I’m thinking about what, where I can go for our next family vacation.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.  I'm ready to bring my family's camera out to snap a few family pictures.

I would love to hear your recommendations. Where has your family vacationed, and would you want to go back?  Please share any ideas or recommendations you have in the comment section below.

Conclusion

Family vacations are a great way to step away from our everyday life and take a breather.  My family and I were looking forward to this summer vacation to England, France, Switzerland, and Italy.  Yes, it was going to be a four-country family vacation filled with lots of fun and adventure like riding the high-speed Eurostar train, visiting the Basilica, and the Vatican Museum.  However, because of COVID-19, we had to cancel our vacation.  Now, I'm looking for future vacation ideas.  I'm hoping to be able to take a vacation in 2021.  However with everything currently going on, we'll stay somewhere close to Los Angeles.  This year we will enjoy this new version of a family vacation by bringing our camera to our next adventure and take family pictures and exploring our local area and creating new experiences.

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Tamieka Smith

Tamieka Smith is a family, headshot and military event photographer in Los Angeles and Northern Virginia.  Helping families create tangible portrait memories of the people they love most.  ​Let's create a family picture you'll adore.