Beach vacations vs. a road trip? Okay, we're going on record to say that there's so many reasons family beach vacations are superior. And granted, it can be difficult (at times) to find a way into this conversation, many love the thrill of the open road, we’ll just dive into this cauldron of controversy.
(Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa, photo by: one of our True Beach Lovers.)1. Sitting for hours. Legs aren’t meant to stay in one position for long stretches at a time. They were created to move. When you’re in a car sitting in a near 90-degree angle, there’s not much chance of that. Unless you are limber enough and have done enough yoga so that you can wrap your leg around your neck (and then it’s just kind of freaky weird). Bottom line - sitting is no fun. During family beach vacations, you can stretch, run, jump, hop, skip around wherever you want. On the powdery, white sand. In the pool. On the hotel bed. Whenever you want. (Note: walking on sand is also a great form of exercise for your legs.) The world is your oyster when you’re at the beach, especially if you’re looking for oysters, (or seashells or starfish). We challenge you to find such wondrous things when you’re on a road trip to see Aunt Judy in Nebraska.
(Kids Club, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, photo by: D. Studebaker.)2. The questions. “What is infinity? What is there more of – leaves or blades of grass? How many bones are in my body?” You get it. And they never. Ever. Stop. You’re trapped. In the car. With them. All the way to your destination. Fortunately, one of the best things about family beach vacations vs. a road trip can be summed up in two words: kids clubs – meccas of fun that will occupy their curious minds while you get to chillax on the beach, or by the pool with a frosty adult beverage. Let those able-bodied, sage-y supervisors answer those challenging questions while you take a much-needed break. With an adult beverage, of course.
(Desserts, 2017 Noble Beach Prize Winner, Most Bodacious Buffet, Paradisus Playa del Carmen, La Esmeralda, Mexico, photo by: D. Studebaker.)3. Your car becomes a traveling garbage can. It’s inevitable when you’re traveling. You make rest stops, buy some snacks, eat the snacks, and then soon you’re stuck with the wrappings/cans. And then, suddenly, you have to make another pit stop because someone’s about to wee in their pants. You all exit the car, en masse, scrambling and then get back in, remembering later a few miles down the road that you didn’t grab the trash from the floorboards and put it in the garbage bin when you previously got out. This kind of dynamic happens over and over until your car looks like the jalopy from “The Beverly Hillbillies.” During family beach vacations, you are not confined to one small space when enjoying snacks. There are oceans of delicious places to eat that boast wide open spaces and a plentitude of bins for your trash. Best of all, you can dive into taste bud-slaying cuisine and not that snacky, rest stop food (with nasty preservatives and GMOs).
(7 Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica, photo by: instagram.com/carterart_and_travel.)4. The fussing and whining. Elevated pitches of the nasal sort in a small space are not good for anyone. It hurts the ears, and the soul. Fact: after you’ve gotten ticked off, you’re trapped. Worse, you have to sit a few feet, even inches, away from the person who has incited you. You can’t go in your room and shut the door because there are no rooms in cars, save those ginormous campers. During family beach vacations, there’s plenty of room, miles and miles of white sand where you can spread out, relax, shake off your fussiness. This is the beauty of the beach. You can carve out your own place in the paradise, which means there will be less chance of explosions occurring. And if they do, you can always go on a long walk on the beach to cool off.
(Dreams La Romana beach, Dominican Republic, photo by: instagram.com/davidelancio.)5. The expense. You may have this (mistaken) idea that you’re saving money on a road trip. But let’s review: with all those stops, all those nickel and dime-y purchases that you don’t expect, you end up spending a lot more than you think. And there’s that anxiety that you experience with each. Little. Expenditure. Cha-ching. And then some. You feelin’ this? Thought so. Family beach vacations at all-inclusive resorts do away with all that worry. You pay everything up front. Then you forget it. This allows you to really let go, and dig into the sand. Get a massage. Enjoy a fruity cocktail. Work on your tan. Play volleyball. Ride the waves. Catch up on your reading. Catch up on your chilling. The list of ways to relax is endless.
So now that you’re on board with the fact that when it comes to beach vacations vs. a road trip, the former wins sandy hands down, the rest is easy. Just dust off those fingers, and dial 1-800-915-3162 and one of our sea-phisticated Beachologists will create a family beach vacation that you’ll talk about for years. Or you can surf all our vacation packages in the Caribbean and Mexico. We know you’ll find one that is perfect for your brood.
