On this final day of Vacation Week, I’d like to offer some tips on having fun while on vacation.  There are many good vacation tips to follow, but one of the most important is to just have fun!  If you’re not having fun while on vacation, what is the point of the trip?  I’ll also throw in a few random tips at the end because I had some extras left over from other categories.

Vacation Tips on Having Fun:

1. Go camping.  I know a lot of people don’t like camping.  There are also many people who can’t easily camp due to health issues.  However, for a large portion of potential vacationers, camping can be a fun, viable option to pursue.  When you’re in a hotel, the experience is similar to home.  You have running water, air conditioning and heating, television, and everything else that is expected in modern life.  With camping, you get back to the basics.  You get to experience nature as it was intended.  However, this isn’t to say that there are no luxuries when camping.  You can have just about anything you want when camping if you’re willing to spend the money and effort, but camping offers something different.  Try it; it’s fun!
2. Geocaching.  Geocaching is essentially a game to play with a GPS device.  People hide things all over the world, and other people locate those things with the GPS coordinates.  Kids will love the adventure, and adults will enjoy the periodic “big find” when a generous geocacher left something interesting.  Check out Geocaching.com for more information.
3. Stop at welcome centers.  Nearly every city, state, and many tourist attractions in the U.S. have welcome centers.  These centers usually consist of a small building staffed by one or two helpful clerks.  They provide information, brochures, maps, and sometimes even coffee or snacks.  Welcome centers can be a fun way to take a short break from driving, and they offer a wealth of information about fun things to do in the area.  Don’t forget to look for coupons and discount guides as well.
4. Try corny, lesser-known roadside stops.  You’ve probably seen these places while passing by toward a bigger destination.  You know the type.  They’re weird, wacky, off-the-wall, locally-owned, self-proclaimed tourist attractions that come in innumerable shapes and sizes.  Some are simply gift shops, others are oddly-built “world’s largest” type things, and still others are built around some natural phenomena.  Try some of these wacky roadside stops, and you just might find that you’re having more fun than you had at the big, well-known tourist attractions.
5. Keep a daily diary or log of the trip.  Keeping a diary of your vacation journey is a great way to remember it forever.  It also gives the family an opportunity to discuss what they’ve done at the end of each day.  This should be more of a group effort instead of a personal diary.  At the end of the trip, it’s fun to read back over what everyone had to say, and you can even use snippets of the diary in scrapbook pages along with vacation photos.
6. Go to caves.  Caves are beautiful, natural, irreplaceable wonders.  They’re hidden underground, and they offer a look into another world.  If you’ve never experienced a cave, you’re missing out on an awe-inspiring experience.  In the larger caves, there are sometimes huge rooms with high ceilings and stone structures much taller than a person.  Some caves even have unique cave life, such as naturally blind varieties of fish and bugs.  Caves are fun, and they offer a unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else.
7. Collect squished coins.  I often admonish people not to buy a bunch of cheap junk and trinkets while on vacation.  However, if you want to start a collection that is cheap, doesn’t take up much space, and can be collected over many years and across many vacations, try collecting squished coins (also known as elongated coins).  Squished coins have the added benefit of keeping a record of the places you’ve been.  Most of them sport a picture, logo, or phrase related to the attraction where you squished the coin.  Please be aware that the laws of some countries may not allow their coins to be squished in this manner.  As far as I know, it is perfectly legal in the U.S., however.
8. Talk to the locals.  Since vacationing requires constant interaction with a variety of strangers, you might as well talk to the locals everywhere you go.  The local people can provide you with a wealth of information, such as lesser-known attractions, driving directions, and good places to eat.  Every now and then, you’ll probably run across a fun character who will liven up your day.  Friendly people come in all types, shapes, and sizes, so don’t be afraid to talk to the locals!

Final Random Vacation Tips:

1. Join an automobile club.  To save time and hassles on road trips, consider joining an auto club.  If a tire pops, the radiator overheats, or the gas runs dry, an auto club will come to the rescue (but only if you’re a member!).  Some auto clubs are better than others; do your research on the Internet before becoming a member.
2. Use city coupon books.  If you’ll be traveling to a metropolitan area, check ahead to see if there is a coupon book offered for the area.  These books contain discounts on a wide variety of local restaurants, attractions, and shopping.  See Entertainment.com for books offered in the U.S. and Canada.

That’s All
We’ve come to the end of Sensible Harmony’s Vacation Week 2008.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the tips and vacation products this week, and I also hope that these tips will help you better enjoy your next vacation.  Come back next week for our regularly-scheduled mix of life improvement articles!  Also, please let us know if you enjoyed the Vacation Week information.  Feel free to post in the comments section.  Thanks for reading!