Travel The Wild Way

When we are traveling over Christmas break, we generally count part of the trip as the “gift” we give to each other and then spend less on traditional gifts. This helps reduce the number of items we have to pack and bring with us.   We also have a family tradition for when we are traveling. A game, if you will.  The rules are pretty simple.  Find a touristy shopping area. A strip mall or some downtown area will do nicely. You do not want it to be very big. For instance, a few years ago we played this game in the small waterfront shopping area in Bandon, Oregon. It’s about two main streets wide and five or so blocks long. If you were desperate, you could use a department store, but I don’t recommend it. You must clearly establish the geographic boundaries before the game starts. Some people will cheat on this point, but set out the boundaries anyway. (I’m looking at you Lana and Mom.)