You've traveled across the country to visit your family, which means that just hopping in the car to go home can make you feel guilty (or at least get the guilt trip laid on thick). When you love your family but there aren't any structured holiday happenings (and sometimes even when there are) things can get really hard.
The answer is simple: go outside.
Family outdoor activities might not be crazy, adrenaline-rush filled adventures, but they are a great way to enjoy spending time with your relatives and create new memories and traditions.
With a little bit of thought and planning, everyone from kids to grandparents can enjoy the day together. Enjoying the outdoors with people who don't get outside often on a path in a local park can be a ton of fun, even if it's not a 5.13 climb.
I've been making an attempt to include family outdoors time in the last couple of years, and the adventure always takes a slightly different shape depending on who is joining the adventure.
I've had long, rainy, low-elevation Washington hikes, Cascade Mountains sledding adventures, and desert rambles.
Sometimes my adventure partners have been my sister and nephews, sometimes they've been cousins, and sometimes it's been my mom. With every adventure, we learn a little bit more about each other; it's a way to get to know someone a little bit more as a person and not just your relative.
It never really matters where the destination is, but rather that you're outside moving around after (or perhaps before) family celebrations. Plus, since you'll be trying to make your adventure fun for the whole family, it doesn't matter where you are.
You don't need to be in a picturesque ski town to get outside. Many American cities have embraced parks and green spaces that are plenty big enough for the littlest family members to think that they're in the wild outdoors.
This holiday season, I encourage you to take your family outside and go for a walk in your own winter wonderland.
Read More:
How My Adventures Inspire My Kids to Love the Outdoors
How to Bring Your Not-So-Outdoorsy Family on an Adventure
7 Reasons Cross-Country Skiing is an Amazing Family Activity
How to Take Your Family on a Hike that Won't Kill Them
