By Jim Twamley
Do kids really enjoy RVing? While having a haircut last week the topic of RVing came up. My barber was a young woman who asked if I enjoyed RVing. I told her that I loved it and started RVing with my grandparents when I was a kid. She told me she hated RVing.
How could anyone hate RVing, I thought. I asked her why she hated it and she recounted her childhood experiences RVing with her parents and siblings. Her major complaint was that they rarely got out of the RV to enjoy the places they saw while traveling.
She remembered traveling through Tombstone, Arizona and they slowed down as they drove by but didn’t stop and walk around to see it. The same thing happened at the Grand Canyon and many other travel destinations. She hated it because she was cooped up in the RV with nothing to do but sit and watch.
I confess that my kids didn’t like traveling when we were pulling our travel trailer to a distant campground. They would read or play video games instead of enjoying all the great scenery.
However, once we arrived at our campsite they had a blast. They played hard and loved the experience. We hiked the trails, rode bikes, visited local attractions, went boating, fishing and white water rafting, attended campfire programs, roasted marshmallows and had a great time.
When RVing with kids it’s important to remember they need to get out and experience things along the journey. They don’t have the same travel endurance as adults and need more frequent stops. RVing should be fun for kids, so take the time and make the stops that will help them have a great time and make positive memories that will last a lifetime.
