Why Not Take a Family History Vacation This Summer

Embarking on a genealogy vacation can be a truly enriching experience and provide a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of your ancestors or even take a walk down memory lane. With a bit of intention and careful planning, integrating family history into your vacation itinerary can become a seamless endeavor.

Whether you're drawn to the thrill of exploring new and exciting destinations or prefer the convenience and affordability of a staycation, there are endless possibilities to explore. Depending on the season of life you are in you can choose from a fully immersive experience or simply a casual encounter with your heritage. One thing is certain, no other vacation will recharge your soul like a family history centered one will.

Recently, my husband and I set out on such a journey to Michigan, where he grew up, and I'll be honest, Grand Rapids wasn't on my radar as a "vacation" destination however, my perspective quickly shifted as soon as we arrived. We had several goals we wanted to accomplish on this trip and limited time so we opted to concentrate on three specific areas:

• Paying respect and honoring ancestors by visiting the gravesites of family members

• Research at the Grand Rapids Library

• Stroll down memory lane (husband's life history)
  

Planning a vacation of this nature requires some dedicated research and preparation, but there are plenty of tools available to help simplify the process. I utilized Microsoft OneNote to keep my details organized and ensuring I had access to everything online and offline across all my devices.

In the upcoming weeks, I'll be sharing a guide on how to plan for a family history research vacation. But for now, here's a brief overview of how I organized mine:

In addition to details of our travel plans, I created tabs for each category of research we planned to undertake and pages within each tab containing the relevant information:

1. Cemeteries: Each cemetery had its own page with directions, screenshots, cemetery maps, and details such as section, plot, lot or block locations, and coordinates of ancestors' burial plots. Additionally, I included cemetery rules, photos of headstones (if available), and contact information for the cemetery office.

2. Grand Rapids Library: This tab included a research log for each ancestor, outlining specific research problems and a detailed list of records and documents I intended to view, along with their respective call numbers, locations, and any other identifiers.

3. Locations from my Husband's Youth: Pages were dedicated to each place he lived, schools attended, relatives' homes, and other memorable locations he wished to visit. I included addresses, maps, nearby restaurants, and other points of interest.
   

During our trip, we captured numerous photos, recounted long-forgotten memories, and laid the groundwork for documenting my husband's childhood with then-and-now photos for his personal history. And of course, no vacation would be complete without enjoying the local cuisine and breathtaking scenery, both of which Michigan delivered in abundance.

In the upcoming months, we'll be delving deeply into various methods of incorporating family history into your summer vacation, offering invaluable tips and tools to simplify and enrich your experience.

In the meantime, here are three suggestions for incorporating family history into your upcoming summer travel plans. You can choose to pursue one of these options or explore all three for a comprehensive experience.

• Select a specific ancestor to center your travel experience around.
  

• Select a historical era or timeframe to serve as the focal point of your travel experiences, such as the Civil War, Salem Witch Trials, Gold Rush, Space Race, or Dust Bowl.
  

• Choose an ancestral ethnicity to shape your travel experiences, whether it's Welsh, African, Scottish, Polish, or another cultural background.

Travel safe.