My travel plans are generally guided by two questions: how will I work this getaway into my budget, and is it kid-friendly?  But once the fall rolls around another question comes into play: how will I find time for travel?

Don’t get me wrong,  I love the fall and the onset of cooler temperatures.  Transitioning away from shorts and tees to tights and sweaters makes me happy. But with the autumn comes the time crunch of back-to-school. It’s a cycle that brings learning and fun and also sucks away even spare evenings and weekend hours. Unless it’s a rare long weekend or I am feeling bold enough to make the controversial decision to miss valuable school hours, I come face to face with the reality that time between August and May is constrained for travel. Realizing my summer beach vacation will need to hold me over until a Spring Break adventure can be a bit of a bummer, but there’s a certain comfort in the required hiatus from travel. It helps to replenish the travel fund, save up vacation days from work, and gives me plenty of time to dream and plan the next adventure. Inspiration for the next trip can come along at any time. Just last week J brought home a flyer from school about the Every Kid in a Park initiative, a federal program that offers a free pass to any National Park through August 2016. Check out the program and sign up for a pass!  Will we check out the Great Smokey Mountains, Yellowstone National Park, or Mount Rushmore?  One thing’s for sure…we have some time to decide!

Here’s looking forward to spring and summer travel! In the meantime, let the day and weekend trips begin…