Family History Trips for Everyone

Travel Trend Continues

The baby boomer generation likes to travel and has more time to go with their grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or younger adults on family trips and it is safer way to travel for our youth – plus it helps our active parents.

I like to take my younger relatives (nieces, nephews, and cousins) on my trips where we discover together the places our ancestors lived in Germany and USA in the late 1800s and early 1900s and where our current relatives live today. 

Reading history books is fun, it is even better to show and experience the history with our personal stories together as we pass these traditions along. 

Plan and Research Family Ancestry Trips

Multiple Generation Travel is not a New Idea. 

Leisure travel began primarily with wealthy people who wanted to see buildings, art, and cultures in faraway regions, and often this meant going as a family. I read stories in my old family letters about the trips my Grandmother (born and lived in Germany until she migrated to USA in early 1900s) went on with her family in the 1890s.

I admit these travels usually had a purpose and may not have been for leisure. It is fun to trace these family roots and to check out the new attractions in Germany with my great-nieces.  My childlike personality seems to shine when I am with them and it is is win-win situation for everyone. 

Traveling with our younger relatives strengthens our relationships within our families.  I wrote in my original June 4, 2010 article from Suite101.com: “Often, we don't think about the natural bond created between people while traveling together.” This is a natural, fun way to create this through our trips.  

Be Aware of Challenges 

Sure, at first, we may begin with a couple of heated discussions because we have different ways of doing things. We need to remember to be patient and flexible – and learn to adjust our needs on both sides as we start.  

Help Parents

Parents may be focused on work and not as available for vacations with their children.  Grandparents and older relatives (Aunts, Uncles, and mentors) get the chance to enjoy some travel time and get better acquainted with the younger adults and children in their family.

An example of this was seen in the 2010 movie, Letters to Juliet. Three characters, grandmother, son, and a young writer, travel together on short car trips in search of something. As mentioned in the movie, not everyone in real life has immediate family available to travel with. A mentor, or person who helped out at some time, even acted like an adopted parent, may also enjoy traveling with children.  

 The fun part is to see where our own ancestors grew up, went to school, and with social activities like hikes, dances, and shopping. These are stories which are passed down as they get older. 

Find Ancestors Paths in Many Regions Like Germany

Two Things to Remember

• Be sure to establish a few simple ground rules while planning for multi-generational trips. This is a great time for younger relatives to connect, learn to be flexible, and learn new ways of doing things by observing how the older adults handle travel situations.
• And vice versa, remember older adults learn new ways too!  Things like new technology tools and apps, as they celebrate with someone during fun bier festivals, eating Nuremburg sausages and German pastries, and exploring unusual German car museums. 

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There are so many ways we may get acquainted through travel ~ The Fun Tour Guru 


Images Credits from:

Book on the map  - Photographer:  Alexandre Menard 06/15/2008 

Every year, the Old Town Festival attracts about a million visitors to Nuremberg's Old Town. About 60 events with 800 participants offer free entertainment: folk, plays by Hans Sachs, traditional fishermen's jousts, as well as jazz concerts. Photographer   Uli Kowatsc 2001 

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