It’s probably safe to assume that the average family with working parents does not have weeks and weeks of vacation days stashed away. And let’s be real, most school-aged kids grumble at the return to school after a break, especially if they’re greeted with a mountain of make-up work. People often think that since my kiddos are homeschooled, we’re living it up with endless flexibility and globetrotting adventures. But let me tell you, just because we chose a hybrid program doesn’t mean we can simply toss school out the window. We can’t have the kids perpetually playing “catch up,” or we’ll have one unhappy household from all of that stress! (A big shout out to our hybrid school for putting up with our adventures—they definitely give us a smidge more flexibility than when my kiddos were in full-time school, and we’re super grateful for the grace they show us when we hit the road!)
“But Shannon— are you sure you’re not hiding a magic wand or something? Fifteen trips in 2025? How on earth do you juggle that with work and school without something falling through the cracks?”
If this is your first encounter with Memories to Miles, let me confidently assure you of one thing: I am a master strategist. Just kidding.. kind of. From traveling on points to road-tripping from PA to Florida and maximizing vacation days, every aspect of our travel is powered by my well thought out strategies. Now, you have the opportunity to discover all of our secrets!
Think about this..
- In the United States, there are 10 federal holidays in which most workplaces and schools are typically closed, giving their employees the day off. This includes (but is not limited to): New Year’s Day, MLK Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In addition to that, schools will often have a winter break and a spring break. That means there are at least 10 long weekends to choose from that you and your family could go somewhere fun!
- Every vacation does not have to be a huge, expensive, or week-long trip! We have found many places to visit that are within a 2-3 hour drive from our house, and we make the best of them! You can be creative by finding a State Park nearby with some fun hikes, discovering an indoor pool at a nearby hotel, or even camping or spending some time at a cabin! I like to think that while the occasional big trip is super fun and memorable- so are the smaller trips. It’s really all about making memories with your family and giving your kids a childhood that they won’t forget!
Curious about how that looks like for our family? I’m happy to share what our trip list looked like for 2025!
- January (over New Years)- Cabin trip
- January (MLK Jr. Day)- Nashville
- January- big trip with no built in days off to Captiva Island, FL
- February (over President’s Day)- Moab, Utah
- March- Cabin Trip over a regular weekend
- April- Cabin Trip over a regular weekend
- May (Memorial Day)- West Virginia Camping
- June- Cabin Trip over a regular weekend
- July (4th of July)- PA Grand Canyon
- July- Cabin Trip over a regular weekend
- September (Labor Day Weekend)- Lake Weekend
- September- Baltimore over a regular weekend
- October- Cabin trip over a regular weekend
- November- Kansas City for a long weekend
- December- Shenandoah National Park, VA over New Years
I should mention— we are super blessed to have friends with cabins, as well as a family cabin that we are occasionally able to use. This certainly helps with our little getaways and is helping to keep the budget down this year as we stockpile some points for a few bigger trips next year.
Everyone’s vacation list looks different— but friends, I just want to encourage you to take those trips and to spend time with your kids! You will not regret those memories and the time that you send
Memories for Miles 
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