Leah DiPascal

Planning a vacation is not an easy task.

Last year our family wasn't able to take a summer trip because of our finances. Although we're still on a very strict budget, I'm determined to have some sort of get-away for our family before school starts in August.

There is so much to consider when trying to plan a family vacation. First I gathered everyone together to see where they'd like to go. Brody, our laid back teenager wanted to take a cruise. Carson, our super social busy bee wanted to go to Las Vegas or New York. Keith, my exhausted and over worked husband wanted to stay home and just "relax". Ya, right...

We had to explain to the boys that all though a vacation was certainly in sight, we'd need to consider somewhere closer and...well...cheaper. A cruise, Las Vegas, or New York City would not be considerations this Summer. Needless to say, the boys were disappointed. Keith still just wanted to stay home. I was trying to stay positive and not get frustrated with everyone!

Since we'd be taking the car instead of flying, our choices would need to be within 5 hours of driving distance from Charlotte. Too many times we've started out our vacation by driving 12 to 13 hours straight which is NO fun at all.

After looking at the map, we decided to visit Williamsburg, VA. I was a little hesitant at first because I've never been a fan of American history (I know, shame on me) but after checking out the visitor's bureau I'm thinking this will be a great place for us to go. There's lots of historical sights, Busch Gardens Amusement Park, and beautiful beaches nearby.

I put a comment of Facebook asking for suggestions about places to stay and got tons of ideas from friends and family. They really made the research a lot easier and less time consuming

We haven't finalized a place to stay but we're leaning towards a cute condo right outside of town which has a huge pool and lots of amenities.

More than anything, I'm really looking forward to just being with our family, experiencing new places together, and creating great memories that we'll treasure for a lifetime.

Now that I think about it, planning this vacation wasn't difficult at all.

Are you taking a Summer vacation this year? If so, where are you going? Do you have a favorite vacation sight that your family goes to a lot? What has been your favorite vacation so far?