Road Memories

An RV vacation lets you take part of your world with you while you immerse yourself in the new world of your destination. It's the best of both worlds -- even more so when you take a little home with you and start traditions for the special occasion of being together as a family on the open road. Here are some ideas for RV traditions that will increase anticipation and bonding.

Take a little home with you. New, foreign and different places are nice, but so is familiarity. Bring along a family photo -- preferably one of all of you in full vacation splendor. Start a collection of these and have your photo mementos of past trips on display in your RV. If it can be secured or will not fall over, a live plant also makes your rolling environment healthier and more inviting. And you can never go wrong throwing in a favorite afghan or blanket for cozying up with. A special little lamp from home or one that you use only on RV trips -- casting a homey light with a low-watt bulb -- will provide a nice atmosphere.

Make your camp festive. What says "This is our extremely happy home for the next however many days"? A string of colorful Chinese paper lanterns or Christmas lights? Striped canvas lawn chairs? A silly lawn troll? If you don't already have a certain something that has your family written all over it, decide on one or several items that will say to you and yours "relaxation" and "fun" and "home" whenever you see them.

Make the first night special. Maybe having a big spaghetti and garlic-bread dinner the first night sounds like a family tradition. If you're still in transit and don't want to cook, pizza always makes an evening. Regardless, the first night you actually make camp, get into your RV lifestyle with a special meal. Using the same menu for each trip will set the tone and proclaim your vacation officially off and running.