“This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm going to have fun and you're going to have fun. We're all going to have so much freaking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our damn smiles. You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of your behinds! I got to be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a theme park moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy crap!” (Harold Ramis, dir. Vacation) Sometimes going on vacation can seem just as crazy as it was with the Griswald family, or like our own stressful daily lives if not planned out properly. It is perhaps why our bad vacation experiences can sometimes make great film comedies. A vacation should be memorable, relaxing, and fun, not more work and drama than your own life already dishes out at you. Unfortunately, to make a vacation work well takes work. The process of a vacation can be rewarding if you follow the right steps in researching where you are going, how to plan it, how you will travel, how to deal with unexpected setbacks, and how to enjoy the trip home.
“We’re from out of town!” (Harold Ramis, dir. Vacation) Knowing the step of researching where you are going is important because you are going away from home to a place you perhaps have never been before. Researching your destinations helps give you an idea what you are getting yourself or family into. You will want to learn things such as climate, lodging, attractions, and local events. A good place to search if you are traveling within the United States is Citysearch.com; they offer detailed information in regards to anything about a city from finding a specific restaurant/bar or tourist attraction perfect for your plans. If you are traveling outside the United States, make sure you look up currency exchange rates and customs information because getting a surprise by customs can really ruin a vacation quickly. Speaking of exchange rates, make sure you have your expenses planned out in regards to how you are...