A couple years ago, a few friends, my sister's family, and my family decided we all wanted to do a group vacation together. Well as fun as this sounded when we were all excited discussing our dream trip of kicking back on the beach with a cocktail in hand, the reality is that you have to be pretty brave to travel with different personalities on a 7 day adventure.  So you say, "we always have a great time together, we would be fine" and while that is probably very true,  having a blast every once in a while during a night or even weekend get-away can turn into a bloody nightmare when you find yourself stuck with someone that turns out to be a nightmare travel companion. 

  We realized that our friendships were more important then taking any risks of problems so we decided the most important thing was going to be making it as low stress as possible in terms of keeping the activities all in one place and not making a lot of impromptu trip decisions when we were there.  Any trips away from the resort needed to be pre-planned and pre-paid.  When you have so many different tastes in hotels, food, entertainment, and party life, the best thing to do is find activities  that can hit a bit of everyone's preferences.  All-inclusive resorts in this case are one of the very best answers and a true friendship saver.

   The hard reality of vacations is that money is probably the first thing to cause a rift. Whether it is between husband and wife or one couple being in a tight spot and feeling the pressure of the remaining group to spend more then they are comfortable with.  This is exactly why an all-inclusive can keep your friendships intact.  Believe me the upfront cost is more expensive and can seem almost unreasonable thinking "I would never spend that kind of money if we just wing it", but you will, and you do.  You might save a little on the pocket but you may lose more in your relationships with animosity. Now I am not saying you can't travel to a non-inclusive with your best buds you have always known and would live with, I am talking about that group of your newest best friends or even some family reunions.  This way each person can book the room that fits their budget, you can all eat at the same place without fighting over the tab,  put your pocketbooks away during the trip for the most part, and enjoy all the entertainment you want as a group or even splitting off.
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  We chose to go to Turks and Caicos at the Beaches Resort since we were taking the kids along.  I also love Sandal's Resorts but that is a resort for couples only, no kids allowed.  Our rooms ranged from the beachfront 3 bedroom (not mine of course) to an inside second floor room.  The grounds were as secure as could possibly be so the kids had a bit more freedom. We had great food, lots of drinks and fun at the pool bar, a few of us tried the inclusive diving, jet-skis, kayaks and even sail boards. All meals were included and they have a non-tip policy so you leave your wallets at home.  Food 24/7 and a good variety of options. In the evening they offered activities for both the kids and the adults so those that wanted to go went out and those that did not relaxed in their room with a good book. No driving, no fuss.  There are several all-inclusive resorts especially in Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean.  All of the families and the kids talk about this trip to this day and yes, we all made it out as a group.  Sure there were a few hiccups as there is with any big group travel but no one ever had to worry about overspending once we arrived. Remember, movies make it look easy to travel together and heck, even Gilligan's Island they all were stranded together and hardly argued, but that is TV, not reality!  Make sure where ever you go as a group you at least try to stay in the groups budget if you can't do an inclusive. Great friendships are hard to come by and it is never worth causing someone to feel out of their comfort level. 

St. Augustine, Florida, is a gem of a place to visit if you need to sneak away for some peace and quiet on your Mickey Mouse vacation. After visiting this location, I think it would make a perfect destination in itself. Sort of a North, Key West feel.  There are lovely shops that line the downtown area and plenty of attractions to visit. We did a segway tour around town and fell in love with this beautiful water-front town located about two hours from Orlando. 

The locals all know this place, and now, so do we. With cobblestone lined streets, and plenty of history, St. Augustine is a friendly town worth your visit. If you are into ghost hunting, this is also the place for you. Have you watched the Ghost Hunters St Augustine light house episode? It was one of the scariest I have ever watched. So, of course we went there. We climbed the quaint lighthouse snapping lots of pictures. While we saw no ghosts, we enjoyed out tour very much--the view from above is incredible.


St. Augustine also has a fort that has been turned into a park that is worth a visit. As for food, they have several  top-notch sea food restaurants, and an Irish one that we visited (get the shephards pie if you go!), as well as a yummy Australian coffee shop to round out your day. 
Check out the specials and try one of the haunted night tours, 

  In July 1947, something happened northwest of Roswell, New Mexico. A mysterious object was reported to have crashed on a ranch about 30 miles north of Roswell.  Skeptics, believers, and conspiracy theorist alike wildly debate what happened. Was it an alien craft? Was it a weather balloon? Was it a military experiment gone wrong?  Maybe it is time to check it out and decide for yourself.   Every year, Roswell’s UFO Festival, a three-day event featuring all things UFO, takes over the town. The UFO Festival is tentatively scheduled for July 3-5, 2015 with guest speaker, authors, costume contests, live entertainment, and family friendly activities. 

 While you are in town, make sure and visit the Roswell UFO museum. Unfortunately, there are no specific UFO hotels, or UFO restaurants in town, but most places have a touch of the UFO theme. The McDonalds is designed to look like a spaceship on the outside, but inside it is just another McDonald's. The KFC at 2423 North Main St. has a large, green wood-carved alien outside its front door. You can see a few scattered alien heads streetlights hanging on Main St. and, although it has been described as a novelty store, the Area 51 Museum, Alien Zone, can make a great souvenir stop. 
 
I know it is not an alien, but you might want to consider the Tree of Knowledge on Roswell Public Library Grounds, I hear it is worth taking a look.
 http://alienzoneroswellnm.com/   http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/museum.html

  Comic-Con is an outrageous outing made of all things comics, science fiction, and movies. This event started in 1970 when a group of fans all came together to put on the first comic book convention in Southern California. Even if you are not a big fan, attending one of these conventions will make you one or at least make you appreciate the energy of the fans. 


This is a great outing for the whole family, if you can handle large crowds and standing in a lot of lines. We stood in line three hours for tickets to the Masquerade Ball and then had to come back a few hours later and stand in line for an hour to just to get into the ballroom. Important to note,  this was one of the smaller lines. Here's a tip, you don't even have to go inside or buy the expensive tickets while waiting with your fingers posed over the buy-it-now option on your computer screen only to find out they sold out in five minutes last year, because just sitting outside and people watching is an event in itself.  Of course, I am not suggesting that it is not better inside. It is. But a lot of the activities are outside of the Convention center. You can see some of the most elaborate costumes walking by as the people stay in character from the vantage point of one of the restaurants that face the strip and the Convention Center. We were in awe at the amount of work that goes into one single outfit. We found everyone approachable for pictures and information. 

What I do recommend, if you are wanting to brave the fan storm, is that you do your homework! Download the Comic-Con app that tells you who, what, and where everything is. Then pick your top two items to do every day and prepare to stand in line chatting with all types of folks. While in line, you can people watch and visit. Bring snacks. What ever you do, bring snacks!  Because you really have to leave the convention for good food, it takes away of your time inside. Then again, you can people watch from some of the nearby restaurants as well.

Biggest tips I wish I had known: Wear comfortable shoes at all times. You will walk, walk, walk. Know the schedule before hand and come prepared to stand in long lines, be patient, maybe bring a good book or buy one autographed while you are there. Check the bus schedule! That is the most important. They start and stop at different times. We were on the red route about a mile away and after walking all the way there at midnight with tired kids after the masquerade, we found out they picked up in front of the Comic-Con starting at 11:30 pm.  Yep, that just happened. We had to walk all the way back. Last, always know what limited edition item you want to buy and get in line early for it. They sell out quickly and the lines are insane if you wait too long.  Look for the one thing that would make your trip worthwhile if you could score, and concentrate only on trying to get that. But don't be disappointed if you don't get one. You can always find it later on eBay.


The big granddaddy of them all is the one in San Diego, which is scheduled for July 9-12  2015.  Not to worry if you can't make it all the way to California, there a mini-cons all around the country to enjoy. The local one we attended made a great introduction, and the best part was watching the kids just stare gape-mouthed at all the creativity from the fans. To be honest, it was not just the kids, we were all in awe.

 For dates and locations of Comic-Cons near you check @ http://www.upcomingcons.com/comic-conventions
For the granddaddy of them all, check out  http://www.comic-con.org/frontpage

 Have you ever considered spending your vacation time volunteering on a mission trip? There are literally endless numbers of tour companies that offer trips that include helping those less fortunate. Some offer the opportunity to provide medical aid, build homes, visit orphanages, or even help out a Marine Conservation groups.
  You can take your trip as a family, as a couple, or even solo. Some trips are done in the United States and others require abroad travel. In the United States, at Global Volunteers, you can work with local people for a week of service in education, labor, and cultural projects. If you enjoy the ocean, then maybe choose a marine conservation project in Seychelles that includes counting turtles and helping identify marine species. If you are adventurous, you can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro while also providing equipment and services to those with special needs including the wounded vets that have taken the journey with K2Adverntures.

Marine Conservation http://www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/2280/marine-conservation-project-in-seychelles
Veterans assistance and build hospitals
http://www.k2adventures.org/about-us
Reservations in the USA
http://www.globalvolunteers.org/usa/