Vacations are anything but restful.
Our society stresses quality and quantity to the point that it is difficult for us to slow down and enjoy time with each other. I most recently experienced this during a short trip to Colorado. While the trip itself was enjoyable, it was not restful at all—mostly due to a need to “Get the most out of the trip.” Imagine a vacation that is both restful and enjoyable. Can you imagine getting to enjoy the right activities and spend time restoring your soul? Below are our top 3 suggestions on how to actually rest on vacation!
Stay Local
Stay local means two things—stay as close to your activities as possible, and choose activities that are close to where you are staying.
Let’s be honest. Vacations are meant for doing stuff, even if all we do is go swimming. If that is why we go on vacation, we should do our best to make it as convenient as possible that stay close to the activities we are doing. If you happen to come with Wildwater Chattooga or Nantahala, that could mean staying in our Luxury Cabins or in our Yurts! Either way, by choosing to stay near the activities you are doing, you reduce time in vehicles (always stressful) and increase time for you to do the things you love!
Sometimes the opposite is true. Maybe you found the perfect place to stay or your “favorite” aunt booked your stay before consulting the rest of the family. In this case, we suggest looking for activities that are as close to your lodging as possible. If you do have to drive for activities, try to group activities that are close to each other. For instance, the Pigeon River is 1 hour from Asheville and 45 minutes from Pigeon Forge, therefore combine rafting and zip lining at the Pigeon for a great day of fun and an optimal schedule for getting rest and enjoying your trip! In order to do this well brings me to the next point, “Ask for help.”
Ask for Help
Asking for help is one of the best ways to rest and enjoy your vacation. While I’m sure you have an entire list of activities that your friend suggested, try asking the locals for some of their favorites. Whether it is The Copperhill Brewery at the Ocoee or Deep Creek in Bryson City, we are always happy to help with our favorite suggestions. The other benefit of this is that you learn more about an area and its culture, giving a whole new dimension to your vacation. Locals are great at both giving suggestions and also at revealing the best times to do activities or to visit an attraction.
Don’t be Afraid to Schedule
Once you find out a suggestion on the best time to do an activity, don’t be afraid to put it in the schedule. A well thought out schedule is one of the best tools for vacation success. Check out this post on how to schedule well and use our vacation planner on your next trip! Not only will scheduling your trip allow you to see everything you are doing at a glance, it also helps with planning those perfect times to rest. It is crucial that these times are intentionally scheduled. After all, most people assume that a gap in the schedule equals rest, when in fact it equals uncertainty. This uncertainty will end up creating stress and reducing the restfulness and enjoyment of a vacation.
Getting rest and enjoying vacation may seem like an impossible task, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Choose to make a difference on your next trip by staying local, asking for help, and scheduling out your trip. Most importantly—get everyone involved. In order to build better and stronger relationships, take these suggestions and get everyone to help plan what could be your best trip yet.