Make Family Travel Meaningful and Memorable

Shelly Henley Kelly shares practical tips for making summer travel memorable through connection, faith, flexibility, and realistic expectations.

Summer lies just around the corner, and our family is no stranger to summer travel. We’ve turned work-related trips into mini-vacations, approached summer sports tournaments with the mindset of exploring new places, and even embarked on a multi-generational family trip overseas.

In time, we’ve become more purposeful in seeking our faith and making our travel meaningful and memorable. We want trips that strengthen our family connection, deepen our faith, and include experiences everyone can enjoy. These are a few practical tips we’ve discovered over the years.

Let us learn how to take a break, turn off the mobile phone to gaze into the eyes of others, cultivate silence, contemplate nature and regenerate ourselves in dialogue with God. (Pope Francis, Angelus 18 July 2021)

Are We There Yet?

Depending on the direction we’re driving, it can take 13 hours for us to get out of Texas. We used to try and make as few stops as possible, but eventually learned to plan scheduled breaks every two hours to get up and walk. Before the trip, we identify a family-friendly stop every 120 – 140 miles to get out of the car, use the bathroom, and walk about. Whether it’s a State Welcome Center, a Travel Plaza, or a coffee shop, be sure to allow at least 20 to 30 minutes per stop. And don’t forget to occasionally check your route for traffic, weather, and unanticipated road construction delays so you can adapt as needed.

If it’s possible to extend your travel time, consider breaking up the drive by incorporating destination stops for 2- to 3-hour breaks. Our family trends toward shrines, national parks, and monuments. Some of our favorites were the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament (AL), Vicksburg Military Park (MS), and the Capulin Volcano National Monument (NM).

Build Family Connection

Traveling together can be stressful, and we wonder “Will my kids remember this?” We want every trip to create a positive shared experience that becomes a core family memory. Family connection requires being present and working together. When I ask my now-grown children what they remember most from our trips, it’s the times we involved them in the planning or took a chance that resulted in a surprise or other meaningful moment.

Our oldest daughters remember how important they felt when I showed them a list and description of all the theme park rides in advance and invited them to choose their top 3 “I really want to do this!” items. We promised we would do at least one item from their list — maybe two if time permitted — and it worked out so well that to this day we continue to share our “Top 3” when planning vacations together.

Every good Christian knows that vacation is the time to rest the body but also to nurture the spirit through more time for prayer and meditation, to grow in one’s personal relationship with Christ and follow his teachings ever more closely. ( Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus 15 July 2007)

Deepen Your Faith

Turn your summer travel into a pilgrimage by visiting popular Catholic destinations such as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception or another sacred location. Even if it’s not the primary focus of your trip, finding a sacred spot or visiting a church can be a surprisingly meaningful experience. These destinations are often full of history, miraculous stories, saints, and stunning grounds to explore. Such stops offer an opportunity to slow down and find more meaningful spiritual depth during your vacation.

Before leaving on your trip, choose a traveling prayer to pray each morning and evening. Or involve the whole family and write one of your own, letting each person add a line, maybe inviting protection for the day’s journey, personalizing it with your destination, and praying for patience and peace! You’ll be surprised how creative it turns out!

Manage Your Expectations

Too often we spend so much time on social media watching everyone’s highlight reels of their “perfect” vacation. Inevitably, we build unreasonable expectations for our trip in our minds. Do not fall into the comparison trap! This is your family trip, and it doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, it probably won’t be perfect. You could be driving up a mountain road and the car begins overheating! Depending on how you handle this, sometimes the shortcomings become the “Remember that one time …” story that everyone laughs about years from now.

Be Flexible

On our last vacation we discovered that we’d overscheduled the first day. (And maybe also the second …) We didn’t leave enough space between timed or ticketed events to catch our breath and reflect on the experience before rushing off to the next thing. That night we discussed how we didn’t have to “do all the things,” and adjusted our plan to allow more room for spontaneity or rest.

Looking back on our family experiences, we remember the laughter shared, the unexpected adventures, and the bonds that come from rotating as the “Car DJ,” assigning scores to the coffee stops, and playing card games together at the end of the day. By focusing on being together, staying open to new experiences, and letting go of perfection, your family will build memories that last.

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Copyright 2026 Shelly Henley Kelly
Images: copyright 2026 Shelly Henley Kelly, all rights reserved.