National Lampoon’s (The Unexpected) Christmas Vacation
By Ashley Davis
During the holiday travel meltdown right before Christmas 2022, we were flying from Mammoth, CA to Atlanta with a layover in Denver, CO. Our flight was delayed to Denver, and we missed our connecting flight. With no other options on any airlines and no rental cars available, we ended up renting an RV to get home. It took 25 hours and 1450 miles, but we made it!
Lessons learned:
- Take a non-family member on trips with you; they sure can help you not want to strangle each other.
- Always keep important items such as medication and a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage.
- Crazy adventures make the best memories.
- New traditions can help heal grief.
- Being together with family, no matter when or where or for how long, is always special.
Adventures in France: A Family Journey to Remember
By Courtney Lott
This spring break, my husband Jim, our son Taylor, and I decided to swap our usual routine for a grand adventure in France! While Taylor and I had only experienced France during layovers, we were thrilled to finally dive into the magic of Paris.
On our first day, we made a beeline for the iconic Eiffel Tower. Standing at the top, gazing over the city, we felt a delightful mix of excitement and awe. Dinner at Madame Brasserie was the cherry on top—a fun tasting menu that made our taste buds dance!
Of course, we couldn't visit Paris without hitting the usual hotspots: the Louvre Museum and Notre Dame. After a whirlwind of walking, we decided to give our feet a break and hopped on the Big Bus & Boat Tour. The highlight? Exploring the stunning Versailles Palace and Gardens. We could have spent all day there, biking through the lush greenery and soaking in the history!
Part two of our journey took us to Bordeaux, where we swapped city sights for vineyard views. We indulged in wine tours starting at Pinchon Baron and Château d'Yquem, a legendary sweet white wine. You might wonder what we did with our eight-year-old during these tasting adventures—well, they welcome kids with open arms! Taylor enjoyed non-fermented grape juice paired with chocolate tastings, making him feel like a little connoisseur.
This trip was truly memorable, and I now understand why everyone raves about Paris. You could easily spend weeks there and still discover new treasures. Here’s to family adventures that create lasting memories!
Japan, Family Style
By Brandon Naylor
1. The Hiccup
We flew to Japan with our two-year-old daughter — ambitious enough on its own. Before leaving the ground, we sat on the tarmac for three hours while the airline addressed a broken seatbelt, and then a mechanical issue was discovered shortly after. Seventeen hours total on the plane with a toddler who had long exhausted her patience. We survived on snacks, screen time and sheer parental will. By the time we landed, Japan had a lot to live up to. Somehow, it delivered anyway.
2. Someone Special
At our hotel, we crossed paths with a staff member whose warmth made a lasting impression. Originally from Tunisia, she lit up sharing stories of her upbringing and her genuine love of hospitality — not as a job, but as a calling. She and my wife connected easily, and on our last morning, she pulled my wife into a hug at checkout. It was a small moment in a big trip, but a reminder that the people you meet along the way are often what you remember most.
3. The Trip
We went to Kyoto first, then Tokyo — and it exceeded every expectation. In Kyoto, we stayed at a hotel along the river; Tokyo offered sweeping views of the bay. We rode the bullet train between cities, participated in a traditional tea ceremony in kimono, and explored fish markets overflowing with uni and tuna. Street food became a daily ritual, and our daughter discovered an unshakeable love of dumplings. The culture, the people, the food — Japan rewards curiosity at every turn, even when you're chasing a toddler through it.
Japan, Aleks Style
By Aleksandar Kapetanovic
The hiccup
While traveling through Japan in September 2025, a friend and I visited Kanazawa Castle Park for some personal photography. We had no sunscreen, almost no shade, and learned that September in Japan might as well be peak July. As one of our first stops in the country, there wasn't a better place to discover the innovative use of umbrellas as shade. No umbrellas were sold inside the castle grounds, so we booked a personal tour with a guide gracious enough to share some of his sunlight shelter. He explained that the wide-open lawns were intentionally designed to leave invaders exposed, with nowhere to hide from defenders or the sun. Hundreds of years later, it works just as well on tourists.
Local Love
A travel habit I have is asking locals what they actually like to eat. Not what's famous and not what tourists are supposed to try. Something they would actually eat for themselves. So, on my first visit to a renowned Japanese 7-Eleven, in a small town somewhere between Kyoto and Ishikawa, I asked the clerk about her favorite candies. In hindsight, I should have started with Google Translate. Speaking slower, it turns out, isn't the same as translating. But she was as kind as she was patient. She walked me over to the candy section, and we compared favorites through passing phones. I never learned the brand for that caramel-coffee hard candy she picked out, but I remember the moment perfectly. It's one of my favorite little discoveries from the trip. Both as a new favorite treat and for the personal interaction behind it.
The Journey
This past September, a close friend and I went to Japan for their hosting of the World Expo, although the Expo was more of an excuse to finally make the trip happen. We of course saw the big sights, from the Expo itself to the Umeda Sky Building, historic landmarks, the "must try" restaurants and nightlife. But what made Japan spectacular was everything in between: photography walks, e-bike rides, snack finds, silly ads, the small interactions and everyday scenes that felt more like the main itinerary. We traveled from Osaka to Ishikawa and back, staying in hotels, hostels and ryokans, traveling by rental car, bike and train. In just under two weeks, it felt like we had experienced a lifetime’s worth of Japan, while still feeling like we had just barely begun.