There’s a belief that family travel has to mean big, expensive, faraway trips. But some of our best memories have been made just a couple of hours from home.
When we’ve needed to save money or time but still craved an adventure, we’ve turned to local getaways. From the Oregon Coast to Central Oregon, the Columbia Gorge, and even a quick parents’ escape to Willamette Valley wine country, we’ve discovered that you don’t have to go far to find something special.
These trips are lower-stress, more affordable, and often surprisingly refreshing. A weekend on the coast can feel like a full reset. A mini road trip through the Gorge gives us that sense of exploration without jet lag or complicated logistics.
We also keep a bucket list of slightly farther mini-trips—like Olympic National Park, the San Juan Islands, and Walla Walla—because sometimes the best way to make a big trip happen later is to keep traveling smaller now.
In my Pick It, Plan It, Pay for It Masterclass, I actually teach families to start here—to pick a trip that fits their season of life and budget, rather than waiting for “someday.” Close-to-home trips are often the key to building travel confidence.
➡️ Want to get your next trip on the calendar? Join the live Pick It, Plan It, Pay for It Masterclass or grab the PDF version to start planning today.
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