Having bicycled and backpacked thousands of miles both with and without kids, Laural Ringler writes and presents on outdoor adventures of all kinds. Whether with how-to info or presenting “Croissants, Canals, and Castles: Bicycling Europe with Kids,” Laural is an adventure mentor for families, teens, individuals and groups. A regular contributor to Adventures Northwest Magazine, Laural has published over fifty articles and lives in Bellingham, Washington with her intrepid husband and their adventuresome two kids. You can reach Laural at ringlerwrites dot gmail dot com.
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I just got done watching 180 degrees south on netflix its a documentary about this guy embarking on traveling to patagonia and it inspired me to get off my couch and quit dreaming about just going somewhere and seeing the world with my little ones, they are 3 and almost 7. I have never traveled with them anywhere and I myself have not been many places but I sit around daily dreaming for a different life. I want my kids to grow up with tales of the adventures they went on with me and their dad, I dont want their summers and breaks to be full of video games and staying inside. I dont even know where to start on planning an adventure for us, where to go, what to pack, how much money do we need, how to navigate and so on. Maybe you could help me.
Thanks
Wendy Grey, 28
STL, MO
Yahoo for being inspired to adventure! I’d recommend you start reading books like “Adventuring With Children” by Nan Jeffrey (dated, but worth the read), “The Family Sabbatical Handbook,” Joe Kurmaskie’s “Momentum is Your Friend,” and “360 Degrees Longitude: One Family’s Trip Around the World” by John Higham, plus blogs like Family on Bikes about the Vogel family cycling from Alaska to Patagonia, and websites like The Family Adventure Project (familyonabike.org). They might help you define the adventure you’re looking for, while you save money and learn whatever skills might be needed for the adventure you chose. Go for it!