The Family That "Adventures" Together…

by Ken Streater

"The scenery was spectacular and unsurpassed, the weather great, the guides knowledgeable and safety-conscious, and the food great. Katie, Andrew and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and got to know each other better. A great family experience."
"We are still on a high from our vacation. It was transformative for us all. Thanks."

Over the years, people from all walks of life have listed hundreds of reasons why they enjoyed their adventure travel vacation more than other types of vacations-- exploring a wild and natural place, participating in challenging and rewarding activities, having fun with friends and family while escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life and just enjoying floating down a quiet river and not having to worry about what to do next.
There is often something meaningful, and at times even unnoticed, that takes place on adventure vacations, particularly among families. It seems that all of the benefits listed above combine to help bring families together, in ways that may not be possible on traditional vacations.

Dozens of research papers and countless articles have been written on the benefits of wilderness outings, and participating in challenge-based activities. These articles point to increased self-esteem, improved communication and socialization skills, enhanced self-identity and awareness, and improved concepts of teamwork. Adventure travel vacations that include challenging activities and wilderness recreation provide the same outcomes. When families participate in adventure vacations, each of these benefits often leads to the enhancement of the family unit itself, as increased individual self-esteem, self-identity and better communication opportunities lead to a strong family team. Simply put, family members really enjoy, learn more about, and support each other on an adventure vacation.

Outfitters each have many, many stories and post-trip letters and phone calls that substantiate the perception that adventure vacations bring families together. Monica F., a mother of two, called after her family adventure, to explain how this vacation meant so much to their family of four.
"From the moment we got on the bus to go to the river, I felt like I didn’t have to worry about a thing. Didn’t have to cook, didn’t have to plan, didn’t have to worry about my kids wandering off. The guides took care of everything. I was actually able to completely relax and enjoy the vacation as much as everyone in the family, which I can’t remember being able to do on any other type of vacation. As a result, we were able to just enjoy each other’s company. Our family actually played together every day, without distraction from outside sources. This meant so much to me and my family just in terms of being able to get to know each other’."
It was apparent to us, the guides and outfitters, that Monica really enjoyed just being able to spend time with her family, and over the course of the trip we witnessed them growing closer and closer. And this was a family that was close to begin with!

Michael S., another participant of a family adventure travel vacation, tells of the benefits that came to him and his daughter. As a divorced parent, Michael and his ex-wife share custody of their ten-year-old daughter. Michael had been experiencing problems with his daughter accepting the divorce and was feeling that his daughter was becoming distant.

"When we were on the rafting trip, I was a bit discouraged at first because my daughter didn’t seem to be enjoying the trip and was being kind of rude. However, she befriended one of the female guides and over the course of the next few days they talked about life and why my daughter was unhappy. I think the environment and just being away from the daily grind, along with my daughter being able to share things with a new ‘role model’ led to my daughter explaining why she was unhappy. It turns out it was the new relationship I was starting. Ultimately, through my talking with my daughter and the guide spending time with her, she opened up to me. The result was us getting closer together and really having a blast on the last few days of the trip. I have always had a good relationship with my daughter and know that we would have eventually worked through her unhappiness with my new relationship. However, I believe that this trip really helped bring us together more quickly. I credit the river rafting adventure, the distraction-free environment, and the guide, for this."
Often times just being away from it all is all that it takes to bring families together. Adventure vacations in places such as wilderness river canyons or alpine mountains can provide some of the best "get away from it all" settings possible. There is no television, no mall, no phone or Internet-- just peace and quiet. This isolation can be one of the best tools for bringing families together. Christine T., who brought her two teenage daughters on a multi-day rafting adventure says it best ;

"We have always been close. We have good kids, one who is busy with high school and another who was away as a first year college student. I am busy with my job. We live in the Bay Area, and so life is just busy in general. What this trip did was allow us to just hang out together, floating down the river talking about nothing in particular, laughing, watching each other paddle like crazy through rapids, and so on. It was invaluable, being able to just enjoy each other without any distractions. We didn’t even have to lift a finger to cook or clean dishes! That means we had a lot of time to communicate--something that we needed!"

As seen from these testimonials, family adventure vacations have unique strengths and benefits that help bring families together. We hear it often from those who know best: mothers, fathers, and children from all walks of life. And, while no research paper has been written to statistically confirm the togetherness families feel as a result of family adventure vacations, we are confident that should such a study be undertaken, the results would point to adventure holidays being an unbeatably positive tool for families who want to be together and grow strong!
Ken Streater has guided and outfitted river trips throughout the world since 1983.