by Kerry Dougherty

They say that when people look back on their happiest children experiences they rarely reminisce about the big trips or visits to plastic theme parks like Disney World.

Nope. Our fondest memories center around the time we spend relaxing with loved ones.

It’s the small moments, the quality family time that stick with us.

That sounds right.

My happiest childhood memories almost always settle on our annual family camping trips: the Jersey Shore, Niagara Falls, Maine, West Virginia.

It wasn’t the destinations that I remember. It was the long car rides where we played license plate games, sang, told stories to pass the time. I don’t remember any fancy meals, but I do recall the food we shared at splintered roadside picnic tables.

With that in mind, my daughter and I decided to plan a four-day last-gasp-of-summer getaway for five adults and three kids, who range in age from four months to nine years.

Where do you go to spend a couple of days of relaxation – with an infant – without breaking the bank?

“What about Shrine Mont?” I suggested.

Last summer a friend and I spent a weekend in Orkney Springs, Va. at a quirky, old-fashioned church retreat center. We weren’t there for spiritual growth. We were there for a pickleball camp.

We came away enchanted and vowed we’d be back with our families. Continue reading.