I believe the ultimate way to combine adventure with the comforts of home is with a family caravan trip. Caravan trips is the term used mostly in Australia and the united kingdom but in the united states it's called RVing, recreational vehicle camping, or sometimes trailer-camping. That it is a very broad term used somewhat differently in the US vs. in the united kingdom and Australia so let's look at a few of its characteristics, some similarities and a few of the differences..
Originally, many hundreds of years ago, the word caravan meant several camels or other kind of pack animal going long distances from point A to point B and transporting goods and/or pilgrims in the Middle East.
Click for more info of course. Now a caravan usually refers to a vehicle, usually built on a truck chassis (i.e. frame) with a full time income accommodation built onto the back which will have, at a minimum, some sleeping spaces. Depending on size of the machine, it could also have a little kitchen, tables, sitting area and even a bathroom/shower facility.
In the US you will discover all different sizes of these caravan units... some actually being extensively customized buses. This kind and size of unit has been, up till recently, more common in the US because of low gas prices there.
What's fun about family caravan vacations regardless of how big the caravan unit is it's like taking your house with you. Mom still gets to make the meals, the family still has a dinner table (or breakfast or lunch table), the kids have a 'living room' (albeit not so large) to play in, and mommy and daddy can still 'tuck the kids into bed' during the night.
Depending on the length of trip the household is taking, the amount of money saved on family caravan trips could be quiet substantial. Sure, gas expenses certainly are a bigger factor however the numbers still workout and only caravanning. This is also true if you've got a large family that would make aggregate airfare expenses very high and also when you factor in the price savings of being able to prepare your own food.
One of the biggest advantages of family caravan trips is that even though you'll will often have some notion of an itinerary you retain the flexibility of changing your plans at any time... staying longer, not staying for as long, going to a lake rather than that river, etc. You're not constrained by way of a pre-planned schedule and the 'open road' truly becomes your domain.
Family caravan trips are very popular in the Australia... perhaps because it's such a big country. THE UNITED STATES is big too and lots of families take family caravan trips there too but observers claim that the reason why caravanning isn't as common in america is because more folks travel by air in the US (or at the very least they did before the price of gas got so high and before airport security procedures became so annoying for many individuals).
A long time ago, back round the late 40's and 50's in the US... these units were simply called 'trailers' or 'mobile trailers' plus they were not self-propelled. Then they gradually diverged into two types... one type got so big as to be almost immobile. Today the term 'trailer' in the US (when put on a mobile living accommodation) actually implies less middle- class and even 'poor' economic status.
In america now, the static type of caravan is frequently called a 'mobile homes' or 'premanufactured homes'... especially if it's fairly large and well-appointed. These are not linked to the word 'caravan' at all... ever.
Nowadays, in the US, Australia and the UK, these kinds of units could be small or they could be 'palaces on wheels'. They could be mobile, very modern and found in a fashion similar to timeshare vacationing... i.e. families can either buy and use their own family caravan, rent a caravan type vehicle, or go to a vacation area where in fact the family can rent time in one of many units just like they could rent a house for some time.
The basic caravan unit is not usually very large. You'll find them set up in 'parks' or areas specifically designed to supply safety, electricity, plumbing (sometimes), online sites, or even basic 'community' facilities like a convenience store, swimming pool, tennis courts, etc.
The big difference here's that this type of caravan unit can not be driven around. It just sits there... and people pay for their time and enjoy it there and/or in the surrounding area.
Caravan parks certainly are a great way for companies to add value to an area without actually planning and creating a traditional housing developing or full-sized, full-scale hotel. Families like these family caravan trips too because they can drive their family vehicle to caravan park, set-up shop in the machine for whatever amount of time they plan on being there and then use their very own vehicle to access know the local area better.
Whether a family group uses the totally mobile family caravan unit or leases the static type caravan unit is strictly a matter of individual preference. The basic benefits are still exactly the same: families reach have a nice trip, stay together in a cozy setting, keep expenses minimal and share plenty of good times together.
No doubt about it... family caravan trips are excellent fun for the whole family. If the house can move... then home truly is wherever the family wants to go.