It’s that time of year when families gather to celebrate the holidays. Unfortunately, with all the traveling, shopping, cooking, and general hustle and bustle of the season, families are often too busy to really connect with each other during the holiday season.
This year, why not make plans to get together again at a less hectic time of year. Virginia State Parks cabins and family lodges provide an ideal location for family reunion vacations. The natural settingin our parksprovides the perfect backdrop for creating special memories with family. There is something to offerfor all ages and stages, and now is the time to make reservations for the upcoming year. (We offer reservations uo to 11 months in adance.)
My family is still talking about the fun we had in August 2008, when fourgenerations of us vacationed together at Claytor Lake State Park. My husband, my son, my parents, his parents, his aunt and uncle, his brother, his wife, their kids, their grandkids, and I all spent a week together – and survived! The biggest argument we had was over what to do with all the luscious peaches we had picked up at farm stands along the way. (Should we bake them in cobbler, make fruit salad, save some for later in the week, etc.)
The more active members of the family enjoyed the well-kept trails, where they were able to maintain their marathon training. The younger childrenliked the playgrounds, the beach, and just being with all the family members they don’toften see. The older folks inthe group especiallyenjoyed the porch rockers, where they could visit with each other and watch the kids play, or read a good book. We allhad fun together witha pontoon ride on Claytor Lake. Everybody appreciated the large, well-equipped kitchen and family room where we could gather for meals, games, and puzzles.
We picked Claytor Lake State Park because it was centrally located between my family in southern Virginia, and my husband’s brother and his family in Tennessee. (Also, it was the only family lodge available in the Western part of the statefor dates in August when we made our reservations in January)
Summer is just around the corner, so don’t delay – make your reservations soon. If your first choice is not available, try another of our 35 beautiful parks. By the way, Virginia State Parks has a very generous cancellation and transfer policy, if for some reason your plans don’t work out. For more information or to make reservations, call our Reservations Center at (800) 933-PARK (7275), or visit our website at www.virginiastateparks.gov.