For most of my life, I've been part of a yearly trip to The White Mountains. The trip usually includes a few outdoor adventures such as hiking, swimming, boating, and biking. The signature events that almost everyone takes part in are a pot-luck dinner and one big hike.
I just returned home from this year's adventure. What appeared to work well included a number of adventures that some or all could take part in and the pot-luck dinners. I want to write down what worked so next year I can simply look at this list as I prepare.
Rental
We rented a fairly big house that could accommodate our whole family and a few dinner guests. That rental worked well and we'll stick with it for another year.
Pot-Luck Dinner
There was plenty of food for everyone including a delicious salad, lasagna, meatballs and sausage, pasta, eggplant parmesan, garlic bread, cheese and crackers, hummus and pita bread, chicken nuggets, nuts, ice cream, and cookies/brownies.
Hike
A hike that most could make, but not all was planned. Next year people want a hike that starts with a fairly easy mountain and then at the summit, some can choose to return to the base and others can extend the hike. The hikers started the hike at 6:30 a.m. which was a good time to start. Of course, we had exceptional weather this year which really helped.
Other activities
People tend to break off to do other activities during the weekend including trail runs, shorter hikes, mountain biking, river swimming, and kayaking. There's also tubing, canoeing, and white water rafting nearby.
While it's tough to plan for big groups and to plan ahead, it's usually necessary to plan about one year ahead to attract most family members. All in all it was a great trip this year and I'm already looking forward to next year's adventure.
