Our family loves to create new traditions to enjoy for years to come and one such tradition we began during the summer of 2018 was “Mom Camp versus Dad Camp”. We have two little girls, ages 5 and 8, and we love adventures and competition.
During the early weeks of summer in 2018, I had to be out of town for work so my wife decided to put together a week-long set of adventures for her and our little girls to enjoy. They loved it so much that I decided to do something similar later in the summer, but because of my competitive nature, I wanted my experience with the girls to be even better. After both weeks were finished, we asked our little girls to vote on which trip they enjoyed more and I came in second (I don’t like saying I finished last). Thus, Mom Camp versus Dad Camp began.
This year I had to find something bigger and better because losing two years in a row wasn’t an option. I was told about a website called Pack Up + Go. Upon checking it out, I learned that you set a budget, tell them all about yourself, answer a lot of questions to determine where would be a good place to go and they plan the trip. But, unlike most travel sites, you don’t find out where they’re sending you until the morning you leave when you arrive at the airport. The only clue we had was an email a week ahead of time telling us what to pack and the weather forecast for our destination.
The morning we left we loaded the car, made it to the airport and opened our envelope to learn we were headed to San Diego! My little girls love the zoo, beaches and parks which makes San Diego a perfect destination.
Our flight was at 8:40 a.m. on Thursday morning and by 9:45 west coast time, we were already checked in to the hotel and eating brunch at a local joint in downtown San Diego. Pack Up + Go had prepared so much for us, including a driver to meet us at the airport. They had zoo passes for an all-day adventure at the San Diego Zoo. We had second row tickets to the San Diego Jr. Theater production of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Dinner reservations were set and prepaid at an incredible Italian food place in Little Italy.
Also included were sample itineraries giving us countless ideas of how we could fill the time. We used a $100 Uber gift card they provided to get around town making our way to Coronado Beach which included ice cream for lunch and an afternoon snack. We swam with seals and sea lions in La Jolla, visited the National History Museum and ate more food than humanly possible.
We left San Diego only two days later but with countless stories and incredible memories. My girls slept in the car the entire way home from the airport but the next morning they couldn’t wait to declare Dad Camp the official victor of 2019!
Pack Up + Go will be back on the schedule for 2020! I’ll have to wait to see where the next adventure takes us, but I have no doubt the memories will last a lifetime! If you’d like to check out their website, click here.
