A HISTORY OF VACATIONS
Are We There Yet?
Volume I Issue 11
The Evolution of the Reason for Vacations
We will continue our discussion of the evolution of educational reasons for vacations over the past 250 years, specifically continuing our discussion of Genealogical Vacations as a subset of Archaeological Vacations.
We mentioned the Domesday Book as the origination of the study of Genealogy. Genealogical Vacations are similar to Archaeological Vacations in that involves study of ancient histories, cultures, places, relationships. The main difference is that in an Archaeological Vacation you study an entire culture or civilization; in a Genealogical Vacation you center your focus on an individual or a single family. It is said that eventually, if you go back far enough of everyone’s lineages, we are all kin to one another. As an aside, my wife and I happen to be 23rd cousins, 7 times removed. Our common ancestor is Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of King Henry II, Duke of the Normans, who ascended to the throne of King of England in 1154. The most famous of her eight children were Henry (who failed to unseat his father), Richard the Lion-Hearted (who eventually also became King of England, and John (who also ascended the throne). The adventures of the popular figure “Robin Hood” took place during this time. (We also have our share of horse thieves, pirates, and con-men).
Genealogical vacations combine family history with travel in very specific ways. Taking a genealogy vacation is different from traveling to a national park or spending a week at the beach. Family history travel is more personal, whether you are researching specific family lines or visiting the places your ancestors lived. Genealogy vacations also present unusual challenges and opportunities.
Planning ahead is the best way to make sure your genealogy vacation is successful. We’ll help you decide which type of family history trip will be best for you and pass along some road-tested planning and packing tips.
There are several ways to explore your family history on a genealogy vacation. You can spend your time conducting research in a family history library, archive or church. Alternatively, you can visit the places your ancestors lived and immerse yourself in the culture and history of those areas. Finally, you can take a trip to your ancestors’ original homeland, independently or with a genealogy tour group, even if you are not sure exactly where your ancestors were born.
Let’s take a closer look at each type of genealogy vacation.
It sounds like an oxymoron – going on vacation to do research – but many family history buffs do just that. Having hours and hours to spend in a family history research center or at the National Archives in Washington, DC, is a genealogist’s dream.
Still, even genealogy vacation time is limited; planning ahead will help you make the most of your research opportunities. Before you leave home, you should think about: How much time will you need at the research center? Which family members will you focus on? How many research centers, archives and libraries can you visit during your trip? Are these research opportunities available only at your destination, or can you maximize the use of your time by doing some preliminary investigations from home? What will your travel partner(s) do while you are researching – play golf? Take day-trips? Is this a research-only trip, or will you combine research and sightseeing?
Thinking through the answers to these questions will help you determine the focus of your genealogy vacation. It is easy to wander down a “rabbit trail” when searching for your ancestors, but you will want to stay on task during your family history research time.
If you are traveling with family or friends, plan to spend some non-research time with them during your trip, particularly if genealogy does not interest them. Spending day after day alone while you immerse yourself in microfilmed records may frustrate your travel partner. Perhaps you can find golf courses, day spas, antique malls or craft classes for your travel partner to enjoy on your research days.
We will continue next issue on more Educational Reasons for Vacations.
For all of the articles on The History Of Vacations visit
httpss://rooms101.com/vacation/best-vacation-deals/history-of-vacations
