"As a travel writer, I consider myself a vacation expert - which means I like to be in control when planning family trips. However, as the self-appointed trip director, I find the self-inflicted pressure to curate the perfect trip can get overwhelming. For a recent family vacation, though, my father-in-law did the planning, including choosing the destination: Alvor, Portugal. It made perfect sense, as he'd been there several times with my mother-in-law, so he was familiar with the destination."
"During the trip, though, I ended up loving the laidback locale. It felt authentically Portuguese, with whitewashed buildings lining its narrow, cobbled streets, and an estuary below, dotted with colorful boats. We also ate at some great seafood restaurants, and I thought the prices were reasonable compared to what I'm used to back home in New York. Surprisingly, despite its small size, the town center had some great shops and places to get ice cream, so my kids were happy, too."
A travel writer who normally plans family vacations handed planning responsibilities to the father-in-law, who chose Alvor, Portugal, because of prior visits and available time in retirement. Initial reluctance to relinquish control gave way to enjoyment as the trip proved relaxing and unexpectedly satisfying. Alvor is a small former fishing village with whitewashed buildings, narrow cobbled streets, an estuary dotted with colorful boats, seafood restaurants with reasonable prices compared to New York, and a compact town center with shops and ice cream that pleased the children. The experience reinforced the value of trusting other planners to reduce stress and discover new places.
Read at Business Insider
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