Give the mom in your life the gift of travel for Mother's Day
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Have a minimalist mom in your life who doesn’t want the traditional gifts cluttering up her home? Gift her an experience and make a mess of memories instead.
Most people in the United States are familiar with Yellowstone National Park, the nation’s first national park. Filled with geysers, waterfalls, hot springs and streams, not to mention thousands of species of animals and plants, Yellowstone is an incredible place to take a road trip. Nearby Grand Teton National Park is less known but still quite popular. Shots of the Tetons towering over lakes and meadows have long filled rolls of film and memory cards.
As spring arrives and the snow starts to melt, it can be a great time to visit either of these parks, though I wouldn’t blame you for postponing your trip until summer has arrived — as of this writing there is still over 10 feet of snow on the upper mountain at Jackson Hole Ski resort right outside GTNP. The best way to visit both parks? Probably an RV from RVShare.com. Think of it as Turo but for RVs. With so much of both parks to explore, you’ll constantly be on the move; renting out an RV to stay in during the entirety of the trip means you won’t have to keep packing and unpacking as you move from place to place. There are plenty of options to choose from, from towables to Class C motorhomes. You can even get a destination delivery if you don’t want to bother moving it around.
If an RV isn’t your style, or you’re going to stay in one spot for a while, Vrbo is another great option. Unlike AirBNB which offers private rooms for rent, meaning you’re sharing your vacation with someone else, with Vrbo the entire house is yours. Whether you want to stay in a rustic cabin inside the National Park or this luxury mountain modern home is more your speed, Vrbo has you covered.
Must-haves to bring along:
I’ve always loved the idea of camping with my family. I am very comfortable sleeping in a tent, mostly due to the fact that once I am asleep I am dead to the world for the next 7-9 hours, especially after a long day of hiking. Not everyone feels the same way, though, preferring a mattress to a sleeping pad. That’s where a place like Autocamp Yosemite comes in. Just outside of one of the world’s most known national parks is a fleet of vintage, retrofitted Airstreams.
Featuring air conditioning and heat, memory foam mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets, coffee service, a private kitchenette and a luxurious shower in a private spa-esque bathroom, these Airstreams offer glamping in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Outside of the Airstream, Autocamp offers a heated pool, self-serve breakfast and a coffee service. Everything to pamper Mom.
Must-haves to bring along:
This one is for the more adventurous moms out there. The land of fire and ice has gotten more and more popular than when we first visited back in 2017 and for good reason: stunning landscapes, mountains, hundreds of waterfalls and very few crowds. Many cities now offer nonstop flights to Iceland. Get a seat on the north side of the plane for a chance to see the northern lights on your way to Reykjavik. Once you land, get in a camper van that you’ll call home for the next few days, or hop behind the wheel of one of the many 4x4s that we don’t have here in the states and take off.
Whether you’re interested in waterfalls or whale watching, glacier hikes or diving between tectonic plates, you can do it in Iceland. If you do go the camper van route, I highly recommend stopping at Blue Lagoon on your way back to Keflavik Airport at the end of your trip for a luxurious spa experience.
Must-haves to bring along:
If you already live in Florida or can get there relatively easily, this one’s for you. Talk about super last minute, but if your mom is a race fan, going to the Miami Grand Prix this weekend could be a check off the old bucket list. It’s the only race in the U.S. this spring, the next race stateside will be in Texas at Circuit of the Americas in October. As with anything last minute you’ll end up paying a bit more than if you had planned this Mother’s Day gift out a bit ahead of time, but can you really put a price on a gift to the woman who raised you to be an F1 fan? I say no.
To find any available hotels for this weekend check out Expedia.com or Vrbo if you’d rather stay at a unique Miami home.
Must-haves to bring along:
Skiing in May? With the amounts of snow the rockies have seen this year, it is entirely possible. Ski resorts like A-Basin, Breckenridge and Winter Park are estimating late-May, even early-June closing dates, so a Mother’s Day weekend ski getaway is entirely possible. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
When it comes to where to stay at a ski resort, it’s hard to go wrong with a site like Vrbo. There are hundreds of options still available this late in the season at a variety of resorts. A quick search of Breckenridge Ski Resort for Mother’s Day weekend shows over 300 properties available, from a huge 20-person ski-in ski-out villa only a few steps away from the slopes to smaller condos averaging less than $100/night before fees.
