While our kids are heading back to the classroom, I am always encouraged to learn something new myself. One incredible way we parents can do this is to take an educational trip…and that doesn’t mean it has to be purely academic.
There are so many opportunities for leaning a new skill while you travel, and many tours are set up for just that. I could list hundreds of different types of trips, but instead I will give you a few examples of programs that organize enriching vacations.
1) Universities and local colleges: Enquire at your alma mater – many colleges provide trips for alum. Stanford University for example offers some interesting trips, led by faculty members so they can impart their area of specialty in that region of the world. There are many types of trips, and many are geared toward families. Visit Iran….Costa Rica with your kids…or art and food rich Provence – and engage with other alum at the same time. Yes, there is a large academic component, but there is also free time for exploring.
For a less expensive alternative, check with your local junior college as well.
2) Neighborhood programs – Every time I pass the art school in my neighborhood, I dream about those posters they have displayed about traveling to France or Italy with the artists and taking painting classes there. Very specialized courses in travel are offered through neighborhood schools or centers (think cooking, art, gardening). Keep your eyes and ears open – it is a great way to travel with people in your community and bring home a new hobby.
3) Shaw Guides – www.shawguides.com – an outfitter that specializes in learning vacations. The ones that appeal to me are the language vacations – learning Spanish or French abroad, for example, where you are really immersed in the subject matter. They also offer cultural vacations, and cooking vacations.
Galapagos Islands
4) Smithsonian Journeys – www.smithsonianjourneys.org – With the name Smithsonain, you can count on a variety of adventures with an outdoorsy yet smart orientation. Some examples are: An Egyptian family Odyssey…. Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness….and the Galapagos for families. All of these locations, by the way, that are so much more rewarding with a knowledgeable guide. The Galapagos Islands trip offers an up close glimpse at some of the most unusual wildlife, and an examination of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, since this is where he studied. HIGH on my list of places to go in the next three years.
5) Take a trip and then find something to learn…. You can always be more spontaneous in sneaking in some unplanned cerebral activity…. While you are traveling you may notice your favorite author is lecturing at a local bookstore (In Miami Books and Books is notorious for this.)
Or – I actually “collect” hobbies when I travel – that is when I have more free time to pursue them. On a recent girls’ trip to Hawaii, we each took a couple days of surf lessons….In California’s wine country you can become a vintner for a day and even blend your own wine (Check out St. Supery and Ravenswood wineries)…and I have gone through tennis and golf clinics at various resorts.
One summer my kids took a two day sculpting workshop in the French Riviera from a local artist, at her studio. It was a rich experience. Take advantage of what’s around you – often times your mind is sharper on vacation because there is less to clutter it, so it is a perfect time to learn something new…without going “back to school.”
Good luck getting your little ones off to the classroom 
