One house. Thirteen travellers. Three generations. One Central Alberta family’s unique week in Mexico.
Getting away from it all means something different to everyone, but for Dwight and Barb Beierle, of Red Deer, it’s more unique than most people think.
As the owners and operators of a local trucking company, they have spent the last 13 years trying to carve out definitive and meaningful family time from their busy work schedules.
Even though a number of members of the Beierle family work together in the family business, they look forward to a special annual vacation each year as an opportunity to concentrate on having fun together without the distractions of work.
Getting together on an annual multigenerational family trip also provides an opportunity for family members who live outside Central Alberta to rekindle family ties.
Over the past few years, the family has learned a lot about planning multigenerational trips and has enjoyed trips to the United States, Europe, and Mexico.
“We used to stay in hotel rooms,” said daughter Erin Beierle-Beztilney, of Red Deer. “The trouble with a hotel room is that it makes it more difficult to get together for a visit or for a game of cards in the evening – especially if you have children sleeping. It’s harder to enjoy spending time together when you are in separate rooms.”
The family has discovered that renting a house or villa-style accommodation seems to work the best. It keeps them together in one place and provides access to kitchen facilities, which cut down on expenses and are incredibly convenient for families travelling with kids and babies.
A few weeks ago, the family returned from their best family vacations yet — a two week stay in a fully staffed executive house in the Conchas Chinas area of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. With a houseman, two cooks and a maid, the six-bedroom, nine-bathroom beachfront home had the conveniences of an all-inclusive vacation, but was actually better.
“The house was definitely the most luxurious accommodation we’ve booked to date,” said Beierle-Beztilny.
“It had a private pool, air conditioning, a good Internet connection and phone service for my dad to check up on work if he needed to, and it was centrally located so we didn’t need to rent a car. Even though it was more costly than the villas and homes we have rented in the past, we figure it worked out to about the same price as an all-inclusive resort and was far better and more personal — thanks to the staff.”
The cooks prepared breakfast daily, tapas and dinner each evening and worked every day except Sunday. Although the family paid for groceries, the staff did all the shopping and cooking. Each evening the family was brought a menu and they could choose from a wide list of dishes that the cooks would prepare the next day. All the food was prepared à la minute with fresh local ingredients.
“It was great to have someone cooking for us,” said Beierle-Beztilny. “In the past, my cousin and I have taken turns with most of the cooking on our family trips, but this made the trip a nice break for everyone. The food was also incredibly good.”
The family also appreciated the services of the houseman PePe who not only kept the yard tidy and the pool in good shape, but acted as a personal concierge for the family.
“PePe was absolutely fantastic,” Beierle-Beztilny said. “He arranged taxis, tour guides, day trips, and even helped my dad buy a cell phone. He also arranged a family whale watching tour and spa treatments right at the house. He also stocked refreshments according to our requests and played bartender too. He makes a mean margarita!”
For the Beierle family, the best part of the trip was the chance to spend time together as a family away from work and the other cares of everyday life. Renting a beautiful beachfront home on Banderas Bay proved to be one of the best family vacations they have enjoyed to date.
“If families are planning a multi-generational trip, they should definitely consider an executive home rental,” advises Beierle-Beztilny.
“It had all the convenience of an all inclusive vacation, but it was a world apart. Whatever type of vacation a family plans, the most important thing is just to take the time to be together. I’m so glad my parents have made that a priority. It’s kept our family close.”
If you go
• There are several companies that offer house rentals. The Beierle family found the home they rented through Shannon Beston Properties (www.shannonbestonproperties.com).
The house was called Villas Las Puertas and it sleeps up to fourteen people and rents for $1450 USD per night during peak season. Lower rates may be negotiated.
Tips for planning a multi-generational trip
• Plan well in advance if possible. It can be very difficult to coordinate a family trip with soccer games, graduations, tournaments and work commitments.
• Don’t expect everyone to stay for the full length of the vacation. Although the Beierle family rented their vacation home for two full weeks, some family members only stayed for one week.
• Be clear who is paying for what, so that everyone understands what is expected and so that no one gets stuck with a bigger bill than they anticipated.
• Have realistic expectations. If young children are travelling in your group, they may get cranky and tired from time to time. Grandparents may have to eat later than they usually do. Other family members may end up staying in a different standard of accommodation from what they are used to. It’s best for everyone to try their best to relax and “go with the flow.”
• When the going gets rough, get out and get going. Sometimes it’s hard to get along with family members and you just need a little time on your own. Don’t be afraid to split up the group to enjoy different activities during the day. In the evenings everyone can get together and report on what they did.
• When it comes to airfare and accommodations, be sure to ask about group rates and special discounts for children.
• Consider hiring a travel agent, especially if you are planning your first multigenerational family trip or reunion, The Beierle family booked their first house rental with the assistance of AMA travel and found that the agency had lots of great information and advice.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. If you have a travel story you would like to share or know someone with an interesting travel story that we might interview, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.