Taking a Genealogy Vacation

It's Christmas Eve, and I hope this time of year finds you spending time with your loved ones. Maybe they are people you've known all your life or maybe you are just getting to know them this year. Either way, when we are with people who make up our "family" we have an opportunity to learn about the roots of our traditions, beliefs and the places we're from.

Perhaps you are actually in an ancestral place right now - the house your grandparents "built with their own hands" - or you've established a new residence since you were a child. We are better people, I think, when we can find a place on this earth to call our "home" - it anchors us in our daily lives. If you know what I mean, then I'm sure you can understand why taking a "Genealogy Vacation" can have special meaning.

I'm not trying to suggest that you need to know everything about your family before you can embark on this type of adventure. You may not know anything more than "we come from Cleveland." Still, you could ask yourself: "have I ever been there or visited the places that my family talks about?" If the answer is "no," then you have a destination already. For those whose roots come from another continent, finding the ancestral townland or borough of your family could be difficult. But lack of "proof" in this area shouldn't discourage you - it would still be great to experience the culture of your family's home-country.

One more thing: just because it is called a "Genealogy Vacation" doesn't mean you need to carry your notebooks or other research materials with you. Make it fun! The only thing I recommend is that you do a little preparation so that you can truly experience the important places where your family would have travelled, worked and worshipped. If you do the trip right, you may end up having a personal revelation of sorts (e.g., "these people are like me!" or "it feels like home"). Research at an archives would be like a cherry on top but you'll probably want to make the trip fun for everyone else, too.

Some helpful sites for planning a Genealogy Vacation are listed below:

About.com
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
Genealogy.com
LDS Blogs
MakeMyFamilyTree.com

If you are lucky on your trip, the local people will welcome you "home." May you be that fortunate! Enjoy your trip - and happy hunting!