Families Rejoice in The National Parks

This week's nighttime bear attack on a campground outside of Yellowstone was a dramatic reminder of the power of these wild animals. Estimates are that about 125 grizzly and 500 black bears roam the backwoods in Yellowstone. Yet this unprovoked attack on humans was seen as aberrant behavior by the mother grizzy and her cubs. Rangers say that visitors have a one in 1.9 million chance of being attacked, as long as they follow all the established safety precautions.

So, taking care not to approach wild animals in the National Parks, here are two more tips to help you and your family get the most out of your visit:

Enjoy the people in your life. It's always fun to spend time in the great outdoors together - take a float trip down the rapids or a calm part of the river, make s'mores around a campfire, go for a nature walk with a forest ranger, take pictures of the wild flowers or just go for nice long walk together. Let your family know that their company is important to you.

Immerse yourself in the serenity of nature. Most of us react with awe and appreciation when in the presence of the majesty of nature. When you allow yourself the opportunity to soak in the beauty of your surroundings, you'll feel more centered and ready to face the challenges ahead of you on your return home.

For more tips about enjoying family vacations especially if you are a Sandwiched Boomer, visit our website, Her Mentor Center. You'll also find information there about purchasing Taking Control of Stress in a Financial Storm: Practical Strategies and Resources for Success. It's available for download in PDF format.

Families Learn and Grow in the National Parks

Vice President Biden made news this week by visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon with his daughter. Last year, President Obama brought his own family to these majestic national treasures. But you don't have to be a politician or a celebrity to enjoy "America's best idea," as Ken Burns dubbed the National Parks. Make a plan to spend time with your family in the great outdoors - be inspired, educated and motivated to protect our rich environment.

The last post encouraged you to engage in the world around you and find role models to inspire you. Here are two more tips to keep in mind:

Learn something new. The National Parks provide a unique and ideal environment for learning - whether it's about the geysers, hot springs, mudpots or fumaroles of Yellowstone, the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, the waterfalls and giant sequoias of Yosemite or the powerful landscape of the Grand Canyon. If you're more interested in the wildlife of the region, there are bald eagles, bison, bears, moose, elk, wolves to observe and study. The wildflowers and groves of trees can provide endless opportunities for education. Many national and state parks offer kids the chance to become Junior Rangers and you can follow up your visit by reading more about the history of the parks and the Native Americans who once roamed these lands.

Challenge yourself to take some risks. The parks present numerous opportunities to try activities that may be new to you - riding a mule on tenuous mountain paths, whitewater rafting down rapids, hiking up a rocky trail to a waterfall, camping out under the open skies, horseback riding through meadows. You'll find that the excitement of mastering a new skill carries over into a new sense of confidence in the rest of your life. And your children will love the new experiences.

To learn more tips about managing your challenges, especially if you are a Sandwiched Boomer, visit our website Her Mentor Center. And look for information about purchasing our ebook, Taking Control of Stress in a Financial Storm: Practical Strategies and Resources for Success, which is available for download in PDF format.

Families Are Inspired in the National Parks

Given your limited budget this year, have you made any plans for summer vacation? For some Sandwiched Boomers, squeezed between caring for growing children and aging parents, the choices may be limited.

According to a recent poll, close to 80% of adults believe that family and friends are more important than possessions - in other words, relationships trump 'bling' in creating happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment of the American dream. So, in these tough financial times, families are still taking vacations together yet are managing to cut back on their spending. Many are accomplishing this feat by visiting the National Parks - figures show that attendance has been unusually high.

Whether or not you choose to visit the Parks, this week we'll focus on some ideas about what goals you can achieve by vacationing together. Your kids will grow from the experience and you'll all have fun together.

Engage in the world around you. Join with other families exploring the country or start by becoming more involved in your own community. What are your family's interests and passions? Hiking, history, nature, adventure, native plants and animals? You can learn more about them together and expand your universe at the same time.

Find role models to inspire you.. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum dreamed about creating a memorial to American heroes that would last through the ages. Beginning in 1927 he worked in the mountains of South Dakota, drilling and chiseling until by 1941 he had sculpted Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt on Mount Rushmore, looking out onto the Black Hills and Badlands. These men reflect goals to strive for - courage, freedom, compassion and conservation, among others. And the nearby sculpture-in-progress, commemorating the Lakota leader, Crazy Horse, honors the richness of the Native American culture and the dignity of the tribal people.

If you are looking for more tips highlighting innovative ways to deal with the realities of the current economic situation, visit our website Her Mentor Center for information about our recent ebook, Taking Control of Stress in a Financial Storm: Practical Strategies and Resources for Success, available to download in PDF format. And tune in again later this week for more suggestions for making the most of your family vacations.

Photos from National Parks

Here are some photographs of the vacation one of our readers and her husband took as they began their life in retirement:"My husband and I retired in May and celebrated with a motor trip to several National Parks - Bryce, Zion, Shasta, Crater, Grand Tetons, Glacier and Yellowstone. The weather was glorious, the trees, streams, mountains, flowers magnificent and the various shades of green a wonder to behold. After 25 years of raising kids and being cooped up in offices, spending three weeks in nature was truly a breath of fresh air.

Of course, we also had a chance to spend a lot of time together - with some power struggles about whose turn it was to drive and which route to take. Aware of some challenges ahead - such as sharpening our communication and negotiating skills - we tried to just be in the moment most of the time."

Are you facing a transition that may disrupt the equilibrium in your marriage? Do you want information about re-examining your long-term relationship? Clicking on the title of this post will take you to www.HerMentorCenter.com and an article about Boomer Couples and Change.