One of the most unique things we do as a family is our surprise trips.

We recently finished our seventh!

Sometime during the summer, typically when the kids get out of school or just before they start up again,  my wife puts together an incredible trip that none of us (other than her) have any idea about.  

We don’t know the destination, the travel arrangements, the weather, or even what to pack. It is a 100% surprise trip and adventure through and through.

It is typically international and over the top.

It is a ton of work for my wife, and many of these trips are years in the making.

The joy the kids have running down the terminal so they can look at the gate “destination” …it’s hard to explain.

Nikki has become a little bit of a local legend for these trips.   It’s well deserved. These trips are incredible. Sometimes they are relaxing at a resort it, but many times they are high adventure, often, especially in their younger years, with a mission…To find a Basilisk, to see a Jackson’s chameleons in the wild, etc.

She packs the kids’ suitcases for them so they can’t even get a clue. As for me, the dad, she gives me no clues. And I’m a size 14 shoe! So a pair of hiking boots, a set of flip-flops, and some Nikes almost wholly fills my bag.

Subliminally, it teaches the kids to adapt, do and be ready for anything, and seek and see adventure as fun! This year, my youngest’s third-grade teacher remarked, “ I have had all of your kids as students. They talk about these incredible trips they take all around the world. But one of the most unique aspects is that they never call them vacations or trips. They will always start out with,” 

“This one time, We took an “adventure” to X.

Join us over the next couple of months as I share some incredible highlights from our surprise trips. More than anything, I think the fact that my wife has put effort into creating the surprise trips has led to some of the more fantastic aspects of our family. More than anything, these adventures are what sparked us to create a Texas Zoo Crew website and helped me start up the book idea about Parenting that is coming soon! Take a second to subscribe to our blog to stay up with all of the Zoo Crew Adventures!

There’s a link right here!