My hubby's family meets yearly in Sept, cottage at the ocean in SC. We met only for funerals for several years & decided to have fun while we are able. He gets bored (would rather be working - garden, horses, etc, or at his job) so I said I'll go without him but I'm not going to miss it. He decided to go along, but I asked just 1 favor - if he does go, don't complain & if he wants to complain, stay home. He has a wonderful family; I'd have just as much fun without him if he gripes all week about the work waiting at home. I use my Capital One credit card for everything all year long (pay it off monthly) so I can get at least 1 free flight each Sept. This year we get 2 free tickets.
I have a 62 yr old BIL dying of a brain tumor - life is too short to miss family times.
I took 1 road trip w/ 3 of our 4 kids when hubby did not go. We drove 7,500 miles - MT>UT> AZ>FLA> NC> OH> MI>MN>MT - one of the best trips ever. Nothing fancy, but we had a blast visiting family all over the country.