Last modified: Friday, July 3, 2009 2:19 AM EDT REILLY: Just say no to family travel This is the time of year when many of you will be thinking about vacation plans. You remember vacations. Those were the things you used to do before a fill up with unleaded regular wiped out the college fund and your 401(k) didn't always print out in red. But now, with the economy evidently becoming more stable and gasoline prices back at the level that we can start snickering at hybrid owners again, travel to exotic and fun destinations (perhaps even as far as Woonsocket) doesn't seem so outrageous anymore. Just let me offer these words of advice: Don't. Travel can lead to all sorts of complications. For one thing, it usually involves family, your own or someone else's, and that can never be a good thing. Just to make it worse, vacation travel is usually undertaken with members of your immediate family and concludes with a visit with members of your extended family. This is a little like recovering from a cold and getting swine flu. (You, family members, possibly pets, all sealed in a small metal container and within arm's reach of one another traveling at high speed toward a destination with uncomfortable beds and inedible food. Vacation fun or the plot of a horror movie? Discuss.) Then there's packing. It does not matter if you are going to the South County beaches for the day or around the world on a tramp steamer. You will always pack too much ("No I cannot get another cooler in the trunk, the muffler is dragging on the ground now.") and you will always forget something you absolutely, positively cannot do without. ("Frank, where's the baby?") And don't forget choosing a destination. You, as a responsible adult, will want to combine your vacation enjoyment with solid educational opportunities that will make your trip both fun and memorable for your children. ("Hey, kids, how about here, Uncle Jolly's All Nite Casino and Folk Art Museum? They've got a 24-hour buffet the original paintings of dogs playing poker.") Your children have a word for anyplace you want to go on vacation, and that includes Paris, London or the Rings of Saturn. That word is "lame." That is because they want to go someplace with dangerous attractions, unhealthy food and overpriced souvenirs. You will just have to be firm and tell them you are not going to spend your vacation on Route 6 in Seekonk. So, in conclusion, if you are planning a vacation trip this summer, just keep these things in mind. Travel is dangerous and stressful. It will include family conflict, the expenditure of large sums of money and the risk of grievous bodily harm. Bon voyage, and enjoy Woonsocket. TOM REILLY is a Sun Chronicle news editor who is enjoying a "staycation" this year. You can reach him at 508-236-0332 or at treilly@thesunchronicle.com. He's not going anywhere. Read his blog at thesunchronicle.com/reilly.