Benedict and his two sons. Photo provided.

By Deborah C. Gerbers
Guest Columnist

Editor’s Note: This article was published in the January issue of glo, a publication of The Papers Inc.

Zachary Benedict, President of MKM Architecture + Design, a design firm located in Fort Wayne, took his family on an unforgettable European vacation in spring 2024. He and his wife, Nicolette, have two teenage sons born eighteen months apart, making them realize their nest would soon be empty in a few short years.

“That sparked a desire to work towards planning some special memories for us as a family — a discussion that ultimately led to deciding to try and travel to a different country each year during spring break while the kids are still in high school,” Benedict said. “We started to map out where we wanted to visit, and ultimately decided our first major trip should be the cities of London and Paris.”

The Benedicts initially chose London as the family’s first European destination because it seemed to be a convenient location with no language barrier or connecting flights. But the more they planned the trip, Zach and Nicolette realized this was also an opportunity to experience even more places, people, and events.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France. Photo provided.

“During our trip we tried to see and do as many things as possible, covering the broad spectrum of attractions from Buckingham Palace and the Eiffel Tower, to seeing a show in the West End and a Chelsea soccer game at Stamford Bridge stadium,” explained Benedict. “Having older children, we used every form of transportation possible — including airplane, taxi, boat, bus, and train. We also decided to stay in the same hotel for no more than three consecutive days, forcing us to be on the move to explore different parts of each city.”

The family agrees that it was a truly magical trip, with each day offering a new adventure and a special memory. But Benedict said the most notable was the day trip from London to visit Stonehenge and Bath.

Stonehenge – Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Photo provided.

“It started with a bus ride through the rolling English countryside that welcomed us at Stonehenge with a downpour of freezing rain and unforgiving wind that persistently worked to invert our flimsy umbrellas —leaving us laughing helplessly as the miserable weather tried to defeat our determination to appreciate the historic site,” he said. “We stayed as long as we could, but soon retreated to the bus to dry out before we continued to our next stop. Once at Bath, we were fortunate enough to see the clouds disperse and the sky greet our walking tour of the beautiful historic village. We spent the afternoon walking the cobblestone streets and touring the historic Roman Baths, concluding with a dinner at a small tapas restaurant where our family was the only dinner guest. It was the perfect day in almost every way.”

The Natural History Museum in London. Photo provided.

While traveling across Europe, it can be tempting to try and explore every landmark and historical site, packing in the activities as much as possible. But the Benedicts recommend exploring these cities one neighborhood at a time.

“We tried as best we could to define itineraries that allowed us to stay within relatively small pockets of the city so we could walk throughout the day to each destination (from early breakfast to late night events),” Benedict said. “Whether it was South Bank or Covent Garden, we tried to experience each neighborhood for what it was before we moved on to the next — seeing the major attractions (Palace of Westminster, Louvre Museum, etc.) without losing sight of experiencing the neighborhood itself in the process. Where possible, we splurged and reserved tour guides for larger venues (which were consistently fantastic) and for destinations that didn’t offer tour guides, we assigned attractions to individual family members whose responsibility it was to be the resident expert once we arrived. It turned out to be a great way for our children to research key parts of the vacation and take some ownership in the experience.”

The Benedicts want to travel everywhere they can, visiting Ireland and Scotland this spring, followed by Italy in 2026.

Visiting the Tower Bridge, London. Photo provided.