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barbara's beat: Top 10 tips for a fun family vacation without distractions

We recently went on the first family vacation in a long time and left the distractions behind. It was a fun road trip with relaxation, fun and a few surprises.

My husband and I were in one SUV, so I could lay down if I needed to since it's hard for me to travel due to pain, and my daughter and her family in another SUV, drove from our home in N.C., to Gatlinburg, Tenn., where we rented a cabin.

The drive became very memorable when traffic stopped because elk were eating next to the road. A little further up the road, traffic was stopped again so people could watch a bear cub in a tree.