• I was hesitant to invite my in-laws on family vacations but I don't regret it.
• My children get to see a can-do, adventurous attitude modeled by their grandparents.
• Traveling together has many benefits, including shared memories and built-in babysitting.

Several years ago, my husband and I invited his parents to take an eight-day trip to Montana and Wyoming with us and our two children. I worried eight days could be too long to spend together in confined spaces, especially with a 4 and 9-year-old.

We went for it anyway.

My in-laws jumped at the opportunity to spend extended time with their grandkids. The trip had only minor hiccups — whining and little meltdowns from the children — but it went so smoothly that we've invited my in-laws on every family vacation since.

This year marked our 10th trip with the abuelitos (grandparents). Here's what we've learned.

Spending time together strengthens our bond

Riding for five- to 10-hour stints in an SUV has promoted heart-to-heart conversations with my mother-in-law about her family and childhood that I'm not sure we would have heard otherwise. Thanks to these long, uninterrupted hours, we know she grew up in a one-bedroom house in Mesa, Arizona, with five of her nine siblings, a backyard garden, and the chickens they raised to eat.

These trips have also revealed another side of my father-in-law. He's quiet by nature but my husband and I discovered he loves meeting new people. In a jacuzzi in Jackson Hole, we listened to him crack jokes and engage in small talk with other retirees. Outside of Mexico City, he befriended a man who grew up in the same region of Mexico as he did. The two shared tales of a Quinta (large estate) that housed exotic animals and the area's best watering holes.

Traveling together has forged a deeper understanding of each other and our roots. And although it's fun to reflect on the past, these trips also provide opportunities to create new narratives.

Our children build memories with their grandparents

"Remember that time we…" begins many of our conversations. It's one of the best parts of taking vacations together.

I'm glad we invited my in-laws on trips when the kids were young, even if whining and tantrums happened. If we'd waited for our kids to be a more "ideal age," my in-laws would have been older and some of those trips to far-off places may not have happened had we waited.

Sometimes my children pull out our travel albums and point to photos with their grandparents in front of a geyser or a historical site. These memories are priceless.

My husband and I enjoy introducing his parents to places and activities outside their comfort zone.

My husband and I have encouraged my in-laws to hike or crawl into caves with us. We've so often pushed them past their boundaries that my mother-in-law admits they start a walking regimen months before our trips to prepare for whatever nonsense I plan.

I love that they can count on us for an adventure, and I'm always impressed at their willing attitude.

My father-in-law's favorite part of our trip to Yellowstone was the 1.5-mile out-and-back hike to the Grand Prismatic Spring. With a gradual 105-foot climb, he huffed and puffed up that trail and nearly gave up until a couple older than passed him on the path, calling out, "You've got this!"

He said their words bolstered him and the Prismatic Spring view was worth the effort. Similarly, at the Teotihicuan Pyramids outside Mexico City, my mother-in-law found the steep, narrow climb nearly impossible. But she said the experience of standing on ancient stones and overlooking the plaza was unforgettable.

Unconsciously, but powerfully, my children's abuelitos are modeling a "can-do attitude" to them and that it's never too late to try new things and embrace adventure.

Besides the inward gains of traveling together, there are also practical benefits.

Traveling in a group is more economical

We always look for Airbnbs or hotels that accommodate a party of seven. We rent vans or SUVs, allowing us to split the cost of a rental vehicle, making one of the most expensive items on a travel budget more economical.

Admittedly, this works more in our favor than theirs, but I appreciate it when they also offer to split a meal with us or add one of the kid's meals to their tab. Meals out are expensive and their willingness to share some of that cost means our family can better afford travel.

Another practical aspect of traveling that benefits us is the free babysitting my husband and I receive.

Grandparents can be the best built-in babysitters

Traveling with three kids has its challenges.

On our last trip, my husband and I were so worn out from two long adventure days that we needed a reset.

"We'll take the kids this morning," my mother-in-law volunteered. "Go, have fun. Don't come back for five hours!"

Finally, my husband and I could relax and reconnect.

Family dynamics can differ — for some, traveling together may be unwise. But if you have extended family willing to adventure with you and you with them, invite them along. These trips might reward you with a trove of stories and photo albums while also deepening priceless ties with each other.

Thousands attended the People's March on Saturday in Washington, D.C., to protest President-elect Trump's agenda ahead of his inauguration, per multiple outlets.

Why it matters: The event, some eight years after the earlier Women's March that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants, was crafted with a slightly different approach this year to target Trump policies versus Trumpism as a whole, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes.

• The president-elect has promised mass deportations will be top of his agenda when he takes office on Monday, leaving sanctuary cities such as Chicago bracing for impact.

Zoom in: Trump's deportation plan is one of many issues demonstrators zeroed in on Saturday as they marched from Farragut Square, McPherson Square and Franklin Park to the Lincoln Memorial.

See some of the moments from the march:

More from Axios:

• What to know about Trump's inauguration
• Tech CEOs flock to Trump's inauguration
• Trump inauguration will move indoors over frigid weather

• Elon Musk wrote "Make Europe Great Again" in an X post on Saturday.
• Musk has used X to share support for far-right political parties in Europe.
• His remarks have drawn ire from political leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Elon Musk continues to champion right-wing politics in Europe.

Musk shared an X post on Saturday that invoked President-elect Donald Trump's world-famous campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."

"From MAGA to MEGA: Make Europe Great Again!" the tech billionaire wrote.

In a separate post, Musk said, "So many people in Europe lack hope for the future or think Europe is 'bad' in some way. Pervasive pessimism. This will lead to the end of Europe. Therefore, it must change."

Representatives for Musk did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Musk has previously promoted right-wing political parties and agendas in Europe, including in a December 2024 op-ed in a prominent German newspaper. The op-ed called the Alternative for Germany party — or AfD — the "last spark of hope for this country."

"The AfD advocates a controlled immigration policy that gives priority to integration and the preservation of German culture and security. This is not about xenophobia, but about ensuring that Germany does not lose its identity in the pursuit of globalization," Musk wrote. "A nation must preserve its core values and cultural heritage to remain strong and united."

That same month, Musk called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "incompetent fool" on X and suggested he should resign.

Musk owns a Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin, which has been the source of local tension. Last year, a clash between police and protestors, who said the factory's expansion would deplete local forests and water resources, broke out.

Thomas Zittel, a politics professor at Goethe University Frankfurt, told Business Insider that Musk's "motivation to comment on German party politics may be driven by his own experiences during the construction" of the factory. He added that there was "probably too much bureaucracy and regulation for his taste."

"After all, he thinks in terms of disruption," Zittel said.

Musk has also waded into UK politics. Earlier this month, he advocated on X for the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right English agitator. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, breached a court order not to repeat false claims about a refugee from Syria and was jailed last year. Robinson was sued for defamation over the claims.

Five days later, Musk shared a poll on X asking if America should "liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government."

Musk's comments have drawn criticism from political leaders across Europe.

Scholz responded to Musk's op-ed during an interview this month. "There are many people on social media who want to attract attention with strong slogans," he said. "The rule is: Don't feed the troll."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also discussed Musk during a speech without naming him this month. "Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims — they're interested in themselves," Starmer said.

• The forthcoming DOGE commission has been the talk of Washington in recent months.
• Just miles away, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland is pushing his own government efficiency plans.
• Moore wants to save the state $50 million by weeding out waste.

President-elect Donald Trump's planned Department of Government Efficiency has been the talk of Washington, especially since Tesla CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead the effort.

A perhaps less talked about but also significant government efficiency effort, however, is also taking shape not far from Capitol Hill.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland announced this month his state would launch an initiative to weed out waste. His goal: Find $50 million in savings for the current fiscal year.

Maryland faces a $3 billion budget gap. So Moore is proposing $2 billion in spending reductions to his $67.3 billion budget plan. An executive order that Moore signed earlier this month directs state agencies to identify cost savings and eliminate redundancies.

Moore told Business Insider in a recent interview that while he didn't know DOGE's full slate of proposals, he thinks they "should probably take a look" at what his administration is doing to boost government efficiency in Maryland.

"We're looking at everything from fleet management to how we're looking at IT consolidation to how we're looking at real estate," he said. "These items alone are going to save the state of Maryland tens of millions of dollars."

"DOGE should pay attention to what we're doing with our government modernization," he added.

Moore is a first-term Democrat leading one of the country's bluest strongholds, while the DOGE is a national GOP-led effort. When asked if more Democrats should embrace government efficiency efforts, Moore said voters are looking for results.

"If people are asking, 'Where's the future, and what should I look to for inspiration?' I would say, 'look at the states,'" he said. "The budget that I just proposed is giving a tax cut to nearly two-thirds of Marylanders — and 82% of the people in my state are either about to get a tax cut or have no change at all in their tax code."

Moore told BI his plan would cut corporate taxes and eliminate the inheritance tax. The plan would also create a 6.25% tax rate for single filers making at least $500,000 and a 6.5% tax rate for state residents who earn $1 million or more. Under the current tax code, single filers in Maryland who make over $250,000 have an income tax rate of 5.75%.

Similar to the optimism of DOGE's leaders, Moore believes his state's efforts can serve as a model for forthcoming efficiency efforts.

"We're doing a lot of things that people are paying attention to… and a lot of innovation that we're hoping for is actually happening within our state," he said. "I'm really proud that Maryland is helping to lead the charge on that."