I just did what I once thought was unthinkable -- a long, motoring vacation with my family. All the way from Detroit to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. With a few stops along the way, of course. Twisty roads in the Virginias. Incredible traffic and neurotic drivers in Washington D.C. Dodging the ever-present cops in Ohio. One eye-opener was finding gas as low as $3.09 a gallon. I think that was in West Virginia.
In my childhood our yearly vacations were all taken in a car, never an airplane. You certainly get to know your family in a crowded car. My sister and I would bicker in the back seat and then when we arrived at a motel, we would urge my father to continue driving if the pool was too crowded. Frankly, I don't know how he put up with it.
Taking your own car on vacation obviously gives you greater mobility. If your destination is not a major city with a major mass transit system, then you will need your car. (By the way, D.C. has a great subway system, but it can also be expensive).
But I'm not in any hurry to repeat a trip like the one I just took. One of the nice things about taking a vacation is taking a vacation from driving.