Road trips are all about that sense of freedom, the excitement of an adventure and beginnings of new perspectives. Throw in a dash of nostalgia and loads of junk food and you have the perfect way to vacation with the family. Family road trips have and always will be a way to connect with each other and stock up on all those family memories that we always look towards when we feel life has slipped by a little too quickly.
There certainly is something about the magic of an open road no matter where in the world you are. Is it the lure of the unknow? Is it the promise of exploring places we’ve never been? Or is it the joy of following a well-trodden path? Is it stopping in a rest area to stretch our legs? Or stocking up on junk food and ice cream popsicles at every gas station. We travel for discovery, to find new experiences and spend time with the ones we love. The journey comes before the destination and for many of us, the family road trip was our first foray into that wider unknown world.
Time seemed to pass differently on the road. Stuck in the backseat for hours on end, kids, no matter the age, rely on each other for fun. After a point, devices get thrown away and we look to each other for support, laughs and even something the hilarious food fights. Every parent can perhaps relate to find French fries thrown at the dashboard at some point of the journey.
These games may change from generation to generation and from country to country, but we all have memories of how we once giggled, whined or suffered through our time in the minivan. The epic license plate game, 20 Questions, I-Spy, Compass (where you have to name any place on the map starting with different letters of the alphabet), spot yellow or white cars, wave to truck drivers so they can blow their horns are all quintessential of a family road trip – no matter the season.
We travel for discovery, to find new experiences or to measure our growth against the ever-evolving landscape of the decades. Stowing away the screens and staring out the window can take us back to simpler times and deeper conversations.
Road trips have a careless air about them. Road trips call for embracing the odd and unknown with an anything can happen sort of vibe. Taking a road trip is the best way to see and explore your state or even the whole county. Maybe you can finally see that monument or state park. Maybe you just want to see how far you can drive without turning back. Or maybe you will start a quest to find the best cup of coffee, root beer float or even cup of masala chai. Road trips can hold any number of wonderful hidden gems.
Food is also different on the road. Seagulls swoop in to steal French fries dropped under the picnic table. Sandwiches, just a little squashed but still tasting of home, are doled out from an Igloo cooler at a highway rest stop. Maybe you even plan for an elaborate alfresco picnic lunch by a lake you pass by along the way. Bags of Pringles, flaming hot potato chips and even fresh ripe strawberries from the roadside farm are eaten like there is no tomorrow – adding to the nostalgia of childhood memories around the family road trip.
The boxy Fiats, Buicks, Oldsmobile and Ambassadors of yesterday have given away to bigger SUVs, sleeker hybrids and even electric cars but the thrill of a road trip has not ended. The trick is to stow away the electronic devices, replace the diversion of texting, repeated playing of old-time favorite movies on the family iPad and replace them with stories, songs and roadside entertainment. Temporarily unplugging from technology can be challenging, but it allows us to stare out the window and pay closer attention to unexpected sights. Is there a petrified forest asking for exploration? The world’s largest collection of taxidermy animals begging to be seen. Or even an antique shop waiting to be seen?
5 Essentials for an epic road trip
- Load up on the snacks – Whether they are home made, healthy or even junk food, this is all part of the adventure so indulge without too much guilt.
- Be brave and adventurous – By its very definition a road trip is about the adventure of an open road. So go ahead and be brave. Make that unscheduled spot and explore the area. Maps are great but something take that unexpected turn and go off the main highway to take the back roads. You never know what you might see, who you might meet and what adventure you might experience. Of course, it goes without saying, make smart and sensible choices about your health and safety.
- Enjoy the moment – Use the quiet, use the time, feel the space and breathe in the atmosphere. Feel it deeply, that you are here, on a grand adventure. It is totally liberating to go off schedule and drive into the unknown. Have a comfortable destination and an anything goes journey.
- Connect and interact with people you meet – Make friends with the roadside farm stand worker, say hello to the gas station clerk. Even if you don’t see these people every again, engaging with people you meet can quickly become a highlight of the journey.
- Connect with each other – if you are traveling with family and friends, this is the time to really bond and bond well. There is a reason these people are in your life. The adventure of a road trip is so much more enjoyable when it is shared, whole heartedly, with the people in the car.
They say a family that travels together, stays together. Through barren miles of the great plains in Nebraska, or country roads of England or even windy mountain passes of India, these families will always have stories to tell no matter how far they go.
What are some of your favorite memories of epic family road trips?
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I have done many road trips with my kids over the years from New Zealand to South Africa and from Iceland to the UK. There is always something quite magical about seeing a new destination through the eyes and ears of children and making memories to last a lifetime.