Dread the Family Road Trip No More!
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
May 19, 2004
At the risk of sounding like an adult, back when I was a kid … we used to take family road trips and, believe me, it was worse than those times when I had to walk to school uphill both ways. These road trips were brutal for everyone involved. I remember hot cars with sticky leather seats and everyone shouting. I remember the fights in the back seat and parental threats to "stop the car this instant!"
Yet strangely enough, we all survived those years of incessant "How much longer?" and "Are we there yet?" questions. Our family logged a lot of miles together, and in hindsight, I'm glad we did.
Sure, we had to have a "barf bag" (or three) at the ready because it was practically guaranteed that someone (mostly my sister and step-sister, never me!) would get carsick. We also had to pre-choose our 8-tracks (those were the days) to play in the car, otherwise we'd become a car of musical mayhem with the loudest shouter getting her choice.
To this day, I can't hear Billy Joel, the Bee-Gees, Carly Simon, or the Carpenters without thinking of those car trips of my youth. If our parents dared turn on the news, or even worse, seek a little silence, we kids would serenade them with "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" or something equally annoying like "99 bottles of beer on the wall" until they turned the tunes back on. I can only imagine how different things would have been if I had a Game Boy, or an iPod to take with me on those road trips. Never mind that our equipment was as extensive as a pocket-sized atlas, dictionary, and Mad Libs book—nowadays, car travel is down right cushy! You can screen movies, watch TV, and even log onto the Internet. A 10-hour drive can feel like minutes instead of days.
Though I love the options that technology brings, I have to confess, there was something I loved about our time together in the car. I loved playing geography—even though my Dad always won, it sparked a curiosity in travel. We played 20 Questions, the license plate game, and horse, cow, pig.
We took some of these trips so often, I could close my eyes and figure where we were by the twist and turns. Sometimes I kept my eyes open, nose pressed to the glass, mouth agape at the new scenery. I loved my father's "moon roof" and would beg to open it at night so we could look at the stars.
Now that I have more sophisticated tastes, I'm almost afraid to admit that we used to love stopping at McDonalds on our road-trips. Ok, confession time: I still do. We would take it to go and eat in the car, delighted to dig into burgers and fries–fare that was otherwise not allowed. The break in our busy routine stopped phone calls and other interruptions, of course this was long before cell phones and text messaging. It was a time to be together. Time to talk, to laugh, and to learn about each other and the places we were headed.
So how can I possibly be promoting this form of travel that I once found so vile? Well, because in reality, those road trips offered some pretty special times, some incredible views, and a nice opportunity for us to have real family time.
Tips:
- If you're taking to the road this summer, you're going to want to save wherever possible because gasoline prices are soaring to all-time highs. Look for low-price guaranteed hotels and hotels with kitchenettes to save even more.
- Make sure to map your trip out in advance. Unforeseen detours will cost you dearly in gasoline!
- Pack a cooler with drinks from home--it can be cheaper than purchasing on the road.
- Always keep a charged flash light in the car, and remember to pack your cell phone charger
- Plan to make frequent stops to let your kids use the bathrooms and expend some energy.
If you have a question or topic you would like me to cover in a future column, please e-mail Amy Ziff at askamy@travelocity.com And remember to look here for your topic each week!
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