Road Trips

I've been seeing this commercial on television with this young couple taking a road trip singing a song about each city and state as they pass through. It's obviously not that great an advertisement because I can't remember the brand they are selling, but I do like the concept of the road trip.

Doesn't it seem like an adventure? Just hop in the car (or truck) and either take it slow to your destination, stopping at cute little towns or sites along the way or just hop in the car (or motorcycle) and follow your inner you. Go where the wind takes you.

Romantic. An experience. Very hippie like, going with the flow.

The truth of the matter is that our family doesn't do road trips. Neither of us like to drive long distances. We don't do flow very well either, we are planners. Also I want to get out every hour or two and stretch. Ed doesn't want to stop (if we have a destination in sight that's his focus). If it is hot and humid I'd rather stay in the car too. I can't stand 95 degrees and that much humidity. And driving in snow and ice is just plain dangerous, so no road trips in winter.

Maybe it all started with our experience in 1981. The kids were small, four and two. We were poor, well maybe not poor, but we were very low on vacation funds. My family had camped a lot when I was little and Ed was an Eagle Scout so we thought we would buy a used camper for inexpensive vacations.

And because the kids were little we decided we would just stay close to home. Robert Ray was the Governor of Iowa and his office had a Tour Iowa campaign. So we thought why not, just take little jaunts throughout our state. Tour areas we had never seen before.

So we did.

I don't really remember a whole lot about that trip except that Governor Ray lied. Iowa is not that exciting. But the kids were little and they didn't know. Everything was fun to them.

Roasted marshmallows.

Sleeping with Mom and Dad in the trailer.

Being in the trailer, even though it was cramped. Even though it rained.

They didn't know that the tourist events we were seeing were nothing much to write home about.

They just loved being with us. They just loved life.

And maybe that's what a road trip is all about. Just being with someone or whole bunch and just loving the fact that you are alive and well and able to be together.

I know, I know. It's the journey not the destination.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded.