Looking back on our family vacations, it’s the unexpected and unplanned moments that I remember most. The exact years of the vacations, my age, and places are fuzzy details. I’ve recently realized that I can’t trust my memory for accuracy, especially with the most recent events, making me a horrible juror. Knowing this, I will recall fondly a few of our most memorable moments through the cobwebs of my mind.
One memory that stands out the most was the time our family stopped at a motel, I was young, it was late in the evening, and we got the last room available. When my mom, dad, sister and I got out of the car into the dark unknown, there were crickets EVERYWHERE! A plague of crickets, hundreds of them all over the ground and sidewalk, we ran into the room for safety, but they were in there too. My sister and I freaked out. My dad, exhausted from driving all day, knew we had no place else to go and that crickets were harmless, told us to go to bed. We refused and were afraid they were in the bed too. In his desperate state to get some sleep he stood on the bed and pulled up the sheets to prove it was safe. Instead, he revealed more crickets. We screamed! I don’t remember the rest. I know we stayed the night.
Another childhood travel traumatizing experience was a horrifying ride in a white passenger van driven by a “driver” who drove a group of us tourists to the top of Pike’s Peak. He sped up the twisting mountain road at speeds hurling us out of our seats and on roads without guardrails along mile high cliffs and oncoming traffic. I was certain my life would end without having met David Cassidy.
For one trip my parents co-conspired to create a homemade porta potty for me to utilize in the back of the van to prevent unnecessary delays on our journey. I’ve been told that I frequented restrooms as a child and they weren’t about to stop just so I could “check out the restroom in a different state.” The temporary toilet was made from a plastic bucket with a circular lid, when I first (and last) used it, my dad accelerated and I spun around like a tilt a whirl.
Another time, I think it was the summer between 8 th grade and freshman year. Our family went to Virginia Beach. Our hotel room had a balcony and while I was enjoying the beachfront view, two boys next to us started talking to me over their balcony. Soon they invited me to go for walk on the beach. I was thrilled and said YES! My dad absolutely refused to let me go. It was not a pretty conversation between a naïve teen and an intuitive protective father. I was so mad and pouted the rest of the trip. I know better now and thank God for my father’s stubbornness.
One of my favorite moments on a trip out west was when we stopped at a western clothing store and my parents bought the whole family western outfits, matching shirts with metal buttons, bellbottom jeans, and cowboy/girl hats and boots. What a day!
It was nothing for us to leave by 3:00 a.m. to get most of the driving done before the intense summer heat, not all our vehicles had air conditioning. My creative and resourceful father once devised a makeshift air conditioner for our minivan by using a wooden box with a metal interior, a fan, and a block of ice. It worked until the ice melted and blew water on us.
Thankfully, I don’t remember any cars breaking down. But that was because before any trip my dad made sure we had oil, all fluids checked and filled, tires were good, and the car or van was road ready. My daughter’s fiancé does the same and that makes me so happy.
During the week, I pretend I am on a fun road trip by packing snacks, a playlist of my favorite musicians, audiobook, or podcast, and drive with the windows down and an open mind. I travel five days a week around Ohio and West Virginia making sales calls and it makes the workday much more adventurous with a road trip mindset. I don’t think twice about taking the scenic route and time to savor local coffee shops, restaurants, or historic sites, once I saw a sign for and followed the trail to a covered bridge.
What are some of your favorite family vacations or road trip experiences? I encourage you, if possible, to take one this summer. It doesn’t have to be across the country, perhaps a day trip to visit family or friends or somewhere you’ve never been. You won’t be disappointed, and Happy Trails.
