4 Tips for Road Trips from M. G. Lorraine | National Road Trip Day

I love a road trip! Long, short, day trip, or vacation, city, country, flat terrain, ocean view, hills, prairie or lake, It’s always an adventure.

As a kid, we were often ”road tripped” to see an actual road. My dad was a highway engineer for the state and he was always building a new road somewhere. As a kid what I knew was that a “road trip” meant to go see a new project. Literally what road was dad building now.

He was proud of his projects often set in our beloved Rockies. In those days, the projects selected were places where the road had been literally just a gravel or dirt road and he worked to make it wide enough for two cars and paved! It was often in beautiful back country, deeper into the mountains, often up and over a pass that connect towns in much more direct ways. In summer months, he was usually gone during the week. So mom would "road trip” us up to visit if he was weekending over. 

I loved seeing all the elements that went into taking small roads and watching them be bigger and better. We got to see his test shack where he checked all the road components to make sure they met specifications. We got to see the heavy equipment working and also meet the men who made them work. Occasionally we got to see bridges come into fruition and the batch plants where they made asphalt. 

We grew up understanding that the miracle of a paved road took science, design, engineering and perseverance in cold, rain, snow and mud, even sometimes, requiring the rerouting of a river to get a solid base or more; it didn’t just happen. But the work he did often made the roads accessible year round. There were places where we would see the progress of the roads over the course of the summer or two summers and it went from literally a single lane, barely graveled-over-path through the mountains to two lanes of passable traffic. For me as a kid, that was a “road trip”.

My mom had another version of “road trip”, generally while my dad was going to be gone all week, we were getting in the car to go help one of my grandparents, aunts or a friend of hers in Kansas.  We’d be back when dad got back next weekend or a week after. It was only as a teenager that I would begin to understand how extraordinary it was that my mom felt no fear in packing us up and taking us out of state to my grandparents.

It was unusual in the 60s for her to feel so empowered, but that sense of adventure, self reliance, support from my dad was somewhat unusual.  He just said to her,  “call me when you and the kids get there,” often meaning "leave word at the cabins where I’m staying and I’ll get word when I come in." This fearlessness helped her to raise independent children and generations of grandchildren with an independent streak as well. Several of which travel in various forms as a profession. But all of us, love to “road trip”.

What makes a great road trip fun depends upon who you are. But in our case, it seemed to have these certain rules.

SNACKS REQUIRED. Mom always packs snacks, drinks and the occasional sandwich. Whether we were traveling as a family, just her with us kids, a picnic in the mountains or traveling cross country, there was a cooler of drinks, fresh fruit, often apples or oranges, some muffins or cookies, and if we were going to be in the car for a long period of time sandwiches. Mom always said "an army can’t travel on an empty stomach." With five of us, I guess that meant we were an army, so she saw to it that we were well fed. The world we live in today now has cooling bags that can keep food cold without the need for ice. Try this cooler to keep your snacks chilled and the drinks cold.

GAMES MANDATORY. There were always songs to sing, stories to tell, and road games to play. I'm interested to see if that holds true today. Instead of looking out the window and learning geography and the history of the places, when you’re going places are your children watching TV or playing on their phones and tablets?

Economical road trip games and activities are now available! From magnetic board games to storytelling scenes and more creative options. This flip card game is just the beginning, but no tablets required!

NAVIGATOR NEEDED. As each of us got older, everyone took a turn as navigator and had to learn how to navigate well. We all learned how to take the road atlas and literally read the map to get to where we were going. Occasionally the navigator gave the direct driver a bad direction and it became a learning experience. Most of us now probably use maps on our cell phones or devices or even the GPS embedded in our vehicle, but the reading of a real road atlas or a real in-hand paper map skill that every person should have. It’s a skill set that children will use and is seldom being taught. There are several versions of the 2025 Road Atlas, this one just happens to be one of my favorites. Click the picture for the link to NATGEO 2025 Road Atlas. PRO-TIP: I'm partial to the spiral bound versions because they are often easier to manage in the car without invading the driver's space. Also, if you are looking for cost-saving tips while on the road, here are 3 Ways to Save Money When Traveling.

LANDMARKS TO LOVE. My parents would tell us about the landmarks we'd pass, interesting things we'd see and some places we'd learn about later. It was not unusual for us to stop beside the road to read the plaques, make short trips off-the-beaten-path or discuss the parks (national, state or otherwise), the wildlife, habitat, environment and anything else that came with traveling together. Several others have done some homework and put together some road trip ideas. This is a great place to plan your next road trip.

As my husband and I started our own family, we held onto some of these same values like no electronics. If we were going to be gone a long time, you could bring a book. Every trip is different; travel was an adventure waiting to happen. You should be eyes open and pay attention to the sites, sounds and scenery along the road. It must’ve caught on because our kids and their families love to travel; short trips, Long trips, doesn’t matter, they’re always up for a “road trip”.

Time is well spent in celebration of National Road Trip Day. Grab drinks, snacks, an atlas, and your creativity to make up your own games, then head out for your next road trip to see what adventure awaits!

Until next time,