Make the Most of Your Road Trip Home for the Holidays
With the holidays just around the corner, and as of late October, 57.4% of the US population having gotten their COVID-19 vaccine, the thoughts of seeing family members again after a couple tough years is starting to take shape.
As you plan your journey towards home and hearth, consider how you will make your trip an adventure. Here’s a case for one of the oldest American traditions: The Road Trip.
How to Road Trip
Instead of focusing on your destination, consider taking your time with the journey. If the trip could take up an entire day of driving, consider splitting it in two. With the extra time, you can spend exploring different towns and stops along the way.
Giving yourself enough time will also help alleviate the stress and pressure of making it to your destination all in one go. You’ll be happier that you took the time to enjoy the journey.
Benefits of a Road Trip for the Family
If your family includes a partner and a couple of kids (whether they consider themselves kids or not), a road trip is an excellent way to spend quality time together. As the kids grow older and they start to expand interests outside of the family unit, it may be difficult to connect on a day-to-day level. During a road trip many distractions are taken away or exhausted and the family starts to do something it rarely does: talk to each other.
Maybe you’ll discover something about your partner or kids that you didn’t know before, or maybe they’ll discover something new about you!
Make It Memorable
Remember the pithy saying “stop and smell the roses”? Of course you do! It’s telling you to slow down and enjoy the beauty of life along the way. The United States is a big country that is much more than its cities. There are hundreds of small towns and little out-of-the-way oddities you’d never know about when you stick to the interstate or are thousands of miles in the air.
But, how do you choose when and where to stop? Luckily, there’s already a list of roadside attractions in each state for you to start getting ideas.
If retro roadside regalias really don’t pique your interest, try to brainstorm some of yours and your families hobbies. Do you enjoy quilting, maybe you love a certain TV show, or collect something like donut boxes? Before you start your trip, research your route and see if there are any nearby shops, museums or special sites which connect to your interests.
Another good way to find places to stop is by paying attention to billboards and signs along the interstate. Maybe what you always thought was a tourist trap is actually a hidden gem you’ll want to visit for years to come!
Be sure to also make time for nearby natural wonders, whether it's taking a picnic to a state park or stretching your legs on a short trail.
If there’s anything these last couple of years has taught the people living through them it’s to slow down and savor the moment, appreciate all that there is to see and explore.
Anna Swenson is an advocate of “bloom where you’re planted” and hopes to illustrate the specialities present in destinations close by and far away.
