In the past few years, our three children have reached the stage where they are a little more independent. We have said goodbye to diaper bags, strollers, car seats, and the cheerios that lined the interior of our cars. As much as we are going to miss the joys of the baby and toddler stages, we are enjoying the flexibility that our children’s independence has given us. We especially love the relative ease with which we can finally travel! Vacations no longer need to be trips to the the beach or a long weekend in a cabin. We can now hit the road!
To me, road trips have always had a element of romance to them. I read On the Road by Jack Kerouac and Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck in college, and I quickly became obsessed with the idea of traveling the country via car. A friend and I took off for the west coast after college, and we saw as much as we could in just a few weeks. Marriage and kids came years later, and that put a temporary halt on traveling very far.
Now, our family is ready to start exploring as much of this country and the world as we can. Our goal is to see as many of the states as possible, and we are going to try to visit National Parks as we go. We do, however, like the occasional beach trip, amusement park vacation, weekend getaway, and on rare occasions–a “just my husband and I” trip.
All of these adventures are planned by me. A lot of people do not realize how much work goes into planning a road trip vacation… everything from figuring how long it will take to get from one destination to another, to deciding what are the most “important” things to see in each place, and even looking for the best restaurants along our route. Traveling with 5 presents an even bigger challenge, as most hotels and resort rooms are best suited to families of four at the most. A lot of research goes into my planning, and my best resources these past few years have been travel blogs. I rely on them heavily for recommendations, and I am eternally grateful for the amazing travel blogs that have introduced us to so many interesting and unique spots.
With each trip we plan, I have more experience developing our “itineraries.” I also often have friends who ask for recommendations after hearing about our travels or seeing our photos. I decided to create this blog for many reasons, but mainly to provide the same assistance other bloggers have given me, and to have one central place for people to go when someone asks for recommendations. I also realize that this will provide our family with a sort of “log” of our travels, so it feels very personal as well.
I hope you enjoy the these little snippets of some of our best memories. If there is anything in particular you would like to know, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Follow us on social media for more tips, ideas, and photos of our adventures. I hope our little blog inspires you to “hit the road.”
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”
Jack Kerouac, “On the Road”
Five on the Road 