tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post6826515803216583147..comments2024-03-27T05:30:07.368-04:00Comments on The More, The Messier: Auto Travel, Past and PresentSuburban Correspondenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488916572135296650noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-28868303566945018452012-07-24T14:31:48.789-04:002012-07-24T14:31:48.789-04:00All of our vacations as a child were road trips. F...All of our vacations as a child were road trips. For the most part we'd borrow the camper and pickup truck from my grandparents and drive to Yellowstone. This was no fancy RV mind you, I am pretty sure the dinosaurs hand crafted that thing. I think my parent's loved that they could sit in the cab of the truck in peace and quite while the 5 of us hung out in the camper- no seat belts, no parents, access to all the food and treats = heaven for us kids! The tricky part was at night when you were trying to sleep 7 people in one tiny camper perched in the bed of a truck. One kid always ended up sleeping in the cab of the truck. Alone. With wild imaginations of bears creeping up to open the door and snatch young children for a snack. Good times.<br /><br />Our most memorable trip was probably when we took a week and a half to drive from Utah to Kansas to Illinois to South Dakota to Wyoming and back to Utah again. There were still 7 of us only this time 3 of us were teenagers and my two brothers were each over 6 feet tall. Oh, and we camped the whole time. In tents. Rain or shine. Luckily my mom had a huge bag of toys, games, coloring books (my saving grace even at age 15) and other activities. She gave us a new thing each day to try to keep us busy. I don't know how we ever survived that one.Sarah Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02837852018287369653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-53077246086157129182012-06-12T21:25:18.579-04:002012-06-12T21:25:18.579-04:00I was carsick too---there was no hand held device ...I was carsick too---there was no hand held device or book or movie that would have helped me at all---even now I can barely read the map to help the driver. I don't understand how kids aren't puking their guts out with all the movies and books and games that would cause me such carsickness. AngAKAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-52545279916834857672012-06-12T04:10:36.857-04:002012-06-12T04:10:36.857-04:00I first read this post a few days ago on my phone ...I first read this post a few days ago on my phone when we were right in the middle of a 12 hour drive, coming home from a vacation. (would have commented then, but I'm too lazy to type out a long comment on my phone) This was the first vacation we had ever been on where all of the kids were potty trained and able to buckle up their own seat belts :0)<br /><br />Before we left, I informed the kids that they would be responsible for their own entertainment during the road trip. I knew we would end up bringing the iPod touch and the portable DVD player, but what I didn't expect was what my sons rigged up in the back seat. Using a bunch of cables, extension cords and a power inverter, they were able to hook up the Playstation and a small video projector. Yes, as we were traveling, they were able to play video games projected on a piece of poster board which they taped to the seat in front of them.<br />This is the advantage to having technology geeks for children.<br /><br />Several years ago when I first suggested to my husband that we buy a portable DVD player for the kids to use on road trips, he was adamantly against it because he never had a TV in the car when he was a kid and our kids could surely survive without one.<br />He finally realized that the DVD player wasn't really for the kids, but for us because it would keep them busy and content for a few hours at a time.<br /><br />When I was a kid, my dad was a long haul truck driver. Some of my fondest memories are of the long trips we would go on with my dad in his truck. I somehow managed to travel for days without any electronic devices.Jillybeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12150574987267072428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-20539835088013728582012-06-11T22:51:18.109-04:002012-06-11T22:51:18.109-04:00My siblings will never forget the annual family va...My siblings will never forget the annual family vacations because I was notoriously carsick. My parents liked me to sit between my brothers so they couldn't fight as easily (that way, they punched me in their efforts to punch each other, I whined, and my dad smacked us all). Of course, I got back at all of them by throwing up at least once a day. <br />I will never forget driving through Bakersfield, CA, when it was 108 degrees. My folks had a deep blue Impala wagon with black vinyl seats -- and of course, no a/c. Rolling down the windows only let in the hot wind. We had sweat rolling down our legs where our knees bent. It was torture. I tell this to my kids all the time. <br /><br />Last year we moved 7 people, 1 cat, and 2 cars cross-country. I think we only used that DVD player once!Karen (formerly kcinnova)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16705613736966783261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-72036599486911586362012-06-09T00:39:30.392-04:002012-06-09T00:39:30.392-04:00"It was like Lewis and Clark, only harder.&qu..."It was like Lewis and Clark, only harder."<br /><br />Loved this.Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11436136381389948570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-7081409022602737302012-06-08T16:36:37.414-04:002012-06-08T16:36:37.414-04:00We'll be making that cross country trip from T...We'll be making that cross country trip from Tijuana to D.C. in just four short months. I actually don't think it's that bad--even with three kids in tow. It's a great way to see the U.S. Sure, I'll gripe about it, because that's what I do, but secretly, I think it's kind of fun.<br /><br />When I was young, my parents drove from N.C. to Texas with me and my two brothers in a tiny pickup truck that had a shell on the back. They squeezed my two-year-old brother's car seat in the front between them and my older brother and I rode out the 17-hour drive in the bed of the truck. Actually we made that trek a lot growing up in many different vehicles. I also remember sleeping in the floor boards of the car. Of course, that was all before seat belt laws took all the fun out of road trips.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09761032596685132456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-39045920640707305482012-06-08T16:01:27.514-04:002012-06-08T16:01:27.514-04:00Back in the day, late 1960's, my parents drove...Back in the day, late 1960's, my parents drove across the country from Michigan to the Canadian Rockies. I think this was before my brother was born, so just the 3 girls and my parents. We were so excited to arrive in a large town with a real bathroom at the gas station. Evidently the other stops for a good portion of trip had outhouses...<br /><br />That trip was the one where Mom decided to take our shoes off and put them in the front seat. That way, she did not have to look for them at every stop.mommeeof10https://www.blogger.com/profile/03611832953435781430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-63744301743751380462012-06-08T14:57:41.274-04:002012-06-08T14:57:41.274-04:00Never went on REALLY long trips when I was a kid (...Never went on REALLY long trips when I was a kid (most was 4 hours or so), but whenever we would ask my Dad how much longer it was until we got there, the reply was, "Two hours!" No matter if we were 15 minutes away or 15 hours. Now we do the same thing to our kids...Jessiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08668040845657845219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-69362239196266165192012-06-08T14:26:33.672-04:002012-06-08T14:26:33.672-04:00We never went anywhere. Our car would always break...We never went anywhere. Our car would always break down if we attmepted to go farther than an hour away. That was fun.Julie Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14827476441219850741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-64556593828395953352012-06-08T13:54:31.223-04:002012-06-08T13:54:31.223-04:00When there were three of us kids, my parents had a...When there were three of us kids, my parents had an old (even old at that time) VW Bug. Behind the back seat was a kind of deep cavity, probably for luggage. A pillow and a blanket, and my younger sister and I were in heaven for a long drive. We'd snuggle down, or sit up and look out the back windo. My older sister sat in the back seat, and one of us cold join her if we felt cramped. Also, no radio, certainly no air-conditioning (this was in the late 1960's). We sang songs as a family, and I could always read in cars. In fact, all that time to read without any chores to interrupt me? Heaven!Cassihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04058787761575567910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-28845426759217678062012-06-08T12:06:37.806-04:002012-06-08T12:06:37.806-04:00We did our LONG road trip when I was 5. Just 2 ad...We did our LONG road trip when I was 5. Just 2 adults and 2 kids in a Toyota Corolla (wagon, ha!) with no air conditioning and only AM radio. This was the summer of 1979, and we drove from Oklahoma City to Northern California... We had a small bag of stuff to entertain us including 3 Little Golden Books, some kind of activity book, and miniature pinball/maze game. It was a three day trip. I threw up right after getting to my grandparents house (at least it wasn't in the car!!). The only 'good' thing was that I didn't realize that other cars HAD air conditioning. Oh, and there was only Native American chanting on the radio through most of AZ. Fun times. I seem to have blocked the trip home.Brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08269464228066647267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-69543972793519083772012-06-08T11:09:56.330-04:002012-06-08T11:09:56.330-04:00Oooooh. Memories! Back in the day, waaaay back, ...Oooooh. Memories! Back in the day, waaaay back, my parents crammed the four of us in the back of the car (sedan, no wagon)& drove across the Canadian prairies (from British Columbia to Manitoba)in a couple of days. Get up at 3 (that is in the a.m.), drive until you need gas, and hey, look at the time, you can have breakfast now too!), and then drive & drive & drive until you need gas again. Gotta pee? That'll teach you to watch your liquids intake! No peeing until the next gas stop. Them's the rules. Drive until 4 pm & if we all behaved, we got a motel with a pool. Oh, and no air conditioning in the car either. We were only allowed to crack the windows 1/4 inch so it wouldn't ruin the aerodynamics & screw with the gas economy. We read books, annoyed the crap out of each other, that kind of thing. I hate road trippin' to this very day.Mrs Changsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17840252521875408953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-85253993446929897442012-06-08T08:20:49.660-04:002012-06-08T08:20:49.660-04:00I'll play. In 1976, my family made a trip fro...I'll play. In 1976, my family made a trip from the Tampa Bay are to Cleveland Ohio in a Mercury Monarch, a decent size room for five car. Doesn't sound to bad, does it? There were 9 of us, two adults and 7 kids ranging in age from 16 years to 18 months. We were too crowded to do anything.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17143732113964589454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-74768872338199734612012-06-08T00:41:26.265-04:002012-06-08T00:41:26.265-04:00I remember the first time I saw DVD players for ca...I remember the first time I saw DVD players for cars and my first reaction was against them. But then I just realized I didn't think it was fair how much boredom I suffered on our long family car rides by comparison. Why not watch a movie? My kids have no idea how good they have it.Korinthia Kleinhttp://the-quiet-corner.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-6726665278254271252012-06-08T00:25:26.874-04:002012-06-08T00:25:26.874-04:00HA! My dad was a marathon road-tripper, too. We ...HA! My dad was a marathon road-tripper, too. We had a minivan at least. He would take out the middle seat, pile in giant coolers of food, let us each pack one small bag of toys, and off we'd go. We argued over who got the 'real' seat in the back and who had to sit on the hard floor. Stopping to rest your legs, eat, and pee? Fugettaboutit. But we made great time!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08741485605994137496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-15965713475613775162012-06-08T00:18:19.133-04:002012-06-08T00:18:19.133-04:00My husband wants to go on a 27 hour car trip (that...My husband wants to go on a 27 hour car trip (that's 27 hours each way). But I refuse to go until he buys me a limousine with the roll up window behind the driver's seat. Then I will consider it.Hildiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08825826597565796467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-71714140307912323672012-06-07T23:19:50.396-04:002012-06-07T23:19:50.396-04:00They were called infant carbeds, I think. I know ...They were called infant carbeds, I think. I know I rode in one when I was a baby.Suburban Correspondenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11488916572135296650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-44681194292550059132012-06-07T23:03:13.993-04:002012-06-07T23:03:13.993-04:00I especially like the picture of the back of the s...I especially like the picture of the back of the station wagon! Is the baby in some sort of hammock? Ah, the good ol' days before carseats. I don't think I ever wore a seatbelt until I took my driving test... Now I'm a carseat nazi, and keep the kids in them forever.Brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08269464228066647267noreply@blogger.com