Taking the Road Less Traveled: Road Trips Create Memories

Pen to Paper: Edition 90

Susan G.S. Abel

Jun 13, 2024

Welcome to summer, my friends!

Or at least the time of year when the school year is ending and the weather heating up here in the United States.

For so many, that means summer fun and vacations.

In this newsletter:

Sunday Drives.
Long Road Trips.
The Gift of Road Travel

Piling into the Car

Growing up in small southeastern towns in the 1960s often meant finding your adventures. TV options were limited, video games unheard of, and weekends were for family.

Yesterday, I asked my husband if his family ever took Sunday drives. He grew up in a small southern town, too. Both of our families and I’m sure many others across the country, did the same. For our family, it seemed summer was the time of year for Sunday Drives.

After church and a Sunday dinner of pot roast with carrots, potatoes, and onions, we would all pile in the car. Windows rolled down (no air-conditioning), probably no seat belts (they weren’t mandated until 1968) we headed for the countryside.

With three children, our journey started with a tussle over who got to sit by the windows and our suggestions of where to go. We usually suggested a path that would ultimately lead past our favorite root beer stand or a stream to wade in. However, the decision was in the hands of the driver, our father.

We never knew exactly where we were going, but we never seemed disappointed. I’m not even sure Dad had a destination in mind. I was too young to have developed an internal map of the area, so I was always surprised.

Isn’t that part of going on an adventure, not knowing exactly what you will discover?

Vacations Meant Long Road Trips

We always lived far from our grandparents. Summer meant longer road trips to visit.

Stops were gas stations, maybe a diner, and a rare rest stop. If we were really lucky, we would come to a Stuckey’s. Stopping there meant browsing candy and souvenirs and, of course, begging our parents for spending money.

Unlike Sunday drives, road trips meant longer hours in the car, taking in the scenery along the way, and, for me, a lot of daydreaming.

I remember one true vacation to Panama Beach, Florida, with its many souvenir shops and roadside attractions. Each of us was allowed one souvenir. Mine was a set of small glass mermaid figurines.

A few years later, we took a two-week summer vacation out west, pulling a camper trailer and exploring tourist attractions and national parks - Old Tucson (sasparilla, anyone?), The Petrified Forest (how do kids resist the need to put a “rock” in their pocket?), and perhaps most memorable watching the bats fly out of Carlsbad Caverns at dusk.

Two weeks of such togetherness gave us memories while trying our patience.

The Road Less Traveled

Taking the road less traveled doesn’t have to mean the road others don’t take, it can also mean the road you don’t always take.

When you choose to go somewhere new, it is a road less traveled for you.

The Sunday drives and road trips of my youth gave me the gift of appreciation for our countryside and country. As an adult, a day’s trip to explore a new area is as much of an adventure for me as a destination vacation.

As a parent, I don’t think I did as good of a job with my children exploring the countryside as my parents did for me. We took road trips, but the interstate took away some of the adventure.

In 2009, my youngest son, me, and our two dogs drove from Starkville, Mississippi, to Seatle, Washington. Even though we stuck to the interstates, it was five days of adventure. We drove through landscapes we had never seen before. Unfortunately, because we had dogs, our exploration consisted of rest areas and overnight stops. I so wanted to do it without the dogs. We were moving, so we couldn’t leave the dogs behind.

There is still a lot of summer left. Maybe it’s time for me to get into planning mode and plan a road trip for my husband and me.

Abandoned Wheland Foundry in Chattanooga, Tennessee Photo by S.G.S Abel

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:

I’ve passed the abandoned factory pictured above many times on my road trips to visit my parents. It has always fascinated me. Evidently, I’m not the only one. This video shows the inside of the abandoned factory. I appreciate the simple sentiment expressed by the creator to “just go explore something.” However, you should make sure it is legal and safe and don’t go alone. This second video is not as professional but shows more of the inside.
I never expected to find ‘Sunday drives’ in Wikipedia. It comes as no surprise that Henry Ford was a big advocate.
I’m grateful for my parents’ planning and patience in taking us on Sunday drives and road trips.
It’s good to explore where you live. There are gems out there to discover.
You’ve never heard of Stuckey’s?! Here’s a timeline of Stuckey’s history.
Maybe you enjoy exploring the countryside in your area—it may be better than any on this list of the 41 most scenic drives in the United States. Or maybe you're in or near one of these cities and would like to view the beautiful skyline.
Do you love visiting national parks? Here is a guide to all 62.

Thank you for reading. This week, take time to remember your favorite summer activities and maybe indulge in one.

Until next time,

💚

Susan

What has been your favorite road trip, short or long? I’m in the planning mode, and I may want to consider your suggestion. Leave a comment and tell me about it.

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