Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

I have always said, and believe it fully in my soul, “It’s about the journey not the destination.”

So many family’s go to LARGE amusement parks every year. They save, they plan, they pack up and head to airports or hit the road in the classic family road trip.

There is lots of packing and that frustrates parents.

The anticipation of the fun times can make kiddos act out and parents lash out.

Everyone gets to the hotel. Kids want to hit the parks, ride some rides, eat some junk, see some character mascots. Parents want to get luggage squared away, check their room out, is there room in the mini fridge, how does the stove work, are the bathrooms clean enough for a kid to take a bath.

Everyone is focused on the destination. Getting in line and getting the ride. Getting a picture taken, finding snacks, and a shady spot to sit down.

No one was thinking about the memories of the crazy airport, leaving sunglasses on the counter at a store and driving back 10 miles to find the clerk held on to them, just in case.

No one stopped the worlds largest ball of twine, or the person on the side of the road selling peaches and watermelon, who told you about the farm where he grew up and now owns, all while the kids are eating a juicy peach and playing with the old man’s dog.

Or the super nice flight attendant that got wings for the kids and listened to the 6 year old tell them all about the fun things they are going to do.

My point is this, if you are taking a road trip, stop at the “historic landmark” places, take a picture with the giant metal chicken, stop at the souvenir shop that had 67 billboards up telling you many miles until their clean restrooms, multiple gas pumps and homemade fudge. These are memories in the making.

How many holiday events have you attended when a family member or childhood friend says something like, “Remember when we were all going to that concert over at the college and we ran out of gas and had to walk to the gas station to call your dad? That was hilarious, you were so scared!” And your reply would be something like, “Dude! You were the one saying stuff about Freddy and Jason and singing Thriller!” And the dialog continues and they are laughing and there are tears and hoots of more laughter.

When my sister and I were young, about 9 and 6, our parents drove from Northern Missouri to South Dakota. My grandmother and aunt joined us. All of us in my dad’s 1972 Buick Roadmaster station wagon.

My father was extra thrilled. My sister and I loved it.

We saw all kinds of amazing things, Mount Rushmore, The Corn Palace, Wild Bill Hiccock and Calamity Jane’s graves, the saloon where Wild Bill died, the badlands, prairie dogs, the monument to Crazy Horse, Custer National Park, Wall Drugs, and probably a lot more. Do you know what my sister and I remember most about that trip? My dad pulling over to take a picture of the Badlands and taking off his glasses and putting them on the top of the car, getting some amazing shots to bore friends with later in a slide show, and then we drove away with his glasses still on the car. He was driving along and felt like his glasses were dirty and realized, things were blurry and he had no glasses. We then drove back 30 miles and the glasses were pristinely lying on the center line of the highway and not a single scratch. And my grandmother, aunt and even mom giggling at the little side quest. And THAT was the part of the journey that was memorable to us, that gave us happy memories of a giant, fussy, daddy.(dad was 6’3”).

So when, you plan you next vacation, make time for side trips along the way, infuriate the robot in your nav system, make right turns or left turns that take you off the beaten path, maybe you will discover a roadside stand, owned by locals that make homemade ice cream with blackberries fresh from the farm. Take a picture with big smiles and huge servings of ice cream, and remember, It’s about the journey, not the destination. ❤️🚐✈️🛳️⛱️🗽🎢🏰🏕️📱📷