ChatterLei

How do you plan the perfect road trip?

Most road trips are not perfect. They may be perfectly planned, but they are not always perfect.

For instance, when I was two and a half years old, my parents perfectly planned a road trip to Seattle to visit a cousin. It was about a 12-hour drive back in the day when the speed limit on the freeway was 55. My mom packed sandwiches and snacks. My dad memorized the route on the map. He tucked it neatly in the jockey box after we piled into the station wagon. I had a pillow, a blanket, and a stuffed animal. Mom had the food and drinks, so we were set for a good long drive. We hit the road before sunrise.

About halfway into our trip, the engine started “smoking” and we pulled off the road at the nearest gas station. I clearly remember the fear I felt because I thought the car was on fire. Turns out it was steam from the water pump or something similar. I don’t remember how the problem was fixed, but I remember not wanting to get back into the car again. I was so afraid it would catch on fire again. This incident proves, by the way, that I was a born worrier. 

I don’t remember anything else about that trip. I have seen the pictures of us up in the Space Needle, and my parents have told the story a few times over the years about the trip that almost wasn’t.

They had a great visit with my mom’s cousin and enjoyed her food. She was a good cook. She served steamed carrots as part of a delicious meal the second day we were there. I wouldn’t know how delicious they were because I refused to eat them. She sprinkled a little parsley on those steamed carrots. I told my parents I was not going to eat that grass! Ew!

It was a perfectly planned trip that was not so perfect. But in the end my parents had a great time and the memories and storytelling have lasted a lifetime.