Road trip! Road trip!

Road trip! Road trip!

On the road again...
just can't wait to get on the road again.

If you were to ask my parents about my time living in their home, they would tell you I was such a home bun that I hated any idea of travel, especially in a vehicle! I used to get severe carsickness in the back seat, and even later on as an adult, the same thing hit me when my husband wanted to take a road trip. For me, road trips were just not fun at all! Me and my gravol tablets that is...

On the road again - road trip that is!

I figure when someone ages beyond the years of forty-something, perhaps then having older children and no little ones in diapers any longer (wink), a road trip begins to sounds rather adventurous, and even can become something special, that is, at least for the older crowd.

Schooling, movies and all wired for sound

Our young ones have traveled so frequently compared to their senior siblings, they practically beg for mercy now NOT to travel anywhere for a while. Imagine having children who say “NO TO FLORIDA!” when we were staging a roadtrip to attend my young cousin’s wedding last month. It never happened for many reasons, and my children were very content with that decision. Strange huh? LOL

Three years ago I got the notion of a road trip to take our daughter in law to San Diego for her sister’s wedding, offering my airline ticket to our son to join in later with his father. Together we planned our driving route, and tagging along for the wonderful vacation would be the four younger children. Vancouver, B.C. to San Diego was no short skip and jump, but we staked out our route with AAA triptik abilities and headed down I-5.

It was a great trip back and forth, even with the transmission blowing out on the way home outside of Redding, CA, and then having the fuel pump require urgent attention soon after I arrived home again. Eventful was more the way I see it, but even with being stranded, the sun still shone and every little detail became tended to. There were guardian angels everywhere on that trip for us, from the officer assisting on the side of the freeway, the tow truck operator, the hotel, everyone!

We have been fortunate since moving east to be able to accompany my husband on work related road trips. Actually we usually meet him during his trips when they become extended unexpectedly.

Last week, we met up with him quite a distance away, a road trip of choice with mom at the wheel, as often they are out here. While he worked and attended his business meetings, we were off happily exploring.

Breakfast brunch in hotel lobby areas.

New to the area, and wanting to see what types of amenities were close by, we took a short drive and found a few fun venues to begin with.

Unusual boutiques were fun to browse around

The boys found hockey stores with player action inside.

We found a real castle (another day for this one), and a myriad of other excursions to keep us busy for several days amid NHL hockey finals of course and bleary eyed mornings hanging around with plenty of coffee for mom and a swimming pool for the younguns.

What better place to begin with than an IKEA? Really and truly now, I know my friend Denise would agree with me here...LOL And I even had my camera along to snap some funky photos here.

Groovy baby! Strange things are always fun to browse.

Color, color everywhere!

Time together spent as a family is so important!

Whenever possible I’ve accompanied my husband on his business travels over the past few years, with or without the children coming along, depending on the time of year and what’s happening during the school year.

As the years go by for a couple like us, married some thirty-plus years, no words are usually necessary when in the midst of such a trip. Reading facial and body expressions becomes the norm, something of a gift really, to feel blessed by, because for me I can sense and know in a second when he’s beyond fatigue or perhaps feeling up to something in the evening with the rest of us.

Often during the week, he requires an early close to the day and is able to do so, even while frequenting hotels with his family hanging around.

There are often very tough days at times with lung issues, and weekends lately are filled with lying low. Give him a set of stairs during his regular office routine, and the rest of the day becomes total recovery rebound time. Not fun at all!

Dinner out, what a treat this night was!

Root beer and Italian tiramisu!

No matter how many road trips we can partake in as a family to join daddy out of town on his business trips, the best part is knowing that sooner than later my hubby will be coming home again, hopefully not long after the children and I return from our unique rendezvous', and we will always be waiting for him when his plane lands on the tarmac.

Ah, home sweet home!

Happy to be home again