Friday Five: Road Trip Edition

Jan at RevGals writes:

My husband and I just returned (on Wednesday night) from a long road trip up the middle USA to Canada, going through various national parks, and on to the Puget Sound of Washington State. This brought back memories of family road trips with my children and when I was a child, so the idea of today's Friday Five arose.

Tell us about five road trips--in your childhood, in your family, in your recent past, with friends, and/or hoped-for-places-to-drive-to. Don't forget the one that stands out as the BEST or as the worst time.

Road trips are my favorite!  Some melt into each other, so here's what I came up with.

1.  Traveling to Iowa could probably take all five but I'll make it one. The most memorable of those trips were when we drove the Chevy Truck. Kid's in the back (before the days when people traveling in the bed of a truck was frowned upon), parents up front...mostly.  My parents, being the ones who love back roads, always love to tell the story of us driving across California and Nevada with nothing but tumbleweeds in site.  We finally arrived in a large town and I spotted McDonald's or Burger King or something and piped up from the back of the truck "Civilization!"  That may have also been the trip where Jesus and I first really connected, thanks to the lack of civilization, an Amy Grant tape, devotional book and God's touch.  

My first road trip to Iowa was at the age of 3, last road trip at the age of 17, when I got to drive Grandpa O's car. That was memorable!  If the speedometer crept up to 65 while I was driving, Grandpa would freak out!  But it was OK for him to drive 85.  Loved that guy.

2.  Traveling with Boompa and G.G.  We never went really far, just a few hours away, but it was with the 5th wheel!  Boompa always drove and G.G. was the co-pilot.  Us kids got to sit in the back seat as we drove to whatever campground awaited us.  I'm not sure the driving part of the trip was the most exciting but it was staying in the 5th wheel, making s'mores at night and being with Boompa, G.G., their friends and whatever family might have made the trek as well.  The best time was when they got a new 5th wheel that we could ride in while driving.  THAT was a fun trip!

3.  Over the last 12 years of Youth Ministry there have been MANY a road trip.  From the 11 hour car ride home from Tahoe (we had avalanche control, snow, sun, sleet, rain, hail and lots and lots of traffic) to the one where we saw the zebra's at Hearst Castle and started picture taking opportunity (we were the first car to stop.  By the time we left there were 30 others!) to the time we were going to Lake Shasta and were passed by the Goldfish Mobile.  There are many, many stories...if you are a former youth member and have a favorite story please share it in the comments!  In fact my horror story of a road trip came from youth ministry.  It involves whiny girls, boys up to no good, leaders who were anything but helpful, snow that would not stop, a emergency call to Yo Momma to come bail us out (after one of our leaders had to go home suddenly), a tire blowout on the way home in the WORST part of a city and my finally just exploding into tears.  It's amazing that we ever took another trip again.

4.  One of my favorite road trip memories involved a plane ride.  Lil Bro and I took the trip we had always been dreaming of, courtesy of the National Youth Workers Convention...or at least that gave us the excuse!  We headed out to Nashville the first year the NYWC was held there.  We went a week early and drove around Tennessee.  We went south to Chattanooga (who knew they were in a different time zone!) and over to Memphis to go to Graceland, where we passed our exit and had to turn around...but not before I saw the Mississippi state sign!  I had to drive across the border just to say that I had been Mississippi once, I was sure I wasn't going to be back there again.  Ha!  God knew better.  That trip was one that won't be easily forgotten.  That NYWC was probably my all-time favorite.

5.  This last one is one that hasn't been taken yet.  It's a trip around the country.  I have an urge, many days, to just get in my car and drive.  To find the little out of the way places that can only be found by taking your time and driving through small towns.  My goal is to visit every state and what better way to do that than by driving?!  Money and the right traveling companion is the only thing stopping me from doing it right now!  One day, it will happen!