On the Road: The Joys of Summer Car Travel

I love car travel. There’s a lot to be said for watching the world fly by outside your window.

Car travel creates intimacy. Travelers are stuck in an enclosed space together for hours, which encourages conversation.

I like air travel, too, but not the stresses–rushing to the airport, going through security, waiting for luggage, and finding ground transportation. These are anxieties you avoid when you simply load up your car and go.

Some Things to Do During Summer Car Travels

Here are some activities I plan for on car trips.

• Meander off the highway to visit off-the-wall sites as a happy diversion. In the U.S. try Roadside America to find attractions and oddities along your route. The web search is free; there is a pay app.
• Stop at farm stands for just-picked produce to nibble during your travels. It helps to come prepared with an ice chest or insulated bag.
• Share your journey by taking photos along the route and texting the pics back to your family so they can follow your progress in real time. I took photos along I-5 and posted them as an Instagram story. If you commit to taking photos, you’ll pay more attention to the scenery and get more enjoyment from the trip.

• Search out cloud pictures to while away the time. When we were kids and often carsick, my mom would point to cloud formations and find in them dragons and cats and all kinds of images in the sky. It was a way to distract us kids, while stimulating our imagination.
• Opt for an easy roadside brown bag lunch instead of fast food. To start our car trip on Saturday, I packed a baguette and some Point Reyes Toma farmhouse cheese left over from our garden party. With cherries from the farmers’ market and with a handful of Costco cashews, it was a simple but satisfying meal.

TIP: We keep extra baguettes in the freezer, wrapped tightly in foil. To restore, (I learned this on Instagram), unwrap frozen baguette, run it quickly under hot water to moisten, then heat directly on the rack in the oven, uncovered, at 400 degrees F. about 7 minutes. Check at 5 minutes to prevent burning. Crust will get crispy and insides will remain soft.

More Travel Tips

Here are some previous travel posts from “Call Me Grandma!”

• How to Pack for Vacation Travel–my packing suggestions for a month-long international trip.
• Family Travel Tips–my son Dave shares his tips for family travel, plus some staycation ideas for families.
• Armchair Traveling–some fun things to do if you have no travel plans this year.

• Travel Packing Tips–what I learned from a 3 1/2-week car trip to nine cities in the American South.
• How to Plan the Best Staycation–a plan to get stuff done this summer.
• Traveling to your Hometown–how you can use a family trip to your hometown to share family stories with the grandkids.
• Tips to Enjoy a Vacation with Kids–my son Dave shares 12 tips for planning a kid-friendly vacation.

Sign up to Get Grandma’s Favorite Recipes–Free!

Sign up here for my email newsletter. Every Wednesday, I’ll give you a new idea for an activity or insight to nurture the little ones in your life. And once you subscribe, I’ll send you a link so you can download your set of quick and easy recipes as my thanks to you.