Summer Road Trips
Some of my favorite memories from childhood involve family road trips. My mom would pack almost everything necessary for a picnic lunch...I say "almost" because the road trip would usually involve stopping at a mountain produce stand somewhere along the way to get fresh tomatoes for sandwiches, and a fresh cantaloupe or watermelon for dessert. We'd have a loaf of white bread, a gallon of iced tea in a cooler, along with Duke's mayonnaise to put on the sandwiches, and some potato salad. It was a simple meal, but when you're eating at a picnic table in a state or national park, surrounded by the glory of nature, it seemed like a feast. Sometimes, we'd hitch my grandparents' pop-up camper to the car and camp for a couple of days along the way, but many times, it was just a day trip.
We'd bring our bathing suits and some towels along, in case we happened upon a good swimming hole or creek to splash in. Sometimes, we'd have a definite destination, like Sliding Rock, or a visit to Tweetsie Railroad, but it was just as likely to be a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway or down a country road or two without a plan. We might stop at one of the numerous general stores that used to be a fixture in small towns, or at a mountain overlook. We'd stop and read the historical markers along the road. We visited Civil War battlegrounds, or we might stop at an old church and walk through the cemetery.
They weren't expensive trips. It was all about the family being together, and the journey being more important than the destination. It was a simpler time and the source of a lot of good memories.
Have a safe summer and make some good memories with your family.
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