Before I start writing about this “thing” that I am attempting, I thought I could look back on my early traveling days as a kid. I had a great childhood, good friends( many which are still to this day), awesome neighborhood, nice home, and great parents. Of course as a kid you don’t always feel that way. But looking back I am amazed at the things they were able to do for us.
One of those things was going on vacation. It’s seems that every summer we were going somewhere. I being the youngest was in on a few more trips with parents than the siblings. But most of the time it was the whole family, and we had a station wagon! Yes, at one time a Vista Cruiser too.
My Dad you see was an Insurance agent and a damn good one too. With that skill he was able to go to conventions and always was getting awards. The conventions many times became our destination for vacations. we went to Denver, Montreal, Miami, and others, while my parents went to Hawaii, Bahama’s, and San Francisco. And many trips to Indiana.
When it was the family we were in the station wagon, for weeks I might add and was always interesting. My dad while on the road thought of himself as some kind of truck driver with a deadline. In the back seat there was the mumbling, we would see a sign for Stuckey’s (of course) miles and miles ahead of the actual place. So we would start, “look Stuckey’s is coming up” (20 miles ahead), ” there’s another Stuckey’s sign, mom you like those pecan rolls don’t you?” (5 miles ahead), we are getting twitchy getting so close. Now let me remind you this was the 60’s, there was no “can we stop I’m thirsty ” or “can we stop I’m hungry”, these station wagons were equipped with a cooler full of food and drinks, talk about tactical! The only card you had was the ” I have to go to the bathroom” card and you couldn’t use that Willy Nilly, so we were at the mercy of truck driving dad. The miles were going fast as we were now reading the signs, they are measuring in feet now, 1000 feet, 500 feet turn right this exit…….I remember looking back and seeing Pecan rolls were on sale………….
But those trips are things I think about as I drive, no music, just me and those memories of my dad driving, still stuck in my head. My dad passed away when he was 66, the age I am now. One of his last trips was he and my mom drove to Indiana to see relatives, visit the cemetery in my mom’s home town and I believe now to just reminisce one more time. You see my dad didn’t know on that trip that he had a cancerous tumor growing in his brain, and that would be his last trip to Indiana. It is in my plans to go to some of those places in Indiana, as I have been there many times. I was able to drive my mom up there a few times, times I will never forget. I didn’t care how many times she told me that story, it was her life and memories that she shared. Much like what I am doing now, I guess.
So this time I spend on the road has deep meaning for me, it’s more than running away, it’s something I have to do.
Great post. I didn’t know you had relatives in Indiana. What area? I’m from Michigan City, IN.
They are all over, Indianapolis area, and southern Indiana.
I still remember the way the gas station lights looked at night from my view laying down in the back seat. It’s like a deep memory that reminds me of family vacations.
Family car trips! Good memories…laying up by the back window, pumping our fists for the truck drivers to beep and all the “see Rock City” on the birdhouse signs and “see Ruby Falls” signs on our way to Florida from Chicago.