Spring Breaks of yester-year

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Trains and the old west...makes me think back to all of those family vacations.  The stories of Lake Woebegone droned in the background.  The air conditioner blowing at full blast in that tiny minivan over  Grandma trying to talk everyone into eating more fruit before we reached the border of California.  No matter where we went it always had to be west and somehow had to route through Las Vegas. Grampa liked his games.  We never flew.  Never.

Grandma made sure we stopped at every tourist stop and had a chance to pick up a key chain, or junky little trinket. Usually it would be a battle with Grandpa because we had some kind of time schedule to keep. That was unless there was some kind of historical marker.  Those are everywhere out west...it was never hard to find one.  

I love the flow of conversations in a long road trip.  In the beginning we would be a gush with gossip, and catching up on all the comings and goings of our life.  After day one...conversations would be reflective looking back to past trips childhood adventures.  By day three it would be random philosophical what ifs, and world events.  Day four and until the end of the trip...my sister and I would be begging for Grandpa to let us play real music on the radio..you know the stuff you can sing to.  About half way through the day we would win...but only for an hour then were back to Lake Woebegone.  It would be okay with us because we would be spent from the excitement of the sing-a-thon and would usually nap.  

The rhythm of life on vacation is like no other. The car breathes a foul stench as the week progresses and the dirty clothes out number the clean. Every morning pack up yourself, then the mini van, take off while munching on fruit...always fruit.  Some lunches were sandwiches, some spam, we always finished off with fruit.  There was the morning stop for coffee, and the afternoon stop for coffee.  The driving day ended at sunset.  Some hotels were super plush.  In some hotels you kept your shoes on...all night.

I love those days.  There were no distractions...just us locked in a vehicle for hours days. We were learning about each other, and enjoying our adventures one mile at a time.