The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
I don't know about you, but traveling with my family often feels like I'm traveling with a bunch of food critics, travel reviewers, and nit-picky never satisfied types who have something to say about everything. I am glad everyone's brain is engaged and they have something to share, but hearing that no one's excited to try something new, or that something "sucks" can be a real downer. After all the time and effort … [Read more...]
It's such a great feeling when you meet someone new who shares your same thoughts and sentiments. It was almost like listening to myself when I heard parent and schoolteacher Carrie McWhorter tell me about the impact their road trip travels have had on their family. Carrie and her husband and fellow teacher Owen and their kids Avery, 13 and Stella 11 are on a quest to see all 50 so far having visited 33. It all … [Read more...]
Since we've moved to Orange County, California and fly out of a small regional airport, we're almost always taking connecting flights. On more than one occasion when our first leg left late we've had to run like mad to get to the other gate to make our connection. We've had quite a few close calls but never actually missed one. My daughter Lilia is coming home from college for winter break and has a very tight … [Read more...]
My kids and anyone who knows me will tell you, Thanksgiving is my all time favorite holiday. More than the fabulous foods (which I enjoy not only eating but also cooking) it is the sentiment and theme behind this all American holiday that is near and dear to my heart. Thanksgiving celebrates the first settlers and the native peoples relationship to the land and to each other marked by the spirit of gratitude for … [Read more...]
No road trip would be complete without something totally off the wall happening that becomes instantly memorable, making us either laugh, cringe, or just shake our heads in disbelief reminiscing about it later on. We are often asked about our wackiest experiences, so I enlisted my traveling partners, my three kids Lilia, Isaac and Joel to recount their top 10....Herewith is their list.... 1. Isaac- Eating BBQ … [Read more...]
Who doesn’t love souvenirs? Everyone wants something special to remember the trip, but nobody wants the excess baggage. When you’re traveling with a posse of kids and parents, those souvenirs can add up and weigh you down. I don’t have room in my car for a bunch of souvenirs, and I certainly don’t want to lug that stuff across the country. So here’s what I got my kids into—the best souvenir that … [Read more...]
Sure you can find just about anything you need online these days, but I still love thumbing through travel books to research my road trips. I not only find it more efficient, but infinitely more enjoyable to go city by city and tag the things that look super interesting. Later I map out my "wish list" and see what falls on or near our route in some cases adjusting our route to include something really awesome. … [Read more...]
During our trip to Alaska, due to no fault of my own, a flying object hit my windshield causing a crack for which I was responsible. For the first time ever in all my years of renting a car, I finally had to put my credit card coverage to the test. You can read my previous post about it by clicking here, but after it was all said and done, I still had to come out of pocket about $125 to cover what the credit card … [Read more...]
If you've been following us on Facebook and Twitter then you know we are planning an awesome trip to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania next summer to tick another three states off our list. At the end of next summer we'll have visited 46. Our trips are not only an annual tradition, but over the last 10 years have become legend. So while it wasn't surprising, it was still a thrill to hear that Lilia, my college … [Read more...]
We've all seen those crazy commercials ... Samuel L. Jackson demanding to know "what's in your wallet" or better yet, Jennifer Garner playing musical chairs with airline seats that are impossible to get. I can so relate. I've got several credit cards from various airlines and hotels and it is true-trying to find seats or rooms when you want to travel once you've accumulated points can be near impossible. So what IS … [Read more...]
