Finding History on the Open Road

Brown signs dot highways all over the United States, alerting travelers to nearby historical sites. The sites might be famous, like the Alamo, or obscure who-knew-this-place-existed locations, like the home of Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen.

Historical sites are popular destinations for grandparents traveling with grandchildren. It’s a chance to instill a little education with a lot of fun. But with some careful planning, the grandparents could be the ones getting the education — from their grandchildren.

Bob and Lyn Lantz traveled with two of their grandchildren to visit the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library in New Salem, Ill., the place where Lincoln started his career. The grandchildren had recently studied Lincoln in school, explains Lyn, and she and her husband thought it would make for a good time to visit the site.

“We were surprised at how much the kids knew about Lincoln,” she says. “The kids were really interested in learning more. They were fascinated to find out he used an outhouse.”

The excitement of the children spilled over to the grandparents, who were thrilled to share the experience with their grandchildren. They would take this type of trip again, the Lantzes say, and they think their grandchildren will jump at the opportunity, as well.

One thing that made this trip so pleasant for both grandparents and grandchildren was their mutual interest in the destination. Too often grandparents get caught up in the desire to go some place educational with their grandchildren, insisting the grandchildren learn history, that they don’t take the grandchildren’s own interests and knowledge into consideration.

For that reason, Marlene Coleman, author of Safe and Sound: Healthy Travel with Children (Globe Pequot Press, 2003), recommends grandparents include grandchildren in the planning of the trip. That way the grandparents can be sure the trip is one that will keep the grandchildren’s interest, and they might find out something about their grandchild that they didn’t know. For example, it wasn’t until planning a camping trip near Gettysburg that my mother discovered her eight-year-old grandson had developed an interest in Civil War battles. Once she learned that, they were able to design a trip that centered on the battlefields and less around other day trips originally planned.

“Always keep an open mind,” Coleman says. “Sometimes grandparents have certain expectations of how a trip should go and get frustrated.”

When planning a trip to a historic site with your grandchildren, here are some other tips to keep in mind.

Make sure the trip is appropriate for both the grandchild and the grandparents. Coleman says grandparents need to consider the grandchild’s age, maturity level, and personality before scheduling a trip. A young, active child may not enjoy museum trips, while an older grandparent may tire during a walking tour of a battlefield.

Listen to your grandchild. Before choosing a final destination, engage your grandchild in a conversation. Find out his interests and see how they fit into your travel plans.

Be flexible. With so many historic sites across the country, chances are good you can find at least one or two that fit in with your grandchild’s interests.

Try to complement your grandchild’s studies. The Lantzes decided to visit the Lincoln sites because their grandchildren had recently studied Lincoln’s presidency in school. The children were able to use the visit to build off the information they learned in school, and — in turn — they were able to share tidbits with their grandparents that the Lantzes may not otherwise have known.

Visit the library. Before my mother takes her grandson on vacation, they like to read up on the place they’ll be touring. They each read age-appropriate books, look at maps of the area, and talk about the things they would like to learn about first hand.

Encourage your grandchild to speak up. My mother says she learned more about Civil War battlefields from the questions her grandson asked than from what the tour guides recited in their scripted speeches. The questions provided a different perspective to the tour and were often topics she never would have thought to ask.

Don’t underestimate your grandchild’s knowledge. It’s easy to assume that your grandchild — especially a younger child — has limited awareness of history, but allow your grandchild to surprise you. Thanks to video games, educational cartoons, and history-related books geared toward young people, your grandchild may have a lot of exposure to history and other cultures.

Coleman suggests the best way to start exploring brown sign destinations is to take day trips with your grandchild. Start by visiting locations in your town. This way you can gauge your grandchild’s level of interest, attention span, and stamina. You can also better determine what kind of historical sites will make the most appealing extended trip for both of you.

“Sometimes grandparents will pick trips that are too complicated for the grandchild,” Coleman says. Practice trips will ensure your grandchild is a better travel companion.

Finally, Coleman adds, don’t make this a one-sided adventure. Choose a destination that both will enjoy. Both grandparent and grandchild should have a say in the activities. The idea, after all, is to expand one’s mind.

“Travel is full of surprises,” Coleman says. And sometimes the best surprise is what your grandchild can teach you.