See the USA With Your Grandchildren
Summer's a great time to hit the road with your grandchildren
by Marcy Black
The premier brand of General Motors, Chevrolet, may have declared bankruptcy, but Dinah Shore's song still makes sense. Summer's a great time to "see the USA" with your grandkids. School's out and the highways beckon.
Gas prices are rising, but they aren't yet flirting with $4 a gallon as they did last summer. Before you shift into gear, read The Best Ways to Save on Gas For Summer Road Trips for tips on how to minimize fuel costs. Start by getting your tires properly inflated, packing wisely, and taking your vehicle that gets the highest mileage per gallon.
You can save on hotels and food if you opt for a recreational vehicle (RV), which will provide your bed and kitchen on the road. For more advice on this type of trip, turn to Take the Grandchildren RVing; much of the information here can serve equally well for any road trip you take with youngsters. Be sure to buckle up, stop every 60 to 90 minutes for a stretch, and get the grandkids involved in navigating.
Where do you want to go? Where do your grandchildren want to go? Take a look at Getaways That Grandkids Can Plan; it's chock-full of ideas for vacation destinations. How about a site linked to your grandchildren's favorite authors or storybooks? Perhaps a place your grandkids have studied at school? Or maybe the town where you spent summers with your grandparents when you were the kids' age?
When you hit the road, you'll notice brown signs along your route. These markers point to historical sites in every state. For details on the joys of exploring these sometimes surprising sites, see Finding History on the Open Road. Allow for a little serendipity on your vacation. If you spot a brown sign that intrigues you, stop. You might learn something new about this country of ours. The road will always be there.
The nation is full of dramatic scenery. Some of the best drives have been designated National Scenic Byways. To find the location of five in different parts of the country that will wow you and your grandkids, take a look at Exploring America's Byways. From the rugged ridges of Oregon's outback, to the barrier islands of Florida's A1A, these routes offer spectacular views, wilderness, and natural wonders.
Don't forgo the flavors of faraway places simply because you're taking a domestic road trip. To learn about U.S. cities and towns that are ethnic enclaves, read Travel the World Without a Passport. The country is home to the cultures and wares of — to name a few — India, Greece, and Holland. And each neighborhood has restaurants where you can sample home cooking from the old country.
You'll probably hit long stretches where you just have to make time without much to do. Should the grandkids get antsy, prepare yourself to amuse them with the hints you find in 5 Tips for Surviving a Long Road Trip. Uninterrupted hours in a car provide some of the best opportunities for intergenerational conversation, but when conversation wanes, digital players loaded with music or kid-friendly movies help pass the time.
So take your grandchildren on a cross-country driving vacation this summer. Jack Kerouac never had such delightful travel companions when he was traveling on the road.
Related information
Travel facts of 1957:
Jack Kerouac's Beat anthem, On the Road, was published.
Chevrolet introduced its long, low, fuel-injected classic, the Bel Aire.
Dinah Shore became host of a popular NBC-TV show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.
What driving vacation that you took with your parents would you like to retrace with your grandchildren? Answer in the Comments field below.
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