When Homeschooling Charlie depending on what he made on his Pre-Spelling Test on Thursday we might end up with a Free-Day. Today is May 24th which is National Road Trip Day #NationalRoadTripDay. Charlie and I can’t take a physical trip anywhere due to fiancés and David working all weekend
Plus were still getting ready for Charlie’s graduation on Thursday. Instead where going to visit our local Chamber of Commerce and see if they have paper mats. Then were going to come home and map out our dream trip. As well as make snacks that would come from those States. Would you like to join us and plan your dream vacation?
National Road Trip Day occurs on the Friday before Memorial Day in the U.S. which is the last Monday of May. This year National Road Trip Day falls on May 24th. Did you know there’s a reason why ‘The Great American Road Trip’ is now a catchphrase. Do you know why? Well it’s because the U.S. is the one Country where road trips count as a holiday in themselves.
Whether it’s to pay tribute to fallen national heroes by visiting war memorials across the Country, or an excuse to get out of town and have a change of scenery; the road trip has been loved by Americans throughout history. From great works of literature inspired by the road to songs that we know and love a road trips mean something to everyone, which is why were excited that the road trip has a special day of its own. Who wouldn’t want to make the most of the long weekend by going out of town, and that’s where we come in.
National Road Trip Day became an official holiday in 2019, thanks to Pilot Flying J, the largest travel center operator in North America. Pilot Flying J chose the Friday before Memorial Day because of the long weekend ahead and, with May being the start of Summer, National Road Trip Day kickstarts the travel season, too. Since travel stories are ingrained into the very history of America, with wagon trains heading out West in the 1840s and Native Americans exploring the Country long before that it makes sense to observe a day that celebrates travel by road.
The first recorded road trip across the U.S. began in 1903 with a bet. Someone bet Horatio Nelson Jackson a physician and automobile pioneer that he could not travel from San Francisco to New York City in less than 90 days. Accompanied by mechanic Sewall K. Crocker, and a dog named Bud, they set off in a 20-horsepower Winston to prove them wrong. Despite numerous mishaps, Jackson and Crocker completed the trip in 63 days.
By the 1930s, the famous Route 66 opened America up for cross-country travel. Many people began to migrate West, while others took to the road for vacations. By the 1950s, America was the world’s largest car manufacturer, and nearly 75% of American families owned a car, which became a symbol of American pop culture. Road trips became the typical holiday of the American middle classes, leading to a boom in drive-ins and roadside motel businesses, too. Hippies in the ’60s then converted the road trip into a full-blown lifestyle, turning vans and buses into homes on wheels.
In the ’80s and ’90s, road travel dipped with the rise of air travel but, today, the road trip still has a special charm of its own and the ‘Great American Road Trip’ stands for the freedom and adventure that only the road can bring! Pack that car and fill up with gas and lets head off into the great blue yonder and see where the road takes us.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY
- Even if this year is not looking like a possibility, plan your next road trip because best-made plans can sometimes turn out to be the best-made holidays, don’t shy away from opening up your map and making lists. Even a virtual road trip can be on the agenda for this Summer just hop onto trending social media campaigns like #RoadTripReimagined to find out more.
- Scrapbook your favorite road trip memories or get creative on social media by posting your favorite road trip images/stories/memories.
- Remember you don’t have to leave the comfort of your couch when you can let your imagination travel for you? Listen to “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac, “Roughing It” by Mark Twain, “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck, “The Lost Continent” by Bill Bryson, or “America Day by Day” by Simone de Beauvoir. For off-the-beaten-track literature, Google is your friend!
TIPS FOR PLANNING A ROAD TRIP
- In this day and age, apps are everything, so why not leverage technology to help you plan your route.
- Check everything out beforehand including wipers to registration papers, and remember to leave no stone unturned.
- Keep in mind important factors like traffic flow, bathroom stops, and roadblocks/diversions.
- The majority of travelers say that what you listen to can make or break your road trip experience, so prep well.
- While snacks are essential, plan your meals and take-out stops in advance, too.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY
- Not only is a road trip infinitely more affordable than air travel, but it also enables you to experience many of the things that people look for in traveling including cultural immersion, different cuisines, exposure to different sub-cultures, and geographical diversity. With America being such a melting pot of cultures and people groups from all over the world, your experience of diversity can begin at home.
- There is an entire canon of road-trip literature both fiction and non-fiction, as well as music and TV shows; that spans across the globe and has been inspired by road trips. The idea of the Great American Road Trip is also a special one as it opens up travel opportunities for those who may never get to leave the Country.
- Give people the option of an open road, a vehicle, and a map to take them anywhere and they’re bound to make memories that will last a lifetime. A road trip teaches us to expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to making connections, either by deepening the ones we have with our travel buddies or by forming new ones with strangers along the way. It’s rightly said that half the fun is in the journey, not the destination.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
