Ah, Spring Break 2012. My family has never had the pleasure of going on vacation during a spring break. This will not only be the first for that, but it will also mark the first time we have flown as a family.
Sure, we've been on family vacations, but they have all been in a car. We've driven to Florida, through the Black Hills, to Virginia Beach and the Washington, D.C., area.
Our car also has experienced countless visits to family in North Dakota, Michigan, Chicago and Minnesota.
Traveling in a car holds memories. One of the highlights of our car trips is the "wing it" factor. When we travel by car, we don't plan for hotel stays or create definite itineraries. The final destination is the only predetermined factor. We let the atlas be our general guide, but we give in to sights and attractions along the way.
Traveling this way allowed us to discover the Underground Railroad Museum in Maysville, Ky., which served as a safe house for fugitive slaves. The Kingsley Plantation in Florida was a detour where we saw remnants of slave cabins constructed of oyster shells. Sylvan Lake, right off of Needles Parkway in South Dakota, was yet another moving, impulsive discovery.
One of my favorite destinations was also an unplanned whim of ours. While driving from North Dakota to South Dakota, my son asked the location of Devil's Tower. Our knowledge of the landmark was limited to a black-and-white picture displayed in a bedroom. The atlas was quickly studied. A diversion to Wyoming was imminent. It happened to be one of our best travel decisions.
Our impromptu travel plans also have backfired. During one vacation, we traveled for 12 hours in the car before desperately needing a place to sleep. It was 1 a.m. We were in Indiana and, after stopping at the first hotel, were told there was not a vacant hotel for a hundred miles around. The next comment sealed our fate. We were doomed to several more hours on the road; the Indianapolis 500 was that particular weekend. OK, so much for a lack of planning.
It's on journeys such as these when a car starts acting up or misfortunes occur. We've lost a transmission in western Minnesota and had a car overheat and stall on a Georgia interstate.
After traveling several hundred miles one morning during another vacation, we realized that we overlooked something crucial to the success of the trip. Our 5-year-old daughter's beloved blankie was left behind in a Tennessee hotel. Thank goodness for Federal Express.
Spring Break 2012 destination: Arizona, where we will be sure to experience warm weather, sun and new adventures. We were wary of the weather as the Flagstaff area received up to 2 feet of snow March 18. That would be just our luck; leaving Wisconsin with record highs and flying to Arizona where we would need boots and gloves.
As Arizona was digging out from their spring snowstorm I was dreading leaving unseasonably warm Wisconsin. Closed interstates, ice-covered roads, low temperatures and school cancellations were taking place in Arizona.
Heck, I don't need to leave Wisconsin for that.
We excitedly packed our suitcases and carry-ons. On Friday in the late afternoon, we jumped in our car and headed for Chicago, where we would fly out the next morning. We arrived at a relative's condo at 11 p.m. and were settling in with pizza and beverages. My stomach fluttered with a sinking feeling that something was about to go awry. Just like leaving behind the beloved blankie years ago, we once again left something crucial behind.
Our 18-year-old son was missing his driver's license, which was necessary to get through airport security. Tightly closing his eyes, his mind deep in thought, he visualized where it was. It was on his nightstand at home.
My husband knew what he must do. He spent the next nine hours on an unplanned road trip. When I woke up the next morning, my husband strolled victoriously into the Chicago condo. He gripped the driver's license in his hand. There's no stopping us now. Off to Arizona.
Watching my teenagers' reactions to their first flight was captivating. All five of their senses were stimulated during the flight. The sensation of takeoff, the landscape view from above, and the sight of smoky clouds below are energizing novelties to the inexperienced traveler. However, they also experienced the annoying aspects of flying.
Crying babies, hand-held gaming devices making obnoxious sounds, and someone nearby with a gassy stomach plagued us for the next few hours. The craft of sitting in a tight, confined space for hours while seated next to a stranger was mastered. We had a short reprieve when my husband spilled his cup of ice on his neighbor's lap. His embarrassed face allowed us a giggle or two.
A long Las Vegas layover meant only one thing: an unplanned side trip! My husband and I had never been to Las Vegas. We only needed to gaze upon it. Feeding the machines money wasn't necessary. However, our flight to Las Vegas was delayed so the abbreviated venture into Sin City was postponed for another trip. In response to this my daughter groaned, "Darn, Las Vegas was on my bucket list." My 14-year-old daughter has a bucket list? And Las Vegas is on it?
All in all, we had a great time in Arizona, we survived the flights, and we experienced many new places. Our discussions have quickly turned to possible summer 2012 excursions. Niagara Falls, Colorado and Yellowstone Park are a few places we mention.
The next question is — will we drive or fly? As I open the atlas, I notice all of the interesting sights between Wisconsin and these destinations. Experience tells us we'll only find more while on the road. I can only imagine the history, amusements and new landscapes we can uncover along the way.
My decision is made. My mind is set. I cannot bring myself to only be a distant observer of sights on the ground.
Honey, pack the cooler. Kids, assemble your antisocial devices. I'll grab the atlas and meet you all in the car. This vacation will be the most memorable yet as long as we don't forget anything crucial — like our driver's licenses.
Anne Fimreite is a wife, mother and educator living in Montello, Wisconsin who has an addiction to her atlas.
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