it's all part of the experience

I have gotten a lot of questions about why we drive to Carolina Beach each year instead of fly.  ("It's sooooo long, are you crazy?" is usually the question I get.  And if traveling in a car for 18 hours with a toddler in tow sounds crazy to you, well then I guess we are!)  Honestly, I can't imagine flying.  The experience of driving in a car crammed with everything from pillows to snacks to underwear makes the whole trip even more of an exciting adventure for our family.  Being able to watch the sunrise on the horizon as everyone is snuggled in the car isn't a bad deal either.

Brad's family has been making this haul for 26 years and we are happy to be carrying on the tradition with our own family.  So flying...well, it's out of the question when it comes to this trip.  We drive the 18 hours to carry on tradition and to become cozy with one another in preparation for the week we are basically stuck like glue to one another in a crammed hotel room.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Back in the day when my husband's parents took them on this long road trip, they didn't have portable TV's to entertain the kids in the backseat with.  They had to make their own fun and entertainment.  So I figure, why can't we do it now, especially with all the entertainment we can provide for Owen on the way to and from the beach.  Technology is a marvelous thing but gazing out the window and taking in the new surroundings is also a priority on trips like this. 

Owen was a trooper.  He did gaze out the window marveling at the huge mountains, tunnels, bridges, and wind farms we drove through, by, and near.  Our road trip gives him a chance to see things he wouldn't normally see here in flat Illinois.  He did watch his share of Clifford and Word World while we drove, but for the most part, he sat quietly in the backseat taking in his surroundings.  He whined only a couple of times about being uncomfortable and how "his head couldn't fall asleep".  But with some readjusting and sometimes some much needed breaks at rest areas, he was good to go.  Some uncomfortable sleeping positions did take place:

But all in all he did great!

Driving to the beach is something that I look forward to each summer.  It brings a smile to my face when I see Owen and my husband enjoying something that he did for so many years with his own family.  He takes a lot of pride in taking his son to the beach and showing him the ropes.  He also takes a lot of pride in driving the same route his parents did for so many years, he practically has it memorized.  No GPS needed!

Driving has surely made this trip each year more of an adventure that becomes very much worth it once our feet hit the sand!

The great Smokey Mountains!