As an avid traveler, I’ve been to some pretty cool destinations and seen some of the world’s most iconic sites. I’ve walked the Great Wall of China, stood next to Christ the Redeemer, and hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. As a young traveler, I was eager to check off as many far off destinations from my bucket list as I could. It’s been fun exploring the many wonders of the world. Yet my most cherished travel memories have often come from road trips, particularly the road trips I’ve taken with family and friends. Here are three reasons to inspire you to take a road trip with your loved ones.
“Nostalgia is the hearts way of reminding you of something you once loved.”
Stopping for breakfast off 152 Pacheco Pass to Casa de Fruta during a recent road trip was more than just a pit stop. It was a cruise down memory lane for both my travel buddy, Grace, and I. As a child, Gracie loved stopping by the restaurant after visiting family. She would be excited to see Casa de Fruta’s famous cup flipper, Eugene A. Zanger.
For me as a child, driving past Casa de Fruta meant one of two things—my family and I were heading out on a road trip to Disneyland or Mexico. Whether it was the six-hour journey to Anaheim. Or the three-day trek to my parent’s hometown of Atotonilco in the Mexican state of Jalisco. My family was on the open road. My parents three sisters and a brother all packed into our burgundy Ford Aerostar van.
“The most important time is family time.”
When visiting my parents we like to spend a day road-tripping to a neighboring beach town or as devout Catholics, my parents love to visit California’s Historic Missions. The family van is long gone and the road trips we take these days are much shorter. When heading out for a mini road trip with my parents my sisters usually picked a lunch spot, my dad’s excited to visit a mission church and my mothers focused on finding the best bakery to pick up something sweet.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited Mission San Juan Bautista, walked around Cannery Row in Monterey Bay, or cruised along Carmel’s 17-Mile drive. Yet, each time my family and I visit, I discover something new. And I never tire of northern California’s natural beauty. More important than the destination is the quality time spent with the people who matter most that make these road trips memorable.
“Sometimes…
just spending some quality time with good friends out in nature is all the therapy you need.”
California has an abundance of state parks and beaches to explore. Road tripping to them is one of my all-time favorite ways to spend a girls weekend with my best friends. My friend Gracie and I recently took a road trip to Yosemite. Along the way, we stopped to hike around San Luis Reservoir, then paused for a photo-op at Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, before making it to the cabin. The plan was to go for a hike; however, shortly after we arrived, it began to snow. Our weekend quickly went from a hiking trip to a comical winter wonderland adventure.
We locked ourselves out of the cabin, got lost driving the grounds of Tenaya Lodge Resort, and dealt with tire chains for the first time. Though the weekend may not have unfolded as planned, living in the moment while playing in the snow with my bestie was an absolute blast! Whether it’s a day by the beach or a weekend in the mountains, time spent in nature with the people you love is always good for the soul.
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