National Lampoon's "Family" Vacation

We are taking a family vacation. We leave tomorrow, after we strike the set for the musical and take care of all of the housekeeping details that go along with that. Not stellar planning, I know, but it seemed like it was going to be doable at the time we planned it. Why is it that things always seem like they are going to take less time than they actually do?

We are traveling by car to a Detroit, MI suburb to visit some dear friends that we haven't seen in several years. We are looking forward to it, but we are also experiencing some fear and trepidation. Six people in a vehicle for 1004+ miles. Roughly 15 hours or more on the grand USA interstates. They really don't make a car big enough for that to be a comfortable experience.

I remember taking a family vacation as a child down South. That was back before seat belts were mandatory. My parents put down the back seat in the bright orange Datsun 210 station wagon, spread out sleeping bags and foam all over the back and basically let us jump around back there for 18 or so hours. We had a blast. We read a little; looked out the window a little; listened to the radio a little; annoyed each other a lot; probably asked, "Are we there, yet?" a million times; and made some great memories.

Things have changed since I was a kid. (Wow, those eight words really make a person feel old, don't they?) Now, seat belts are mandatory,--this IS a good thing--and children are pretty much required to be strapped into car seats until they are engaged to be married. And not just buckled in, either, but harnessed in tighter than anything Six Flags does to you so that you can ride one of their roller coasters. It is no wonder that cars come equipped with pop-down DVD screens, satellite dishes, and who knows what else to keep kids occupied. They are so tightly harnessed into their car seats that they can't even look out the window!

When I tell people we are going on vacation, the first thing they say is, "Are you DRIVING??!" Of course we are. Airfare for 6 people is the cost of a new car. The next comment is, "Better take lots of movies." Now, our "Family Truckster" lacks certain amenities--one being a built-in DVD player. Hubby and I talked, and we decided that it would be good for the kids if we took a trip the way we did when we were little and without some of the modern conveniences of 2007. When you tell people that you aren't taking a television, they look at you like you are attempting to follow the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon. You know what you are doing is bizarre when your family doctor--who happens to be a friend of mine, but even so--says, "You don't have to do that. I have a DVD player you can borrow." I wonder if she is worried that 15+ hours in the car without something to keep them quiet will be hazardous to the kids' health.

So we are going to attempt this feat. Hopefully, we will have Internet access, so that we can keep everyone in the loop on our adventures. I am praying for the best, but preparing for the worst. I have marked strategic locations of Sam's Club on our map, and made sure my membership card is in my wallet. They sell dual screen portable DVD players for a mere $175, if we run into any emergencies.