A Thanksgiving Thank You to My Original Lagom Adventurers

A few weeks ago, Katie and I were planning our trip to Arkansas.  We had planned on camping one night, but I was watching the weather closely.  We decided at the last moment to stay in a hotel which left me with the task of finding the perfect place to stay.  That led me to TripAdvisor, Priceline, and for the first time Airbnb.  I had a row of tabs open on my Internet browser and was reading reviews, comparing prices, and checking availability.  I am usually fond of Priceline and its express deals, but because we were going to enjoy nature and its views, I was looking for something a little less commercial.  So I ventured on to Airbnb.

Airbnb was quite the experience for me.  I found a cabin that was exactly what we were looking for, the right price, and available.  So I signed up for an account which was not an easy process for me. Since you have to upload a picture ID and that ID has to match a selfie, it took me forever to be approved for an account.  And then I submitted my request for a reservation, only to receive a notification that I was denied because that listing wasn’t actually currently available.  My initial encounter with Airbnb was not favorable.  I ended up going with my favorite and reliable Priceline, where I was able to find a quaint historic hotel about 10 miles from our destination. And it was a great price!

This little bit of frustration led to think about how trip planning was done before the Internet.  I believe I have some resourceful people in my past (mainly the females) who have planned epic vacations and road trips in my life.  Those women, my mom, “Aunt” Karen, and Aunt Jenny, were the Original Lagom Adventures, and I believe instilled in me my deep desire to see the world and experience all that it has to offer.  So on this special thoughtful Thursday Thanksgiving post, I am thankful for them.

My first road trip was the age of five and a three week trip up the East Coast all the way to Maine.  I was only five but can remember various details and others have been filled in with the stories from the adults.  I was the only child on this trip, and I believe there was some debate on how well I would do on a trip this long.  My memories include being shuttled between the middle of the front and back seats because we were all in one car – five adults and me – while we pulled a pop-up camper.  These were the days long before the cell phones, so we had a C.B. radio, over which we could hear people talking about those crazy people from Missouri pulling a camper in downtown New York City.

I’m sure nowadays we would have read recommendations about how bad the traffic was and to avoid driving in the area.  But this was a three week road trip planned before the Internet, before cell phones, and before  modern travel conveniences.  There wasn’t Mapquest to help us navigate those treacherous New Jersey turnpikes that we missed a few times.  There was no YELP to help us find a reasonable car repair place for the car that had issues and we were stranded a few days while it was worked on.  (I don’t remember in which state.)  And there were no ATMs to help get money to pay for the car repairs – only me digging in the trash for aluminum cans. TRUE STORY! The first adventure of my life was an epic one and would become legendary in the stories in the years to follow.

A three week vacation filled with diversity, and they navigated their way through it with a map and a pay phone.  

We always had small vacations or adventures but every now and then we went on the big ones.  The next big one was Disney World around 1987.  Again no Internet and no cell phones.  A trip over MLK weekend to Disney World, Daytona Beach, and Cape Canaveral.  (They also indoctrinated the idea to accomplish (cram) as much as you can in the time period that you are given.)  I only remember two almost mishaps on this trip.  The first being that we almost didn’t go. I remember my immediate family arrived at Lambert and was waiting for the Erickson crew to arrive.  Except that there was miscommunication on where to meet in the airport.  It was almost time for our flight, and we were still waiting at the main entrance with no signs of the others.  My mom had to make the decision to board without them.  If you know my mom, making decisions is not her strong suit.  But we boarded the plane with the hopes that we would eventually see Karen who had the majority of the details on the trip.  As we boarded the plane, we were relieved to see the Erickson crew had been waiting for us ON the plane.  Crisis diverted without the use of cell phones. The next miscue was being late (don’t remember exactly why) leaving Cape Canaveral and almost missing our flight home.  We had no Internet to check flight delays.  

We did most of our travelling hoping and praying for the best.

Our next big trip was in 1992.  It was on this trip that the manila packet of AAA brochures stands out.  Specifically Jenny continually sorting through them and going over where we would be staying or what attractions we would be seeing.  She had those brochures because weeks and months ahead of time, she had to write and request they be mailed to her.  Sometimes those brochures don’t always work out for the best.  I remember staying in a hotel in the middle of Kansas that advertised “business man special rates.” Thankfully it was just a one night stop on the drive through. This wasn’t the only time the brochures failed us on this trip.  Cripple Creek was a ghost town that shut down BEFORE dark, so we had no options to eat, and again we were led to a questionable place to stay – a former brothel – that we opted not to stay in.  The brochures weren’t the only resource to fail us – sometimes the maps can show “ghost roads” – roads that no longer exist but appear on the map. Yep, we found one of those.

Sometimes on these trips you find out that you have over-planned and over-packed.  Yes we were travelling in two vehicles, but we had added more people on this trip.  David and Roger were both along on this trip. And to save money we had planned to camp. So three adults, two teenagers, one preteen, and a ton of camping equipment and luggage in one Ford Aerostar van.  This must have been before seat belt and child safety laws because my allotted seat was in the floor at one point. Once we were in the back of the van, someone in the front would put the lawn chairs in front of the sliding door and then close it.  We couldn’t get out until someone removed the chairs for us. Not kidding!  But once again we found the camping situation was not what we thought – no bathroom facilities, so they regrouped and found a hotel. A hotel across from a park where we had a nice BBQ dinner.  But then we noticed that the police appeared to watching the park because drug deals were going down in the bathroom.  One might think was the last of our sleeping accommodations nightmares, but it wasn’t. The trip home became a drive straight through trip because on the Missouri/ Kansas border the summer league baseball state games were going on and no hotels were to be found.

If only we had had TripAdvisor and MapQuest!

I had one last big family vacation left with this group and that was to Fort Walton Beach, Florida in 1993.  Two vans headed south with a stop in New Orleans on the way down and Memphis on the way back.  We had stepped up the game a little bit at this point because I think we were using walkie-talkies between the two vehicles.  The Florida part of the trip went smoothly as far as I can remember.  But in New Orleans, my sister found out the Panda store wasn’t selling stuffed animals.  And in Memphis we learned the Red Roof Inn wasn’t a place for families.  Or so the police told us as they suggested we find a more family friendly hotel and one known less for its hourly rates.

If only we could have left online reviews for other unsuspecting families.  

I have gone on many other vacations and adventures on my own and with others through the years, but I believe my need to wander and explore started with these family vacations.  These family vacations that were planned and implemented by this group of ladies in my life.  So to them I owe a “Thanks!”  A thanks for seeing the value in travel.  A thanks for taking the time to send off and sort through brochures.  A thanks for pouring over maps to find the perfect route. A thanks for instilling in me the love to adventure.  

And I hope to continue their tradition of travelling and adventuring.  My mom and dad now tag along on our family vacations.  Karen and Denny still travel regularly on their own. And Aunt Jenny who is now 84 is about ready to leave  on her next trip in the next few weeks.  I hope genetics allows me many more years of future adventures.

So on this Thanksgiving thoughtful Thursday, I say, “Thank you,” to MY original Lagom Adventures.