The best way to learn about American history is to experience it first hand. If you drive through the countryside, walk in the woods, taste the local food, and listen to the music, you'll see that they're all related.
History is steeped in the stuff you can see out the side windows of a minivan. Cultural history happens in response to natural history: the Mississippi river cuts a new course daily, creating extremely fertile, but unstable farmland. The fish in the river and crops in the fields are what end up in the cook pot. And the seasonings reflect the climate. The music evolves in response to the daily life. Simply put, when you feel the humidity, taste the gumbo, and listen to the Dixieland Jazz, the natural history and cultural essence of New Orleans makes sense. Geology and biology dictate cultural evolution, and when you see what's happening on a big scale, the little stuff is even cooler. The shape of the barns makes sense.
And all that stuff, put into perspective, gives kids things to look at and think about as you drive through the countryside.
Before and during your road trip, learn about how the place was formed. Discover how that form influenced the local history and heroes. Who were the folk legends and what songs that grew out of those legends?
How did the Rocky Mountains form?
Why are lobsters so grumpy?
How does water get from the ground all the way to the top of a Redwood tree?
Can sink holes eat cars? How?
How about the Appalachian Mountains, how did they form, how did they influence the way the civil war was fought? How did they influence the way of life in Appalachia, and the evolution of southern music, cuisine, and whisky-running (and therefore, muscle cars)?
The answers may just make road trips more fun.
And you may notice the level of conversation with your kids kicking up a notch (Bam! Bam!)
Make Learning Fun on a Family Road Trip
Tips for Road Tripping with Kids (#7)
Let it all hang out.
The seventh in our ongoing series of travel-tested road trip tips.
Tip #7. Travel comfortably
Loose-fitting jeans with a sweatshirt and comfy shoes (maybe even slippers). "Let" the kids wear their pajamas and slippers; bring along their pillow and a blanket for them to burrow down into.
Are We There Yet?
This from On The Road with Chris Epting
ARE WE THERE YET?
Some thoughts on family road trips from a father on Father's Day…
By Chris Epting
It is one of the great, if not the great American question. Metaphorically, many of us challenge ourselves each day to achieve what we set out to accomplish in life. Spiritually, emotionally, financially, and on, we wonder, Are we there yet?
More specifically, it is of course the instinctive question posed by generations of children when traveling, especially when road tripping. (Did children in covered wagons ask this?)
When on a family road trip, the question doesn't quite affect my or my wife's nervous system the first several times it's posed. It's when it enters triple-digits that I think we both start to zone out. But that's okay. After all, what would a family trip be without it?
World's largest: Claire and Charlie Epting with Castroville's giant artichoke
In the footsteps of Janis Joplin: Claire onstage at MontereyJames Dean Died Here: Charlie, Jean, and Claire at the Dean crash memorial in Cholame, CaliforniaSitcom memories: Chris and Charlie on the site where MASH was filmed near Malibu
We take as many car trips as we can, to as many fun and interesting and offbeat and historical places as we can. Certainly part of it is by design, as I am frequently in the middle of writing and researching a book. But the more meaningful part of it is the shared experience and sense of adventure; the chance to live life together as a family and of course, for my wife and I to watch as our children discover, learn, grow, and just simply find their way.
Some of my finest memories up to this point are tied to family road trips, particularly in our home state of California. Like watching the kids pose against a giant artichoke in Castroville, California. ("Artichoke capitol of the world.") Panning in the exact same spot where James Marshall famously discovered gold in 1848. Prowling the stage where Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin performed at Monterey in 1967. Sifting for clues on the lonely road where James Dean met his fate in 1955. Or the kids laughing hysterically as Dad navigates the sometimes-sickening curves along Highway 1, one of the world's most gorgeous coastal drives.
And of course, we have a few basic rules of the road…
1. Have at least a few pieces of music that become your own family soundtrack. For us, "Gene Autry's Greatest Hits" plays a big part of any trip.
2. No DVD/Video players on board. In my opinion, they are divisive and help defeat the purpose of traveling together. I remember once, someone I worked with was showing off his shiny new Navigator with hi-tech DVD system, boasting with glee that now he'd never have to hear his kids in the car ever again. As sad a commentary as I've ever heard.
3. Make it fun for the kids, no matter what. In years to come, when they recount these days, it should be fond, relaxed, whimsical times they recall, not over-taxed and over-complicated moments of stress.
4. Leave things open to chance. If it feels right, take that unexpected exit. Too much planning can suck the life and spontaneity from a trip.
5. Eat in unusual, non-chain joints when you can. Fast food places don't need your business as much as Big Bad Bubba's Bar-B-Q. (And Bubba's food is better!)
6. Meet people along the way. Be they locals or fellow travelers, it can really enhance your experience to hear about others' experiences.
7. Take lots of pictures. Later on in life, you'll probably wish you'd taken even more.
8. Be patient. Kids may not love the open road as much as you do. If that's the case, start small with day trips and maybe you'll wean them into it.
9. Give your kids choices. Spur their imagination with what's out there and let them be a part of deciding where you visit/what you do.
10. Take your time. After all, life is shorter than we'd like it to be. Perhaps we can make it at least seem longer by slowing down a bit.
With that, I can hear our daughter's voice right now.
"Are we there yet, daddy?" No, sweetheart. Not yet. Then our son."Dad?"Yes, fella?"Are we there yet?""Not yet, buddy… Soon."
But no matter how close we really are to our destination, in my mind I always sort of hope we don't get there for awhile. Because I love watching miles pass by with my family. And I know that in the years following their eventual leaving of the nest, I will miss that question terribly. After all, what better reminder that you're a parent than hearing those wonderful little voices asking that classic question from the backseat (even if you've just pulled out of the driveway.) Are we there yet?
--Chris EptingJune 20, 2004
Tips for Road Tripping with Kids (#6)
Snacks and meals can make or break your day. The secret to making time and miles fly is to make mealtime early and healthy snacks abundant.
This is the sixth installment in an ongoing series of travel-tested tips for road tripping with kids.
Tip #6. No-crash snack stash
What comes out of kids is directly related to what goes into them (I'm talking about behavior here, we're done with the puke discussion). Sugar-laden foods make them go up and down real fast (especially if they're strapped into the back seat). Snacks are a favorite time killer among kids (parents too), and that can be OK if you give them the right stuff.
- Fruit such as Clementines are yummy, healthful, and sufficiently messy to satisfy many kids. Cherries with pits are fun to spit, but they're a wicked choking hazard, so they're no good for young kids (make sure to give the kids a trash bag to spit the seeds into). Grapes and bananas are usually popular too. Two word tip: baby wipes
- Sugarless gum lasts long so it's a good investment in quiet time (you'll want to provide some sort of trash stash for gum disposal, if you're driving a rental, maybe it's not so important). Trident actually tastes good too.
- Altoids!
- Goldfish. A yummy snack that doesn't have a lot of bad stuff in it.
- Individual apple sauce cups.
- Animal Crackers
- Little creal boxes are much more fun to eat then a tupperware container with cereal in it.
- Other crackers
- Cheerios
- Beef jerky
- Peanut butter
- Cheese sticks
- Water is better than coke. Juice works well too, but even 100% pure juice has a lot of sugars in it, so make it a once or twice a day thing.
- Trail mix is a high protein snack with some M&M treats for the kids (I'm not a complete a sugar fascist).
- Fruit rolls
Tips for Road Tripping with Kids (#5)
Let's face it, at the end of a long day of driving, you need to unwind a little bit. And it's a good idea to hedge your bets in a strange town.
The fifth (so to speak) in our series of travel-tested road trip tips. This is our favorite tip, by the way...
Tip #5. Pack a flask!
...or a bottle of wine or some herbal tea. We're not in any way advocating drinking and driving. We are however advocating drinking after driving. After a long day of driving 
Pamper yourself, pack a flask (great martini recipe here). Don't have a flask? Get one here (this is a Christmas hint for any loved ones who happen to be reading this blog). If you opt for wine, don't forget the corkscrew, if Herbal teas are your bag, we recommend the custom blends at Montana Tea and Spice Trading. Specifically, Evening in Missoula, Night on Glacier Bay, and Wild West.
What unwinds your drive?
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