We get our travel inspiration in various ways and writing 2-3 articles a week, despite having been to at least 16 countries, I often come up short for ideas. That was not the case last week thanks to Rachel at Zip Set Go.com. She posed a question in Twitterville which got me thinking: what was your most memorable family travel experience?
The first thing that jumped into mind was a road-trip with my Dad to the land of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Woo hoo! We kids thought seeing the Amish people drive around in buggies was going to be a treat. Well, that was nothing compared to our first visit to one of those no-tell motels – the kind where all sorts of diseases grow on the sheets and more than one or two people were probably murdered in our room.
The problem was that Dad never planned anything and insisted we could go anywhere within driving distance of New York. Now, you should know that driving distance to Dad was also relative in that he would drive for 10 hours one way. I think it was a ploy to exhaust us in the back seat of the old station wagon so that we wouldn’t care where we slept when we did arrive.
Photo: Derek Ramsey
Anyway, this particular evening, somewhere around Lancaster, Pennsylvania and before we got to Hershey, we pulled into this motel along the side of the road…………….the Vegas-style neon vacancy sign is what called to Dad: “Come here, we are CHEAP!“ Adjoining rooms meant one for Dad and my step-mom and another next door for the kids………no shared door. Another woo hoo – this is where the fun would start. However, we were girls and truly skeeved (che schifo for the Italians here) the red paisley bedspread and flocked wallpaper – UNTIL – UNTIL my sister saw that if we dropped quarters into the slot, then the bed would vibrate. What fun – a vibrating trampoline! It lasted until Dad killed our supply of quarters but the memory has lasted a lifetime.
Things to do Then and Still:
Dutch Wonderland – corny, old-fashioned theme park but suits the needs of the little ones.
Roadside America – this place is AWESOME. It’s a model train collection that offers a true panorama of American life over the past 100 years. Visitors walk through history by a platform inside the 6,000 square foot building.
Tour the Hershey factory – We got to see the real thing. Now you visit a recreation but you can also make your own designer chocolate bar. I may have to go back just for that!
Amish Farm and House Tour – we were able to visit just the farm and the simple house. Today, the Amish are on Facebook and Twitter and offer buggy rides and theatrical recreations. Hmmmmmm!
So, what was your fondest childhood travel memory? I would love to hear.
