Road trips then and now


Speaking of road trips I cannot resist to say a few words about how we used to travel when we went camping with our children. This would almost feel like kneeling in the confessional, if I didn’t know for certain that there are thousands (millions?) of people, who share these memories.
How many of you don’t recall being tossed into the back of the station wagon? If you were lucky, it was lined with a mattress, some sleeping bags and pillows.
We always made sure that all items that might become projectiles in case of a sudden stop were firmly secured, but kids were not. I would guess, though, that they were a lot more comfortable than our now firmly secured grandchildren are.
Yes, I admit, I now strap in and firmly secure my grandchildren, too, but when their parents were little, that just wasn’t done. Actually, it’s a miracle they ever grew up, because on top of all that, we smoked. Please note the past tense!
Even before the station wagon, we turned the Volkswagen Beetle into our own little wagon by removing the back of the rear seat and thus creating a somewhat larger resting area. In order to protect the children against falls (and because we needed the space) we planted upright, fully packed, soft-sided airline suitcases behind the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The resting area was further lined with sleeping bags and pillows.
You’re probably wondering where on earth we put everything else that was needed for our camping weekend. Good question! Two luggage racks – one on top, one angled away from the back of the vehicle. We would actually fasten the folded tent to the underside of the carrier at the back. That way there was room for other things on top.

I can just hear you groan. Frankly, we loved it.
Now, when just two of us are traveling, we have more room than we ever had before with five, but then, our house is bigger than it ever was when all the kids were home. How did we ever manage?

Free Original Clipart at Designed to a T

No comments:

Post a Comment

More wished for products in travel accessories