Roadgeeking with Kids - An Introduction

(First of an occasional series - highlighting in a sometimes humorous way of how having kids changes how you roadgeek)

From my experience, most roadgeeks (enthusiasts if you don't like the term) are male. Most are single. Some are in a relationship and even married. Many of those that are married are DINKs (Dual income no kids) and a handful of us have kids - some of us - like my family - have two. Or even more!

Myself with our youngest Nash and our oldest Colton.

Along with my wife, Maggie, the four of us are a happy family that find ourselves in one adventure or another. Currently, that is keeping a somewhat organized home! A three year old boy and a two month old will do that!

Obviously having kids takes up a lot of time and the days of last minute, "Hey, I'm gonna go out and do a photo trip and explore for a few hours," or something similar are long gone. As is the free time to work on webpages or even this blog. In fact, I typed most of this blog on my phone while rocking Nash to sleep. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy your hobby or include the family in it.

Since Colton has been born, we have done a number of road trips near and far. Gone are the days where Maggie and I would find places to hike or something between here and Pennsylvania or on the way to Texas. These are replaced by hey there's a children's museum, aquarium, zoo, etc on the way, etc. But as I was saying, we have done a few trips with Colt on the past three years and he's pretty much an excellent traveler and loves the adventure. But it does change when you go from one kid to two, and we're just beginning to start those adventures.

So what will this series entail? Oh, fun things like:

* Thank goodness for cell phone cameras

* The hunt for good playgrounds - the family version of finding that elusive sign or bridge.

* Squeezing in roadgeeking on various trips and not frustrating your wife!

* Our family county maps

* Making the hobby a family activity

* When backroads to away football games are a cause to roadgeek!

* And other things

I'm looking forward to writing and sharing these stories with you all and feel free to comment and leave ideas and suggestions.

Comments

Josh Businger said…

I think it's cool that you're sharing your travel experiences with them. They will most likely grow up & do the same thing you're doing now. My grandparents took me on road trips as a kid & they passed their love for the road to me. Jess & I don't have (or are planning to have) kids so in that aspect we're kind of missing out in a way. But I think I turned her into a road geek, which is a very good thing!

12:40 AM

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog