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

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River. Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207. Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939. Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune . Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903. The postal name was sourced...

The William Flinn (not Flynn) Highway - Pittsburgh's Misspelled Street

For decades if you traveled along PA Route 8 in Pittsburgh's North Hills suburbs, you would have noticed signs that read "William Flynn Highway" at every intersection. Even today, many businesses and residences have their addresses listed as XXXX William Flynn Highway. However, it's not William Flynn Highway, it is William FLINN Highway - and the gentleman who it is named for has a long and storied past in Pittsburgh's infrastructure history. William Flinn was born in England in 1851; however later that year, his family emigrated to the United States and would settle in Pittsburgh. A 10-year-old school dropout, Flinn grew interested in politics and would join the Allegheny County Republican Party in 1877 as a ward commissioner and a seat on the Board of Fire Commissioners. Flinn would serve in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and Senate from 1877 to 1902. (1) Flinn along with James J. Booth would found the Booth and Flinn construction firm ...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog