The KLMN Blog: Road Trip

This past weekend Nick and I decided to pile in the car and brave the summer highway - and gas prices - and head to Chicago for a long weekend. We have not done a road trip in a long time, and wondered how the kiddos would hold up. No time like the present! We had been planning the trip for a while and at the last minute, my Mom found herself in the Twin Cities (more on that later) and, being the brave and highly tolerant woman that she is, decided to join us for the trek.

Saint Paul, MN to Palatine, IL (home of my Aunt) = 378 miles. According to Mapquest, that would take 6 hours and 14 minutes.

Yeah. Right.

I propose that someone add features to these driving direction search engines. One should be able to select options such as "number of children traveling in vehicle", "ages of children", "time of day you will be traveling" and "would you like the station identification numbers for Radio Disney at all points of travel along your desired route?". With all this information, the computer should be able to calculate things such as number of potty stops per age of children and food/beverage consumption according to time of day traveling. It should provide a list of radio stations by town along the route. It should provide restaurant locations along the route with kid-friendly menus that are NOT Wendy's or Burger King and certainly not Taco Bell (who eats Taco Bell on a road trip? And if you do, could the computer factor in additional diaper changes for the toddler?).

Alas - such options do not exist. Another option that should exist on these search engines......construction. And, accordingly, alternate routes. Our 6 hour and 14 minute road trip TO Illinois turned into about 9 because of construction. Sigh.

Thankfully, I would like to announce that I have the most wonderful children on the planet. Granted, we DID have a couple of "are we there yet" moments. And there WAS a point where I actually said "I will turn this car around, Kate" - and then I promptly burst into laughter at the fact that those words came out of my mouth. BUT - the kids were fantastic. Liam was particularly surprising in his tolerance of the trip. He was an angel - just super pleasant. And no bad diapers, if you understand me.

The actual visit to Chicagoland was fantastic!!!! We crammed a ton of visiting in - we saw my godparents, my cousins Biddy and Dean and Kris and Dave and all of THEIR kiddos - Sophie, Cassie, Matt, Kate, Clare and Jack (Kate and Liam were in HEAVEN playing with all their cousins). We saw my Grandmother and had a lovely lunch with her - it was really great to have 4 generations of McKenny family together: Grandma, my mom, me and Kate. Nick and I visited with one of my dearest friends, Erin and her wonderful Joe. My Mom got to visit one of her best friends. AND I attended a mini-high school reunion! We took the kids to a picnic where we visited with my high school buddies and their significant others and kids and later we had an adults-only Peoria Notre Dame night on the town. It was wonderful to see my friends and so great to catch up. I had a WONDERFUL TIME. I think Nick did, too! :)

We drove back late on Sunday and the road trip gods were kind. The kids, once again, were angels. Even with a stop for gas and a stop for food we made it home in 6 1/2 hours. Woo hoo!

I am so thankful for the chance to make that trip and see all those wonderful friends and family. Thanks to Auntie Robin and Uncle Jack for the hospitality - and Erin and Joe, too. I am so amazingly, unbelievably blessed with the people I have in my life. What a lucky girl am I!

Here are some pics from the weekend....

Kate and her Great Grandma