Travel days. Two words that can evoke a lot of emotion. Fear. Dread. Whining. Stress.
When we embarked on our 3,000 mile trip to Glacier/Banff, our kids were 5, 3, and 1.5. And everyone that we told thought we had lost our minds. No one could believe we were going to DRIVE IN A CAR that far with kids at those ages. And honestly, when we left… we weren’t completely confident in our sanity levels either. Our frame of mind when we left was that the travel days were a means to an end, and it would be worth it once we got there.
Our kids were somewhat used to long trips because their grandparents live 6-7 hours away (~400 miles or so). But driving that far for days on end would be a whole new experience. And, traveling with the rig is just slower in general.
The first day, there was a lot of “are we there yet?” and a large number of violations filed with the complaint department. We were going from our house to Grandma and Papa’s. A place they know and love, and I think added to the anxiety to get there fast. After that, they really didn’t have a clue where we were going. We could tell them “we’re going to stop at Badlands National Park today!” But that means nothing to a 5, 3, and 1.5 year old.
After that first day, they really settled into travel day mode. Things that helped; iPads, snacks (however much goldfish you think you need, multiply it by 4), and lunch at a park. We’ve learned that after a long day on the road, the worst thing we can do is expect our kids to sit at a restaurant. For lunch, I make sandwiches in the camper, and we try to find a city/county park close to the highway where they can run and play for 30-45 minutes. It makes a HUGE difference.
On this particular travel day, we drove from the Blackhills in South Dakota to Helena, MT to stay overnight before arriving at Glacier NP the next day. The day started off fairly uneventful. We cut through the northeast corner of Wyoming and argued about whether or not we should get the sticker for our map (answer: NO). But as we crossed the border into Montana, everything changed.
We started looking for a place to stop for lunch and noticed that the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument was right off the interstate and a passport stamping opportunity. This was not a planned NPS stop, but we were passing right through, so why not. We thought we’d spend 15-20 minutes, let the kids walk around and then get back in the car.
When we arrived, “The Battle Talk” had just begun. The Battle Talk is a live-retelling of the battle by a Park Ranger. There was a big room towards the back of the visitor’s center that had windows on all sides, looking down over the valley where the battle had taken place. We started casually listening and were instantly captivated. I felt myself slide down to the floor, sit criss-cross applesauce with the kids, and become completely spellbound. The Park Ranger’s description of the battle took you out of the 21st century and back in time to where it all happened. With absolutely no visual effects other than the landscape around us, he transported us to the battlefield. We couldn’t leave. We just kept listening. Mesmerized. As the battle neared the end, I was fairly certain someone was going to get scalped and though I very very much wanted to stay, I knew Audrey would have nightmares for 7 years so I grabbed the kids and we snuck out the back. We then went outside and explored the grounds and the area. I think we spent almost 2 hours, and it was 100% worth it. We talked about that place for the rest of the trip and how glad we were that we took the time to stop. Something we would never have experienced if we were on an airplane.
We continued on through southern Montana on I90 and the travel day became a day we’d never forget.
Montana is something else. It’s nickname “Big Sky Country” is well deserved. I just can’t describe the vastness. When you’re up on these buttes you feel like you can see for a thousand miles.
But it was when we neared Bozeman that our jaws dropped. You snake through the foothills of mountains and rolling hills, and it’s gorgeous everywhere.
In true Andy fashion he says, “where are we right now?!” (he’s purely a driver, not a navigator). “Nearing Bozeman, Montana” and he pointed to a spot nestled at the base of the mountains and said “right there. We’re gonna retire right there.”
We’ll have enough land for Andy to have all the outbuildings he wants, views for days, and my mountain soul will be home. This travel day changed the way we think about travel days now and forever. It’s not a means to an end. It’s an integral part of the journey. No, one of the best parts of the journey. We talk to each other, we sing songs, we dream, and we take in each mile with full hearts and open eyes.
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