Roadtrips + Roadside Motels

I have a serious love affair with roadtrips. In 2014, we packed up the kids (10 and 12 at the time), a propane cookstove, bbq, toaster, pots and pans, and a cooler full of food and drove to Manhattan (yes - NYC!). We had picnic lunches in parks and tailgated in motel parking lots along the way. We created memories that will outlast my lifetime. It was the best of times.

Embrace nostalgia this summer with an 80s inspired roadtrip to Isle Madame. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Cram the kids in the back seat.
Hoard all snacks in the front seat. Use as bribery to keep them from fighting/complaining.
Spread open a paper map of Nova Scotia over the dash. Plot your route. Circle points of interest.
Drive with the windows down. Even on the highway.
Play Wham Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. Turn it up. Sing loud.
Play the alphabet game with road signs where look for a sign with a place that begins with the letter A and then continue to B, etc. (if your A place is Arichat, you are not good at this game).
Fist pump when you pass a tractor-trailer. Bonus points if they lay on the air horn.
Grab McDonalds along the way. Eat in the car.
Check in to a motel room at The Clairestone Inn. Yes, those are double beds.
Tell the kids to go run, play hide and seek, or do cartwheels in the front yard while the adults get “settled” (where settled means unfolding a camp chair and pouring a cold beverage).
Play washer toss (aka the safer version of lawn darts).
Put on pajamas and head to the firepit. Have a marshmallow roasting contest (most golden, most burnt, most gooey, first bellyache).
Look at the stars. Find the Big Dipper.
Pack it in for the night. Enjoy the 40 minutes it takes for everyone to have their turn in the one washroom. (Adults: pour yourselves another drink).
Shut off the lights. Wait for the giggles. Join in until your cheeks hurt and you can’t catch your breath.
When it’s finally quiet, say “Good night, John-Boy”.
Wake up without an alarm. It’s a new day!
Dig out those individual kid-size cereal variety packs from the trunk. Coin toss for the Froot Loops. Eat from the carton because bowls are so 2021. Watch morning cartoons on tv.
Head to the beach with a cooler, towels, and snacks. Eat pb + j sandwiches. Build a sandcastle or sculpture on the sandbar. Fly a kite. Jump waves.
Return to your 300sq ft oasis. Leave an inch of sand in the tub. Parents: get the aloe ready because you know someone said they had sunscreen on… but they didn’t.
Order pizza. Eat on the beds (because you’re not doing the laundry!).
Give the kids cash and let them walk across the road for ice cream at Hearts or down the road to the convenience store (Jeantie’s Mini Mart) for a Surprise bag.
Play a game of crazy eights.
Quiet time. Read Archie comics. Nightcap for the adults.
Treat the family to breakfast in our dining room. Talk about your stay. Make a plan for the day.
Hit the road to your next destination!

**There are no phones or electronic devices required for any of the above. Do your best to limit usage to the camera function only. Talk to the locals to find out where to go, what to do, where to eat.

Doesn’t this look fun??! I’m on the far left with my sisters and Dad - circa 1986

One room, two beds, a million laughs, a few tears. Circa 1985

Above: Some of our family roadtrips. We look super enthused. As parents, we sometimes take a lot of sh*t, but know that your kids will one day hold these memories close to their hearts. xo

Happy Adventuring!