Feeling a Little Lonely

I love a road trip.  Give me a hot cup of coffee, any 80's radio station, my two kids in the back seat, and the open road...I'm in heaven. Usually the kids and I head out to visit family during spring break.  I'm sure the hubby looks forward to these bachelor days, unencumbered by having to cook for his family - he eats what and whenever he wants and completes projects that may have lingered over the long winter.

This spring break, however, I'm headed out on the road by myself.  I have some business that I have to take care of 10 hours north of here.  Both kids have plans, none of which include a really long road trip with mom.   

Part of the joy of a road trip is seeing how the trip has changed since the last time.  There are so many things the kids and I look for along the way - like the Delaware Memorial Bridge - we often hit this bridge right at sunrise, and it couldn't be more beautiful.  We check for cruise ships in the harbor at Baltimore; we look for signs of The Big Apple as we take the Garden State Parkway north; and heading into New York State we watch the terrain become rockier and rockier.  

Go ahead and get gas on the New Jersey Turnpike - it'll feel like you are a captive audience, and you are, but it's still cheaper than any gas on the New York State Thruway, and they will pump it for you!  My kids always loved that.

As we get closer to "The Homestead" we look for more local signs, the Hudson river...which we cross numerous times; the hospital in the big city that I was born in; getting off the Northway and heading into the small Adirondack villages that are home; and how about the pig statue in front of the Oscar's Smokehouse Meat and Cheese Store!  

With the kids along I tried to make the trip part of the vacation.  We stopped in fun places along the road and explored some different restaurants; I can probably still tell you where the best McDonald Play Places are! Now my kids are of the age in which they sleep all the way into New York State - and I'm stuck eating homemade peanut butter sandwiches to tide myself over until they wake up.  

I'll mark these miles this spring break without my little buddies in the car with me, and I can't help feeling a little sad.  Wanna go?