A Traveling Thanksgiving

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

I LOVE to travel.

At 41 years old, I’ve been to 42 U.S. states, multiple U.S. territories and British islands in the Caribbean, as well as 16 different countries (mostly in Europe). If there really is an elusive travel bug, I’ve got it!

I don’t love the airport delays or flight cancellations, nor the lost luggage and long days that make you weary. And being that I’m seriously cursed by the travel gods, I’ve had more than my fair share of ALL of these.

That said, every minute of inconvenience and annoyance is worth the hug of friends not seen in a long time or embracing the spirit of a place I’ve never been. I love the energy of big cities and the quaint nature of small villages– the sights and sounds and smells. I love the unknown of foreign lands– the language, the food, the culture. I love the way a smile is universal. And, I love the experiential learning that comes from sheer exposure to places and things unknown.

As a mom, I think exposing my children to travel is one of the most important things I can do. Something I’m blessed to be able to do. I’ll often forgo a repeat vacation or the latest toy or technology device they want for a trip because I know another toy will come out and the battery life of that device will eventually die, but the memories and knowledge gained will last forever. I also believe travel offers you simple reflection… the recollection of moments and re-telling of stories, each adding to the insight and awareness of what has been gained.

It is for these reasons that I am trying to take my three daughters to all 50 U.S. states before they graduate from high school (for maximum clarification, by the time the youngest graduates which should be 2031 if my math is accurate). With 6 years between my oldest and my youngest daughters, I wanted to ensure two things:

1. That the youngest would be old enough for her own memories
2. That my girls experience traveling to all 50 states together

The only other “rule” is you can’t just do a drive by… the time doesn’t need be several days, but it must be memorable.

Which is why as soon as the 2018 new year rolled in, I began to plan an epic family trip over Thanksgiving (11 months away) on an Amtrak tour (The Empire Builder) of the Midwest and Northwest. I’m a single mom and share equal custody with the girls’ father, so timing and advance planning are important. Luckily, my own mother is a fellow travel lover and was more than willing to come along too!

The girls hit state #10 in September with a random, last-minute weekend getaway to Kentucky. But our traveling Thanksgiving added 8 more states to the list. To date, my three girls (ages 6, 9, and 12) have been to 18 U.S. states. And though they don’t know it (Shhh! Don’t ruin the Christmas surprise), they’ll secure a few more between Christmas and the new year. I think I’m doing pretty good on this self-initiated challenge if I do say so myself!

So, for the adventurous thrill-seekers out there, and all who inquired about our trip, I thought I’d share some tips, hints, tricks, and facts that we learned from this most recent expedition.

First up, if you are traveling by train—you cannot be claustrophobic, or shy. Train travel was so fun and different… and so much more pleasant than the airlines.

The five of us were in two sleeper cars which measured around 9’w x 5’d x 7’h. That’s tight for three people, even little people. No real storage. Beds fold down from above. Chairs convert. Tables come out of the wall. Bathrooms are community style down the hall… and no bigger than on an airline. Oh, and there is no WiFi on the train, other than whatever service you have in the location you are.

One important lesson we learned… don’t check your bags, or at least not the ones you need anything from as checking a bag on a train is the same as the airlines (I’ve no idea why we assumed something else)—but rest assured it disappears until your destination. Given our first stretch on the train was 30 straight hours, that would have been an important thing to know in advance. (Oops)

And, prepare to make friends. You’ll be seated beside people in the dining car to fill the tables. You’ll have to turn sideways to pass people in the train cars. You’ll share close proximity in the lounge cars. But it’s wonderful. From infants to elderly, all races and creeds… we met others headed home for the holidays, on their own adventures, or searching to find themselves or their next calling.

In terms of places we visited along the way, we learned so many cool little nuggets of information. I feel sure I’m going to win Final Jeopardy with one of these one day! For instance, who knew that…

• The Palmer House Hotel in Chicago is where the chocolatey goodness known as a Brownie originated?
• That Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower, also in Chicago) has 926 toilets with 25,000 miles of plumbing and is the tallest building in the western hemisphere?
• Watertown, WI is where the first kindergarten in the United States was started by German immigrants?
• Or that Wyocena, WI is home to the Grande Cheese Factory? And that Wisconsin produces 20% of all the cheese in the U.S.? (Those who know me know how this fact exited me!)
• The geographic center of North America is Rugby, North Dakota?
• Stumptown is a nickname for both Whitefish, MT and parts of Portland, OR, because of the impacts of the logging industry?
• The Space Needle in Seattle, WA, measuring 605 feet tall was constructed in only 400 days?
• In addition to Gresham, Oregon, there are 8 other places called Gresham in America, 2 in the UK, and 1 in Ireland? (So cool, right????)

And then there is this quote from Mark Twain which I whole-heartedly believe…

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad / Roughing It

So in addition to traditional travel lore, I apprecite the more organic learning that also occurred, like…

• Who Harvey Milk was (because of a street sign bearing his name and, well, my liberal nature)
• The truth of Thanksgiving and the great harm done by colonists against native and indigenous people
• Being brave enough to overcome fears (like me stepping out on the observation deck plexiglass floors of both the Willis Tower and Space Needle despite my fear of heights)
• The unavoidable reality of homelessness in larger cities (which was hard for my compassionate children to really understand)
• The practice of extending a hand to shake in introduction of self to others; and,
• That despite how big the world it is, it can feel small too… like finding Virginia Tech Hokies in multiple places!

We all (my daughters, my mom, me) captured not just memories for a lifetime, but also learning that shapes who you are, how you think, and what you feel… experiences that were, are, and will continue to be transformative.

I can think of no better gift to give my children than this… and my unconditional love.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky