Spring is my favorite season. It’s that perfect balance of warmth and renewal, where the world sheds its winter coat, and everything starts to feel alive again. And for me, as a dad, it also means one of my favorite family traditions comes back to life: spring road trips. There’s something magical about packing up the car, rolling the windows down, and hitting the road with my family. It’s not just about the destination—it’s about the journey, the bonding, and the memories we create along the way.
Family road trips weren’t always part of my repertoire. Before I had kids, I thought road trips were just a cheap way to travel, a necessary evil when flights weren’t an option. But once fatherhood came along, I realized these trips were so much more than getting from point A to point B. They became an opportunity to connect with my family in ways daily life doesn’t always allow. Somewhere between snack breaks and car singalongs, I found that road trips genuinely brought us closer together.
The beauty of spring road trips is that they’re perfectly timed. After months of being cooped up indoors during the winter, everyone’s itching to stretch their legs and see the world outside again. The kids are tired of screens and snow boots, and I’m ready to trade the grind of busy schedules for a little spontaneity. Spring is like the universe handing us a giant green light to pack up and go.
Every road trip starts with a sense of excitement in our house. The planning is half the fun, though I’ll admit, it didn’t always feel that way in the early years. When we first started taking trips with the kids, I was the stereotypical dad—armed with spreadsheets, itineraries, and a tightly packed schedule. If you’ve ever traveled with small children, you can guess how that went. By the time our toddler had a meltdown at the first rest stop, I’d start questioning why we even left the house.
It took me a while to learn that road trips with a family aren’t about sticking to a plan—they’re about making memories in the moments you don’t plan for. Now, I’ve embraced the joy of being flexible. We pick a destination, sure, but I leave plenty of room for detours, impromptu stops, and those silly moments that seem insignificant at the time but end up being the things we laugh about for years.
One spring, we decided to head to a state park known for its wildflower blooms. The drive was supposed to take three hours. But along the way, we stopped at a roadside fruit stand because my youngest kept yelling, “I see strawberries!” It turned into an hour-long detour where we walked through strawberry fields, tasted homemade jam, and bought jars of honey we didn’t need but couldn’t resist. By the time we reached the park, we only had an hour before it closed. Yet, when I ask my kids about that trip now, they don’t talk about the park—they talk about the strawberries.
That’s the thing about road trips: they force you to slow down and appreciate the journey. In our busy lives, it’s easy to get caught up in to-do lists and obligations, but when you’re in the car together for hours, there’s no escaping each other. And I mean that in the best way. The car becomes this little microcosm of family life. It’s where the best conversations happen, the funniest jokes are told, and sometimes, the most profound moments sneak up on you.
I remember one spring trip when my oldest, who was ten at the time, asked me if I was ever scared to be a dad. The question caught me off guard—I think it came up because we’d been talking about upcoming changes in his life, like starting middle school. It was one of those rare moments where he let his guard down and asked something so honest. We ended up having one of the most meaningful conversations we’ve ever had, all while driving past fields of blooming tulips. I don’t know if that moment would’ve happened at home, with the TV on in the background or a hundred distractions pulling us in different directions.
Of course, not every moment is deep or sentimental. A lot of road trips are just plain goofy. We’ve had our fair share of “are we there yet?” choruses and sibling squabbles over who gets the window seat. But even those moments are part of the charm. I’ve become a master at mediating backseat bickering, inventing car games on the fly, and using snacks as bribes to keep the peace. Let me tell you, Goldfish crackers and fruit snacks are the duct tape of road trip parenting.
And then there’s the music. Oh, the music. Our family road trip playlists are legendary in our house. Everyone gets to pick a few songs, which means we end up with a mix of everything from Disney soundtracks to classic rock. There’s nothing like belting out “Let It Go” one minute and then switching to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” the next. It’s chaotic, it’s loud, and it’s absolutely perfect.
Spring road trips are also a chance to reconnect with nature. There’s something about seeing the world wake up after a long winter that feels rejuvenating. We’ve driven through fields of wildflowers, hiked trails surrounded by budding trees, and stopped at lakes where the water sparkled in the spring sunshine. One year, we even took a trip to see cherry blossoms in full bloom. The kids loved chasing petals as they fell, and my wife and I just stood there, soaking in the beauty of it all. It’s in those moments that I’m reminded why we do this—why we pack up the car and hit the road, even when it means dealing with traffic or a toddler’s meltdown.
If I’ve learned anything from our spring road trips, it’s that they’re not just about getting away from the routine—they’re about strengthening the bonds that make us a family. It’s easy to let life get in the way of connection. Between work, school, and the endless tasks that come with parenting, there’s always something that needs to be done. But when we’re on the road, all of that fades into the background. It’s just us, together, sharing the experience.
And the best part? These trips are creating a foundation of memories for my kids. I hope that one day, when they’re grown with families of their own, they’ll look back on these road trips with the same fondness that I do. Maybe they’ll even carry on the tradition, taking their kids on spring adventures and telling them stories about the time their dad got lost trying to find the world’s largest ball of yarn or accidentally bought 10 pounds of strawberries.
So, if you’re a fellow parent reading this, wondering if a spring road trip is worth the hassle, my advice is simple: just go. Load up the car, pack some snacks, and hit the road. Don’t worry about perfection—there’s no such thing as a perfect trip. But there is such a thing as an unforgettable one. And those are the memories your family will carry with them forever.
As for me, spring is here, and I’m already planning our next adventure. I don’t know where we’ll end up, but I do know this: we’ll laugh, we’ll explore, and we’ll come back with stories to tell. And really, what more could a dad ask for?
