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When
I was young, I played gin
rummy and Scrabble with my grandmother who was parked on our living room
couch almost every day during her
sunset years. There was little conversation
between us other than the occasional
question about school.
We'd pull up a card table where I
would sit on a hassock opposite of
her and we'd play for hours. That
was the way it was back then sans
the occasional gathering of relatives
who descended upon our summer home
on the lake every weekend.
There, Memere, as she was known, (French
for grandmother) would sit in the
midst of her 10 adult children while
they all scurried around interchanging
jobs as lifeguard, BBQ master and
EMT for the dozens of offspring produced
by the clan. Life was pretty simple
back then for grandparents. They paid
their dues by bearing unreasonable
numbers of progeny and then raising
them to semi-dysfunctional adulthood.
This success earned them the right
to be waited upon, gain excessive
amounts of weight, and reap the spoiling
of dozens of attentive grandchildren.
 How
things have changed!
Today, I am the grandparent.
In fact, I'm the only living grandparent
of two rambunctious boys, 15 and 12,
with whom I try to spend as much time
as possible considering we live 2500
miles apart. During our visits we
go
to movies and out to dinner. Sometimes
we even play on game boys and other
electronic gadgetry on which I best
be up to snuff or become lost in the
same generation gap I experienced
with my own grandmother. But even
electronics can only go so far as
a shared experience and my wrestling
days are pretty much over, so I started
asking other grandparents what they
did with their grandchildren when
they came to visit for extended stays.
The
first common thread I discovered was
that many families are separated by
long distances today, even oceans,
for a variety of reasons, which means
grandparents sometimes either have to drive
excessive miles or take a plane to
see their grandchildren. Or, as the
kids get older quite often they're
"sent" to grandma's house
for an extended visit while mom and
dad go to work or take a well-deserved vacation
of their own.
Since many of these visits are only
once or twice a year, a good majority
of grandparents find themselves disconnected
as their grandchildren immerse themselves
in all the latest toys and speak a
language only known and understood
by other gadget geeks. After all,
the greatest generation and most boomers
weren't exposed to computers until
late in life, whereas, most Generation "Y"-ers
don't know a life without them.
Grandparents, it seems, are struggling
with ways to communicate with their
grandchildren. Trying to entice them
away from the latest X-Box game or
personal cell phone with backyard
barbeques or scrabble just isn't cutting
it anymore.
 I
began to wonder what would cut it.
What would connect these two generations?
Then it hit me…a road trip.
I for one didn't want my grandsons
spending our 10-day visit in lock-down
hidden behind closed doors engrossed
in HD TV or laptops only to immerge
for the occasional feeding or bathroom
run. What better way to
achieve quality time together while
covertly educating them with my knowledge
and experience on the road, a place
I know well.
 After
all, isn't it the boomer generation
who is the most well-traveled of all
today? Isn't it the boomers
who had geography and history lessons
pummeled into their brains all throughout
school? I was shocked to learn that
Jake, my 12-year-old grandson, who
has attended a private school since
first grade, has never had a history
or geography class, nor had his 15-year
old brother Johnathan until his first
year in a public high school. Even
then he said not much emphasis was
placed on history but rather on math
and science. What better way to
learn about U.S. geography and history
than a good old-fashioned road trip?
What better ways to share quality
time, while having
a whole bunch of fun and educational
entertainment? What better way to
open up these young minds to the world
outside of Windows?
The
thought of spending ten days and 1600
miles on the road with two young teens
may not sound appealing to most but
with proper preparation it's not nearly
as daunting as it may seem.
Tip
1: Create an itinerary
that completely immerses the kids
not only in the destinations but also in
the journey. If they're involved
in the process it makes the journey
that much more enjoyable. And most
of all make sure the ride is comfortable
and safe.
 My
first stop was General Motors and
OnStar for a perfectly
well-suited vehicle for a road trip
of this length; one that would provide
plenty of room, comfort, style, class
and safety. They surely delivered.
The all-new GMC
Acadia, which seats six comfortably
with three rows of seats, was our
road trip ride. Not needing the third
row for passengers the 60/40 split
seats laid flat to accommodate three
suitcases, two backpacks, a large
box of food and a cooler - all of
which were packed for easy access.
The backpacks were placed near the
middle row bucket seats so the boys
could access their stuff and the cooler
by the automatic lift gate for rest
stop meals. The boys really got kick
out of the automatic lift gate and
ended up finding all the different
ways it could be opened and closed.
[READ
FULL REVIEW OF GMC ACADIA]
Tip
2: Bring lots of healthy
snacks. The sugar content of things
like candy, potato chips and soda
only intensifies the antsy-ness of
high energy kids. The last thing any
driver wants is teens and tots in a high state of alert
strapped in a seat belt for 300 miles.
Bring an assortment of fruits, water,
string cheese, crackers, health bars
and things of that nature so they
can nibble during the more lengthy
legs of the journey. For kids not
used to healthy snacks this is a great
opportunity to start adapting them
(and perhaps yourself) to a healthier
lifestyle. And they will adapt quickly
when that's all there is.
Also, keep a small amount of these
snacks handy and accessible for each
child in a Ziploc bag or a small bucket
by their seats for snacking at
will. This will prevent you from having
to constantly pull over to get the
snacks or worse, letting a child get
out of his seatbelt while you're driving
to access food. Not a safe idea.
Tip
3:
Be sure each child has their own set
of headphones and bring DVDs that
are age appropriate. Kids today are
far more savvy and sophisticated and
very likely will not be interested
in watching the kind of movies we
watched as kids at the same age. Be mindful of their experience, not
so much their age, when selecting
movies.
You may want to first ask them what
they like and then ask their parents
to gauge a happy medium. Although,
if you're a grandparent like me, the
goal is to spoil your grandchildren
rotten with just about anything and
everything they want (within reason
of course). After all, they're our
reward for not killing our own kids.
OnStar's
Turn-by-Turn Navigation
One
of the first things we did was become familiar
with our new onboard partner and adviser,
OnStar's Turn-by-Turn navigation system.
We named our invisible friend Jack,
after my father, who was known as
the go-to guy in our family for great
advice. By giving the OnStar voice
a name, it also provided a fun way
to easily talk to Johnathan and Jake's
about their great-grandfather; a wonderful
man they never knew but surely would
have loved for his unique character.
[Visit
OnStar Newsletter]
I also loved Jack because he made
my grandsons laugh. When Jack speaks
you must listen and let him finish
before answering. Not being the most
patient person, I often stepped on
Jack's questions with my too-soon
answer. He would then start over because
he couldn't understand my response
when I interrupted. The boys got a
big kick out of Jack's ability to
shut me up. I learned quickly not
to interrupt. It soon became very
apparent that having Jack on board
kept us safe, in sync and on schedule,
not to mention entertained. [READ
ABOUT ONSTAR'S TURN-BY-TURN]
Tip
4: Choose destinations
that are entertaining for both you
and your grandchildren, again keeping
their gender and age in mind.
 Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland,
Ohio
After flying Johnathan
and Jake to Michigan from California,
I gave them just one day to adjust
to the 3-hour time difference then
off we went to Cleveland, Ohio for
a tour of the Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame. Music,
in my opinion, is the only universal
communication that seems to truly
connect generations and cultures so
what better way to start the journey
than with a walk through music's history
showcasing groups that were hot when
I was a kid and are still hot today.
 The
seven-story Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame in Cleveland is only 10 years
old but in that 10 years they have
managed to fill every nook and cranny
with memorabilia. My grandsons enjoyed
learning the history, looking at the
famous costumes and instruments, and
especially appreciated the photos
and videos of how Rock & Roll
has evolved over the years. [READ
MORE ON ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME]
Tip
5: Allow plenty of time
at each destination. Kids and grandparents
each move at different paces. Some
move slower, some faster. Be sure
to allow ample time to explore the
attractions you've selected without
rushing. This will keep everyone's
tempers quelled making the experience
more fun and unforgettable.
Tip
6: Choose a hotel that
is kid-friendly and has enough room.
 Embassy
Suites: A Great Hotel for Families
At the end of our Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame tour we headed
for our host hotel, the Embassy
Suites Rockside in Cleveland.
The Embassy Suites is one of my favorites
because they offer so many great amenities
for not only families but also for
business travelers on a budget.
In addition to reasonable rates, the
Embassy Suites rooms are spacious
with the bedroom completely separated
from the living area, which is nice
if you're traveling with children.
The living area has a sofa bed, table
and chairs, a TV, a kitchenette with
microwave, refrigerator and coffee
maker, great options for making your
own meals. The two rooms also make
it convenient for putting kids to
bed early if the adults want to stay
up later, although some may find themselves
as pooped as the grandkids by the
end of the day. [READ
EMBASSY SUITES REVIEW]
Tip
7: Try to plan your itinerary
to stay on schedule with meals and
decent bedtime hours. Remember, kids
get excited with all this activity
so it takes awhile for them to calm
down at night. Staying on some sort
of normal eating and sleeping schedule
will make it easier to get them up
in the morning and keep them from
lagging behind on the next day's activities.
Of course, this best applies if your
road trip goes through states in the
same time zone. In our case, the boys
were on west coast time trying to
adjust to east coast time so getting
them up on the first couple of mornings
was a bit challenging. But due to the
element of excitement of the trip, they adjusted
fairly quickly.
Tip
8: Get the kids involved
in the daily maintenance of the trip.
When you pack a cooler full of water
and juice it requires ice refills
daily. It was necessary to pack and
unpack the Acadia every time we arrived
at a hotel. There were also numerous
gas fills. Be sure to assign tasks
to everyone on the trip right from
the get-go. With everyone pitching
in and taking responsibility for a
portion of the trip it makes it much
more of a team effort instead of one
person doing everything and resenting
it.
Jonathan took care of all our gas
fills as well as all the loading and
unloading of the heavy luggage. Jake,
a bit smaller, emptied our ice chest
every night and made runs to the hotel's
ice machine to refill it. I also made
a check list of all the bags and electronics
we had with us so before leaving the
room each morning we checked off everything
on the list to ensure nothing was
left behind. Within a couple of days,
the boys had it down to a science.
Sharing the responsibility of the
trip really turned it into a team
effort, which everyone felt good about.
It gives kids a sense of pride in
knowing they're contributing and it's
being appreciated. They also tend
to appreciate their destinations more
when they recognize how much goes
into the itinerary.
New
York City, New York
After Cleveland, we
headed for New York City for the 4th of
July celebrations. This was not one
of my brightest ideas. New York City
during 4th of July week is not the
best place to take kids, or even to
go alone. It was quite busy.
It's brimming with tourists from all
over the world to the point where
every street is like a mob scene out
of War of the Worlds. It's an ideal
situation for pick-pockets but not
for families. It would be very easy
to lose a little one or actually anyone
in such dense crowds. It's also very
loud with taxis and cars blasting
horns and construction workers screaming
above it all. And with so many tourists,
trying to find an available taxi was
difficult at best.
Although we had the Acadia, I had
our New York Embassy Suites valet
tuck it away somewhere safe where
it wouldn't get dinged and banged,
which meant we ended up walking everywhere.
We
took the hop-on hop-off bus tour in
lower Manhattan and managed to see
the Statue of Liberty, ride the Staten
Island Ferry (which is free by the
way), and see ground zero from 9/11.
We also took a tour of the Empire
State Building and enjoyed the bird's
eye view of Manhattan from the 86th
floor. In spite of all that, the traffic
getting in and out of NY that week
was horrible, crowds were overwhelming,
every attraction was crowded with
long lines, and everything was very
expensive, including $50 per night
for parking. In fact, Johnathan and
Jake mentioned at trip's end that
NY was the least favorite spot. A
lesson learned.
"The
best part of NY for us was our host
hotel,
the New York Embassy Suites."
If
you think this Hilton-owned chain
is too budget-based for your needs,
think again. The location of this
property was very close to the Hudson
River with our room facing west for
amazing sunsets. The concierge is
very helpful with directing tourists
to places of fame and notoriety. And
like all Embassy Suites, they provide
a full cook-to-order breakfast, which
is included in the cost of the room.
This is especially beneficial in New
York where prices for everything are
over the top. The NY
Embassy Suites also included
free Internet access, a nice little
perk indeed. And, Johnathan expressed
how comfortable the fold out sofa
was during our two-night stay there,
stating that it was even more comfortable
than his own bed at home.
Nonetheless,
when it came time to leave New York
we couldn't leave fast enough. Had
it not been for OnStar's Turn-by-Turn
getting us in and out with such ease
amongst all the construction and traffic
we might still be finding our way
out today.
Mystic
Seaport, Connecticut
After leaving NY, and encountering
a minor altercation with a 'lady'
construction worker, who didn't disappoint
with her world-class performance of
the reputed New York attitude, sailor
mouth and hand gestures included,
we headed north to New England.
Along Connecticut's winding coastline
we stopped in Mystic Seaport and entered
the world of the 18th century whaling
and shipping community. I took my
own children there in the 70s and
had fond memories of that tour but
when we arrived much had changed.
The village had been upgraded, the
ships were fewer than I recall, and
some of the historical outdoor displays
were gone, probably ruined and rotted
from the salt air exposure. But not
all was lost. [READ
ABOUT MYSTIC'S 18TH CENTURY COMMUNITY]
New
England: Meet the Family
Visiting our family in New England
and having the boys meet those they've
never met before was one of the highlights
of our road trip. With so many families
separated by distance today, kids,
especially grandchildren, are not
growing up the tight-knit families
that were once common place. Many
kids rarely, sometimes never, meet
their extended family so any time
there's an opportunity for my grandsons
to make that connection to learn more
about their heritage, I'm all for it.
Like
most people, I have a totally dysfunctional
family who I love dearly, and of course,
their nuttiness was in full swing
upon our arrival. The boys also met
their 90-year-old, great grandmother
(my mother), who is in a nursing home
with Alzheimer's disease.
Nonetheless, during our brief visit
she smiled the entire time even mentioning
at one point that one of the boys
reminded her of her brother. Having
Alzheimer's we thought this comment
was progress. As for the boys, they
experienced yet another generation
and history from which they came.
 At
the end of our trip I asked the boys
what they enjoyed most about their
adventure, and without hesitation,
they said meeting their family. I
pondered that for a moment and was
reminded of the power and importance
family has over all other things.
Although meeting family was awesome
and a bunch of fun, I had one last
big thing in store for them.
Niagara
Falls, New York: Saving the Best for
Last
When
one thinks of Niagara Falls they might
think weddings, romance, and honeymoons.
And while Niagara Falls is one the
most well-know honeymoon destinations
in the United States it has so much
more to offer.
 Actually,
a little tidbit we learned from Ambassador
Art, our personal tour guide who was
assigned to us from the Niagara Convention
and Tourism Corporation, was that
about 50 percent of all Niagara Falls
tourists visit from India and approximately
15 percent visit from Asia. Art explained
that the people from India are taught
from a very young age about the power
of water. They learn that the Ganges
River is the source of life and the
receiver of death.
There are constant cremations along
the Ganges River from the time of
their ancestors to today. They believe
their spirit thrives in the river.
The Niagara Fall also represents these
magical powers to the people of India
which is why they travel in hordes
every year to experience the enigmatic
power and spiritual connection the
falls represent to them and their
culture. [READ MORE
ABOUT NIAGARA FALLS ADVENTURE]
What
a trip! What an experience! Was it
easy planning such an eventful trip?
No. Was it tiring being on the road
for a week and driving 1600 miles?
Yes. Was it worth every minute of
every day to take my grandsons on
a road trip they'll never forget?
Absolutely. Would I do it again? Without
hesitation.
 This
trip created memories for Johnathan
and Jake that they'll never forget
for the rest of their lives. Today,
they're sharing stories of their adventure
with their friends.
Tomorrow, they'll share those same
stories with their own children, and
hopefully someday, take their own
grandchildren on a memorable adventure
of their own. To ensure that they
never forget a moment of their remarkable
journey, upon our return I made a
souvenir scrapbook full of memorabilia
including tickets, wristbands, photos,
even pieces of our waterlogged ponchos
from every place we visited, and every
adventure shared.
I
want my experience with my grandchildren
to be different than mine was with
my grandmother. Although I learned
many things from her, including becoming
a spelling bee champion, no doubt
to all those years of scrabble, I
want my grandsons to remember that
life is about living to the fullest,
part of which includes adventure of
both mind and spirit and endless possibilities
to learn and explore. What better
way than a good old-fashioned road
trip?
If
you go:
Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame
751 Erieside Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216)
781-ROCK
Embassy
Suite Rockside, Cleveland
5800 Rockside Woods Blvd.
Independence, Ohio 44131
(216) 986-9900
Embassy
Suites, New York
102 North End Avenue
New York, NY 10282
(212) 945-0100
Niagara
Crown Plaza
300 Third Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
(716) 285-3361
Mystic
Seaport, Connecticut
75 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
(888) 973-2767
Niagara
Falls Tourism and Convention Corporation
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