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Southborough father writes trip guide with help from his wife, kids
That's when his parents drove him and his sister, Christie, to Disney World to save on air fare. Although Josh doesn't recall seeing Mickey Mouse, his memory is full of fun times from the dozens of family car trips to 46 states and visits to 20 countries. Two years ago, mid-trip, the family decided to compile their experiences into a manual for other families. In April, "The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Family Road Trip" was published by Author House. Josh and Christie's father, Joe, is the primary author, but the kids and their mother, Wendy, each contributed a chapter. Christie, a junior at ARHS, is thankful for the chance to have learned so much on their travels, and said that being in the car together for long stretches has helped their family to communicate. "Part of the fun is seeing the country, but also I just like the family time," Christie said. "I have a lot of friends and I go over to their house and they never talk to their parents or their brother or sister; they just ignore them. They stay in their rooms all day. But when you're on a road trip, you're always talking. You're constantly in communication, so you really get to bond with them." Wendy is pleased that the trips allow the family to be together, and she also is glad to see so many places. Although the initial Disney trip was a money saver, she believes road trips are invaluable. "I think a lot of people think road tripping is what to do if you can't aff ord to do anything else," Wendy said. "But I think road tripping is wonderful. You don't have to do it just because it's all you can aff ord or it is what you can aff ord. It's a great thing to do." Josh is also a fan of family car time. "I like the driving and all the places you stop along the way," he said, "not so much usually the destination, more like the driving and talking." Christie said she's learned many life lessons from the trips, such as how to make the best of things and still have fun even when things don't work out as she may have wanted. Joe said that when he was growing up, his parents were unable to aff ord trips, other than one vacation to Niagara Falls. His family drove straight through with no stops. Joe recalls looking out the window, dreaming of pulling off to see other sights. So he makes sure everyone in the family takes part in planning their trips. Josh likes spur-of-the moment detours that would be impossible if they traveled by plane. He was especially happy on one trip when the family realized they weren't too far from Arkansas, a state he longed to visit. What turned out to be a lengthy drive to an open space with nothing to do wound up being great fun when they happened upon a restaurant where patrons had the chance to get a free 72-ounce steak - as long as they could eat it all. Not every moment on the highway has been easy, though, Joe said. But whether it's getting lost or having the only food choices be unfamiliar cuisine, Joe said he's convinced that overcoming such challenges as a family fuels their ability to get along better in life. The family has marveled over preservation areas in the country's national parks. In an eff ort to help sustain those areas, 100 percent of the book's profits are being donated to organizations whose mission is to protect natural resources and historic sites. Joe said he didn't write the book to make money, but rather to help people experience the joys his family has had from road tripping. "I have one simple hope," he said. "I hope that people just try it." For more information about the book, visit www.ultimatefamilyroadtrip. com. |
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