Kids and Travel

Yesterday I drove home from a family weekend trip to Atlanta. Overall we were in the car for about 4 1/2 hours. Not too long, but with kids it was long enough. My boys were very good. They had a movie playing on the dvd player, new toys from the Lego store, magazines and catalogs from the lego store, and an endless array of snacks. Since they were content I had time to think about road trips when I was a kid.

I remember not having a/c in the car and the windows being open. There were only a few radio stations to chose from, but certain songs I hear today bring back snippets of memories from those times. My entertainment came from coloring books, playing I Spy, counting how many different states on license plates you found, and watching the scenery.

All of this made me wonder about the pioneers, or even just getting around pre-engine years. Richard Gunter, whom I've mentioned before, was never in the same place for any given census year. Charles Brumbaugh, my gg grandfather, lived in Pennsylvania and travelled frequently to Colorado. My great Aunt Maude, his daughter, said he had gold fever and she travelled with him a couple times as a kid.

So this thought led to the question, what did the kids do? I imagine they bickered about the same things and annoyed their siblings the same way kids do now. After all, kids are kids, and I don't think they've evolved in that area too much. I'm sure they explored the scenery or terrain as much as they could. How did they pass the time walking next to a wagon all day? I realized I have no idea what the answer is. I'd like to find out though. Hhhmm, another subject to research.