The John Pickens Travel Plan

My father loved to travel. In fact before my 18th birthday we had driven over most of the United States. Yes - that's right we drove. We drove everywhere. From the middle of Texas, we drove. We drove to the Red Wood forest in northern California. We drove to Washington DC. We drove to the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. We drove to the Grand Canyon. We drove to Disneyland. We drove to Disney World. We drove and drove and drove. And we hit every single Corn Palace, Booger Burger, historical marker, cavern and cave along the way. We have probably been to 90% of the caves, caverns and historical markers in the United States. Dad would drive 2 hours out of his way if there was even the HINT of a historical marker.

Looking back on it those trips were the best and HILARIOUS. But maybe they weren't so funny at the time. I mean while other kids got to eat at McDonalds on their roadtrips, my dad packed a cooler. The cooler contained ice, white bread, mustard, tomatoes, turkey and diet coke. And that's what you were eating. Your sandwich even had to have mustard and tomato on it even if you didn't want it that way. The bread would get all soggy from the ice - UGH! I still hate sandwiches to this day!!!

If we did get to go to restaurant then we were not allowed to order whatever we wanted, we had to order whatever was local. I HATED this as a kid but have fully adopted and endorsed this policy as an adult.

We also were not allowed to listen to head phones because we had to interact and play games like "SPY" and "ABC" and if you were asleep while passing by a "Now entering xyx State" sign you were shaken awake and yelled at to look at the signs!!

My father would not stay in any place other than a Motel 6. I mean really only a Motel 6. Not La Quina, not Comfort Inn - Motel 6. We had the Motel 6 map and if it was 10pm and there was another Motel 6 just 30 mins away according to the Motel 6 map, my dad would push on. ESPECIALLY If there was no vacancy then we were not going to stop until we got to that next Motel 6 that had a vacancy.

The John Pickens travel plan also had very specific ideas about when one should be up and how many things you should see. Up at 6am out and on the road by 7am (no time for breakfast or just get it on the road) and then see AS MANY things as you can see until bedtime which really if my dad had his way would be 11pm or midnight.

We finally got to fly when I turned 18 and he took us all to London for my 18th birthday. London was more of the same, although no Motel 6 it was up at 6am pack in as many sites as we could see until they were closed then dinner then all the walking tours that ran late and then pubs til midnight. He was relentless but we never missed a thing!!

Every single one of these trips have been documented with endless photographs and video. Purposeful videos of landscapes going by and accidental videos of the whole family fighting because dad put the lens cap back on but forgot to turn the video off. All of those moments are priceless and hilarious. And to dad's credit he carried that video camera every where. Every hike, monument and cave. This is no small feat as the video camera was the size of the professional ones now and had to be carried in a suit case - it must have weighed about 50 lbs.

I have to credit my love of travel, local food and my obsession with documenting to my dad as well as my hatred of sandwiches and Motel 6. But I love every moment of those memories. My one regret is I never got to take dad to the Pyramids, Greece or China all of which were on his bucket list. I plan to take my family there though and I am sure he will be with us in spirit even if we avoid the Motel 6.