What are your traditions and collections?

[JimmyNeutron]

Just bought our first RV and planning a trip out west next month. We are a family of 5, kids ages 5, 9 and 11. We hope to get on the road several weeks each year and see what there is to see in this big ol' country.

I'd like to come up with some fun ideas for family traditions while we travel, and I'm looking for some inspiration here.

...fun things to do/say/sing/whatever together while headed down the road, crossing into new states, over rivers, thru tunnels, etc.

...games to play and friendly contests, like the alphabet game, "Cows on My Side," etc.

...things to collect, e.g. magnets, rocks...particularly stuff that's cheap or free, but unique

What does your family do?

[Scatterbrain]

We don't have any "driving" traditions. The kids watch TV or play together on the couch while we drive. Our daughters are both girl scouts though, so we always check to see if there are any activities where we are going that can earn them pins or badges. That's about as far as out traveling traditions go though.

[SpaceNorman]

I don't know if I'd call it a tradition ... but I have been known to lay on the air horn when driving past a cemetery and yelling "Wake up dead guys!" ......

[lgarcia]

Try postcards.

I collected postcards when we traveled as kids. Kind of like pre-Tweeting, I was encouraged to compress descriptions to cover the back. I did not send them, just wrote them like a diary.

Now, I get old linen postcard sets from the 1920's through 1950's off eBay and keep them in the travel trailer. It is fun to compare with present day, especially when newer roads have changed things up such as with US 40

[sunset4k]

My husband and I started years ago doing the obvious thing of writing down license plates to see if we can get all of them. Sometimes we actually do!!! I keep a daily journal of our adventures, where we go, who we met, what we saw. And importantly, we track expenses and fuel. DH lives to honk his air horn at cows or livestock standing by the road. We collect rocks, which we both enjoy. May sound silly but we label the bottom of the rock with a Sharpie showing where we found it. We have a lovely growing rock garden!!! We love to wave at passing RVers!! I'm sure you and your family will develope lots of new traditions!!! Good luck and safe travels!!

Diane.

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by SpaceNorman

I don't know if I'd call it a tradition ... but I have been known to lay on the air horn when driving past a cemetery and yelling "Wake up dead guys!" ......

I'll have to try this, does it work? (-:

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by SpaceNorman

I don't know if I'd call it a tradition ... but I have been known to lay on the air horn when driving past a cemetery and yelling "Wake up dead guys!" ......

So much for RIP! LOL

[Peacekeeper6]

We collect 3-D refrigerator magnets. And if they don't have any, I make one.

Example: We went to Daytona International Speedway in FL a few months ago. At the gift shop, they had really LAME magnets. So I bought a Hot Wheel-size race car of #24 (Jeff Gordon) they were selling, glued some small magnets to the bottom, and it now hangs on our fridge.

[Oldelevatorman]

We've collected tons of magnets on our 2 cross-country trips of States and different attractions. Recently it's been National Park pins that we can mount on our walking sticks. Hoping to see all the NP's before we retire from traveling. Happy New Year and Happy trails!