5 Things Our Parents Did on Summer Road Trips That Millennials No Longer Have To Do
Summer road trips have been an iconic vacation option for decades. Whether you’re driving down the coast of California or to the Hamptons, piling your loved ones into a car is sure to create unforgettable memories. Due in large part to all-in-one devices like smartphones, however, our time spent in the car has drastically changed.
As a millennial, I know that there are many things my parents did differently on summer road trips than I would now because of technological advances that have happened since the 90s. Here are just 5 of those things:
1. To get the best recommendations, a visit to a local travel agent was in order.
The internet has revolutionized the way we travel. Our parents used travel agents to get recommendations for trip activities and hotel accommodations booked. Now, simple Google searches come back with more than enough information to plan a trip on your own.
While some travelers today don’t like the stress of planning their own trip, travel agents are mostly seen as a luxury. In their latest Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said, “The ability of travelers to use the Internet to research vacations and book their own trips is expected to continue to suppress demand for travel agents.”
While the internet has made planning your own travels easier, travel agencies seem to keep evolving with it. Some agencies work only with corporate clients, while others market themselves to those looking for more luxurious trips. Other travel agencies like Pack Up + Go have adapted by catering to niche groups of travelers.
Pack Up + Go will take your budget and plan the perfect summer road trip, but keep it a secret until your departure day. They book your travel and hotels based on your budget and send you an email a week before you leave telling you about the weather forecast and suggested items to pack. Then just a few days before you leave, you get an envelope in the mail with your directions and city guide.
2. Mapping out the route involved real maps.
Road trip navigation has gone almost completely digital in recent years, but the first phone with GPS capabilities wasn’t released until 1999. Personal GPS devices from companies like TomTom and Garmin didn’t start coming out until 2001.
Our parents had to make sure to pack the right atlases and city maps so they could figure out how to get where they wanted to go. Luckily, now GPS apps like Apple Maps and Google Maps are never far away and help ensure that we’re never lost.
According to a 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 67% of smartphone users use their phone for turn-by-turn directions while driving at least occasionally. 31% of those say they do so frequently. When you break down that 67% into age ranges, you can see that millennials rely on Apple Maps and Google Maps more than their parents do.
3. Summer road trip jams came from cassette tapes or CDs instead of a streaming music app.
Music is something that has brought humans together for a long time, but the way we listen to or make that music has drastically changed. Our parents had to make sure to bring a large CD case or pack their favorite cassette tapes before hitting the road, but we only need to make sure that our playlists are downloaded onto our phones.
We now live in a world where podcasts and streaming apps rule the audio world. Smartphone apps like Spotify Premium and Pandora have changed the music game. Making playlists that last hours are favored over having to switch physical copies each hour or so.
These apps also allow more variety on trips. Instead of listening to the same album over and over again, you can access millions of songs as long as you have enough data.
4. Roadside assistance was much more difficult to come by.
Before the age of cell phones, a flat tire or any other car troubles could really put a wrench in your road trip plans. See what I did there? For our parents, a flat tire meant spending time on the side of the interstate in the middle of the sweltering summer sun while you put the spare tire on your car.
And if they didn’t know how, they would have to walk to the nearest gas station to use a pay phone and call a tow truck. Now with roadside assistance through companies like AAA, professional help is only a quick call away!
5. Entertainment on summer road trips meant actually interacting with the other people in the car with you.
Before the launch of portable electronic devices, entertainment in the car was much simpler. License Plate Bingo, I Spy, and Mad Libs were often played and forced you to interact with other people in the car. Annoyed parents may have even introduced the Quiet Game to get a moment of silence.
When the Game Boy was launched in 1989, people were able to play video games without being hooked up to a TV. This became a favorite entertainment choice for many.
Classic road trip games and activity books were quickly replaced by Game Boys, portable DVD players, and smartphones. While some people may choose to play those tried and true games out of nostalgia, electronic entertainment has definitely taken precedence.
There’s something so freeing about ditching tight, busy schedules and hitting the open road with your loved ones. That’s part of the charm!
So whether you take advantage of technological advances or decide to travel a little more “old school,” the memories built while on a summer road trip will be just as great! What are some of your favorite road trip memories?
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