I've found that some of the best moments are the ones we don't plan for. This was a concept which took years to acquire, and unfortunately, it's something I occasionally need to be reminded of.

When I was a sullen teenager, my dad would often announce, "we're going for a drive," at which point I'd load my attitude into the minivan, sulking the entire way, while heaving giant sighs of complaint that he effectively ignored. Dad would then drive along winding roads, the windows rolled down and hot air blasting my spiral permed hair outward in every directions imaginable. My brother would fall asleep the minute the accelerator hit 35mph, as my sister's entire Baby Sitter's Club collection of paperbacks spilled all over the floor mats. Dad would drive down whatever road he fancied before spotting a river, lake, or other scenic viewpoint, at which point he'd stop and we'd all get out.

And...we'd have a fantastic time eating, exploring, trying to skip rocks along the water. Despite my groveling and blatant lack of cooperation, I enjoyed every single moment of those road trips. Even the winding road to get there provided memories, as Dad gave us his verbatim history lesson on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Yes, my dad was a master at unplanned mountain drives, but he was also quite aware that the only thing standing between him and spending time with his children was a tank of gas.

Part of me realized last Saturday that my dad may have passed these traditions onto me when I awoke that morning with an insatiable desire to just get in the car and go.

The morning went something like this...

Husband, "What do we have to do today?"

Me, "Nothing."

Husband, "Nothing?"

Me, "Absolutely nothing. Amazing, right?"

Husband, "Hmmm."

Me, "Want to take a ride up to the mountain?"

Husband, "Um...okay."

Me, "You feed the dog, I'll pack the water bottles."

We loaded up our three kids, stopped by the store to pick up snacks and drove to the National Park located a mere ninety minutes from our house. The kids protested a bit, we ignored and pressed on. In a word, it was, fabulous.

Like I said, some of the best moments are the ones we don't plan for.