15 Random Road Trip Stops We'll Never Forget

Author:
Rachael Herrscher
Updated:
Dec 18, 2018
Original:
Dec 2, 2018

Some of the best moments we’ve had on road trips are when we slowed down and enjoyed the stops along the way.

Like this time when we decided last minute to take the long way home. We pulled over at a stop on the side of the road and discovered a national moment we had in our home state that I am ashamed to say I never knew existed! It had just finished raining, the sun was out and going down and it made for one of the most beautiful evenings we’ve had with our little family.

It was just us and a handful of other people -- shortly after -- we were back on the road, enjoying the scenic route.

What you’re seeing is a collection of photos from our staff here at TodaysMama.com of our favorite unplanned stops on family road trips. That’s where the magic happens! When we slow down and take the time to actually stop.

Cedar Breaks sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. Wander among timeless bristlecone pines, stand in lush meadows of wildflower, ponder crystal-clear night skies and experience the richness of our subalpine forest.More information to plan your stop HERE! Rachael, Today's Mama Editor

Cataract Falls, where two sets of falls on Mill Creek create a cascade that drops 86 feet, is the largest waterfall in Indiana. The upper falls has a sheer plunge of 20 feet; the lower falls - about a half a mile downstream - has a fall of some 18 feet. There was a primitive bridge across Mill Creek between the upper and lower falls that washed out in the flood of 1875. A 140 ft. Smith Type 3 covered bridge was built at the upper falls in 1876 and was open to traffic until 1988. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources restored the Cataract Bridge in 1995.More information to plan your stop HERE. Anna, Today's Mama Editor

I remember when my oldest child was a toddler and I thought it would be such a great idea if we all got bundled up to walk through the holiday lights at the Zoo. When it was approximately 4 degrees. That was not fun. Fast forward to my “professional mom” status several years (and one more kid later) and one of our FAVORITE holiday traditions is to slow-roll through the drive through holiday light display at the park. Christmas cheer plus seat warmers. What a great time to be alive!More information to plan your stop - Erin, Today's Mama Editor

It pays to stop and take a walk. Family vacations are PACKED. Being away from home and out of our routine and environment seems to make extra work for Mom. So we stopped to take a walk on the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan and discovered this sweet rock heart that someone had made earlier. I love this little piece of “found” love. It made the kids and I give a hearty “AWWWWW!” and it’s a great reminder that the love we put out into the world, does in fact touch the lives of others.Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes of North America, is also the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area, and the third largest freshwater lake by volume.More information to plan your stop HERE. Erin, Today's Mama Editor

I always underestimate how much fun when we can have when we hop in the car and go for a day trip in our own area. Skip the laundry and the packing and getting someone to watch the dog. Just sunscreen, water bottles, a few granola bars and we’re set. The best part of this day is that we didn’t rush. We had no agenda. So we hiked and climbed on rocks and stopped to examine any and every little thing that crossed our path. Sometimes the best days are the easiest.More information to plan your stop Erin, Today's Mama Editor

The younger kids in any family spend more time in the car waiting around for older siblings to emerge from activities. My boy is no exception. But these moments in the car when we stop, roll down the window, turn off the car, and chat are my favorites. He always has the best questions and the most random insights to offer. He’s turning into a kiddo that comments on how pretty the trees are. This view in my side mirror always gets me. I’m glad I stopped to capture it. More information to plan your stop Erin, Today's Mama Editor

With about 200 exotic felines calling the EFRC home, they are one of the largest rescue centers in the United States for abused, unwanted and neglected exotic felines.More information to plan your stop HERE.

Casey is the home to several Guinness World Record constructions, including the Wind Chime, Rocking Chair, Knitting Needles, Crochet Hook, Pitchfork, Golf Tee, Yardstick, Wooden Token, Dutch Wooden Shoes, Mailbox, Pencil and Birdcage. (Wikipedia)More information to plan your stop HERE. Anna, Today's Mama Editor

The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico are preserved at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. Within the 2,200-acre tract, located a few miles west of Collinsville, Illinois, like the archaeological remnants of the central section of the anxiety settlement that is today known as Cohokia. More information to plan your stop HERE.

Seven Magic Mountains is a large-scale site-specific public art installation located near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15, approximately ten miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada. Comprised of seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than thirty feet high, Seven Magic Mountains is situated within the Ivanpah Valley adjacent to Sheep Mountain and the McCullough, Bird Spring, and Goodsprings ranges of mountains. A creative expression of human presence in the desert, Seven Magic Mountains punctuates the Mojave with a poetic burst of form and color.More information to plan your stop: SevenMagicMountains.comApril Davis, Today's Mama Editor

You don't have to roam far before you run into a farm or an orchard in Skagit Valley, Washington. More information to plan your stop HERE.Debbie, Today's Mama Editor

"The Fremont troll -- a big, fearsome, car-crushing bruiser -- took up residence under the north end of the Aurora bridge on Halloween 1990. He was sculpted by house builder Steve Badanes -- who had never made a statue before."More information to plan your stop HERE. Debbie, Today's Mama Editor

"Pike Place Market is a special community within the heart of Seattle’s downtown. More than the city’s beloved public market, Pike Place Market is a vibrant neighborhood comprised of hundreds of farmers, craftspeople, small businesses and residents. Each group is an important and vital makeup of the Pike Place Neighborhood."More information to plan your stop HERE! Debbie, Today's Mama Editor

Cedar Breaks, Utah

Cedar Breaks sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. Wander among timeless bristlecone pines, stand in lush meadows of wildflower, ponder crystal-clear night skies and experience the richness of our subalpine forest.

More information to plan your stop HERE!

Rachael, Today's Mama Editor

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As parents, we are always going, going, going. It’s not often that we take time to stop – or think about stopping at all. But as busy moms schlepping our kids around in the car from one activity to another or hitting the road on vacation or for the holidays, it’s something we really SHOULD think about.

The average family makes 40K stops a year, that’s 40K times we rely on our tires to keep us safe. If your tires are a few years old, it may be time to consider how they’re holding up. When it comes to stopping suddenly, are your tires still performing?

We could all benefit from giving stopping the attention it deserves – both on the road and in every day life.”

Will your tires stop on time? Learn a little something about what it takes to make your car STOP (whether you have brand new tires or a worn set of tires I think you’ll be surprised.

Best of all? You can ENTER TO WIN a brand new set of tires from Michelin!

Learn the truth about worn tires - so that you can make these kinds of magical moments happen when it’s time to slow down and STOP!

#TruthAboutWornTires

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Michelin. They invited us out to their headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina this last Spring. We learned all about tires, drove on their test track, and left feeling even better about the Michelin tires I all ready had on my car! We are excited to be working with them again!

More on TodaysMama.com

Here's the Question You Really Need to Ask When Buying New Tires

(Also known as that one time Erin and I went and drove and the Michelin race track and I for reals did a legit Tokyo Drift)