Next Saturday, my family and I are hopping on a plane to Minneapolis-St. Paul, visiting with TwinCitiesGal Beth Blair and her family (yay!) and overnighting next to the Mall of America. The next morning we’re embarking on a week-long, multi-state road trip… and we have no stinkin’ idea where we’re going!
Yep, this “mystery road trip,” as my family’s been calling it over the last month, is all part of a summer campaign from Country Inns & Suites by Carlson — officially dubbed the “1K Country Adventure.” And my family isn’t the only lucky crew to embark on the summer road trip of a lifetime: travel blogger Sharlene Earnshaw of Double the Adventure and her husband and three-year-old twins, as well as lifestyle blogger Ross Sveback, his partner and his teenage daughter, are also vacationing on the same route.
Here’s how it’s all going to play out (or supposed to play out anyway):
- We’re all picking up our Avis rental cars before meeting up at the Country Inns & Suites Mall of America property for a briefing on Saturday, June 5.
- The next morning, outfitted with a JVC camcorder, Sprint smart phone, DiningCash.com gift certificates and a debit card for gasoline, we’ll receive our first video clue detailing at least one “Suite Stop” for the day. From what I understand, this might be a roadside pit stop, a historic site, a sporting event, a museum or other tourist attraction along the way to our overnight hotel — you guessed it, accommodations by Country Inns & Suites.
- For the next six nights, we’ll repeat the above. We’ll never know exactly where we’re going — to an attraction or to our overnight accommodations — until we receive our next Suite Stop clue. We need to figure out how to get to our next destination via smart phone and GPS. (Of course my practical husband is packing his hard-copy road atlas, as well.)
- Throughout our trip, I’ll be blogging nightly, and Tweeting from @karasw or @thevacationgals with the hashtag #CIS1K — sharing our adventures and likely asking my readers and followers for help, insight and thoughts on where we might end up next!
I’ve been told that we’ll actually be covering more than 1,000 miles (originally the adventure was conceived as a 1,000-mile race among participants, thus the “1K” moniker). And I’ve also been told that we won’t drive for more than 5 hours a day. So with those clues, my husband, kids and I have been pouring over a United States road map, trying in vain to figure out where we might go, what we might see and where our trip might end. The pre-trip anticipation has been so much fun!
We’re all so excited about different aspects of the trip. My husband and I haven’t spent much time in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast states, so that’s definitely the direction we hope we’re headed in. My 8-year-old son, the technology nut, can’t wait to play with the smart phone and camcorder. My 10-year-old daughter, who loves a good treasure hunt, is excited to help decipher the video clues.
And me? I cannot wait to see Beth and meet the other 1K Country Adventure bloggers. Plus, I’m eager to document our trip and share it with The Vacation Gals’ readers, my friends and family as we go. And as always, with all our vacations, I look forward to experiencing new-to-us destinations and activities as a family … talk about incredible summer-vacation memories!
So stay tuned for what might be a crazy road trip — one likely filled with lots of excitement, as well as a few blunders along the way. After all, we’re all about keeping it real here at The Vacation Gals; and what’s a big road trip with out a bout of motion sickness, a flat tire or some other snafu along the way?
I look forward to sharing our 1K Country Adventure with you, and hope you’ll talk to us while we’re traveling via blog comments or Tweets!
Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites by Carlson.
P.S. My house is wired with a security system, my hunting-enthusiast neighbor is on guard, and housesitters are arranged … so don’t even think about robbing it next week. Thx!
Wow…this is really a crazy road trip.
Really funny article.
Keep it up!
Looking forward to watching the trip–it looks like a blast! (In my mind, I’m running through all the possibilities of where you could be going. I bet you’ll get to see some of my favorite places.)
so excited for you guys!
I think this sounds like so much fun – I’ll admit to being a little envious. We like Country Inn and Suites and have stayed in them in various locales (you know us – we cover large swaths of the U.S. by car). I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time. Can’t wait to read more.
I cannot wait to follow this and see where you go!
What a fun trip. I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes you and your family.
You’re going to love Michigan! (just have a feeling they’ll be sending you there)
I would also like to add that I have two very large and vicious dogs who will eat you if you go near my home. LOL. I am so excited to meet you Kara!!!
You know I’ll be following along and living vicariously through you the entire trip! It sounds like a blast.
Too bad you’re going to be in the twin cities such a short time, I would have loved to meet up! Next time:)
Have Fun.
Debbie
Can’t wait to meet you at the finish line (and see you in Mpls the night before you leave!). Fun fun fun!
I cannot wait to see where this adventure takes you!!!
That’s awesome! Have a great time!
Enjoy your travels! My twin daughters (then age 10) and I did a six-week cross-country road trip when we moved from Boston to Vancouver several years ago. Except for a few fatigue meltdowns, it was an awesome adventure!
I am so envious of your trip (you know why!) I can’t wait to see where they send you- I have a feeling you’ll be heading a bit West because you really can’t NOT go to Rushmore, can you? But if you do happen through Iowa be sure to let me know- I’ll drop everything to say hi!
Now THAT’s a good PR idea! Props to Country Inn & Suites! I look forward to reading all about your journey.
What a way to spend summer! Can’t wait to see what crazy adventures you get yourself and your family into.
Sweet! Why’d they bail on the race part? Safety issues? Amazing Race enthusiasts want to know…
Lisa, I think they decided this adventure is about making memories and road-tripping w/ your family, so to rush through pretty scenery, sightseeing stops or historic sites isn’t much fun! I think it would just be a totally different experience — Amazing Race rocks, but this is closer to a scavenger hunt, than race.
[...] to have missed out while on her family’s recent 1K Country Adventure. Be sure to check out all the places she did go, however, while road-tripping through the midwest! It’s an invaluable resource to traveling [...]