It sounded idyllic… the family cruising across the country, taking in scenery and making memories to last a lifetime.  Ever since Chevy Chase loaded up the family roadster for WallyWorld, we’ve all enjoyed a love/hate relationship with the idea of hitting the open road with our spouses and kids.

Therefore, it was with some trepidation that we took the concept for a (bad pun alert) “road test” this Spring break.

Landing in Vegas where we enjoyed all the glitz and glam the Strip has to offer, we picked up our rental car from the front of our hotel (much thanks to the Four Seasons concierge for suggesting this option, so much better than waiting online at a rental counter!), and drove straight through the desert to visit the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and Sedona.

Transitioning between the slick, bustling activity of Las Vegas and the sweeping red rocks of Arizona provided the most wonderful contrast.  We traded the cheers of the crowd during Cirque’s Love show and the beckoning call of the designer shops for the deep orange glow of the sunset over our hand crafted margaritas.

Even though we completed more than 15 hours of driving in a five day period, we all agreed that the time spent on the road (playing old school car games and listening to a variety of comedians) was quality, and passed way faster than even a couple of hours in traffic on the LIE.

In short, with the right accommodations and itinerary planning, the family road trip as a vacation is still an excellent way to make memories that will last a lifetime.