Griswold-Worthy Road Trip Tales: Travelzoo Experts Share Their Wildest Adventures
As National Lampoon's latest Vacation movie installment hits theaters amid rising summer temperatures, families nationwide are loading up their SUVs and station wagons—family Trucksters, anyone?—for the classic road trip tradition.
In anticipation of the film's release and your chance to win a VIP experience plus premiere passes, Travelzoo Deal Experts share their most memorable highway escapades, some rivaling the Griswolds' chaos:
Last June, two friends and I embarked on an eight-day road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles with just a loose itinerary. We stopped at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming for a picnic and Frisbee on a grassy knoll near the Grand Prismatic Spring. Suddenly, a female park ranger in her olive-green uniform approached from the parking lot, scolding us for trespassing on unstable thermal ground—we'd missed the sign. For a moment, I feared a night in park jail, but we were simply told to leave. —Meghan Callaghan, Senior Associate Producer
I insisted on a self-guided, two-day road trip around Iceland's Snæfellsnes Peninsula with my mother. A wild wind and snowstorm forced us into white-out conditions over tiny bridges and cliffside roads. Our Suzuki rental shook violently; my mom gripped the door handle with eyes closed in prayer. I even got mildly electrocuted by a fence while petting Icelandic horses. The stunning, otherworldly landscapes made it all worthwhile—those views are etched in my memory forever. —Jen Lee, Associate Producer in Los Angeles
Every summer, my family drove 11 hours from New Orleans to North Carolina's highlands for hikes to waterfalls and overlooks. One day, we tackled a strenuous seven-mile trek to a waterfall. After swimming, as the typical tween, I nagged my dad for a piggyback ride. Back at the car, he realized his keys were missing from his belt loop. Out of OnStar range, we retraced two miles through the dirt until we found them. —Mary Walker Baus, Associate Producer in San Francisco
On my last Brazil trip, I hitched from Rio de Janeiro to colonial Paraty along the BR-101 highway, hugging jungle and ocean coasts with stunning daytime views. Eager for Copacabana beach time, we drove as the sun set behind Corcovado. The three-hour trip stretched to over six due to jaguars, armadillos, giant toads on the windshield, and a lengthy police checkpoint where I waited alone for an hour while my friend's car was searched. —Elisabeth Barker, Associate Publisher
Booking a Tuscan villa and rental car, I dreamed of cruising vineyards with breeze tousling my scarf, guided effortlessly by our map. Reality: Our red Fiat stalled three times in Florence rush-hour traffic as my husband relearned stick shift amid a stern British GPS voice. Lost on a barren mountain unlike the villa-dotted photos, we sought help at a market via sign language with a knife-wielding, English-less butcher—only to learn San Giustino Valdarno was an hour from our intended San Giustino.
The silver lining: Jeff quickly mastered the car, we discovered gems en route, and post-adventure Tuscany drinks hit perfect. —Jaime Freedman, Group Publisher
I've driven historic Route 66 multiple times, but my favorite stretch runs from Albuquerque to Barstow, California, through desert southwest's breathtaking landscapes. Don't miss Oatman, Arizona's wild donkeys—descendants of miners' pack animals roaming this quirky old mining town on a defunct Route 66 section. Amid tourist traps, this Mojave gem stands out. —Kevin Kitchen, Producer
Exploring Ireland's narrow backcountry roads is magical—you never know what's around the corner. On a recent trip, we drove three hours from Dublin to the west coast amid lush green fields, roaming sheep, and rolling hills. From Galway, we veered off main roads, mastering left-side driving past castles, villages, dramatic curves, and Galway Bay vistas. —Jonathan Rougeot, Senior Producer
