When I was a kid my mom, our dog, and I would take a road trip one weekend every month. It was just the two of us. We would leave Friday afternoon when I got home and then come back on Sunday afternoon. We did this for years, I think that it ended when I was getting ready to graduate from high school. I've been to every corner of IL.
The trips are still vivid in my memory when I think of them.
They are a priceless gift that she gave me. Dad would skip them, not because he didn't want to take part, but because he worked hard, he wasn't well paid for it though. Would it have been cheaper to skip them? Did I always want to go? Yes and no. But the truth is that no matter how much money you have or make, you can't buy back time you've already spent.
These trips, while not epic in size were so fun, and we would plan them all month.