Family Travel

I’ve made the southern route drive back and forth across the U.S. a few times; some of it is kinda dullsville (Deming, New Mexico anyone?) and other sections are great (Tennessee.)

A recent article in Budget Travel highlights a couple moving from Boston to Los Angeles driving through the southern U.S.; it gives some good ideas for things to see and do along the way in Louisville, Memphis, New Orleans, Austin and points west.

As a follow-up to my previous post on road trip ideas and U.S.-flavored tunes/music & musicians evocative of the U.S. to go with it, here is the playlist for the rest of the CDs that I burned:

American Music CD Four
1. Punahoa Special Led Kaapana
2. La Bamba Los Lobos
3. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Paula Cole
4. Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band
5. Walkin’ After Midnight Patsy Cline
6. Graceland Paul Simon
7. Hammer Song Peter, Paul and Mary
8. Wichita Lineman Dwight Yoakam
9. Fanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland
10. Don’t Be Cruel Elvis Presley
11. 1999 Prince
12. Inner City Blues Marvin Gaye
13. Bye Bye Blackbird Carmen McRae
14. Brick House Commodores
15. The Entertainer Scott Joplin
16. Old Time Rock & Roll Bob Seger/Silver Bullet Band
17. Too Young to Go Steady John Coltrane Quartet
18. Ventura Highway America
19. Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen
20. The Kiss (Last of the Mohicans) Trevor Jones
American Music CD Five
1. Jolie Blond The Balfa Brothers
2. La Pistola Y El Corazon Los Lobos
3. Born to Run Bruce Springsteen
4. The Thrill is Gone B.B. King & Tracy Chapman
5. Cash on the Barrelhead Dolly Parton
6. All Along the Watchtower Michael Hedges
7. Bandera Willie Nelson
8. Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley
9. Lily of the West Joan Baez
10. Appalachian Spring 4th mv. Aaron Copland
11. Ramblin’ On My Mind Robert Johnson
12. Take the “A” Train Duke Ellington
13. Boy From Tupelo Emmylou Harris
14. Control Janet Jackson
15. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues Dwight Yoakam
16. Rock & Roll Band Boston
17. A Change is Gonna Come Aretha Franklin
18. Stardust Artie Shaw
19. Texas Flood Stevie Ray Vaughan
20 A Pirate Looks at Forty Jimmy Buffett
21. Maple Leaf Rag Scott Joplin
American Music CD Six
1. Zydeco Boogaloo Buckwheat Zydeco
2. One Time, One Night Los Lobos
3. Thunder Road Bruce Springsteen
4. Chicago Frank Sinatra
5. Big Ball’s In Cowtown Asleep at the Wheel
6. Streamlined Man Michael Hedges
7. Guitars, Cadillacs, etc. Dwight Yoakam
8. Do Right Woman – Do Right Man Aretha Franklin
9. “Buckaroo Holiday” from Rodeo Aaron Copland
10. Burning Love Elvis Presley
11. The Dance George Winston
12. Pride and Joy Stevie Ray Vaughan
13. The “In” Crowd Ramsey Lewis
14. Saturday in the Park Chicago
15. You’re My Funny Valentine Miles Davis
16. An American Band Grand Funk Railroad
17. Talkin’ About a Revolution Tracy Chapman
18. Viva Las Vegas ZZ Top
19. Just As I Am Willie Nelson
American Music CD Seven
1. Les Flammes d’Enfer Jo-El Sonnier
2. Oye Como Va Santana
3. Waltz Across Texas Emmylou Harris
4. American Pie Don McLean
5. Ain’t Nobody Chaka Khan
6. After the Goldrush Bob Taylor
7. What a Cryin’ Shame The Mavericks
8. I Loves You, Porgy Miles Davis
9. La Grange ZZ Top
10. Moonlight in Vermont Frank Sinatra
11. Corine, Corina Asleep At the Wheel
12. Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin
13. Jessica Allman Brothers
14. Angel of the Morning The Pretenders
15. Life By The Drop Stevie Ray Vaughan

Now, I know I’ve already had a recent post on road trip planning, but you know you can never have enough.

There are tips aplenty at Travel With Kids, and if you travel on some of the main US Interstate highways you can check out the sightseeing options here. I found this great site called TurnHere.com, with quirky video guides to many cities (great visuals for your kids.)

You know I think good eats are key….here are 10 highway exits with yummy food at the offramp. The International Herald Tribune takes the tough job of travel across the country eating only fast food (and somehow the author does not die in the attempt.)

But here’s the important stuff — music for the road. Some great options are listed here and here, and there’s always my current favorite Sirius satellite radio (Blues Channel 74, please) but let’s go further….

When I lived overseas, my daughter attended an International School. For a festival booth at her school, I made up 7 CDs of background music that I thought was evocative of everything about the U.S.; all of the different cultures and major immigrant groups and the open road. The set rapidly became my kid’s favorite for road trips, so I’d like to share it with you.

Here are the first 3 playlists; I’ll post the rest later this weekend once I finish ranting about Richard Petty and writing up NHRA drag racing articles.

(Sorry in advance for some strange formatting from the copy/paste.)

American Music CD One
1. Great Grampah’s Banjo Pura Fe’
2. Cuban Pete Tito Puente
3. Wouldn’t It Be Nice Beach Boys
4. Hound Dog Elvis Presley
5. America Simon & Garfunkel
6. Big Rock Candy Mountain Harry McClintock
7. Leaving on a Jet Plane Peter, Paul and Mary
8. Appalachian Spring 2^nd mv. Aaron Copland
9. You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling Righteous Brothers
10. Georgia On My Mind Willie Nelson
11. Respect Aretha Franklin
12. The Beat Goes On Patricia Barber
13 For Once In My Life Dionne Farris
14. It Don’t Mean a Thing (…. That Swing) Duke Ellington
15. Fortunate Son Creedence Clearwater Revival
16. Summertime Miles Davis
17. Sweet Home Alabama Lynyrd Skynyrd
18. Miami Will Smith
19. Dubuque George Winston
20. My Prerogative Bobby Brown
21. American Girl Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
22. Time of the Preacher Willie Nelson
23. Amazing Grace Dean Shostak

American Music CD Two
1. Go Hiroshima
2. La Feria de las Flores Flaco Jimenez
3. Sloop John B Beach Boys
4. Fly Like an Eagle Steve Miller Band
5. Homeward Bound Simon & Garfunkel
6. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow The Soggy Bottom Boys
7. All Shook Up Elvis Presley
8. XXX’s & OOO’s (American Girl) Trisha Yearwood
9. Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright Peter, Paul and Mary
10. Music Madonna
11.“Hoe-Down” from Rodeo Aaron Copland
12. Unchained Melody Righteous Brothers
13. Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks
14. Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson
15. I’m Every Woman Chaka Khan
16. Why Can’t This Be Love Van Halen
17. California Dreamin’ Mamas & Papas
18. Take (Another) Five Grover Washington, Jr.
19. What’s Going On Marvin Gaye
20. Miles Ahead Miles Davis
21. Jack and Diane John Mellencamp
22. Shenandoah Dean Shostak

American Music CD Three
1. Intro and Hi`ilawe Memories of Hawaii Calls
2. Sabor a Mi’ Los Lobos
3. God Only Knows Beach Boys
4. Take the Money & Run Steve Miller Band
5. American Tune Paul Simon
6. Love Shack B-52’s
7. The Last of the Mohicans Main Title by Trevor Jones
8. Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley
9. I’ll Fly Away Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch
10. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Diana Ross
11. Blowin’ in the Wind Peter, Paul and Mary
12. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) Marvin Gaye
13. Readin’, Rightin’ Route 23 Dwight Yoakam
14. Mexican Dance & Finale from “Billy the Kid” Aaron Copland
15. Let’s Go Crazy Prince
16. Couldn’t Stand the Weather Stevie Ray Vaughan
17. New York State of Mind Billy Joel
18. Midnight Rider Allman Brothers
19. Sweet Home Chicago Robert Johnson
20. Satin Doll Duke Ellington
21. Pink Houses John Mellencamp
22. The Claw Clint Black