John here. I am hitting the road this weekend. My Dad and I are traveling to Washington D.C. because I have a Board meeting for the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). The NDSS is the leading human rights group for people with Down syndrome and they invited me to join their Board.  

I love going on road trips. From the time I was a little boy, our family would take off on road trips. We might drive to Maine or Ohio or Virginia. We would go on hikes or visit friends and family. We would walk around cities like Boston or Philadelphia or visit the aquarium in Baltimore or the art museum in Washington DC or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.     

We took a road trip once to the Badlands and Yellowstone. I was too small to go on long hikes, so my father and brothers pushed me in a jogging stroller. We saw all sorts of animals. The bison was my favorite.  

I loved just riding in the car, talking with my brothers and my parents. I learned so much in those conversations. There was always music playing in the car and sometimes we played games like scavenger hunts or “20 Questions.” We would talk about books and movies and politics and history and science, all sorts of things. It was always so interesting.  

My brothers are grown up now so we don’t take many family road trips, but I still go on road trips with my Mom and Dad and they are still great trips. 

Do you like taking road trips? What are some of your road trips?

National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)

Human Rights Organization for Individuals with Down syndrome