I t was one of many road trips we have enjoyed as a family and in this trip our best friends from Virginia joined us. We drove on a clear day with a full cooler - idlis in molagapodi, chutney sandwiches, curd rice with pickle and more molaga, chips, and thattai. Our road trip music ranged from carnatic (TM Krishna, Sanjay Subramaniam, Bombay Jayshreee) to hindustani (Bhimsen Josha, Pt. Jasraj, and Kishori Amonkar) to tamil hits and hindi top hits. We repeatedly played an Arabic CD I had got from my trip to Jordan and the beats kept us entertained all through the Upper Peninsula on our return.

We chose Mackinac Island because it was long day drive and at the end we would be on the island where no cars are allowed. Our ferry ride across and the rented bicycles on the island were a unique experience for the kids. Three idyllic days with no TV or wifi or video games kept is engaged with exploring the island and on the beach.