A record 45 million Americans were expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, long considered the unofficial kickoff to summer. And most of them were hitting the road. Sarah Kendzior is no stranger to the family road trip. Her family, in fact, has visited 38 states—and counting. These trips were born out of a love and curiosity for America and a desire to explore small towns, vast National Parks, and the unexpected oddities along the way. And when money was tight, the best way for her family to see the country was simply to jump in the car and go.

In her new book, The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir, Sarah chronicles those family trips while grappling with a country she believes is failing to uphold its own ideals. Sarah says she feels an urgency to share the country she loves with her children but often wonders if these travels—and the version of America she knows—might be coming to an end.“Every trip I describe in that book,” Sarah says, “I set off wondering: Is this the last time the four of us will get to be together exploring America with the freedom that we have now?”

On this week’s More To The Story, Sarah chats with host Al Letson about trying to show her children the America she adores while holding a light to its flaws, her concerns for the nation’s future, and why hitting the road is often the best way to understand yourself—and your country.

Donate today at Revealnews.org/more
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly
Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky

Listen: Black in the Sunshine State (Reveal)

Read: Republicans Aim to Generate Support for Selling Off America’s Public Lands (Mother Jones)

Read: How to Travel Abroad as the World’s Most Toxic Brand: American (Mother Jones)

Read: The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir, by Sarah Kendzior

Note: If you buy a book using our Bookshop link, a small share of the proceeds supports our journalism.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Timberwolves Send the Suns Home in a Sweep | Real Ones

The Ringer NBA Show

Promotions for Arby's and Walt Disney World Resort followed by banter and teasing

The AI-powered Podcast Player