The only thing that’s never changed about the Great American Family Road Trip is the thrill of the open road. What used to be a story of wood-paneled station wagons and neon-lit highway motels is now a tale of non-stop outdoor adventure — and non-stop comfort from your home on wheels. This new iteration prioritizes sustainability, leave no trace principles, and responsible travel. It yearns for the unusual, prizes the remote, and still calls the open road king.
To explore the evolution of the family road trip, Matador is partnering with Airstream to send the Pickett family of Bozeman, Montana, on an adventure across America. We’ll be following Kina and Nellie (he’s a former pro skier; she’s a competitive runner) and their kids, Ashur and Story (and Scout, the family bulldog!), as they document their travels from the granite spires of South Dakota to the windswept beaches of Virginia, from Florida’s Sports Coast to Idaho’s mountain lakes — all based out of a classic Airstream International retrofitted with full off-grid and solar solutions, Nature’s Head composting toilet and all. It’s a sustainable road trip that need never end.
The Picketts’ adventure is rife with challenges and opportunities: How do you live and work in an RV as a family of digital nomads? How do you road trip safely in the time of COVID-19? How do you manage distance-learning for the kids and make the outdoors educational? How do you make sure you’re traveling sustainably? The Picketts, from blunder to success, will show us how it’s done on their “Hunt For Beyondland.” They’ll take us to hidden spots and remote nature areas, to off-grid and RV-friendly destinations, sharing their discoveries and memories, lessons learned and friendships made along the way.
So, if you’re ready to plan the most epic road trip of your life, let the Picketts, Airstream, and Matador be your virtual guides. This story should convince you that the thrill of the open road still awaits, but your definition of the Great American Family Road Trip may change — for good. 
