AAA forecasts that over 48 million people will be traveling this holiday season. If you are one of the millions that will travel the open roads to enjoy the Holidays with family and friends, I encourage you to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

I know what you are thinking when you travel you just want to BE there. I have wished more than once that I could just fax myself somewhere.

There are all kinds of travelers. Some stop every hour and grab a coffee and take a potty break. I do not fall in this category. My family knows to make sure they have a book and have visited the little girl's room before they get in the car because Momma does not stop until it is time to put gas in the car.

On the latest trip we took, we left on Thanksgiving. We left really early and traffic was moving above the speed limit so we decided to stop at some of the shops that you see advertised on the billboards along the highway. The first stop was the Magnolia Plantation store. This place looked like an old southern plantation.

The front doors were bright red in true southern style.

On the inside, they offered an assortment of produce, jams and jellies that are literally straight from the surrounding local farms.

The store was decked out for Christmas giving you that holiday spirit.

Along with the farm fresh items, they also had some touristy items. You know the kind of items that you buy and shove in a box only to be found years’ later and the item brings a smile to your face remembering the good time you had.

On the way out of the parking lot, we got a good look at the person whose land bordered the store. Talk about your Georgia pride.

A few hours down the road we started seeing the signs for Lane Orchards shop. I debated on stopping because it was 5 miles off of the interstate. We did and we were not disappointed. The area was a farm area. Around you, there were crops in a variety of growth.

There was a patch of corn that was harvested and about to be plowed under. There were rows and rows of pecan trees lined up like soldiers in a field. There was also a field of cotton.

When we got to Lane it was closed because of Thanksgiving.

But it didn’t stop us from playing on the playground and posing for pictures on the tractors they had.

We plan on stopping back by on the way home when it will hopefully be open. If the outside is this friendly and fun, we all cannot wait to see the inside.

On the way back to the interstate, we saw a dilapidated old barn with the coolest old truck on the side of the barn. Of course, we had to stop and take photos of it.

I will never be the kind of person who willingly stops every hour to rest on a road trip, but after the pleasant surprises we had on this trip, I am more likely to stop at one of these mom and pop places. These short pit stops helped to make the journey as much a part of our vacation as the time we spend with family while we are here.

If you and your family brave the open roads this holiday season and you see a bright and colorful sign advertising one of these small shops, consider stopping. You can’t get more farm-fresh than what you will find in these little stores, and it will give you a fun, honest look at the people that call the place home.