Keegan-Michael Key is the biggest fan of road trips, as he calls them “lost art.”
The 55-year-old American actor and comedian gave an interview to the BBC, where he articulated his thoughts on the lost tradition of family trips after the technological revolution.
Key said, “Back in the old days, you’d get out your map and your dad was, like, ‘Hold on, I gotta figure this out.’”
He added, “The excitement started to build when you’d undo [the map] on the bed and everyone [decided where to go next]. You can change your mind on a road trip.”
The Playing with Fire star considers 2026 a special year, especially for a road trip, because it features major events such as the FIFA World Cup, the 250th anniversary of the United States, and the 100th anniversary of Route 66.
Key and his family used to travel when he was growing up and would make trips to the west most of the time, as his father hailed from Salt Lake City.
He shared, “When we were kids, we would go to national parks in [our] pop-up camper; the Grand Canyon, the Tetons, Yellowstone and Yosemite.”
“Once you get to the outskirts of the Midwest, it’s flat and then the hills start to roll. I remember being able to see miles in the distance. There’s an excitement because you can literally see your destination.”
“Now because of work, I travel by plane a lot because you got to get someplace quicker. I don’t really have the luxury to [travel by car]. But I encourage anybody who has any kind of wanderlust to take a road trip with your family. There’s a really special connection that happens between people when you have to problem solve,” Keegan-Michael Key encouraged.