🚗💨 November 22 – Go for a Ride Day: Buckle Up, Buttercup—Adventure Awaits! 🛵🌈
Feeling stuck in a rut? Tired of staring at the same four walls (or cubicle dividers)? Good news: November 22 is Go for a Ride Day, the perfect excuse to get out, hit the road, and chase a little magic on wheels, wings, rails—or whatever moves you.
Whether you're rolling with a plan or just cruising where the wind takes you, this holiday is all about the thrill of motion, the joy of spontaneous adventure, and maybe a gas station snack or two (mandatory). 🚙✨
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🧐 So, where did Go for a Ride Day come from?
While the true origin of this quirky holiday is a bit of a mystery (like, who did decide we needed a day to just…ride?), it might have ties to some major transportation milestones. November 22 marks several historic travel-related events—like the completion of the first successful flight of a hot air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. That’s right, folks: people were risking life and limb in flying baskets before seatbelts were even a thing. 🎈😱
🛞 10+ Delightfully Offbeat Ways to Celebrate Go for a Ride Day:
Take the Long Way Home 🛣️
Skip the shortcuts. Crank the tunes and rediscover your own neighborhood like it’s a new city.Rent Something Weird 🛺
Segway? Tandem bike? One of those little scooters that go beep-beep? Treat yourself to a vehicle you've never tried before.Plan a “Mystery Ride” Adventure 🎲
Flip a coin at every intersection. Heads = right, tails = left. Who knows where you’ll end up (hopefully not in a cornfield).Try Public Transit Just for the Experience 🚎
Hop on the bus, take the train, or even ride the ferry if you're lucky enough to live near water. Pretend you’re the star of a moody indie film.Go for a Ride… Indoors 🎢
Virtual rollercoasters, indoor go-karts, or even that mechanical horse at the grocery store—no judgment here.Host a “Ride-themed” Movie Marathon 🎬
Think Mad Max: Fury Road, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Speed, Drive, or Thelma & Louise. Bonus points for watching from a bean bag chair shaped like a car seat.Build a DIY Obstacle Course for Your Office Chair 🪑
It has wheels, right? That's all we need to qualify. Race your coworkers or pets for eternal glory.Go Horseback Riding 🐎
The original convertible. Plus, horses smell better than traffic.Spin Around in a Swivel Chair Until You're Dizzy 🔄
Low-budget thrill ride. Side effects may include regret and nausea.Cruise Around to Look at Holiday Lights ✨
'Tis the season for twinkly displays, and this holiday pairs perfectly with a cozy, cocoa-fueled light tour.Take Your Pet for a Joyride 🐶🚗
Few things are purer than a dog with its head out the window, tongue flapping in the breeze. Instant serotonin.Invent a New Type of “Ride” 🧠
A broomstick tour of your living room? A laundry basket luge down the stairs? Think outside the garage.
🚗 Dinner Theme: A Road Trip-Inspired Feast!
Today’s dinner celebrates the freedom of the open road, the hum of the engine, the radio turned all the way up, and the snacks you swore you wouldn’t eat before hour two.
Let’s turn that vibe into a cozy, nostalgic, and a little bit kitschy indoor diner-meets-picnic spread.
🍔 Main Dish: Cross-Country Patty Melts with Caramelized Onions
Classic road trip diners always deliver the perfect greasy spoon favorite: the patty melt.
We're giving it a golden, crispy upgrade.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (80/20 for juiciness)
Salt + pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp butter, divided
8 slices rye bread (or sourdough for a twist)
4 slices Swiss or cheddar cheese
Optional: Dijonnaise or Thousand Island spread
Instructions:
Caramelize the onions: In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter, add sliced onion, cook low & slow (about 25 mins) until golden and jammy.
Form 4 burger patties, season with salt and pepper. Cook to your preferred doneness.
On each slice of bread, layer cheese, patty, caramelized onion, and more cheese. Sandwich together.
Butter outsides and grill like a grilled cheese until golden and melty.
Serve hot, wrapped in parchment like you got it from a gas station diner with surprisingly good food.
🍟 Side: Trunk Picnic Potato Wedges with "Glove Box" Garlic Aioli
These crispy baked wedges taste like your favorite roadside fries—without the questionable heat lamp.
Ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes, cut into thick wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt + pepper
For Garlic Aioli:
1/2 cup mayo
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp lemon juice
Optional: a dab of mustard or hot sauce
Instructions:
Toss potatoes in oil + seasoning. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 35–40 min until crisp.
Mix aioli ingredients and serve on the side for dipping like you just pulled over at a scenic overlook.
🥤 Drink: Route 66 Cherry Vanilla Soda Float
Old-school soda fountain vibes, made with love and lots of bubbles.
Ingredients:
1 can cherry cola or black cherry soda
Splash of vanilla extract or vanilla syrup
Vanilla ice cream (or cherry for chaos)
Maraschino cherry on top (mandatory)
Instructions:
Pour soda over a scoop or two of ice cream, add vanilla, top with a cherry and slurp like you’re in a convertible under the stars.
🧁 Dessert: Gas Station Pie Bites (Mini Hand Pies)
Inspired by the cellophane-wrapped mystery pies of road trip legend—but actually good.
Ingredients:
1 sheet pie crust (store-bought works great)
Your fave jam or fruit filling (cherry, apple, blueberry, etc.)
Egg wash (1 egg + splash of water)
Optional glaze: Powdered sugar + milk
Instructions:
Cut crust into small rectangles or circles.
Add a spoonful of jam to the center, fold, and seal with a fork.
Brush with egg wash, bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 min until golden.
Drizzle with glaze once cooled, then eat while watching a travel vlog and pretending you’re somewhere new.
🕯 Bonus Vibe Tip:
Lay out a paper map as a table runner. Scatter some toy cars or road signs from a craft store. Serve everything in to-go containers or wrapped like takeout. Wear sunglasses indoors and call everyone "co-pilot."
🧁 ELEMENTARY IDEA: "Ticket to Ride: Imagination Station!"
🎒Grades: K–5
🎨Focus: Creative Writing ✏️ • Geography 🌍 • Social-Emotional Learning 💖
🌈 Activity Overview:
Students design their own ride-able vehicle (real or imaginary), choose a destination, and write a mini travel story about their journey. From unicorn-powered scooters to flying bathtubs, the sky’s the limit!
🛠 Materials:
Printable “My Ticket to Ride” template (includes space for vehicle name, sketch, destination, and short story)
Crayons/markers/colored pencils 🎨
Clipboards or hard surfaces for writing
Optional: toy vehicles or cardboard wheels for fun role-play/photo ops 🚙🎭
🚦Steps:
Warm-up Chat (5–7 min):
“If you could go anywhere today, where would you go? And what would you ride?” Let them brainstorm wild and whimsical ideas.Design Their Ride (10–15 min):
Pass out the template and let students sketch and name their custom ride. Prompt: “What powers your vehicle—friendship? Rainbow fuel? Marshmallows?”Pick a Destination (5 min):
Let students pick a place from a classroom map, globe, or their imagination.Mini-Story Writing (15–20 min):
Using sentence starters (“First, I climbed into my…”, “Suddenly, we zoomed past…”), students write a short adventure about where they go and what happens on their ride.Ticket Punch & Sharing Time (10 min):
Use a hole punch to “validate” their ticket (they love this!) and invite a few students to read aloud.
💡 Quirky Twist:
Set up a cardboard “boarding gate” with a scarf as a curtain and let students come through it when they present their ticket. Instant engagement magic! 🎟✨
🎓 SECONDARY IDEA: "Ride Through Time: A Historical Transport Pitch!"
🎒Grades: 6–12
🧠Focus: History 🌍 • STEM 🚀 • Persuasive Writing 💬
🚴 Activity Overview:
Students choose a form of transportation from any era—past, present, or future—and create a creative pitch or commercial to convince others it’s the ultimate ride!
🛠 Materials:
Internet access or printed fact sheets about various transportation types (chariots to hoverboards)
“Ride Pitch Sheet” printable (includes: Name, Era, How it Works, Why It Rules)
Optional: poster paper, Canva/Google Slides for presentations
Props or found materials for those who want to go theatrical 🎭
🚦Steps:
Hook Discussion (5 min):
“What’s the coolest way to get from A to B—ever?” List their ideas on the board, from Roman chariots to flying Teslas.Choose a Transport Mode (5 min):
Let students pick or assign transport methods (to ensure variety). Examples: Viking ships, steampunk dirigibles, bullet trains, self-driving cars.Research & Plan the Pitch (20–30 min):
Using the Ride Pitch Sheet, students research:What is it?
How does it work?
When and where was (or will) it be used?
Why is it better than other transport?
Create the Pitch (30 min):
Students write or perform a commercial, Shark Tank–style pitch, or satirical ad campaign. Encourage them to be quirky and persuasive!Presentations or Gallery Walk (15–30 min):
Groups present or display their pitch posters, optionally with music, sound effects, or props. Vote for “Most Convincing Ride,” “Best Future Vision,” etc.
💡 Quirky Twist:
Have students end their pitch with a jingle or slogan:
🗣️“Ride the Roman Way—Chariots for Champions!”
🛸 “HoverPod 5000: Because Wheels Are So Last Century.”
Add a quick sound effect with a desk bell or whooshing sound for dramatic effect!
🚗 Quirky in the Workplace
A.K.A. “We’re not saying you should drive away from your responsibilities, but…the engine’s running.”
Go for a Ride Day is traditionally about embracing the open road, trying a new form of transit, or just escaping for a bit. But here in the wonderfully strange land of Celebrate Quirky, we say: why not bring the thrill of the ride into the workplace—no license required, but a willingness to look slightly ridiculous is encouraged.
“Chair-io Kart Tournament”
🌀 Office chairs become your noble steeds. The conference room (or open floor space between cubicles) becomes your racetrack. The rules? Loose. The vibe? Mario Kart meets quarterly burnout.
How to Play:
Decorate your rolling chair like a vehicle—think: cardboard spoilers, streamers, or a “Baby On Board” sign for irony.
Assign teams: each with a “driver” and a “pit crew” (someone who spins them when they get stuck).
Create a simple track using cones, tape, or aggressively placed motivational posters.
Race time! Bonus points for style, sound effects, and dramatic wipeouts.
The winner receives: a golden steering wheel made of staplers and admiration that lasts exactly one Slack thread.
Optional Add-ons:
🚦“Traffic Jam Trivia” pit stops (answer to advance)
🧃Fuel stations (i.e., juice boxes or mini-coffee refills)
🎵 Ride-themed playlist blasting in the background:
“Ride Wit Me” – Nelly
“Life is a Highway” – Tom Cochrane
“Drive” – The Cars
“Shut Up and Drive” – Rihanna
Tagline for the Day:
“Go for a Ride Day: Because sometimes you just need to roll with it…literally.”
🎬 Movie Pick: The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
Why it fits: This film is a poetic road trip through South America, based on the real-life travels of young Che Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado. It captures the freedom, discovery, and emotional transformation that happens when you just go for a ride. It’s not just about the motorcycle—it’s about the journey.
📺 TV Episode Pick: Modern Family – Season 1, Episode 15: “My Funky Valentine”
Why it fits: While it's a Valentine’s Day episode, there’s a memorable ride involved—Phil and Claire role-play and end up taking a wild ride in a hotel room they’re not supposed to be in. Plus, there's a subplot involving Manny and Jay at a mall and a limo ride. It’s all about getting out of routine and going on unexpected little adventures.
Wherever you go, however you ride—today’s about movement, freedom, and making life feel just a little more cinematic. So grab your keys, your helmet, or your subway card, and get rolling. 🚦💨
📱 Hashtags to Hitch a Ride on:
#GoForARideDay #WheelieFun #AdventureAwaits #TakeTheScenicRoute #RideAndShine #SpontaneousVibes #JustGo #QuirkyHolidays #CelebrateQuirky
