Took the kids on a spontaneous road trip and it actually didn't suck

We drove up to Asheville with the kids (ages 6, 8, 11) last weekend on like 48 hours notice. Usually road trips are a nightmare but something just clicked this time. Downloaded a bunch of podcasts, stopped at weird little roadside attractions, let them each pick one lunch spot. The Biltmore is expensive AF but we just did the grounds and gardens for free and the kids loved it. My oldest found rocks the entire time, middle child did a scavenger hunt I made on my phone, youngest just napped. No tablets, no major meltdowns. Felt like a parenting win tbh.