SALT LAKE CITY — The 21st century has brought us many wonderful things, but arguably one of the greatest is the invention of handheld electronics.

Tablets, smartphones and laptops have turned the cross-country family road trip from a nightmare of screaming and back-seat fighting to a near-silent trek across thousands of miles with children glued to their devices. There’s hardly a “he’s touching me” to be heard.

However, the ease of entertaining children on long trips has cost us a few things. Because keeping the kids happy in the car used to be so difficult, parents had to devote a lot of time and energy to making the drive fun, whether with toys, songs, candy or games. Now that keeping kids quiet takes minimal effort, the magic and memory of the "road" part of a road trip can easily be lost.

By adding some offbeat and unexpected stops along your route, you can restore the magic to the "traveling" part of your travel. Road trips can be just as memorable as they used to be before tablets and you don’t even have to sacrifice the benefits of electronic entertainment.

Here are a few fun stops along several common Utah road trip destinations:

Grand Canyon, Las Vegas or Disneyland

Taking the family to the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas? On your way to Disneyland? Add in a few stops along the way. Beaver is a common stopping point for all of these trips as families get out to fill up the gas tank and stretch their legs.

But many travelers are unaware that Beaver is also known as the home of the Best Water in America. After winning a nationwide contest in 2006, Beaver has proudly proclaimed its status. You can sample the award-winning water during a meal stop at any of its restaurants. And don't forget to check out the delicious Cache Valley cheese curds sold at the gas stations and stores in Beaver.

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How to plan a road trip from SLC to Southern Calif.

Thousands of Utahns drive to southern California every year. Some go to visit family. Some head south for a glimpse at the beach and a chance to feel warm sand between their toes. A lucky few drive towards Disneyland, singing and smiling the whole way down (I can only assume).

You can also squeeze in a trip to the Hoover Dam on your way. While many families make a stop at the dam, not many will visit the 8-foot bronze statue of Alabam, the man who was responsible for one of the most important and most disgusting jobs on the dam build site.

Alabam was the “sanitary engineer,” the man responsible for cleaning the latrines used by the over 7,000 men working to build the Hoover dam. Sculpted with a bandolier of toilet paper rolls slung across his chest, the statue of Alabam is a delightful and quirky sight that can be found in downtown Boulder City, Nevada, just a few miles from the dam.

Mt. Rushmore and Chicago

Going to that great American kitschy destination, Mt. Rushmore? Taking the family across the Midwest to Chicago? Laramie, Wyoming, holds several fun sites but one of the most interesting is the pristinely restored Wyoming Territorial Prison. These walls once held Butch Cassidy, according to the website, and the $5 admission price gets you a tour of the prison, its outbuildings and some hands-on fun doing prison crafts (that’s a thing).

Three more hours on the road will bring you to Alliance, Nebraska. This small town an hour north of Sidney and I-80 is home to one of the country’s most famous offbeat attractions, Carhenge. This site is exactly what it sounds like: Stonehenge recreated using cars. A family’s tribute to their grandfather, the site is only a short detour from either a North Dakota or Illinois itinerary and will be something your kids will never forget.

If you’re heading to Chicago, the city of York, Nebraska, holds two quirky stops just off I-80. The town boasts the Marble Museum and the weirdly charming Backyard Zoo. The Marble Museum contains what is arguably the world’s largest collection of antique marbles. Curator Lee Batterton said his museum contains over a million blown-glass and machine-made marbles.

Backyard Zoo is exactly what it sounds like—the owners have created life-size replicas of zoo animals which live in their backyard. Both attractions are free and will add only a few minutes to your travel time.

And if you have some Trekkies in the car, don’t miss out on a Star Trek fan’s mecca: the Future Birthplace of Captain Kirk. Located in Riverside, Iowa, this town is directly on your route to Chicago. The town boasts a USS Enterprise model, a memorial plaque on the spot where Kirk will be born in 2228 and lots of Trek-themed businesses and photo opportunities.

So are you ready to reclaim the Great American road trip? Do you love this idea but not these locations, and want to create your own custom plan? There are many websites with lists of great offbeat stops, like RoadsideAmerica.com. Lists, maps, photos and more are waiting to help you create your own unforgettable trip. You can even consult the kids when choosing which odd sites to include on your next itinerary.

Create a truly memorable experience with your family and start your vacation the minute you leave your driveway.

Olivia Meikle is the host of the popular What'sHerName history podcast & author of travel site Around the World in 80 Diapers.

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