(Strip Number 4205, Original Publication Date, 10 August 1982)
Panel 1: As they head to the car, Marian reminds Mike that he's been halfway across Canada by train.
Panel 2: Since he's a kid and doesn't realize that it's a sore point with his parents, he happily and without meaning harm to his mother tells his grandmother that Elly made the wrong reservations and the four of them had to sleep all squashed up into two berths. Since she remembers other dumb mistakes Elly made, Marian's reaction is somewhat muted.
Panel 3: She then sets up the punchline by asking John to confirm her belief that it's the little screw-ups that make travel more fun.
Panel 4: As we see pain stars shooting out of the bad back that Elly doesn't remember that he has, John mutters "Not in those words, exactly."
Summary: My guess is that John will be booking passage back East; that way, his spine isn't going to suffer the consequences of his wife's inattention and stupidity. Too bad for all, his children are going to suffer the consequences for the rest of their "You never take us anywhere fun" lives.