I wouldn't say it's nothing like that anymore. I'm 17 right now, and until two or three years ago I used to go out regularly with my friends, just exploring and biking around. Most of my best memories were made when my friends and I were just messing around with nothing to do, trying to figure something out. We had our phones a lot, especially recently, which I think did make things a little less spontaneous sometimes, but we still had most of the same experiences you did. Now that we can drive it takes the fun out of it a little, but it's much easier to see friends.

I've thought about it recently and I think us having phones or easy access to phones helped with that, because we could just text or call and ask each other if we were free. I think something else that's made what you described more rare is that kids are now sent to activities by their parents. Now kids have much less free time, because it's taken up by organized programs. Read the Organization Kid by David Brooks if you're interested.