I think I can safely say that all roads traveled in life are not smooth. Some are rough and washboard like, some have big holes or ruts, some are muddy and are easy to get bogged down on. And then there are the ones that allow for smooth, easy travel. But even those smooth roads require maintenance... or they too will become rough roads.
The focus topics of the pages that accompany this block are family and travel... but I'll be fully focused on travel here.
If you are a regular visitor of my blog, you know by now that Dave and I love to travel. My Maternal Grandparents had a bit of wanderlust. They had extensive travels in their lifetimes.
I have not had taken the opportunity to have much international travel. Short of a few trips "just over the borders" to Juarez and Nogales, Mexico and Point Peale Canada, I have only seen locations within the 48 contiguous states. Our bucket list of places to visit is extensive. As we approach retirement age, we believe we will start marking some of those off. Alaska and Hawaii included, but after we travel the highways with our camper. We want to explore Maine & New York, the Carolinas and the Outer Banks, the deep south, the Pacific Northwest and everything in between!
One of the most outstanding travel memories for me is when we took 3 weeks to travel in the summer of 2005, while our daughters were still teenagers. We drove from Colorado, across the Midwest to Michigan for a family reunion with Dave's Dad and all of his siblings ~ a total of 27 people descended upon one cottage. There may have been several tents, too. There were only 1 niece and 1 nephew that were not present. We had an entire weekend of fun, laughter, sun and water. There were kids, towels, chairs, and water toys everywhere!
From Michigan we ventured across Ohio into Pennsylvania... more specifically, Gettysburg.
Rich with history, we were sometimes speechless as we toured the area learning details of the battles and lives lost. And I can't forget the "ghost tour". Heather has specifically requested that. It was a bit of a bust, but after getting home and looking through pictures, we discovered that there was an apparition that appeared in one of the photos we took in the attic of the Schriver House. You can see it in the center of this photo...
From Gettysburg we drove to Washington DC where were lucky enough to have been added into a tour of the White House and the US Capitol. I don't know if tours of the White House are still permitted, but if they are and you can get in on a tour, DO IT!
(Special memory of the WH tour: We had received a list of items that were not permitted... lip balm was on the list, but Heather insisted on taking hers (buried deep in a pocket). As we passed through security she set off an alarm. The look of shock on her face as she thought she got caught. Turns out the buckle on her belt caused the alarm. Whew!)
After these tours, we wandered the length of the mall and visited all of the Memorial and Monuments and a few museums. We were able to visit Ford's Theatre and Arlington Cemetery before we left the area to head home.
We traveled through West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. We stopped in at the Arch in St. Louis. The girls didn't care for the elevator system - the compact car that we had to be in to get to the top.
We included the girls in on the discussion of vacation plans. Once we had a destination selected, we each got to make a request for what to make a priority while there. The movie, National Treasure, wasn't very old at that time, so seeing the National Archives was one that Rebecca requested. Heather enjoyed the movie Pearl Harbor and wanted to make sure we saw the WWII memorial.
Our method of planning was very different from what Dave or I had ever experienced as kids. My parents and Grandma & Grandpa T were the ones that planned the vacations I had as a child. Dave's parents always made the plans for their family as well.
Not that I didn't enjoy the vacations I had with my parents, but I recall asking to make one stop on a trip and my idea/request was denied. Maybe that is why we made sure to include our children in the planning of vacations.
With our children grown, our trips are more frequent. It helps that we are self-employed and have the freedom to come and go as we desire. :) And since having a camper, they are less expensive as well. We always traveled by car with the girls (we never could have afforded 4 airline tickets, plus car rental on top of the hotel stays and meals.) and they never complained about the time required in the car. One slept and the other would read. We taught them that the journey to the destination was just as important as getting there.
Thanks for tagging along as I recalled one of our favorite vacations. I hope I didn't bore you too much with the "slides".
What was one of your favorite vacations?
What was it about the trip that made it your favorite?
I'd love to hear from you!
You should know the routine by now... Head over to my Payhip store to get the pattern for Rough Road and don't forget to come back to link up your completed block in the block parade. :)
Keep Piecing,
Melva
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