Mondays are for Dreaming: Wild West

Pop Top Camping

I dream of not only showing my children the world, but also our country. We’ve made many a road trip here in the US, but not the big iconic one….the weeks long journey “out west”. My parents took me and my sister on such a journey when we were both young. Rob and I went on a similar trip when we first became “us”. There’s just something about the great American road trip that becomes a part of “us” — even the Bradys did it, not to mention the Griswalds. And I look forward to initiating my kids into the club.

As I wrote in Roadtrip: Popping the Top!, we bought a new-to-us VW pop top van last week. (Fingers crossed that inspection and registration go smoothly.) Part of the motivation in our purchase was to take the girls on the BIG TRIP out west. While they’ve been to fascinating places on other continents (and even Mexico), they have not yet had the joy of seeing the great National Parks right here in the US.

It has been years since they’ve been to California. Camille can’t remember our trip to see the redwoods or our small plane trip to the Grand Canyon. I want to get them out to see White Sands, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches, Mount Rushmore and so much more. Our country *is* an amazing one, and I don’t want to overlook it in our travels, and it is finally time to make that trip. Chloe is old enough to remember it. We’re out of the “young” phase and down to only one booster seat as far as child paraphernalia goes.

As I dream of making a big trip “out west” this summer, giving us a chance to see friends as well as “America”, I wonder if anyone has any tips to share. What should we *not* miss west of the Mississippi??

This is an entry for Mondays are For Dreaming at Mother of All Trips.

Golden Gate - 2001

Grand Canyon - 1999

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