When I was a kid, after my dad got more established, my family would pack up our car and head out for three weeks every summer. Sample destinations included Maine, Shenandoah, the Blue Ridge, the Smokies, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota and Canada. We would camp mainly, spending a few nights in motels in between longer destinations. These trips provide the bedrock for my childhood memories.
My dad would halfway get us up at 4 am that first day, and carry my sleeping sister and me to the car, so we would go back to sleep. That way, he could get a good 5 hours in before anyone had to go to the bathroom or needed to eat.
I saw large swaths of the country this way, except for the Pacific coast and the Southwest. My husband was a geology brat and most of his childhood was spent overseas. His family would return to the US just to visit family primarily, so he missed out on the American Road Trip experience.
Anyway, we're taking two weeks this summer and having one of those Road Trips. We're staying mainly in motels, because we're not plopping in one spot for two long. And we're a little less focused on the destination, and more about experiences along the way. So far we've visited abandoned mines, driven on country roads through breath-taking vistas, rockhounded, eaten in local dives, hiked and taken more photos than you can believe (no limitations of rolls of film).
There are some similarities though to the trips of my childhood. My dad would forcibly take my book from me because I "needed to see this beautiful country." We take the electronics. Kids still fight in the backseat and ask how much longer (it's just that now I'm the parent, not the kid).
We've found some great letterboxes along the way too. I really commend those planters who have placed their boxes in thoughtful locations. As a visitor to your town or community, your box placements are like recommendations of where to go. We had a great hike yesterday along the Molas Trail near Silverton, CO. A box led us there, but the beauty and the pleasantness of the day led us to linger.
A journey through the woods and urban jungle in search of rubber stamps hidden in pieces of plastic.
On The Trail
What's Around the Corner?
About Me
- Laura
- I write, sometimes even for money, but usually not. I cook; I avoid cleaning if possible. I do the New York Times Crossword Puzzle every day. I carve my own rubber stamps and do assorted things with them, including letterboxing. I occasionally get riled up about something or other. I lean left, but I like dialog and respectful debate.
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