On The Road

A couple of weeks ago, my family took our first full-length road trip ever. It was, hands-down, the most fun we’ve had on vacation. I had been reading the book Kildee House to Rob. It was a Newberry Honor winner in 1950. Kildee House is about a shy stonecutter named Jerome Kildee, who retires to the redwood forest to be alone. He finds, instead, friendship for the first time in his life. He finds joy in the animals and children he learns to know, in spite of his self-imposed isolation. His quiet ways allow for the local animals and children to invade his space, and that is when the fun begins.

The book reminded me of my childhood trip through the Redwoods, and motivated me to give that same awe-inspiring experience with my own children. So the planning and mapping began.

Whenever I told other kids or teens that we were going to California to the Redwoods, without fail, they all said the same thing, “Disneyland? What are the Redwoods?” At the mention of “road trip, California and Redwoods” to other adults, I got responses like, “I remember when we went to the Redwoods when I was little. How fun!”

To me, the purpose of a road trip is the journey, not THE Destination. Now, I’m all for trips to places. San Diego has been a repeated vacation for us, and we’re planning a tour of the east coast in a couple of years. And my very favorite place in the world is Turkey. But on those kinds of trips, the focus is on getting there, and what you’ll do after you arrive.

So, in an effort to inspire your family to get on the road together this summer, here’s a few photos of the places we went:

Here's the headwaters of the Sacramento River. Yes, coming straight out of the mountain in about 5 spots. How often do you get to see that? Nathan filled up his water bottle. The water was so fresh and sweet.

Apparently, there must have been something in the chips and salsa they had just eaten at the restaurant next to the Sasquatch museum. Maybe they've got gold fever after coming out of that mine.

We took a long hike on some railroad tracks to this hidden waterfall. The cold water felt so good on our feet and faces. We also hiked to the cave behind another waterfall, where Black Bart had hid before a stagecoach robbery.

We spent two days in the Coastal Redwoods, hiking and tramping around. My kids all commented that all the ferns and giant trees reminded them of the planet Endor from Star Wars, and they kept trying to find what they thought was the actual filming location.

Banana slug hunting was a huge hit. We couldn't find any until just before we left the forest.

The Sea Lion Caves in Florence, Oregon are home to hundreds of sea lions, and is the biggest sea cave in the world. But, boy, was it stinky!

Where would you love to take your children on a road trip? What are your favorite road trips from your childhood? Leave a comment and let us all know. Maybe your memories will inspire a family to get in the car together this summer, even for a day or two.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who says that yes, Legoland is fun. But the meadow full elk, or the group of redwoods growing into a cathedral spire, and the close-up view of Mt. Shasta are things that bring wonder and appreciation for the world, and that blows Legoland away.