A New Road Atlas

What is it about road atlases?? We LOVE them at our house. Part of it is because we love road trips and have traveled thousands and thousands and thousands of miles across this great nation seeing the sights and experiencing our history. Atlases provide a connection to past memories of all the fun times we have had on the road.

But there is something else about atlases that is intriguing, too. It's the lure of the roads still to be traveled. It's the call of the next beautiful National Park to explore. It's the sights we see along the road and the silly ways we pass the time on the way. Sometimes, I just have the urge to load everyone up and take off. Maybe not even plan ahead, just start driving. There is something so freeing in reducing your world to what will fit in the travel trailer and a couple of vehicles. Simplicity is wonderful.

We started filling in a National Park Passport a few years ago. It serves as a record of our travel. Since we didn't know about the Park Passport for several years, I guess we will just have to retrace our steps so we can get stamps in our book from all those parks we visited before we bought our book. It's as good an excuse reason as any other, don't you think? Kregg even bought me a new one this year. (He's so romantic!) It's the Explorer Edition! Yipee!

We used to tent camp. But the ants that invaded our tent one time convinced us an rv was in our future. Flying was out because we couldn't afford tickets for nine of us at a time. Driving was cheaper, but without a camper we would be paying for two hotel rooms every night and 27 meals a day eating out! YIKES! So we have found our niche. It's an ultra light travel trailer that sleeps 9! Almost unheard of, I know, but we did find one! It's our little home-away-from-home-on-wheels.


The younger four kids are great travelers and are always up for an adventure. The older two still at home are voting for shorter trips these days, maybe only 10 or 12 days instead of 19. Maybe just 3000 miles instead of 4500. That's okay. We can be flexible.

Part of me thinks when numbers two and three have left home, numbers four through seven, plus Kregg and I, may become SERIOUS road warriors. I have read tales of families taking off for a month at a time and driving some serious miles. It sounds so wonderful. Ahhh, New England in the fall. Back to Glacier National Park, where I may refuse to ever leave again. The Sequoias really need to be visited soon. What about the U. P. in Michigan again? The younger four haven't been to D. C. yet. Highway 101 along the Pacific coast from Northern California up into Oregon and Washington is such a glorious drive and none of the kids have seen it. What are we doing still sitting at home?

Yes, I have the "fever." So I bought Kregg a new atlas. (Romantic, I know.) Our old one was missing the Western half of the U.S. on the national map. And we sort of need that half a lot. So, it's time to break in a new atlas. 


And I know the perfect way to do it! 


Time to plan a road trip!


How about you? Do you love the open road? Or would you rather herd cats? Is flying your favorite mode of travel, or do you prefer a canoe? Do you camp? Hardcore camping, as in tents at the primitive sites, or like us with a travel trailer? Or would you rather drive and stay in a hotel at each stop? Any road trips in your future?


Here are some travel tips we have learned over the years, in case you have a big road trip in your future.