Road Trip

Today is a lovely day-----the sun is shining, although the wind is brisk and it's a bit chilly. That's okay, though, because I know that Spring, glorious Spring, is just around the corner. For some reason, after the winter holidays, I am SO ready for all the things that go along with springtime. I start getting anxious to plant flowers, re-do the garden beds, clean up the yards, just generally get everything into top form. I start daydreaming about picnics and walks along the river and a return to warmth that, as I get older, my body aprreciates very much.

I am also looking forward to the trip that my son, Alex, and I are planning for late Spring/early Summer. He and I, and our little dachshund, Bruno, will be taking a "road trip" North to visit family and friends. Our final destination is the Seattle area of Washington State, but we will be making many stops along the way so I can show Alex all the lovely places I enjoyed as a child. There is something magical about sharing favorite places with our children, places that we once enjoyed with our own parents so many years ago, places that we loved and thought about long after we left.

Our route will take us from northern California up into Oregon and Washington----some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet, in my humble opinion, of course! The state and national parks offer so many activities, or just spots to enjoy being surrounded by nature. The Pacific Northwest is dotted with lakes, rivers, mountain ranges----a true wonderland of scenic beauty. I am excited, and truth be told, a bit nervous, about taking this trip with just my young son and our little pup. But, the thought of passing up such a splendid opportunity to see so much and share so much is just....well, unthinkable!

Mount Hood, Oregon

Deschutes National Forest, Oregon

Mount Rainier, Washington

Although we will have a basic plan for where we will end up and how many days we will be gone, we WILL NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT, plan our days to a tedious fault. I will not remove even the slightest chance for some serendipitous moment of bliss by over-planning and trying to create the "perfect vacation". I want to allow precious time for wading in streams and stopping at some silly roadside attraction and wandering through the trees and picking up shells on an unfamiliar beach and pulling up to an out-of-the-way diner for a piece of pie and a milkshake.

I want to instill in my son that some of the most wonderful times to be had are times spent simply, with family. I want him to know deep down in his soul that it isn't necessary to spend a few days and a small fortune at some theme park or other to have the adventure of a lifetime---all it really requires is a car, a map, a mom, a boy, and his dog.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” ~~~ Miriam Beard

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~~~ Mark Twain