I ran across this quote recently in A Traveler's Diary, "To look, really look out upon the world as it is framed in the window of a moving vehicle is to become a child again- Anonymous". This quote made me think of a few vacations I remember as a child. I'm sure you have fond memories of travel when you were young also.
My family lived north of Dallas, TX in a rural area of North Texas in a town of about 850 or so at the time. I remember us loading up in our Mercury Grand Marquis car and heading out to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. The car was huge and had plenty of room for my two sisters and I in the backseat. This trip had to be late 70's and we didn't wear seat belts at the time, so one of us may be laying in the floor or in the rear window area at any time. We had plenty of room to play and sleep while dad drove us across Texas. I remember looking out the window and seeing nothing but blue skies and a few clouds as we crossed West Texas.
We got to Carlsbad Caverns and I recall a long walk down stairs into the cavern and about a 50 mile walk along the caves. Most memorable was a gift shop far down in the cave! I don't remember where we stayed or what else we saw on that trip.
Another memorable trip was a trip to Colorado Springs. We saw the Garden of the Gods, Seven Falls, Pikes Peak and also had a side trip out to the Royal Gorge. At Seven Falls, as we exited the car and walked towards the falls, I remember my dad telling the parking lot attendant not to put a bumper sticker on our car. At the time, it was common for them to sticker every car that parked. I guess they figured it was free advertising. Some people had bumpers covered in stickers. I guess it would be a badge of honor to show how much you had travelled!
One last trip that I remember involved us traveling in a cab over camper. This is a camper that goes in the bed of a truck and has a section that goes over the cab of the truck. I remember my sisters and I laying in the bed, over the cab, and waving at oncoming cars out the front window. It was such an adventure! That trip was to the Great Smoky Mountains. We stayed in campgrounds in our camper. The first night I had great fun running around the campfire playing and enjoying the night. Later that night I couldn't breath because my asthma had gotten triggered by the fire smoke and I barely slept all night.
On most of these trips we packed a cooler with drinks and sandwich supplies so we wouldn't spend money eating out or at convenience stores along the way. When we were in the camper, I remember handing a cold can of coke to my parents through the pass through window from the camper to the cab of the truck. What great memories! Our camper was similar to the photo below except it was mounted on a 1965 Ford Truck.
I remember these trips in bits and pieces and I'm sure my kids remember their trips to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Yellowstone Park and other places much the same way. I hope they remember a few positive things that will bring them great memories of their youth.
What youthful trips do you remember? Do you have fond memories of spending time with your family on vacations?
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