We just got home from a week-long vacation on wheels through the state of California! Usually very task-oriented and driven people, Joe and I like to "wing it" when it comes to vacations and have invested in an RV just for that reason. We rarely plan where we go, but instead get in and start driving. Most often we'll have a direction we want to take (north, south, east, or west) and a particular destination we'd like to see. For this trip, it was a toss up between heading north into British Columbia or south into California. With promises for a future (shorter) trip north, we voted to head south with the particular goal of seeing the "Ronald Reagan National Library" in Simi Valley, California. Along the way we had an interesting adventure driving through downtown San Francisco where Joe had his heart set on his kids riding a trolley (we neglected to see the sign that forbid any trucks over 3 tons until we were right in the thick of it!). While in southern California we visited family (I grew up until age 12 in the then-small town of Yucaipa), showed the kids my old homes, walked through the church my Grandfather pastored, spent a day at Sea World, camped in the most beautiful location at the base of the Sequoia National Forest, and walked right up to the second largest tree in the world (as well as walking through one) in Sequoia National Park. Altogether we clocked an amazing 2,400 miles! Even though we could have easily used the money we spent just on gas at a wonderful resort sitting beside a pool, we enjoy these non-traditional vacations with "just us". While driving we have some wonderful conversations. Daddy is a captive audience (a treasure!). I indulge myself in reading (this trip I read the latest Jan Karon book, the memoirs of Nancy Reagan, a portions of "Jumping Ship" by the Pearls and "An Old Fashioned Girl" by Louisa May Alcott). The kids play endless games with their game-boys (yes, they are well-chosen games and they do serve a purpose at times like these!), or played with their stuffed animals (Isabelle brought), or watched DVD's on the portable player. We immersed ourselves in Reagan trivia through reading and DVD's after our visit to the incredible library/museum dedicated to his memory. We are true homeschooling nerds!! With an un-planned vacation ... you never know where you might end up!
We just got home from a week-long vacation on wheels through the state of California! Usually very task-oriented and driven people, Joe and I like to "wing it" when it comes to vacations and have invested in an RV just for that reason. We rarely plan where we go, but instead get in and start driving. Most often we'll have a direction we want to take (north, south, east, or west) and a particular destination we'd like to see. For this trip, it was a toss up between heading north into British Columbia or south into California. With promises for a future (shorter) trip north, we voted to head south with the particular goal of seeing the "Ronald Reagan National Library" in Simi Valley, California. Along the way we had an interesting adventure driving through downtown San Francisco where Joe had his heart set on his kids riding a trolley (we neglected to see the sign that forbid any trucks over 3 tons until we were right in the thick of it!). While in southern California we visited family (I grew up until age 12 in the then-small town of Yucaipa), showed the kids my old homes, walked through the church my Grandfather pastored, spent a day at Sea World, camped in the most beautiful location at the base of the Sequoia National Forest, and walked right up to the second largest tree in the world (as well as walking through one) in Sequoia National Park. Altogether we clocked an amazing 2,400 miles! Even though we could have easily used the money we spent just on gas at a wonderful resort sitting beside a pool, we enjoy these non-traditional vacations with "just us". While driving we have some wonderful conversations. Daddy is a captive audience (a treasure!). I indulge myself in reading (this trip I read the latest Jan Karon book, the memoirs of Nancy Reagan, a portions of "Jumping Ship" by the Pearls and "An Old Fashioned Girl" by Louisa May Alcott). The kids play endless games with their game-boys (yes, they are well-chosen games and they do serve a purpose at times like these!), or played with their stuffed animals (Isabelle brought), or watched DVD's on the portable player. We immersed ourselves in Reagan trivia through reading and DVD's after our visit to the incredible library/museum dedicated to his memory. We are true homeschooling nerds!! With an un-planned vacation ... you never know where you might end up!
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