Memorable Travels with Kids

As I wrote about our Travel Theme this week, I recalled some of the memorable trips my husband and I made with our daughter.  Some were enjoyable and others weren’t so much fun.  But they all made memories.

Image: sxc.hu

When Beth was 10 months old, we traveled by Model A Ford  from Sacramento, CA to Denver, CO.  Jim had taken a new job and parted with our modern car because he couldn’t leave behind the Model A Ford he’d restored.  Even though it was a challenge to travel this way, we look through the photos and recall the lovely countryside in early October and our experiences.  This included Jim pushing the car the last few hundred feet up Berthoud Pass because the Ford had a struggle mustering up the energy.

As Beth grew older, for several years, she wasn’t such a good traveler.  So we had to find activities to occupy her while we periodically drove 275 miles to visit parents.  That’s when we found games, made up games, sang songs, told stories until Beth was old enough to read and would lose herself in a book.  This was in the days before electronics and all the games and gadgets parents tote along now.

Our first camping trip, to try out our new tent, was frought with heavy rain just as we were putting it up for the night.  Fortunately it was water tight, and we remained dry as we ate cold food and slept to the drumming of rain on the fabric.  We awoke to lovely sunlight and a wonderful day for hiking back to our car.

When Beth was 12 years old, we drove from NH to Wyoming for a pack trip into the Gros Ventre Mountains, south of Jackson Hole.  Even though it meant long days of driving, we enjoyed the diverse countryside.  Then our trip into the mountains was filled with adventure.

Make memories of your travels with kids.  Take pictures, take notes, make up scrapbooks so you can relive those times.