We were just on the road

Talking to my staff, and people in general, has reinforced what I already knew: that my parents provided what I'd consider great childhood vacation time. I happened across this neat paint graph that colors in the states that we've visited:

We visited 16 states, or 31% of the country. I'm bound to be corrected here--let's see...

I was around six when we started, and we had a "cartop carrier" that my dad crafted from his own plans. It would sit on top of our Ford Country Squire LTD station wagon and help us slice aerodynamically through the days on the road. It and the back of the station wagon were filled to the brim. He also fashioned a cupboard that sat in the back of the wagon so my mom could crawl from the front seat, over the back seat, and into the back to make us either peanut butter or baloney sandwiches and drinks. That way we didn't have to be bothered by stopping at Stuckey's to eat. (I don't think that I ever did get one of the old fashioned pecan log rolls that they featured on their signs...every 2.8 miles!)

On the way, we'd pester my parents to insanity--but not as bad as Tina tormented her father. We'd occupy our time playing the alphabet game on signs, playing road sign bingo, and the license plate game. It was cool to get out at state welcome signs and snap a picture. John Denver and, rarely, Linda Ronstadt were the soundtrack of our lives for the week. (Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend this heart of mine! -and- Empty the ashtray, sweep up the floor, put a lock on your door. If somebody calls in the mornin' just say we don't live here no more.) Oh, and man! I almost forgot: "Y'all need to be quiet, Dad is coming up on traffic." Whatever! Lastly, who didn't draw a line in the velour or make one with a seat belt (that's all they were used for back then) to demarcate your territory? This 3-D boundary extended up from the seat to the ceiling, and even a finger in the air violating the neutral zone would elicit retaliation and/or cries of injustice! A walah!

Most of the time we'd camp in a KOA instead of stay at a motel. We'd camp at the destination as well, usually. It was fun, having a campfire, running around in the woods or rafting in a clear mountain stream, the whole family sleeping in one tent and being admonished, "Don't touch the walls of the tent!" if it was raining. Later on we had an RV, which afforded us A/C, beds less firm than the ground, a refrigerator and stove, an indoor toilet, and a shower! There's a scene in an upcoming vacation movie (check out the trailer!) that my dad lived real-life. It involves dumping the waste.

Anyway, amongst the places we visited were Yosemite, Smokey Mountains, Meteor Crater, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Vicksburg, Pagosa Springs, Hawaii, and both Disneys. There's a ton more, and what great memories. If you're going to bring up kids, you should consider exploring the country a little more than familes seem to do these days. Sure, it's a hassle and heaven forbid a kid miss any practice of any sort, much less school. For me, I wouldn't trade the times we spent.

Oh yeah, and the most boring state? Childhood: Louisiana--miles and miles of causeways over unsightly bayous and pine trees. Sheer boredom and stench. Adulthood: Iowa--miles and miles of rolling hills covered with corn. What's over the next hill? Another corny hill! Where I'd live if Texas weren't an option? Washington state. It doesn't rain there as much as people think. Any other questions?

I haven't improved much on the exploration of the country since those days, but I'm going to change that:

Upped it to 23 states and 45% of the country. Not impressive.
(create your own visited states map)

current music: Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out