As a child we did not make many road trips. Most of our traveling was to see grandparents, straight there without stops. There was no vacations to destinations such as Disney Land or the Grand Canyon. Although we lived in the area of the Grand Canyon, I did not visit the immense naturally created landmark until I was an adult with my own children.
As a parent, I decided when we made a trip to see grandparents, we would also stop and view landmarks and interesting sites along the route. Nothing is more boring for a child than a two day road trip with no stopping. When we would visit their grandparents, or make long trips it became custom to stop at all historical markers and read each one. Doing so has lead to some interesting discoveries many have not seen.
On one trip to visit their grandparents in Washington state, the timing was when Halle-Bopp comet was passing near the sun and you could see both comet tails at night. So our trip became known as the Hale-Bopp trip. This trip we also decided to follow the Oregon Trail for part of our travels. Following the Oregon Trail, was a longer trip, but a very different route with more things to stop and see. One reason for choosing to take the route along the Oregon Trail, is the game simulation, “Oregon Trail”, had been released and the children were playing the game at school. I wanted to make the game more real to history learning about the Oregon Trail and seeing what remained of the landmark historical event. Each night as we drove to make up time for stopping, we would watch the Hale-Bopp comet.
The second night of our travels, was a lunar eclipse. As we traveled, we would watch the comet on one side of the road, and the lunar eclipse of a full moon on the other side of the road.
Along this trip we learned of a volcano fissure that was once used as a nuclear shelter during the Cold War. We visited a museum on the Oregon Trail, saw the wheel trails created by the many wagons in the lava rock that still exist over a 100 years later. Stayed in Twin Falls, ID and visited the beautiful Twin Falls before heading down the road once more. The children arrived at their grandparents’ home with many stories to share.
After a nice visit we were headed home again by the traditional route we usually traveled. Once we arrived at Salt Lake City, UT, we decided to stop at a new dinosaur museum in the area. This museum had inter active displays in the building, but the exciting attraction for the children was the walking path with various dinosaurs, some were built to actual size like the velociraptor, while the brontosaurus was scaled down. When you walked the path, some dinosaurs could be seen, but velociraptor was hidden in the bushes and trees. We walked by and was startled with a loud roar, and then you saw the raptor running at you with mouth open. Although the raptor was not running, it was posed, the initial fright was real. There was a playground with baby dinosaurs the children could sit, climb and slide down a baby brontosaurus tail.
Years later, my children are grown, they still remember this road trip. My son on taking his family to meet his grandparents, found the volcano fissure and shared the experience with his family as they too followed the Oregon Trail with the wheel treads still in the lava rock. Last summer, my daughter and her family visited the dinosaur museum while in Salt Lake City for a softball tournament. The road trip created fond memories for my children who then wished to share similar moments with their children. Although we never made trips to theme parks like their friend’s and spouses’ families did, we did have memorable and enjoyable unique trips because their mother loves to stop at historical markers.
amtolle
Me, Myself and I 
What a wonderful road trip that must have been.
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It was our most memorable road trip. Thank you for reading.
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