The desire for this road trip began from one of the most memorable trips I took at the age of thirteen. My mom loaded up our red '94 Ford Aerostar van with camping gear and bicycles. Along with my brother and sister, we brought our boxer, Shelby, to be part of the adventure! The only perimeters for the trip were to travel entirely by back roads and scenic highways from Vero Beach to Glacier National Park in Montana and beyond into Canada. We were off to see as much as we could with no agenda or timetable except to be back in time for school. My mom wanted us to see the geographical features of the United States we learned about in class as well as how people lived in their small towns along the way. She was ridiculed for taking such a risk, however, it only made her more determined for us to have a unique summer vacation and open our eyes to a larger world.
By the time we returned six weeks later, we had traveled through 17 states and experienced memorable tourist destinations, national parks and monuments. The lasting memories however, were the things not found in textbooks but rather vast fields of sunflowers, the snort of a huge buffalo meandering behind our tent, trying to videotape a moose that crossed behind my brother while trout fishing, and collecting rocks of amazing colors. In addition, we had the experience of working together as a family and the trip created a bond that we share with no one else. Each day after looking for off the beaten path destinations, we would set up camp, prepare our meals, take a walk or ride our bikes always in search of wildlife to observe. Without a doubt, this trip planted a seed in my 13 year old mind that has bloomed like a wildflower over the years. I came back from that trip a different person. The experience had an effect on me that I would neither fully understand nor appreciate until I got older.
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