Off to See the Country

Today's flurry of posts will be the last until July 22. After featuring posts every day since Green Alert started last July, the site is on hiatus because, well, because we are on the road seeing America.

With gas prices being what they are this may not have been the best year to take a cross country driving trip with the kids. But it seems everyone we talked to about our plans said something along the lines of, "That's something we always meant to do with our kids and never did," and we don't ever want to have that regret. Kelly and Matt are 14 and 12, old enough to remember what we see, not so old that they don't want to go with us. If we don't go this year, we may never go.

So the 1984 Volkswagen Westfalia camper (sleeps two in the "poptop" and two below) has been tuned up by the best VW bus mechanic in the East. (No promises, he said, because it's a 22-year-old vehicle, but it's as ready as it can be.) We've raided our savings account. The dog-sitter seems to get along with 2-year-old Cooper the Golden Retriever. All systems are go.

We're sprinting (as much as you can in a VW bus) to Dallas for a quick visit with my sister and then will hit the blue highways. We'll stop by El Paso so we can cross over into Mexico and let the kids say they've been there. We're going to Mesa Verde National Park to see the cliff dwellings and have reservations at the bottom of Grand Canyon. (We're hiking in.) Then it's up to Zion National Park, Yellowstone and the Badlands. Depending on time and the VW, we might spend some time in the Tetons or at Craters of the Moon. I've been to all of those places before and can't wait to share them with the kids.)

Keep your fingers crossed that the VW holds up (I'm not exactly a mechanic), but no matter what happens, it will be a memorable adventure.

Enjoy a safe and healthy start of summer with your family and I'll see you in late July.

Bruce Wood