I can barely remember the discussion my parents were having, but I do know that Dad wanted to buy a pop-up camper and Mom wanted a boat. My dad won, and we ended up with a Coleman pop-up camper. It was one of the best things that ever happened to us (even Mom agrees it was the right thing after all)!
We loaded up in our Buick and pulled that camper all over the US to most of the major state and national parks. Those spring breaks, fall breaks, and summer vacations gave me a love of exploring the outdoors and enjoying all the great parks we have. The year after I had a class on the history of my state, Mom and Dad took me on a 2-week tour all around our state to the major historical spots I had studied. There were also many times we traveled a couple of hours from home and camped for two or three days by the lake.
Fast forward to my years as a single parent. My daughter and I didn’t have a lot of extra cash, so most of the trips we took were closer to home. But I did take her to visit every state park and place of interest within a day’s drive of where we lived. I was constantly asking around and looking for things to do. We toured several caves, visited historic homes, toured a Shaker village, saw Lincoln’s birthplace, visited museums, hiked to see waterfalls and lakes, and visited every park within driving distance.
I’m so blessed to live in an area that is loaded with parks, museums, and lots of historical landmarks nearby. I’m guessing that you do too. Even if you don’t have a camper or a tent, there are bound to be places close by where you can take your kids for the day or even rent a cabin for a few days. Here are just a few ideas of some things that we have done, and I’m willing to bet you can find them close to where you live:
- Rent a canoe on a nearby lake or river
- Take a raft ride with a guide down a river
- Explore a cave
- Take a train trip
- Find out where all the historical homes are and take a tour
- Visit historical battle fields (sometimes you might run into a reenactment in progress)
- Visit the birth places of famous Americans
- Find an old country store and take your time showing the kids around
- Visit a small town and ask if there are any tours of the old buildings
- Ask if you can take a tour of old historical churches in your area
- Make it a goal to visit every state park in your area
- Take the kids to a fun out-of-the-ordinary museum (like a railroad or toy museum)
- Visit an animal sanctuary
- Tour the capital city of your state
