One of my favorite vacation trip memory is the last one the family took with all 7 of us in the summer of 1974. (Kids ages: 18, 15,12,11, 9.) We loaded up the family in the 3/4 ton truck with a large cabover camper and made a 4000 mile - 3 week trip from San Diego up to Sequoia and Kings Canyon in CA. Then down and around to camp on the east side of mountains and exploring the caverns there; crossing the desert to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Over to visit Mesa Verde and the cliff dwellings; stopping at 4-Corners of NM, AZ, CO,Utah with the kids standing in each of the states; camping overnight in a pull-out along the mountain road near Taos; stop at Philmont Boy Scout camp at Cimarron, NM. Stopped to visit with my family in Tucumcari. Then down to Carlsbad Caverns and start the westbound trip (across the southern part of New Mexico, Arizona and California) camping in the dessert then in the Laguna mountains and finally back home in San Diego. Along the way, we had several adventures... having Momma bear and her cubs come into the campfire talk in Sequoia; the oven blow up in my face (singeing the hair around my face and burning my eyebrows) 4 days into the trip + 1 kid came down with 3-day measles the same day; 2 different truck problems; meeting and talking to Tony Hillerman (author) in Tuba City; even our dog being attacked by mosquitoes along side the river which lead to us moving on and camping in a mountain roadside pullout that night; suffering from heat exhaustion (no A/C in truck/camper); spending nights around campfires with the kids and telling family stories: but best of all - spending lots of time with the family exploring all the parks, byways and sights along the way.
