SUMMER TRIP 2015

So it's come to this. 

After all the talk and rambling about 'how we wanna do this and that, and can we get the time off, and will the vehicle make it 3800 miles, and how will the sleeping be, and will we kill ourselves with all this travel....we decided to follow in the footsteps of our inspiring pro camping buddies, the Clarke family as they transverse the country every summer for 30-47 days.  In tents. In primitive campsites. 

Over the course of sixteen days, from June 26, thru July 12, the attempt is no longer on the table.  This is happening.  My 15 year old daughter, 11 year old son, and my gorgeous wife will be making the round-robin trek, starting after we get off work next Friday.  The trip encompasses basically the central U.S--from our home on the Florida panhandle, to Mammoth Cave, KY, a state park in Indiana, multiple state parks in Michigan including Van Buren State Park, a mom and dad brewery tour of Bells in Kalamazoo, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island, Leelanau Primitive camping on the tip of Transverse Bay, Three Provincial parks in Canada, Niagara Falls, the motherland in PA, and finishing with a short stay with my buddies in Annapolis and a (hopeful) couple day trips to D.C. then home. As with everything all we can hope for is the best. (cue National Lampoon Vacation pic here).  Bring on this adventure. 

I set up the final trip itinerary yesterday and it will be a long one, best made by short three to four hour trips in the car everyday, with day 1 and day 16 being the longest days in the car.  Am I crazy?  Not sure yet, but I know there will be amazing times and rip-out-my-hair times.  A family of four in a (downsized from Tahoe) Chevy Equinox loaded down with camping gear and bikes for a trip that will be memorable, hopefully in the good memory category, for a lifetime.  

So roll along with us, as I'll try to update this thing everyday on the road, from a dad, kid, and mom perspective and we ride and attempt to capture the beauty of this beautiful country we call home.