For me, nurturing my love of travel and my desire to travel began early. So early, I don’t remember most of my first three trips, but I have heard the stories, saw the pictures and I know my parents gave me a priceless gift. The gift of travel. Although the photos have faded over time, they are still great reminders of a time gone by.
My parents adopted both my brother and me as infants, with him two years before me. My parents could not have children of their own and always felt we were a gift to them. In truth, they were a gift to us. We always knew we were adopted and we always knew we were loved. My parents may not have biologically given us life, but more importantly they taught us how to live. Dad and Mom taught us so much and gave us so much. One of the greatest things they gave us was the love to travel and explore.
Every year from 1967-1981 my parents took us on a road trip to different places in the United States and even to Canada a few times. We would pack up the car, and off we would go. My Dad, Elmer did the driving while my Mom, Celine did the navigating and tried to keep us kids entertained. A couple of years, Mom’s sister and our cousin went with us. Another one of Mom’s sisters and her husband joined us another year. Regardless of who was in the car, it was always a great time!
Mom would sing and we would sing along. I even remember Mom yodeling for us!! We would play car bingo, alphabet games, I spy, and even keep track of how many license plates we saw from different states. My brother kept track of how many trains we saw and would even count the cars on the train! Sometimes Dad played along, but usually he was content to just drive and listen to us! I can still see Dad driving with a slightly amused smile on his face and Mom laughing. When times got desperate, Mom always had something or other in her purse for us, such as lemon drops, anise candy, and rootbeer barrels. Seemed like such a treat back then!
Traveling has always been happy times for me and I will be forever grateful that my parents took me on these trips. Memories are a great gift. Even though Mom’s been gone since 1985 and Dad since 1996, I think of them each trip I am on and am thankful for their inspiration in nurturing a love of travel in me!
What great memories, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading! Funny how my first trip was to Colorado and that is my favorite place to travel!!
wow..that is a close look at a bear!
No kidding!!!! I am sure my mother was in the car freaking out!
lol I’ve had an uncomfortable experience with a bear in the woods..it’s quickly known who owns the forest without a firearm lol great photo btw
Well Dad hadn’t had a firearm since WWII so I guess he just felt safe?!?! Other photos that weren’t as good of quality showed other people parked along the road checking out the bear too. I guess it was just a different era!!
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I love this! Such wonderful memories.❤
Thank you! I have had time to go through boxes lately and it’s been fun seeing old photos!
What wonderful memories! I love the photos, and if you get a lead on copying slides, please share. I had forgotten rootbeer barrels. They were a big treat for us, too. Small pleasures go a long way when you’re a kid. Thanks for sharing.
I will let you know if I find out anything on the slides! Thanks for commenting!
Fabulous photos of a wonderful time in your life. Looks like your parents did a great job of bringing you up and introducing you to travel. Some of those trips must seem like yesterday to you?
My folks were fantastic! Very giving and loving parents. Yes, some of the trips do seem like yesterday, especially the ones when I was older and remember more! Feel blessed to have the photos!!
As long as you have the photos and the memories the they’ll always be with you.
I agree!!!!
This post takes me back. My dad was king of the road trip, and we drove through the entire lower 48. We have family in the Great Smoky Mountains and made that trip over and over (but I don’t remember ever coming that close to a bear).
Glad this brought back memories! We too did the lower 48!!! Each time I see that bear picture I get a bit anxious!!! Lol!! Traveling back then was so different yet so fun!!! Thanks for your comments!
I’ve never met anyone who could say the same! Sometimes we just jumped out at the state sign for a photo and drove on, but we visited countless state capitals along the way. I visited Alaska about ten years or so ago, and that was my 50th state.
Oh my gosh!! We did the same!!! I think we even just drove through a part of Texas to say we were there!! Lol!!! I still have Alaska and Hawaii to go to yet!! Someday!!
I have no memory of most of New England. That’s where I would like to revisit. Especially during a lobster fest, but Fall would be fabulous, too.
I swear most of my trips with my children when they were younger I was trying to re-create the trips that I had as a kid. Had to start making new memories though!!!
I have enjoyed all your blogs from your worldly travels, but, this is, by far, my favorite! It brought back so many car trip memories for me, too! I remember driving across country in 1965 on old Route 66 in a ‘64 Ford Falcon with my family. All the oddities along the way and great memories. Looking forward, as ever, to your next blog! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoy the blogs! This is my favorite too! Great times traveling back then!!! I will probably do a couple more of these turning back time once but just not sure when!!! None of the photos are too great anymore. Hoping to figure out something with the slides as most of our pics are on slides!!!!!
Great memories.It looks a lot like my childhood, especially how mom tried to keep us entertained in the car with similar games while dad drove.
Great times!! So different then now!!!
It is your treasure indeed. I love the story. Thanks.
Thanks for reading!!
Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing! I got my love of travel from my parents as well. Amazing gift to give children. Loved your photo/comment about the bear! OMG.
Glad you enjoyed it!! Traveling is amazing! That picture of the bear always gives me a bit of shock!! Times have changed!!!
Love the old pictures!!!
Thanks!!
I always love going through old pictures! Nostalgia is like a warm blanket in the fall!
I agree!!
what a great gift your parents gave you and your brother. thanks for sharing those wonderful memories you have!
Thanks, Jim!! We really had great parents!!
do you have a favorite trip you took as a family? I know it would be hard to pick from so many!
I do!! We went to Old City Quebec with my Aunt and Uncle, met my cousin and her husband at their place in Mericksville, Canada. It was 1981 and I was 15. This was a favorite trip of mine because we all had such fun and so much laughter. I love history so old Quebec was perfect for me and I was introduced to a whole different culture I never knew existed! What makes it more special today, is It was our last family vacation. Little did we know mom
would be diagnosed with cancer That year and pass away 4 years later. But these memories are extra special, remembering Mom having such a good time!! Thank you for asking!! Sorry such a long response!!😊
I can tell by your response that the trip means so much to you. And how nice that your Mom was able to be a part of it.
I have never been to Old City Quebec (actually I was not aware of such a place), but you make it sound pretty special.
It was great! Old City Quebec was like stepping into a European country! Narrow streets, old world charm, and long meals. Would love to go back someday!!!
and it’s a lot closer than Europe, at least for me!
Me too!!! We drove to my cousins house from Iowa then took Amtrak!
that sounds like a fun way to travel!
Beautiful pictures…❤️
Keep posting…Loads of Love..
Thank you❤️❤️❤️
I enjoyed the vintage pictures. Thanks for sharing your memories with us.
Thanks for following along!!
Wonderful vintage photos & travel memories! Regarding the transfer of slides to your computer, I undertook this process last autumn at the Knoxville Public Library, for free. They had just installed special scanning software and plastic brackets to load approx. 24 slides at a time. Once everything was scanned, I was able to download the collection to a memory stick – then home to my computer. It was a simple process – an option to consider.
Oh wow! Great advice!! I will
Have to check our library here when it is open!!! Thank you so much!!!!
My pleasure!
Wow, that’s a blast from the past. Summer road trips were such a common thing back then, a staple of American life……
Yes they were! Lots of fun!!
Oh my, these are such great memories. Thanks so much for sharing. 💜💜💜
Regards, Teresa
Thank you, Teresa! It was fun to do this post!! Lori
Those were the days, weren’t they? I have similar memories of childhood travel. It makes me sad that these days kids are just playing on their phones in the back seat, but it makes me even sadder when I learn that some of my students never travel anywhere.
I agree!! Travel is so educational! I miss those days back then!! Lori
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Great topic for the write-up. My parents also gave me a love of travel. My father in particular travelled the world for work and pleasure and would often bring back souvenirs of far off places I knew little about. It got me learning about the world and wanting to see it for myself.
Similar to your trips, travelling the country really contributed to my love of travel. I remember one road trip in particular when I was about 10 and we moved from Alabama back to Canada. Dad took his time, we stopped off at so many interesting spots along the way and I got to see so much variety in the different states we visited. It was a wonderful experience.
Such wonderful memories! Traveling is a great experience at any age but I remember the thrill of it as a child! Sounds like your father really enjoyed to travel too!!
So nice, touching, wonderful ! Thank you.
Thank! Those were wonderful days back then!!!
What a lovely post and great memories to have. I hope I am instilling a love of seeing new places to my children now just as your parents did for you x
Thank you! I am sure you are making wonderful memories for your children!!!
These are nice to see. It is unusual, I think during this time period, to have so many photos of travelling across the states. I have lots of farmhouse photos from 1967 when my parents left Queens, New York to live on a farm with 12 acres in the Catskills. Although the land and buildings were sold long ago in 1987, the memories and the photos are wonderful to revisit.
My father loves to take photos. We have over 30 boxes of old slides from trips across the 48 continents states!!!! I bet your farm photos from back then are really great to look at!!! Thanks for your comments!
Wow, that is a lot of boxes and photos to tell a story.
It sure is!!!!!
Are you in Arizona?
No. We live in Iowa. Visited Arizona first week of March. Arizona is a place I have traveled to frequently in the last 5-6 years as I enjoy the landscape there!!
Yes, my brother lives there with his wife and loves it. We have thought of relocating there when we both retire.
It would be great to retire there! One of the places we have thought of. Currently leaning towards The Carolinas.
Such a beautiful thing to know your passion so well. Mine is also travel! Thank you for sharing!
Traveling is so amazing