Unforgettable Summer Vacations

Most people remember the time in their childhood when they went to school for the first time

. Others remember that one special catch they made for their football game, for me though, the memories that put a smile on my face are our family's great summer vacations. A summer road trip was our most chosen option because we didn't have a lot of money to go to Europe, or hang out in the Caribbean. But it was almost a yearly ritual for us to take a couple of weeks during the summer months to vacation as a family. With three kids, so close in age, mild squabbles were bound to happen. But mostly, we were quite civil to each other.

An year that stands out in particular to me as our family's best summer road trip is when we travelled from California to Alaska. As a bubbly fourteen year old teen, I was really looking forward to spend my summer at the beach flirting with guys so, honestly, I wasn't too thrilled by the idea of spending 2 months traveling in a camper with my family.

Despite my protests, my folks stuck to their plan and said that we all had to go. Begrudgingly I went along, with only a book to keep me entertained during the long drive. This was before the digital age so there were no playstations or computers to take along.

Our camper was a small and compact unit, with a tiny stove, sink and refrigerator that used up a block of ice for cooling. Each of us was assigned one tiny cupboard. I started to put my belongings in the one at the top right side of the camper. To my horror I realized that I would have to leave behind about 90% of my wardrobe. I had to shove in my jeans, shirts and underwear into a very small tight space. The start of my trip didn't look too good.

We left right after school closed for the summer and the drive took us all the way down the Californian coastline. We drove through Oregon, the capital city, British Columbia, passed by our neighbours in Canada and then finally reached Alaska. There were some memorable pit stops along the way. I remember enjoying the rainforest, a remarkably friendly racoon and even running away from a slug at the Olympia National Park. When we stopped over in Vancouver Island, we took the opportunity to visit the Butchart Gardens which was filled with glorious flowers, and nature at its most beautiful. That was really the turning point of the trip for me, the moment it dawned on me that I ought to be appreciating this opportunity instead of sulking.

After a few days, we reached Dawson Creek, British Columbia, from where we started our journey towards Alaska along the ALCAN Highway. Though now I am made to believe that the road has been vastly improved I remember our journey being dusty and dirty. The road was simply a trail of packed dirt with nearly no pavement. Yet, all of us got used to the grit after a while and we wouldn't look back twice when we shook out our semi-clean clothes to change while we took turns washing up in our little camper sink.

As far as great summer road trips go this might sound rather dull. But the togetherness never left us bored during its entire duration. The evenings were spent reading, embroidering or playing endless games of canasta and "go fish". Sometimes my brother would bring out his guitar, and I can still hear the thrumming strings and those moments out under the stars staring into the campfire.

The raw natural beauty of Alaska was spectacular. From glaciers to lakes and forests, there was everything that made the great outdoors amazing. It was definitely a slightly different take on summer fun, but it sure was amazing.

by: Payton Robison

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