A few months ago, we started thinking about what trip we’d like to take for our tenth anniversary (which was June 25th). With the kids, we hadn’t been able to take an extended vacation for the past few years, so we had accumulated a few ideas. We knew we wanted to drive somewhere (and would, thus, leave the kids with the grandparents) and discussed a few routes, including a trip to Maine or down to the Florida Keys.
Ultimately, the Oregon Trail won out. I can’t remember how exactly that idea came up or who first suggested it, but Brooke looked into it and the National Park Service has a series of maps available to give you a driving route that’s relatively close to the course the pioneers took.
Thus, we will embark soon on an excursion that takes us from Independence, MO out toward Oregon City, OR (near Portland). We’ll spend a few days heading out, stopping at some of the key locations (Chimney Rock, Fort Kearny, etc…mostly the locations from the classic game…) on our way. Then, we’ll spend some time in and around Portland, followed by heading south along the coast toward San Francisco, CA. After a few days there, we’ll head back toward home.
Aside from the ultimate destination(s), we aren’t really planning the trip that carefully. Like the pioneers of old, we’ll take our time, sometimes staying in hotels, sometimes sleeping in the back of the car at state parks. We haven’t made any reservations, so we’ll take what we can find as we find it!
It’s an adventure. Looking forward to it!