Reply #42: My experience suggests "memories of a lifetime"

[Bossy Monkey]

When my folks (my dad, really) took us across country when I was 5 (to Expo in Montreal) and 6 (to Hemisfair in San Antonio and on to California), I was endlessly delighted, suffused with fond memories for life, and turned into a confirmed traveler. So on the face of it, I want to say that you should go for it. However...

We were visiting places, not people. Therefore, we could spend only a couple or three days at the destination, then turn around. Family tends not to be so understanding about such things. You would probably have to spend most of your time just driving, rather than sightseeing, and then do the same coming back.

Furthermore, it's uh, more further. That's a hell of a long way to drive. Maybe you ought to do a dry run to Seattle or Vancouver, say.

And the one camping/ outdoorsy type place I wanted to recommend to you turns out not to be on the way. (It's Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth. The swinging bridge over the St Louis River goes over particularly well with the small fry.)

Also, fear of flying is pretty easy to get over. I share yours, for similar reasons. (Gotta LOVE commuter airlines and their turbojets.) Xanax helps, as do deep breathing, relaxation exercises, and keeping reading material or listening material to hand at all times.

Soooo, I'd probably have to recommend against driving this time. If you can get the entire 18 days and if the family members you visit don't mind you staying only 3 or 4 days and if you can design a trip where long interstate drives are broken up by day or so stops at fun or scenic places and if the small child is big enough that s/he will actually remember any or all of this, well then maybe. But it seems like a lot of ifs.