My father could not fathom why people would ever want to spend their vacations at a resort or amusement park when there is so much nature to see. He would go off on long lectures about the National Parks system and the importance of communing with nature. Our vacations consisted of loading up an RV and criss-crossing the country to visit National Parks and Monuments.

When we set up camp, every member of the family had a particular task. My brother and I, for example, were expected to set up the screen houses. These provided outdoor spaces to lounge in without worry of being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I learned so much on those family RV vacations and created memories that will last me a lifetime.