Lens-Artists #104: Summer

Posted in Photography, Road TripTagged , ,

This July “Seasons” will be the theme for the entire month with a different season featured each week. Amy is starting the challenge with “summer”. For this challenge I’m taking a trip down memory lane to some of my most memorable summer road trips.

When I was growing up my family took a road trip every summer to visit relatives. However, the most memorable summer road trip from my childhood didn’t revolve around visiting family. In the summer of 1959, when I was eight years old, my father’s work required him to spend several weeks in California. My whole family went with him on a cross country road trip to see America. I spent many hours sitting between my two brothers in the back seat of our  Ford station wagon as we made our way to the west coast. We stopped at national parks, a Santa Claus village, prairie dog towns, and bought cowboy hats. While in California we panned for gold, went to Disneyland, San Francisco, and Yosemite. On the return trip back east we saw more national parks and many more road side attractions. There’s more about my 1959 adventure at Revisiting My Childhood in Pictures.

Ford-on-Utah-State-Line
Our family of 5 traveled cross country and back in this Ford Station wagon in 1959
Old-Faithful-Lodge
Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park, 1959 ~ photo from my Dad’s digitized slide
San-Francisco-street
San Francisco street, 1959 ~ photo digitized from my Dad’s slide

Now flash forward to 2006 when Henry and I made our first cross country RV trip. Our main destinations were the Grand Canyon North Rim, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, three Utah National Parks, the Black Hills and lots of places in between.

Grand Canyon North Rim Roosevelt Point Overlook
Grand Canyon North Rim Roosevelt Point Overlook
20060808Yellowstone-(7)
Wandering Dawgs at Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in 2006
Arches National Park - Delicate Arch
Arches National Park – Delicate Arch (Utah)

Our biggest summer road trip was our four month long RV trip to Alaska in 2013. Truly the trip of a lifetime!

Watching for whales in Haines, Alaska
Watching for whales in Haines, Alaska
Polychrome Overlook, Denali National Park, Alaska
Polychrome Overlook, Denali National Park, Alaska
Mama bear looking for more fish
Mama bear looking for more fish near Valdez
Pair of Orcas on Columbia Glacier tour from Valdez
A pair of Orcas on Columbia Glacier tour from Valdez

Sadly, this summer there will be no long summer road trips for us. Stay tuned for more about a short weekend trip we have coming up next week.

Do you have a road trip planned this summer?

Amy, thank you for this weeks Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Summer

35 thoughts on “Lens-Artists #104: Summer”

  1. Great pictures, fantastic trips.
    Road trips planned? Not actually planned, but dreaming of, should the situation get better. Unfortunately, I’m giving up hope for that to happen soon, in view of the absolutely irresponsible attitude of many of our politicians and way too many members of the public.
    Stay healthy,
    Pit

    Liked by 1 person

  3. You were traveling in style back in ’59. 🙂 Great photos, each and every one. When I see shots of our national parks it always reminds me that we certainly do owe a sincere thanks to those who came before us and put aside the land for future generations to enjoy. Summer trips – not thinking there will be much this summer. I’m just hoping we get to SC for the winter at this point. 🙂 I think 2020 will be the year none of us forget and not for pleasant memories but for life altering events.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Judy, thank you. I agree. Our National Parks are all treasures. We‘’be been watching a series on the parks on National Geographic Channel. Such amazing photography! I hope you can get to SC this winter!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I love this! The old photographs are so much fun. I can’t believe the sign for the Utah border on that tiny road! The orcas are spectacular! Alas, no trips for us this year – not comfortable with it. Guess we’ll staycation. Hoping for a return to Alaska next year.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pam, thank you. My Dad had thousands of slides! My younger brother picked out some of the best ones and digitized them. I understand about not being comfortable. Hope you can get to Alaska next year.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Such wonderful captures of your childhood trip and of your past trips.
    That bear must have been fun to see!
    We saw Delicate Arch when we took the kids across the nation many years ago. The national parks are America’s pride and joy.
    Thank you for the memories.
    No road trips for us … we are staying put because of all the craziness.
    Happy Day to you.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Beth, I remember riding in a station wagon from Tallahassee to Orlando in 1971 to visit Disney World. There were about six of us (Beta Club members) crowded in the back and another three on the back seat; a teacher drove us and his wife chaperoned. Couldn’t do that today, but it was a fun time and great memory. I have only one photo of that trip – me riding the Carousel. You are so lucky that your Dad had the inclination to capture these precious memories. Thanks for sharing them with us and good luck next weekend. Please let me know how it goes.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What a fun memory! Sometimes I got a break from the back seat and my parents let me sit all the way in the back. No way we could do that now! Will let you know how it goes next weekend

      Liked by 1 person

  9. These are great memories! Love the photo of the Orcas. I agree with you in that an RV Alaska trip is a trip of a lifetime. We would love to go back. We had so many friends who were planning to go this summer and were not able to. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Those early images really brought back some memories Beth! You and I are the same age and I remember family trips in the wagon as well. I have 4 brothers and we’d all pile in for trips. I remember a trip to Florida that sounds much like your cross-country adventure back in the day. Sadly like most we’ve also cancelled our summer plans. Here’s to good health and sanity for all of us!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Happily Beth, my brothers were always very protective of me and chose to pick on non-family-members instead! That said, we had our share of mischief aplenty in that back seat!

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Love the photos of your childhood road trip. Having two older brothers, I was always wedged into the middle of the back seat, too. But we never drove cross country!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Beth, I love your childhood road trip photos! I grew up around the same time and have such similar memories – and photos! We too visited the relatives and it was a joy, but we never made it as far west as you. I had to do that as an adult, enjoying many cross-country adventures with James – making new memories. Thanks for the memories. ~Terri

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Isn’t it great that you still have photos from your family vacation to look back and remember such a memorable trip. I guess my road trip will be the first time I drive to the grocery store…trying to be very careful here in Florida.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. These are absolutely awesome! I love the nostalgia of the 1959 road trip! They digitized well! We cancelled our trip this year and only travel around Florida for day trips at this time. I will be glad when it cools off and we can get back to some real hiking. Too hot at the moment!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m with you there! Menopause may run me out of Florida! At least when we have a ESE wind, we can go to the beach and it is quite nice and comfortable. Might be doing that today! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.