When I was 16 my dad got a camper cover for his pick up truck and built three bunks in it for a trip to Alaska from the Knoxville, TN area and back. Almost a month long trip living out of the camper and a motel room about every third-fourth day.
We went through Dawson City and saw cabins where Service lived and Jack London. We made it to Fairbanks and stated heading back. I got to see Lake LA barge {government sign naming it such} old gold dredges, Mt McKinley, Anchorage, and back home to Tennessee. Three years later I would be "seeing the world" as they called it starting with a trip down to Rio and back, to the Med Sea and back twice six plus months each. Then after that managed to see every state but Hawaii & Maine.
I remember in Alaska waking up and seeing a moose about 50 ft from the truck. This was in June so it didn't get dark.
Great memories, Eh?
The summer I was SIX, my Dad piled us 3 boys (I was oldest), Mom, himself (of course!), and as much gear as would fit into our big ol’ Chevy station wagon, and we headed out from Eastern Kansas to take a 3 week trip to CA, then up through the redwoods and then along the coast into B.C., then to Saskatchewan, then down through the Black Hills / Dakotas, and back home to Kansas.
Mostly we camped, but we did stay at a couple friends of Dad’s, and maybe 3-4 motels too.
I’ve forgotten many parts of it, but still have some great memories, reinforced through my childhood by all the slides (photos) my Dad took and would replay now and then when other family friends or relatives visited... :-)