"Free To Make Travel Dreams Come True" MERRYSUNSHINE's Profile

I grew up in Ohio. My maternal grandparents were from Austria and my paternal grandparents were from Wuerttemberg, Germany.

I was born at the tail end of the depression days. I remember how my father rented space down the road to grow a big vegetable garden and my mother always canned food for the winter. A trip for us kids was a ride to the country for old fashioned ice cream cones...the best in the world back then! Traveling to other States was a wishful dream for us, so we did it through books.

My first experience of traveling came when my fiance was able to fly to Hawaii for RR from Vietnam....and I was able to meet him there... what a dream come true in those days!!! Hawaii!!!!
We then moved to California together and had the easy commutes to San Francisco for exploring... Pinch me, was it really happening outside of a book??!! We would soak up the beaches and drive down the coast regularly.. we would camp at Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Lassen Volcanic National park and Mt. Shasta area... Our years there were wonderful and full of discovery.

We found ourselves moving to Colorado and the adventure continued. One of our favorite places is Estes park and we camp there often. My husband and sons have backpacked on many a trail there... While camping at Fern Lake last year a few careless backpackers were attacked by a black bear looking for food that he smelled in their tent. He was a lucky guy as they were able to scare the bear off with just a head wound. My sons are avid snow boarders and back packers, mountain bikers and love four wheeling....they love to kayak at Yellowstone National park and four wheel drive in the San Juan Mtns. They mtn. bike many places but seem to love the popular Moab area in Utah.

My husband and I have driven to New Mexico and enjoyed Santa Fe and Taos several times... Last summer we took our 8 year old grandson on a trip through the Dinosauer National Park area and into Idaho to see the Craters of the Moon Natinal Park. Craters of the Moon Park emerged 2,ooo years ago and contains some of the best examples of basaltic volcanism in the world.
My husband loves to follow the Mormon Trail..and have followed it from Nebraska to Idaho so far... So much history and strength!

I have always wanted to go to Alaska so we took a Princess Cruise last year... what an educational trip and we plan to return to spend more time traveling on land this time.

Now I am planning a trip down the Rhine River and a stop in Mulfinger-Jagstberg to see where my paternal side of the family had lived before coming to the USA. I have been researching with my cousin and may have a relative living in Mulfgin, Germany.?

But, I also have found my home town of Ohio alot more interesting now that I am "RIPE" in age and respect that great state of Ohio! So when I return, I grab my brother and we explore the old Indian settlements, Graveyards of Civil War Soldiers and their sacrifices, the little museums that harbor forgotten memories of days gone by, the many old covered bridges and flour mills, and the Ohio River where my paternal grandparents spent there lives ...we have just begun and every mile has a story. It is so full of History and Adventure....

I am a rookie by all means.. i am now motivated to take interesting pictures as I travel and add them to this web sight. They will not be as exodic as most of yours but I hope I will someday be as helpful and interesting as most of you... You all have inspired me to follow my dreams!!
Thanks for all your sharing!

Happy traveling to all in the great world of ours!!! and be sure to travel as "GREEN" as possible... our earth is fragile..!!