I couldn’t wait for summer. Then I found out that my mom and grandparents had planned a thirty-seven day trip to the western states. My excitement escaped me. After I heard the bad news, I heard the worst. I learned that we would live in the camper for one month, one week, and two days along with an undisciplined Chinese pug that loves to eat everything.
I went with my mom, my five-year old brother, and my grandparents. My dad had to stay home and work. We started off in Greenville and then drove to Atlanta. In Atlanta we hopped on the plane, and our trip began. We landed in Salt Lake City, Utah, our first stop. Then we drove to The Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The Grand Teton looked so beautiful. The snow-capped mountains rose above the clouds.
Then we drove a while and camped at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The breathtaking views looked painted. We packed up and left for our next stop Glacier Park in Montana. We took an adventure to the top of a glacier, riding on an open air bus with six huge tractor wheels. We drank fresh really cold water that came from the glacier. We had a great time balancing on the ice.
When we reached Canada we had to stop and let the people check the camper and car for alcohol, drugs, and other items not allowed across the border. They also had to check our passports, which took a long time. We drove and drove and drove until we reached Banff, Canada. Banff had so many beautiful sights to stop and see. My brother and I grew tired of stopping every ten minutes to look over the edge of a mountain. We also went to a beautiful lake named Lake Louise.
Vancouver, Canada held the most memories on our trip. We camped in an ugly parking lot under a bridge. Off we went to see the city! My brother and I played in a fun water park and swam in a pool about the size of an acre. My family toured a jungle type area with really high and long swinging wooden bridge made of wooden slats. Unfortunately, my grandma broke her ankle and had to visit the emergency room. Vancouver had Eco-Rangers that shot annoying raccoons (with water guns) that would attack people for ice cream cones. Vancouver wins the award for the most exciting place.
We traveled down the coast in Washington, Oregon, and California. The Pacific Ocean took my breath away. The waves crashed along the rocky shore. After seeing Mount Saint Helen up close, camping on the beach in Oregon, and walking through the Redwood Forest, the time grew near to return home to Greenville. Our final stop in San Francisco alarmed me. Homeless people came up to me and asked me to buy them food and drinks. I tried to act as if they weren’t there, but that didn’t work at all.
We took off from California, and it took six hours to arrive in Atlanta. I enjoyed the camping, the camp fires, the ghost stories, the shopping, the wildlife, and the adventures. When we arrived to Atlanta, joy filled me inside as we drove home. I called all my friends and spent time with them before the summer ended and the new school year started. I also spent time with my dad that I missed so much for one month, one week, and two days. I will never forget the experience. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my summer any other way. We still talk about the trip to this day.