Local Opinion: See America with the family

As the school year ends, I wonder how many parents will take their kids this summer on a trip to show them the wonders of America.

There are many essentials in being a good parent — loving our children unequivocally, providing care and guidance, setting appropriate expectations, creating a structured environment in which they can grow — and certainly for American parents, showing their kids America should also be on the essentials list.

It doesn’t have to be all at once and it does not have to be all encompassing, but at times when the children are growing up, families should consider planning road adventures to natural or historical sights.

Such adventures build family ties, develop an appreciation for our country, and sow the seeds for further exploration.

The average working American receives two weeks of vacation a year in addition to the national holidays. In that both parents in the majority of our families are employed, destination — more often than not — is one where parents can relax and kids are appropriately occupied.

All this is fine — as are trips to visit relatives, summer camp experiences, playing in a summer sports league, or taking classes at the Tucson Museum of Art — to a point. Hopefully, there will be a couple of opportunities when the kids are between 7 and 16 years that families drive beyond Arizona’s border.

I have backpacked to 86 countries, crossed the United States by car or motorcycle innumerable times and have visited 41 of the 51 national parks in the Lower 48.

Putting nationalism aside, America is still No. 1 in my book.

Most countries have some noteworthy natural wonders, we have dozens. Most of our sights are easily accessible by car. If a family were to drive from Tucson to Rocky National Park in Colorado, a 550 mile radius from that point would include the following national parks and monuments: Badlands, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Fossil Butte, Great Basin, Zion, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Canyonlands, Arches, Dinosaur, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dune, and Petrified Forest.

High on my family travel list are the cities of New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco for cultural, architectural and historical reasons. The varied museums in all these cities are top-notched and worth attending.

A two day trip to San Francisco can include visits to Yosemite, King Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. Wandering the heavily forested trails among the Redwoods is a spiritual time for me, as is seeing the oldest trees in the world, the Bristlecone Pines near Bishop. California.

Scenic drives include the Black Hills of South Dakota, taking in Mt. Rushmore, passing through Custer State Park, touring the Mammoth dig site near Hot Springs, visiting Crazy Horse Monument, then up through Lead and Spearfish, S.D. to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. Going west from there the scenery along Route 16 from Buffalo to Worland is spectacular, as is the scenery off Route 20 from Cody to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

The branch road off Route 191 along Jackson Lake, Leigh Lake, and Jenny Lake in the Teton National Park in Wyoming is hard to beat, as is the drive on Route 12 from Panquitch to Teasdale in Utah. Cedar Breaks National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Capitol Reef National Park are all accessible from Route 12.

There are many scenic drives in Colorado, but the one from Durango (after seeing Mesa Verde), through Silverton, Ouray, and Montrose to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument via Route 550 is a highlight.

Inexpensive motels still exist along these routes and Airbnbs are a particularly good option for overnights.

The scenery in the United States is extraordinary. Taking such trips will result in your kids being amazed and proud of America the Beautiful!