I’ve always been a planner and a dreamer. And while I like my job, I live by the motto I have on my desk at work.

I’m always changing things around the house or thinking of a better way we could do something or organize something. Not all of my ideas work out, most notably the waterer I engineered for the cats which had too much water pressure and caused a mini flood or the many times I have made Nole help me move furniture…and then move it back. On our trip to France, sometimes things didn’t work out the way I planned or imagined but that’s part of the fun in the end.

When we returned from France we were kind of exhausted from travel but by the second week home the kids and I were talking about our next trip. Then, about a week ago Asa and I shook on a promise to get him to all 48 contiguous states before he turns 18. What better way to start than to drive to California and back? When we were in France, one of the kids we stayed with showed us his “Route 66” book so we decided to start our research there. What I didn’t know and have learned so far is:

1. Route 66 doesn’t exist on maps anymore for the most part. Bigger highways have taken its place. You can find “Historic Route 66” markers but for many it’s more about journeying through the cities along the original route than it is about sticking to the original route turn by turn.

2. Boondocking is the practice of parking your van or RV somewhere to sleep for free without amenities. Some places that are known to allow it are Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s and some rest stops. There are also rustic areas for free camping around too.

3. Along the route is the meteor crater, the Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park and lots of other cool natural formations.

We are still researching and planning but for me, the dreaming phase is the best part.