Part of the family

We called her Betty. She had an enormous rear-end and a presence as subtle as a marching band. Our first few hours together were terrifying, a mishmash of clumsy hands and panicked instructions.

Betty was a 30 foot long RV that over the next six weeks was our family home, refuge and expedition chariot. Our sons were growing up fast, we wanted to share the natural wonders of Western USA before they headed into senior school back home in Sydney, Australia. Our 5,500 mile road trip weaved iconic National Parks such Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Arches and The Grand Canyon together via back roads and quirky little towns. We thought that an RV was an excellent cost-effective way to make the trip but little did we know that Betty herself provided the bedrock for the lifetime memories we took from our travels.

Cruise America had done a good job of keeping her drinking habits quiet. Heading up long mountain roads she guzzled like a special aunt on Christmas Day. She was brilliantly equipped, easy to use heating or cooling systems, surprisingly polite toilet-emptying processes (despite this it was still a ‘Dad Only’ job) and loads of storage to carry survival essentials such as wine, beer, ice and firewood and a few clothes.

Our plan was loose. We explored and rested in unexpected gems like Trinidad and Samoa on the Northern Californian coast; Shingletown in the Lassen National Forest; The Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville Oregon; Red Cliffs Lodge outside Moab in Utah, Glenwood Springs in Colorado. Many of our fondest memories are warming ourselves and sharing stories by the RV park fire-pits, ducking in and out of Betty to grab a snack. She was our refuge snuggled up in Yellowstone warned by the Rangers not to venture outside at night for fear of bumping into Grizzlies.

Normal family life is frantic, surrounded by mountains of ‘stuff’ that demands our attention. Time as a focused family unit is fleeting, distractions are everywhere. Betty came into our lives and changed that for six fantastic weeks. She was a character in her own right, a Mrs Doubtfire on wheels. Dropping her off the whole family was sad to say goodbye to our new family member who had looked after us and encouraged adventurous memorable time together.

Tip Box:
Map = National Geographic Road Atlas - Adventure Edition
Map / Road Guide = The Most Scenic Drives in America - Reader’s Digest
Accommodation = RV Park Directory & KOA Directory
RV Hire = Cruise America