Not a lesson as much as a reminder.

Friends of mine left on a plane today for their first trip to DisneyWorld. I was so happy for them and it's been fun to be part of the planning stages and I can't wait to hear all about it, but it really made me wish we were hitting the road again too. I like a trip to look forward to - I think it's actually embedded in my DNA.

We're currently saving (trying to anyways) for our next big adventure to the Bahamas (and Cuba?) in a couple of years, so that doesn't really leave us anything in the meantime for even a short little jaunt somewhere. While I was pondering that thought, a little idea began to form.

Dylan is studying BC history this year and he's doing a big project on the Gold Rush. I found our BC road map and planned a tentative route for maximum BC history experiences and my heart started to beat a bit faster. We have a standing invitation to friends in Quesnel, Barkerville is a hop, skip and a jump from there.

I checked my airmiles and we'll easily have enough to rent a car and get some gas certificates as well. Just so happens that the friends in Quesnel work in a Baptist church and he's the Children's Pastor, and my boss wants me out and about visiting other churches (you might imagine the wheels are really turning now!). With a little planning and configuring we'll take a road trip sometime in May. I figure we'll drive straight up, stop at a couple of historic stagecoach stops, spend some time with friends, experience Barkerville, take in a Sunday at their church and then carry on. We'll make a quick stop in Prince George (not sure why - anyone know of something good to do there?) and then head over to Mt. Robson Provincial Park for (apparently) some of the best river rafting in North America. Next stop will be Wells Grey Provincial Park for some breathtaking hiking and scenery (world renowned for its waterfalls) and then lastly, some time in Kamloops at the family's ranch. We'll ride the range for a couple of days, take in another church and then head for home.

Voila! A road trip, a major project knocked off and something new to look forward to!

(The reminder is that "We are a family of three determined to see the world beyond our fence" - that includes the local stuff, not just the big, far away or exotic stuff.)