Children, Economics and Travel

      B.C. - before children - we took a number of long road trips. Our honeymoon was a month-long adventure from Redding, California to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We were headed for Victoria and then returned along the coast to San Anselmo, California. We have been back to Victoria and the San Juan Islands a couple of times since then.
      After our daughters were born, we began long trips into New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. We once flew to Atlanta, joined another family of four in a BIG station wagon and drove north through the Civil War battlefields, Williamsburg, and New York up to Connecticut. From there we took the train across the United States to California via a long stay in Illinois.
      When our daughters got to college, most of our longer trips took to the air. Interesting to note that it takes as long to fly from our home in California to our place in Portland, Oregon than it does to drive. It is, however, more restful to fly, but we still need a car in Oregon so we drive.
      Styles change as is reflected in the fact that we no longer stay in low-cost motels and instead go for comfort and convenience. This may be due, in part, to having our kids out of college and the fact that we are older.
      Family economics are built backwards. You need more money when you are young but don’t have it. When older you need less and have more.