Rich Erstad

Selena planned this trip--from start to finish--when she was 13 years old. Made the reservations, planned the driving routes, did it all with only minor guidance from us to keep things slightly more realistic. It started after her visit to Yellowstone last summer with my parents. She was an excellent traveler--positive attitude and always interested in what was around her. No sleeping until noon for this teen, she was up early, planning the day and trying to get the most possible out of the trip.

When she got home, she started asking us to take her to visit other national parks. We've always had a pretty positive experience with family road trips--knowing that even the miscues and bumps in the road will be memorable, so we consented. She ran with it and planned out a 16 day road trip that would hit more than 15 national parks throughout the Southwestern United States. We weighed in very little, but I did nudge her a bit toward my more eclectic tastes (hence the stay at the Wig-Wam Motel (remember the Cozy Cone Motel from "Cars"?). Neighbors and friends have weighed in and we've added a few sites--including a recent addition of a steakhouse in Moab, Utah, that my neighbor says was so good that he still dreams about it.

She has continued to refine the trip on an almost daily basis and constantly carries around two three-ring binders filled with the planning information. Regardless of how much it conforms to the plans, it should be a memorable trip!