My dad always stressed education, saying it was something that could never be taken away from us. Every chance he had, he’d take us to see the wonders this country had to offer.
Some of the places we visited include the Statue of Liberty, George Washington’s birthplace, Grant’s Tomb, the Lincoln Memorial, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and the Painted Desert.
Even though I was young, I was impressed with everything we saw. As we toured old historic homes with elegant furnishings, I wondered what it would be like to have lived back then.
It was fun to visit places we had studied and learned about in school. To think that a famous person had stood in the same room where we were standing was fascinating to me.
Dad knew how to make history interesting. As we drove down the highway, he would excitedly point out different sites.
We were the only children on our block who had been to all 48 (at the time) states. We could also brag that we had dipped our toes in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Because of my dad, I developed a love of travel. We have so many places to visit in our country – and some are in our own backyard.
Toronto, Ohio
