Westward Ho: America's First Family Heads to God's Country

I'll be reliving my childhood next week, watching the First Family travel to America's national parks in the West. Our family road trips to Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming were full of adventure, and not all of it fun.

The first Family departs the White House on Friday, heading to America's national parks.The Obamas will visit Bozeman, Mont., Yellowstone National Park, Grand Junction, Colo., the Grand Canyon and Phoenix, encouraging Americans to get out and enjoy some of America's most beautiful and inspiring scenery.

I'm certain environmentalists and conservationist will have a few words to say next week. We'll be tracking that issue at Anne of Carversville.

This moment, I remember the time we were camping in South Dakota's Black Hills and my brother spilled chocolate milk in his sleeping bag. We always camped there, on our way to Colorado.

We knew our mother would be furious, so B just rolled up the wet sleeping bag and off we went. OMG, the smell that engulped us later! We scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed that bag, and 'yes, we were in big trouble'.

Load 'em up. The First Family heads West. via HuffPoThen there was the time that we had so many problems with our new Pontiac, that my father threatened to send it plunging down the Rockies. Honest to the Good Fairy, he was grabbing suitcases out of the trunk, yelling like crazy.

My mother will tell you that I always had an answer for everything.

In this case, as my father was throwing bags on the side of the road, I yelled: "But Dad, if you take the bags out of the car, the insurance people will never believe it was an accident. Let's be rational here. It's bad enough that we're not in the car, as it plunges down the cliff, and you have some crazy story about leaving the car in neutral on the mountainside."

"Dad -- think about this. If you take out the luggage, we will never collect a penny."

Thankfully, Dad saw my reasoning, and we sat by the side of the road five miles from our destination, beleagured, exhausted tourists, once again waiting for a tow truck. I would tell you that Dad never again bought an American car, but that would be a tall tale. He bought American cars to the finish.

My mother, on the other hand, came to her senses.

Michelle Obama keeps cool, heading in temps hotter than Washington DC. via HuffPoYes, indeed, our trips to the nation's national parks were real American adventures in one very dysfunctional American family.

If I can find time for humor next week, I'll share some tales with you. My To Do list is pretty overflowing right now. But I'm sure the memories will come crashing back front and center. Anne