Feeling patriotic today….Voting day and it is very exciting no matter what your politics. Beyond all the rhetoric and robo phone calls…promises and pundits, has anyone considered what these two candidates have endured during the last year of campaigning?
I have thought about it a lot. I have thought about what it must be like to be on the road all the time -the exhaustion, unfamiliarity of each new hotel room, and of course being away from their families. I have also envied them – traveling through wide spaces of America, meeting all kinds of people, collecting stories along the way. Any road warrior knows these kinds of experiences are priceless. (Are you listening American Express?) Some of the stories along the way have brought me to tears: Special needs children waving signs for Palin… Obama's grandmother dying right before he could be named president. But many times I think about what a great country this is to travel like these two candidates are doing. Granted, they are not visintg all the touristy spots, but you don't need to for the richest experiences.
There are so many terrific places in America to see – and plenty of resources to help you plan your trip. With the economic climate, staying in America is a great option – and one that wont' leave you disappointed. I've been to so many mesmerizing locations in the U.S – From our National Parks… to Santa Fe NM…to New York City…to the Hood River, OR…to Miami Beach, FL…to San Francisco, CA…to Austin, TX…to New Orleans, LA…to Santa Barbara, CA…all these are so different from each other, yet we are lucky enough to have them all in our great country.
Check out www.discoveramerica.org to just scratch the surface of ideas for American travel. For some budget ideas, why not try Amtrak for something different?? Kids love trains if you are taking them along. There are also many fabulous camp grounds in the U.S. (See my other post on luxurious camp grounds 
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Get out there and discover America…and don't forget to vote!
