Natural History Tour '98

On September 9, we boarded the Learning Vehicletm for an unforgettable tour across 11 states to study the amazing history of Earth. More than just learning the names of a few dinosaurs, we studied life from its origin 3.5 billion years ago to today.

After 53 days on the road and over 7,000 miles we returned, exhilarated with understanding of how life has developed, and committed to the idea of being a Learning Family.

Comments from the family:

Amanda (age 7)- It was really cool, and I learned a lot. I mean, like, a REAL lot. We had a time chart of Earth History with us, and it had from the beginning of the Cambrian period to today. I thought our Natural History Tour was going to be just about dinosaurs, but it was TOTALLY different. It had tons of animals like trilobites, pikaia, ichtyostega, hylonimous and morganucadon, for example. I especially liked making dinosaur models so I can know what they looked like and study their bones.

Harrison (age 9)- I am glad that I went on the trip because I basically only new the names of some animals before. I learned about many more animals and lots more about ones I already knew. I also learned how humans came to be. I liked watching the videos in the LV, especially Life on Earth. One of our main RV Park activities was swimming, which I thought was great because I love swimming.

Susan - I was surprised at how much I learned--stuff I had never been taught before. I don't normally get excited about anything, but I really loved the fossil hunting. It was a thrill to uncover remains from millions of years ago. But the best thing for me was watching how much the kids learned. I get a kick out of hearing them say the names of the ancient life forms (i.e. Anomalocaras, Icthyostega, Eusthenopteron, etc.). It was a great trip, and an ideal way to learn.

Rob - There was so much to learn, see and do. At the start, there was more of the parents making sure the kids learned something, but after a couple of weeks we were taking our own notes, exploring our own interests, and even begging the kids to look at we discovered. I developed an appreciation and understanding of the fantastic progression of life. It wasn't just a bunch of random facts that I had learned in school anymore, but a beautiful tapestry woven by millions of creatures over eons. After a while, dinosaurs weren't the strange creatures, but real animals that lived a hundred million years ago. I also gained a humble appreciation for the cycles of life, the roles of many species, and our own place in Earth's history.

We all gained a real appreciation for preparedness, teamwork and flexibility.We carried over 60 videos, 100 books, and 30 CD ROMs. Driving days were from 100-400 miles, with academics and independent study on the road. We made many changes to our itinerary--to avoid bad weather or to spend more time at a particularly interesting place. At first we didn't schedule any free days, but quickly learned that there was laundry to do and bills to pay. Each of us had a job. We spent some days just playing games. We also had great support at home from a good friend.

In the end, we still didn't see or do everything we wanted. There's always a next time!