Last month I wrote about "Where do you winter?" Another question we are often asked is "How do you decide where to travel?" I had never thought about that until about the tenth person asked this summer.

We would like to stay in perpetual Springtime with warm days and cool nights, but that is difficult to do. The last two years it seems no matter where we go it is cold and raining.

Often we return to places we have been before because we like it there and sometimes we go to a place to be with friends. We usually have loose plans and simply pick an area and roam around for a few months. For instance, we might pick Arizona and southern California for winter and not make plans until we arrive there. Then we can move around and get to know the area and people.

Sometimes we make plans with other couples and travel together. In 2003 we traveled with Rich and Diane Emond to the Canadian Maritimes and had a ball touring the beautiful provinces for two months. Last summer we traveled with Don and Gloria Martin on the Lewis and Clark Trail, a trip that took 99 days. Both trips were much more enjoyable traveling with others.

We have decided we like to chose a part of American history, study that subject and then get an education following that theme. Before embarking on the Lewis and Clark Trail we read every book and travel magazine we could find on the subject and then learned and lived the history during our travels.

Next year we plan to visit state and national parks in Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. The next year we may take the Great Mississippi River Road from New Orleans to northern Minnesota. The following year we want to follow old Route 66 from Chicago to San Diego. Then there is the first road across America, the Lincoln Road, from New York to San Francisco. Lets not forget the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, the Chisholm Trail and a summer in the New England states.

There are so many places to travel and learn about this great country it will take us another ten years to see it all - then we'll start all over again.