Helena, MT (PRWEB) May 15, 2013
While many dream of a family RV trip to some far-flung vacation destination, a West Palm Beach, Florida family decided to expand upon that dream by visiting all 50 states in 13 months. On June 10, 2012, the Martin family left South Florida with their 38-foot fifth wheel to begin thatTripUSA in Delaware, the nation’s First State. To date, 46,000 miles have taken the Martins; Randy, Heidi, Kristi (age 14), and Kyle (age 12); to 46 states and three Canadian provinces.
Along the way, they’ve traveled to famous sites like Mount Rushmore, the White House, Waikiki Beach, and the Grand Canyon; as well as lesser known “treasures” like the world’s largest squirrel in Texas and the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico. Currently, the Martins are in Montana, home to Glacier National Park and the annual Bucking Horse Sale, both on the family’s itinerary. Then, it’s on to Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska before returning to Florida.
Heidi and Randy Martin’s decision to travel initially surprised friends and family members. After all, the couple has lived in West Palm Beach, Florida for 40 and 21 years, respectively, and never mentioned RVing before. Four years ago, Heidi had the idea for the family to tour the entire country. “I wanted my children to experience all the United States has to offer; the America that some might say exists only in the history books,” she explained. The rest of the family agreed and in the years since, the family planned their comprehensive tour of the United States, sold their home, and received a leave of absence from The King’s Academy; a private Christian school where Randy and Heidi are employed.
As novice RVers and first-time nation-wide travelers, things haven’t always gone perfectly for the Martins. In Ohio, it took more than five hours to extricate the family’s truck and trailer from a muddy field. In Tennessee, Randy jackknifed the trailer but, thankfully, only caused cosmetic damage to the rig. The family even walked away from a hot-air balloon crash landing in a Sedona, Arizona neighborhood. Kyle remembers the accident as follows, “We hit two trees and just missed some houses. When we landed in the ditch and hit the stop sign, it was crazy! People were driving by us, waving and shaking their heads.”
Despite these mishaps and others, Randy is happy that the family has accomplished its goals. “We had become tired of hearing what’s wrong with the United States. We wanted to discover and celebrate our nation’s greatness again. That’s what this trip has done for us. And, we’ve met many new friends too.” Heidi adds, “While teaching my children, I thought it would be wonderful if my family and I could share what we learned on our trip with school children and their families across the country. Maybe we can inspire them to take their own American road trip.”
More information about the Martins and their American RV tour is available at http://thatTripUSA.com. Trip updates are also available on social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
thatTripUSA FAQS
What are the Martins’ favorite states visited on thatTripUSA?
Favorites have included Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Hawaii, and Georgia. And, of course, the family loves their home state of Florida!
How did thatTripUSA drive the RV to Hawaii?
Actually, the Martins flew to Hawaii and will cruise to Alaska. They are only RVing the lower 48 states, but that’s still a lot of driving!
Have the Martins met anyone famous on thatTripUSA?
They’ve met Rev. Joel Osteen, former Vice Presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, NASCAR Crew Chief Chad Knauss, and UNC NCAA Basketball Coach Roy Williams among others.
Are the Martins homeschooling their children?
Kristi (8th Grade) and Kyle (6th Grade) are enrolled in a great online school, The King’s Academy Online (TKAOnline.net).
Would the Martins do thatTripUSA again?
They have loved seeing all of America and are glad to have done it; but at the moment, they’re too tired to drive it all again. But, try asking again in a couple of months, because their answer might change!
Will there be a book about thatTripUSA?
Yes, the family is in the process of writing a couple of books. Stay tuned!
Have the Martins seen snow falling on thatTripUSA?
Yes, lots of snow has fallen on thatTripUSA! They’ve seen snow (in order of greatest to least snow fall) in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, Minnesota, Arizona, and Indiana.
Where have the Martins eaten the best pizza on thatTripUSA?
Favorite pizzas in America were from Bucceto’s Smiling Teeth in Bloomington, Indiana and Grotto’s Pizza in Lewes, Delaware.
Is anyone sponsoring thatTripUSA?
The Martins are grateful for the support of Kampgrounds of America (KOA), The King’s Academy of West Palm Beach, Florida, WPBF Channel 25, Washington DC/Capitol KOA, and Ride-Fi.
