Prepping for the Trip

We are headed to the mountains of New Mexico.  Mom and Dad have been wanting to take us there for well over a year.  PK and KK annually come to Elizabethtown, New Mexico with friends of theirs for an Elk hunt.

Not only are the mountains beautiful where we will be, but there are plenty of interesting towns and sites to see in the vicinity.  We have also kicked around plenty of places to stop and see on our way to and from New Mexico.  There is so much to do that at the last minute, we have added an extra day on to the return trip so we can pack in a few more stops (as well as giving us the opportunity to take a more leisurely pace back home).

Discouraging Groupthink and Social Conformity in a Family Vacation!

There are 9 of us going - the Traveling Kings (5), brother Scott & sister-in-law Erin, and PK/KK.  The continuing theme is "I don't want to go to Abilene", which implies that everybody needs to speak up if there is something they do not want to do.  Nobody is allowed to just "go with the flow".  This is called the Abilene Paradox, and is described here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abilene_paradox  Special thanks to KK for bringing this up at every opportunity!

The itinerary has been worked on in earnest since December of last year, and while we have our days mapped out, flexibility is the rule of the day.  As some in our travel party so eloquently put it, "I can do anything.  I'm retired!".

Let's head out!