> Arizona and New Mexico sound nice.  ...but so does
(grin) I lived in Arizona. We've been to the Grand Canyon (that was our first 
"major" trip with the tent trailer). There are a few other things I'd like to 
take the kids to see in Arizona - Petrified Forest NP, the big crater (I 
can't think of its name, but it's the one along I-40), and perhaps some of 
the places around Tucson.
 > though it has occurred to me that we may have to wait
 > for next summer due to the snows and end of tourist season.
The road thru Lassen closes after "around" Oct 1st, I think, and then has a 
varying opening date. The road gets to 8,315 ft elevation, so it's often 
snowed under thru June.
 > It might be nice to thouroughly study the area /first/
 > and later go actually see it.  We'd have a much better perspective on what
 > we were looking at...
That's a good idea. We looked at some books before we went, and the girls had 
good ideas about what a volcano was. When we go to a national or state 
park/monument, we also make the museum or visitor's center one of our first 
stops. If they have a media presentation there, we take the time to see it. 
(My husband often groans, but sits thru it anyway - then is glad he did.)
                                 -donna
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