Long before the concept of a "bucket list" became popular, author John Terry decided to rectify a serious deficiency in his life. Terry had never seen a real mountain or the desert, so he packed up his family and headed west. One family camping trip to Colorado and New Mexico was all it took-Terry was hooked. Over the next thirty years, Terry and his family took another twenty-five trips to this part of the country. Letters from the West contains essays with Terry's observations and thoughts about the places that enchanted and captured his imagination. Witty and amusing, these stories treat readers to little known facts, thoughtful insights, and humorous tales about this region. Covering such topics as the oddities of camping and why it's great, encountering strange characters and bears, ghost towns and famous places, summiting mountains and finding mysterious gravesites, these essays will entertain and enlighten anyone who loves a good adventure-especially with young children. Letters from the West celebrates the rich and varied landscapes, culture, history, and people of the western precincts of the United States-and the pitfalls and joys of packing up the car and hitting the open road with your family.