Mammoth and Manzanar

One of our favorite parts of this vacation was license plate spotting. On the drive from Los Angeles to Tahoe on that very first day we started a list, hoping we would find a license plate from every state but mostly just interested to see how many we could spot. After logging nearly 1200 miles and ending up at the nicest resort in Mammoth Lake two weeks later we were only two states short of the 50 nifty--Delaware and Kentucky. Crazy, right? I was most surprised that we found Hawaii and Alaska, actually multiple of both, and that it took us sooooo long to find Michigan, we didn't see it until Yosemite.

I'd like to say we found D&K on our way back to LA, but we're still searching for those babies. What we did find on our way home however was a little piece of history tucked off Highway 395. Sadly, I didn't even know Manzanar existed before this trip. I knew that Japanese-Americans had been put into exile camps during World War II but I guess I hadn't given much thought as to where they were...or even considered that they still existed (as a museum, clearly not as a camp).

I was moved as we learned about the history of these camps and found myself crying as I imagined what it must have been like for these innocent people to be put behind bars. I was especially emotional when I learned about the orphanage full of children who had lost both parents in the camp, but also those who were taken from their loving foster or adoptive families because they were 1/16th or more Japanese.

Going to museums like this and learning about challenging moments in history is so useful because it gives us a great opportunity to talk over tough subjects with the kids. It helps us teach them about war, about racism but maybe more importantly about love, acceptance and compassion. They had a lot of questions and frankly so did we, so we talked them out together. I'm so grateful that we finished off this marathon trip on such an important note.

But first, they swam:

Big pool, all to themselves.

Rub a dub dub, three Wigs in a (hot) tub.

This little girl has got the resort life down pat!

My people at Manzanar.

There were portraits of people who lived in the camp and their thoughts about life then and life since and I found them so inspiring and touching. I wish I could have taken pictures and shared all of them with you.

THIS! This was my take-away from the museum. 

Replicas of the barracks where the Japanese Americans lived, it was humbling to walk inside and see the conditions.

We drove through the property, visited the gorgeous and iconic cemetery and then made our way back home. This may well have been the best vacation of our lil Wig life, and I was grateful for every moment of it.