First off, let me welcome you to the forums, "Welcome to the Forums". There are far too many posts regarding this subject to pick one or two for you to read, but I would suggest that you read the Mods instructions on doing searches first and then do some and read posts that seem compatible with your trip.
Next I think you are really a grandparent and not a parent. I didn't learn about kids not wanting to camp with Mom and Dad after the inevitable march of puberty and becoming social animals, my wife knew and I just follow her lead. I do remember the first summer the tent stayed packed away in the garage and we rented a place at the beach for our daughters and a friend each. So good luck with the inevitable. Oh yeah, this is the first year the 15 and 13 year old DGKs are not going with us on a summer trip.
Next, Dennis is right, you are trying to see the West in one tenth the time you need. Try splitting up your trips into small areas, I know you want to have the DKs see as much as possible but I think you packing ten trips into one. We split trips up by features, we did a trip(far too long a trip) from Los Angeles to the Ingles homestead in Nebraska and back and then down the Oregon Coast. Should have skipped the coast. Our first really relaxing and truly remarkable trip is the one we called "The Canyons Tour". Grand Canyon, Powell, Brice, Zion and some extra time to explore the Grand Staircase. Three weeks and the kids wanted more time.
A really nice trip is just California. Two different redwood forests, Ferndale, Eureka, Tahoe, wild horse at Mono Lake, Ancient Bristlecone Forest, Whitney, Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree, Sequoia/Kings Canyon/ Yosemite and a couple of days where the kids can skate, swim, socialize with other kids.
Washington/Oregon Coast, start with our newest NP in Cali, Pinnacles, Crater Lake, Columbia George, Reiner and the over to the Coast. Too many places to list here.
I hope you get the idea, to many fun, yet educational places to show them and trying to do everything in the west in four weeks is possible but stressful for you and the DW. If you want more ideas, or just help doing what you first posted, PM me and we'll talk. I have used some shorthand that you will see often on here, google some of them or maybe someone else has a link to what they are. I could tell you but you need to learn how to search. Also, don't develop a thin skin. Almost 100% of the members here are really helpful, it's just that sometimes we get cranky and seem rude, we're not really.
Dave
