Trip completed!!!

After 10,500 miles over 35 days in our trusty rental car we returned it to National in Tampa on Monday and headed home for some rest and relaxation. We really saw the USA in our Chev...(actually a Ford) and can say it was a real adventure with no regrets. We slept in every state and province of Canada we passed through except Idaho, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, and Illinois. We now have an idea of where we would like to go back to in the future for a more leisurely visit and without the long drive from Florida.

Stay tuned for the next excellent adventure with Al and Sheri.

Let's head home

After a great visit in Phoenix with the kids we started back home on Thursday but not until we made one last stop at Carlsbad Caverns NP in New Mexico. We got to the park early on Friday morning and found it to be a fascinating place of beauty and serenity. We signed up for a "lanterns only" tour where we experienced a tour of the caverns much like the early explorers. We departed the area around noon and headed east for our last push for home. We stayed just west of San Antonio on Friday and were in Gulfport, MS on Saturday. We plan to be home late Sunday afternoon.

Next stop Phoenix

After a quick morning return visit to the Grand Canyon we headed off to Phoenix for a two day visit with Al's son Travis and wife Paula.

A beautiful day at the Grand Canyon

We arrived at the Grand Canyon mid-morning under clear skies and comfortable temps. The drive in was spent stopping and taking in the scenery at each fantastic viewpoint along the highway that follows the South Rim. After several hours of sightseeing we headed to our lodging just south of the park entrance in Tusayan, AZ. We returned to the park after dinner to view the canyon at sunset which was fantastic.

Monument Valley was a disappointment

After one more visit to Arches NP we left Moab on our way to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park which is located just north of the Arizona border. The scenery is breath taking but the park itself leaves a lot to be desired regarding the services and infrastructure. Viewing the park can be done via personal vehicle or a tour bus (no windows) on a very dusty and bumpy road. We only ventured into the park a short distance before deciding to turn back when an approaching thunderstorm threatened to make the roads a muddy mess. On our way back we were confronted with a steep hill that had just been watered to supposedly reduce the loose dirt that had become somewhat slippery. Unfortunately the watering made the hill more slippery and a real mess. We finally made it out of the valley after a running start and persistence until we reached the top and were happy to leave a rather unpleasant experience. We proceeded down the highway a short distance to our overnight stop in Kayenta, AZ.

Canyonlands and Arches

After one more look at Bryce Canyon we headed across the state to visit Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks and Dead Horse Point State Park. On the way over we followed Utah 12 which is a fantastic drive and offers some of the most diverse geography you can imagine. We stayed two nights in Moab, UT which is very close to all of the parks we visited and has much to offer the tourist. Each park was very different in its scenery and terrain and with perfect weather provided a perfect photo experience.

Zion and Bryce National Parks

After a restful night at a lower altitude we headed back up with stops at Zion and Bryce National Parks. The weather has been excellent and the scenery spectacular. Our stop in Bryce included a dinner and western show at a new offering that is part of the Ruby's establishment which has a virtual monopoly on out of park concessions. We're off today for the other side of Utah where more exciting beauty awaits us.