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.

Nevada - just like Kansas but with mountains

Another early start out of South Lake Tahoe got us moving on what was a very long, 500 mile journey crossing Nevada. We made one sightseeing stop at Mono Lake which is a few hours south of the Tahoe area. After that it was just one long uninhabited stretch of highway after another and when you see next gas 111 miles you pay attention. Of course when we saw that sign there were no gas stations to be seen. Some of this stretch is called the "Extraterrestrial Highway" as it runs along Area 51. We stopped in a cute little bar in Rachel, NV for a potty break that had many alien souvenirs for sale. After 10 hours we pulled into a very nice hotel in Mesquite, NV for the night. Tomorrow we're off to Zion and Bryce Canyon NPs.

Next Stop Lake Tahoe

We got an early start on Tuesday morning and headed south towards California. We decided to pass through Lava Beds NM and Lassen Volcanic NB before making our way to South Lake Tahoe for the night. It turned out to be a long day as the stops took more time than we had planned.

On the Road Again

After a great weekend in Seattle with friends and family we are off on the second half of the trip. Today we made our way to Klamath Falls, OR with a stop by Crater Lake NP. We got there with plenty of sun left to get some great pictures.

Back in the USA

For the second time this summer we traveled into and out of Canada and I actually think going by boat is easier especially because you can phone in your information. In any case we will spend the weekend with friends and Al's daughter and grand kids before heading south to Oregon on Monday.

Jasper to Chilliwack

We left Jasper, AB early on Wednesday and headed for our weekend destination in Washington State to visit with Al's kids and grand kids. After a long day of driving we stopped just short of the US border for a night in Chilliwack, BC which is just east of Vancouver. On the last leg of our trip down from Jasper we passed through the Fraser River Canyon portion the Trans Canada highway. It follows the river for about 150 miles and just prior to opening up as it turns towards Vanvouver it passes through a resticted area called Hell's Gate where there is a tram that takes you you to the bottom of the gorge. We decided to take the tram ride and it was quite a thrill as it descended towards the swirling rapids below. There is also a fish ladder at the site that helps the salmon negotiate the swift waters.

Tomorrow we head back into the US to visit some friends and the on to family activities.

Oh Canada, what's with the snow?

We arrived in Banff, Alberta around 7PM on Monday but still managed a quick tour around town and dinner out. It's a neat resort town and has many amenities for the summer or winter tourist. An early start on Tuesday morning got us onto the famous Icefields Parkway that connects the towns Banff and Jasper and is about 175 miles in length. Although a short miles day for us it still took nine hours to make the trip due to many stops for pictures and short hikes. We also experienced snow that was brought on by the low clouds hanging over the parks. As the day wore on the weather improved as we entered Jasper for an overnight stay. It's also a cute town that is set up well for the multi-seasonal activities that the area offers. This will be our northernmost stop on our marathon drive around the country.

Our next major stop will be in Seattle for the weekend.

Glacier and then Canada

Our trip up to East Glacier was uneventful as it was mostly straight and open road through the center of Montana. On our way out of Yellowstone we stopped by Quake Lake where an earthquake induced landslide occurred in 1959 and created an earthen dam that blocked the flow of the Madison River creating a lake. The event also killed 28 people who were camping in the area. From there we passed through Helena, MT before winding up in East Glacier, MT. It's a cute little town and is a stop on the Empire Builder train that runs between Chicago and Seattle. We also ate dinner at a restaurant where Al and his parents dined in 1968.

Our drive through Glacier Park was uneventful although there is much renovation being done to the Going To The Sun road that traverses the park. This would also be a real mess during busier times. It was also our first exposure to the recent forest fire damage that has hit the west so hard in recent years. Leaving Glacier we headed up the west side of the Rockies to Banff via Kootenay National Park which had also suffered much catastropic fire damage.

On to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone

We left our hotel in Little America, WY mid morning and had a pleasant and short drive up to the Tetons and Jackson Hole. We drove through the park and scouted out photo locations for the next morning when the easterly sun is more favorable for mountain shots. We walked around Jackson and saw the wild west shoot out that is staged each afternoon on the town square for the tourist.
On Saturday we returned to the Tetons NP for some photos and then headed to Yellowstone for the afternoon. We've both been there so we will concentrate on some picture taking in key spots. Upon arriving in Yellowstone we were made aware that a major link in the park road system was closed and that we would be required to travel a much lengthier route to our sightseeing spots and then back to our destination in West Yellowstone. The combination of the road closure and Labor Day also made for some slow travel. We did make it to the Canyon area for some photos but that was about it since most of our time was spent in the car. The weather stayed nice most of the day but we did hit some rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

A long but spectacular day heading to Wyoming

We left Pueblo at 6:30AM knowing we had a long drive ahead of us to our destination near Rock Springs, WY. We had planned a more scenic route heading due west from Pueblo to Grand Junction and then north to Rock Springs. It was mostly two lane roads and a good bit of mountain driving. Along the way we stopped by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and the Colorado National Monument just outside Grand Junction. Both were unplanned and were absolutely spectacular. It added several hours to our trip and we arrive a bit behind schedule at 9:30PM.

Denver and Pueblo

We struck out early Tuesday morning and headed back up to Denver for a tour of the Great Divide Brewing company which is a craft brewery making high quality micro brew. We were able to see all aspects of the operation including the preparation of a special mix using fresh hops from Washington State.

From there we headed south towards Pueblo to stay with some friends for a couple of days. Along that route we diverted to Pikes Peak for one of the highest drives in North America. The 19 mile trip up was a combination of paved and gravel surface and was mostly an uphill grade. At the 14,110 foot summit it was 42 degrees and very barren. The smoke from the California wildfires had actually made its way to Colorado and obscured what must be a spectacular view of the mountains.

Arriving in Pueblo we took it easy until departing once again on Thursday. The afternoon before we left we were treated to some great plains lightening that I was able to capture on my camera.

Are we there yet?

This was our first ever crossing of Kansas and it was as boring as was previously advertised. We arrived at our planned stop in Denver just in time to head over to Al's favorite eatery, the world famous Trail Dust Steak House.