Hi All - Just a short note to say that our trip out west was incredible - beyond words. I'm nearly speechless about it.
Short version: We took off on June 5 with 4 kids, my Mom and a popup camper pulled by the Nissan Van - loaded to the hilt.
Instead of heading off to Denver on our way to Carson City NV (just outside of Tahoe) we went west to Independence MO and turned right. Beautiful Nebraska was beautiful and very historic as we meandered along the same general path as the settlers followed on the Overland Trails (this is what all the various trails are called collectively)!
So from there it was Wyoming (awesome - met lots of Buffalo and later found a great place to soak in Hot Springs) and then Utah (fantastic - met a great Icelandic Sheep Shepardess) and then the Salt Flats (such mysterious beauty with mountains all around) and then a long drive through Nevada, heading south to Reno, and Carson City and on to my sister's (Lura).
Hung out there a few days, hiked at over 9,000 feet and loved the snow and the view, then did some rock climbing with Darrin the next day at his Marine base (where he teaches mountain warfare and survival skills).
After the van was repaired (hint: don't go four wheeling in a van) headed to Oregon for genealogy work, (Lakeview, CA and New Pine Creek Oregon were stunning - and we found the Cloud Ranch - where our grandparents were raised! also many graves and a great campsite) and then over to the coast to see the Redwoods.
Those trees are Holy.
That's all there is to it. Tromped through the Lady Bird Johnson trail in the rain and didn't care about getting wet. Gorgeous foliage all the way to the forest floor and in the valleys and down to the water of the Pacific.
We camped for two days in the rain (ugh) and finally dried out in Napa Valley. (grin) As we made our way south through the Mojave Desert we got another scare from the van, and learned that indeed if it is hot and hilly and you're loaded, you best turn off the A/C and go it slow. Transmissions do overheat!
We had a nice night at a RV campground with a brindle pug, so I got my pug kiss fix. And the next day was the Grand Canyon.
Oh my G-d. What wonders you have created.
If you haven't been there, you have to go. If you've been, I bet you want to go back. Before we left I was already buying books on hiking in the Canyon and calculating the number of days drive from St. Louis (2 - 3).
Breezed through Oklahoma City and drove by the Memorial there. We'll go back to really see it one day. Couldn't find the Oklahoma musical CD, but sang it for the kids anyway.
So yeah, that's the short version (grin). We travelled 19 days, 18 nights, 14 nights camping, a different place every night we camped, and did over 5,800 miles. Countless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sustained us. And ham sometimes, and junk food and Mom's great sense of humour. (Ask her about the time I pulled, dawg tired, into the Walgreens parking lot, and parked like I was in the van without a big ol camper on the back.)
There are hundreds of pictures, and as soon as I can draw a breath I'll post a link to Snapfish or some such to share.
Hope all are well. Ask me how great it feels to live a Life Dream. And I just can't shake the craving for some cowboy boots...
v
p.s. Starting my new job at Wash U tomorrow! The adventures continue!