Days 15 and 16 (Abilene, TX to home)

Though this is the end of our trip, there will be more to the blog. We will each be posting a blog sharing our thoughts of the trip...

Days 15 (June 24) and 16 (June 25)—what can I say? Day 15 was a 10-hour drive from Abilene, TX to Meridian, MS. I took the first 6 hours and Julie took the last 4 hours. I will say that: 1) it’s hard to find anything but a country radio station through Texas and 2) it’s very convenient to drive your restroom with you. Besides a small brushfire just east of Jackson, MS in the median of the road and west-bound lanes and a minor fender bender shortly after (mostly rubber-necking), the drive was very monotonous and could not have ended sooner. When we finally hit our KOA outside Meridian, MS, I got everything hooked up and got burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Once the dishes had been taken care of, Bryce and Collin headed for the showers while Julie and I tried to get caught up on current global events. To our dismay, we were not given the password for our WI-FI connection since we arrived after office hours, so we settled in with a beer each. Because this was our last night “camping”, we thought it would be appropriate to have one last campfire. Using leftover wood that we had kept dry in one of the storage compartments on the RV and my Eagle Scout skills, I built a fire in the gravel parking lot in front of the RV. Julie pulled out the marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey’s chocolate and we all enjoyed s’mores for our evening’s dessert. Following the campfire, we headed inside where there were significantly less mosquitoes and other bugs, we played a few quick rounds of “spoons” and then headed to bed.
Day 16 saw Julie and I wake up early to get a head start for the final leg of our journey. We left camp around 7:45 to try to get back in Columbia before rush-hour traffic around “Malfunction Junction”. There was absolutely nothing that stood out on this drive through to Atlanta. We stopped in Tuscaloosa, AL to refuel and treated everybody to breakfast at McDonald’s. In Augusta, GA, we stopped once again to refuel, conveniently at a gas station / Dairy Queen, where the boys and I each got a blizzard and Julie got a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. From Augusta, we finished up the ride in just over an hour, encountering a minor thunderstorm outside of Augusta. Once we finally backed in the driveway at 4:35, everyone had specific instructions to make the un-load as stress-free and easy as possible. Once the RV was unloaded and cleaned (inside and out), Julie picked up the phone for Papa John’s for dinner, and we all just did nothing the rest of the night. We will be taking the RV back to Statesville, NC first thing in the morning and picking up Fonzie on the way back. Check back very shortly for individual final thoughts (we each will post a blog with our overall thoughts about the trip)—should be interesting! Stay tuned…

Day 14 (Carlsbad Caverns then to Abilene, TX)

Here are some pics from our trip to Carlsbad Caverns--I learned it's not easy to take pictures in the dark! (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1632026026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 14 (June 23) was a seemingly leisurely day to start. Julie and I woke up, had breakfast and refreshing showers, then woke the boys to start our venture to Carlsbad Caverns. We made the 1-hour trek to the park by 10:30 MST—it was already 90º at this point—and headed to the Visitors’ Center. Upon checking in and getting our tickets, we made the short hike to the beginning of the cave entrance (starting out where the bats had left the cave the previous night). The beginning of the 750-foot descent greeted us with a stale, musky smell, one that eventually we grew accustomed to after several minutes passed. Initially, there was little more than rocks and boulders along the path, with the occasional sound of dripping water and the resident birds screeching as they made their daytime flight collecting insects. After roughly 15 minutes had passed, we gathered our first sighting of stalagmites (the “icicles” rising from the ground). We all had gotten into the hike down the cave by this point and were each eagerly anticipating each new formation along the path. Even Collin was excited about this hike, so much so, that he wanted to hike back up the trail upon completion rather than take the elevator. At some point (I’m not exactly sure of the depth), we reached an equilibrium temperature of 56º and 90% relative humidity. We continued along the path, not really paying much attention to the “cold”, notwithstanding the occasional shake of cold hands. We were all amazed at all the different formations which our eyes were feasting sight of and took in all the cavern had to offer. Thanks to the paved trail and accompanying handrail, we were assured of stable footing along the way, a luxury that early cave visitors did not have as they were required to wear head lanterns and crawl on their bellies and climb ladders for exploration. We eventually made it to the “Big Room”, a large, fairly flat section that serves as the floor of the main part of the cave. This area is so large, it is estimated to be roughly the size of 14 football fields. Finally, after about 3 hours in the cave, we finished the path and exited via the elevator. Completely satisfied with our expedition, we piled into the RV and headed to our KOA in Abilene, TX. The 5-hour drive started out on some tertiary roads in New Mexico that shook our bones every foot until we reached the Texas border and Interstate 20 at Pecos, where we filled the tank on the RV. After the refuel, we hit I-20 eastbound. This path was quite an interesting road to take, as we were first greeted by oil rigs dotting the landscape, then new-“ish” windmills (I couldn’t help but think of T. Boone Pickens), and eventually cattle farms. Once we arrived at the KOA, hooked up electricity, water, and septic while Julie and the boys got dinner going. We were all treated to Julie’s chicken fajitas and Mexican rice (in honor of being in southwest Texas). Bryce and Collin headed to the showers after the dishes were cleaned and watched Harry Potter until we were all too tired to keep our eyes open. We’re looking at a 10-hour drive to Meridian, MS tomorrow. Time for some rest…

Day 13 (Holbrook, AZ to Carlsbad)

Day 13 (June 22) got off to a rather leisurely start. Julie, Collin and I woke up at 7:00 (really 8:00 MST) to head for the Chuckwagon breakfast at the Holbrook KOA. Bryce had every intention of joining us last night, but apparently, his beauty sleep once again won the battle over a good breakfast. We had our fill of pancakes and sausage, Julie readied everything for the road while I disconnected, and we were off to the Petrified Forest (an unplanned stop originally, but we decided to take a gander after shortening our drive from the Grand Canyon the day before). On our way to the Petrified Forest, Bryce awoke from his slumber and it seemed as though the tensions elevated among the four of us. Collin had a meltdown (no doubt the result of something big brother did or failed to do as is usually the case) and, after a stern talking-to, attitudes were once again in line. We arrived at the park and realized that we weren’t going to have quite enough time to thoroughly explore the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, so we decided to continue on to Carlsbad so that we could catch the bat flight at dusk. Along the way, we stopped in Capitan, NM to refuel the RV at which time a local briefly inquired about our itinerary and wished us well for the rest of the trip. I must say, at each stop, anybody we encountered has been very pleasant, be they an inquisitive local or another fellow traveler (today we even met a young man who went to the same middle school as Collin). The ride to our Carlsbad KOA was another rather mundane 8 ½ hour ride. Once we hit our campsite, I quickly fired up the grill to get our Philly cheesesteaks going, and wolfed them down with some French fries on our way to the caverns to see the bat flight. Upon arriving at the park, we made our way to the amphitheater where we had our “bat orientation” given by Ranger Mike (a rather informative 30 minute session). Around 8:20, the “bat meter” started blipping wildly (think of a submarine radar) and the crowd eagerly anticipated the exit of the 500,000 resident bats for their nightly feeding. The exit wasn’t exactly what we all thought it would be—a vortex of thousands of hand-sized flying mammals making their way into the night sky rather than a sky-darkening cloud of mass hysteria as we were hoping. Nevertheless, it really was a treat to be part of this spectacle; to witness this display really is indescribable. Because this park too is undergoing renovations, it was mandatory that everyone leave by 9:00, at which time construction begins. So, we were among the first 1/3 of the spectators to hit the ground running to beat the crowd once we surmised that the majority of the bats had taken flight. The 1-hour ride back to our KOA treated us to a dramatic lightning display as there were numerous thunderstorms in the area. Thankfully, the rain didn’t hit until after we docked and got everything situated for the night. Julie and I enjoyed some down time with our beverage of choice while the boys (with minor incidence) readied themselves for bed. We can’t wait to hit the caverns tomorrow for an in-depth exploration…

Day 12 (Grand Canyon)

Here are some pics of our visit to the Grand Canyon (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1623927026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 12 (Grand Canyon, then onto to Holbrook, AZ) started earlier than it needed to. Because Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings time, and we are technically on Mountain Standard Time, it was 7:00 Arizona time, but 8:00 MST. We decided not to set our watches back since we will be heading to Carlsbad tomorrow to see the bat flight, which will begin around 7:45 MST. Regardless, we all arose, had our breakfast, and then headed to the shuttle stop for our awaiting hike. Julie and I decided to hit the South Kaibab Trail down to Cedar Ridge, a roughly 3-mile round trip (an 1140 foot descent over 1 ½ miles—then the ascent). The views from the trail were absolutely stunning. It really is impressive to look over the canyon, which can reach about a 10-mile width at any point. Because Bryce and Collin were with us (and I’m sure we would not have had enough water, and per the rangers’ recommendations), we did not hike all the way down to the Colorado River, which would have been about a 20-mile round trip. The trip down to Cedar Ridge was quick and without complaint. When we reached our destination, we had a very thorough look-see and a brown bag lunch of PB&J and bananas. The climb back up the trail, however, proved to be the complete opposite. Collin staggered behind Bryce and me, while Julie hung back with the straggler. During the climb back up, we frequently stopped for water breaks (and a quick hit from the trail mix bag) since Collin looked like he was going to fall out at any time. Because on the way down there was a group loitering at “Ooh Aah” point, we figured we would catch some views and pictures on the way back up. Once again, we were foiled in our plans, as there was a group from New Jersey (of all places!) that seemed like they were going to set up shop for the day. So, we continued up the trail to the shuttle stop. On the way up, Julie and I discussed the plans for the rest of the day, since we had gotten such an “early” start. We decided on walking the “Rim Trail”, much to the chagrin of Collin, who was exhausted from the 3-mile hike. This trail did not offer any spectacular views, but we figured it would be a good way to waste some time. Upon completion of the “Rim Trail”, we headed back to our campsite, since there really was no need for further exploration of the Grand Canyon (it really seems as though every different view actually offers the exact same view). Resigned that we had our fill of the “second largest hole on the earth” according to Clark W. Griswold, Julie and I thought it would be best that we forgo our reservations at Trailer Village and drive a few hours south and east to ease our drive to Carlsbad. We made reservations at a KOA in Holbrook, AZ (near the Petrified Forest) and off we went. During the drive to our camp for the night, we witnessed a rather remarkable forest fire near Flagstaff, AZ. The smoke plum was visible from dozens of miles around. This fire was no doubt fueled from the same fierce winds that I had been battling on the road with the RV (the same winds that I once again got to face on our 3-hour drive today). We finally arrived at our “kampsite” around 6:30 MST and immediately began dinner preparations. I fired up the grill for BBQ pork chops, while Julie got corn-on-the-cob and garlic French bread going inside. After dinner, we all hit the showers to wash off the Grand Canyon dust and called it a day. There’s a pretty good chance that we’ll hit the “all you can eat” pancake breakfast that our KOA sponsors in the morning, then hit the Petrified Forest prior to heading to Carlsbad Caverns. Here’s to a very tiring day and an equally exciting day ahead…

Day 11 (Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon)

Day 11 (June 20) proved to be an uneventful drive from Bryce Canyon to the Grand Canyon. The drive was pretty much all uphill and I battled a very fierce wind during the entire 5 ½ hour campaign. We stopped at the Wal-Mart in Page, AZ to completely restock for the remainder of the expedition. Upon entering Arizona, there were Navajo Indian homesteads that dotted the landscape and the occasional Native American stand where arts and crafts were the fare. We finally arrived at the East Entrance of the Grand Canyon around 3:30 and stopped by the first scenic view for a few quick snaps of the camera and gaze around. From there, we made another 30-minute drive to our campsite at Trailer Village in the Tusayan area. We were not very impressed with our housing arrangements as the campsite was directly behind a commercial area and some of our “amenities” were a chore to enjoy—to get our wireless internet connection required sitting in front of the camp office and cell phone reception was still very spotty. I did manage to call my father (who is in Northern Michigan making renovations to a property he and Mom purchased) to wish him a happy Father’s Day while I grilled my own Father’s Day steaks, which we enjoyed with sautéed squash, zucchini, and onions and homemade steak fries for dinner and a very delightful strawberry shortcake dessert. After the dinner dishes were taken care of, we all sat in the RV and watched “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, a quite appropriate movie considering most of the funny shenanigans occurred in Arizona (Clark walking through the desert after he ran off the closed road and Aunt Edna’s demise in the back of the station wagon). Upon the movie’s end, we all turned in for tomorrow’s tour of the Grand Canyon…

Day 10 (Bryce Canyon)

Here are some pics from our trip to Bryce Canyon (copy and paste the link). Enjoy...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1618403026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 10 (June 19) got off to a great start! Because Father’s Day is tomorrow and we plan on driving to the Grand Canyon in the morning, Julie whipped up a special “early Father’s Day” breakfast for me. We all devoured the pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs that she fixed, and then made ready for our trip into Bryce Canyon. As we were preparing to unhook and leave the campsite, we decided we needed to tell the boys about the surprise for the day, as they were not privy to our plans for a horseback ride into the canyon. When told, they both got very excited (I think because they weren’t the ones that were going to be doing all the walking today). We drove up to the park and caught the shuttle to the Bryce Canyon Lodge (one of the oldest original lodges in the Union Pacific Loop Tour which includes Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyons and the Cedar Breaks) where we registered and then ate a brown bag lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a banana. After our quick lunch, we hustled down to the corral to get the tour going. We each were paired up with an animal according to our riding “ability”. Since Julie had quite a bit more experience than the rest of us, she got to ride a horse named “Sassy”—very appropriate name—while the boys and I got saddled on mules: Bryce on “Blue Jay”, Collin on “Chubby”, and I on “Goose”. After the obligatory safety briefing and remedial instructions, we were on our way, led by our guide, Cache (pronounced ‘Cash’). The ride into the canyon was absolutely breath-taking. Much like the Badlands, Bryce Canyon is a place you really have to experience to get caught up in its splendor. The views at certain points along the trail provide in excess of 100-mile visibility on a clear day (as was today). However, the anomalies known as “hoodoos”, which Native Americans called “stone man” as they thought that upon entering this canyon, the land would cast a spell on man and he would forever be turned to stone, are the main attraction here. Each hoodoo takes on its own “personality”, such as “the old lady playing an organ”, “Mrs. Doubtfire”, and “last kiss”, just to name a few—using your imagination, there are literally thousands of images that can be observed in the canyon. All of the pictures were taken on horseback, so they may be a little tilted (thank goodness our camera is equipped with a hand steadying feature!). Collin’s mule was a little stubborn at first, so Cache gave him a whip to get ole Chubby going. Julie’s horse, Sassy, loved to prance when the mood hit her, Bryce’s mule, Blue Jay, was quite the flatulent beast, and my mule, Goose, loved to stick his nose near the rear-end of the closest female equine—I imagine that’s how he got his moniker. Regardless, we made the 8-mile loop in about 3 ½ hours and had a wonderful time. I’m quite certain we’ll all be a little saddle-sore for a few days given the way we were walking after the ride! Afterwards, we took the shuttle to Bryce Point to have a view from the rim of the canyon, then headed to Mossy Cave for a quick look at the cave and a nearby waterfall. Following that short excursion, we headed back to the Cannonville KOA for the night where we feasted on hamburgers, pasta salad, and baked beans. Immediately after dinner, we all hit the showers to wash off the dust from the ride, played a quick game of Texas Hold ‘Em, and called it a night in anticipation of our short 5-hour ride to the Grand Canyon on Sunday…

Day 9 (Jackson, WY to Bryce Canyon)

Day 9 (June 18) started a little late for us. Julie and I slept in a little and got going about an hour later than we would have liked. For the most part, the ride from Jackson, WY to our KOA in Cannonville, UT was rather boring. We took the back-roads mostly; of the 550 miles, we were only on interstates for about 200 miles. We did have our first encounter with a weasel on one of the secondary roads about an hour south of Jackson. [Let me qualify this statement: we had our first wild encounter with a weasel. I have certainly met many “weasels” in my lifetime, just not an actual weasel.] It was quite an ugly little creature. Thankfully, it was trying to cross the road and we outweighed it in the RV by some 15,000 pounds. Anyway, it crossed safely and we continued into Idaho very briefly, then back into Wyoming, and finally into Utah. Once we arrived in Utah, I must admit it was somewhat disappointing. I’ve always envisioned Utah as being a beautifully, snowcapped mountainous state. Our first impressions were of a slightly rolling hill region full of farms. Until… we arrived near Provo. Our route took us into the Provo Canyon area which is absolutely stunning. We descended into the canyon along the shores of Utah Lake, a crystal clear, freshwater lake that appears to be completely devoid of any development except for the state park facilities. If this was in North or South Carolina, I’m sure there would be a private boat dock every few hundred feet. As we made our way out of the canyon into Provo (the home of Brigham Young University), a truck carrying several inflated inner tubes was slowly making the climb up the roadway in front of us. As we approached the truck, at least five inner tubes (which were not secured!) became airborne and flew into our path and the paths of two other cars. As the tubes came bouncing toward us, Julie and I both let the “s***” word fly, and one of the tubes popped underneath the RV. I pulled over to the shoulder to survey the damage—none to the RV, only a popped inner tube—pulled the wreckage from the chassis, then continued on our way. The remainder of the trip was rather mundane. We did, however, stop at a general store only a few minutes from our KOA in Cannonville to gather a few supplies—we were running short on bread, milk, and beer, among other things—at an inflated price until we could more fully restock at a Wal-Mart closer to the Grand Canyon. We finally pulled into our campsite at around 6:30 pm, hooked up, and got dinner going (tonight’s meal included lemon-pepper grilled chicken with sautéed asparagus and watermelon). After catching up on e-mail, our blog, etc, we called it a night in anticipation of tomorrow’s activities…