Next on our itinerary was Bryce Canyon, about three hours from the Grand Canyon North Rim (and only 1 ¼ hours from Cedar Breaks National Monument or two hours from Zion, had we skipped the Grand Canyon). On the way to Bryce Canyon with a very minor detour was another recommended stop, Coral Pink Sand... Continue Reading →
Utah loop road trip: Grand Canyon North Rim
We hadn't included the Grand Canyon in our initial itinerary. But when I read that the North Rim was only a couple of hours away from where we would be, we just had to make the trek there. We decided it would fit best after our visit to Zion National Park. (And, yes, I know... Continue Reading →
Utah loop road trip: Zion National Park
It only takes about 1 1/4 hours to drive from Cedar Breaks National Monument to Zion National Park. But driving the 12 miles from the beginning of the park to the visitor center takes at least that again as it is impossible not to stop and gawk at so many incredible viewpoints along the way.... Continue Reading →
Utah loop road trip: Cedar Breaks National Monument
Of the several national parks and monuments we plan to visit on this trip, Cedar Breaks National Monument was our first. I had to look up what a monument was since I was envisioning statues of soldiers atop horses or concrete epitaphs. A monument, in this context, is a protected area, similar to a national... Continue Reading →
Utah loop road trip: Bend to St. George, Utah
Bend, Oregon, specifically the Thousand Trails campground nearby, was a week of family for us. We thought we were going to be there for several days before family arrived on Wednesday, so took our time getting there by camping at a couple of Harvest Host locations and arriving on Sunday. Instead, we discovered that cousins... Continue Reading →
Utah loop road trip: La Conner to Yakima
We are off on our second road trip of the year (see Artie as Plan B for the first one), and this one has more structure and involves a lot more driving. We have about six weeks--the first two will be relaxed travel and the last four will involve some long drives and lots of... Continue Reading →
Artie as Plan B
After our fun-filled house sit in Metchosin, British Columbia, we returned to Vancouver to celebrate Ken's Mom's 90th birthday. It was a balloon- and flower-filled affair with many friends and family--including a granddaughter from Spain and a son from The Bahamas--sharing memories and laughter. The lovely honoree Our next location was to be a 3-week... Continue Reading →
Artie: Hibernation
From Palm Springs, we headed toward the west coast of California. Our main goal was Highway 1 between Santa Barbara and Monterey, a route we had tried to drive many years ago when the road was closed due to flooding. After that, we were going to ease on up the Oregon Coast, taking several days... Continue Reading →
Palm Springs
I never thought I'd visit Palm Springs. I imagined it to be too hot and, well, too cliché. And the campground offered by our Thousand Trails camping membership we knew to be a large-rig parking lot—an environment in which we struggle to be comfortable. But then long-lost friends* who were planning to spend the month... Continue Reading →
Artie: Working out the kinks
We weren't quite ready for long-term four- or six-wheeled travel, but medical appointments impacted our schedule and we found ourselves with a free 6-week period—too short to fly somewhere and roam, but a perfect length of time to take Artie on his first road trip. We thought it would be a good opportunity to make... Continue Reading →
Meet Artie
Artie has joined our family part-time (we share custody). As we designed our Life: Phase Next, we planned part of it as land-based (vs. flying hither and yon) so we could spend time re-exploring our beautiful country (Canada) and meandering through many parts of the US that we had yet to experience. We knew we... Continue Reading →