The Road Trip: Part 1 of 5

In Travels With Charlie, John Steinbeck said, "You don't take a trip, it takes you."  This became a recurring theme and our philosophy for the month.

The route

Earl and I hit the road on May 4 and came home May 29, driving nearly 6000 miles.  Rather than one trip, it was more like three.  We had a great time, and discovered that while three weeks is fine, four is a bit too long.  That said, we have no 'we shouldn't have gone theres'.

Preferring daily showers and electricity, I'm just not a good camper.  Motels along the way became our temporary home on the road.  Moving motels every other day had its pluses and minuses.  Come to think of it–primarily minuses.  However, we did discover what we really need in an 'Accessible' room.  I'll trade a roll-in shower for some space to move, and always travel with nightlights.  I had forgotten how noisy motels can be and how thin the walls are.  Some travelers get up at the crap of dawn and don't think about 'still–sleeping neighbors'.  The good news is that we didn't have children with us.  Although I always picked the side closest to the bathroom, I could never remember which direction I was facing.  Earl was frequently getting hit or coughed on in the middle of the night. 

Arches,Canyonlands,Escalante

We are so fortunate to have traveled in Central America, Europe and Asia. But some of the most incredible sights and people are in our own back yard.  Everywhere we went, we encountered non–US tourists visiting the West.  Hearing German, Japanese, Dutch, Spanish, French, and Chinese languages spoken made it obvious that North America is also a destination to the world.  Certainly we knew that but, it was a welcome reminder.

Zion,Cedar Breaks, Coral Dunes

We planned for our road trip to be primarily about the Utah parks, the Grand Canyon, and Sedona, interspersed with seeing friends and family.  That guided the route.  Starting in Boise, the longest drive was to Moab.  We took day trips into Arches, Canyonlands, and Escalante (Grand Staircase).  On to Capitol Reef and Kanab and more day trips into Zion National Park, Coral Sands Dunes, and Cedar Breaks.

Kanab hot spots

 Kanab, Utah (dubbed 'little Hollywood') served as a staging town for all the old westerns we grew up watching.  Touristy, politically incorrect, and a ton of fun.   I scooted from one Hollywood commemorative plaque to another, recognizing all the old stars.

Bryce & Grand Canyons

Bryce Canyon was in a class of its own, as was the Grand Canyon.  We learned a whole new geological vocabulary (fins and bowls and hoodoos..oh my!).  I actually gasped, for Pete's sake!

Sedona

We were prepared to have some 'ho–hum' moments, but that never happened.  Every destination was uniquely jaw-dropping.  At the risk of sounding like an unending cliché, there were many 'wows, beautifuls, spectaculars, majestics, and vasts'.  Those parts of the trip were geological marvels and we did feel pretty insignificant, actually seeing the variations and forces of nature.  I want to be a geologist in the next life.  OK—my gushing is over.
 

I was impressed with variety of transportation modes with which we shared the road.  I expected motor homes and cars, but the volume of vehicles was astounding!  Large groups of European tourists on Harley–Davidson motorcycles was a frequent sight.  We even saw a couple touring with a sidecar attached to the motorcycle.  Earl gave me a 'We could do that.' look.  I returned a 'Not in this lifetime' look. 

Traveling during the off-season puts a tourist at risk for bad weather.  For us, it was a trade–off we were willing to make in order to avoid the summer heat and crowds. Although we did get a bit of rain and snow, our weather was generally good and we didn't overheat.
 


I was also struck by how few little ones and strollers there were.  It's not that the venues weren't family–friendly, but Utah isn't Disneyland*.  We also traveled toward the end of the off-season and children were still in school.  It became evident that the park sights are geared toward older interests and people who can manage their own safety and survival.

Our travel accessories

Earl and I used technology frequently and unapologetically.  We used our iPhones to stay in touch with family back home, sent the occasional photograph, used Yelp to find local eateries and listened when the Google map GPS lady told us where to go.  She wasn't perfect, but overall, she was a darn sight better than we would have been.  One of our favorite features was to download audiobooks to my phone and play it through the car speakers.  We figured any technology cost was cheaper than marriage counseling or defending one of us for a murder charge.  

Earl, the prolific photographer (600+ photos), could take videos, panoramas, and Facetimes when some views were beautiful, but didn't warrant me getting out of the van.  I never felt like I missed anything.  That said, there is big difference between looking at a picture and experiencing an amazing setting.

The lesson:  Our country is large.  The distance between sights, particularly in the West, can be vast.  But it's so worth the journey.

There is no way to talk about everything that happened in a month.  My plan is to break it up a bit.   Chronological order isn't always the best road (pardon the pun) to follow. 

Future posts:
Road Trip With Disabilities: Part 2 of 5
Road Trip Eating: Part 3 of 5
Road Trip Mishaps: Part 4 of 5
Road Trip Visiting: Part 5 of 5



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