Vacation
After 22 days and 8,000 miles of glorious, disaster-free travel, we arrived back to our homes and families. To say the least, WE HAD A BLAST!
We drove through parts of Texas (duh!), Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico, visited loads of national and state parks, drove scenic highways and byways and saw scads of interesting sights and timid creatures. We even experienced the pleasure of driving through southern Utah’s first snowfall of the season (radical contrast to the 100° Texas temperatures we left behind). Bryce Canyon could not have been more beautiful with its fresh, white frosting!
I highly recommend traveling with no itinerary or charted course. When we missed a turn (several!), we enjoyed seeing unexpected sights and without an itinerary, we had the freedom to turn around and revisit areas we particularly enjoyed. We were never lost… only misplaced!
After making many observations on our trip, I have a few comments:
- To all 76 Gas Stations – had you posted your debit card only requirement at the first station we visited in CA, you would have made a few hundred dollars from our trip. You didn’t therefore you didn’t.
- To National Park rangers – there is a fine line between land management and gross misuse. Look at the damage caused by ‘prescribed burns’ and carry the responsibility of destroying many centuries of precious tree growth to say nothing of air quality. Those trees belong to our earth. We frown upon the same practice in rain forests. Shame, shame.
- To Tuba City, AZ – dumping your stray dogs at the area motels is disgusting. Travelers are unprepared to rescue these innocent animals. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand the benefits of spaying and neutering. Try it.
- To Gilroy, CA – thanks for all the garlic, stuffed olives, veggie chips and especially for the tastiest jelly beans in the world. Wish we bought more.
- To Bakersfield, CA – hands down, you win the Trashiest Area of the West award. Nice example you set for your children. YUCK!
- To Tehachapi, CA – kudos to you for having a pristine, friendly town and making us feel so welcomed. Thanks also to Hungry Howie’s for quickly delivering delicious subs and salads to weary travelers.
- To Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant, Cortez, CO – thanks for another unbeatable, memorable meal! The drive was well worth it!
- To Officer John McCartin #310 of Steamboat Springs, CO – Thanks so much for pulling me over for driving too slow. Since I am a notorious speeder, it made for continuous laughs on the remainder of our trip. Now that I know my way around your darkened town, I assure you my next visit will be much faster. VROOOM!
- And finally to Janice – what can I say? THANKS! I’ll never, ever forget it.
Shirl