Hi!
We are ready to embark on our second Trip of a Lifetime! For weeks we staged in the garage, dining room, and bedroom, pondering, picking, preparing, and packing all the must-haves for our 13-week adventure.
Dave arranged large bins in the truck bed with essentials such as tools to fix everything from a flat tire (remember Death Valley last year?) to a loose screw (not mine). A second bin contains cold weather clothing for those chilly elevations and latitudes, expecting temps in the 50s during the day, and 30s at night. A third bin contains water - lots of it! We will spend a large part of this trip in areas where staying hydrated will be critical to our health.
Another important part of prepping? Food. Let's give a big shout out to Publix for their BOGOs on chicken, hotdogs, canned goods, pasta, and snacks! And give a big hand for my Food Saver, which put in extra hours sealing meat and prepared meals for the freezer. The Trip Trifecta: saving money, food, and freezer space.
This year we plan to visit many national parks, beginning with the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. Also, on the list are Indiana Dunes (IN), Voyageurs (MN), Theodore Roosevelt (ND), Wind Cave and Badlands (both in SD), Glacier (MT), Yellowstone and Grand Tetons (both in WY), Great Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde (both in CO), Saguaro (AZ), White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns (both in NM) and finally Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend (both in TX).
Other landmarks and events we aim for are kayaking at Apostle Islands National Seashore (WI), Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial (SD), Craters of the Moon (ID), the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (CO), Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and Sedona (AZ), Hatch Chili Harvest and Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (NM), The Alamo and Round Top (TX). We will enjoy family joining us as well for various points of interest along the way.
Two national parks we will not visit, sadly, due to wildfires, are Black Canyon of the Gunnison (CO) and Grand Canyon North Rim (AZ). These two parks are experiencing horrible damage to the forests, park infrastructure and buildings, and local campgrounds and businesses. Please keep the firefighters, business employees, and local families in your prayers, as these fires are not contained sufficiently at this time.
One bright spot: a private campground owner in AZ, Ellen, reported she was allowed to return to the campground after 2 weeks of evacuation (with 8 chickens, no less) to find the fire had stopped short of their property, and was diverted away from the Jacob Lake area, allowing some businesses to reopen. Keep in mind that these people make their livings on seasonal tourism. Rather than cancel our reservation, we chatted about possibilities that would keep our vacation dollars with the local community. The answer? ATVs in a part of the forest that did not burn, would allow Trooper to run free, no crowds, and a stunning view of the North Rim not many get to see. Sounds like a win-win.
And so we begin our trip, covered in prayer, ready for adventure, with a freezer stocked with Publix BOGO chicken.
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| Staging in the dining room. Note the portable Cornhole game. |
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| Staging in the garage with Lowe's black-and-yellow bins. |
