We
are now less than two weeks from departure on our third cross country driving trip
and I thought I should start the blog by outlining a few of our objectives:
1.
14 National Parks. In the past we have toured many of the major, more well-known
National Parks and now we are going to visit some of the lesser known ones. The
parks on our list for this trip, in order, are Great Sand Dunes NP, CO (#1), Black
Canyon of the Gunnison NP, CO (#2), Canyonlands NP, UT (#3), Capitol Reef NP,
UT (#4), Great Basin NP, NV (#5), Lassen NP, CA (#6), Pinnacles NP, CA (#7), Channel
Islands NP, CA (#8), Joshua Tree NP, CA (#9), Petrified Forest NP, AZ (#10), Carlsbad
Caverns NP, NM (#11), Guadalupe Mountains NP, NM (#12), Big Bend NP, TX (#13), Hot
Springs NP, AR (#14). With these parks, our total number of parks visited will now be 44 (out of
59).
2. Hikes. One of the great things to do in a National Park is to take a hike. It is the best way to see nature and something we are going to try to do in each one of the parks. Of course these aren't going to be super long, all-day, back country hikes, but hopefully they'll be long enough for us to get a feel for the park and to see some sights.
2. Hikes. One of the great things to do in a National Park is to take a hike. It is the best way to see nature and something we are going to try to do in each one of the parks. Of course these aren't going to be super long, all-day, back country hikes, but hopefully they'll be long enough for us to get a feel for the park and to see some sights.
3.
Southern route. In 2010 we drove the central route across the country and in
2014 we took the northern route. The time we will take the southern route,
going as far south as the Rio Grande in southern Texas at Big Bend National Park.
4.
State Fairs. These are always fun to visit and we are going to both the Kansas
and Texas State fairs. The Texas State fair is the largest in attendance in the
US.
5. Statistics. Eighteen states, 40 days and probably about 9,000 miles.
Of
course our main objective as always is to see this great country, up close and
personal. It's something we feel is best done on a cross country drive where you take your time and see the sights.
Sounds like a fabulous trip I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't done it, Highway 12 (Scenic Route) between Escalante and Capitol Reef is one of the most beautiful rides I know -- especially in the fall. Also, Dead Horse Point is an interesting spot with gorgeous views over Canyonlands.
Thanks for the advice. We didn't have Dead Horse Point on the itinerary but that's the section of Canyonlands we are going to visit so we'll add it. The drive down from Torrey, UT, on Highway 12 to Escalante is already on the list for Day 9.
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