Since we are getting closer to the trip more planning is to be had. Next Sunday we leave for Yawgoog a Boy Scout camp and than there is a week at home and we are off. Between now and then we still have to plan out the food and any last minute additions we want to make. Some places are going to be more interesting and fun than others. As I mentioned in a previous post I am pretty excited for the two cavern parks we are going to. Carlsbad and Mammoth. If you want to read more than what I said and my dad's extensive description you can click below.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Driving Times & Distances
Not including the little side trips we may take, and the drives within the parks we visit for extended periods, here's an approximation of our daily driving distances & time. Note that the times do not include any "stopping" time, so each day will be even longer than what's shown here.
Day 1 - 382 miles in 7.5 hours
Day 2 - 254 miles in 8.0 hours
Day 3 - 306 miles in 9.0 hours
Day 6 - 422 miles in 7.5 hours
Day 7 - 352 miles in 6.0 hours
Day 8 - 400 miles in 6.0 hours
Day 9 - 473 miles in 7.5 hours
Day 11 - 464 miles in 8.0 hours
Day 12 - 409 miles in 6.5 hours
Day 13 - 335 miles in 6.5 hours
Day 14 - 378 miles in 6.0 hours
Day 17 - 440 miles in 7.0 hours
Day 18 - 250 miles in 4.5 hours
Day 19 - 382 miles in 6.5 hours
Day 20 - 563 miles in 9.0 hours
Day 22 - 487 miles in 8.0 hours
Day 24 - 432 miles in 7.0 hours
Day 25 - 448 miles in 7.0 hours
Total miles is approximately 7200 miles!!!
Please let gas prices drop!
Day 1 - 382 miles in 7.5 hours
Day 2 - 254 miles in 8.0 hours
Day 3 - 306 miles in 9.0 hours
Day 6 - 422 miles in 7.5 hours
Day 7 - 352 miles in 6.0 hours
Day 8 - 400 miles in 6.0 hours
Day 9 - 473 miles in 7.5 hours
Day 11 - 464 miles in 8.0 hours
Day 12 - 409 miles in 6.5 hours
Day 13 - 335 miles in 6.5 hours
Day 14 - 378 miles in 6.0 hours
Day 17 - 440 miles in 7.0 hours
Day 18 - 250 miles in 4.5 hours
Day 19 - 382 miles in 6.5 hours
Day 20 - 563 miles in 9.0 hours
Day 22 - 487 miles in 8.0 hours
Day 24 - 432 miles in 7.0 hours
Day 25 - 448 miles in 7.0 hours
Total miles is approximately 7200 miles!!!
Please let gas prices drop!
Days 24 - 25
The final two days of our trip will be spent driving home. There's not too much to say about this drive. We'll head from Kentucky into Ohio, spend the night there, and then continue on in the morning through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and finally home.
The only interesting note, is that we'll be spending the night in Streetsboro, Ohio. This will be the third time we've stayed here.
On our first trip, in 2011, we camped at the same campground we'll be staying at this time on our first night of that trip.
On our second trip, in 2013, we stayed in a hotel here on our rapid return home. I think I'm starting to have a "thing" for Streetsboro, Ohio!!!
So, that's it ... the trip is over and we're back home. Once again, I'm looking forward to a really great trip, with lots of cool things to see and some fun and exciting activities.
I'm not sure what we'll do next, but the idea of a trans-Canada adventure has been mentioned ... we'll just have to wait and see!
The only interesting note, is that we'll be spending the night in Streetsboro, Ohio. This will be the third time we've stayed here.
On our first trip, in 2011, we camped at the same campground we'll be staying at this time on our first night of that trip.
On our second trip, in 2013, we stayed in a hotel here on our rapid return home. I think I'm starting to have a "thing" for Streetsboro, Ohio!!!
So, that's it ... the trip is over and we're back home. Once again, I'm looking forward to a really great trip, with lots of cool things to see and some fun and exciting activities.
I'm not sure what we'll do next, but the idea of a trans-Canada adventure has been mentioned ... we'll just have to wait and see!
Day 23
Day 23 will be spent at Mammoth Cave National Park.
In addition to the caves, there are also lots of hiking trails and bike trails here, so there should be no shortage of things for us to do. As of now, we don't have any specific plans, but we'll see what we come up with over the next few weeks.
In the morning, we begin the final two day leg of our trip ... the journey home!
In addition to the caves, there are also lots of hiking trails and bike trails here, so there should be no shortage of things for us to do. As of now, we don't have any specific plans, but we'll see what we come up with over the next few weeks.
In the morning, we begin the final two day leg of our trip ... the journey home!
Day 22
This morning, we'll leave Hot Springs, Arkansas and head for our final destination of the trip, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.
Our drive today is a pretty long way, which will take us from Arkansas, through Tennessee and finally into Kentucky. We'll be passing through Memphis and Nashville along the way. Since we're going to be driving right through Memphis, we may make a brief detour to see Graceland!
We'll have to see how things are going and make our decision accordingly.
After arriving at Mammoth Cave National Park, we'll set up camp and get ready for our last day of "activities".
Our drive today is a pretty long way, which will take us from Arkansas, through Tennessee and finally into Kentucky. We'll be passing through Memphis and Nashville along the way. Since we're going to be driving right through Memphis, we may make a brief detour to see Graceland!
We'll have to see how things are going and make our decision accordingly.
After arriving at Mammoth Cave National Park, we'll set up camp and get ready for our last day of "activities".
Day 21
Today will be a pretty relaxing day. We'll be in around Hot Springs National Park and the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The plan is to do a couple of hikes and see what else there is to see and do.
As I said, I expect this to be a pretty low key day, which after the last few days, won't be a bad thing!
As I said, I expect this to be a pretty low key day, which after the last few days, won't be a bad thing!
Days 19 - 20
The next two days have us traveling from Alamosa, CO to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Before we start the heavy duty driving, we'll be stopping at Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Along the way, we'll be passing about 45 miles from the Philmont Scout Ranch. Next Summer, Josh & I will be joining a group of Scouts and adult leaders from our Boy Scout Troop on a 12 day wilderness backpacking trek at Philmont. It would be really cool to be able go and check the place out, but we're not going to have time for that.
On the morning of day 20, we have the longest drive of our trip waiting for us. We'll be driving from Amarillo, TX across Oklahoma to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Josh & I visited here on our first trip in 2011, however, on that trip, we didn't arrive in the park until late morning, and we had very limited time there.
This time, we're hoping to be able to hike to the top of High Dune, which is about 700 feet high. Josh is really hoping to go "sandboarding". We'll have to see what will be involved in renting a sand-board in terms of time & cost.
After we leave the park, we have a long drive ahead of us to our destination for the night, Amarillo, Texas.
Along the way, we'll be passing about 45 miles from the Philmont Scout Ranch. Next Summer, Josh & I will be joining a group of Scouts and adult leaders from our Boy Scout Troop on a 12 day wilderness backpacking trek at Philmont. It would be really cool to be able go and check the place out, but we're not going to have time for that.
On the morning of day 20, we have the longest drive of our trip waiting for us. We'll be driving from Amarillo, TX across Oklahoma to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
It's going to be a long day!
Day 18
We have to wake up before dawn this morning to get Patty & Rachel to the airport for their flight home. Originally, we had booked them on a flight that left mid-morning, but unfortunately, the airline cancelled that flight and rebooked them on a flight that leaves at around 6:00 am!
The airport is only about 10 minutes from the campground we're staying at, so I'm thinking that I may let Josh stay & sleep in the trailer while I bring Patty & Rachel to the airport. I'm planning to wait to make sure their flight takes off before Josh and I continue on to our next stop, Alamosa, Colorado.
Today's drive is the shortest drive of our trip, so we're not going to be in any great rush to get going. Along the way from Albuquerque, we'll be passing through Santa Fe, NM. I'm thinking we may stop for a short walk through Santa Fe, but we'll see whether or not we feel like it when we get there.
Alamosa, CO is a "gateway" to Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is on our agenda for day 19. More on that in the next post.
Day 17
Today, we leave the Grand Canyon National Park and continue our journey to the East. We'll be driving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, we're we'll be spending the night. Along the way, we're going to stop at Petrified Forest National Park.
This is going to be a "drive-through" visit. Since we'll have Patty & Rachel with us, we don't plan to do any hiking. We'll stop for our requisite park entrance sign picture and stop at the visitor's center to buy our pin, but other than that, nothing else is planned.
After driving through the park, we still have a long drive to go to get to Albuquerque.
When we arrive in Albuquerque, we're going to need to get to sleep pretty early. We have to wake up before dawn tomorrow to get Patty & Rachel to the airport for their flight home.
This is going to be a "drive-through" visit. Since we'll have Patty & Rachel with us, we don't plan to do any hiking. We'll stop for our requisite park entrance sign picture and stop at the visitor's center to buy our pin, but other than that, nothing else is planned.
After driving through the park, we still have a long drive to go to get to Albuquerque.
When we arrive in Albuquerque, we're going to need to get to sleep pretty early. We have to wake up before dawn tomorrow to get Patty & Rachel to the airport for their flight home.
Days 14 - 16
Today, we'll leave Kingman, AZ for the highlight of our trip, The Grand Canyon. But first, a little detour ...
The plan is to leave the trailer at the campground (assuming they'll let us) and drive to Las Vegas to meet Patty & Rachel (the other half of Matt & Josh), who will have flown out from home the day before. They'll be spending the next four nights with us.
We'll be picking them up at their hotel, the Excalibur Resort. I had told Patty that we'll be sure to shower the night before we pick them up, but then she pointed out that we can shower in the comfort of their hotel room when we come to get them ... that may not be a bad idea at all!!!
After picking them up in Las Vegas, we'll drive back to Kingman, AZ to pick up our trailer. Along the way, we may stop for a brief visit to Hoover Dam, if Patty and/or Rachel want to. Josh and I have already been there, so I don't really have a preference of whether we stop or not. It might be interesting to see it now, four years later, to see the affect the drought in the Southwest has had on the water levels in Lake Mead. When we were there in 2011, you could see how much lower the water level was from it's capacity. I would assume it's considerably lower now.
After we get the trailer, it's on our way to the Grand Canyon National Park, where we'll spend the next three nights. It will definitely be interesting have "the girls" with us. Let's be honest ... after four nights together in the trailer, I'm guessing everyone will be ready for this part of the trip to end!!!
When Josh & I took our first trip four years ago, we essentially drove "right past" the Grand Canyon. I had originally wanted to include that on our trip, but Patty had objected, saying that she wanted to go there someday, so I agreed that we'd do it as a family at some point in the future. Well ... the future is now!!!
We don't have any particular plans while we're at the Grand Canyon. Of course, we'll drive the South Rim Drive and stop at all the major view points, but other than that, we don't currently have anything else planned. We'll see what comes up (this is definitely not like me!!!)
The plan is to leave the trailer at the campground (assuming they'll let us) and drive to Las Vegas to meet Patty & Rachel (the other half of Matt & Josh), who will have flown out from home the day before. They'll be spending the next four nights with us.
We'll be picking them up at their hotel, the Excalibur Resort. I had told Patty that we'll be sure to shower the night before we pick them up, but then she pointed out that we can shower in the comfort of their hotel room when we come to get them ... that may not be a bad idea at all!!!
After picking them up in Las Vegas, we'll drive back to Kingman, AZ to pick up our trailer. Along the way, we may stop for a brief visit to Hoover Dam, if Patty and/or Rachel want to. Josh and I have already been there, so I don't really have a preference of whether we stop or not. It might be interesting to see it now, four years later, to see the affect the drought in the Southwest has had on the water levels in Lake Mead. When we were there in 2011, you could see how much lower the water level was from it's capacity. I would assume it's considerably lower now.
After we get the trailer, it's on our way to the Grand Canyon National Park, where we'll spend the next three nights. It will definitely be interesting have "the girls" with us. Let's be honest ... after four nights together in the trailer, I'm guessing everyone will be ready for this part of the trip to end!!!
When Josh & I took our first trip four years ago, we essentially drove "right past" the Grand Canyon. I had originally wanted to include that on our trip, but Patty had objected, saying that she wanted to go there someday, so I agreed that we'd do it as a family at some point in the future. Well ... the future is now!!!
We don't have any particular plans while we're at the Grand Canyon. Of course, we'll drive the South Rim Drive and stop at all the major view points, but other than that, we don't currently have anything else planned. We'll see what comes up (this is definitely not like me!!!)
Places I am most looking forward to.
My dad and I have been to many places and seen many things but I still am excited to see some of the places on this trip. Some of the places I am really excited for are: the return to Great Sand Dunes, visiting San Antonio, Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns.
I am excited to return to Great Sand Dunes because when we were there the first time it was fun to hike through the sand but we didn't have a lot of time, but this time we will have a lot of time and be able to ride down the dunes potentially.
I am also excited to visit San Antonio. Since our family is full of history geeks visiting the Alamo and the other historic spots there is really exciting to me.
Grand Canyon is just one of those places that at some point you just have to visit. It has been on the agenda of my dad and I for a long time, but now with the addition of my mom and sister we are allowed to visit. My mom wouldn't let us visit it without her so now we can and I am pretty excited for it.
Lastly Carlsbad Caverns. This place just sounds cool let alone looks and is cool. I am excited to just descend down into the caves and look at all the cool stalagmites and stalactites that will be in there. However I am not so much looking forward to the climb back up.
There is still much planning to go through to go to all these places but those are just a few that I am looking forward to.
I am excited to return to Great Sand Dunes because when we were there the first time it was fun to hike through the sand but we didn't have a lot of time, but this time we will have a lot of time and be able to ride down the dunes potentially.
I am also excited to visit San Antonio. Since our family is full of history geeks visiting the Alamo and the other historic spots there is really exciting to me.
Grand Canyon is just one of those places that at some point you just have to visit. It has been on the agenda of my dad and I for a long time, but now with the addition of my mom and sister we are allowed to visit. My mom wouldn't let us visit it without her so now we can and I am pretty excited for it.
Lastly Carlsbad Caverns. This place just sounds cool let alone looks and is cool. I am excited to just descend down into the caves and look at all the cool stalagmites and stalactites that will be in there. However I am not so much looking forward to the climb back up.
There is still much planning to go through to go to all these places but those are just a few that I am looking forward to.
Day 13
With half our trip behind us, today we turn the car around and begin our journey back East. We'll be traveling from Banning, CA to Kingman, AZ today. Along the way, we'll be visiting Joshua Tree National Park. I'm hoping that we'll be able to do a short hike or two, but a lot of that is going to depend on how hot it is.
Of course, I'm going to make sure that I get a picture of Josh standing next to, or under, a Joshua tree!!! He's probably going to resist that!
After we finish our tour of the park, it's on to our destination for the night, Kingman, AZ. On our first trip, four years ago, following our visit to Hoover Dam, we stayed at the same campground we'll be staying at this time ... just a little fun fact.
After spending the night in Kingman, we'll be on our way to the highlight of our trip, The Grand Canyon. More on that in the next post!
Of course, I'm going to make sure that I get a picture of Josh standing next to, or under, a Joshua tree!!! He's probably going to resist that!
After we finish our tour of the park, it's on to our destination for the night, Kingman, AZ. On our first trip, four years ago, following our visit to Hoover Dam, we stayed at the same campground we'll be staying at this time ... just a little fun fact.
After spending the night in Kingman, we'll be on our way to the highlight of our trip, The Grand Canyon. More on that in the next post!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Days 11 - 12
On day 11, we'll leave Carlsbad and travel to our destination for the night, Tucson, Arizona.
There's not much to see or do along this drive. We'll be driving right past the White Sands Missile Range Visitor's Center, which has a museum and an exhibit of missiles that were tested here, but I doubt we'll bother stopping. The White Sands Missile Range is also the location of the "Trinity Site", the site of the first atomic bomb detonation.
When we arrive in Tucson, we'll probably just hang out, maybe go for a swim and/or do some food shopping.
On the morning of day 12, we'll leave Tucson and head for our Western-most destination, Banning, California. Banning is located about 25 miles West of Palm Springs, CA and about 90 miles East of Los Angeles. We'll be spending the night here and then begin our return trip East the next morning.
On the drive from Tucson, AZ to Banning, CA, we'll have a few opportunities to stop along the way. The first is Saguaro National Park, which is located on the outskirts of Tucson. There's not a lot to see or do in the park, but since we're going to be right there, it seems silly to pass up another opportunity for a park sign picture & a park pin.
After Saguaro National Park, the next point of interest we'll be passing will be Phoenix, AZ. We may choose to use Phoenix for a lunch stop, but other than that, I don't know that we'll be stopping for anything. After that, we'll be passing right by Palm Springs, CA before we reach our destination for the night, Banning, CA. Once again, not sure whether or not we'll stop ... I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Upon arriving in Banning, we'll once again set up camp, make some dinner and relax. Our journey will has reached its halfway point and in the morning, we begin making our way back to the East!
There's not much to see or do along this drive. We'll be driving right past the White Sands Missile Range Visitor's Center, which has a museum and an exhibit of missiles that were tested here, but I doubt we'll bother stopping. The White Sands Missile Range is also the location of the "Trinity Site", the site of the first atomic bomb detonation.
When we arrive in Tucson, we'll probably just hang out, maybe go for a swim and/or do some food shopping.
On the morning of day 12, we'll leave Tucson and head for our Western-most destination, Banning, California. Banning is located about 25 miles West of Palm Springs, CA and about 90 miles East of Los Angeles. We'll be spending the night here and then begin our return trip East the next morning.
On the drive from Tucson, AZ to Banning, CA, we'll have a few opportunities to stop along the way. The first is Saguaro National Park, which is located on the outskirts of Tucson. There's not a lot to see or do in the park, but since we're going to be right there, it seems silly to pass up another opportunity for a park sign picture & a park pin.
The Saguaro cactus is the name of the cactus you always see in cartoons ... the tall ones with the arms coming out of them. There are a couple of very short hikes we can take before we continue on our way.
After Saguaro National Park, the next point of interest we'll be passing will be Phoenix, AZ. We may choose to use Phoenix for a lunch stop, but other than that, I don't know that we'll be stopping for anything. After that, we'll be passing right by Palm Springs, CA before we reach our destination for the night, Banning, CA. Once again, not sure whether or not we'll stop ... I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Upon arriving in Banning, we'll once again set up camp, make some dinner and relax. Our journey will has reached its halfway point and in the morning, we begin making our way back to the East!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
The Josh in Matt and josh
Hello to everyone I am the Josh in the Matt and Josh Excellent Adventures. This year as you have probably read we are going in a trailer. The new trailer is really cool and I'm sure the trailer will make the trip ten times more comfortable than the previous ones.
Since we got the new trailer my dad has been working endlessly on making it perfect. This time we are going to the South to get the last few hard to reach states I haven't been in yet.
There are still many preperations we have to do such as planing a menu, getting a few more items and spending another 50 hours of work in the trailer. However I am pretty confident that this trip will be the most comfortable and one of if not the best of the trips we have taken so far.
Since we got the new trailer my dad has been working endlessly on making it perfect. This time we are going to the South to get the last few hard to reach states I haven't been in yet.
There are still many preperations we have to do such as planing a menu, getting a few more items and spending another 50 hours of work in the trailer. However I am pretty confident that this trip will be the most comfortable and one of if not the best of the trips we have taken so far.
Day 10
We'll spend the 10th day of our trip exploring Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
There are apparently two ways to enter the caves. The first, is by elevator from the Visitor's Center and the second is known as the Natural Entrance, which is a 1.25 mile trail that descends approximately 900 feet down a series of switch-backs into the cave. Of course, we're going to use the Natural Entrance!
It will take us approximately an hour to drive from our campground to the park. We plan to spend the day touring the caves and will hopefully take one or two Ranger led hikes. At the end of the day, we'll head back to our campground to hang out. Unfortunately, the campground takes us in the opposite direction of where we'll be heading on day 11, but there's nothing much we can do about that. After spending the night, we'll continue our Westward journey on Day 11.
There are apparently two ways to enter the caves. The first, is by elevator from the Visitor's Center and the second is known as the Natural Entrance, which is a 1.25 mile trail that descends approximately 900 feet down a series of switch-backs into the cave. Of course, we're going to use the Natural Entrance!
It will take us approximately an hour to drive from our campground to the park. We plan to spend the day touring the caves and will hopefully take one or two Ranger led hikes. At the end of the day, we'll head back to our campground to hang out. Unfortunately, the campground takes us in the opposite direction of where we'll be heading on day 11, but there's nothing much we can do about that. After spending the night, we'll continue our Westward journey on Day 11.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Days 6 - 9
The next four days of our trip, days 6 through 9, will be spent driving from Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. We're taking a bit of an out of the way route, which will add an extra day of travel (and lots of miles), but will allow us to visit New Orleans, LA and San Antonio, TX along the way. More on this below.
We'll start by leaving Great Smoky Mountains National Park and head down through Alabama, passing through Birmingham, AL, finally arriving at our destination for the night, Toomsuba, MS. There's not a whole lot to say about this part of our trip, and we don't have any plans to stop anywhere. The goal will simply be to get to our campground for the night, and then just hang out.
On day 7, we travel from Mississippi into Louisiana. Along the way, we're going to stop in New Orleans and take a walk in the French Quarter down Bourbon Street.
The plan is to find a good place to have a Po' Boy for lunch, and then a beignet for dessert. After our visit to New Orleans, we'll continue to our destination for the night, Lafayette, LA.
On day 8 of our trip, we'll be driving from Louisiana to San Antonio, Texas. I'm hoping that we'll arrive early enough in the afternoon to enable to go downtown to see The Alamo.
The San Antonio Mission Riverwalk trail is a 10-mile paved trail that runs alongside the San Antonio River and connects the four Missions that make up the San Antonio Mission National Historical Park. I'm really hoping that we'll be able to ride our bikes on this trail to go see the missions.
We'll spend the night in San Antonio and prepare for the last day of this segment of our trip.
On the morning of day 9, we'll leave San Antonio and drive to Carlsbad, NM. Unlike the prior two days, this day will be another long drive, with nothing much to see or do. After arriving in Carlsbad, we'll probably spend the night relaxing to prepare for our visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park the next morning.
We'll start by leaving Great Smoky Mountains National Park and head down through Alabama, passing through Birmingham, AL, finally arriving at our destination for the night, Toomsuba, MS. There's not a whole lot to say about this part of our trip, and we don't have any plans to stop anywhere. The goal will simply be to get to our campground for the night, and then just hang out.
On day 7, we travel from Mississippi into Louisiana. Along the way, we're going to stop in New Orleans and take a walk in the French Quarter down Bourbon Street.
The plan is to find a good place to have a Po' Boy for lunch, and then a beignet for dessert. After our visit to New Orleans, we'll continue to our destination for the night, Lafayette, LA.
On day 8 of our trip, we'll be driving from Louisiana to San Antonio, Texas. I'm hoping that we'll arrive early enough in the afternoon to enable to go downtown to see The Alamo.
The San Antonio Mission Riverwalk trail is a 10-mile paved trail that runs alongside the San Antonio River and connects the four Missions that make up the San Antonio Mission National Historical Park. I'm really hoping that we'll be able to ride our bikes on this trail to go see the missions.
We'll spend the night in San Antonio and prepare for the last day of this segment of our trip.
On the morning of day 9, we'll leave San Antonio and drive to Carlsbad, NM. Unlike the prior two days, this day will be another long drive, with nothing much to see or do. After arriving in Carlsbad, we'll probably spend the night relaxing to prepare for our visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park the next morning.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Days 4 - 5
Days 4 and 5 will be spent in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Our first day here will be Saturday and we plan to visit an area of the park known as Cades Cove. It's supposed to be a very scenic area with numerous hiking trails that all emanate from an 11-mile loop road that provides access to this area. As luck would have it, the National Parks Service closes this road to vehicular traffic for a few hours on Saturday mornings, allowing bicyclists to ride freely without having to worry about cars. We'll have to get up and leave our campground pretty early to do it, as they re-open the road at 10:00 and our campground is about 45 minutes away, but this is definitely in our plans. Apparently, we can even get a patch if we want to!!!
Our first day here will be Saturday and we plan to visit an area of the park known as Cades Cove. It's supposed to be a very scenic area with numerous hiking trails that all emanate from an 11-mile loop road that provides access to this area. As luck would have it, the National Parks Service closes this road to vehicular traffic for a few hours on Saturday mornings, allowing bicyclists to ride freely without having to worry about cars. We'll have to get up and leave our campground pretty early to do it, as they re-open the road at 10:00 and our campground is about 45 minutes away, but this is definitely in our plans. Apparently, we can even get a patch if we want to!!!
The rest of our time in the park on Saturday & Sunday will be spent on scenic drives & hikes. I'm sure we'll also drive to and hike to the top of Clingman's Dome, one of the more prominent features of the park.
Other than that, we'll probably just spend a lot of time relaxing and playing board games. Assuming the weather cooperates, it should be a nice couple of days for us before we begin the next segment of our trip, which will include four days on the road to get to our next destination. More about that in the next post!!!
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Days 1 - 3
The first part of our trip will be a series of scenic drives through the Appalachian Mountains. We'll be driving the entire length of Skyline Drive which runs end to end through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
We'll then continue on to, and drive almost the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs from Virginia through North Carolina and into Tennessee.
These roads are considered to be among some of the most scenic highways in the United States. I don't know that there will be too much to do along the way, but there may be a couple of opportunities for a short hike and there are sure to be some scenic view points along the way. On the first day, we'll be driving right past the Cabela's store in Hamburg, PA. It may finally be time for me to buy that camp kitchen I've been wanting!!!
We'll be spending our first night in Shenandoah National Park at the Big Meadows Campground. On day 2, we'll leave Big Meadows, and continue on our way, stopping for the night in Fancy Gap, VA. After three long days of driving, we'll finally reach our first destination, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. After three days in the car, I'm sure we'll be ready for a break!!!
We'll then continue on to, and drive almost the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs from Virginia through North Carolina and into Tennessee.
These roads are considered to be among some of the most scenic highways in the United States. I don't know that there will be too much to do along the way, but there may be a couple of opportunities for a short hike and there are sure to be some scenic view points along the way. On the first day, we'll be driving right past the Cabela's store in Hamburg, PA. It may finally be time for me to buy that camp kitchen I've been wanting!!!
We'll be spending our first night in Shenandoah National Park at the Big Meadows Campground. On day 2, we'll leave Big Meadows, and continue on our way, stopping for the night in Fancy Gap, VA. After three long days of driving, we'll finally reach our first destination, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. After three days in the car, I'm sure we'll be ready for a break!!!
Friday, June 5, 2015
The Adventure Continues
Once again, Josh and I are preparing to begin another cross-country odyssey. In about 6 weeks, we will begin our "Fantastic Voyage". This time round, we'll be traveling down through Appalachia, then across the deep South and finally into the dessert Southwest all the way to California ... and back!
Upon the completion of this trip, Josh and I will have been in 48 of the 50 United States! The only two remaining are (no ... not Alaska and Hawaii) New Hampshire (for Josh ... I've been there) and Maine.
There will be a lot of similarities between this trip and the last one we took two years ago. The numbers are almost identical ... We will be gone for 25 days (same as last trip), travel through 20 states (same as last trip), drive approximately 7200 miles (same as last trip) and visit 11 National Parks (only 8 last trip).
There will also be some differences!
First, for this year's trip, we'll be using the pop-up camper that we bought last Fall. The hope is that the camper will make things a little easier, in terms of setting up camp and breaking down. I suspect that in reality, there won't be too much difference. The good news, is that the camper will definitely be more comfortable, and should we encounter bad weather, should provide greater protection.
Second, we're going to have some guests on this year's trip, well for part of it anyway. Patty and Rachel will be with us for four nights while we visit the Grand Canyon National Park. We're going to pick them up in Las Vegas, NV and then drop them off in Albuquerque, NM.
As I've done for our prior trips, I'll be following this post up with additional posts in the coming days that detail our itinerary. While we're on the trip, we plan to make daily posts to the blog, as long as we have internet connectivity!
I'm looking forward to another great trip!!!
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