We started July 18 with a final short hike at Zion National Park. The added height gave us a different perspective on this beautiful, massive place.

We then ascended nearly 4000 feet on our journey to the Grand Canyon. One memento of that trip was presented to us by a passing truck – see photo of Chester’s windshield! But there’s nothing a little duct tape can’t fix (at least temporarily) so we continued on to the Grand Canyon.

Our first stop was a hike to the tip of Bright Angel Point on the North Rim – we took some photos but, as any of you who have ever tried know, it’s really hard to get photos of this immense place! Susannah really wanted to hike down into the canyon to relive a previous visit after college, so we headed to the North Kaibob Trail next. We thought our time was limited given our dinner reservation so we hiked/jogged as fast as the trail and oncoming mules would let us. Turns out we needn’t have rushed because AZ doesn’t adhere to daylight savings time (who knew?! maybe they should post signs…) so we had an extra hour. But it was probably just as well we ended when we did because the skies opened and lightning started to flash just as we got back to Chester.

We had an unforgettable dinner in the majestic stone lodge with panoramic views only slightly blunted by the storm clouds. Our final stop of the day was Point Imperial, the highest point on the canyon rim at ~8800 feet. Because of the time change, the skies got dark earlier; we were the only people at the viewing point and got to watch night descend upon the canyon.

Day 20: Zion National Park UT to Jacob Lake AZ, via the Grand Canyon (North Rim) – 180 miles.

July 17 – Susannah and Ben got up with the early birds for a four-mile morning run through Bryce’s canyon trails. Returning to camp with many pictures of hoodoos and ridge lines, they faced a series of steep switchbacks on the way home.

The short drive from Bryce to Zion was over by mid-day, in time for a picnic lunch in our campground. We really appreciated Chester’s extendable canopy under the relentless noon sun. But Chester had already done a yeoman job in getting us here, as the steep route into Zion involves some six hairpin turns and two tunnels, one over a mile long built by the good men of the CCC. They had to measure us before we went in to be sure Chester would fit.

The afternoon’s first activity in honor of Rowan was an hour-long horseback ride along the Virgin River that runs through Zion Canyon. We followed this with a hike up the canyon to the aptly-named Narrows, where the 1000 foot sandstone walls approach within 20 feet of each other at some points. On our way back we paused to wade in the river and build a sandcastle.

We finished the day with another lodge dinner and a ranger program on the geology and history of Zion Canyon.

Day 19: Bryce Canyon National Park UT to Zion National Park UT – 85 miles.

July 16 – We all agreed Arches was most fun in the cooler temperatures of the evening and morning. Ben and Nick celebrated the sunrise with breakfast atop the rock behind our campsite. Then all four of us took the longer hike to Landscape Arch, a 300 foot span that is only 6 feet thick at its thickest point. Visitors can no longer go under the arch because in 1991 a large section fell off! Who knows how long Landscape Arch will be here…

After saying goodbye to Arches, we made the long drive to Bryce Canyon. The weather was quite hot most of the day but we went through a rain storm in the mid-afternoon and by the time we arrived at Bryce, the temps were about 30 degrees cooler than they had been in Arches! We waited out the rain during the orientation film at the Visitor’s Center, emerging afterwards to cool blue skies and unbelievable vistas.

We settled Chester into a campsite and proceeded on a hike along the Rim Trail toward the Lodge for dinner. The hike was tremendous – evening sun and cool temps served to heighten Bryce’s magnificence. Even the clingy clay left behind by the rain shower didn’t detract from our enjoyment and Rowan declared that Bryce was her favorite place thus far.

Dinner at the lodge was another treat – good food, charming atmosphere, lovely architecture. The building is one of the grand lodges constructed by Union Pacific in the early Park Service days.

Day 18: Arches National Park UT to Bryce Canyon National Park UT – 299 miles.

After saying goodbye to Joyce and Stu on July 15, we embarked on a relatively short drive to Arches National Park. Fortunately we were gassed up and refreshed because most of the exits in eastern Utah say “no services” and some of the rest areas don’t even have bathrooms!

We stopped briefly in Moab for lunch (looking longingly at the many outdoor adventures they offer – we’ll have to return!) and then entered Arches National Park. Our campground was at the far end of the park so we rented an audio CD and took the driving tour. The arches are scattered like treasures throughout the park, some in clusters and others by themselves. A few can be seen from far off (and from the road) but others don’t appear until your hiking trail takes you around a corner after a few hundred feet or even a few miles.

We went for a walk in the Windows area (see the two arches that look like glasses, known as North and South Window), taking careful note of all the signs warning us to bring water. To say the weather was hot in Arches is an understatement; the sun beat down relentlessly on the exposed rock. The official high was 99 but the lack of shade made it feel well over 100. Suffice it to say we kept the hikes pretty short that afternoon.

The campground was called Devil’s Garden but it seemed heavenly to us, with campsites tucked between and below rock formations. Even at 6 PM the sun was hot enough that we put up Chester’s shade and had cold PB&J sandwiches for dinner. The kids were tired out but Nick and Susannah explored several trails off the campground (mini date!), seeing Tapestry Arch, Broken Arch, and Sand Dune Arch. Look for Nick in all three photos.

Day 17: Grand Junction CO to Arches National Park UT (via Moab) – 132 miles.

July 14 was a relaxing day in Grand Junction, enjoying the company of family, the amenities of a home stay, and the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Both Nick and Susannah went running in the AM – great views of the mountains. The lush gardens in people’s houses are made possible through irrigation canals fed by snowmelt.

We did a few housekeeping things in Chester, the kids visited a toy store so Ben could stock up on yo-yo strings, and we were well fed with wonderful home-cooked meals. In the afternoon we drove through the Colorado National Monument taking in the steep canyons, the picturesque rocks, and the expansive views. The 23-mile path through the monument is quite tortuous, complete with multiple hairpin turns and several tunnels.

Day 16: 0 miles in Chester, perhaps 45 miles (in Stu’s Suburban) to/from the Colorado National Monument and around Grand Junction.

July 13 started with an early morning run for Susannah along the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs, which included a quick stop at the picturesque botanic gardens.

On our way out of Steamboat we stopped for a quick peek at the “Redneck Olympics” being held in next-door Hayden CO. If you have seen blindfold tractor racing, you haven’t lived!

The journey across Colorado was fairly easy, with amazing scenery the whole way to Grand Junction. There we settled right in with Joyce and Stu, Susannah’s aunt and uncle, and took the opportunity to get Chester a tune-up and oil change. Rowan took at least 15 pictures of their cat Pepper, and we enjoyed a tour of the back gardens, including multiple fruit trees. It’s nice to be back in a house and we feel very welcomed here.

Day 15: Steamboat Springs CO to Grand Junction CO – 191 miles.

We offset the not-so-scenic KOA surroundings with our first ever pancakes made in Chester (thanks to little bottles of syrup and oil in the KOA store) and then got on our way to Colorado. The highlight of the journey was crossing the Continental Divide at more than 9000 feet. Quite a feat for Chester, who just keeps chugging along.

Our destination in Colorado was Steamboat Springs, where we stayed at a campground on the edge of town. Steamboat features a free city bus (much appreciated!) which enabled us to get to and from town easily. After enjoying the movie Monsters University at the local cinema, we headed over to the rodeo grounds to experience our first ever rodeo! We got the full package of roping, riding, and barrel racing – plus barbecue dinner, the western atmosphere, and yet another stunning sunset. Yup, we’re in the west now! Rowan’s new hat fits right in.

Day 14: Cheyenne WY to Steamboat Springs CO – 180 miles.

And a long drive it was! The day started with a rejuvenating early morning run for Susannah amongst the pine trees and along a lake while the kids slept in. When we finally hit the road, Chester had to navigate the serpentine turns and elevation changes of the Black Hills, so we made slow progress. We were rewarded, however, with an up-close and personal buffalo sighting – many signs warned us they were dangerous, but this photo was taken safely from inside Chester.

A mid-day visit to Fort Robinson Nebraska went unrecorded on film but provided a much needed (air conditioned) stop and showcased artifacts related to US interactions with Native Americans.

We crossed the Oregon Trail at Scotts Bluff NE. This impressive stone outcrop was an important milestone for the westward travelers. Our journey was nowhere near as harrowing as that of the emigrants in the wagon trains, but the combination of strong winds across the plains and undulating hills certainly taxed Chester and the drivers.

After traversing most of Nebraska from north to south, we turned west and crossed into Wyoming – our third state of the day! We finally rolled into our KOA campground just past 8 PM, after fighting headwinds for most of the day (daily average speed maybe 40 mph). This is our first KOA experience – as the kids remarked, “It may not be scenic, but the amenities are great!” They are both curled up with wifi on their iPods and may play mini golf tomorrow. Nick and Susannah are enjoying the breeze on the gravel pavement outside Chester – daylight photos coming tomorrow…

Day 13: Custer State Park (Center Lake Campground) to Cheyenne WY – roughly 300 miles.

July 10 was an action-filled day, but one in which all the pieces fell into place – SD kismet, perhaps!

Inspired by Ranger Ed the paleontologist, Ben woke up really early to search for fossils. And he found one too! He submitted a sight report and we sent pictures to Ranger Ed so he can investigate. We await his reply. 🙂

Before leaving the Badlands, we stopped for a short steep hike that afforded a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape (look for Chester parked below) and the thrill of a summit.

Next stop was Wall Drug, the iconic and ever-expanding attraction in the town of Wall. We had been primed by – count ’em – 67 billboards along the highway in SD, but we would have made the stop anyway. 🙂 Rowan commemorated the visit by purchasing a cowboy hat and has already had multiple compliments on it.

Continuing the “SD Rocks” tour, we stopped at Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse, both inspirations of art and engineering.

We had planned to stay at Wind Cave National Park, but made a last-minute change for Custer State Park, snagging the last campsite, which turned out to be within walking distance of a semi-professional theatre that even had tickets left for that night’s show! So, after a quick dinner at the campsite (yay, mac’n’cheese’n’peas) we enjoyed “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to cap off our marvelous day.

Day 12: Badlands National Park SD to Custer State Park SD via Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse – about 150 miles.

En route to the Badlands we crossed 250 miles of rolling prairie on I-90 in SD. Briefly stopping on the way to take in the Corn Palace, we posed for a corny photo. Judging from the historic photos, this site was much more impressive in years gone by.

In complete contrast to the surrounding natural beauty, we also stopped at a site memorializing the Minuteman missile silos that dotted the northern plains during the Cold War, some within view of the interstate. The red chair was used by the missile commanders on duty.

The Badlands formed the gorgeous background for our campground of the day. We explored on foot and then ate (bison burgers and chili) in the park lodge. The park encourages off-trail exploration and Ben especially enjoyed having free reign over the landscape, climbing wherever caught his fancy! The three people atop the ridge in the last photo are Nick, Ben, and Rowan. To cap off the day, Ranger Ed provided an informative evening lecture on the geology and fossils of the park. We think these lands are pretty awesome, in both senses of the word.

Day 11: Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area SD to Badlands National Park (Cedar Pass Campground) SD – 256 miles.