mohaus: Utah or Bust

Showing posts with label Utah or Bust. Show all posts

Saturday, October 06, 2018

Utah of Bust: Cousin Andrew Gets Married

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 23, we spent the day with family in anticipation of my cousin getting married. The ladies got their nails done and we all enjoyed visiting both before and after the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 24 is our last full day on the road and we spent it with family. We camped in my brother’s driveway last night in East Nashville. This morning he had everyone from the extended family over for home-made Eggs Benedict, his specialty. It was superb. The rest of the day was wrangling little boys before the wedding, trying to keep their white shirts relatively clean and them out of trouble. My cousin Andrew had a beautiful wedding to Kayla. We are so happy to have her officially in the family. After the wedding, the party continued at my aunt and uncles house with visiting around a campfire. We are anxious to get home but this was a nice way to end our trip, surrounded by so many people that we love.

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 25 means HOME. We enjoyed visiting with family, and even squeezed in visiting with some of Daniel’s family on our last leg (didn’t get any photos though 😏). We drove over 5,000 miles through 14 states (TN, AL, MS, AR, OK, NM, CO, UT, ID, WY, KS, MO, KY & GA). I drove almost half of that time and discovered it was easier to drive out west where there are less people than it is closer to home. We had no TV for the entire 25 days and the kids had limited movie time and screen time in the car. We had some amazing experiences as a family that I hope we will look back on when life feels hard or is pulling us in different directions. The trip had its ups and downs, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. It got us in a different rhythm. It let me see Daniel in a new light and see his skills shine. I really appreciate him. Hopefully he saw some good things about me and appreciates me in a different light as well. The kids were fantastic travelers. I think Daniel and I were more grouchy at times than they were. It will be interesting to try to ease back into normal life. I hope we keep some of the good habits formed over the last 25 days and forgive the harder stuff. I hope we have more adventures in store, both close to home and on a greater magnitude. 6 National Parks, 2 state parks, 1 national preserve, 1 national monument, Walmart parking lots and BLM land... we had quite the adventure in September.

Trip Stats
Camping Locations:

Pickwick Landing State Park in Tenn.

Gore Landing City Park in Okla.

Wallydocking in Guymon, OK (FREE)

Family Base Camp in Alamosa, Colo.

Mesa Verde RV Resort in Mancos, Colo.

Sand Flats Recreation Area outside of Moab, Utah

Upper Big Bed Overflow on the Colorado River outside of Moab, Utah (FREE)

Boondocking on BLM land outside of Goblin Valley State Park, Utah (FREE)

Singletree Campground in Dixie National Forest in Utah

Hyrum Lake State Park outside of Logan, Utah

Big Creek Campground in Bear Lake State Park, Utah

Gros Ventre National Park Campground, Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Western Hills Campground and RV Park in Rawlins, WY

Wallydocking in Hays, KS (FREE)

Hanson Hills Campground just past Columbia, MO

Moochdocking in my Aunt and Uncle's front yard (FREE), Ashland City, TN

Moochdocking in my brother's driveway in East Nashville, TN

States Covered:
TN > GA > AL > MS > TN > MS > TN > AR > OK > NM > CO > UT > WY > CO > KS > MO > TN > GA > TN

Significant Stops:

Black Mesa in OK (highest point)

Mesa Verde National Park in CO

Wilson Arch in UT

Sand Flats Recreation Area and the West Rim of the Porcupine Trail in UT

Arches National Park in UT

Goblin Valley State Park in UT

Capitol Reef National Park in UT

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in UT

Bryce Canyon National Park in UT

Hyrum Lake State Park in UT

Ogden Dinosaur Park in UT

Logan Canyon in UT

Canyon Trail in Logan, UT

Bear Lake State Park, UT

Grand Tetons, WY

Yellowstone National Park, WY (The Grand Loop including Old Faithful, Hayden Valley, Grand Prismatic Springs and Artist Point in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone)

Rendezvous Mountain, Jackson Hole, WY

Jenny Lake, Grand Tetons National Park, WY

Cousin Andrew's wedding to Kayla, Ashland City, TN

Daily Miles Traveled:
227 miles ⎮ 445 miles ⎮ 403 miles ⎮ 325 miles ⎮ 191 miles ⎮ 125 miles ⎮ 14 miles ⎮ 106 miles ⎮ 88 miles ⎮ 101 miles ⎮ 345 miles ⎮ 50 miles ⎮ 160 miles ⎮ 142 miles ⎮ 283 miles ⎮ 556 miles ⎮ 390 miles ⎮ 415 miles⎮ 162 miles

TOTAL Miles Traveled: 4,528 miles (I have missed mileage somewhere since it doesn't coincide with my notes above of 5,000+)

Days on the Road: 25

Previous Trip Posts:

Preparing to Head West

Utah or Bust, the First Leg

College Friends and Wallydocking

Utah or Bust: Black Mesa to the San Luis Valley
Utah or Bust: Wolf Creek Pass

Utah or Bust: Mesa Verde
Utah or Bust: Moab Part 1 (Sand Flats Recreation Area and Mountain Biking the West Rim of the Porcupine Trail)
Utah or Bust: Moab Part 2 (Arches National Park)
Utah or Bust: Goblin Valley
Utah or Bust: Capitol Reef

Utah or Bust: Grand Staircase and Bryce Canyon

Utah or Bust: Hyrum Lake near Logan, Utah

Utah or Bust: Chilling at Hyrum Lake

Utah or Bust: Ogden Dinosaur Park

Utah or Bust: Last Days in Logan

Utah or Bust: Bear Lake to Grand Tetons

Utah or Bust: Rendezvous Mountain and Jenny Lake

Utah or Bust: Headed Home

Thursday, October 04, 2018

Utah or Bust: Headed Home

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 19 we broke camp early because we had a big travel day ahead. First we made our way north to Colter Bay Village in the Tetons so the kids could finish their Jr. Ranger badges and Daniel could chase WiFi for work. After lunch we pressed on, driving diagonally across Wyoming from the NW to the SE corner of the state. Our original goal was to drive home through Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Cold temps and high elevations have us reevaluating this option. We feel like we have pressed our luck with cold temps the last couple of nights and are not confident the camper could withstand colder temps. We stopped in Rawlins, WY for dinner and WiFi and decided to call it a night. We will decide in the morning how we shall proceed. Wyoming’s landscape has really surprised me. We started in mountains and meadows then drove through red canyons and deserts reminiscent of Utah’s landscape. We drove across the Wind River Reservation next to a river with the most oxbows I have ever seen. We have seen tons of horses, cows, and antelope. Mostly it is desolate with the occasional mountain or canyon. I keep thinking about the song “O give me a home where the Buffalo roam. And the deer and the antelope play...” The wind is something else tonight. I hope we don’t blow away!

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 20 was a long travel day for us that had a late start. We had made it the night before to Rawlins, WY and the temps dipped to 26F with 20-30mph wind gusts that made it feel 10 degrees colder. I put the kids to bed while Daniel ran clothes to the on-site laundry mat, flushed our black and gray water tanks then proceeded to drain all of our water tanks after we all had showers. It was a late, cold night so a slow start was appropriate. We were on the road just before noon and made the decision to try to see the high point in Kansas. Mount Sunflower is at the Colorado/Kansas border. It is the highest hill (barely discernible) in Kansas and possibly the lowest spot in Colorado. As we drove south toward Denver with the Rocky Mountains to our west, we felt like we had made the right decision to skip Rocky Mtn National Park. Smoke from current forest fires made the mountain range look more like the Smokies than the Rockies. At dinner we decided to stop at a Rest Area to let everyone run around. The kids kicked the soccer ball while I cooked supper. After we ate we decided to press on as far as I felt like driving. Kansas is flat with straight roads. I think we will be on I-70 indefinitely. We made it to the Walmart in Hays, KS just before midnight. We skipped on stopping at Mount Sunflower — we would have had to drive on a private ranch and didn’t want to haul the camper or have to park it somewhere. We did look out into the darkness and acknowledge that we were passing the spot though. Boondocking at the Hays WM is the place to be. We were the 7th camper to set up for the night.

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 21, we are inching our way closer to Tennessee and my cousin’s wedding this weekend. We have now driven over 4,400 miles. It should be right around 5,000 when we finally arrive home! We boondocked at a Walmart in Hays, KS last night before pressing on across the state and into Missouri. Tonight’s campground is a little off the beaten path just outside of Columbia, MO. We have now been to 12 states during this trip. Daniel joked that even though it’s rural, it’s the best internet speed we’ve had in weeks! I guess that is what happens when you aren’t constantly surrounded by mountains, canyons and deserts. We tried to have a campfire tonight, but the wood we purchased was too damp. So we made popcorn instead. Looking forward to seeing some of my extended fam tomorrow. On a side note, it’s been flooding where we live, which is kind of weird to read about online because we have only seen rain once in the last three weeks.

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 22 finds us back in Tennessee. We have now driven over 5,000 miles across 14 states. With kids, we find slow starts to be the norm. Last night we camped next to a military family with boys the same age as our boys. They are making their way to Washington state while we were heading east. The boys had a blast playing together all morning, even though that meant a later start for us. We rolled into my aunts house about 8pm tonight and the boys were thrilled to see their cousins. We enjoyed visiting, a campfire, and Isaac even helped my cousin Andrew make bon bons for his wedding on Saturday. Isaac wanted to know if he could have a bon bon and I said he had to wait until the day Andrew got married. Isaac promptly said that he didn’t want to get married, and left. We are looking forward to spending the weekend with our extended family before heading on home and completing our trip on Sunday.

Trip Stats
Camping Locations:

Pickwick Landing State Park in Tenn.

Gore Landing City Park in Okla.

Wallydocking in Guymon, OK (FREE)

Family Base Camp in Alamosa, Colo.

Mesa Verde RV Resort in Mancos, Colo.

Sand Flats Recreation Area outside of Moab, Utah

Upper Big Bed Overflow on the Colorado River outside of Moab, Utah (FREE)

Boondocking on BLM land outside of Goblin Valley State Park, Utah (FREE)

Singletree Campground in Dixie National Forest in Utah

Hyrum Lake State Park outside of Logan, Utah

Big Creek Campground in Bear Lake State Park, Utah

Gros Ventre National Park Campground, Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Western Hills Campground and RV Park in Rawlins, WY

Wallydocking in Hays, KS (FREE)

Hanson Hills Campground just past Columbia, MO

Moochdocking in my Aunt and Uncle's front yard (FREE), Ashland City, TN

States Covered:
TN > GA > AL > MS > TN > MS > TN > AR > OK > NM > CO > UT > WY > CO > KS > MO > TN

Significant Stops:

Black Mesa in OK (highest point)

Mesa Verde National Park in CO

Wilson Arch in UT

Sand Flats Recreation Area and the West Rim of the Porcupine Trail in UT

Arches National Park in UT

Goblin Valley State Park in UT

Capitol Reef National Park in UT

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in UT

Bryce Canyon National Park in UT

Hyrum Lake State Park in UT

Ogden Dinosaur Park in UT

Logan Canyon in UT

Canyon Trail in Logan, UT

Bear Lake State Park, UT

Grand Tetons, WY

Yellowstone National Park, WY (The Grand Loop including Old Faithful, Hayden Valley, Grand Prismatic Springs and Artist Point in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone)

Rendezvous Mountain, Jackson Hole, WY

Jenny Lake, Grand Tetons National Park, WY

TOTAL Miles Traveled: 4,366 miles (I have missed mileage somewhere since it doesn't coincide with my notes above of 5,000+)

Days on the Road: 22

Previous Trip Posts:

Preparing to Head West

Utah or Bust, the First Leg

College Friends and Wallydocking

Utah or Bust: Black Mesa to the San Luis Valley
Utah or Bust: Wolf Creek Pass

Utah or Bust: Grand Staircase and Bryce Canyon

Utah or Bust: Hyrum Lake near Logan, Utah

Utah or Bust: Chilling at Hyrum Lake

Utah or Bust: Ogden Dinosaur Park

Utah or Bust: Last Days in Logan

Utah or Bust: Bear Lake to Grand Tetons

Utah or Bust: Rendezvous Mountain and Jenny Lake

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Utah or Bust: Rendezvous Mountain and Jenny Lake

Utah Road Trip Diaries: Day 18 we woke up to smoke in the Jackson Hole Valley. There is a wild fire south of us and last nights cloud cover held the smoke in the valley. We went to church in Jackson and the smoke lifted by the end of service. We met a lovely couple at church @frozenzen who gave us some good tips on what to see today. We started out with an Ariel tram ride to the top of Rendezvous Mt. and had waffles at Corbett’s Cabin before hiking to the summit. We all really enjoyed the tram ride. After we drive to Jenny Lake to get Jr. Ranger packets and were given the suggestion to hike to Moose Pond to see a family of moose that had been hanging around all day. Unfortunately we didn’t see the moose but did enjoy the lovely views at Jenny Lake. Isaac was not a fan of this hike bc we had to wake him from a nap, but he hung with us walking a total of 4.5 miles today. After our hike we went back to our campground to see if we could see any more animals. No dice for us on this trip (we saw a view mule deer but nothing big). Instead we enjoyed a fantastic sunset, dinner outside, and a campfire with s’mores. The Tetons and Yellowstone were a lot of driving and we didn’t see as many big animals as we hoped. Hopefully we will have better luck on future trips.

Trip Stats
Camping Locations:

Pickwick Landing State Park in Tenn.

Gore Landing City Park in Okla.

Wallydocking in Guymon, OK (FREE)

Family Base Camp in Alamosa, Colo.

Mesa Verde RV Resort in Mancos, Colo.

Sand Flats Recreation Area outside of Moab, Utah

Upper Big Bed Overflow on the Colorado River outside of Moab, Utah (FREE)

Boondocking on BLM land outside of Goblin Valley State Park, Utah (FREE)

Singletree Campground in Dixie National Forest in Utah

Hyrum Lake State Park outside of Logan, Utah

Big Creek Campground in Bear Lake State Park, Utah

Gros Ventre National Park Campground, Grand Tetons, Wyoming

States Covered:
TN > GA > AL > MS > TN > MS > TN > AR > OK > NM > CO > UT > WY

Significant Stops:

Black Mesa in OK (highest point)

Mesa Verde National Park in CO

Wilson Arch in UT

Sand Flats Recreation Area and the West Rim of the Porcupine Trail in UT

Arches National Park in UT

Goblin Valley State Park in UT

Capitol Reef National Park in UT

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in UT

Bryce Canyon National Park in UT

Hyrum Lake State Park in UT

Ogden Dinosaur Park in UT

Logan Canyon in UT

Canyon Trail in Logan, UT

Bear Lake State Park, UT

Grand Tetons, WY

Yellowstone National Park, WY

Rendezvous Mountain, Jackson Hole, WY

Jenny Lake, Grand Tetons National Park, WY

Daily Miles Traveled:
227 miles ⎮ 445 miles ⎮ 403 miles ⎮ 325 miles ⎮ 191 miles ⎮ 125 miles ⎮ 14 miles ⎮ 106 miles ⎮ 88 miles ⎮ 101 miles ⎮ 345 miles ⎮ 50 miles ⎮ 160 miles

TOTAL Miles Traveled: 2,460 miles

Days on the Road: 18

Previous Trip Posts:

Preparing to Head West

Utah or Bust, the First Leg

College Friends and Wallydocking

Utah or Bust: Black Mesa to the San Luis Valley
Utah or Bust: Wolf Creek Pass

Utah or Bust: Grand Staircase and Bryce Canyon

Utah or Bust: Hyrum Lake near Logan, Utah

Utah or Bust: Chilling at Hyrum Lake

Utah or Bust: Ogden Dinosaur Park

Utah or Bust: Last Days in Logan