Day 28 and 29 - Back Home in Virginia

Yesterday (day 28), we made it to our stop in the western part of Virginia around 8:00 pm. It was very tempting to keep driving the 6 hours to home, but probably not a very safe idea. But I have already been up today since 6:30 am anxiously waiting for the crew to awake so we can start our final leg of this amazing journey. Today is Day 29, our final day. It has actually gone by quicker than I anticipated. Even though it was a lot of miles and expense, I would do it over again if I was able to. As I said in earlier posts, I will go back for hiking and rafting purposes and to see other areas we could not get to on this trip. My hope is that the kids will look back on this trip as a special time in their lives and will always have fond memories of the time we spent together - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Again, we thank each of you for following us, praying for us, and making comments. It has been very rewarding. We are very bless! Speaking of rewarding, next week the kids and I will be at Eagle Eyrie with others from our church and churches from across Virginia for mission week. Please pray for safe travels for everyone making the trip to Lynchburg and that God's rich blessings will be poured out not only on those who will come to serve and share God's love, but also on the people who will be on the receiving end of God's love. This has been fun and I really have had the time of my life....Blessings and love to all of you...

Day 27 - A day in Nashville

Today was a wonderful day. We spent about five hours walking and sightseeing around downtown Nashville. We found a deal on boots - three for the price of one so Jordan, Forrest, and I all got a pair. Afterwards we had a great lunch at Hard Rock Cafe and then visited the Country Music Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the Grand Ole Opry was closed due to the recent flood. After a dip in the pool, we went to a restaurant for dinner called Santa Fe. Forrest thought it was great that we could throw the peanut shells on the floor. It was great place to eat and we had great service and waitresses at both restaurants. Tomorrow (day 28) we drive on to VA and will be staying in Wytheville before heading home on Friday.

Day 25 and 26 - We made it to Nashville!

We have made it to Nashville TN for a one day, two night break and boy am I ready for it. I have driven over 6,000 miles and have spent just about that much, but if I had to do over, I would. The only problem besides paying for it is that some of the sites we saw and experienced has caused me to alter my bucket list slightly. Anyway, yesterday (day 25) we left Oklahoma for another 7 hour drive to Little Rock AR (my third 7 hour day in a row). As someone said to me today, "man you guys are going to come screaming back across the country" and I guess we have been. Lots of rain between OK and AR and no camera so we really don't have anything exciting to report. I-40 is sorta boring. Today (day 26) we left AR for Nashville and what an awesome campground just 6 miles from the Grand Ole Opry and 15 miles from downtown. So tomorrow (day 27) after sleeping in a little longer, we will go exploring. We did pick up a new camera today in West Memphis (actually in AR). So tomorrow night or Thursday before we leave Nashville for VA, we should have some pics to post. Maybe we will get some shots of some country music stars. We did have another two hundred dollar unexpected expense. The window in the front of the camper blew open and broke so we have it duct taped like a bunch of rednecks and had to order a new one from a dealer in VA. Duct tape as most people know, works for everything, but we have learned one deterrent - 70 mile hour wind. Duct tape does not hold up to well. Boy I wish I had stock in duct tape since we have to re-tape the window every 180 miles or so. Until tomorrow....

Day 23 and 24 - The Long Drive Home

Well, nothing real exciting to report and of course no pics until we buy a new camera, which we must do before we get to Nashville. Yesterday (day 23) we left the Grand Canyon at 9:15 AM. We stopped in Flagstaff AZ to get the oil changed in the truck and to eat lunch, which we did in historical downtown Flagstaff. After a 90 min delay, we officially began our eastward journey home on I-40 at 12:45 PM Arizona Time or 1:45 PM Mountain Time. We arrived in Albuquerque NM at 7:30 PM Central Time. After washing four loads of clothes and eating leftovers, we went to see the new movie Eclipse to Jordan's delight. She was so ecstatic to finally get to see it. It was actually pretty good. I'm sorry, Edward creeps me out. I like Jacob better. Today (day 24) we left Albuquerque NM at 10:45 AM Mountain Time (11:45 AM Central) and arrived in Elk City (Lake Clinton), Oklahoma at 7:45 PM Central Time. A very long two days of driving. Tomorrow (day 25) we only have a six hour drive to Little Rock, Arkansas for a one night stay before heading on Nashville for two days.

Day 22 - Last Day of the Grand Canyon

Today was our official last day of sightseeing and it is a good thing since Teresa dropped the camera in a puddle of water (we had a little bit of rain today) and possibly fried the camera. Fortunately, I was able to get some pics off the memory chip. Tomorrow we will go south for about 90 miles, get the oil changed in the truck in Flagstaff AZ, and then we will officially begin our eastward journey home on Route 40 t0 I-81. Not sure if we will have anything exciting to report (until we get to Nashville), but I may keep updating the blog anyway. Thanks for following us and keeping us your thoughts and prayers.

Day 21 - Rafting on the Colorado River in Glen Canyon

Today we went rafting down the Colorado River (smooth portion) through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Again, the sites were magnificent. The river was a warm 49 degrees and yes we jumped in...and got out quickly. This was the smooth portion of the river. This river goes to class 10 in the Grand Canyon. There are 7-14 day trips down these raids through the Grand Canyon that I would love to come back and do. I would also love to come back and hike down into the canyon. There is a place in the canyon to eat and sleep before hiking back out. It would be awesome. Tomorrow (Day 22) we will check out the rest of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I will definitely come back here.

Day 20 - 1st Day in one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Yesterday (Day 20) we spent all day in just one area of the Grand Canyon only accessible by shuttle bus. The views were spectacular as the pics above show. I don't think there is anything else to say. Pics really do not do this place justice though. Seeing it is just unbelievable. If you have never been here, put it on your bucket list.

Day 19 - Drive to the Grand Canyon

Yesterday (Day 19) we left Bryce Canyon around 11:00 am and arrived in the Grand Canyon at 5:30 pm. Even though Arizona is on Mountain Time, the state does not spring forward in the spring or fall back in the fall so there is a three hour difference from everyone at home. We drove scenic US Hwy 89 and 64 and as with all our scenic drives, the scenery was amazing. The Powell Lake UT and Glen Canyon Dam area in AZ was neat to see. As with most scenic drives that we have experienced, there are very few places to stop along the way whether that is to use the bathroom (good thing we have our camper in tow) or eat or to get diesel. We did stop in Page AZ for a great Mexican lunch. It was a neat little town. I have to admit that even though Bryce Canyon was an great stop in our travels, we were having sort of a lull in our trip; I guess we had the feeling that we were ready to get on home. But when I entered the Grand Canyon National Park and caught glimpses of the canyon as we drove to the campground, I was rejuvenated. Yes, we will be ready to get home, but this place is something to see. I was so excited I even tried to get us an extra night here, but unfortunately and not surprisingly, they are full. I had to make reservations over two months in advance. With the exception of a pool, this full hookup campground in the middle of the Grand Canyon is awesome and accessible to everything. Most of the bigger National Parks have free shuttle service to save on gas and congestion in the park. Here the free shuttle will take us to many places that we cannot go in our truck. So, today (Day 20) and Friday (Day 22) will go to parts of the Grand Canyon only accessible by the shuttle. Tomorrow (Day 21) will be our 5 hour rafting trip through parts of the Grand Canyon. I already know our visit here will be too short, but we will make the most of it. So for now we are off for a wonderful and exciting day in the Grand Canyon. I will post pics tonight. The pics posted here are from our drive to here. We have truly been blessed on this trip from what we have seen and experienced to having places to fix the truck and camper without any delay in our trip. We miss everyone and appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Day 16 - 18 - Bryce Canyon UT

Happy 4th to our friends and family back home! Saturday (Day 16) was a very long driving day (11 hours) from West Yellowstone MT through Idaho and most of Utah to Bryce Canyon UT, which included a flat tire on the camper about 30 miles from the campground. Upon further inspection I actually had three bad tires and only one spare. I replaced the flat and we pressed on to the campground with two bad tires at 45 mph praying we wouldn't have anymore flats. It was a very long 30 miles! Fortunately, there was a big tire shop in Bryce Canyon so today the camper will have four new tires. Yesterday (Day 17) after cleaning and washing clothes, we headed over to Bryce Canyon for the afternoon. What a magnificent place. It is small in comparison to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, but nevertheless a wonderful place to visit. Last night, there will be fireworks here at the campground. Today (Day 18) we went horseback riding through the Red Canyon in the Dixie National Forest for 6 miles. Tomorrow (Day 19) we will be drive on to the Grand Canyon for three days before heading home. I hear it is hot back home so we will not brag about the 70 degree day we had and the predicted low of 37 tonight.

Day 15 - Yellowstone

Today is Day 16 of our trip. We have an 8 and 1/2 hour trip ahead of us to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. I will post more later about this day. Yesterday was Day 15 and after a few hours in town, we went back to Yellowstone to drive the smaller loop. The entire park is unique and each area of the park has its own special identity. The smaller loop takes you to the north and northeast portion of the park. There was a boiling river (hot spring) that we wanted to swim in, but unfortunately it was closed due to high cold water. We did get to see a black bear and a grizzly bear with her two cubs. The sights on this side of the park were absolutely amazing. Actually the sights are amazing anywhere you go in the park. After making this loop and hitting a few of the visitor centers in several of the different areas, we stopped in town for dinner and headed on over to the local rodeo. Definitely not the big time rodeo, but for the money it was good. The family enjoyed it.

Day 13 and 14 - Yellowstone and Grand Teton

There is so much to see in three days that I almost don't have any time to blog and again the few pics we post does not come close to what we are seeing or trying to describe. I did have to post a pic of Old Faithful as a request from one of my favorite science teachers. On Day 13 (Wed) we left the campground a little after 11:00 AM and we rode through Yellowstone's larger loop (you will have to see a map to understand, but basically Yellowstone has two loops through the park). It took us all day (including about a two hour delay at Old Faithful to eat and for Teresa to shop and shop). We arrived back in West Yellowstone around 10:00 PM and stopped at a pizza restaurant in town where we ate some of the best pizza that we have had in a long time. It is really hard to explain what we saw on the larger loop through Yellowstone especially if you don't know the history behind Yellowstone. We saw many geysers including Old Faithful, waterfalls, lakes, thermal areas, visitor centers (watched many movies about Yellowstone), and saw lots of animals such as elk, wolf, bald eagle, buffalo, deer, ground squirrel, etc. The sites are amazing. Yesterday (Day 14), we took the two hour ride down to the Grand Teton National Park. This National Park consist of a a beautiful mountain range and several lakes (Jackson and Jenny). My big purchase on this trip is the cowboy hat you see in the pics. Today (Day 15) we are hitting the town of West Yellowstone, then the smaller loop in Yellowstone (hopefully to catch a glimpse of a few bears and jump in a hot spring), and then a rodeo tomorrow night. The weather during the day has been awesome, but we had a thunderstorm our first night and last night we had not one, but three separate hail storms with dime size hail. Fortunately, we didn't have any damage, but sleeping through it was just about impossible.