June/July 2014 Vacation Summary

01. January 2015 · Comments Off on June/July 2014 Vacation Summary · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

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Our June/July 2014 summer vacation to the American southwest was fun and filled with National Park goodness.

We are grateful for the National Park Service’s “Military Annual Pass” program which saved us nearly $80 in entrance fees on this trip.

Here’s the summary of everything we did:

The next big “see America” trip I have up my sleeves will take us northward towards Yellowstone National Park, but I don’t know when that will be.

Utah Discoveries 1: Driving through Monument Valley

31. December 2014 · Comments Off on Utah Discoveries 1: Driving through Monument Valley · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
This is a VERY famous view. Read on about Monument Valley.

This is a VERY famous view. Read on about Monument Valley.

After leaving the Grand Canyon on the morning of July 4th, we set forth on an approximately 8-hour drive to Moab, Utah. We chose the route that took us through Monument Valley, which is just north of the Utah/Arizona border near U.S. Highway 163. The drive is gorgeous, taking us through numerous ecosystems and significant terrain changes. More »

Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Trail

12. September 2014 · Comments Off on Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Trail · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,
One of my favorite photos ever. My boys enjoying America's beauty.

One of my favorite photos ever. My boys enjoying America’s beauty.

On the 2nd full day of our Grand Canyon trip, we decided to get an early start and hit the Bright Angel Trail.

The Bright Angel Trail originates at the heart of the “touristy” part of the South Rim Grand Canyon park. It’s a well-maintained trail, in part because this is the trail that the mules use for those tours. Because of the accessibility, it’s definitely more crowded than the remote Hermit’s Trail. More »

Grand Canyon: First Impressions

01. September 2014 · Comments Off on Grand Canyon: First Impressions · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Our first views of the Grand Canyon were breathtaking.

Our first views of the Grand Canyon at the Desert View overlook were breathtaking.

The day we stopped at Mesa Verde National Park and the Four Corners Monument, we had to eventually make it to the Grand Canyon campground. It’s only about 5-6 hours worth of driving from Durango, but we made several stops. So we were hard pressed to get to the campsite with enough time to pitch our tents before dark. More »

A Grand Canyon Preview

29. July 2014 · Comments Off on A Grand Canyon Preview · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

I  have several posts to write about our trip out west in June, but between my full time work and making sure the kids are squared away this summer, I’ve been quite slow.

Feel free to browse these Grand Canyon photo albums and at the end of this post I’ll attach the text of the post I wrote for GeekMom about the Grand Canyon, which has a little of everything but not quite so much detail.

Drive to the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon Mather Campground Elk Sighting

Grand Canyon Hermit Trail

Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail

Grand Canyon Visitor Center & Mather Point

Grand Canyon Sunset at Mather Point

Timmy the Junior Ranger

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When Geeks Go on Vacation: Grand Canyon, originally published at GeekMom.com 24 July 2014 More »