We recently returned from another road trip adventure. One of our most ambitious, yet we were able to reach each destination as planned. We completed our trip, I’m happy to say, with no health issues. If you have read my previous posts, you will know our last road trip included a visit to the hospital when my husband got appendicitis!
We incorporated a variety of destinations in this tip, which included:
—> 18 days
—> 5301 miles
—> 13 states
—> 4 National Parks
—> 1 National Monument (and 1 memorial)
—> 2 attractions
—> 20 degree mornings in South Dakota
—> 80+ degrees in New Mexico
The weather was much colder than I had anticipated. However, we monitored the weather reports and included warm layers of clothing when packing. Although we had a short drive through snow and ice (slight anxiety as our windshield iced up and the temperature dropped down to 27 degrees as we left Colorado), we ended up with sunshine most days which made a huge difference, regardless of the temperature.
Watch for future posts highlighting our many stops. Until then, I’m sharing a few photos. This will be one of our most memorable trips. As we headed out, I will admit some trepidation given our last experience. As I planned, I kept adding in stops, not wanting to miss anything along the way. Because of that, and the weather reports, I was concerned we may experience delays. But, thank God, every leg of the journey went as I had hoped, with a couple of happy surprises along the way.
Looking forward to sharing more about our trip, and yes, I’ve already got the next adventure planned!
On the way to Badlands National Park:
My favorite part of the trip, Bison in Badlands!
Indiana Dunes National Park:
Sunset on Lake Michigan:
Goslings in Indiana Dunes:
Cuyahoga Valley National Park:
The Ark Encounter:
Sunset at Gateway National Park:
“Within National Parks is room–glorious room–room in which to find ourselves, in which to think and hope, to dream and plan, to rest and resolve.”
~ Enos Mills
According to Colorado Encyclopedia: As a boy and as a man, Enos Mills (1870–1922) lived a remarkable life. His bond with nature and wildlife inspired him to overcome personal hardship and become a successful speaker, author, naturalist, businessman, and driving force behind the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. Today, Mills is remembered as Colorado’s premier conservationist.
peace of life today 
Looks like a trip that will stay with you for ever
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It was! 😊
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Wow Lisa, some exciting encounters, with the ark included. Loved seeing the Bison on the plains. You had a wonderful adventure.
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It was quite amazing, thank you Ash! The Ark (and the Creation Museum) were a nice and fabulous change from our nature explorations! There is so much to discover all around us! The founder of the Ark came from Australia. I was thinking of you! They even had a Kookaburra there on the property as we walked to the Ark!
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I believe we were just ahead of you, we were at Gateway on April 16th. Thanks for the beautiful scenery photos.
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Thank you, Alice. I didn’t realize how beautiful and fascinating the Arch would be. I loved it, and the story!!
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I’m looking forward to hearing much more about this trip 🙂 But I’m amazed at the distances you cover and still manage to see the sights! I’m currently in the final stages of planning our September/October road trip when we expect to cover about 2,000 miles in 21 days, mostly in the same state (California) – and I was worried we were trying to cover too much ground in that!
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Sarah, I didn’t even think about how many miles it would be when planning. I just mapped it out and looked at the time needed between destinations. I was shocked! When we did road trips up the California coast we went much slower, so much to see along the way. I’m sure your trip will be fabulous!!! Especially if it includes some beach time!
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Wow, quite an undertaking to cover that much ground in one trip! A beautiful part of the country for sure. My brother lives in Colorado and he says they’ve had more snow that he can remember having lived there 20 years. I bet it was gorgeous!
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Thank you Tina! If it wasn’t so cloudy (and snowing!) I bet the Rocky Mountains would have been gorgeous! We saw them, but just barely, through the clouds. But it was a great adventure for sure!
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I enjoy riding along with you on your trips. So glad you had such enjoyable weather. Thanks for sharing the lovely pictures.
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Awww, thank you Terri! It’s fun to relive the experience through blogging! 😊
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