Vacation 2016: Indiana to California & back again

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Vacation 2016: Indiana to California & back again

Postby WhitneyK » Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:03 am

Greetings everyone! :)
Been a while since I have posted, but thought I'd add a link to the pictures taken while on our 7400+ mile trip to California.
We started out our 3 week trip on the evening of May 6, 2016 after I got home from work, we like getting a few hours of driving under our belt just to get a jump on the trip. Spent the first night in the same rest park we used multiple times traveling out West. We had a game plan, knew how far we needed to travel each day and kind of where we needed to be. Our vacations are center on wildlife photography and nature. :snappy:
Went through some high winds, rain, thunderstorms on the way out. Since we were 5 hrs ahead of schedule, we decided that if we could make it to Cheyenne, WY, we'd spend the night there,..... Well, we didn't have much of a choice, the interstate was closed due to winter weather conditions at Cheyenne. Once the road re-opened at 9am the next morning, we were once again on our way.
Once we hit CA, the weather was beautiful. 8)
Our list of destinations were: Redwoods NP & SP (beautiful, beautiful, beautiful) which included Fern Canyon (highly recommend), Point Reyes Nat Seashore, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Pier 33, Moss Landing (Monterey Bay area) for a whale watching tour, and a private boat ride up into Elk-horn Slough, Big Sur area: McWay Falls, Hwy 1, Elephant Seal Rookery, back to Yosemite NP, Kings Canyon NP, Sequoia NP, Joshua Tree NP, LA to visit San Joaquin Marsh (man made wetlands). LA's not bad traveling early on a Sunday morning, lol.
After LA, we started working our way towards home. We've been to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, so we decided to see what the South Rim looked like since we were in the neighborhood. Spent the night in Williams, AZ which is a very neat little town on Rt 66 for those nostalgia people out there. Had an experience at the GC that I will describe as "unforgettable". While at the viewing area by the visitors center, we turned to leave the "edge" when a gust of wind came along and kicked up some dust. Now, in the back of my mind a thought popped up, the wind blows all the time, where did the dust come from? :thinking: I turned around to see a man holding a large, empty ziploc bag in his hands :shock: First thought: you didn't. :o Immediately followed by the second thought: YOU DID!!! :? (about a dozen people realized it at the same time and scattered)
Being a former Boy Scout, I try to "Be Prepared". To protect ourselves from the Sun, I had on lip balm & sunscreen. Needless to say, I then had someone stuck all over me. Spitting, sputtering, and wiping of my lips thus ensued. It didn't gross us out, but I did think that that was just rude (not to mention, probably illegal). He didn't really do the person justice, because NOT ALL of his ashes were scattered in the GC, some of them got washed down the drain at our camp shower, some were "scattered" in my handkerchief, and some are probably still in my truck since I haven't vacuumed it out since the trip. (my neighbor text me later with: ashes to ashes, dust to dust, who is this all over us?)(turkey)
Anysomeway, on with the journey...... We stopped by the Petrified Forest & Painted Desert NP, and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks Nat Monument in NM: Very interesting place to visit, mild hiking for the most part, travel through a slot canyon as you work your way to the rocky trail up a small mountain side. The rest of the trip was uneventful with the exception to our first flat tire on the camper in over 20,000 miles, happened around St. Louis. (3hrs from home) Go figure, I put new tires on so I wouldn't have trouble. :roll: Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles...

Here's the link to the pictures I took with my phone: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g5q8mbzhzxg0htp/AABNiFFrLssfx0KYmNKb0XI4a?dl=0
Hope you all enjoy them as much as we did taking them. :D

(let me know if the link don't work)
Whitney & Tracie
Crothersville, IN

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

Do not confuse what you hear with what I mean.

My build: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=41955

160061-------------------------------101114
States we've drug our
li'l camper through. (44 States + Vancouver Island and over 45,000 miles so far)
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WhitneyK
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Posts: 559
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Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:28 pm
Location: IN, Crothersville (36mi N or Louisville)

Re: Vacation 2016: Indiana to California & back again

Postby Nansplace » Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:34 pm

Well it's good to see you back online. Your pics look like you had a wonderful vacation, and had a good time. I'm not sure if I could handle that many miles in one trip or not, but it would be fun to try. Glad you had the opportunity to expierence so much of our own beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.

Would love to see you guys at a gathering again one of these days, and hope you're making plans for the CRA next July.
Nansplace
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Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:46 pm
Location: Plainfield, Indiana

Re: Vacation 2016: Indiana to California & back again

Postby WhitneyK » Tue Aug 30, 2016 8:54 pm

Nansplace wrote:Would love to see you guys at a gathering again one of these days, and hope you're making plans for the CRA next July.


What :shock: you expect us to stay more than 2 nights in one location :? :lol:

We miss ya'll too! Might need to try to work in CRA, thinking about Maine next year in late summer so we'll have to see.....
Contemplating another build, :thinking: maybe something slightly bigger to accommodate a, uh, well,.... :poop: This gettin' old stinks! :R
Whitney & Tracie
Crothersville, IN

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

Do not confuse what you hear with what I mean.

My build: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=41955

160061-------------------------------101114
States we've drug our
li'l camper through. (44 States + Vancouver Island and over 45,000 miles so far)
User avatar
WhitneyK
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 559
Images: 412
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:28 pm
Location: IN, Crothersville (36mi N or Louisville)
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