Southwest Trip Summary

October 27, 2022

Now that we are home, people ask what our favorite was, but I can’t say. I liked every destination, and all were different. Every town was different, and each had its own interesting parts. Although people said we would see a lot of rocks, every canyon, every ruin was different. We saw some amazing rock formations, formed by an ancient sea that covered the west for 34 million years. Talk about climate change! 

We learned so much about the people who lived in the southwest 900 years ago, as well as a lot about the Indian tribes that followed. We saw so much incredible art work, and bought some. The people we met are so much a part of the fun. Sometimes, when we are preparing to go somewhere, I am anxious to get going, but I have learned to stop and listen when someone starts talking. They often have great suggestions. They come at odd times when you might not pay attention, like when I was pumping gas or shaving in a campground bathroom, or in a grocery store, or in a shop. Sometimes you hope you will see those people again, often exchanging cards.

I often think of my now-deceased sister’s comment on my trip with Kelly across Canada. We went to some very remote places and had some scary moments. Gayle said, “Angels are protecting you.” Every time I reach a destination, I thank God for delivering us safely, and a big thank you at the end of the trip.

A big thank YOU for coming along for the ride. We love your comments and knowing you are there.

There are always issues, and this trip had them:

Summary

• 3 months and 5 days
• 10,600 miles
• 4,025 pictures
• 10 National parks
• 10 National monuments
• 1 National reserve
• 2 National historic sites
• 1 National natural landmark
• 5 State Parks
• 5 Loop Drives
• 5 Scenic Drives
• 1 President’s Museum
• 1 Service Academy
• 3 Halls of Fame
• 48+ hikes

Someone asked if we had seen all the national parks, but we have not. I have all the national parks and monuments marked on Google Maps, but we’ll not see them all, and the below list is just the US.

• 63 national parks
• 85 National Monuments
• 60 national historic parks
• 76 national historic sites
• 19 national preserves
• 10 national wild and scenic rivers

Again, thank you for coming along, A big thanks to Martha, a great travel companion, a great cook in a variety of conditions and a great path finder.

There is a “Search Box” on the upper right where you can enter a park, campground, town, river, etc, and it will take you to the posts that contain that item. Or you can click or search a category, like campgrounds. There are now 609 posts and 159 followers. I kind of wish I had merged the blog “Fish Across Canada” with this one. I took it down because it is costly, Kelly wrote “If The Fish are Bit’n” about it, and because we gave away a lot of information on some great trout streams.

Greg