7.20.11-7.21.11 - Kingman, AZ - There is an old children's song that starts..."A hot, hot day in July..." After driving THROUGH the beautiful and mystical Mojave Desert in 112 degree sauna-like heat, we all agreed that Margaret had the most sense to dissuade us from adding Death Valley to our itinerary in the planning stages! We re-entered Arizona with great whoops of joy, ecstatic that we had made it back to our first state. We laughed out loud and "squalked" w/Gpa on the walky-talkies as we got on the Rt. 40/Historic 66 Junction, passing the green mileage sign saying "2954 miles to Wilmington, NC." Onward to Kingman, "Center of Rt. 66" Hot showers and hot ac and a few rearranged rooms and we were off to dinner to Dambar Steakhouse for a rousing dinner with a good-tempered server. Breakfast the next day was a table for 9 at IHOP - Oddly enough, one of Kendall's hopes for the trip was to eat a funnel cake (of all things!)...and IHOP...yep...had them! Check!
7.21.11-7.23.11 Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona/Jerome, AZ - Up...up...back to Flagstaff and the land of 7,000 feet and Rubio...This time, Rubio did not balk - "Gimme all you got!" Not to be bested by any "wiggly" roads along the trip, the drive into Oak Creek Canyon was likened (by Mugs) to the small intestines...whew! Understatement! The drive was beautiful with vertically corrugated clifts rising in tubular spires as we edged our way down into the Canyon. We unhitched at Pine Flat Campsite and did what every weary traveller does...NAP! Sedona was waiting for us as the heat died down and we shopped and snacked and dined on Sally's BBQ and overlooked amaking vistas at every turn...red rock..red rock...red rock. Bobby bought some art from recycled aluminum printing plates, JJ and KB jewelry and other sundries. A multigenerational game of Chronology back at camp and an early bedtime - exhausted!
Pancakes and Huckleberry syrup from Glacier NP for breakfast, leftover frittata and sausage, yum! No one went hungry as we continued to eat our way through our remaining food! Plenty of food to hold us over until Jerome....Ahhhh...Jerome....We (the ladies) had been to Jerome 2 1/2 years ago on a previous trip to Verde Canyon Railway (the boys had returned to Alexander's swim meet at the time)...and it was like visiting an old friend...the Artist Co-op (we all actually remembered the BATHROOMS! :) We bought beautiful hand-wrought metal jewelry and met Sarah, the artist. We inhaled the familiar scent of the Leather Store and mounted the acutely ascending town roads to Pura Vida Gallery. Grandpa kept the Flatiron Cafe in business as we all perused and perambled in this resurrected Ghost Town. A hilarious lunch was performed at the Haunted Hamburger - complete with "kisses, willies and teapots" ... and the food was good too! Mugs' favorite fish tacos! Delightful! We finished off by keeping the Flatiron running for ice for lattes and muffins and lazily headed back to the heat of Sedona to the artisan gallery, ice cream and naps.
Dinner of an "everything left in the cooler" spaghetti and salad proved quite filling (I imagine so since it had EVERYTHING, including the kitchen sink!) Alexander, Andrew and Bobby prepped the last campfire - s'mores, Jiffy Pop and reminiscing the trip - ahhh...what fun! All with 2 logs left!
A wonderful closure being at Oak Creek Canyon - One last pack-up...One last drive-out...One last drive through Sedona, Snoopy Rock, lots of breathtaking vistas of red rock mountains, thrust skyward in our paths. Back down through Saguaro Forests, their plump arms a welcome site to weary travellers...back to Phoenix...Back to Rubios!! Back to where it started with Rubio - parked...at Rubio's! :)
A journey completed....
An afternoon of cleaning, sorting, laundry, re-packing, heat, fridge organizing, Pesto's To Go...and pictures - laughs and oohs and ahs, smiles and snickers, giggles and guffaws....a tale so satisfied.
A journey realized...
3 1/2 y ago - Rubio!
3 y ago - idea for the trip re-born....
1-2y in planning - LOVE Mugs' notebook!!! Thank you to Mugs for ALL the reservations!
12 states for G/G/JJ to get here - CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM
7 states - AZ, UT, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, CA, and back to AZ!
11 National Parks
5 State Parks
Over 5,500 miles! (depending on which odometer and whos tires/rims you use as a reference!)
Lyme, CT/Poquoson, VA/Chandler/Phoenix, AZ-Grand Canyon NP/North Rim, AZ-Bryce/Zion, UT-Provo, UT-Yellowstone, WY-Grand Tetons, WY-Jackson, WY-Great Falls, MT-Glacier, MT-Coeur D'Alene, ID-Spokane, WA-Columbia River Gorge, OR, Portland, OR-Crater Lake, OR-Redwoods, CA-Mendocino, CA-Napa, CA-Yosemite, CA-Sequoia/Kings Canyon, CA-Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona/Jerome, AZ-Phoneix/Chandler, AZ!
1920s - Gpa's Great Aunt Ruth takes Gpa's father on a National Parks Road Trip
1950s - Gpa/Aunt Ruth and their parents; Gmy/Uncle Bink and her parents - National Parks Road Trip
1981 - Gpa/Gmy/Bobby and Mugs - Vanagon National Parks Road Trip!
2011 - Gpa/Gmy/Bobby/Mugs/CC/Eric/Alexander/JJ/Andrew/Kendall - Rubio Vanagon National Parks Road Trip!!
What a great trip! "The Trip of a Lifetime! The Trip of a Generation!"
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