Meet Julie and Chris







About Julie (pictured left)
Hi!  I'm Julie; Married to the love of my life for 20+ years, proud aunt to 5 amazing young adults, and Mom to Jazzie the wonder poodle.  Last year Chris and I spent a solid month on the road seeing the National Parks of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Montana, and South Dakota.  This year we're happily using our National Parks pass again as we head south for a couple of weeks in July and north in September. Chris and I are both very excited to be taking the Subaru, the camper and our shared spirit of awe and adventure up and down the East Coast.  Be sure to follow us!


About Chris (pictured right)
Hi I'm Chris, recently transplanted from Long Island, about 5 years now. Single and loving the life, became outdoor active in the last 4 years and love the feel of being healthy and wise. Have been across New York State and much of the West, I now want to see other parts of the USA. Going with a good friend will add to the enjoyment. I purchased my Subaru Tribeca from Five Star Subaru and it has taken very good care of us on our travels. Now we're off for more adventures; two friends, a camper named "Gracie" and the Subaru.




Chris and Julie's Travel Blog 2015 Part II
Chris and Julie are back on the road again in the Subaru Tribeca that Chris purchased from Five Star Subaru! Follow them on their adventures here with daily updates of their fun adventures in a Subaru.

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We're back safe and sound. 

The End of the Road:  The 2015 Subaru Road Trip Comes to a Close

Acadia, Acadia; such a beautiful place with pink cliffs, crashing seas, boulder strewn mountains, and endless views.  We are both grateful that this amazing chunk of Mount Desert Island is a designated National Park so that it's ruggedness and splendor can be assured for many future generations.

Our last few days at Acadia were quite busy.  There was a lot to take in, so we were up and out early and stayed out until the sunset.  Ahhhh, the sunsets.  From a small beach just down the road from our campsite, we had an unobstructed view of the western sky.  It was a nightly occurrence for people to drive down to the beach, set up their lawn chairs, and wait for the show.  Hadley Point Beach never disappointed.  Each night that we were able to be there, the colors were fantastic.



The pink cliffs of Otter Point were like nothing we'd ever seen.  The cliff are made of pink granite with large boulders that can easily be traversed.  We scrambled our way out onto the cliffs (think LARGE staircase) and closer to the sea.  It was amazing to sit on the rocks at high tide and watch the waves crash onto the shore, showering everything with salty spray.  A sizable flock of Herring Gulls were hanging out on the edge of the cliffs.  There were many adult and juvenile birds, so their interactions were fascinating. 
  
                                           

A walk around Jordan Pond and a hike up South Bubble Mountain is a must if you go to Acadia.  One thing we didn't know is that there is a big difference between the south approach trail and the north approach trail.  We chose wrong.  The trail we found ourselves on was straight up over a boulder field with several exposed edges that required strength and great care to climb.  Turning around wasn't an option, because down looked WAY scarier than up.  Once we were up, there were several people at the summit who gave us directions down the north trail. It was a little longer, but a LOT safer! 

We also climbed to the Beech Cliffs and the Canada Cliffs.  From these very high vantage points, the views were spectacular.   And on each hike we took, there were friendly and chatty people who were happy to talk about their Acadia experiences and share where their favorite spots were or where the best views could be located.  




When it was time to finally break camp and head home, we were both tired but quite satisfied.  We know that we will be back to Acadia.  There is so much more to see and do.  And there were even things that we would like to do again.  Thank you, Five Star Subaru, for following along with us on this trip and allowing us to share our thoughts and adventures.  You will see a picture, below, of the camper ("Gracie") with the Road Trip logo surrounded by the decals of 2014 and 2015.   Until next year, happy travels and God bless. 
    

                 
- Chris and Julie



We're having a great time in Maine.   Here's our first update.

Days 1, 2 & 3

We're now into Part II of the 2015 version of the Subaru Road Trip.  Our ultimate goal is Acadia National Park.  But, before we arrive there, we had a few important stops to make.  First, as outdoorsy type people, it was a requirement that we go to Freeport to check out the Labor Day weekend sales at L.L. Bean!  We now think of Freeport as the town that Bean built.

Even though shopping was fun and we found some great outdoor life deals, our best find was fresh Maine lobster.  Tiny little places along the side of the road sold lobster by the pound and served them up on paper plates.  Our favorite was Red's Eats, a famous little lobster shack on Route 1.  The lobster roll was filled to overflowing, perfectly cooked and stuffed so full that we split one and could barely finish. 

Our second stop was St. Andrews By-the-Sea in New Brunswick, Canada.   We spent half the day at Kingsbrae Gardens, which is a lovely botanical garden on the island.  If you've been following us through our adventures, you will know by now that botanical gardens call our names!  

The second half of the day was interacting with the Bay of Fundy tides.   A local person directed us to a place where we could drive across the ocean floor at low tide to Minister's Island.  Little did we know that our timing was perfect.  We got to the "bridge" with about 10 minutes of safe travel remaining.  After surveying how close the water was, we decided to give it a quick ride across and come straight back.   It was amazing to be driving the Subaru on the ocean floor.  When we returned the sea quickly started reclaiming the bridge and within 10 minutes it began to disappear and became covered in water.   At high tide, the bridge will be about 12 to 14 feet under water.

See the Youtube video that's attached, with us taking the Subaru over the ocean floor.  The photograph that accompanies it shows the bridge completely covered about 10 minutes after our return.

Now... on to Acadia National Park. 


Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/UexIOu9wfxI

       
  




Chris & Julie's Travel Blog 2015

Chris and Julie are back on the road again in the Subaru Tribeca that Chis purchased from Five Star Subaru!

Follow them on their adventure here with daily updates of their fun adventures in a Subaru.


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Days 10, 11 & 12

This part of our trip starts off with a quick trip down to Chattanooga to see an old friend and do a little touring of the city.  It was an exceptionally hot and humid day, so we were happy to take short a break from the trails.  The Hunter Art Museum had a Monet and American Impressionism exhibit going on, so we spent most of the afternoon there.  It was a delight to see some of Monet's most famous pieces up close and personal. 

Day 11 started early because we were headed to Cades Cove to drive the 11 mile driving loop and see the homes, churches and buildings that were left from the settlers of the area.  Cades Cove is the most visited section of the most visited National Park in the country (10,000,000 per year), so an early start is recommended.   Even having arrived before the large crowds, it took nearly four delightful hours to complete the loop, with stops at every building to read the history, chat with other people and to take pictures. 

While in Cades Cove, we were able to see many of the rustic homesteads that were left by the settlers; mostly built in the early 1800's.   It was fascinating to explore the small log homes with one room downstairs and one upstairs, and to find that a large, multi-generational family lived there.  Cades Cove also has three small churches, 2 cantilever barns and a functioning grist mill.   We took the time to read the history and learn about the life of people in the 1800's when the mountains of Tennessee were wild and unsettled, and we're glad we did.   It added much meaning to the day.

Day 12 was our last hike of this trip, so we wanted savor every moment.  We set out for the hike in to Walker Sisters' Place.  The home belonged to five sisters who were last remaining residents of the National Park.  When the park was established they refused to sell and leave their mountain way of life.  An agreement was eventually reached that allowed the sisters to remain in their home for the rest of their lives.  The last sister passed away in 1964.   Even so, the place was very rustic and probably similar to the way it was built in the 1800's. 

After our hike and additional history lesson, it was time to pack up the camper and prepare for the trip home.   This has been a splendid trip.  We hope to come back to the Smoky Mountains some day.  It is one of the largest parks in the National Park System and there is much more to see.  It would be worth the trip!


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Many thanks to Five Star Subaru for following along with us on our travels.  This is great fun for us!  The next installment of the Subaru Road Trip will be in September as we head north to Maine.  Be sure to check back in to see how two friends, a Subaru and a camper named Gracie are doing! 

Julie and Chris
July 2015

Days 7, 8 and 9



I am happy to tell you that our trip made a major turn for the better after our nerve-racking trip from D.C.  We're doing great and having a fantastic time seeing the sights of the Smokies. 

We are in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  After our harrowing trip from D.C., we now find that the most difficult thing we face is selecting which interesting trails to hike on; there are SO many. 

Day 7 brought us to "The Little River Falls" hike.  It was an 8+ mile out and back hike along the banks of the Little River.  There were so many things to see along this trail, large and small.  We had a great time looking at snails, mushrooms and other little "critters."  We also enjoyed the river, the falls, some abandoned cabins and the old growth forest.  It was a nice hike to start out our week.

As we drove to and from our camp site, it was clear that all of the roads in this National Park are tightly wound around the mountains.  The are many switchbacks, hairpin curves and elevation changes.  We're happy to report that the Subaru was built for this kind of driving. 

On day 8, we began what was supposed to be a moderate, four  mile hike to Alum Cave.  It turns out, that what the guide book rates at moderate, the Park Rangers rate as strenuous.  We wholeheartedly agree with the Rangers! It was a rewarding hike, none the less.  Like many hikes in the Smokies, it was along side a rushing stream that tumbled down out the mountains over rocks, boulders, fallen trees and drop-offs.  There were mini waterfalls all along the way.  This particular hike crossed the stream three times over log bridges, with the highest one being about 12 feet above the stream (one hiker at a time, please!).   Near the summit the trail opened up to expansive and panoramic views of the Smokies on a day filled with puffy clouds and a light breeze.   Picture perfect.

Clingman's Dome and Laural Falls were on the schedule for Day 9.  Clingman's Dome is the highest point in the park at 6,683 feet above sea level.  We hiked up the trail and right into the clouds.  The Smokies are noted for interesting way that the clouds move around the peaks in a way that look like puffs of smoke.  So the view from the very top was limited.   But, just below the clouds the view opened into fields of wildflowers with the backdrop of the nearby peaks.

Laurel Falls was our second hike of the day. It lived up to its billing of being one of the most crowded hikes in the park. We can see why.  The falls are beautiful, and the 2 mile round trip trail is accessible to most people.  One of the most fascinating events of the trip happened on this hike.  We were able to see and photograph a fully mature Timber Rattlesnake (while standing safely behind the shoulder of the Ranger, of course).  This particular snake had wandered too close to the busy trail and the Ranger had the job of keeping people at a safe distance while attempting to encourage the snake to find a new place to rest.  We were even able to hear the rattle while the Ranger intentionally disturbed the snake enough to get him to move further into the woods.  All snakes and people were safe after the encounter.



                       







Now, on to the next adventure ....

Days 4, 5, & 6

 



This entry into our blog starts off with our last day in Washington D.C.  The temperature were in the high 90's and the humidity was so thick you could feel it sitting on your chest.  Nevertheless, we set out to make the most of our final day in our Nation's Capitol. 

On that final day, we had the great opportunity to go to a "Unite to Face Addiction" organizational meeting to assist in preparing for a large rally on the National Mall on Oct 4th.  As two women in recovery, we found it a fantastic coincidence that the meeting was being held in D.C. while we were on vacation.  Because we plan to be at the rally in October, this meeting was put on our to-do list. 

We spent the afternoon in the Museum of American History in the American Innovation Section and the Transportation section.  The exhibits were fascinating.  We learned a lot!   It was then time to get back to the campground, break camp and prepare to leave for our next destination.

Day 5 was a travel day; one of the toughest travel days in all of our adventures.  As we were making our way to the interstate from the campground, we had a little fender bender.  It seems that two vehicles cannot occupy the same lane at the same time.  Forty-five minute later, we were on our way south again. 

The traffic was heavy on 1-81 and our nerves were a little rattled.  As we approached Fairfax, we found ourselves trying to figure out the signage for the HOV 3+ lanes, the express lanes and the local lanes.  We picked to the best of our understanding and went for express lanes.  The instructions said "no trucks" and we were certainly not a truck.  

Bad news.  We picked wrong.  We lost the Fairfax County confuse-a-tourist game show.  After five short minutes of express lane bliss, we passed a Trooper who had an 18 wheeler pulled over.   He stepped out into the road and waved us over.  We pulled off the road and waited 45 minutes for him to speak with us.   He was very nice and understood our confusion with the signage, but due to rules that prevented him from giving warnings, we drove away with ticket.   

Day six was glorious!  The heat had broken, the sun was shining, it was the day of our first hike of the trip.   We headed off to the Peaks of Otter and hiked the Sharp Top Trail.  It was a "short" three mile hike that, at times, was more like rock climbing.  As you can see from the pictures, the views were more than worth the work.  We could have stayed on top of that mountain with the 360 view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley for hours.  THIS is what we came for!

    







Chris and Julie are on the road again for 2015! 

Days 1 to 3:

We're back on the road again!  Our first stop on our way South is Washington D.C.  We managed to wedge much into our first couple of days of sight-sight seeing.  Our first stop was the National Botanic Garden.  If there's a garden around, we will find it.  We managed to arrive at the garden just after a downpour, so all of the flowers had beautiful droplets that glistened in the morning light. 



As we made our way down the row of Smithsonian museums, we were able to see modern art, classical art, sculptures, and several very impressive exhibits.  Our second day of touring started with the National Zoo.  The tiger (pictured here) was one of the very few animals (OR humans) who didn't mind the heat.  The "feel like" temperature went to 105 today.  It was toasty to say the least. 

Our last stop was the National Cathedral.  We were overwhelmed by the reverence and beauty of the place.  It was our good fortune to be inside the cathedral while the Chancel Choir was rehearsing.   It was an unexpected concert as the choir filled the entire building with song; a beautiful way to end the day.



DAY 1
As you can see the trip is starting off similar to last year :-)



 

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Chris & Julie's Travel Blog 2014


Final Reflections

"Four weeks, seven thousand miles, two friends, one camper and a Subaru.  It has been a memorable, marvelous and magical trip.   We spent most of the time in complete awe of God's creation and were continually surprised by the range of the beauty we saw.  From the barren volcanic rock of the New Mexico Petroglyphs, to the lush National Forest at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to the Red Rock of Moab and the multi-colored Hoodoos of Bryce; from the waterfalls, medows and geyser basins of Yellowstone to the majestic monument at Crazy Horse, it was all stunning.  Seeing the elk, buffalo, prairie dogs, chipmunks, mule deer and pronghorns was like having a living National Geographic program playing out in front of our eyes.  It seemed as if every time we turned a corner, we were looking into a new ecosystem.  We stopped asking ourselves, "Can it get any more beautiful?"  because the answer was always "yes."   We're not really sure whether each sight was actually more beautiful than the last or whether we were simply in the moment and chose to savor each sight, sound, or smell for what it was.  Whatever the case, it was wonderful to spend a month of breathtaking moments.

We had a great time getting to talk to people about our Subaru Road Trip.  The decorations on the car and on the camper gave us lots of opportunities to have interesting conversations at gas stations, campgrounds and at the parks.  It's fun to find out where people are from, where they're headed and about their connections to Subaru.  We both think we had our photos taken more often by perfect strangers than we ever have had in our lives.   It was great!

It's hard to sum up a month of experiences in a few sentences.  But, here's our best shot.  This was the trip of a lifetime.   The magnificence of God's creation cannot be overstated.  To experience joy, wonder, delight and awe within one breath is a gift to savor, a gift that demands a heart filled with gratitude.  And, grateful we are. 

Thank you for following our adventure and for giving us the opportunity to share it with you.  And, many thanks to Five Star Subaru for the sponsorship of our Subaru Road Trip.  We were happy to share with anyone who would listen how committed you are to your community.  You are a special group of people."

Chris and Julie



Day 24, 25 & 26

The trip is winding to a close and we have just a few more sights to see.  On the way out of Yellowstone, we were told that Cody, WY was absolute "must see" stop.  So, we bought our rodeo tickets and headed east.  When we landed in Cody, we knew we were in Cowboy Country and really enjoyed the culture of that town.  We spent the day at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West museum and the evening at the rodeo.  We're not sure which was more educational... but we loved them both.



 

The following few days were a whirlwind with short stops at Devil's Tower (Think: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), The Crazy Horse Memorial, The Needles Highway and Mount Rushmore National Monument.  The most moving of the these experiences was the Crazy Horse Memorial.  We learned so much about Native American culture in the west and why this memorial was being built.  The carving was started over 60 years ago, and it is projected to be completed in approximately 60 to 90 years.  It is completely privately owned and was commissioned by Lakota Chief Standing Bear in conjunction with other Chiefs.  The vision on the memorial is to include a North American Indian Cultural Center and a medical school.  It is a large vision with a committed Board of Directors. 


 

After these last stops, it was time to turn toward home.  1600 miles to go... but after such an amazing trip, we were ready.  We will post one final blog in the coming days, wrapping up the experience and reflecting on the high points of our Subaru Road Trip. 




Day 20,21,22 & 23




The longest stay of our journey has been at Yellowstone National Park.  This magnificent park, larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, requires several days to do it justice.  The geothermal features, the animals and the landscapes were the major stars as we traveled from section to section of Yellowstone.  

 
It was difficult to select a set of representative photos to share with this blog entry.  The park is, by far, the most diverse we have seen.  The Geyser Basins steamed, puffed and erupted. The animal life was an on-going source of beauty and entertainment (often stopping traffic both ways on the loop).  The landscape changed depending upon what section of the park we were in.  There were lakes, waterfalls, rivers, creeks, meadows, forests, sheer cliffs, mountains, canyons, geysers, mud pots, chromatic springs, buffaloes, elk, rabbits and more.

The geyser basins were the most captivating to us.  It was nearly impossible to wrap our heads around the fact that we were standing in the caldera of a volcano.  The geothermal activity of the geysers, vents, fumaroles, and chromatic pools was enthralling to watch.  There were some geysers that erupted infrequently and some that erupted nearly continuously.  It would have been tempting to sit and watch them for hours.  Each eruption was its own, individual event; looking and sounding different.   It never got old.


 


When it was time to pack up and move on, we felt a bit wistful leaving this pristine land.  It was a little bit like peeking into the top of a gift, then closing it and putting it back.  But, it was on to the next part of our adventure.  There's a rodeo in the next town over....



Day 17, 18 & 19

 


How many times can we say, "Wow?"   It becomes difficult to share our experience while trying to find a different superlative for each sight we see.  Beautiful, amazing, stunning, breathtaking, awe-inspiring are words that have been used in previous blogs, but they all apply.  Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park are no exception.  Like Arches, these two parks are much more rugged than the tree covered north rim of the Grand Canyon or the whimsical hoodoos of Bryce.   There is bare red rock and jagged cliffs as far as the eye can see. 

Dead Horse Point is the park where the dramatic ending of the movie "Thelma and Louise" was filmed.   Because our friends have teasingly likened us to the characters of that movie, we decided to get a few pictures of the car near a cliff.  However, we happily report that we are having FAR too much fun emulate those ill-fated characters; there will be no cliff for us!

Days 18 and 19 are travel days.  It is a long way between Moab and Yellowstone National Park.  As we cross the Rocky Mountains, we leave the red rocks behind and begin to see a new landscape covered with greenery.  On to a new phase of our adventure...



 


Day 15 & 16


Arches, red landscapes and mountains are the highlights of Moab, Utah.   This is a hot, dry place with temperatures reaching 107 during our visit.  But the scenery overshadows the temperatures, by far.   Moab, like most little towns in this area, is a place that takes its time.  No one is in a real hurry, except the tourists.  Moab is in the middle of the dessert, so we're not real sure where they're in a hurry to go.   We're here to enjoy the scenery and we prefer the pace of the locals. 


We spent two days touring and hiking the Arches National Park.  Naturally occurring arches are a sight to behold.  It's hard to believe they exist in nature, but it is even harder to believe they exist in so many different forms.  Delicate arch, Pine Tree Arch, Landscape Arch... they are all quite different and all quite lovely to look at.  We had to get an early start each day to beat the heat AND to beat the other tourists.  In the end, we did neither. We finished up by early afternoon each day... which simply left time for us to do our second favorite thing on vacation:  SHOP!

The evening greeted us with a colorful light show toward the Lasal Mountains.  When the sun is setting, these "salt mountains" look as if they are on fire.  They were a lovely gift for the close of the day. 



Day 14

Half way.  We've got two weeks behind us and two weeks in front of us.  It has been a glorious trip.   Today is "moving day" as we travel from Bryce to Moab to see Arches NP and Canyonland NP.  We have fallen into a very nice routine for the evening before and the day of travel.  This is when we take the time to do the mudane, but necessary tasks of living in a camper; clean the floor, do the laundry, flush the system, stow away all food and kitchen items, check the tires, lugs and hitch on the camper, make sure all fluid levels are good in the car, and write a shopping list for the next sighting of a "real" grocery store.  And, not surprisingly, the Subaru Tribeca has performed beautifully.  We've asked a lot of it, pulling 3,000+ pounds up down mountain passes up to 9,000 feet.  It has met every challenge!

Camping life suits us.  We have both found our strengths in setting up and breaking camp and the tasks get done with little fanfare.  We have our checklist to go over to insure that all of the critical things are taken care of.  And finally, we say a prayer before we hit the road.  We have been blessed on this trip, and are looking forward to the next half of our adventure.



Day 13
 
Today was an "easy," laid back day.  We have had two strenuous hikes in the last two days, so we looked for shorter picturesque trails to enjoy.  We found Kodachrome State Park, just outside of Cannonville, UT.   The main features of this park are the red rock of the basin area and the structures left by erosion.  And, one more time, we were chased off the trail by a storm.  In our haste, we missed a turn and came to the edge of a cliff.  Nah... no Thelma and Louise scenes for us, thank you!


The grand finale of Bryce Canyon was an opportunity to watch the sun set and then witness the astronomical show provided by an unhindered view of the stars.  There is no light pollution, the air is clear and we're 8000 above sea level.  The Milky Way put on her best dress for us, and we were in awe.


 

Tomorrow... Off to Moab!  This will mark the halfway point of our amazing trip! 



Day 10, 11 & 12!


Other-worldly.  Alien.  Incredible.  These are all words used to describe the unique beauty of Bryce Canyon.   We had heard that Bryce Canyon National Park would be a completely different experience than the Grand Canyon.  Now we know why.  Bryce is actually a bowl-shaped amphitheater filled with "hoodoos" that are left standing tall after centuries of  what geologists call differential erosion.  These spires of free standing, layered rock conjure images of sentinels, choirs, pipe organs and ornate walled cities. One is only limited by his or her own imagination.

The Navajo Loop and the Queens Garden Loop allowed us to go down into the amphitheater and walk in, through and around these geologic masterpieces.   We were surprised that the National Park allows visitors (by the thousands) such close access to these structures.  That's one of the things that makes the park so special.  The view is just as amazing from below the hoodoos as from above!

The Fairlyland Loop is one of the most remote trails in the park.  It is 8 miles long and undulates up and down through the Fairyland Canyon.  This requires a vertical decent and ascent of about 1750 feet; greater than the Kaibab Trail to Supai Tunnel at the Grand Canyon.  It is SO worth it as there is much scenic payoff for the effort.

We had quite a scare while in the canyon as an unexpected lightning storm moved in.  Lightening is dangerous any time... but it is especially so when you're surrounded by tall trees and tall hoodoos.  It made our ascent MUCH quicker than we had intended.  But, all is well!  We are tired and sore... but we earned it!


 


Day 7, 8 & 9!

 
 

How does one begin to describe the Grand Canyon in words that would do it justice?  The beauty and scale of the canyon leaves one in awe of the Creative Force that saw fit to bless us all with such a sight.  We spent three days at the Grand Canyon National Park.  As we hiked on each of those days, every turn of the trail that
led us to new view of the canyon was a gift.


 

The most challenging (and the most rewarding) trail that we hiked was the North Kaibab into the canyon. The trail drops 1450 feet into the canyon to the Supai Tunnel at 1.6 miles.  What goes down, must come up. This turned out to be the toughest 5k that we've ever done.  However, the views of the canyon were well worth the hot, dusty, shared-with-donkeys trail.





Unexpectedly, we had no WiFi connection, nor a cell signal.  (This blog is being written from a sweet little coffee shop in Kanab, Utah on the way to Bryce).  We were able to spend about a hour with the Grand Canyon Buffalo herd as they crossed the road and stopped traffic both ways.













We were stunned by the presence of the Grand Canyon National Park Buffalo!  We expected to see wildlife, but NOT a herd of buffalo some 300 strong.  The herd was always in view while entering and leaving the park.   On one particular day, the herd crossed the road as we were leaving park.  We were surrounded by buffalo for about 45 minutes.  It was incredible as we sat up on the window sills of the car (for a quick slide back into the car, if necessary) to watch and listen.  One baby even stopped just in front of the car to check us out!  We also got to witness several of the bulls brushing up on their fighting skills.  It was magical to be in the midst of these huge creatures. 

 

We highly recommend a visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  There are trails upon trails of all difficulty levels, the crowds are very light, the views are stunning and no one walks around with their heads down texting.... there's no cell reception. 




Day 6


Heat, hills and H2O; that was the name of the game today.  As we drove from Albuquerque, the temperature climbed to a toasty 104. Because we were pulling major hills as we climbed to 8000 feet, we needed to turn off the air conditioner to avoid any issues with overheating.  Regular rest stops and plenty of fluids made the trip nice.

The landscape morphed along the way from high desert to green mountain to red canyon floor and tall pine forest.  We landed in a very remote town above the North Rim of the Grand Canyon named Jacob Lake. It has a restaurant, a gas station, a general store and a campground.  There's not a cell tower or WiFi signal to be found. 
We suppose that means we are truly on vacation!  Ahhhhh......







Day 5



"Today was a day of vast panoramas and small surprises.  We had the opportunity to climb the Black Volcano and the Vulcan Volcano in the Petroglyph National Monument.  The ancient volcano's had a variety of ecosystems from bottom to top. 
We were fascinated to see the changes as we hiked to a mile above sea level. 
These pictures share a glimpse of the beauty, big and small."




Day 4



"Albuquerque is a city filled with images of the culture of its people.  The overpasses, the bridges, and the buildings are all designed with motifs that are unmistakably rooted in the history of the region.  The mountains, some rising to 10,000 feet, are quite different from "our" mountains; rocky and jagged, painted with hues of grays, purples and blues."

"Our first hike of the trip was to the Petroglyph National Monument.  It was so interesting to hike through the remains of a long extinct volcano to see these simple, but poignant images left by Native Americans and early Spanish settlers.  The temperature soared to 100 degrees, but felt manageable with the low humidity.  (We both think that we may keep Gatorade in business during these types of hikes!) We ended the day with a treat of frozen yogurt and a view of a spectacular sunset. 
Life is good!"


 

Day 3

"Day 3 is complete and we have traveled a total of 2200 miles.  Today brought us an unexpected surprise.  Gas stations are few and far between in the rural areas of Texas and New Mexico. When our GPS spotted place to get gas in McLean, Texas, we pulled off of I-40.  To our great delight, we found that it was an old town from the peak of Rt 66 travel with some of the buildings restored.  We HAD to stop and take a picture of the Burma Shave signs because they were such an icon of car travel back in the day. We hope you enjoy them!"



"On another note, the Subaru did an awesome job as we climbed to 7400 ft in eastern New Mexico.  We have asked a lot of the Tribeca over the last three days, and it has met every task!"

Day 2
 
"We left Indianapolis bright and early.  As we we got closer to St. Louis, we decided to try to get the best view of the Gateway Arch as possible. So off we go through downtown St. Louis, camper in tow.  Through a series of detours, closed roads, dead ends, even cobblestone streets we finally managed to get a brief glimpse of the Gateway Arch shown in the photo.   We had to laugh... because it took us about an hour to get a 30 second view!   It was worth it." 

"Sun was setting as we pulled into Tulsa.   Our next goal:  Albuquerque!"


 



 

  Day 1 -  Our goal for today is Indianapolis.


    "On our way to Indianapolis, this is Julie, co-piloting, emailing, facebooking, twittering,
   & annoying me!" - Chris


  Those pink toenails featured are Julie's!