Ready to pull out of the driveway. Glen and I are both a bit nervous.
Monday, June 27th: drive to Chinle, camp at the Cottonwood campground for 2 nights.
Tuesday, June 28th: meet THFHS group in Window Rock for lunch, proceed to Hubbell Trading Post for afternoon and evening.
Wednesday, June 29th: drive from Chinle to Albuquerque (with time-out for car trouble). Stay in Hlava compound, along with Jim and Mary Ann.
Thursday, June 30th: sleep in, shop, meet up with other family members, pick up Glen from airport at midnight.
Friday, July 1st: Anniversaries Celebration, 50 years for my parents and 60 years for Aunt Mary and Uncle Johnny.
Saturday & Sunday, July 2nd and 3rd: Visit with family, swim, go to zoo.
Monday, July 4th: Kids go to aquarium, attend Hlavas' potluck party -- bring your own fireworks and stuff to grill and a side dish to share.
Tuesday, July 5th: Drive East through Texas on I-40 to Clinton, OK and camp at KOA.
Wednesday, July 6th: play at Frontier City, Six Flags Theme Park in Oklahoma City. Stay at Van Buren, AR in Motel 6.
Thursday, July 7th: Drive across Arkansas and camp at former KOA in Lakeland, TN.
Friday, July 8th: Drive across most of Tennessee and spend the night at a motel in Manchester, TN.
Saturday, July 9th: Arrive at Lake Hiwassee, Community of Bear Paw, Sleeping Bear Cabin, in North Carolina.
Sunday - Friday, July 10th - 15th: Play with relatives.
Saturday, July 16th: Sarah goes to Florida with Uncle Roger and Aunt Carol. The rest of us hit the road and drive through Tennessee, northwest on Route 24 to Kentucky, and then into Missouri to spend the night in a motel in Herculaneum, MO.
Sunday, July 17th: Drive across Missouri on I-70 and into Kansas. Spend the night at Salina, KS in a KOA camping kabin.
Monday, July 18th: Drive across the rest of Kansas, into Colorado and camp at a KOA in Strasburg, CO.
Tuesday, July 19th: Play at Elitch Gardens, Six Flags Theme Park and Waterpark in Denver. Stay in a KOA kabin in Colorado Springs.
Wednesday, July 20th: Meander across Colorado via Highway 50, across the Continental Divide, and back to I-70 at Grand Junction, CO. Spend the night in a Super 8 Motel in Grand Junction.
Thursday, July 21st: Enjoy dramatic scenery and all vista points through rest of Colorado and on into Utah along I-70. Decide to drive on for a late arrival at home instead of taking it easy. We were all anxious to be home. Head south on I-15, pass through corner of Arizona, and cross tip of Nevada. Drive through Las Vegas, Barstow, Victorville, scoot on home for an arrival around midnight.
Ready to pull out of the driveway. Glen and I are both a bit nervous.
Approaching the Flagstaff, AZ area with a bit of snow visible on the mountains.
I-40 heading east through Oklahoma.
We found a little park in San Jon, NM (I think) for lunch.
The meal plan called for breakfast of granola bars or cereal, P&J
sandwiches, chips and fruit for lunch, and dinner out.
Camping at an Oklahoma KOA near Clinton.
Alan amused himself and Sarah with a bag of Bugles.
Crossing the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee.
Camping at a former KOA, now Good Sam Club, in Lakeland, TN.
We got caught in a total standstill on I-40 outside Nashville, TN.
Unfortunately, a state trooper had been killed as he stood writing a
ticket when a semi ran off the road into him.
The hills of eastern Tennessee.
The kudzu is rather scary.
Leaving North Carolina and entering Tennessee. Note the signs
in the background.
Since Lake Hiwassee is in a dry county, people drive across the
border into Tennessee for beer. This establishment is perhaps
100 ft from the border.
Crossing the Tennessee River again on the return trip.
Later that day we cross into the western part of Kentucky.
And even later, Missouri.
We crossed the Mississippi River at the point where the Ohio
joins it.
We picked up I-70 in St. Louis, MO, and crossed the Missouri River
We crossed Missouri and then Kansas on I-70.
Plenty of corn in these states.
A Kansas car advertising corn-based fuel.
We tried a KOA Kamping Kabin for the first time in Salina, KS.
It came complete with rabbits running around.
I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to the boys
while Lisa read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and
Glen read the newest one, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Jenny was amused.
Kansas scenery.
Granaries. Clearly an agricultural state.
Occasionally we saw grasshoppers pumping oil.
We stopped for lunch near Fort Hays in western Kansas.
They had a small group of bison at the fort, with several calves.
The boys were much more enthusiastic about the park where we ate lunch.
I-70 was down to one lane each direction while they rebuilt one side
from the ground up.
One of our emergency rest stops was at this old-style gas station.
The Virgin River cut this impressive gorge and the freeway
follows the river.
Coming through Nevada, past Las Vegas, we could see heavy rain
falling.
I succeeded in capturing a lightning strike.
The last chance for gambling before leaving Nevada for California.