Here is the route we took...



First noteworthy stop was the Painted Desert and Petrified forest. I've driven past it a few times but always in a hurry to get somewhere so I've never stopped. It is worth the couple hours to drive the loop off I-40 and see some of the visitors centers and views.

We then spent a couple nights at the Grand Canyon... we could have stayed a week and been happy. We were based near Yavapai Lodge, staying in the park itself, and explored mostly around the south. The views are incredible and awe inspiring. We did a bit of walking along paved paths to see different lookouts and checked out visitors centers. The Imax in Tusayan was a pretty quick watch and I think it was a worthwhile stop. We also went on one of the open-air Hummer tours that took us to a few spots we didn't see when exploring on our own. That included a sunset from a more northerly lookout point. The highlight was a helicopter flight over the canyon. That was special and an amazing way to see the canyon from above. The lookouts give a great view of the canyon but the helicopter ride really helps you see the magnitude of the whole thing.

Next quick stop was to check out the Hoover Dam. That is a pretty impressive feat and it is interesting to see the engineering it took to build it.

The stretch from Hoover Dam to San Francisco was... well, I could have done without it.

Past San Francisco we took the 101 up the coast. The Redwoods and that coastline is another spot I could have spent a week and not had it be enough. There are a lot of descriptive words that just don't do those Redwood groves justice, you have to set foot in them. Those forests just feel different. We stopped at one of the Drive-thru trees for some kitsch knick-knacks then drove The Avenue of The Giants. Do it! At least one you should make the trip if you haven't. There is a stop-over called Trees of Mystery or something like that. It is a path that walks you up the mountain pointing out some old trees or features of the forest. They've also built a stairway to a series of rope bridges that let you walk around the middle level of the trees. That was a really cool walk. At the end there is a gondola that will take you to the top of the mountain so you can see the tops of the forest... also worth the time. We found some cool small towns and small town diners that were good too. I want to go back and take an even more leisurely stroll up the 101 and through the trees.

From there we spent a night on the coast at Turtle Rock in the Southwest corner of Oregon. Cool stopover that gave us a chance to get on the beach (not Caribbean sunbathing type... cold Oregon coast type). We also found a little Mexican restaurant called Tortuga Mexican Bar and Grill. I'd stop there again if making the drive up highway 101. Live music on the weekends and the beach makes it a really great atmosphere.

We stopped at the Sea Lion Caves a little bit up the coast. Great ocean views off the cliff ledges. There was a pod of grey whales playing in the water below. We spent a ton of time just watching them play... really cool to see. From the cliff you can see a rocky ledge with hundreds of sea lions hanging out. Kind of cool to watch them interact for a minute but they really don't do much. The attraction here is the 20ish story elevator to the cave below. They have a viewing deck down there that let's you get a bit closer to the colony that hangs out inside the cave. It is a pretty cool geological feature.

Astoria is a neat spot if you are a Goonies fan... and what child of the 80s isn't?

From there we headed toward Snoqualmie Pass and stayed at the church camp, Ensign Ranch, a few miles away. That is another area I could have spent more time in. Beautiful passes and forests. I am sure many of you have been to that ranch as you grew up. We were visiting family or else it wouldn't be on our radar. I am definitely jealous that the church doesn't have something like that nearer to us in Texas. Great asset for those of you in the Northwest.

Our plans were to spend some time at Yellowstone and Star Valley after this. Unfortunately we got word of a death in the family and had to reroute through SLC. It was nice to spend some time with family before continuing on through the Moab area. I think I am going to plan for a RV stay of a week or so in that area to explore those parks and canyons again.

If you are still reading this boring travelogue at this point we headed home and didn't stop. It was a great trip and among the five of us we've got way too many pictures to sort through. Whether you RV or just drive I'd definitely recommend some of the destinations for your next trip. The USA really does have some beautiful terrain.