This is a trip that we have been planning for almost 18 years.

Since Sonya and I got married and went on our honeymoon we have been wanting to eventually bring our kids back to some of the beautiful places that we saw in May/June of 2000.

Our original trip back then started with a cross country drive straight to the North Rim of The Grand Canyon via Effingham IL, Green River UT and Kanab UT. We were disappointed to learn just last night that The North Rim is closed for the winter until May. Luckily we discovered that in time to change some reservations, but we were still disappointed that we would not be able to return to our original location. We will be visiting the southern national park instead and are looking forward to seeing it (for most of us) for the first time.

For this trip we will drive cross country to our first stop: Garden of The Gods in Colorado Springs. We plan to meet up with my cousin Vicky who lives in Denver. It will be great to see her again. She and I were able to meet up in Philadelphia a few years back when she lived there and I was attending a conference.

From there it’s on to Moab UT where we will see Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. I can’t wait to hike to The Delicate Arch again! …hopefully around sunset.

Then it’s off too southern-central Utah. We have arranged to stay at (what we think is) a lodge of some sort for 5 nights. We found it through AirBnB. While in the area, we plan to return to Zion and Bryce National Parks. We also plan to see for the first time Grand Staircase / Escelante and Capital Reefs. After this leg of the trip is when we will head to The Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Finally, when leaving Arizona, we will visit Four Corners. I’ve always wanted to see it although I have a feeling it will be anticlimactic to some degree. It will be cool to have said that you have been in four states at the same time.

We have all been on pins and needles in excitement waiting for this trip! We started a 60-day countdown a couple of months back and have been getting !ore and more giddy as time goes on!

T-5 Days!