Cross Country Road Trip

Betsy was gracious enough to give us her old Prius (with hardly any miles on it!) so we had the opportunity for another cross country road trip (we're pros now, my 4th, Adam's 7th)!  This time we had the amazing luxury of only having ONE child (Avi), while Isla stayed another week in Maine. 

Here was our itinerary 

July 10th and 11th- 2 nights in New Jersey with Jack, Maggie, Wyatt and Lucy

July 12th- 1 night with MaryLou in Toledo, OH

July 13th- 1 night in Madison Wisconsin

July 14th- 1 night in Wall, South Dakota

July 15th- 1 night in Billings, Montana

July 16th- 1 night in Spokane, Washington

We had at least one interesting stop each day, drove between 7-10 hours per day and ate a lot of random gas station food! We got lucky with weather and smoke (avoided it somehow, barely) and Avi was a total camp! We stayed in several hotels with pools so that was a nice way to end the day.  Somewhere in South Dakota (?) we stopped at a Target (I ran out of clean underwear) and Avi picked up a Darth Vader Mask, which became the thing for the rest of the trip. 

Exploring Spokane

A toxic lake/Superfund site in Montana 

Devil's Tower (Wyoming) 

Crazy Horse

Mt. Rushmore

The corn palace, South Dakota

The Spam Museum was surprisingly cool

This grocery store! Stew Leonards- you just have to experience it

Tried to go for a hike, it was cut short

Raptor rehabilitation in NJ

The Pond Cafe, Elizabeth Park, Hartford, CT

Trip to Utah: Zion and Bryce National Parks

What an epic road trip we took this summer to Utah!
This was a once in a life-time trip/family reunion centered around going to Zion National Park. 

We took 2 days to get there (stopping in Twin Falls, Idaho), spent a full week in the town on La Verkin (30 minutes from Zion) and did a day trip to Bryce Canyon as well.  The cousins all had fun (there was 13 of us all together) especially in the rental house pool!  It was hot (107 at the most) but we were strategic.  Went on some epic hikes, but the Narrows takes the cake (probably the coolest hike of my life).... 

Twin Falls Idaho

Short detour at Cathedral Gorge State Park

Finally made it to the rental house in time for a sunset swim

Had some work obligations but not a bad view to be on a zoom

Checking out the nearby Confluence Park view

Up early to hike the Narrows in Zion

It was amazing!  Did 8 (?) miles (out and back), the kids were troopers

Day trip to Bryce with a smaller group

We did a 3-mile loop trail that was more challenging than any of us anticipated but beautiful

Going up this was tough! 

all four people in this photo are asleep after our epic hike

Another highlight was tubing down the Virgin river with Zion Tubing Co.

Upper Emerald Pools hike at Zion

Competitive Family Game Night

A couple stops on the way home (stayed the night in Ontario, OR)