Now that the story has been told, what exactly did our Westward Wanderlust 2012 add up to? First, the quantifiable stats: Days on the Road – 23 Miles Traveled – 9,185.8 National Parks – 19 National Monuments – 3 National Forests – 26 States Entered – 15 WI MN SD WY MT ID WA OR … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 23 Fawn Valley Inn, Estes Park, CO August 1, 2012 And before we knew it, it had finally arrived, the last day of our Summer 2012 Westward Wanderlust. We woke with a bittersweet excitement. We were looking forward to another day in the Rockies, yet were slowly coming to terms with the … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 22 Willow Creek, Colorado July 31st, 2012 The morning dew had settled into small shadowed beads on the shell of our trusty red and grey North Face. This was to be our last morning waking up in the tent. The morning sun shined brightly on Willow Creek Reservoir. A slight breeze quivered … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 21 Hwy 313 Outside of Moab, Utah July 30, 2012 The sputtering blast of engine brakes jolted me from sleep. The car windows beaded with condensation from our sleeping breath and I realized how warm I was. Our mobile bedroom had become a steam cooker on wheels, poaching our sleep and sweat-saturated … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 20 Zion National Park, Utah July 29th, 2012 After a night in our comfortable king bed at the Majestic View , we woke rested and ready for our Zion adventure. It was 82 degrees at 9:00 am. The canyon walls soared skyward, displaying their colorful rock layers. These beautiful bands of stone … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 19 Death Valley National Park, CA July 28th, 2012 We woke to an intensely bright morning light and a cloudless blue sky. The sparkling spectacle of the Death Valley night had long since been scorched by the merciless desert sun and we quickly became acquainted with the true nature of the beast. … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 18 Azalea Campground, Kings Canyon National Park, CA July 27th, 2012 We woke among brambling manzanitas, pleasantly shaded by towering pines. We had slept on a slight incline, and had positioned our tent in such a way that tall sugar pines shaded us from most of the morning sun, and our tent … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 17 Fire Road 15564, near Yosemite National Park, CA July 26th, 2012 Waking up camping is one of my favorite moments in life. I often experience that momentary “Wait – where am I?” feeling as the stratums of sleep are peeled away. But instead of panic following this flash of obscurity, it … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 16 Rest stop somewhere near Whiskeytown, CA July 25th, 2012 The crow of concealed rooster woke us at dawn. The rest stop we spent the night in was nothing more than a small asphalt island, marooned between the sheer walls of red and brown rock. Hwy 299 appeared to the west, drew … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 15 Mill Creek Campground, Redwood National Park, CA July 24th, 2012 The shrill squawks of a band of Steller’s blue jays woke us early. Not the most courteous or delicate of an alarm clock to be sure, but still much better than the early morning shriek of police siren or the rumbling … Continue reading