Wanderlust 2013: 40 Days in Motion Day 1 – July 9th, 2013 Minocqua, WI 10:15 a.m. – 74 degrees It was a hazy, humid July morning when we embarked on our 2013 road trip. After waiting impatiently for a year to once again spend as much time as possible camping, exploring, and traveling in the … Continue reading
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky June 10th, 2013 Up at 8:00 a.m., we grabbed a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant and headed to the meeting point for the Historic Cave Tour. This tour provides visitors with a history of the cave as well as a chance to see some of Mammoth Cave’s wonders. … Continue reading
Wanderlust 2013 The Pre-Road Trip Road Trip June 9th & 10th, 2013 Before we embarked on our 40 days on the road, we were able to fit our next National Park into a shorter road trip we took in June. On the move within 48 hours of D’s last day of school, we headed south … Continue reading
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