What we did
Parks & Monuments
National Recreation Areas and Monuments
Los Padres National Forest, CA
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, UT
Curecanti National Recreation Area, CO
Johnson Beach National Seashore, FL
Over 30 State and County Parks
National Parks
Crater Lake
Lassen
Yosemite
Death Valley
Zion
Bryce Canyon
Arches
Mesa Verde
Everglades
Great Smoky Mountains
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Capitol Reef
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Hiking
We did 50+ hikes over the three trips; some of our favorites were:
Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop, Death Valley NP
Navajo Loop to Peekaboo Loop, Canyonlands NP
Delicate Arch, Arches NP
Antelope and Rattlesnake Canyons, Page, AZ
Cathedral Rock Loop, Sedona, AZ
Johnson Beach National Seashore, Pensacola, FL
Little Wild Horse and Bell Canyon Loop near Goblin Valley State Park, UT
Calf Creek Falls, Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument
West Rim Trail, Zion NP
Skiing
The third leg of our trip started with nearly 7 weeks of skiing.
Andy skied 31 days on 17 different mountains. I wasn’t far behind skiing 25 days on 13 mountains, and only cried from frustration or nerves 2 or 3 times.
We skied in 7 different states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico
See the Ski page for more info
Water
Paddleboarding
We paddled in amazing lakes, springs, and even in the ocean, paddling over sharks (very small sharks) and passing by alligators (also small); but the most thrilling was paddling with manatees (giant) in Ichetucknee Springs, FL.
Swimming
From jumping into freezing-cold Crater Lake to snorkeling in the ocean to soaking in a variety of hot springs, we spent lots of time in the water.
White water rafting
A thrilling raft trip on the Upper Klamath River left us wanting more white water.
Beach walking
Zeppelin, the van, got its share of sand on the West Coast, the East Coast, and the Gulf Coast. We spent hours and hours walking on beaches, from the sand dunes in Oregon to the powder-white Florida beaches.
Music
Some of the fun music experiences we had on the trip
Wandering into clubs all along Frenchmen Street in New Orleans and seeing a band at the Carousel Club
The crazy Flora-Bama Bar on the border of Alabama and Florida with 5 separate stages of live music
Finding out a band we love, Built to Spill, just happened to be playing at a small venue in Asheville when we were there, then meeting a lovely gal who put us on the guest list to get in
Listening to country music at Nudie’s rooftop bar in Nashville
Seeing Built to Spill again at the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City along with Prism Bitch who was new to me and a lot of fun
Getting to see the Pixies and Pavement along with some other fabulous bands at a music festival in Salt Lake City
Food
We ate so many delicious things and tried to get as much of the local flavor as we could wherever we went. Some of the best food memories include:
Stuffed shrimp that was so good it made me want to cry at Indian Pass Raw Bar in Port St. Joe Florida
Learning about breakfast tacos in Austin
Discovering Boudin Balls which are deep-fried balls of spicy sausage and rice at a random gas station in Rayne Louisianna
Trying all the various takes on BBQ, from the divine brisket burger in Lubbock TX to the burnt ends served on a grits casserole in Nashville that I could not stop devouring
Art, Architecture, & Museums
We saw a ton of amazing art and architecture and went to some very interesting museums and tours. Some of our favorites were:
Meow Wolf, Denver, CO
Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM
The Biltmore, Asheville, NC
Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, AR
Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN
National Museum of African American Music, Nashville, TN
Pool
Playing pool is something we both really enjoy. Like skiing, Andy is amazing at it and I am progressing. When I can get over the embarrassment of my inconsistent skills, it’s a fun way to get to know people.
Hammock
Some of the most relaxing moments of the trip were spent in my hammock.
