|
|
|
|
|
|
Trip Length: |
31 Days |
Pickup Date:
|
May 17th |
Drop-off Date:
|
June 16th |
Rough Distance Traveled:
|
2630 Miles |
Pickup Location: |
Handlery Hotel, San Diego (Mission Valley)
|
Drop-off Location: |
Handlery Hotel, San Francisco (Union Square)
|
Overnights: |
San Diego, Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon,
Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Arches
National Park, Capitol Reef National Park,
Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Las Vegas,
Death Valley, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite,
Monterey |
Group Size: |
4 adults, 3 children |
Vehicle: |
Passenger Van |
Guide: |
Bob Cunningham |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Diego |
5 nights (2 after
we joined them) |
The Sopers had already been in California
for nearly 2 weeks by the time we met
them. They had spent their time in Los
Angeles, Disney's Magic Kingdom and San
Diego. We met them with a couple days
remaining on their San Diego agenda, in
time to help them see parts of greater
San Diego not conveniently seen without
a car.
|
|
San Diego Highlights
|
|
Visiting the Reuben
H Fleet Science Center, the Model
Railroad Museum and Museum of San
Diego History at Balboa Park. |
|
Eating at a Kiwi restaurant
in the Gaslamp District. The verdict:
not very Kiwi, but tasty all the same.
|
|
Visiting the San Diego
Zoo and Sea World. |
|
Taking a stroll through
Old Town, where the Spanish colonists
were California's first European settlers. |
|
Legoland for Nick and
the kids. |
|
A full day excursion
to the small former gold mining and
current apple producing town of Julian
for Rex and Joy, while Nick and the
kids were at Legoland and Julie was
relaxing back at the hotel. |
|
Having freshly-made
apple pie while in Julian. |
|
Joy losing her jacket
on the side of the highway while stopped
to photograph a coyote, only to find
it still there when we drove back
to find it a couple hours later. |
|
|
|
|
Phoenix, Arizona |
2 nights |
After a couple of days together in San
Diego, it was time to head off for the
relative wilderness of the Southwest.
We would start with not-so-wildernessy
Phoenix, where Rex wanted a couple of
nights, and time to do a bit of teddy
bear shopping for Joy.
We departed for Phoenix in the middle
of a record-breaking heatwave. En route,
we saw temperatures of 115 degrees Fahrenheit
when we stopped at the General Patton
museum in the bustling metropolis of Chiriaco
Summit, California. We arrived in Phoenix
after a long day's drive at just about
dinner time.
|
|
Phoenix Highlights
|
|
Visiting the General
Patton Museum en route - Rex and Nick
are big military history buffs. |
|
Shopping for teddy bears
and Christmas items - two of Joy's
major interests. |
|
Visiting the Pioneer
Arizona Living History Village, where
Arizona's mining-era history is reproduced
in the open air. |
|
|
|
|
Sedona, Arizona |
3 nights |
The heat held up while we were in Phoenix,
breaking records each day. Then, en route
to Sedona, things changed. The trip to
Sedona from Phoenix was bearable (when
outside the air conditioning of the vehicle).
We stopped off at the Pioneer Living History
Museum (95 acres of 19th century desert
history, and Montezuma's Castle (nearly
10 thousand year old ruins of an early
native settlement), before arriving in
Sedona at about dinner time for a relaxing
3 night stay.
After days of record-breaking heat, the
weather flipped on its lid. The morning
after we arrived, I was scraping snow
off of the van before heading down from
Flagstaff to collect the family.
|
|
Sedona Highlights
|
|
Visiting Montezuma's
Castle, where the Sopers got their
first look at ancient Pueblo dwellings.
|
|
This was one of Nick's
and Julie's favorite stops of the
trip, simply due to the peaceful atmosphere. |
|
Taking drives out through
the red rocks, and stopping for photoshoots |
|
Scrambling over the
rocks near Sedona Airport for stunning
views. |
|
Shopping! And not just
at Sedona's well-known art galleries
and other artistic shops, but WAL
MART! Turns out Wal Mart is Julie's
favorite store. We managed to find
two of them within driving distance
of Sedona. |
|
Getting snowed on at
the Flagstaff Wal Mart. |
|
|
|
|
Williams, Arizona |
Lunch, coffee and
a parade |
Nick, Julie and the kids were scheduled
to take the steam train to the Grand Canyon
from Williams, while I drove Rex and Joy
by highway. So, our first stop after Sedona
was to be the basic town of Williams.
Weather was still a bit dicey with intermittant
rain, but after dropping the younger members
of the family off, Rex and Joy were up
for a bit of a look 'round the town.
To our delight, Williams was having a
Memorial Day parade, and it was timed
just perfectly for us to enjoy. After
a quick lunch and a bit of coffee, we
all enjoyed small-town Americana.
|
|
|
|
Grand Canyon National
Park |
2 nights |
Despite our prolonged stay
in Williams, we arrived at the Grand Canyon
in plenty of time to meet Nick, Julie and
the three kids. Once convened, we checked
into the park-run hotel, and arranged for
a few excursions to coincide with good photo-lighting. |
|
Grand Canyon Highlights |
|
For Nick,
Julie and the kids, the steam train
trip on the Grand Canyon Railway. |
|
For Nick and Julie,
a helicopter flightseeing trip that
crossed the deepest, widest part of
the canyon. For Julie, this may have
been the highlight of the entire trip. |
|
Photographs of the canyon
at differing times of day in different
light conditions. |
|
The group of extremely
tame deer that joined the family just
outside their lodge rooms. |
|
The numerous elk we
saw throughout the park. |
|
|
|
|
Canyon de Chelly |
1 night |
After the grandness of the Grand Canyon,
we were in for a bit of a change of pace,
heading out into Navajo Nation, and the
quieter pace of life to be found there.
The drive from the Grand Canyon took us
swiftly through the Petrified Forest and
Painted Desert, although by the time we
got to those points of interest, everyone
was ready to keep on moving in order to
get to our home base for the evening.
We did manage a stop at Meteor Crater,
which turned out to be a bit overblown,
as I had begun to imagine after seeing
just a few too many signs advertising
this "natural wonder."
At Canyon de Chelly, we managed to sort
out the time issues (Navajo Nation observes
Daylight Savings Time, while the rest
of Arizona does not), and get prepared
for an early morning guided tour of Canyon
de Chelly's historic reaches.
|
|
Canyon de Chelly Highlights
|
|
A private tour through
Canyon de Chelly led by a local Navajo
guide and resident of the canyon.
|
|
|
|
|
Monument Valley |
2 nights |
Having seen Canyon de Chelly properly,
it was time to head off to one of Rex's
"mecca" destinations: Monument
Valley. A huge fan of John Wayne, Rex
had seen "the Duke's" grave
while in Southern California, and had
been looking forward to visiting this
quintessential filming location ever since
first booking the trip.
We set the Sopers up in a vacation-rental-style
house overlooking the famous valley. The
family invited me over for my first barbecue
with them, and as the sun set, we all
attempted to take advantage of the changing
light to somehow capture a scene that
can't possibly be captured.
|
|
Monument Valley Highlights
|
|
A private tour of Mystery
Valley led by a local Navajo guide
for Rex and Nick. |
|
A private tour of Monument
Valley just for Joy (led by me) while
Rex and Nick were at Mystery Valley. |
|
A second private tour of Monument
Valley led by a local Navajo guide
for both Rex and Joy (who took advantage
of the two tours to photograph the
Moroliths in differing light.
|
|
A day of relaxing and
swimming for the kids, who were getting
a bit travel-weary and enjoyed the
break. |
|
|
|
Photo:
Prise de vue personnelle
|
|
|
Arches National Park
|
CANCELLED! |
I had a very exciting second day in Monument
Valley. While Rex and Nick went off with
a local Navajo guide to see Mystery Valley,
a lesser-known destination, I took Joy
on a late-morning tour of Monument Valley's
most accessible drive.
Rex and Joy would later retrace my steps
(and then some) to afford the two some
different lighting, and then the lot of
us would return home for the evening.
At around 8:30 PM, things got interesting.
I didn't have great cellphone reception
at my cabin, but I did get Rex's call.
One of the kids wasn't feeling well. Could
I take her and her parents into the nearest
town to see a doctor.
"Of course" was my response.
45 minutes later, Nick and I were parked
at Kayenta's remote medical facility,
discussing Taila's heart condition, and
praying that there wasn't anything seriously
wrong.
After several hours, Julie received the
report that Taila had accute appendicitis,
and needed to be immediately medivaced
to Flagstaff. 30 minutes later, Julie
and Taila were gone, and Nick and I were
driving back to Monument Valley wondering
what had just happened.
|
|
|
|
Flagstaff, Arizona |
1 night |
Flexibility is one of our
best attributes. After getting sufficient
sleep to be coherant, the Sopers and I convened,
and we set out on a short-term plan-of-action.
We would all drive to Flagstaff, see what
Taila's condition was, and make decisions
from there. The drive was moderately uneventful,
as each passenger considered the future.
On arrival in Flagstaff, we went immediately
to the hospital, where Julie had been
keeping a 24 hour vigil since arriving.
The first order of business was for Nick
to relieve Julie so she could get some
sleep. No authoritative word had yet been
given on Taila's contdtion.
After switching parents, and getting
everyone settled in to their new, unscripted
digs, everyone turned in for the night.
|
|
|
|
Las Vegas, Nevada |
1 night |
The next day proved to be a good-news
day. Taila's fever had subsided, and the
doctors were so happy with her recovery
that they ruled out an appendectomy. She
was released, and we were able to re-plan
the route forward.
That route started with a trip to Las
Vegas, where Taila would be able to recover
within short shouting distance of medical
attention. Everyone decided that the younger
family would be best-served to stay in
Las Vegas while Rex, Joy and I visited
Utah's remote national parks.
So, I booked Nick, Julie and their kids
into some very cool rooms in Las Vegas,
and prepared to set out the next morning
with Rex and Joy.
|
|
|
|
Capitol Reef National
Park |
1 night |
The trip to Capitol Reef was a fairly
long drive, given how far we had come
in the opposite direction in order to
get young Taila to Las Vegas. One stop
along the way was noteworthy, however.
Right around the intersection of I15
and I70, we decided to take a flyer on
a historic site advertised on a highway
sign called Cove Fort. While Rex and Joy
went off for a look, I stayed with the
van, and took a few photos. After a while,
I could see the two of them engaged in
deep conversation with one of the local
"docents." Through my telephoto
lens, I gathered that this was a conversation
that neither Rex nor Joy was too excited
to be having, and watched as Joy cleverly
started taking pictures further and further
away from Rex and their evangelist.
Yes, that's right, the price of admission
at Cove Fort is conversion, and Rex and
Joy were getting the full sales pitch
from their Mormon host. As Rex recounted
later, he began to suspect something when
they taken to a room in the fort, and
the guide asked them if they could name
the 5 sources of light in the room. The
doorway, skylight and 2 windows were obvious
answers, leaving them one short. It was
at this point that the "Book of Mormon,"
lying open on a table, was revealed to
be the 5th source of light.
Not particularly in the mood to become
Mormons on that particular day, the two
made their excuses and we hightailed it
for Torrey, where we would spend the night
before seeing Capitol Reef the following
day.
Capitol Reef was to be the start of a
very photogenic 4 days in southern Utah.
We spent a half day in the park, where
Rex and Joy took hundreds of photos, before
we headed west and south, down beautiful
Highway 12, arriving at Bryce Canyon just
before dinner.
|
|
|
|
Bryce Canyon |
2 nights |
Back on our original itinerary
now, we had 2 nights at Bryce Canyon to
allow for a bit of cooling of the heels.
So, we took a full day to appreciate the
changing colors that came with the sun's
course across the sky, and I believe the
trip record for the number of photos taken
in a 24 hour period was set during our full
day at Bryce. |
|
|
|
Zion National Park
|
1 night |
Leaving Bryce, we stumbled on one of
the very cool finds of the trip, the Paunsaugunt
Wildlife Museum. Created by Robert Driedonks
and his wife, Teri, this museum features
one of the finest collection of taxidermy
I've ever seen.
Zion proved to be another photographic
paradise, and it was well into the evening
by the time we settled in for the evening
in the small town of Springdale, just
outside the park boundary.
|
|
|
|
Las Vegas Nevada |
5 nights |
After about a 2 hour drive, our scenic
voyage to Southern Utah ended, and the
Soper family was reunited in Las Vegas.
The first couple nights here would be
a welcome break for Nick and Julie, who
were relieved of parenting duties by the
grandparents, while they enjoyed some
time to themselves at New York New York
casino and hotel.
The next few days would be spent taking
in as much as can be taken in of Sin City
over a 5 day stretch.
|
|
Las Vegas Highlights
|
|
Shopping! The outlet
mall and Miracle Mile shops at Planet
Hollywood highlighted a the list that
also included places like Best Buy
for electronics. One "miss"
was the scrapbooking shop that we
took Julie to that had just gone out
of business. |
|
Rex and Nick going to
the shooting range and trying their
hand at a variety of automatic weapons,
including an Uzi. |
|
Nick and Julie having
2 nights to themselves at New York
New York while Rex and Joy assumed
parenting duties. During this spell,
I took the couple casino-hopping all
along the Strip, including stops for
the Foutains at Bellagio, The Sirens
of TI (at Treasure Island) and the
Wynn's unique casino water and light
show. Highlights of the evening were
the Ferari museum at the Wynn, where
Nick had his picture taken in a cherry
model, and the Tournament of Kings
at Excalibur, where Nick and Julie
treated me to dinner and a jousting
tournament HuzAAA! |
|
Family night on Fremont
Street. |
|
Visits to the M&M's
World and Circus Circus for the kids.
|
|
Dining buffet-style;
something for everyone. |
|
With the gang wanting
to have an adults-only night, and
unable to find a hired sitter service,
I volunteered to hang out with the
kids for one evening. Rex, Joy, Nick
and Julie had a ball at the casinos,
while I learned the intricacies of
World of Warcraft from Bryden. |
|
|
|
|
Death Valley |
1 night |
Having already endured 115 degree heat
earlier in the trip, the family wasn't
all that excited about Rex's plan to spend
a night in Death Valley. But, it turned
out pretty well, beginning with a trip
to Scotty's Castle (built by a gold-rush-era
huckster), and culminating with a steak
dinner at the Wrangler Steakhouse, before
retiring to the swimming pool and air
conditioned rooms of the Furnace Creek
Ranch.
The following day would see us drive
the length of the National Park, before
heading towards Sequoia.
|
|
|
|
Sequoia
National Park |
2 nights |
After leaving Death Valley, we took a
detour to the China Lake Naval Weapons
Center. Here, on an active military base,
we had a look at some very cool weaponry
before having lunch at a "local-flavor"
diner in Ridgecrest.
Leaving modern warfare behind, we skirted
the southern end of the Sierra Nevada
mountain range, on our way to Sequoia.
The highlight of what became an incresingly
scenic trip through the mountains was
stopping on a remote mountain road, so
that I could shoo a snake from middle
of the road.
Sequoia turned out to be a tour high
point, thanks in no small part to bears.
On our full day in Sequoia, we saw three
bears in three different places within
2 hours. I love seeing bears in their
natural habitat. So often, in the national
parks, when a bear is sighted, it becomes
tourist pandemonium. We were able to enjoy
the bears we saw in Sequoia as they went
about their daily business of foraging,
unmolested by throngs of people or park
rangers commanding us to "move along."
This was nature the way it is meant to
be enjoyed.
|
|
Sequoia Highlights
|
|
Seeing three bears within
2 hours, and actually having time
to watch them go about their daily
business. |
|
Scaling Moro Rock (see
below for more on that). |
|
Walking among the massive
trees. |
|
Bear-proofing the vehicle
after a long day driving from Death
Valley. |
|
Stopping to watch a
yellow-bellied marmot. |
|
Sneaking a chip or two
to the squirrels and chipmunks (shh).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yosemite National
Park |
3 nights |
The one downside of our "3 Bear
Day" in Sequoia was that Rex missed
it. He was feeling a bit "crook"
and stayed back at the hotel while the
rest of us toured. So, it became a bit
of a mission for me to find Rex a bear
while we were in Yosemite.
Ultimately, (as evidenced by the picture
at left), we were successful, albeit in
a bit less of a natural setting than we'd
experienced in Sequoia.
In the mean time, 3 nights in Yosemite
allowed the family to see the entirety
of the park, with Rex and Joy deciding
that the long drive up into the high country
was a highlight of the entire trip.
Personally, Yosemite was rewarding for
me, as it was here that I got to spend
the most quality time with the Sopers.
The Kiwi-style barbecues we enjoyed out
back of the vacation home we rented for
them are among my favorite memories of
2008. Good food, great conversation, and
the ocassional appearance of a local coyote
who seemed to be posing for the camera,
were hallmarks of a wonderful three night
stay.
|
|
Yosemite Highlights
|
|
Glacier Point was a
real treat for the whole family. |
|
Family walks to Bridalveil
and Yosemite Falls, which were flowing
heavy in early June. |
|
While it was a long
drive to enjoy it, the High Country
was a tour highlight for Rex and Joy.
In fact, I believe I remember them
saying it was the most beautiful place
they visited. |
|
Relaxing, and playing
pool back at the vacation home we
rented for the family. |
|
Kiwi-style barbecues
on the back deck of the home, followed
by late night conversations. |
|
Finally getting Rex
his bear just as we were leaving Yosemite
Valley for the last time. |
|
|
|
|
|
Monterey |
1 night |
Once again, Quintessential
Tours' flexibility came in handy, as the
group decided that it would like to give
the Monterey Bay and Big Sur a try, in lieu
of the originally planned night in the Gold
Country. We made some calls, cancelled the
hotel in the Gold Country and rerouted the
final stop through Monterey. Getting in
a bit late, after a late start from Yosemite,
the group opted to settle in early for the
night, and maybe get a bit of pool time
in for the kids. |
|
|
|
Big Sur |
Side Trip |
This would be our last day
together, so I took the group down into
one of the most scenic coastal regions in
the world; Big Sur. Despite foggy weather
in Monterey, the skies opened up for us,
and Big Sur itself was sunny. We drove as
far south as Nepenthe, where we had a bit
of coffee and shopped in the Phoenix gift
shop, before heading back north. |
|
|
|
Aptos |
En route to San Francisco
|
On our way to the coast from Yosemite,
I asked the family if they'd like to have
a beach barbecue. You see, the change
in plans now had us traveling through
my home town in Aptos, and after several
barbecues where I was the guest, I wanted
to play host for a change. After dropping
the family off in Monterey the night before,
I met up with my wife for the first time
in a month, and the two of us did a bit
of shopping for a good old fashioned California-style
barbecue.
It was clear after a half day in Monterey
and Big Sur that the beach was going to
be a bit cold due to coastal fog, so we
moved the venue to our home. Late afternoon,
I arrived with the Sopers at our home
in Aptos, and began cooking. I believe
everyone enjoyed my cooking (ribs being
the main course), and I was delighted
to have the opportunity to have the family
to my home.
|
|
|
|
San Francisco |
7 nights after we
dropped them off |
After a full month together,
we (my wife, Tess accompanied us to San
Francisco after the barbecue) bid adieu
to the Sopers in San Francisco, where they
would spend another week touring on their
own. Happily, it turned out that this would
be more of a "see you later" than
a farewell, as (as of this writing) I am
preparing for a follow-up journey with Rex
and Joy in the fall of 2009. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
During our 2 night stay in Sequoia, I took the family
out for some hiking, photo taking and exploring. This
was on the day we saw the three bears. Had nothing
else happened that day, it would have been wildly
successful. My personal enduring memory of that day,
however, was Moro Rock. I accompanied the group (minus
Rex, who stayed back at the lodge not feeling too
well) up to the base of the rock, where I imagined
that Nick's fear of heights would probably keep us.
Julie and Joy both started heading up the gigantic
Monolith a bit. Just to get a better look at the surrounding
mountains. Nick, to my surprise, followed. As the
group continued to test the narrow, steep trail (there
is a railing), Nick asked if I could look after his
youngest, Madisyn. He wanted to see how far he could
get, but wanted someone to be there for Maddie, if
his acrophobia got the better of him. Julie was a
bit ahead of us, and was taking care of Taila.
Up we went, me thinking that each turn in the trail
would bring and end to the tentative quest. I kept
watching Nick to see if he was losing his nerve. But,
up we climbed, and it soon became clear that we were
headed for the top. 400 steps, and a few stops to
catch our breath later, we arrived at the top, where
we stayed for a good spell, joined by other "daredevil"
visitors, a few chipmunks and lizards, and a hummingbird
that darted in and out of our scene. The 360°
view was stunning.
This was one of those moments that embody why I started
Quintessential Tours. I had participated in and facilitated
Nick overcoming a personal hurdle. I was delighted
for him, and also quite chuffed that he felt he could
trust me with his daughter's safety on the potentially
treacherous path. It was quite a satisfying 30 minutes
at the top of the rock...
...and there was a bonus! I got to be Maddie's favorite
person for the day.
|
|
|