First there was the plan, then there was the trip. This was to be the drive till you drop vacation. Summer 2002 Family (Drive till you drop!) Vacation I became obsessed with the plan. It was ambitious to say the least for me to think I could plan every mile and hour for almost 2 weeks and over 3000 miles. It actually worked better than I expected. Below is the plan with some post trip comments in brackets. Click on any of the pictures for a larger image.

Saturday 6/1/2002

Drive to Raleigh, Fly to Albuquerque

1. Depart (RDU) Raleigh, NC Northwest #7329 - 3:00PM

2. Arrive (IAH) Houston, TX Northwest #7329 - 5:05PM

3. Depart (IAH) Houston, TX Northwest #7189 - 5:43PM

4. Arrive (ABQ) Albuquerque, NM Northwest #7189 - 6:48PM

Miles Traveled: 150 to RDU

Homewood Suites by Hilton Albuquerque-Uptown
7101 Arvada Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Tel: 1-505-881-7300 Fax: 1-505-881-0041

2-room suit for the family, Confirmation #86336142

From Airport: West on Sunport Blvd. Exit right onto I-25 North, exit right onto I-40 East, exit Louisiana Blvd North (Exit 162B), follow Louisiana Blvd for 1/2 mile then turn right on Arvada Ave.

From I-40: Exit Louisiana Blvd, heading North for 1/2 mile to Arvada Ave. Turn right on Arvada Ave hotel is on the left. Get turn-by-turn directions.

Sunday 6/2/2002

1. Day 2 will be a long and fast day so we will get an EARLY start driving west on I-40. We will be on I-40 most of the day.

2. Just barely west of Albuquerque (Visitors traveling on I-40 take Unser Boulevard exit north three miles to park visitor center; five miles north to Boca Negra Unit) is Petroglyphs NM. They do not open until 8:00AM! {We passed before opening time}

3. About 70 miles west of Albuquerque (nine miles south of I-40 on NM-117) is El Malpais NM Information Center or the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center. They do not open until 9:00AM!

4. About 40 miles farther west we will cross the western continental divide. Which mountain range is this?

5. Just a few miles short of Gallup, NM (just north if I-40) is Red Rock State Park. There is a small entrance fee, visitor’s center, rest rooms, and lots of red rocks.

6. Traveling west on I-40, 22 miles west of Gallup, NM we will enter the state of Arizona.

7. About 40 miles into AZ the Petrified Forest NP will be south of I-40 and the Painted Desert is north of I-40.

8. About 30 miles west of the Meteor Crater is Walnut Canyon National Monument just south of I-40.

9. Another 70 miles west of the Petrified Forest NP is the Meteor Crater just south of I-40.

10. Up until now we have been traveling on I-40 except for short detours. Now we will venture off the interstate highway and head south on AZ Alt. 89. We are in search of a photo opportunity. This will be about an 80 mile round trip detour. South of Flagstaff is the photogenic Cathedral Rock (Crescent Moon Picnic Area) which Jeannie wants to visit.

a. As we head south on AZ Alt. 89 (see Crescent Moon Picnic Area Map) we will pass Oak Creek Canyon Vista Point and Slide Rock State Park.

b. The destination is Crescent Moon Picnic Area.

c. We will then backtrack to the AZ 179 intersection and continue south on AZ 179 to intersect I-17 for the drive back north to I-40.

d. I doubt we will have time to visit Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Tuzigoot NM, or Montezuma Castle NM.

11. Just North of Flagstaff are 2 national monuments we may visit if time permits. They are Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and masonry pueblos of Wupatki National Monument.

12. Maybe the last stop of the day in Flagstaff will be a drive down US Route 66 for a look see at the Wigwam Motel. We could each have our own Wigwam.

13. We have been traveling and touring all day and it is time to head north to the South Rim Grand Canyon NP. We will take the scenic drive up US-180 for the 80-mile drive from Flagstaff, AZ to the Grand Canyon NP where we will spend the night.

Miles Traveled:

140 to Gallup, NM

070 to Petrified Forest

190 to Grand Canyon

400 TOTAL

Plus 80 detour to photogenic Cathedral Rock

Maswik Lodge, Grand Canyon, AZ.

Your confirmation number is: AMFML021863

Arrival Date: 2 June 2002

Departure Date: 3 June 2002

Room Type: NORTH MODERATE QUEEN NON-SMOKING

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK LODGES
P.O. Box 699 Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023
Shipping: #1 Main St Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023

Advance Reservations:
Phone: 303.29.PARKS or 303.297.2757
To reach a Lodge guest or for same day reservations:
Phone: 928.638.2631 Lodge Fax: 928.638.9810
www.grandcanyonlodges.com

From Flagstaff take Interstate 40 West to Williams:
Approximately 1 hour, 40 minutes / 89 miles.

1. At the AZ Highway 64 junctions turn north.

2. Proceed to the south entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. Please watch for animals and drive carefully.

From Flagstaff - Alternate Route:
Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes / 78 miles.

1. In downtown Flagstaff turn north onto US Highway 180.

2. Continue to the AZ Highway 64 junction.

3. Turn right (north) and continue on AZ Highway 64 to the south entrance of Grand Canyon National Park.

Monday 6/3/2002

1. Day 3 will start early. We have a lot of rocks to view. We will try to throw rocks across the Grand Canyon and do a little hiking. Check out the Grand Canyon Web Cam!

2. We will then drive east on AZ 64 along the south rim of the Grand Canyon to Desert View.

3. After leaving Desert View we will continue east on AZ 64, past the Little Colorado River Gorge and on to US-89.

4. At the intersection of AZ 64 and US-89 we will head north on US-89 through the Navajo Indian Reservation.

5. Continuing on US-89 we will cross the Colorado River at Page, AZ on the Glen Canyon Bridge, past the Glen Canyon Dam, and a few miles on to southwest Utah.

6. In southern Utah, on US-89, we will pass through The Vermilion Cliffs and the Paria River and Paria Canyon.

7. Possible 22 mile Detour to Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP. We will stay on US-89 through Kanab, UT. Just past Kanab, UT Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP (check out this map) will be 12 miles to our west. Follow the signs.

8. We will stay on US-89 until Mt. Carmel Junction. At Mt. Carmel Junction we turn west on UT-9. Zion NP is 24 miles west on UT-9.

9. We will tour Zion NP, travel along the Virgin River on UT-9 to Virgin, UT, and possibly explore up Kolob Road along the west side of Zion NP before backing to Mt. Carmel Junction.

10. At Mt. Carmel Junction we will continue north on US-89 for about 44 miles to the intersection with UT-12.

11. At UT-12 we will travel southeast along the Red River Canyon for about 25 miles to Brice, UT where we will spend the night. We are just outside Brice Canyon NP.

Miles Traveled:

209 to Utah

041 to Zion

091 to Brice
341 TOTAL

Best Western Ruby's Inn

2-room suit for the family, Confirmation #1218481

Cancellation policy 4:00PM day of arrival

Best Western Ruby's Inn
Bryce, Utah 84764

Phone: (435) 834-5341

Reservations: Toll Free 1-866-866-6616
Comments & Questions: bob@rubysinn.com http://www.rubysinn.com http://www.rubysinn.com/photo.html

South of Panguitch, turn right on Highway 12 and travel East (13 miles) to Highway 63. Turn right on Highway 63 and travel one mile to Ruby's Inn. The entrance to Bryce Canyon is just one more mile down Highway 63.

Tuesday 6/4/2002

Remember this is the drive till you drop vacation. This trip will give new meaning to the word vacation. So, we will get up early and tour Brice Canyon NP.
Just south of Brice Canyon and nine miles south of State Route 12 near Cannonville is Kodachrome Basin.
After visiting the sandstone chimneys in the Kodachrome Basin State Park we will backtrack the 9 miles back north to UT-12 and continue east through the Table Cliff Plateau area.
We will pass Escalante State Park, Escalante Canyons BLM and Anasazi SP Museum.
The next National Park is Capitol Reef National Park. We are now in just about the middle of the state of Utah.
Depending on the time of day when we leave Capitol Reef NP will determine our route north to the Salt Lake City area.
A few miles west of Salt Lake City on I-80 are the Great Salt Lake early resorts and The Saltair resort.
Just north of Salt Lake City on I-15, near the causeway to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake is Layton, UT where we will spend the night.

Miles Traveled:

110 to Capitol Reef NP

210 to Salt Lake City
320 TOTAL

Comfort Inn Layton
877 N 400 W
Layton, Utah 84041-2382

2-room suit for the family, Confirmation #31963954

I-15 N Or S Exit 334.

Property On E Side Of Freeway Just S of Red Lobster

Phone: 801-544-5577

Fax: (801) 544-7377

Wednesday 6/5/2002

1. Before leaving the Salt Lake City area we will visit Antelope Island State Park and the swimming beach on the Great Salt Lake. Antelope Island is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. Antelope Island State Park is accessed via 7.2 Miles of Causeway. After swimming in the Great Salt Lake we can then return to the hotel and change before continuing our travels. The final destination of the day will be Yellowstone NP.

2. Just northwest of Salt Lake City is the Golden Spike National Historic Site.

a. Directions: Golden Spike National Historic Site is 32 miles west of Brigham City, Utah, via Utah Highway 83.

b. Northbound travelers on I-15 use exit 368 and drive west (right) on Utah Highways 13 and 83 to Corinne. The highways divide in Corinne; take the left fork continuing west on Hwy 83. Follow the brown Golden Spike destination signs. Turn left at the sign by Thiokol and follow signs to visitor center.

3. After visiting the Golden Spike National Historic Site we must back track to I-15 and continue north for about 30 miles to the state of Idaho. Poor Idaho, for us it will be known as home of the potatoes and a state to be crossed to get to Yellowstone NP in Wyoming.

4. Traveling north through the southeast corner of Idaho we will be in national forests and Indian reservations. We will cross the Oregon Trail, Oregon Trail South Alternate, Hudspeth’s cutoff/California Trail, and Goodale’s Cutoff Trail.

5. About 95 miles into Idaho we will reach Blackfoot and cross the Snake River.

6. 26 miles further up I-15 we will reach Idaho Falls and exit I-15 on US-20 toward Rexburg, ID (about 30 miles). We will also cross the Snake River 2 more times. Check the map.

7. About 70 miles past Rexburg, ID we will cross the continental divide again and pass into Montana. Watch for Lewis and Clark slept here and for snow; we are not in Utah anymore!

8. 10 Miles into Montana we will reach West Yellowstone, MO and cross into Wyoming and Yellowstone NP.

9. 30 miles into Yellowstone NP is Old Faithful Geyser where we will spend the next 3 nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

Miles Traveled:

320 West Yellowstone

030 Old Faithful

350 TOTAL

Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins.

Old Faithful Area Map (21K) Your confirmation number is: AMFOS019565

Please verify the dates listed below.

Arrival Date: 5 June 2002

Departure Date: 8 June 2002

Number of Nights: 3

Number Of Rooms: 1

Number of Adults/Children per room: 3/0

Room Type: Lodge Room Two Double Beds

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK LODGES
P.O. Box 165
Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming 82190
For UPS and FedEx:
Hwy 89, Mammoth Hotel #1
Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming 82190
General Information or To Reach A Guest:
Phone: 307.344.7901 Fax: 307.344.7456
Advance Reservations:
Phone: 307.344.7311 Fax: 307.344.7456
E-mail: info@travelyellowstone.com

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
• From Interstate 15 and Idaho Falls take Highway 20 north to West Yellowstone, Montana, and the west entrance.
• From West Entrance it is 30 miles to Old Faithful area following park signs.

Thursday 6/6/2002

Full day in Yellowstone – detail to be added later

Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins.

Friday 6/7/2002

Full day in Yellowstone – detail to be added later

Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins.

Saturday 6/8/2002

1. Leaving Yellowstone (39 miles from Old Faithful to the park boundary) through the southern entrance on US-191/US-89/US-287 we will travel south (another 60 miles) through the Grand Teton NP to Jackson Hole, WY. We will stay on US-191 all the way to Bluff, UT. (that is from the northwest corner of Wyoming to the southeast corner of Utah) We will cross the Snake River at least 2 more times just today.

2. Please review the Grand Teton NP Map for the detour off US-191 through the park.

3. The elkhorn arch is an instantly recognizable cultural icon for Jackson Hole, Wyoming. However, we will not have time to linger under the antlers. We have a long day ahead of us.

4. Remember that there are not many places to stop in Wyoming once we leave Jackson Hole!

a. It is 76 miles from Jackson, WY to Pinedale, WY.

b. It is another 99 miles from Pinedale, WY to Rock Springs, WY and

c. another 52 miles on to the state of Utah and then

d. 64 miles to Vernal where we will spend the night at the Best Western Dinosaur Inn.

5. 13 miles south of Exit –99 as US-191 heads south of I-80 is a road west 10 miles to the Firehole Canyon. If time permits, this should be an interesting drive.

6. 63 miles south of Rock Springs, WY is the Flaming Gorge Dam. US-191 crosses the dam as it crossed the Green River. (We will see the Green River again and again) This road is part of the Green River Basin Scenic Byway. This whole area is part of the Dinosaurland Travel Region.

7. If there is any daylight remaining we can visit the Dinosaur museum or Dinosaur NM.

Miles Traveled:

326 to Utah

064 to Vernal, UT

390 TOTAL

B E S T W E S T E R N
Dinosaur Inn

Best Western Dinosaur Inn, Confirmation Number: 393710603

251 East Main Street, Vernal, Utah, United States, 84078

Phone: 435-789-2660 Fax: 435-789-2467

Room Description: 2 QUEEN BEDS

The Best Western Dinosaur Inn is located on US Highway 40 (Main Street), two blocks east of the city center, next to the Dinosaur Natural History Museum and Dino Gardens.

Sunday 6/9/2002

The first order of business for the day is Dinosaur NM. We will start with the visitor’s center and decide how much time to spend at the Dinosaur NM.
We continue out journey south by returning to US-191 and heading south through the Utah Tribal Lands.
58 miles from Vernal is the Starvation State Park (four miles northwest of Duchesne on Highway 40 with Modern Restrooms). Love that name!
112 miles from Duchesne US-191 turns east on I-70. As we travel east on I-70 we will cross the Green River twice. This is the same Greene River we say yesterday at the Flaming Gorge Dam.
After 20 miles on I-70 we reach Crescent Junction and Exit-180 where US-191 turns back south.
21 miles south of Crescent Junction on US-191 we reach Moab where we will be spending the night.
8 miles north of Moab UT-313 heads west into Canyon Lands NP where we can visit Dead Horse Point is perhaps Utah's most spectacular state park(_*), Island in the Sky, Upheaval Dome and Grand View Point.
Moab is between Arches National Park (see the map) to the north and Canyon Lands NP to the south. It would be good if we made one of the parks before dark. There is much to see!

Miles Traveled:

176 to Green River

052 to Moab

228 TOTAL

B E S T W E S T E R N
Canyonlands Inn

Best Western Canyonlands Inn, Confirmation Number: 152531

16 South Main Street, Moab UT, 84532

Phone: 435-259-2300 Fax: 435-259-2301

Room Description: 2 QUEEN BEDS

(_*) Dead Horse Point State Park
Located 11 miles northwest of Moab on US 191 and then 23 miles southwest on Utah 313 to the end of the highway. Dead Horse Point sits high on a desert plateau overlooking Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River. Activities in the park include hiking, photography, geology, and wildlife viewing. Camping is available in the park, reservations are not required, but highly recommended. Day use fees are $5 per car and overnight camping is $11 per site. The campground has drinking water, modern restrooms, covered picnic tables and barbeque grills. There are no showers available and no fires are allowed. There is a visitor’s center with an information section, auditorium, souvenirs, and restrooms. All facilities are ADA accessible. In 1998 Dead Horse Point had 170,010 visitors.

Monday 6/10/2002

There was no way we got to both Island in the Sky and Arches NP yesterday. Today we will continue and visit to Arches NP with desert hikes and the driving tour.
As we travel south from Moab to Monticello we have a detour on the Squaw Flats Scenic Byway into Canyon Lands NP. Turn west on UT-211 and follow the road to the end of the line at Squaw Flats. This will take us to the Needles area of the park. I have needles.
Continuing south on US-191 we pass through Monticello and on to Bluff where we will spend the night. However, I hope there is still adequate daylight for the drive west on US-163 through MONUMENT VALLEY and THE VALLEY OF THE GODS. If we are out of time, they will have to wait for morning. That will sure make our last full day a long one.

Miles Traveled:

098 to Bluff

098 TOTAL (Well, not counting the detours)

Desert Rose Inn & Cabins
Located on the west entrance to historic Bluff, Utah, the Desert Rose Inn architecture is an all wood style building with massive timbers which excite the senses with their intimate charm. We are only a short distance from 5 parks and National Monuments and only 40 miles from Monument Valley.

Monday 6/10/2002

information@DesertRoseInn.com
P.O. Box 148
701 West Highway 191
Bluff, Utah 84512
Phone: (435) 672-2303
Fax: (435) 672-2217

http://desertroseinn.com/
Toll Free: (888) 475-7673

1 Room w/2 Queen Beds - $69.00 #610112

Cancellation Policy is 48 Hours

Tuesday 6/11/2002

If we visited MONUMENT VALLEY and THE VALLEY OF THE GODS yesterday, we will head east on UT-163 to UT-262 and drive into Colorado where the road becomes CO-41. We will turn northeast on US-160 and head through Cortez, CO and on to Mesa Verde NP. Ranger Guided Tours are required to visit the cliff dwelling and tickets are available at the visitor’s center on a first come first serve basis. If we did not visit MONUMENT VALLEY and THE VALLEY OF THE GODS yesterday, Mesa Verde NP will have to wait for another year.
Leaving Mesa Verde NP we will backtrack US-160 and if time permits visit the 4-State Corners Monument at the single point where Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico intersect. Wow!
After leaving the 4-Corners Monument:

o The most direct and scenic route is US-64 to Bloomfield and NM-44 to I-25 just north of Albuquerque. This is just over 210 miles and offers a diversion near Los Alamos on the Jemez Mountain Trail (which will add time and miles). This option is a more mountainous route.

o The fastest route is south on US-666 to Gallup and then east on I-40 to Albuquerque. This is about 230 miles but offers less mountains and wider pavement.