It was Summer (yay)! But it was also 2020 (big sigh). Since the whole world got cancelled, so did our last big family trip to Africa and Europe. Still, our oldest had to be in Seattle by the beginning of August to start her adult job. So, we swapped out previous plans for a 8500-mile drive from Miami to Seattle and back to Miami. 18 days out, a month in Washington, and 15 days back. Road trips were the only kind of vacations we did when I was a kid. So I was up for a nostalgic coast to coast to coast road trip. Who needs camels and pyramids when you have wild bison, enormous Redwoods, and canyons. Let’s do some National Parks!

A few highlights:
~ Those unexpected car convos. Those little interaction treasures with the girls, discussing all the big things and little things.

There’s always a lap to sleep on.
girl & pup piles

~ The return of the family car picnics are back, since dine-in is gone for now.
~ Went to the see the University where Cali’s going. So beautiful with huge trees covered with Spanish Moss.

UF stadium, Gainesville

~ Visited 13 National Parks with very few other people: Bryce Canyon, Mesa Verde, Arches, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Redwood, Grand Teton, National Reef, Great Sand Dunes, Redwood, and Capital Reef.

Bryce Canyon, Utah
Arches National Park, Utah
just outside the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Arches National Park, Utah
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Oregon squirrel patrol
hanging with a moose while getting a flat fixed

~ Yellowstone wildlife as the sun peeks over the mountains, 2 herds of wild bison, a close encounter with one, spotting a wild wolf, lots of prairie dogs.

Cali woke us up at 4 am so we could see these beauties in the wild before dawn.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

~ Walking through miles of the spectacular Carlsbad Caverns with no one else in sight.

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

~ Seeing Cali’s excitement visiting Mystic Falls (Covington, Georgia), where her favorite Vampire Diaries show was set.

Covington, Georgia
Covington, Georgia

~ Walking through an empty Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Running with the pup through the halls in the empty Drury Inn where we always stay.

empty street cars
Best beignets – got them to go!

~ Being the only people staying in the Dumpling Patch B&B in Arizona. Getting breakfast burritos delivered through a doorway crack (new C-19 method of food delivery).
~ Eating goodies from the Hershey’s store in deserted streets of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas

~ Avoiding two skunks in a huge dog part in Petaluma, California. Pup ran and ran.

Japan town, Los Angeles

~ Pure awe of nature moment in the Redwood NP, looking up into the canopy while it rained, smelling the wet redwood aroma.

Redwood National Park, California

~ Somewhere in Oregon, had my first Dutch Bros white coffee, clearly what they drink in heaven.

Oregon coast
Oregon coast

~ Having the entire family together and at the Grand Canyon for the first time.

~ Moved our oldest into her new home in Washington.

moving truck arriving in Redmond, WA
Madi’s little garden in her room
Madi took. her rescheduled MCAT amidst all the chaos
Then the next cake when Madi got into Med School!
Campfire in the Kier’s courtyard. Already feeling like home.

~ For a month and a half did a whack of Pacific Northwest stuff including hikes and more hikes, camping on Mount Rainier, Pike Place, the aquarium

Seattle Aquarium
picking blueberries in Seattle
picking blueberries in Seattle
Pike Place market, Seattle
s’mores at Gyu Kaku Japanese restaurant in Redmond
Mount Rainier, Washington
Mount Rainier camping
Mount Rainier, Washington

~ Getting back to Florida and staying at a couple of our favorite home beaches.

Hollywood Beach
Hollywood Beach, FL
San Fernadina Beach, FL
San Fernadina Beach, FL
Hollywood Beach, FL
San Fernadina Beach, FL

Going West we chose a more of a southern route of 13 states, coming back another 13 states. Going out we drove 4216 miles, coming back 4280 miles.

Florida
Georgia
Alabama
Mississippi
Louisiana
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
Utah
Nevada
California
Oregon
Washington

13 States Coming Back:
Washington
Montana
Idaho
Wyoming
Utah
Colorado
New Mexico
Texas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
Florida

The days went like this:

June 1 – Tampa, Florida
June 2 – UF visit in Gainesville, then to Tallahassee
June 3 – to Daphne, Alabama
June 4 – New Orleans, Louisiana
June 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
June 6 – Austin, Texas
June 7 – El Paso, Texas
June 8 – Scottsdale, Arizona
June 9 – Grand Canyon, Nevada
June 10 – Las Vegas, Nevada
June 11 – Los Angeles, California
June 12 – San Jose, California
June 13 – San Francisco to Petaluma, California
June 14 – Eureka, California
June 15 – Florence, Oregon
June 16 – Vancouver, Washington
June 17 – Vancouver, Washington
June 18 – Redmond, Washington

Trip Home to Miami

Aug 2 – Redmond, WA to Superior, Montana
Aug 3 – to Gardiner, Montana (see Yellowstone NP)
Aug 4 – (See Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP) stay in Afton Wyoming
Aug 5 – Bryce Canyon National Park
Aug 6 – (Bryce Canyon NP) stay in Torrey, Utah
Aug 7 – (See Capital Reef NP, Arches NP) stay in Moab, Utah
Aug 8 – (See Mesa Verde NP) stay in Cortez, Colorado
Aug 9 – (See Sand Dunes NP) stay in Alamosa, Colorado
Aug 10 – Visited Taos, New Mexico stayed in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Aug 11 – (See Carlsbad Caverns) stayed in Abilene, Texas
Aug 12 – to Pearl, Mississippi
Aug 13 – Covington, Georgia (Vampire Diaries spot) stayed in Warner Robins, Georgia
Aug 14 – to Gainesville, Florida (UF visit)
Aug 15 – to Miami
Aug 16 – one week on Hollywood Beach, Florida