So, I know in the last blog we said that the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Pigeon Point Lighthouse were next. But, we got ahead of ourselves so those of you looking for fish and lighthouses will have to wait until next time. This time is all about San Simeon and the home of William Randolph Hearst, the publishing (and movie) tycoon. From Solvang we were able to take the 101 and Highway 1, right along the ocean, the entire way. Thanks to my mom and her thinking ahead, she was able to get us a campsite for 2 nights right near [View Full Entry]

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As our narrator has informed you in the last blog, we set off from Manzanar, heading west, with no real destination in mind. As it was Saturday, 08/16/08, and we had no place to stay until Monday, 08/18/08, we headed out in search of a campsite on the beach. We drove down the 395, 14, and 405 to the coast and arrived near Malibu. We wanted to find a place in southern California, and kind of take it easy heading up to Solvang. Heading up the Pacific Coast Highway, we stopped at every single national and state park there was…all of [View Full Entry]

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Previously on Cody and Nickey's Excellent Mis-Adventures: When visiting the "Grand Crowding" in the summer, go to the North Rim. When on a hike, remember to take your camera AND the memory card. When doing laundry in a National Park, electricity is a convenience, not a given. Lastly, don't forget your French-English dictionary. Today we follow Cody and Nickey as they make their way west on I-40 and, along the way, get a few kicks on Route 66. After leaving the Grand Canyon in all its panoramic glory, the happy couple drive south to get to the interstate, that they might [View Full Entry]

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We have another special blog to post today. It is my Great Grandpa Bigham's birthday! As a career truck driver, we thought what better way to wish him a happy birthday (while on a road trip) than to photograph some of the big rigs we see on the road. So, Happy Birthday Grandpa Bigham and Keep on Truckin'. Love you and can't wait to see you soon! Love, Nicole (& Cody) [View Full Entry]

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So, we are getting a little bit behind. No National Parks tour is complete without a visit to the Grand Canyon. We visited on Aug. 13 and 14. Note to any potential Grand Canyon summer visitors, follow my grandpa's advice, stay at the North Rim. We did not and have since learned our lesson. We stayed at the ever popular South Rim, along with half of the United States and the whole of France. Luckily, we arrived in time to get the last campsite available for a two night period at Mather Campground. Also, the campsites at Mather were HUGE. Another [View Full Entry]

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A little change from the ordinary. We are pausing to wish Grandma L a Happy Can Opener Day (AKA Birthday). We have put together a little photo montage of the flowers we've seen along our travels. Hope you enjoy your birthday photo bouquet. Love you! [View Full Entry]

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In addition to saving you a lot of money while on a trip of National Parks, the National Parks pass also allows you visit lesser known sights (and not feel bad if they turn out to be duds). However, our stop at Pipe Spring National Monument, just over the Arizona border on Highway 389 (just beyond Colorado City), was an interesting side trip (not duddy at all). As the name implies, Pipe Spring is an actual artesian spring in the middle of the arid Arizona plains. Like we all know by now, water plays an important role in this area of [View Full Entry]

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It's taken us two weeks, but we've finally found a schedule that works for visiting the national parks. We stay two nights at each place, using the arrival day to orient ourselves and watch the introductory video, and the second day to do all of our hiking and geological expeditions. Also, for those of you following along with our route, we took Highway 12 out of Bryce, down 89, and finally followed 9 through a 1.1 mile long tunnel into Zion Canyon, where we ended up camping at South Campground on the nights of August 10 and 11. Without further ado, [View Full Entry]

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Salut mes amis. (Hi my friends.) If you have ever wanted to visit France, a far cheaper alternative is Utah in August. We assume that since it is so cheap to travel to the US, and France has the month of August off, they are all vacationing in the US. Thus far, it has been a rarity to hear English spoken among visitors to the NPs. Nickey has enjoyed eavesdropping and translating the juicy parts for Cody's benefit. First off, we arrived in Bryce Canyon midday. After our prior experiences with the weather and setting up camp, we decided right off [View Full Entry]

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The next stop on our trip was similar to Colorado National Monument, in that it was not a planned stop, but turned out to be a pleasant detour. Capitol Reef National Park is located on another Scenic Byway (SH24) between Arches and Bryce Canyon. (We opted out of visiting Canyonlands N.P, which is also in the vicinity.) Like the other National Parks in Utah, Capitol Reef has beautiful colored rocks, cliffs, and winding trails. However, the distinguishing geological feature of Capitol Reef is that it contains the Waterpocket Fold, which is a monocline. As I understand it, a monocline is a [View Full Entry]

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