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Published: December 2nd 2009
Saturday, November 25, 2009 Postscript/Overview of Blog: 3 Months after the trip... Well, it’s almost 3 months since my return from the summer 2009 Chicago, Illinois to St. Lake City, Utah roundtrip drive, camping the entire month. Sophie, my traveling companion, drove a total of 6,000 miles, driving through 11 states, and returning safely back home to Chicago with 3 weeks to unwind before returning to my position as a university writing instructor. Watching the Ken Burn’s excellent 12-hour National Park series on PBS, I was glad to have “beaten” is premiere by a month, as no doubt his “natural” propaganda will invite millions more to travel in upcoming summers (and offer further evidence of Jon Krakauer’s double-edged Into Thin Air’s popularity vs. Everest travelers realized). Well, hopefully, there’s always the National Forests.
About myself, I know that I tend to “live in the present,” and this shows, because as I glance through the various 1000 posted photos and 45,000 words of text, that the experience currently seems like a long-ago dream. I obviously lived it, but the sheer numbers of sights, places, and people are but distant memories. If nothing else, the trip makes me want
to travel again next summer, possibly to Washington state. I can remember various “views,” and the smells and “vastness” sense are easily recalled.
When I think about “What does it all mean?,” I can recall the “splendid isolation,” a time of contemplative solitude (although, most of my “brainpower” was divided between questions of logistics and comforts). In my opinion, the American mid-west/west is alive and well, beautiful in majesty and healthy in spirit. Having totally free days, with little or no real responsibilities, except to meander around a large and look at things, and spending little, or no, money, and in the company of a fine dog, is perhaps the most relaxing stages of extended bliss. Days were both physical and mental, and I slept great each night in the tent. I am glad that such excellent places, available in all corners of the United States, are available and still responsibly used.
Regarding the blog, In Nov. ’09, I have gone back and fixed as many typos, unclear sentences, and factual inaccuracies as possible. In most cases, there’s extra photographs located by scrolling to the bottom of each page, and I believe that one can
click on one to start a slideshow-type option. Also, listed below is the entire trip’s itinerary.
The blog begins with a before-the-trip “nervous energy,” then winds its way around the mid-west.
Note: At present, for some reason, the site mislabeled most of the "Best of" Photo Titles, but I'm too tired to do anything about it now...
Summer 2009 (July 25 - August 31) Trip Itinerary: Chicago, Illinois to St. Lake City, Utah roundtrip
Date Day Rise Sleep
July 25, 2009 Sat Chicago Minn. rest stop 530 mi. drive
July 26, 2009 Sun Minn. rest stop Ft. Pierre National Grasslands
July 27, 2009 Mon National Grasslands Badlands National Park
July 28, 2009 Tue Badlands Nat. Park, Rushmore Black Hills, Wyoming Unit (north)
July 29, 2009 Wed Black Hills, Wy. (north unit) Black Hills Southern Unit
July 30, 2009 Thur Black Hills Southern Unit, Sturgis
July 31, 2009 Fri Bighorn National Forest
Aug 1, 2009 Sat Bighorn National Forest Yellowstone Grant Village
Aug 2, 2009 Sun Yellowstone West Thumb Grant Village Grebe Lake Backcountry Hike
Aug 3, 2009 Mon Grebe Lake Norris Basin (Grebe Lake hike)
Aug 4, 2009 Tue Norris Basin Grebe
Lake
Aug 5, 2009 Wed Grebe Lake Yellowstone Back of Vik’s and Suzie’s van
Aug 6, 2009 Thur Norris campground, Yellowstone Norris campground
Aug 7, 2009 Fri Norris campground Norris campground
Aug 8, 2009 Sat Norris campground, Yellowstone Bridger-Teton Nat. For. (Tetons)
Aug 9, 2009 Sun Bridger-Teton Nat. For. Bridger-Teton Nat. For. (Afton?)
Aug 10, 2009 Mon Bridger-Teton Nat. For. Can’t remember at present!
Aug 11, 2009 Tue
Aug 12, 2009 Wed
Aug 13, 2009 Thur Willow Campground
Aug 14, 2009 Fri Willow campground (Cache Nat. for) Willow Campground (Jennifer)
Aug 15, 2009 Sat Willow campground Flaming Gorge, Utah (geo. loop)
Aug 16, 2009 Sun Flaming Gorge, Utah Henry’s Fork Trailhead, Uinta nat. fr
Aug 17, 2009 Mon Henry’s Fork Trailhead Dollar Lake (backcountry hike)
Aug 18, 2009 Tue Dollar Lake Dollar Lake, Uinta, Utah
Aug 19, 2009 Wed Dollar Lake Hwy 150 nat for campground
Aug 20, 2009 Thur Hwy 150 National Forrest campgroung Antelope Island State Park
Aug 21, 2009 Fri Antelope Island Antelope Island, Utah
Aug 22, 2009 Sat Antelope Island Dixie National Forest
Aug 23, 2009 Sun Dixie Nat. Forest (Bryce) Bryce National Park
Aug 24, 2009 Mon Bryce National Park Bryce National Park
Aug 25,
2009 Tue Bryce National Park Fishlake National Forest
Aug 26, 2009 Wed Fishlake National For. Utah (Capitol Reef) Canyonlands Nat. Park, Utah
Aug 27, 2009 Thur Canyonlands National Park, Utah Bill Nat. For Campground (Arches)
Aug 28, 2009 Fri Bill National For Campground (Arches) Mt. Evans, Colo
Aug 39, 2009 Sat Mt. Evans, Colorado Iowa Rest Stop, Victor, Iowa
Aug 30, 2009 Sun Iowa rest stop Moline, Il.
Aug 31, 2009 Mon Quad Cities (Moline) Chicago
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