JK4PACK'n it up

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Sunday, May 23, 2010: The camper is loaded and most of the gear is packed. Just six more days until we hit the road to see some of the western United States. It will be so great to see the kids' history books "come to life" at places like Mt. Rushmore and Old Faithful! We hope to blog about some of the big and small moments along the way. There are a lot of miles between here and there so things may change, but our plans are roughly as follows:

We'll start with a ten hour drive to Council Bluffs, Iowa on the border of Nebraska where our only destination is a swimming pool and a good bed at a Hampton Inn. The next day, we'll finish the drive to South Dakota by spending another 8-10 hours in the truck.

We'll only have one full day in South Dakota so our hope is to see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. The area looks beautiful, but we didn't originally plan to see it at all so we're considering this the bonus leg of our journey.

From South Dakota, we'll head west (another 9 hour drive) to Colter Bay which will serve as our home while we spend four or five days in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. If we see views half as pretty as those in the books and on the internet, we'll be blessed. If the weather allows, we hope to whitewater raft down the Snake River; this would be a first for all of us! No matter the weather, we plan to do quite a bit of hiking as we sightsee. Our top picks are Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, the Continental Divide, and Jenny Lake in this region.

After Wyoming, we'll head to Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Colorado. This is where Jim chose to celebrate his 40th birthday so we're looking forward to camping and dayhiking in this beautiful part of the country. Here's hoping for some great mountain views.

From there, it's a long haul home on a flat, open highway through Kansas/Nebraska. Please pray that our travels are safe.

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Comments

[kim]

Have a great trip!
Looks like I will need to pull out my good ol'USA atlas to share your desinations with Grant...It sounds like a blast! Looking forward to reading and hearing all about it. Love, Kim

[Susan]

1 day and counting!
Looking forward to reading all about your travels! We'll pray you don't hit any blizzards!..... well and bears for that matter! Have a safe trip! Can't wait to see the pictures! Susan

[pat martin]

Love the name JK4PACK!
We just read your first blog and know you're not even out of town yet. (It's Friday afternoon). You write so well. We're really looking forward to every blog no matter if it's short or long. Drive safely and have a wonderful time. Love you all, Mom

[Tiff]

Wishing you great adventures!
Just sending my excitement and safety with you all. What a wonderful trip you have planned! Bestest wishes to you all! Tiff

[MIMI]

Jack
Jack had a fun 1st. night playing with Tabby. They will be fast friends before long. We also had company last night and they thought he was adorable! Did you have fun "hoteling" it last night? Looking forward to hearing about your adventures......Love MiMi-Mom and Dale.

[Vicky Hime]

GREAT Idea
Karen - great idea for the blog - it wil be great to hear about your travels as you are out. Sounds like you will do more camping in this 2-week period than you normally get all summer - enjoy this time away together as a family - as you know they grow up and apart too soon! Be safe and have an AWESOME time!l