So, you ask...how do you possibly decide where to go when you have four people involved. That answer was actually quite simple. We each were able to select three places to go...regardless of how stupid, bizarre or boring they may be, we will go to each person's selections. Only two places, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, were considered to be "givens."
The selections, which are in no particular order, follow below:
| John | Kate | Rob | Jen | |
| 1. |
Meteor Crater (AZ) (Rob and John started sharing selections) |
My grandparents (IN) | Hoover
Dam (AZ, NV) (The other shared selection) |
Four
Corners (AZ, CO, NM, UT) |
| 2. | Carlsbad Caverns (NM) | St. Louis (MO) | Great Salt Lake (UT) | Memphis/Graceland (TN) |
| 3. | Waffle House | Native American Cliff Dwellings | Petrified Forest N.P. | Any part of Route 66 |
And now for the tentative itinerary...did I mention that it is only tentative? It has already changed once since our previous itinerary was inconceivable when the miles and time were considered. Besides, anything can change with the flip of a coin. I'm really not kidding about that either...that is the funny part.
| Dates | Destinations (or what we're doing) | Est.
Miles/ Travel Time |
| August 9 (R) | Leave Connecticut late at night and drive.... | |
| August 10 (F) | Still driving - see Appalachian Mtns. at sunrise - arrive in Nashville or Memphis in the evening | 1160
mi./21 hrs. (to Memphis) |
| August 11 (Sa) | Visit Graceland (watch out Elvis, here we come) - start of long drive stopping in Dallas to take pictures at the Grassy Knoll - continue driving | 967
mi./17.5 hrs. (to Carlsbad) |
| August 12 (Su) | Arrive early morning at Carlsbad Caverns (NM) - tour caverns - drive to White Sands National Park - collapse somewhere around there...or camp there...whichever comes first | 147 mi./3 hrs. |
| August 13 (M) | Drive through New Mexico - take a left at Albuquerque (only Bugs Bunny fans would get that) - stay at El Rancho Hotel in Gallup | 347 mi./6.5 hrs. |
| August 14 (T) | Drive through Painted Desert - go to Petrified Forest N.P. - see Meteor Crater - take a swim at Slide Rocks State Park (near Sedona) - drive to Grand Canyon | 324
mi./6 hrs. |
| August 15 (W) | Spend the day at the Grand Canyon...and stay there too! | 0 mi./0 hrs. (yeah!) |
| August 16 (R) | Drive to Las Vegas, baby!!! Stay in plush hotel for very little money! Lose money saved in casinos. | 230 mi./6 hrs. |
| August 17 (F) | Wake up early and drive to Hoover Dam in time for the Hard Hat Tour. Drive half-way to Lake Powell. | 208 mi./4 hrs. |
| August 18 (Sa) | Drive the rest of the way to Lake Powell - find a place to stay - spend afternoon on the Lake - see Rainbow Bridge (accessible via the lake) | 100 mi./2.5 hrs. |
| August 19 (Su) | Drive to Four Corners (play Twister in four states) - continue on to Mesa Verde N.P. (Native American cliff dwellings) - drive north (via Route 666 which is kind of scary) and stay around either Arches N.P. or Canyonlands N.P. (Moab, Utah) | 346 mi./7.5 hrs. |
| August 20 (M) | Drive to Salt Lake City - float on the lake - cause ruckus | 233 mi./4.5 hrs. |
| August 21 (T) | Drive to Colorado Springs - see what it has to offer weary travelers | 601 mi./10 hrs. |
| August 22 (W) | Leave Co. Springs in afternoon/evening - start drive to St. Louis (night drive) | 835
mi./14.5 hrs. (to St. Louis) |
| August 23 (R) | Arrive in St. Louis - visit friends - see the city - go up the Arch | 0 mi./0 hrs. |
| August 24 (F) | Leave very early for Indiana (visit Grandparents) - eat well | 355 mi./6 hrs. |
| August 25 (Sa) | Leave Indiana in the afternoon and head back to CT | 710 mi./13.5 hrs. |
| August 26 (Su) | Sleep, Relax, More Sleeping and More Relaxing | 0 mi./0 hrs. |
| Totals | 6563
mi. and 122.5 hrs. |
