Getting Away 2021

Day 33 (Wednesday, June 02, 2021) Leaving Craters of the Moon behind, we decide to stretch out our drive home a little – and avoid Interstate 80 altogether this time. Instead, we head north, into the Sawtooth National Forest and NRA. Slowly but surely the landscape around us changes – from lava beds to hillsides and then to mountains. Passing the Sun Valley ski area, we come through the town of Ketchum. Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel Prize-winning author, first came … Read More

Day 28 (Friday, May 28, 2021) After packing up Friday morning, we leave Montana just a few miles outside the campground, and also cross the Continental Divide as we enter Idaho, our home for the next few days. But first things first – time to refresh and refuel! Just about two hours south we get to Blackfoot, ID, where we not only stop for supplies and gas, but also for a pick up at the local Amazon locker (yup, Kirk … Read More

Day 24 (Monday, May 24, 2021) It’s another cold morning as we pack up to head up north, leaving Grand Teton NP for Yellowstone NP, which will be our destination for the next 4 days. But GTNP won’t let us leave without a bang! Just near Colter Bay Village, traffic slows to a crawl and based on the activity on the sides of the road, we know something BIG is out there … while we can’t stop or pull over … Read More

Day 22 (Saturday, May 22, 2021) After a cold and wet settling into our site yesterday afternoon and lots of rain overnight, this morning is presenting bright sunshine and glorious views of the Teton Range just across Jackson Lake, a few steps from our campsite at Signal Mountain Campground. Knowing the weather isn’t going to hold all day, we head out and start our driving discovery tour heading south on Grand Teton Road, from Signal Mountain towards Jenny Lake. We … Read More

Day 18 (Tuesday, May 18, 2021) The next several days will be spend driving north, as we’re making our way from southeastern Utah to northwestern Wyoming, for part two of our trip. But one thing after the other … Tuesday has us pack up our very private campsite outside Natural Bridges NM and head north on Hwy 95, towards and across the Colorado River through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This drive is another highlight of our route – … Read More

Day 14 (Friday, May 14, 2021) It is time to head back into cellphone-and-internet-free areas of southeastern Utah and to my all-time favorite park: Natural Bridges National Monument! Located off Hwy 95 just under an hour from Blanding, we get there by midday. Ideally, I’d like us to stay inside the park again, but as we approach the campground the sign already shows that all 13 sites are occupied. Prepared for this, we head back out a couple of miles, … Read More

Day 9 Sunday, May 09, 2021 While we don’t have enough time in Bluff to give the trailer a full wash-down inside & out, we can at least get ourselves clean again, after the red sand got everywhere. By midday we’re off towards the next stop on our route: Hovenweep National Monument. Just a little over an hour east, following some pothole and gravel roads, we reach this little gem just before the border to Colorado. The 31-site first-come-first-serve campground … Read More

Day 4 (Tuesday, May 04, 2021) Aside from setting up our camping chairs around the self-made fire ring and getting the solar panels out and in place, we do nothing today. That’s right, nothing. Just relax! Day 5 (Wednesday, May 05, 2021) After all the excitement yesterday, it’s time for another day of the same. Relaxing at the site, hiking up the hill to take photos of how remote our site is (it is really remote), enjoying the sun (it’s … Read More

Day 2 (Sunday, May 02, 2021) It was a long drive yesterday, but the excitement of being inside the National Park already finally gets us up and going, and we are heading out to see the Grand Canyon. Walk & Bike paths lead from the campground directly to the Visitor Center and the Rim, from where we’ll be able to walk along the Rim all the way to the Village – with J.T.! While dogs are not allowed on trails, … Read More

Day 0 (Friday, April 30, 2021) Maybe it HAD been a little optimistic to think we could leave after Kirk gets home from work on Friday evening, but having quite as many obstacles thrown our way as ended happening – never would have guessed THAT! So what went wrong? Well … the trailer wasn’t quite packed yet (procrastination issues) and not washed yet (since it rained earlier this week), the truck wasn’t packed yet (since we didn’t even get it … Read More