Once again – as with our previous trips – we are a posting a summary collection of photos from our May-June 2018 travels. Though we call it “Trip 3,” we often think of it as being our fourth excursion. Prior to retirement and buying the RV, we took a trip in 2008 out west. We flew to Chicago, rented a Jeep, bought an electric Coleman cooler (which a cousin recently used and it still works), and stocked up on food. We then spent about 3-1/2 weeks traveling: ten days in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; a day in the Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming; and four days in Glacier National Park, Montana. We also visited the Black Hills, the Badlands, and Mt. Rushmore of South Dakota – as well as other places of interest.
Thus began the thought process of traveling during retirement.
To date we have visited 39 U.S. states, 22 national parks, numerous state parks, many national and state forests, all five Great Lakes, a host of national monuments, and some big and many small cities and towns. We drove a portion of Route 66. We traveled on one-lane roads and huge interstates (the latter only when we absolutely had to); we crossed impressive bridges (from the old covered bridges in the northeast to the very long bridge joining the Florida mainland to Key West) over large and small bodies of water; we drove and climbed up mountains; we walked through deserts and plains. We met interesting people of all ages from all walks of life, and we found most people to be friendly and helpful. After all, we were in the same situation, being out in the middle of nature and enjoying every minute of it.
Some of the places we visited were grand and majestic; others were quietly beautiful.
We learned to live and eat simply. We kept a mostly dairy/pareve diet (meat and hard cheese only when we were near a big city), and always delighted when we found new products that we could buy (thank you, CRC website). We stayed with Chabad and visited some shuls. We rejoiced in our quiet Shabbatot in the middle of nature.
So, as we are now well into the chagim of Tishrei, we wish you all a Shana Tova with good health and happiness and hope that your dreams, whatever they may be, will be fulfilled.
Sima and Bill
1. Meaher State Park, Alabama
2. Meaher State Park, Alabama
3. Paddle Boat, New Orleans, Louisiana
4. Sam Houston Jones State Park, Louisiana
5. Sam Houston Jones State Park, Louisiana
6. NASA Space Center, Houston, Texas
7. NASA Space Center, Houston, Texas
8. Longhorn Cattle, Houston, Texas
9. George Ranch Historical Park, Texas
10. The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas
11. River Walk, San Antonio, Texas
12. Guadalupe River State Park, Texas
13. Guadalupe River State Park, Texas
14. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
15. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
16. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
17. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
18. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
19. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
20. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
21. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
23. Hondo Iris Farm, New Mexico
24. White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
25. White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
26. Petrified Tree in the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
27. Agate Bridge, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
28. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
29. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
30. Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
31. Colorado River at the Navajo Center, Arizona
32. North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
33. North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
34. North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
35. North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
36. Buffalo and New Calf, North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
37. Trail to Emerald Pools, Zion National Park, Utah
38. Emerald Pools, Zion National Park, Utah
39. Emerald Pools, Zion National Park, Utah
40. Zion National Park, Utah
41. Zion National Park, Utah
42. Zion National Park, Utah
43. Checkerboard Mesa, Zion National Park, Utah
44. Hoodoos, Amphitheater, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
45. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
46. Natural Bridge, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
47. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
48. Scofield State Park, Utah
49. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
50. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
51. Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
52. Hickman Natural Bridge, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
53. Capitol Dome, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
54. Park Avenue, Arches National Park, Utah
55. Turret Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
56. North Window Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
57. North and South Window Arches, Arches National Park, Utah
58. Double Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
59. Sand Dune Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
60. Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
61. Skyline Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
62. Tunnel Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
63. Pine Tree Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
64. Fiery Furnace, Arches National Park, Utah
65. Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
66. Mesa Arch, Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
67. Mesa Arch, Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
68. Green River, Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
69. Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
70. Newspaper Rock, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
71. Wooden Shoe Arch, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
72. Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
73. Trail Marker, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
74. Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
75. Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
76. Montezuma Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
77. Sun Point, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
78. Sun Point Closeup, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
79. Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
80. Valley by Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado