5741 Miles 16 Days 2 Wheels

[Kirby]

Rollin,

Great post and photographs. Appreciate you sharing the trip with us. I'll think of you when I'm driving 10,000 miles this summer :)

[Rollin']

Best Arch photos I have seen in a while. You might also enjoy the Goblins I shot here.

Mark

Thank you. I did enjoy looking at your pictures. You're right Goblin Valley is like another planet.

[Rollin']

A little more info on Carlsbad Caverns. Another reason I wanted to go to Carlsbad was to watch the bats leave the bat cave. The bats leave the cave just after sunset. When they leave it can be over 100,000 bats leaving the cave at one time. I think it was about a 1400 mile drive to get to Carlsbad from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We went to see the caves and then went to the bat cave entrance and waited for the sun to go down........



...... but as we were waiting a storm rolled in.





The Park Rangers made us evacuate the park. We never got to see even one bat. I guess I'll have to go back someday!!!



.

[Rollin']

Rollin,

Great post and photographs. Appreciate you sharing the trip with us. I'll think of you when I'm driving 10,000 miles this summer :)

Thank you. 10,000 miles!! That should be fun. Where are you going?

[Kirby]

I'm taking 9 weeks this summer and making a loop around the US.

Basically- NYC, VA, GA, TN, OK, NM, AZ, CA, WA, BC, ID, MT, MN, IL, OH, NY, PA, NJ, NY

We are going to be visiting various family and friends. We also plan on seeing popular spots like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, in addition to unique places like graveyards in TN/VA where hundreds of my family members are buried and also places where TV shows are/were filmed (The Office, Men in Trees, Dark Angel, etc).

Kirby

[jacksonjohn83]

Very nice post. I sat here and felt like I was with you on the trip. Thanks for the pictures. Got me all inspired. But have to wait until kids get a bit older.

[Rollin']

I'm taking 9 weeks this summer and making a loop around the US.

Basically- NYC, VA, GA, TN, OK, NM, AZ, CA, WA, BC, ID, MT, MN, IL, OH, NY, PA, NJ, NY

We are going to be visiting various family and friends. We also plan on seeing popular spots like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, in addition to unique places like graveyards in TN/VA where hundreds of my family members are buried and also places where TV shows are/were filmed (The Office, Men in Trees, Dark Angel, etc).

Kirby

WOW nice trip! And you have 9 weeks, thats great. You should be able to see a lot.

[Rollin']

But have to wait until kids get a bit older.

I know what you mean....my kids are grown and on their own. And I have an understanding wife that lets me go in these trips. As long as I buy her stuff on the trip she understands. :)

[Rollin']

One other area that I thought people might enjoy is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It is in the southwestern corner of Arizona right on the Mexican border. These pictures are also from our 2007 Jeep road trip.




A large Saguaro cactus.


There are 26 species of cactus in this area. I found it very interesting that with all the people in the US there are still places that you can go where there is nobody. There was nobody else here except for me and my wife.


An Organ Pipe cactus.


A flower bud on a Organ Pipe cactus.


Flowers on a Saguaro cactus.


I did enjoy seeing this area. They did have an area for camping but bring everything that you will need.

[Mark Sedenquist]

In that photo (above) taken through the Jeep's windshield, I love that reflection of the plants on the top of the truck's hood.

Nice photos!

Mark