Favorite destinations out West

or do a piece of it each year for the REST of your LIFE.

The great circle...Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Glen Canyon Dam Lake at Page Az., North Rim Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome, Rt.12, Calf creek, Capitol Reef, Moab area, (Canyonlands-Arches), Over to Colorado at Black canyon Gunnison, Jeeping between Ouray & Silverton, Steam engine ride at Silverton to Durango, Great Sand Dunes...allow at least 8 weeks for this adventure.

Plan so you are not spending too much time traveling between parks. Cover a smaller area. The first time we went to the Utah NPs we spent two weeks and stopped at at five plus driving in to another three or four state parks. The next time we knew enough to cut the amount of time we spent traveling and more time looking. If at all possible try to go for more then two weeks.

And remember, different strokes for different folks. Some people think Mt. Rushmore is great. We did not and we both taught history. Decide what fits you.

Jesshopes, you hit the nail on the head with your comment which is already being reinforced here by so many likes from folks: "the options are so endless". The west is truly wonderful, and we have the same challenges, with so much we want to see and do, what to do first? When we were working and kids at school we only had 2 or 3 weeks max. Nowadays as a couple we go for anywhere from 3 weeks to 6/8 weeks.

For Easters we headed towards Nevada and down to San Diego LA area maybe at a push up to San Fran' or the GC. For summer months over 3 weeks+/- we'd typically either do Lake Tahoe, and up the coast, or maybe Montana, Wyoming, YNP, Tetons or another time Utah SP's/Idaho such as Hells Canyon or the panhandle.

For 2 weeks you'd need to make a decision on which section and theme you want to do first based on the time of year. Decide on something you really want to do (bucket list item?) that fits in with the time of year weather wise you will be there, and look at all realistic distance options around there. For instance we wouldn't want to be in lower AZ or the Nevada desert in Jul or Aug months = too hot for us. Equally we wouldn't want to be exploring Montana in Jan or Feb.

Coastals? National Parks? Mountains? Lakes? Best to decide on what locations would be comfortable for the time of year you definitely want to go and pick something significant you want to do and work out from around that. Alas, as much as we want to do it all NOW (LOL), we know we can't and we've finally learnt that the only way to eat the elephant is one small bite at a time. So far we've hit well over 40+ states (44/46), including Hawaii and Alaska RVing, just getting "a flavour" so to speak. Now we want to do many again a lot lot slower and soak in more of the ambience as we head into retirement.

Glacier and Dubois WY area, Tetons, Yellowstone, Cody WY, Whidby Island WA, Mt St Helens, Ranier, Oregon: Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Coast (Tillamook Cheese Factory, Northern California and Redwoods (Crescent City and Redcrest), Mt Rushmore. Idaho. Canada: Banff and Lake Louise.

The entire Pacific coast, hwy 101. You could spend months and not see it all.

Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Yellowstone

Lake Tahoe, Pacific Coast, Giant Redwoods, Big Sur, Alcatraz if you like that kind of attraction, Sequoia, Olympic Natl Park.

Most all would say any of our wonderful National Parks - we have visited 28 out of the 47 parks in the lower 48

Trivia - we have 12 others, what are the two that are not in Hawaii or Alaska

Yellowstone, Big Bend, Yosemite and Zion would be my favorites

Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Tetons, Rushmore etc.