Trip Report: The Perfect Family Trip!

[tragusa3]

EDIT: I wanted to add this link here at the beginning.

Ragusa's Summer 2014 Trailer


Hello friends! We have been home for two months, but I am just now feeling like getting to the trip report. The trip was so EPIC, that I was honestly a bit intimidated to put it into a thread. Realizing now that I could never do the trip justice, I decided to just jump in and let the report come out the best it does.

Over the last year or more, many folks on this forum had helped in the planning over on this thread: A year of planning for the perfect family trip! Thank you to all that contributed.

Some were put off by my use of the word "perfect", saying that it wasn't possible. Well, not only was it possible, but it was accomplished! Perfect doesn't mean trouble free. Having the right state of mind is necessary at times. But all in all, 99% of the trip went off exactly as we had hoped.

I want to give a thorough report. We have 20,000 photos and over 20 hours of video to sort and sift through. I've been working diligently on iMovie and already have half the trip put together. I put together a very brief slideshow for close friends and family, and even that is a 4 hour process showing some 1,000 pictures. That being said, the photos and videos are a labor of love for us personally. I hope to share them with people, but understand how hard it is to sit through other families home movies. That's where you folks come in! We have a common interest. Campers, camping, travel, etc. I think posting here will be a great way to share with the community.

The trip: We left on June 6, 2014 from South Carolina and headed west for a 40 day loop through the Southwest. We hit as many National Parks as we could in that time frame. When we parked the truck in the driveway, the odometer read 5,999.9 miles. Every last one of them treasured.

Places visited:

Petrified Forest
Walnut Canyon
Sunset Crater
Wupatki
Grand Canyon
Glen Canyon and Lake Powell
Kanab, Utah
Zion
Bryce
Capitol Reef
Goblin Valley
Arches
Canyonlands
Moab
Mesa Verde
Durango
Silverton
Ouray
Ridgway
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Rocky Mtn National Park
Sand Creek
Wichita
St. Louis

I listed places we actually stopped and did things. There were many other things that were just quick "on the road" stops.


The family: Family of 4. We're in our late 40's with twin 9 year old boys.

My windows to post may be sporadic, so I think it's best for me to post in installments, as I get the time. Like a mini-series. LOL

I'll do my best to keep you entertained and offer opinions for any that have questions.

ADDED: Here's a link to one segment of our home movie 2014 ARCHES VIDEO

[tragusa3]

I heard the same. The ranger on our hike said they've lost only 1 mule, and it was a supply mule. In any event, I'm sure it is very safe.

Congrats for dropping the weight. I don't think I could drop the 100 pounds. 😉 Watching Biggest Loser and eating cookies as I type.

[67Cutlass]

tragusa3 wrote:
67, I don't think I could stomach the mule ride. Walking was scary enough, sitting 5' high and unstable on a mule would be more than I could take. I'm sure it's awesome for those that can handle that feeling. Besides, at 300 pounds, I'm above the weight limit. 🙂

Actually the mules are really stable. What is scary is then you are riding along on the switchbacks and looking out over the neck/head of the mule you see NOTHING but sky in front of you. The people running the mule ride claim they have never had an accident in all the years of doing this.

The mules start by carrying supplies, food and water down to Phantom Ranch. They do this a couple of times a week for a couple of years. Then only the really sure footed mules are select for people to ride.

I understand the weight thing. I had to loose 28 pounds for the ride we did years ago. IF I remember correctly the weight limit is 200 pounds. The morning of the ride they weighted me - 198. Just barely it, although they told me they do fudge the weight limit at times.

[tragusa3]

We do plan to frame that one. Probably in large size..24"x12". Wish you all could see it in RAW format. Stunning. I remove the date with Photoshop.

67, I don't think I could stomach the mule ride. Walking was scary enough, sitting 5' high and unstable on a mule would be more than I could take. I'm sure it's awesome for those that can handle that feeling. Besides, at 300 pounds, I'm above the weight limit. 🙂

I look forward to all the stories the boys tell in the future. I'm curious as to what parts of the trip stick with them. Wait until my RMNP elk story. I know that one is going to be told for years to come!

[67Cutlass]

Ah the Grand Canyon!

The photos and description of your trip are fantastic and really bring back memories of our last trip there 13 years ago.

My son an I were able to take the over night mule trip to Phantom Ranch. We'll never forget that trip. We did the trip in late May. When we started down the morning temps were in the 60's, by the time we got to Phantom Ranch later that day the temps were above 110. I was never so happy to get down off that mule at the end of the day. I don't think I've ever been so sore.

Would I do it again? In a New York minute!!!!

My son still talks about this trip and hopes someday to be able to do the mule trip again.

[kiwidancer]

What a great post! Thanks for sharing in such a fun and informative way. And you just have to frame that photo of the four of you holding hands and looking over the Grand Canyon! Christmas cards! Facebook cover photo! It's so awesome. 🙂

[tragusa3]

2gypsies wrote:
What an absolute fabulous gift you have given your children. They were just the right age to absorb it all in and I'm impressed with how they stuck with the Junior Ranger Programs. They take a lot of time and parents have to get them around to all the places to answer the questions. What a great family you have!! The pictures are awesome and bring back happy memories for us, too.

It was a commitment to get the badges. We can't lie though, we enjoyed learning it all as much as they did. There was once or twice that I wish they would have let us slide on some questions, but they didn't. The rangers are coached well to keep the integrity of the program.

[tragusa3]

rseymour21 wrote:
I'll submit my Thanks, Great Pictures and Trip report! Its the next best thing when you can't go yourself!:o

I feel like I've gone my whole life watching everyone else travel. It was an amazing luxury to be able to take this trip. I worked 22 years so far with only 2 weeks each year. I almost didn't know how to act, but got used to it quick! 🙂

This was a blessing I didn't take for granted. Every minute was savored, even the one's that we could have killed each other.

Hope you get the opportunity.

[tragusa3]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. You are all right on point. The trip will be a treasure for our family for the rest of our years.

Part 4: Grand Canyon


I had been to this park once before, when I was in my early 20's and single. It was a college bus tour, and we had all of an hour. Enough time to see the visitors center and the closest overlook.

We were really looking forward to "experiencing" this park. Despite all the comments on the forum, we booked 5 full nights at the village. In hind site, the forum was right. We were ready after 2 nights.

The campground does have a fantastic location and access to the shuttle. However, we really didn't appreciate anything else about it. The campsite itself was just a sardine can, and it offered no reason to sit outside. That was okay though. By the end of the day, we were ready for some A/C, TV and privacy.

The weather was great for us, aside from the wind. It was windy to the point of chasing us indoors on several occasions.

We walked the rim trail for roughly 5-7 miles. We also hiked the Kaibob down to "ooh ahh point". We had planned to go all the way to Skeleton Key, but stopped short, not because of difficulty, but because I couldn't stomach watching my boys walk along the steep drop offs. Much of the hike had my Daddy senses on high alert. The hike was still extremely rewarding and exceeded my expectations! A ranger mentioned that less than 5% of visitors ever get below the rim. I'm glad we did, as it was like seeing a new park.













This ranger was an incredible story teller. We did the sunset walk with him. Anyone else been meet him?



Here's part of the Kiabob trail.





We have tons and tons of photos, but I'll stop here. It's easy to find beautiful photos of the canyon, thought I'd share a few you might not find elsewhere.

We caught two sunrises and two sunsets. Really, beyond that and a few hikes and a few ranger programs, I don't know what else we would have done. We could have rafted or done the mule ride or helicopter, all of which were out of the budget.

I'm leaving out so many cool experiences though...the wonderful ranger that swore the boys in, the laundry experience, my wife and one son being charged by an elk protecting her calf (they hid behind an Italian couple's car, and they drove off and left her for dead), the asian guy that had to get one inch closer for that perfect photo, the mountain lion we saw on the drive into the park...the list goes on and on.

In all, I'll repeat what I hear from lots of folks, it's a must see park for sure, but not the kind of place I would want an extended visit at (many of the other parks were).

[Joe_Rochelle]

Thank you very much for this trip report! I've added many of these spots to "the spreadsheet" for when we can take a trip to the Southwest.

[modern_family]

Very, very nice! Congrats on a successful "perfect" trip. Excellent pictures and great memories. As you said, things will always go wrong or not exactly as planned, but you can still have the perfect trip. We did a 3500 mile trip to the northeast this past summer with our 8 and 11 year old. Hopefully in the next few years we will get out west. Vacation time off is my challenge.

Look forward to seeing more

[southerngirl76]

Great trip report! Looking forward to reading more!

[Pine_Barren]

Enjoying the report. This looks like a great trip and some beautiful pictures. I have been to some of the places in the pictures but it was a long time ago. Your boys will remember this trip. Looking forward to more reports on this trip and pictures.

[rseymour21]

I'll submit my Thanks, Great Pictures and Trip report! Its the next best thing when you can't go yourself!:o

[michigansandzil]

Thanks for sharing. The trip sounds fantastic. I look forward to the rest of the story.

[jmckelvy]

Enjoying reading your report. Your enthusiam and excitement definitely show through in the report. Thanks for posting and please continue.

Over the years we have been to all of the places (multiple times) you have posted about so far. Our first trip west was in 1981 with many more since. Even now I still get a sense of excitement when we start West.

Your boys will remember this for all their lives. Our two daughters and two sons are grown now and have lives of their own. I miss taking them on these trips.