EDIT: I wanted to add this link here at the beginning.
Ragusa's Summer 2014 TrailerHello 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
