Wrapping Up

*New critters we’ve seen on our 2009 trip so far: black bears, grizzly bears, elk, fox, wolf, moose, beavers, groundhog, prairie dogs, big horn sheep, buffalo (bison), white tail deer, chipmunks, pronghorn, burros, pika, moose, Uinta ground squirrel, mountain goats, mule deer, longhorn beetle, otters, northern whiptail lizard, jackrabbit, rock squirrels, collared lizard, Kaibab squirrel
*New birds we’ve seen on our 2009 trip so far: bald eagles, golden eagles, wild turkeys, osprey, western meadowlark, mountain bluebird, sandhill cranes, Canadian geese, American white pelicans, trumpeter swans, killdeer, common merganser, great blue heron, raven, yellow-headed blackbird, Brewer’s blackbird, brown-headed cowbird, double-crested cormorant, Clark’s nutcracker, common goldeneye, white-breasted nuthatch, Steller’s jay, black-chinned hummingbird, Cassin’s finch, Cassin’s kingbird, peregrine falcon, western scrub jay, blue grouse, gray-headed dark-eyed junco, red-tailed hawk, California condors

This trip had basically been in the works since we hit the road June 2007. We had planned that during the summer of 2009 we’d go out west visiting several national parks. At one point we thought we might have to postpone the trip as diesel prices climbed higher and higher. Then we thought we might have to postpone it for medical reasons…my new doctor was nervous about me being so far away from his services should an emergency arise related to the Crohn’s. But in the end, diesel prices dropped, and the doctor gave me pills to keep the inflammation down, and off we went. As our 3 month "tour of the National Parks of the West" came to an end, we felt a sense of sadness that it was over but at the same time were excited to get to St. Louis to see friends and family.

Since we left on May 1, we traveled 7,398 miles in The Folly and another 3,532 miles seeing the sights in the Saturn. During our 3 months we saw things that were breathtaking, awe inspiring, and downright humbling. In all we visited 30 national parks/monuments plus 4 state parks. We crossed the Continental Divide 16 times, and Russ became quite adept at driving the RV in the mountains, at one point reaching an elevation of 10,612 feet. We became Jr. Rangers at 8 different parks and in the process learned a lot more about those places by doing so. We saw animals and birds that we’d only seen on TV or at the zoo or perhaps only read about in books. And of course we made some new friends along the way.

In our National Parks Passport booklets within each region there are places for “cancellations” (ink markings that record the name of the park and date of your visit), and we collected 78 of them during this trip as many parks have more than one cancellation. For example Glacier NP had one at each of its Visitor’s Centers, and we were able to get 6 of the 8 plus a special anniversary cancellation for Waterton-Glacier.

People have asked us which was our favorite, but each park/monument offered its own uniqueness making it difficult to answer. We were deeply moved at the Flight 93 Memorial, astonished at the rugged landscape of the Badlands NP, awed by the sheer beauty of Glacier NP, amazed at the amount of wildlife in Yellowstone NP, and witnessed the struggle for survival and the circle of life at Grand Teton NP as grizzlies chased herds of elk. Mt. Rushmore filled us with a sense of pride while Arches NP and Goblin Valley State Park filled us with a sense of wonder. The beauty of Canyonlands NP was merely a precursor to that of the Grand Canyon, which never ceases to amaze. Horseback riding in Bryce Canyon NP offered a unique close-up view of the power of wind and water while walking through the river at Zion NP was an experience we’ll never forget.

There is an unlimited amount of beauty in this magnificent land of ours. We have been fortunate to see a lot of it, but there is so much more to see. We hope that one day you have the opportunity to experience it as we have. But don’t put it off too long…life is shorter than you think. In the words of Tim McGraw’s song, “Live like you were dying.”