TOD - While this doesn't come close to some others' experiences, for homebodies like our family it was a biggie. In the summer of 1996, when DS Rob was almost 11, we took a three and a half week driving vacation to the west coast and back. We made a big loop, taking the northern route out and a more southerly route back. On the way out we drove across South Dakota and northern Wyoming, down through Utah to Las Vegas and on to LA. On the way back, we stopped in Phoenix, picked up my mother and came home through New Mexico, the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Highlights of the trip included:
Badlands NP/Black Hills/Mt. Rushmore
Devil's Tower
Yellowstone NP
Grand Teton NP
Las Vegas
LA - Disneyland and Universal Studios
Painted Desert/Petrified Forest NP
Santa Fe
We saw many wonderful sights on this "See the USA" tour. Three years later we did "See the USA 2," a slightly shorter trip east and, in 2001, we took our "Colorado, Rocky Mountain High" vacation, which was just over 2 weeks. These driving vacations are among our most cherished family memories