2012 Trip Itinerary June 6-June 23

The big 2012 Trip "out West" (and then back East) is in countdown mode, we leave in 19 days on June 6th.  My first purchase was a National Park Access Pass for $80 which is good for a full year and provides admission to one carload of people into many National Parks/Monuments/Forests, etc. as well as half price camping fees at many of those who offer camping.  It's already made it's money back in camping savings as I've been making reservations.

Goals of this trip:
1.  Have an experience with my son that we both remember for all of the right reasons for the rest of our lives.
2.  See with our own eyes what the U.S. looks like between South Bend, IN and the Pacific Ocean.
3.  Get a glimmer of a glimpse of understanding of what it was like to be Lewis & Clark exploring into a great unknown or one of the thousands of families who walked the Oregon Trail for 5 months in hopes of a new and better life.
4.  Visit both of my sisters (Emily in San Francisco, Elaine in Eugene OR) plus join my Mom & Dad at Dad's family reunion (WY).  I love my family very much and cherish time with them.
5.  Spend the night in a tepee.  (Really, I would do a yurt this trip too, but I'm trying to hold back on that one to do with Elaine and her two kids on some future trip to Oregon).
6.  Have an adventure of self-reliance and spiritual growth by living more deeply in the natural world.
7.  Support & appreciate National and State Parks so that they can continue safeguarding these areas for future generations to experience & enjoy.
8.  Become a very good camper.
9.  Travel 5,000 miles without eating any "fast food".  No drivethroughs or convenience stores.  Shop a farmer's market at least once a week (I hope!).
10.  Be happy.

Our itinerary at this point for those who would like to follow along:

Wednesday, June 6th:
162 miles
South Bend, IN to Starved Rock State Park (IL), hiking & camp overnight.
[may veer off of 80 by 3 miles in Illinois to test drive a Fiat Pop in Tinley Park...]
http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/


Thursday, June 7th:
389 miles
Starved Rock to Council Bluffs, IA to stay with my Aunt Mary Ann
Stop in eastern Iowa at Wilton Candy Kitchen, est. 1860, for ice cream, lunch and/or candy!
http://www.wiltoncandykitchen.com/



Friday, June 8th:
500 miles
Council Bluffs, IA to Lake Minatare State Park (NE)
2 nights of camping, swimming in the lake, exploring Scottsbluff National Monument which is 12 miles away and was a significant landmark on the Oregon Trail.
http://nebraskastateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?topTableIndex=CampingSpot&contractCode=ne&parkCode=0121


http://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm


Sunday, June 10th:
~ 375 miles to camp in SW Wyoming, probably Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
http://www.utah.com/nationalsites/flaming_gorge.htm

Monday, June 11th:

to Park City, UT to stay with Whalen & Brynn for 2 nights with our own hot showers!!  Whalen's list of fun ideas includes zip lines, alpine sleds, biking & hiking, and to Olympic Park to "see the high end athletes fling their bodies 60 ft in the air landing in a huge pool".  So we had to make this 2 nights rather than only one, I think that Jonathon and Whalen are going to have an especially good time together, I will just try to keep up :)

Wednesday, June 13
238 miles
Park City to Great Basin National Park, NV.  The park is on the eastern edge of Nevada off of Highway 50 called "the loneliest highway in America...".  It also is one of the most scenic and follows the route of the Pony Express.  The Pony Express ran less than a year because the telegraph was invented, and here I thought it went on for years.  I'd like to tour the Lehman Caves, I can call next week for reservations, but our time there will be very tight so maybe we'll skip these caves.  Due to concerns about white-nose bat disease, once you've been in one cave noone else wants you in their cave for 12 months with any of the same clothes on, so I think we may opt for a cave in the Badlands instead.
Great Basin National Park - Great Basin National Park


Thursday, June 14th
411 miles
Great Basin National Park to Fallen Leaf Campground in the National Forest Lands of Lake Tahoe Basin.  It's a beautiful one mile walk to Lake Tahoe, closer to Fallen Leaf Lake and prominent peaks include Cathedral Peak (8,200 ft) and Mount Tallac (9,735 feet).  Lake Tahoe will be extremely chilly at this time of year so I think a Friday morning hike to admire the lake and have a good swim in Fallen Leaf Lake will be terrific.
http://www.recreation.gov/camping/Fallen_Leaf_Campground_Ca/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=71531&topTabIndex=CampingSpot


Friday, June 15th
199 miles
South Lake Tahoe to San Francisco!!!
Staying with my sister Emily for 6 nights in her apartment near Nob Hill.
On the list:  Muir Woods National Monument, a tour of ALCATRAZ (we didn't buy tix in advance last visit and couldn't go...half the fun is the boat ride, I'm sure).  Lots of walking, including stops in China Town & Little Italy & a cupcake shop & the tea shop by MOMA-SF & any fabulous bakery for bread plus local fresh produce.
Muir Woods National Monument - Muir Woods National Monument


Alcatraz Island - Alcatraz Island


Thursday, June 21st
San Francisco to Lassen Volcanic National Park
2 nights in the NE corner of this park which has all kinds of sulfur springs and gorgeous as well as moon-like volcanic areas.  Most of it is quite remote so I chose the campground near the only camp store and gas pump.  I fully recognize that I am not a remote, off the trail camper at this point, but hope to be more experienced by the end of this trip.  My husband, Peter, has done two different sessions of Boulder Outdoor Survival School, he can get by with very little if necessary, but I don't like to be freezing cold at night or sleep on rocks or unable to find clean water.  Or wonder if I'm going to actually find my way back to civilization.
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm


Saturday, June 23rd
Leaving Lassen
Possibly to Crater Lake National Park (OR) for the day, and definitely on to Elaine's in Eugene, OR by the end of the day.
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm

Panoramic view from the Watchman Lookout in Crater Lake National Park. Photographed by Lester M. Moe in 1936.  The island in the center is the caldera and the lake is actually filling the volcano's crater.  The lake is about 1,900 feet deep, the deepest in North America and the most amazing color of blue because it is incredibly pure.

everytrail.com

So that is the first 2.5 weeks, more details to follow :)