Solo Road Trip 2016
On June 10, I plan to take off on a six-week solo road trip to Wisconsin and back. I am busy planning my stops along the way which will include a few National Parks and natural wonders where I can camp and hike and enjoy nature by myself.
I am outfitted with my new Subaru Outback, camping gear and plenty of podcasts for the 5,000 miles I expect to drive. I am hoping to camp a few days along the way, hit a few roadside motels and visit with friends and family along the way.
But traveling solo is the challenge. Will I enjoy being alone for long car rides and during nights in my tent? Who but myself will I talk to on hikes and over dinner and campfires? Will time alone yield productive reflection to lead to boredom? I will off course have my computer and phone and social media but I think I will miss Bobbi who has been my travel partner for more than 40 years. Bobbi thinks the solo trip will be good for me, for my soul. We shall see.
I am using an app call RoadTrippers to plan by journey. Its a great app that consolidates everything you need to know for your route into one place. Click this link to Roadtrippers for an overview of my planned route.
Part One - Get to Wisconsin Before the 4th
My first stop will be the Grand Canyon, and 8 hour drive from San Diego. I have never seen the Grand Canyon so this is a true bucket list stop for me. I expect to share it with summer crowds but I still expect my first view of the canyon to take my breath away. I will camp at Kaibab Lake 60 miles south of the rim and drive in for a few select hikes and views.
From the canyon I plan to stop for a day at the Navajo National Monument to see cliff dwellings. This park is a bit out of the way and should be less crowed.
The National Park Service describes this monument as were the history of the west begins.
After a night there its on to Canyon De Chelly in eastern Arizona. I have wanted to visit this site for years and am so excited to explore this canyon. I plan to stay at Spider Rock Campground for two nights.
This canyon is described by the National Park Service as the heart of the Navajo Nation.
"For nearly 5,000 years, people have lived in these canyons - longer than anyone has lived uninterrupted anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. In the place called Tseyi, their homes and images tell us their stories. Today, Navajo families make their homes, raise livestock, and farm the lands in these canyons. The National Park Service and Navajo Nation actively work together to manage park resources."
For two nights I will stay in a small Hogan structure shown below, getting myself into the history and the feel of this special place. I hope to do a jeep tour of the canyon with a Navajo guide and explore and hike as much as I can.
From Canyon de Chelly it will be on to Santa Fe to visit friends and then North to Colorado. I will write more about this part of the trip along the way.
Phase 2 - Wisconsin Family 4th of July
For the Fourth of July weekend I will be at my sister's wonderful farm near Dodgeville Wisconsin. Bobbi and Dana will join us from California and Devin and Allison will drive in from Washington DC. It should be a fun weekend enjoying family, tubing on the Wisconsin River and a bit of golf with Devin and family.
Phase 3 - Ozarks and San Antonio
For the drive home I plan to return to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, a place I remember visiting with my parents when I was 10 years old. I want to go trout fishing again on the White River, and experience with my dad that I will never forget.
From there I will head to San Antonio, TX and the Riverwalk. I have a Board meeting there on July 14 of the Association of Community College Trustees. That will be my phase in back to reality but still fun.
Finally I have a long straight drive home, to get to San Diego for another board meeting on July 21. After 5,000 miles, I hope to learn a few things about myself, about our beautiful country and to have enjoyed loads of new experiences. I hope to write more about my experiences here and shorter posts on Facebook. Join me for the journey.
I am outfitted with my new Subaru Outback, camping gear and plenty of podcasts for the 5,000 miles I expect to drive. I am hoping to camp a few days along the way, hit a few roadside motels and visit with friends and family along the way.
But traveling solo is the challenge. Will I enjoy being alone for long car rides and during nights in my tent? Who but myself will I talk to on hikes and over dinner and campfires? Will time alone yield productive reflection to lead to boredom? I will off course have my computer and phone and social media but I think I will miss Bobbi who has been my travel partner for more than 40 years. Bobbi thinks the solo trip will be good for me, for my soul. We shall see.
I am using an app call RoadTrippers to plan by journey. Its a great app that consolidates everything you need to know for your route into one place. Click this link to Roadtrippers for an overview of my planned route.
Part One - Get to Wisconsin Before the 4th
My first stop will be the Grand Canyon, and 8 hour drive from San Diego. I have never seen the Grand Canyon so this is a true bucket list stop for me. I expect to share it with summer crowds but I still expect my first view of the canyon to take my breath away. I will camp at Kaibab Lake 60 miles south of the rim and drive in for a few select hikes and views.
From the canyon I plan to stop for a day at the Navajo National Monument to see cliff dwellings. This park is a bit out of the way and should be less crowed.
"The prehistoric Puebloan Ancestors built Tsegi Phase villages within the natural sandstone alcoves of our canyons. The resilient Ancestral Puebloans paved the way for current Native American groups in the Southwest region. These villages, which date from AD 1250 to 1300, thrill all who visit with original architectural elements such as roof beams, masonary walls, rock art, and hand and foot holds."
This canyon is described by the National Park Service as the heart of the Navajo Nation.
"For nearly 5,000 years, people have lived in these canyons - longer than anyone has lived uninterrupted anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. In the place called Tseyi, their homes and images tell us their stories. Today, Navajo families make their homes, raise livestock, and farm the lands in these canyons. The National Park Service and Navajo Nation actively work together to manage park resources."For two nights I will stay in a small Hogan structure shown below, getting myself into the history and the feel of this special place. I hope to do a jeep tour of the canyon with a Navajo guide and explore and hike as much as I can.
Phase 2 - Wisconsin Family 4th of July
For the Fourth of July weekend I will be at my sister's wonderful farm near Dodgeville Wisconsin. Bobbi and Dana will join us from California and Devin and Allison will drive in from Washington DC. It should be a fun weekend enjoying family, tubing on the Wisconsin River and a bit of golf with Devin and family.
Phase 3 - Ozarks and San Antonio
For the drive home I plan to return to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, a place I remember visiting with my parents when I was 10 years old. I want to go trout fishing again on the White River, and experience with my dad that I will never forget.From there I will head to San Antonio, TX and the Riverwalk. I have a Board meeting there on July 14 of the Association of Community College Trustees. That will be my phase in back to reality but still fun.
Finally I have a long straight drive home, to get to San Diego for another board meeting on July 21. After 5,000 miles, I hope to learn a few things about myself, about our beautiful country and to have enjoyed loads of new experiences. I hope to write more about my experiences here and shorter posts on Facebook. Join me for the journey.
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