A Serious Family Road Trip

We just finished a road trip from Phoenix to Salt Lake City to Bozeman, MT to Kanab, UT & home....over 2000 miles logged!  It was your usual road trip, the car carefully loaded by Dad with all the items to keep the kids busy over the next 16 hours in a tiny space of car.  What did parents do before movies in the car & Vreaders?   Oh yeah, play "eye spy", call out states of license plates & rhyming games....we did it all, hi-tech & low-tech.  Above:  Pic of the Zoey throwing a fit because I wanted just one more pic.

We hit the road at o'dark thirty and headed out to SLC.  I really wanted to tour Temple Square.  I am interested in the Mormon religion & I admire the sense of family & community the group displays.  Sister Ha (from S. Korea) & Sister Hart (from Armenia) hosted our tour.  The girls quickly found friends in the Sisters.  They were very knowledgeable & really showed us around....I am glad I read online you could get a private tour like this.  Right:  A picture of us at the Tabernacle - all decorated for 4th of July.

Next, we drove to Yellowstone.  This was a first for the whole family - Pete & I had both never been.  I was so excited & didn't know what to expect - so again, I did my online research & decided Zoey could become a Jr Ranger.  I "prepped" her & we made our way to the Ranger Station to find out what she had to do.  (Karli's too young - you have to be 5 y/o)  So we got the Jr Ranger

kit & began the adventure.  To be a Jr Ranger you have to hike trails, draw what Old Faithful looks like when it blows, describe the colors in the hot springs & definitely know the rules of the park.  Zoey was on-task like nobody's business.  Unfortunately, when we went back to the Ranger Station to get her Jr Ranger patch there was a bison in our way....oh, & we were late too.  But it's true - a GIANT bison was blocking the path & I quickly read how you can send your completed work & Yellowstone will send you the patch - I'll be sending Monday.

Finally we reached our destination, the whole point of our road trip, Bozeman, MT.  The sun had finally set at 10pm & we drove up to our lil' piece of Bozeman heaven at nearly midnight.  We had 'country directions' to the cottage - "turn right on Davis then the 1st left down the ally & park after the 1st shed on the right - the cottage is down the garden path."  At our late arrival I was praying we had the right cottage!  Bozeman was lovely - not only did I get to spend time with my bestie - I really dig the co-op, green, natural feel of this town.  I felt a certain Zen.

In the end, I must say - we've taken our road trips to CA & Papa's Ranch (Colorado) but never one like this.  The girls were awesome travelers, Dad kept us safe the whole way & I learned to contort my body into crazy positions to find what the girls needed as we raced down the road.  If driving 16+ hours ONE WAY has intimidated you, it's time to get over it - go on that unforgettable road trip, take pictures & make the memories you only dream of, it's time.

XOXO