If you’ve never been to Arizona, you probably have some preconceived notions about the so-called Copper State: It’s full of sweeping deserts, saguaro cacti, and red rock formations. And while that’s certainly true for some parts of the state—Tucson, for example, which I’ve visited previously—there’s so much more to Arizona. Continue reading
Before this trip, the only arches I had seen were limited to the Arc de Triomphe (and McDonald’s). Yet Nicole and I had gone back and forth about this stop in our travels. We knew that some of the most impressive formations at Arches National Park required a bit of a hike, yet we really wanted to see this natural wonder.
In the end, we decided to spend a day here—and we knew it was the right decision from the moment we saw the first major rock formations, known as “Fifth Avenue”. The huge red rocks towered above us, dwarfing everything else. Continue reading
As a kid, I was fascinated by the concept of the Petrified Forest. After all, who can resist the idea of trees, seemingly magically turned into rocks? Of course, there’s nothing magical about it: The colorful fossilized trunks were formed millions of years ago when silica from volcanic ash formed quartz crystals in fallen redwood trees.
The science is intriguing, but the actual “forest”—a span of desert off Route 66 in Arizona—is even more so. Words really don’t do it justice, so instead I’ll give you want you really want: photos. Nicole and I spent a few hours walking and driving past the logs and taking in the sweeping views of the Painted Desert, but you could spend much longer here. I hope my three nephews will find the box of petrified wood I picked up for them just as fascinating as I did.
Well, technically a tipi, as more than one friend has pointed out. More technically: the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona. So maybe it was more like concrete cone rather than an actual Native American dwelling. But our wigwam was still steeped in history.
We’re back! After an unbelievable 10-day jaunt through the Southwestern United States, we’re full of stories to share. But first, here’s an overview of our travels, with one photo from each day of the road trip. Continue reading
We made it! Finally at the Grand Canyon, we enjoyed 15 minutes of daylight before the sun set, but boy was it worth it. We’ll post more soon, but for now, enjoy our first view.
This is the last post in a series about the first roadtrip Jess and I took together. We’ll be heading out for a Southwest roadtrip in just a few days, and will be chronicling our adventures from the road!
Our first order of business was to return the rental car in Munich. This sounds like a simple task, but no. It was hell. We spent at least an hour circling the train station, each of us running in to speak with various rental company agents, before being sent back out into the world to another location. Sigh. Jess and I never get snippy with each other, but the strain of returning the car had us on edge. Add in the fact that we got lost walking in circles trying to find our hotel, and Munich wasn’t off to a very good start. Continue reading
After each trip, there is the inevitable letdown Jess and I feel when our vacation is done. As regular readers know, we are heading on a SW roundtrip (in less than one month!). But this time when we come back, we have something to look forward to – ITALY! Continue reading
This is Part Eight in a multi-post series about the first roadtrip Nicole and I took together. We’ll be heading out for a Southwest roadtrip in less than a month, and will be chronicling our adventures from the road!
As our Bavarian roadtrip neared its end, we had a few boxes left to check. When we’d started planning this excursion, I had one “must-see” near Munich, but I hesitated to tell Nicole. Would she think I was weird? Then, during one planning dinner, she said, “It might sound weird, but there’s someplace I really want to see.” We both simultaneously blurted out “Dachau.”
To some, the idea of visiting a concentration camp on vacation might seem dark, depressing, grisly, or just plain tacky. For us, though, visiting Dachau wasn’t about witnessing the site of an atrocity, but about honoring its victims.
This is Part Seven in a multi-post series about the first roadtrip Jess and I took together. We’ll be heading out for a Southwest roadtrip in five weeks, and will be chronicling our adventures from the road!
Day seven of this trip was the day I had been waiting for – the Sound of Music tour! I’ve already recapped in detail our time on the tour (seriously folks, do it!), so I won’t rehash too much here, but needless to say, getting picked up at your B&B by a dude in lederhosen that looked straight out of the movie’s costume department most definitely set the tone for the tour. Continue reading
Have Baggage, Will Travel 